Our pool is open and our invitations have been delivered – the rest of the summer unfurls beyond what I can or want to see. The first summer gathering is already done, and two more weekends of guests are just ahead. Truth be told, I’ve always enjoyed the days leading up to a gathering more than most of the gatherings themselves, but I’m learning to let the enjoyment fill the occasion too. Smaller summer dinners are more my style – with casual, relaxed grill fare – no oven baking, no stove-top boiling – just simple burgers or steaks and some cool, leafy salad. The only question that remains: guess who’s coming to dinner?
Summer finds us more social, at odds with the way my youth went, when school’s social activities ceased once it was July. That was always summer’s big relief for my socially-anxious disposition – but there were certain exceptions. The Fourth of July was celebrated at the grand home of a family friend on Locust Avenue, and my birthday in August always demanded some sort of social grace. In 1990, I basically extended the school year during our trip to the then-Soviet Union. That’s where and when Suzie introduced me to ‘The Mighty Quinn’ soundtrack, which is what fuels the music for this post.
High summer is at hand – memories surface from as long as 30 years ago, and from just a few days prior – time working its strange alchemy especially when tied to summer. There is a hint of mystery to it too, the way the nights are always darker in summer than in winter. Surely more mysterious things are to come…
