When writing hits a snag

Photo credit: Josh Kenzer via Flickr CC

Sometimes, you just can’t get off the dime when it’s time to write.

You stare at the white page waiting for the words to splash onto it.  Then you see something shiny, and let yourself get distracted from the task at hand.  You've hit a creative snag. 

It's something akin to the feeling of standing at the end of a diving board, afraid to jump. You just can't take the plunge. 

And so it goes. 

Don't worry.  The water is deep enough.  

One of my favorite go-to tactics for jumpstarting a stalled writing project is something Ernest Hemingway would do. It is to ask myself this one simple question: 

What’s the truest thing you know 

right this very minute?

Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say. If I started to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written.

-Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Jot it down and then go from there, filling in the blanks – completing the picture – researching the details. Find the bottom of the pool.

Often, that’s all it takes.  I've used this little tip for years. 

Dive in. 

Write on.

What is your favorite go-to tactic for clearing a writing snag?  I'd love it if you'd be willing to share in the comments.

.

photo credit: Josh Kenzer via photopin cc 

Mompreneurs: Taking any time off this month?

So, my mompreneur pals, how are you holding up in the midst of the holiday season?  Does your business taper off when the holidays hit, or does it ratchet up to notches unknown?

Working in the toy and game business, we have been in full-tilt-crazy-busy-mode since September/October.  Things will begin to slow down next week, once that window of realistic shipping expectations closes prior to Christmas Eve.

At that point, I will try to finish shopping for my family and bake a few cookies if I have time.  But the scope of my holiday activities has been severely cut back since we launched our business.  My days of channeling Martha Stewart are no more.

Image via flickr cc sarahrzepecki

In another life, I would spend hours poring over recipes, planning holiday menus and making scores of cookies, cakes and candies for family and friends.  These days, a recipe makes the cut if it's fast and only has a handful of ingredients.  And even if it makes the cut, that's only a graduation up to the "Maybe we'll get a chance to bake these" list.  And I won't lie.... I have resorted to store-bought slice and bake in a pinch, or (heaven forbid) cookies already made from the bakery.

That's a painful confession for me.  For years, I pinned a lot of my self worth to my holiday kitchen prowess. It was one of my "things," ya know?  But there is just no way I can dedicate the kind of time that I used to give.  And without that kind of time, I just can't even torture myself by planning to do too much.  That's pressure I just can't take.

So, I've surrendered to the ready-made Christmas on levels I never would have predicted for myself.  It used to make me a little crabby and grouchy if I thought about it for too long...feeling sorry for myself and such, and wondering what the heck I was thinking when I decided to dive into entrepreneurial motherhood.  But I've reached a place where I'm at peace, and where I am able to squeeze in a single, strategically chosen recipe that is time efficient, but still has big "wow" factor.  My family loves it when I do get a chance to bake.  They get so excited.  But they are even happier when I'm pleasant and cheerful and we can take the precious time we have away from work to have fun.

Now that the kids are getting a little older, sometimes, that fun includes shared time in the kitchen baking.

Now, about that tangled string of lights that I haphazardly threw onto the shrubs outside... and the fact that our tree has been sitting in the corner of the front room undecorated for nearly a week. {sigh}  I think it's time I put those kids to work!





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Christmas trees and candies from Peluso's Market: an East Row tradition

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the one where we go to pick out our Christmas tree.  We've been going to the same place - Peluso's Market, here in Newport Kentucky - for nearly 20 years.

Peluso's Market is located at
625 Monmouth Street Newport Kentucky

During that time, our lives have evolved.  We've bought a house, we've had children, we've moved away across the country, and come back home again.  We've changed jobs.  We've had prosperous years, and we've had lean years. We've had years that were joyful, and years when the holidays were shrouded in sadness over the loss of a loved one.  Through all this, it is the simple traditions that keep us grounded, and remind us how lucky we are and how good life really is.

Peluso's is one of those traditions.  This tiny little store has been serving the neighborhood since the 1930's.  While the world wants to lob heaps of big box amenities upon us and our culture tries to insist we rush through our days preparing for the season, Peluso's has remained relatively unchanged.  Every Christmas, I look forward to making our way over to this Monmouth Street institution.

Mr. Jerry Rex Peluso, Proprietor of Peluso's Market
with my kids.  His sister waits on a customer at left.

Owner, Jerry Peluso, and his family stock the store at Christmas time with a full range of old fashioned candies and nuts, sold bulk-style by weight.  My kids love picking up the small paper bags and choosing from big bins filled with chocolate drops, huge malted milk balls, ribbon candy, peanut brittle, clusters, taffies, gumdrops and more. Oh - and chestnuts. They have chestnuts!

The Christmas tree lot is set up behind the store.  To access it, customers must pass through a narrow, gated walkway between the old brick buildings that are squeezed tightly together along Monmouth Street.  Its entrance is draped in pine roping and colored lights, and at night, especially, it feels like walking through a brick tunnel - like a secret passage back through time.  When you emerge in the back, your nose is immediately met with the festive scent of evergreens. The passageway opens up into a brightly lit yard filled with hundreds of fresh cut trees brought in straight from the growers.

Entrance to the tree lot.
Kinda magical, don't you think?

There are a variety of types to choose from.  We usually select a Frasier Fir because I love the way they smell, and the needles don't hurt if you step on them.  But over the years, we've brought home White Pine, Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce and Scotch Pine as well.  From small tabletop trees, to tall magnificent trees fit for a ballroom, Peluso's has a tree for every budget and every size room.

In recent years, after selling the trees for decades, the Peluso family has enlisted the help of Newport native, Tom Mitts, to manage the tree lot operations.  Mitts is a talented local painter and artist.  But he's also a veteran Christmas tree dealer with over 10 years previous experience selling trees in Erlanger and Florence.  Tom shares the Peluso's commitment to tradition and quality and he and his team have provided a seamless transition.

Paul Napier and Randall Reese take good
care of us every year at the tree lot

The experience is full service.  Mitts and his team are attentive and friendly, answering customer questions, and offering suggestions and tips on preservation and care of each tree to ensure it lasts throughout the season.  If you ask, they'll give you the same secret recipe for what to add to the tree's water to keep it fresh that the Peluso's always would share.  Each tree receives a fresh cut to the trunk with a chainsaw, is wrapped in netting to protect the tree from breakage, before being tied to the top of customer vehicles.

And yes.  Delivery IS available for a nominal charge.  Can it get any more pleasant?

View from the back of the tree lot
looking toward the buildings

Fresh evergreen wreaths and various lengths of pine roping are also available.


When we go, I feel like I'm stepping back in time and giving my young family a brief but authentic taste of what life was like for those who came before them.

Bulk Christmas candies at Peluso's Market

I think it's valuable for our children to see and experience things that have stood the test of time and remained relatively unchanged.  It's important for them to appreciate that some things in their environment are worth preserving and maintaining and that all things good in life aren't necessarily just the shiny and new, modern, latest things.  This is how they gain perspective on the future.  These are the things that will help them develop solid values and judgment skills.  These memories will sustain them when they go out into the world.

The front window of Peluso's Market
at Christmas time

We are so grateful for this unique destination in our neighborhood.  These bits of yesteryear bring value to urban family life in the East Row.

If you go:
Peluso's Market is located at 
623 Monmouth Street.
Store is usually open until 6pm, but extended hours between now and Christmas are available.
Call ahead to check hours here: 859-431-9376

Tom Mitts' Christmas Trees are located at 
625 Monmouth Street.
Seasonal hours vary, but lot is usually open until at least 8pm and later on weekends.  
To check hours call 859-341-0328.

Disclosure:  I am a marketing professional who writes articles for a range of clients that are published in various places from time to time. I strive to operate with the highest integrity, ethics and transparency.  The content of this blog is my own and all posts and topics are published by my own volition and choice. I received no incentive, payment or other consideration in exchange for writing this article from any of the parties mentioned herein or otherwise.

Welcoming Bellevue Kroger back to the neighborhood

Bellevue Kroger store's grand reopening is oh-so-good!

Image by EastRowMama

The Kroger store on Donnermeyer Drive in Bellevue, Kentucky has been a mainstay of our urban neighborhood for decades.

After closing earlier this year for a massive remodeling, the doors reopened this week, revealing a beautiful new store with many expanded features, while preserving just enough of the old familiar floor plan to make long time customers feel right at home.

Dingy and tired for many years, the old Bellevue Kroger nevertheless provided the community with a reliable resource for the things they really needed from a grocery store.

I shopped there not only for convenience, but for secret, sentimental reasons too.

Image by EastRowMama

You see, I’m the kind of shopper that circulates.  I never just shop at one store.  I like Trader Joe’s for certain things, and Remke’s for others and Findlay Market for yet others.  But the Bellevue Kroger was, well, it was always just somehow familiar and reliable.

It felt shabby and worn around the edges.  The produce department sometimes left me growling empty threats under my breath about leaving for Meijer and never coming back. (I adore Meijer's produce department, by the way.  But the checkout experience is perpetual utter misery.)   

But, I knew the baking, dairy, and frozen aisles like the back of my hand.  I could navigate them blindfolded.

I knew exactly where everything was in that store, and I could whiz through when I was in a hurry to round up dinner, even with a screaming toddler in tow.  I knew I could find staples – real, basic food ingredients to make real, nutritious meals.  And I always felt safe in there, even if it was midnight – an important - and rare - feature in an urban grocery store.

Image by EastRowMama

But that’s not the main reason I loved the Bellevue Kroger.  

The main reason I love that store is because it’s the store my grandmother shopped.

Before moving to Melbourne, they lived in Bellevue for many years – almost my entire childhood, in fact.

Every time I’d make my rounds through, I was reminded that my grandmother had walked those very same aisles countless times before me.  I loved the notion of walking in her footsteps, pushing a cart, leaning on it, browsing, reading labels, choosing standard favorites and occasionally tossing in something new, just as I knew she had.

My grandmother fought, and ultimately lost, a battle with cancer.  The treatments made her very ill and I would go and stay with her and my grandfather in Melbourne to help take care of her on those hard days.  

As her condition deteriorated, it made sense for us to be closer so we could be able to help more.  We began looking and found our current home in Newport.  I was so excited the day we told her we were moving closer.  

Sadly, my grandmother passed away just a month before we moved in.  But it was still good we were there.  We were able to look after my grandfather, who, in many ways, was lost without his love of over 50 years.

Image by EastRowMama

What’s interesting is that she was like me – or rather, I was like her – a shopper that circulates.  She loved shopping all over the city, exploring, finding deals, finding new ingredients and trying new things.  But, like me, that Kroger store was where she did most of her day-to-day grocery shopping.

It was with mixed feelings that I ventured into the new Kroger Marketplace at the South end of Newport when it opened.  

The foodie in me was giddy with the prospect of having Murray’s Cheese Shoppe a literal 10 blocks away from my front porch.  The surprisingly good toy and game department has rescued me at the last minute a few times from forgotten invitations to kid birthday parties and baby showers.  

I’ve even found myself strangely tempted by some of the home furnishings offered. (So weird to consider buying home décor at the grocery store isn’t it?).

I acclimated myself to the “new” Kroger.  I finally reached a point where I could find my way around.  Never mind it still took a little longer to shop…because it was so big.  

And then they CHANGED THINGS AROUND.

Just when I had the place figured out, they moved a bunch of aisles around.  It threw me into a veritable rage!  Why?!  I’m a busy working mother!  I don’t have time to relearn the store!  It slowed me down at a time when I needed efficiency!

Image by EastRowMama

With my trust in the new store betrayed and my nerves frayed, when I really wanted to just do my regular shopping and not “get all fancy,” I’d hit the Bellevue Kroger.

When the Bellevue Kroger closed for its alleged “remodeling,” I was skeptical that it would even ever reopen because it is situated so close in proximity to the new Marketplace.  Oh - how I've missed it.  

But open it has.

I’ve strung you along long enough… Let me just go ahead and say it:  Halleluiah!  And thank goodness they have reopened!  The new Bellevue store is gorgeous.

Image by EastRowMama

There's a bike rack so you can leave the car at home and get a bit of exercise if you just want to grab a few things.

It has just enough of the familiar old floor plan that I feel like I know where I’m going and can find things where I expect them to be.  Yes, there are some pretty big changes.  But there are whispers of the familiar everywhere. 

They didn’t completely upset the apple cart and then randomly stack everything back.  Produce is still where I thought it would be, and so is the meat and dairy department.  

Image by EastRowMama

The frozen aisles have been moved from the middle of the store to the far end – where the chips and detergents used to be.  That’s a little unexpected.  

The deli has been moved to the opposite end of the store near produce, where it should have been all along.  

You don’t get Murray’s cheese at Bellevue, but there is a beautiful butcher case now.  And hot soups!  Yes – the deli has a soup kiosk!  Let me tell you, you are going to LOVE this store.

The pharmacy is about triple its original size, taking over the footage that was the old, adjacent, stand alone Kroger liquor store.  Oh – and it has a walk-up window outside too.  You don’t even have to go in when you are feeling like death and all you want is the pills the doc prescribed to make it all better.

Image by EastRowMama

Beer.  Remember the beer section?  It was pretty basic: national brands – that was about it.  So, look at it now – a whole amazing aisle of national, regional and local beers.  And, for kicks, you can build your own six pack by-the-bottle for $8.99, mixing and matching from a good dozen or two of loose single bottles of micro brews.  How do you like it now?

Image by EastRowMama

There’s still no wine at Kroger stores in Kentucky.  What’s with the goofy Kentucky liquor laws anyway?  I’m not complaining too much because it’s still cheaper to buy here than in Ohio, but criminy, it’s awkward to schlep a kid into a liquor store to pick up a bottle of merlot to go with my Bolognese sauce.  That’s not Kroger’s fault though.  I digress.  I do that.  What of it?

Bottom line:  The Bellevue Kroger did not go away when it closed.  It is still very much alive and a part of our neighborhood like it always was – but better than ever!  Go and see for yourself!

Disclosure:  I am a marketing professional who writes articles for a range of clients that are published in various places from time to time. I strive to operate with the highest integrity, ethics and transparency.  The content of this blog is my own and all posts and topics are published by my own volition and choice. I received no incentive, payment or other consideration in exchange for writing this article from any of the parties mentioned herein or otherwise.

East Row pooches get a new playground

Newport Kentucky's East Row Historic Foundation designates new dog park

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

The East Row Historic Foundation has unveiled a new dog park on the edge of the neighborhood along Providence Way in Newport, Kentucky.

For years, residents have been bringing their canine companions to this grassy area, along Interstate 471, to run and chase sticks and balls. But it’s never been officially designated for dogs, and there was never any fencing that would keep dogs safe from the distraction of passing vehicles or pedestrians.

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

In 2007, a government study of scenarios for highway improvements suggested rerouting I-471 exit ramps, putting the entire area in jeopardy of being taken by eminent domain.

That has all become a distant memory. And now, thanks to a group of passionate residents, the dog park so many of us here in the East Row have been dreaming of is now a reality. A committee of our neighbors worked to create a feasible plan, got approval from the city, and then spearheaded the collection of donations to fund the project.

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

Today, the area has been enclosed with historically appropriate, black iron fencing that blends into the style of the surrounding neighborhood.  Elegant brick pilasters topped with flower urns flank the entrance.

The park includes benches, shade trees, and a pleasant view of the East Row's historic rooftops with a bit of the city skyline beyond.

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

There is a double-gated entrance for safety, a supply of doggy doo bags, trash cans and, thoughtfully, a water bowl and jug.

The committee will continue ongoing fundraising for improvements and maintenance.

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

This initiative is one of the many that embody the beautiful spirit of the East Row community and make it a happy place for urban families to live and grow.

I am excited and grateful to see this project come to fruition.  My family has been spending time in this park with our dog for many years.  In fact, it's the only place in the neighborhood where my sons can climb a tree.  Climbing a tree is one of those fundamental childhood experiences that should not be missed. I wrote about my thoughts on that in this previous post, "Where can a boy climb a tree in Newport Kentucky?"  But I digress...

The quality of life in our East Row just got even better, thanks to wonderful neighbors and a cooperative city.  We are yet again reminded how truly lucky we are to be here!

Special thanks go out to generous benefactors including: Christine Tougas, East Row Historic Foundation, Marta Brockmeyer and Gary Monroe, Ron and Monica Gardner, Rosemary Braeckel, Michael and Joey Jackson, The Janson Family, Ryan and Sarah Mitchell, Rick, Elaine and Natalie Pearl, and The Shorten Family.

Image by EastRowMama - All Rights Reserved

Hours of Operation: Sunrise to Sunset.

Rules of conduct are posted at the park entrance to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone.

It should be noted that aggressive dogs are not permitted and any dog that shows aggression must be removed immediately.

Dog waste must be retrieved and disposed of by owner.

Owners must remain within the fenced area, within view of their dogs, and must have a leash at the ready in case they need to separate their dog from other dogs.

Basically, it's a golden rule deal folks.  Treat the park and fellow visitors with respect and kindness and it will remain a place of fun and respite for all of us for many years to come.

PLEASE! Make a donation to support this wonderful new East Row amenity!  For more information or to make a donation, email newportkydogpark@gmail.com.

Donation checks can also be sent payable to: 

East Row Historic Foundation

P.O. Box 72116

Newport, KY 41076 

*Be sure to write “Dog Park” in the memo line of your check!

Learn more about the individuals behind this project in this related article:
"Newport celebrates grand opening of new dog park."

Find the East Row dog park:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en

Thanks for reading!  If you enjoyed this content, please follow me on Twitter @EastRowMama to get my latest stories as soon as they publish!

Lost (at See) Dave Buetsche Master’s Thesis Exhibition

Raising our family in an urban neighborhood surrounds our children with a diverse mixture of people doing interesting and unexpected things.  Even after living in Newport for 17 years, I still find myself routinely awed and astonished by the creative spirits that city living attracts.  Artist David Buetsche is one of those spirits.

Dave and his wife, Kelly, moved to our street a couple of years ago.  Since then, they’ve turned one of the oldest houses on our historic street into a home that reflects an eye for beauty.

While teaching industrial arts at Elder High School in Cincinnati’s Western Hills, Buetsche has been working on completing his Master of Arts in Art Education at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.  A culmination of his work to that end "lost (at see)" is on exhibit at the Pearlman Gallery in Over-the-Rhine.

True to his generous personality and clear passion for sharing art with the next generation, Dave graciously invited us to bring the boys to the Final Friday gallery opening reception.

Out in the Distance  |  David Buetsche

My nine year old son was especially interested in a piece titled "Out in the Distance."  Buetsche combines startlingly bright, abstract elements with a more realistic suggestion of natural mountains across the top.  Painted on wood, he leaves a lower quadrant of the panel deliberately bare to allow the graining texture and colors of the surface to become part of the work.

My son asked him why he decided to leave a portion of the panel unpainted.  Dave explained that he enjoys exploring relationships ("friendships" he called them - great choice of words to illustrate what he meant to a kid!) between colors and textures, especially when combinations are unexpected.

I love that Dave was willing to go into educator mode with the boy for a moment.  Communicating with kids at their level, choosing language they can easily understand, comes naturally to him..

Contourtion  |  David Buetsche

 

The boys were fascinated by the sheer scale of Buetsche’s sculptures, and admired his use of ordinary items like rope and shredded tires to create interesting visual compositions.

All the pieces in the exhibit were created using a mix of media including oils, acrylics, spray paint, varnish, tar, wood, rubber and even duct tape.

I have to say, my favorite was the show's title piece "Lost at See."  Depicting an ocean horizon, the colors suggest an ominous, and yet seemingly calm seascape spanning out into the deep.  

Lost at See  |  David Buetsche

The work has a contemporary, acidic feel to it with a steely depiction of water and a lower graphic portion that is an exercise in color and balance to the reflection on the water in the distance above.  Its view into the unknown is simultaneously frightening and hopeful.

Hmmm.  That description could also be applied to the perspective of a startup entrepreneur and inventor - almost every day.  No wonder it resonated!

Buetsche's "lost (at see)" remains on exhibit until August 3, 2012.

See it: 

Art Academy of Cincinnati - Pearlman Gallery 

1212 Jackson Street  Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 

513-562-6262

All exhibitions are free and open to the public. 

MAAE Thesis Show Hours are Monday - Friday from 9-9  |  Saturday and Sunday from 9-5. 

If you are interested in learning more about Art Academy of Cincinnati's Master's of Arts in Art Education program, click here.

Photos by Michelle Spelman, published with permission of the artist.  

All artwork depicted in photographs in this article is property of David Buetsche.  All Rights Reserved.

I am delighted each time we cross paths with a neighbor doing good things with their creative talents.  If you, or someone you know, is doing good things in the East Row, please contact me. I'd love to hear about them.

Cocktails for East Row Mamas: The Green Isaac Special

Green Isaac Special  |  Image Copyright East Row Mama

After a long day – whether that day involves working at home or someplace else – and whether that work includes a job that generates a pay check, or focused full time on making a peaceful, nurturing, healthy home for family – many of the East Row Mamas I know gratefully appreciate the chance to relax for a few minutes with neighbor friends and a cocktail.

One of the things I love about living in the city is that you can’t help but know your neighbors.  After all, you're living practically on top of one another because the houses are so close together.  With postage stamp-sized yards, like those here in Newport, urban mamas and papas spend a good bit of time together outside watching our young children race back and forth between porches. 

In spite of hectic family schedules, it’s a warm weather tradition on our street to pull out the lawn chairs and linger for a bit together in the evening after supper at least once or twice a week.  Being in entrepreneurial mode at our house, and often working funky, unconventional hours to get things done, I am especially grateful when I get a rare chance to join the crowd on my street.

Sharing a cold bottle of beer or a glass of wine is the usual plan, but every once in a while, someone decides to mix things up and share a simple, summery cocktail like a lemon drop, margarita, raspberry cooler, or sangria.

It’s raining today, and everyone is staying inside.  But I found myself in the mood for something that would feel like a fleeting moment of vacation anyway.  

With painfully limited bar stock on hand, I decided to get creative with what I had.  I found a lime in the fridge, along with a can of coconut water.  These went into a rocks glass filled with ice, along with some gin from the cabinet and a few drops of Angostura bitters.  When I tasted it, I knew it was too good to be original.  Someone, somewhere, had to have thought of this concoction before me.  I searched the ingredients online and, almost poetically, I discovered that my new favorite drink was immortalized by none other than THE Nobel Prize winning author, Ernest Hemingway.  I know, right?! How cool is that? Seriously!

 

 

“Where Thomas Hudson lay on the mattress his head was in the shade cast by the platform at the forward end of the flying bridge where the controls were and when Eddy came aft with the tall cold drink made of gin, lime juice, green coconut water, and chipped ice with just enough Angostura bitters to give it a rusty, rose color, he held the drink in the shadow so the ice would not melt while he looked out over the sea.”  -- From Islands in the Stream, by Ernest Hemingway, published post-humously in 1970

In the novel, this liberal twist on a Tom Collins cocktail is aptly referred to as a "Tomini."  In a recipe book published later that was inspired by Hemingway's vivid descriptions of food and drink, the mix is called a "Green Isaac's Special," named for Isaac Island, located just north of Bimini, in the Bahamas (Of course! We are talking Hemingway here after all).

My version is only slightly modified from the original.  I didn't feel like juicing a whole lime, and quickly squeezed just a couple of wedges into the glass instead.  I went easy on the bitters because the flavor is so powerful.  A little of that stuff goes a long way, and I really wanted to focus on the lime and coconut combination.  The result is divine.  The lime combined with the light flavor of the coconut water is so refreshing.  And the coconut water comes with little flecks of fresh coconut in it, adding another layer of interest to the glass.

I’ll be sharing this new favorite with the girls on my street when the sun comes out.  Enjoy one with your urban mama friends!

East Row Mama's Green Isaac Special

(unknowingly adapted from original version as published by the Cocktail Museum)

Fill a rocks glass with ice

Squeeze 3 juicy lime wedges over the ice

Pour in 2 ounces of gin (I like Seagram’s bumpy bottle – it’s tasty and unpretentious.  Plus, it's distilled just 20 minutes away in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and I like to buy local when I can.  But Tanqueray would be delightful if your day has left you feeling the need to spoil yourself.  If you must go authentic and true to Hemingway, then you'll have to splurge on Hendrick's.)

Coconut water

Fill the rest of the glass with coconut water (find it in the Asian foods section of your grocery aisle or at an Asian grocery store.  Make sure you choose coconut "water," not "milk!")

Add 2 drops of Angostura bitters

Stir and commence sipping immediately!