Rum Punch

World famous Trinidad rum punch

 

How many times have I seen this in my life?

We had the opportunity to spend time with friends from college this afternoon.  Originally, we were going to go mid-afternoon for some coffee and cookies, or maybe rum punch.  Then the invite was changed to lunch, definitely including rum punch, and the chance to visit their daughter and grandchildren, who had spent the night after Christmas celebrating yesterday.

We were happy to see the daughter, but we definitely were glad of an invite for rum punch!

We were introduced to rum punch by D, whose relatives were from Trinidad, and who made the best ever rum punch, which was made not only with rum, but also with simple syrup, and dark rum (if possible from Trinidad)...the real McCoy.  Whenever we had a party, he would be called upon to make his rum punch.  

We all eventually married and we don't see each other much, but when we get together, we try to coerce him into making rum punch again.  I don't drink as much of it as I used to, but it still tastes as good and today's did not disappoint. It's funny that I almost never drink anything alcoholic, but I never turn down a glass of that old favorite when I have the opportunity to ship it again.

We had a good visit with the daughter and her children, I was given a set of Wizard of Oz ornaments because my love of Judy Garland is legendary, and we enjoyed leftover Christmas dinner, and then a trip through Paris via a newly finished travel scrapbook (we are both scrapbookers).  Then it was time to go.  Hugs all around and promises to do it again whenever we are in the neighborhood.

It always amazes me how well we get along, since we are at polar ends of the spectrum religiously and politically, and normally very vocal about our views (our husbands are both very quiet) but if we stick to kids, grandkids, rum punch and scrapbooks, we do all right, and even better than all right.

After we left our friends and started home, we conferred with Jeri about a "family movie night," which we try to have whenever Jeri comes to town. Ultimately it was Joe, Jeri, Walt and I who wanted to go and we chose to see Saving Mr. Banks, the story of the making of the movie of Mary Poppins.  My friend and former boss, Derrick Bang, who is still the movie critic for the paper, didn't like it very much.  I sort of disagreed with some of the things he said.  I enjoyed the movie and any movie that makes me leave the theater with an embarrassingly red face can't be all bad!