Joined Windwalker Vineyards Wine Club

Dean doesn't really like joining wine clubs. In fact after over 30 years of wine tasting in Napa, Dean had never joined a wine club until he met me. We joined Chateau Souverain outside Napa in the Alexander Valley. I had a bit of a falling out with UPS because they would always try to deliver our wine shipment around 2:00 in the afternoon. Someone must be at home to sign for the wine and of course we never were. UPS refused to deliver after 5:00 when after we had come home from work, even though I saw them in the neighborhood as late as 6:30 p.m. So we dropped our membership. But I digress.
Now we have done it again. Our friends Brent and Carla Takemoto are members of
Windwalker Vineyards and they talked us into joining this fun group. Windwalker hosted their annual summer picnic last friday. We attended and were treated to a fabulous picnic complete with bottomless glasses of wine. All for $12.50 per person!!!
They served up generous portions of rib eye steaks, smoked turkey marinated in Windwalker Chardonnay, Caesar salad, black bean salad, focashia style french bread AND a chocolate brownie for dessert. Once the winery closed we weren't quite ready to stop the party. Luckily our new friends, the Campbells, live only 3 country miles from the winery. As you can see we were having a great time. Don't worry though, no one was drinking the windex pictured below on the counter next to the wine. Thats just what happens when you drop in on someone's house impromtu. If you look all the way to the dark window in the back of the picture you can see me. I'm behind that little flash of light.

Woodstock

Tonight I argued with my husband about Woodstock. Woodstock celebrates its 40 year anniversary this year. I was twelve and Dean was 23. What the hell does a 23 year old Davis University studying chemical engineering know about an anit-war concert? Nothing!!! He thinks all the musicans were there for money. Thats because if you were a student attending a college or university back then you were exempt from the draft. Thats because if you were attending a college like Davis, studying chemical engineering you weren't even thinking about Vietnam. Not everyone thinks on the left side of their brain. Not everyone thinks along this strategic, logical path. Some of us actually question business as usual. Some of us don't travel the designated path, some of us actually question, why are we doing this? And while Dean was drafted, to Korea and not to Vietnam, I don't think he has any idea why those musicans performed at Woodstock. This is completely amazing to me because his father was a POW in the 2nd World War. How could he not understand???? I just want to shake him.

Cabernet State of Mind

Its a Thursday night after work and you find yourself settling down at your favorite local English Pub, even though you don't live in England, the Fox & Goose for a nice glass of beautiful, red cabernet. Lively conversation with friends, a snack and another glass of cab, you look around and find you have a different perspective of your surroundings than when you walked in. You have a cabernet state of mind.

Dean Wants Apple Pie - In August

Dean got up early yesterday and did the yard work. When he finished he came to me and said, "Our apple tree is full of apples, lets make a pie today." Well, that wasn't exactly on my list of top 10 things to do on a Saturday in August but he offered to help so what could I do? Dean picked the apples and I pulled out the nifty peeler/corer. The process went quickly enough. Dean peeled and cored while I made pie crust. I assembled the pie while Dean did all the clean up. Viola!!! Apple Pie in August.