diner dans le cimetière

In light of the recent developments in my family life, you know, death, betrayal and all that lovely Southern Gothic stuff, I have been in a rather reflective mood.
During this period I have been lucky enough to spend quality time with people that I love, and over the July 4th holiday I had the good fortune to find myself among friends and extended family in lavishly appointed yet comfortably intimate interiors and exquisite gardens of that particularly lovely area of Long Island also known as the Summer Colony.

Upon my return to DC I thought I would do something fun to lift my spirits. So, naturally, I went to the boneyard, Rock Creek cemetery to be precise. While walking along, enjoying the unusually cool summer day, I happened across the tomb of Evalyn Walsh McLean an American mining heiress and socialite who was famous for being the last private owner of the Hope Diamond as well as another famous diamond, the Star of the East. (She's the original "Mrs. Gotrocks")
As I stood in front of the mausoleum, the dappled light streaming through the clouds, I thought, what an interesting life the old girl had. You can't write this stuff. Some peoples lives play out with great stories. I have decided my life has already been made in to a movie- or rather, movies, the ever changing character of my starring role has, thus far, been a mixture of the Oz obsessed waif Dorothy, played by Fairuza Balk in "Return to OZ", the bisexual cocaine-addict fashion model Margaret (Anne Carlisle) in "Liquid Sky" and the Helen Twelvetrees role as long suffering good girl in "Millie", OK, and a little Zerbinetta from "Ariadne auf Naxos" with a soupçon of Princess Ninetta from "The Love for Three Oranges" and Jackie O from "The House of Yes" thrown in for good measure.

Later, as I continued to stroll with my trusty hound Boudin, I came across the graves of Upton Sinclair, Rosalie Mackenzie Poe, (Edgars sister) Melville Bell, (Alexander Graham Bells dad) Charles Truman Jenkins, (Inventor of television) Charles Corby, (the inventor of baking technology used for Wonder Bread) and Howard Austen, you know, Gore Vidal's partner. (they met long after Vidal's relationship with Anaïs Nin and Joanne Woodward) Can you imagine what interesting dinner partners they would make? I'm sure the conversations around the bone yard get pretty lively around midnight... Cant you just see old Upton reading from his 1906 novel The Jungle over a nice boeuf bourguignon?

Cheers.

First Blush
2 oz Three Olives® vodka

1oz Canton® ginger liqueur
1.5oz agave juice
a squeeze of fresh lime juice

1 strawberry
4 basil leaves
In a mixing tin, muddle the strawberry, basil, and Agave nectar. Add the rest of the ingredients, shake very well with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a strawberry.