Good morning, my friends!

And what do you think we should do at 4:30 this chilly Sunday morning?

It being a day of prayer and reflection, we might begin by asking the Lord for tolerance, forgiveness and healing for the poor people we met yesterday at the open house who were drinking "Blue Martinis."

A "Blue Martini" is a godawful concoction made up by high-school kids when their parents carried all the good liquor to the party at John Cheever's house. It consists of blueberry schnapps, curacao and gin, and tastes like blue kerosene. Offered a choice between one and a low-end cabernet wine, I opted for the wine but was misunderstood.

I found a comfortable and handy porch to pour the mess over the side of, but thought it would be rude to dispose of a libation given generously by a hospitable and unknown host in such a manner.

Please, all potential guests, be assured that I will not be offended should you do such a thing with anything comparable served at my home.

I will be long forgetting it.

But the folks who had more than one will surely be longer.

UPDATE: Rigid as I am, I didn't think of the perfect solution at the time, which was to tip a sip over the porch railing periodically, then to excuse myself when the glass was empty.

I learned that from one of Michael's friends.