The lesson of the ruby slippers

Dearest Dorothy Sr. ( my mother, whose opinion of my sister and I as "serene women" makes me smile.  She says we remind her of Glinda, the cotton candy happy witch of Baum's Oz, vs the prissy, less likable one of Maguire's),
       Baby Glinda , (my little sister) and I do see the bogey man, but we remind ourselves that everything is always all right, and we’re quite adamant about it. There is an internal “mother is serious and thiiiis close to pinching you” look. There is mental finger pointing, and there are definitely a lot of “no.”s.  Bogey men are like pre-nap, hopped up on bit-o-honey, two year olds.  They will

take. 

you. 

down.  If they smell weakness, that is.

     By way of suggestion, when you find yourself in Oz with the lions and tigers and bears! OH MY!! all you really need to do is remember you never left Kansas, no matter what the witch says she’s going to do to you and your little dog too, because typically, what you’re stressing about is a story you’re telling yourself about something that isn’t yet real and has, at the very least, the possibility of never becoming real. I mean, really if you’re going to make things up, they may as well be things that makes you smile, “You can only think of one thing at a time. Make it something good.” –Glinda Sr. (Johnny Aubrey, aka Grandlee..my great-great- grandmother and the name of my protagonist.)
Love,
Glinda in the middle. (me)

The New Ruby Slipper

• 1 1/2 ounce of good whiskey.  
• 3 ounces of blood orange juice.  squeeze it yourself.  you will thank me even if your liver does not.
• splash of campari
• splash of soda

Dip the rim of a martini glass into sugar colored with fda approved red food dye or live on the edge and do what I did. Dip it in the hummingbird food powder in your fridge.  Mix the drink, pour it into the glass. drink it. give the lions, the tigers, the bears and the wicked witches the stink eye.