What a glorious day!
Some family is sharing this week with us and our spirits are aligned: arise early, a cup of freshly brewed coffee, work out, swim a bit, quiet conversation while relaxing in the hot tub, and a light breakfast to follow.
The telephone rings and calls are placed back and forth as we exchange our greetings and well wishes with children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins!
And yesterday we received wonderful news from our dear friends: their daughter-in-law had arrived safely from Iraq via Kuwait... Ireland... Maine... and was finally in Colorado where she would finally be met by her husband. Likely they will have to stay there for a little while as the snow comes tumbling down, and that sounds like a good thing with her having been gone for 15 months. Alleluia!
How truly blessed we are to live in this country and enjoy the freedoms we have.
We hope you all have made it a special day.
Hallelujah!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
A Joyous Christmas
Our message to you this joyous Christmas and holiday:
"Just as one season evolves into another
and growth continues, so do we.
May we always find the willingness and
goodness within ourselves and the strength
to demonstrate only acts of kindness,
understanding and love with those
around us.
May you know Peace and Joy with yourself
And your God, not just during this
Christmas season, but throughout the year."
With Love...
Our family wish you a most joyous Christmas and holiday, a happy and prosperous New Year, and may God keep us safe and bless us all.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Wine Country Fun, Part I
Travel to Sonoma and Napa valley for a visit and discovering new wineries this time of year is something we enjoy doing. It is generally a 2-3 day stop en route to North County San Diego. The Worldmark Windsor in Windsor, CA has been a great place for us to stay, and from there we have explored much of Napa and Sonoma, but the Dry Creek valley north of Windsor was where we decided to focus our attention this time.
Along Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg are more wineries than one can visit in a short period of time, so we chose a few. Generally they open around 10 a.m. so it was on our agenda to begin at that time with Dry Creek Vineyard, only to find it did not open until 10:30, so we opted to be on our way.
Well known Simi was our first taste test and it did not disappoint as we left with outstanding wines, an assortment, from a great tasting '05 Russian River Valley Chardonnay to Petite Syrah to a fine 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jim, at Simi, suggested we stop up the road at Papapietro Perry, known for their limited production of Pinot Noirs and Zinfandel, and it was a memorable stop. We talked with the gentleman pouring our wine and he proceeded to tell us how he had visited Oregon and had some of the Pinot Noirs, and when he returned to California, he "... just couldn't imagine why I would ever drink Oregon wines again". Hmm... not the most appropriate thing to say to the visitors who just said they really liked Oregon Pinot Noirs. Additionally, although we purchased a half case of their wines, he charged us $10 to taste! the only winery to do that during our visit. Not cool for return visits.
Sbragia Family Vineyards was further north. The owner, Ed Sbragia had been a longtime lead winemaker at Beringer in Napa, so we should find some good wines, and we did. A nice visit, and relying upon the quality of the other wines tasted, we took home a Zinfandel which was not available for tasting due to limited supply.
Ferrari-Carano, stunning winery and grounds, proved to be another winner, but by now my taste buds were not as discerning. My husband and I usually share the tasting from one glass, so there is not a large volume as they pour a small amount, but after several wineries, the tendency is for things to run together unless you have an opportunity to cleanse your pallet. Sorry to say that all of these had no offering of the usual crackers which tends to serve that purpose.
We were told that another must stop was Preston's, especially for the bread they bake daily. As we entered the grounds the sign indicated they had just closed... for a Christmas party. We went inside anyway, and since we would be quick, they allowed us to purchase a loaf and some fresh olives. Hungry we were, so we headed for downtown Healdsburg and the restaurant Zin.
Mexican beer battered green beans with Mango salsa... bet you can't eat just one of these appetizers... crisp fresh beans in a tempura-style batter. As a main course my husband ordered a Mexican Cobb salad. It sounded good with the roasted chicken, romaine, cabbage, tomatoes, scallions, cheese... but nowhere did it mention a pervasively dominant smoked flavor (as in a liquid smoke) which overpowered the taste of the salad. Whew! I nearly ordered the same, but thankfully enjoyed a tangy Mexican sausage served over mashed potatoes.
Back to home base. Oh, what the heck. There's Dry Creek Vineyard up ahead, so we better stop for we likely may not return. They offered crackers! We tasted more good wines, but I don't believe we appreciated them as much had they been first on the list, and we did not leave empty handed. Later we found that for seven years in a row they have been chosen as the official wines for the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
We had enough time to relax and get ready for dinner at one of our favorite spots, Restaurant Mirepoix, which has been a must for us over the last four years. Located in a small home in quaint downtown Windsor, it is an intimate experience in French Bistro dining, wonderful food and they only seat about 24 people, so reservations are required. We generally take a bottle of our best newly discovered wine, pay a corkage, but decided to forgo this time for the taste buds said, not tonight. Dinner was very good, but the menu this time seemed to disappoint... a lack in variety? My husband settled for steak and I for a quiche... not exactly what we had in mind. Next year we'll give it a go, one more time.
Time for a good nights rest and we're at it again tomorrow. Part II to follow.
Along Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg are more wineries than one can visit in a short period of time, so we chose a few. Generally they open around 10 a.m. so it was on our agenda to begin at that time with Dry Creek Vineyard, only to find it did not open until 10:30, so we opted to be on our way.
Well known Simi was our first taste test and it did not disappoint as we left with outstanding wines, an assortment, from a great tasting '05 Russian River Valley Chardonnay to Petite Syrah to a fine 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jim, at Simi, suggested we stop up the road at Papapietro Perry, known for their limited production of Pinot Noirs and Zinfandel, and it was a memorable stop. We talked with the gentleman pouring our wine and he proceeded to tell us how he had visited Oregon and had some of the Pinot Noirs, and when he returned to California, he "... just couldn't imagine why I would ever drink Oregon wines again". Hmm... not the most appropriate thing to say to the visitors who just said they really liked Oregon Pinot Noirs. Additionally, although we purchased a half case of their wines, he charged us $10 to taste! the only winery to do that during our visit. Not cool for return visits.
Sbragia Family Vineyards was further north. The owner, Ed Sbragia had been a longtime lead winemaker at Beringer in Napa, so we should find some good wines, and we did. A nice visit, and relying upon the quality of the other wines tasted, we took home a Zinfandel which was not available for tasting due to limited supply.
Ferrari-Carano, stunning winery and grounds, proved to be another winner, but by now my taste buds were not as discerning. My husband and I usually share the tasting from one glass, so there is not a large volume as they pour a small amount, but after several wineries, the tendency is for things to run together unless you have an opportunity to cleanse your pallet. Sorry to say that all of these had no offering of the usual crackers which tends to serve that purpose.
We were told that another must stop was Preston's, especially for the bread they bake daily. As we entered the grounds the sign indicated they had just closed... for a Christmas party. We went inside anyway, and since we would be quick, they allowed us to purchase a loaf and some fresh olives. Hungry we were, so we headed for downtown Healdsburg and the restaurant Zin.
Mexican beer battered green beans with Mango salsa... bet you can't eat just one of these appetizers... crisp fresh beans in a tempura-style batter. As a main course my husband ordered a Mexican Cobb salad. It sounded good with the roasted chicken, romaine, cabbage, tomatoes, scallions, cheese... but nowhere did it mention a pervasively dominant smoked flavor (as in a liquid smoke) which overpowered the taste of the salad. Whew! I nearly ordered the same, but thankfully enjoyed a tangy Mexican sausage served over mashed potatoes.
Back to home base. Oh, what the heck. There's Dry Creek Vineyard up ahead, so we better stop for we likely may not return. They offered crackers! We tasted more good wines, but I don't believe we appreciated them as much had they been first on the list, and we did not leave empty handed. Later we found that for seven years in a row they have been chosen as the official wines for the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
We had enough time to relax and get ready for dinner at one of our favorite spots, Restaurant Mirepoix, which has been a must for us over the last four years. Located in a small home in quaint downtown Windsor, it is an intimate experience in French Bistro dining, wonderful food and they only seat about 24 people, so reservations are required. We generally take a bottle of our best newly discovered wine, pay a corkage, but decided to forgo this time for the taste buds said, not tonight. Dinner was very good, but the menu this time seemed to disappoint... a lack in variety? My husband settled for steak and I for a quiche... not exactly what we had in mind. Next year we'll give it a go, one more time.
Time for a good nights rest and we're at it again tomorrow. Part II to follow.
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