Cooperative Living August 2014 - 42

RURAL LIVING by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
my only option is the public pool.
And public pools make me squeamish.
They are packed with squealing
children. And I know just what
those children are doing while
they're in the pool. Playing " Marco
Polo, " sure; yet I just know that,
well, let's say the pool is always
fuller than when they got in. I
cringe just to think about it.
So, I've developed my own beach
bag of tricks to deal with the heat of
summer. Cool showers are nice.
And a big lake makes me a little
more inclined to take a swim, if I
must.
COOL
CUISINE
AND OTHER
CONSIDERATIONS
t's hot. And why wouldn't it be? It's
August. August ranks right up
there with July as my two least
favorite months. I know, the rest of
you embrace summer and all it
entails: Family vacations, grilling outside,
frolicking in the pool.
Cranky old loners such as I plan
our vacations when no one else is
thronging to the beaches and the lakes
and the museums. I must admit, I
would love being able to grill outside.
That would mean acquiring a grill.
Ahhh, I long for those little $10
iron hibachi grills that you could set
on your back stoop. I could work one
of those. They didn't scare me to
death. Today's giant gas grills and
their attendant propane tanks? I won't
go near them. They require something
I don't have: A man around the house
who loves danger. If I did have such a
thing, my job would be to stay inside,
watching fearfully from the window,
ready to call the rescue squad.
And frolicking in the pool? Well,
no one loves getting in the water more
than I. In my youth, if there was a
pool nearby, I would be in it. Today,
40
I
My stove gets quite lonely in the
summer. I do not
cook unless it's
absolutely necessary.
When I do, I make
something in the
cool early morning
hours, and eat it
later. Frying up two
tilapia filets can feed
me for lunch and
dinner, two days in a
row. Cold sandwiches
are my friend.
Here are some of
my summer meal
tips: First and foremost,
ice cream! Yes,
I often enjoy an ice
cream dinner during
the hottest part of
the late afternoon.
Brownie gets to lick
the bowl, so she's
happy, too.
If I were inclined
to adulterate my ice
cream, I could add
chocolate syrup,
made from cocoa beans; that's a
vegetable. And a banana, there's the
fruit. Add nuts, and you've got
protein. There. All the basic food
groups in one delicious dish.
I was eyeing the ice cream freezers
at the supermarket recently. Two
dear little old ladies were considering
the attractive, splashy display.
Ice cream freezers are absolutely the
most popular gathering spot on a
We had a lovely
conversation
about the
virtues of
chocolate
swirled with
peanut butter,
versus vanilla
with chocolate
chunks and
globs of peanut
butter.
summer supermarket trip. The ladies
seemed as if they might like a little
help. Well, not really. But what did
they know? I stepped right up and
offered some suggestions. We had a
lovely conversation about the virtues
of chocolate swirled with peanut butter,
versus vanilla with chocolate
chunks and globs of peanut butter.
We all chose the smooth one. Then, I
suggested my very favorite ice cream:
Orange sherbet swirled with vanilla. I
am addicted to Friendly's Fruit Swirl.
It's reminiscent of the Dreamsicles
you used to get from the ice cream
truck. Remember when they roamed
the neighborhoods in summer? When
I was a kid, I may not
have heard my mother
calling to come inside,
but I could hear that ice
cream truck's musical
alert from five blocks
away. That gave me
time to beg and plead
for 15 cents. Ah, those
were the days.
Another summer
dinner staple for me is
a bowl of cereal. I love
a giant bowl of Special
K Oats and Honey,
with dried dates and
cranberries thrown in.
It, too, contains all
four food groups.
According to their TV
ads, eating Special K
will make you fit into
your bathing suit. The
slogan on the box proclaims:
Eat Smarter,
Not Less. Now you're
talking!
I just noticed,
though, that a box is supposed to
contain 12 servings. Oh. I wonder
why my boxes are good for only four?
I've been eating Special K all summer,
and still haven't braved squeezing into
my bathing suit. Then again, why
would I need to? I'm not headed to
the public pool anytime soon. 
To order Margo Oxendine's A Party of One,
email recorder@htcnet.org, or call 540-4682147
Monday-Thursday from 9-5.
Cooperative Living/August 2014
Cooperative Living August 2014

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