The Lighter Side of Spring and Summer Parties

     I have great ideas for spring parties, or at least dinner parties.  I have lots of room, outdoors I mean, little room, indoors.  Once in a while I throw a little get together indoors, but my home can only hold about eight guests at one time.
     Here are my ideas for leisurely, fun, outdoor kind of summer and spring, parties, get togethers, or what not: I really like wine coolers, which I like to make myself with ice, pinot noir, and some berry based fruit juice. You can also use merlot, cabernet sauvignon, or shiraz if you like those better, but I like pinot noir best.  It is the smoothest in my opinion.  It is kind of like those drinks they have in Mexican restaurants, but I cannot remember what they are called.  I only got up like an hour ago.  Only, they are not as sweet, because they just have a little juice and dry wine.  You can also add a spritzer like club soda or what not.  Mimosas are good too, champagne and orange juice mixed.  I think you could also use a dry white wine, like chardonay, sauvignon blanc or pinot grigiot.  I prefer sauvignon blanc, but if it is not available, I like pinot grigiot, unless it is too cheap, because then it tends to be sour.  I used to buy really cheap wine, but I find that the sulfates are bad as well as the taste, so I think Woodland or Barefoot are pretty good, and only about five dollars for a 750mL bottle, if on sale.  
     Now, for food, pasta salads are a good choice, with lots of colorful bell peppers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese, with an oil and vinegar or lemon based dressing.  Fruit salads are good as well, and a dash of lemon juice is great with that.
     If you are into herbs and gardening, and I do not mean the Colorado kind by that, you can easily grow parsley, chives, oregano, cilantro, scallions, and my favorite basil, not to leave out sage, which is very bitter, and really best cooked a lot, in very small amounts with meats like sausage or chicken.
     You can grow these herbs outdoors or indoors near a window.  I find them to do best outdoors in the warmer months, near the house, like on a deck or landing, where they will not get dirty or stepped on, but will still get lots of sun.
     You can also make gifts of your herbs.  You can wrap them in a paper towel, and tape it or tie a little ribbon around it.  It is kind of like the aesthetic nature of bringing French bread to a dinner party in a brown paper bag or a bottle of wine in a single wine bag, or a casserole in a basket.
     I guess when it is sunny, you need a canopy, but at this time of year it is not too intense, the whether is perfect.  I did need to cover my head at the pool side bar on the ocean, where my son plays in a band, like in India, because the sun was intense on my head in the afternoon, near the ocean there.  It was still lovely, and I had two vodka tonics with lime.  My brother and niece were with me.  We had a great time.
     So, back to summer and spring parties, as far as decor, I think flowers are nice enough, throw away or vinyl table cloths, are easy enough.  
     Truthfully, I don't really throw parties, like almost never, so don't feel left out if you think I am really throwing these grandiose extravaganzas.  I am not, just kidding really... Kind of like that sketch on SNL they used to have with the two low key women, on the radio station, having Mel Gibson on to talk about making 'ghost on a sick' for Halloween, saying things like, "neat," in a really toned down way.  I guess you had to be there.  
     Still, in all seriousness, I think the ideas I have are good, but certainly nothing no one already thought of.