The Wine Makers Wife

happy is always in style

Well, here we are! Ozzie and I are leaving the house for a bit of holiday shopping. Don't you love my black painted door and how I've color coordinated my outfit to match my Mother's dog? All right, so this is a photo from Cole Haan's Holiday campaign, but this could be my reality...possibly...or never in a million years. Hmmpf. Their catch phrase is "happy is always in style" and their colors are ruby red and bright aqua. *sigh* I do love a well thought out holiday marketing plan. And while I'm Christmas fantasy land, without further ado: The Wine Maker's Wife Gift Guide for 2010

a kindle. all the cool kids have one. I think the idea of having 1,500 books available to me at a time is fabulous, plus the average down load price is 9.99 for new releases! But the real selling point is that you can change the font size, like, increase it as much as you want. I'm getting old. $259

vinturi. so last year, I'm aware, but makes all the difference if you can't bother to decant the entire bottle of wine.  (or if you tend to brake your wine makers decanters, often, and he won't buy them anymore.) You can do it a glass at a time. This is an aerator, wine needs to breathe people. $30.40

voluspa. if you are the sort of person who appreciates candles, and a stylish one at that- then this is for you. Gorgeous scents that are not too sweet or over powering, very sophisticated. beautiful tins and three wicks to throw the scent throughout the entire room. $18.50

bellamela. if you know someone with a macbook oriPhone check out these handmade covers, totally chic. $19.99

 

to be continued...

 

un-birthday

Today is my half birthday, in six months I will be thirty years old. More about that in a moment. Rem sent me a text message and photo this morning. He's in Angels Camp with his dad this week, and goes to work with the wine maker everyday. Here he is in the back seat of the winery truck with his "happy camper" t-shirt on. "Hi Momma! Going to work with dad today! Have a nice day! Love, Rem" the message said.

One of the reasons I was worried about blogging again was the lack of content. Life is under construction at the moment, as my friend Mary and I have determined recently. And the length of construction has yet to be determined. I've been super focused on all the things I don't have right now, and it would be a far better use of time and energy to focus on what I do have and what I want to bring into my life. I'm trying to get my hands on an Eckhardt Tolle book...

And so... I'm posting the lyrics to Nina Simone's "Ain't Got No" song.. because it's just sort of how I feel today.

Ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
Ain't got no skirts, ain't got no sweater
Ain't got no perfume, ain't got no beer
Ain't got no man

Ain't got no mother, ain't got no culture
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schooling
Ain't got no sisters, i've got one brother
Ain't got no love, ain't got no name
Ain't got no ticket, ain't got no token
Ain't got no God

What about God?
Why am I alive anyway?
Yeah, what about God?
Nobody can take away

I got my hair, I got my head
I got my brains, I got my ears
I got my eyes, I got my nose
I got my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, I got my chin
I got my neck, I got my boobs

I got my heart, I got my soul
I got my back, I got my sex
I got my arms, I got my hands
I got my fingers, Got my legs
I got my feet, I got my toes
I got my liver, Got my blood

I've got life , I've got my freedom
I've got the life

And I'm gonna keep it
I've got the life
And nobody's gonna take it away
I've got the life

 

tea

With the weather turning to dark evenings and brisk winds I find that I am moving yearning for all things cozy. Words like gingerbread and scarves entice me to fall deeper into the season. After work yesterday I drove to the library and borrowed a sack of cozy mysteries, their main characters have to own tea shops or have a faithfully terrier companion. While reading Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs I got the urge to have high tea. In the past I spend a great deal of time in down town eugene Oregon, haunting two wonderful tea shops. The sort that are tucked into the downtown area, have a neighborhood vibe to them and invite you to hang out all afternoon should you be caught in the rain. Searching for the shop on-line I'm getting the impression that the shop closed... However Savoure, a former tea shop turned on line retailer... also seems out of commission, as savoure.com goes nowhere!

Well... this is sort of cramping my post... the recession must be hitting Eugene terribly hard.

If you have a cozy tea shop in your neighborhood please comment, as I'd love to know more about it. No matter where you live!

I'm thinking of planning a tea lunch excursion to either of the two shops below. Both are in San Francisco. Might make for a lovely day trip into the city with my mother and aunty.

LoveJoy's

Crown & Crumpet

juice feast 1.0

I've been introduced to Bella Foster's water colors and can't get enough of them. They have nothing to do with this post, what-so-ever.

For three weeks now I have had the flu, and Sunday I landed at urgent care with a sinus infection. I'm clammy, cranky, and only mildly interested in the world around me. Where's my bed? Blah.

Today is November 3rd and day 3 of my juice fast. So far so good. I've been juicing basic things, like lemons, swiss chard, apples and carrots. A little celery for hydration and beets for sweetness. It's important to get dark leafy green in there, and have that be at least 60% of your juice. The nutrients and chlorophyll are imperative to have as they help alkalize your body. Alkalizing foods help minimize your chances of cancer cell growth in the body, as the cells tend to produce faster in bodies with more acid in their systems. 

My Brevelle Juice fountain makes about 32 ounces at a time, which I split into two servings. So I use my juicer twice a day, for four servings of green juice.  Am I hungry? Yes and no. As I'm super sick, I'm not feeling very hungry. But on the flip side, once I heal, and my energy has increased I'm sure I'll be more so. I can either make more juice, and cut it with water, or ignore the hunger pangs. Hunger fades after a little while anyway.  Juice feasting is really up to you and your goals. Mine is to revitalize my body with nutrients and to slim down before a planned pregnancy. So if I feel the need to have more juice I'll make mine a little heavier on the greens than the pineapple and mango juice.

 I've not been drinking wine, but I have been allowing myself caffine in the form of tea and coffee.

pans in the fire

 

is that the expression i mean? You know when you have a few things you are waiting on to see if they come to fruition?

Remy has decided he'd like to try being a therapy dog. he's got a pleasant temperament, and mild energy level. the local organization we are applying to is Furry Friends based in san jose, ca. the process entails filling out our background information and having a vet review remy to be sure he is deemed a safe and friendly dog by a professional. we do not need to go through the american kennel club test called canine good citizen, which savess us a bit of time and money. in november we attend an orientation class which covers a typical volunteer day, introduces you to your team captain and co-volunteers. we will also touch base on etiquette for visiting with patients.

 

we are volunteering because we can. remy can handle it, and it will make me feel great for giving back to the community. i've selected to volunteer once a week for an hour, as it's about all the patience rem can muster for good behavior with out needing to run around and "woo woo": his howl to initiate play. i have elderly grandparents who i adore and make an effort to see each week, and when they have had surgery and are recovering the hospitals ship them off to local convalescent homes. these places are usually incredibly dire and lacking in privacy... i just feel so forlorn there, i cna't imagine what it would be to stay a fortnight or worse, longer. so if we can spread some joy then we will!

i think i have a fetish for stanford shopping center during the holidays. i loathe parking at malls during the holidays, detest wading through crowds, detest dealing with the high end pretentious clientele the center attracts, and yet i usually work as a seasonal hire each year on top of my full time job. yay me.  first it was Kate spade which started out great and then i had a melt down on the 26th of december when a customer snapped his fingers at me. though i do work in hospitality at my winery, the head of hospitality- i can be a bitchy little thing. god help me. anyway, then i worked at my winery part time, and that was a little better. this year i'm interviewing at crate & barrel. my aunt kate works there... and i could use the extra cash now that we are making house payments and stating starting our business. this moola would be spending money, pure and simple. i'm pretty much on call here at the winery, but i could work nights and one weekend day. i never see my husband anyway, so little would change there. we shall see!

i just adore the romanticism of the holidays, chilly evenings, a fun days work, being on the inside of a beloved company, gorgeous decorations and poinsettias...

___________________

p.s. for tomoko: thanks for my scarf!! I adore it, got loads of compliments on it today! I listened to Super fly on the way up to work and really like the main vocalists voice, she has quite a range. Capsule is AWESOME, my new favorite CD. I read somewhere that they were considered a poor man's pizacatto five- that's crap. they are so much better and forward thinking in their arrangements. thank you!

juice feast 0.1

Wow, three posts in one day.

For a year now I have been dabbling in vegetarianism, raw foods, organic foods, and juicing. I discovered a woman on You Tube who I found to be extremely motivating, passionate and informative about eating a raw food diet. Please check out Therese at RawDownUnder. While vegetarianism isn't for me, nor is a strict raw food diet, I have felt the benefits of juicing raw fruits and vegetables. Being able to introduce vitamins and essential nutrients into the body with little energy to digest it helps the organs rest- well, let me back track. 

Angels Stokesis a raw foodist with a very in depth website. Her personal journeyand transformation is truly remarkable. "By consuming only liquids, which are absorbed directly into our system, we give the body a huge energy break from digesting foods. It can then use that saved energy to clean out old matter, especially from the small intestine. The average person holds 5-10lbs of toxic old matter in their intestines, and Feasting is an ideal way to release it, giving the body a phenomenal chance to rejuvenate and restore. Far from being a time of 'deprivation', this extraordinary healing programme is an experience of abundance and massive nutritional intake...we lose weight, skin becomes radiantly healthy, illnesses are healed, scar tissue rejuvenates, and we detox our whole system on a massive scale."

Juice Feasting is great for anyone feeling that their bodies can use a full reboot of the system, cleanse, rebuild and re-set for a new level of wellness on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual (if you are a spiritual person) level.

I have challenged myself to a 25 day juice feast, starting November 1st, and begin easing back into a more healthful lifestyle (and solid foods) on Thanksgiving. I suffer from mild anxiety and depression from a chemical imbalance, migraines, dry skin, lack of energy, and eczema on my scalp. Imagine if some of those symptoms could be alleviated by a healthier lifestyle... If you'd like to learn more about juicing please check out the links above. I'll be updating on my progress in the days to come.  

a typical day

setting up the kithen for a luncheon, we have VIPs today. too chilly, on top of the mountain, to sit on the deck this afternoon.

 

 

kathy is making forbidden rice with an orange reduction, fresh green onions, cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

 

 

 

another present from japanese visitors, i'm such a lucky girl! i love the boxes!

 

 

woo, gourmet snack pack with candy stars!! 

  

 

the barn tasting bar

 

 

left over humbolt fog from a tasting appointment this morning. we had swiss guests.

 

 

tasting room, sorry we're closed today

 

 

co-worker used to be a rock star. really. i have no idea what the case is doing here, i think it's empty.

 

time to clean up

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

houston, we have a problem

 

oh, hi blog. how are you? ... it's been a while, huh?

this is not the image i wanted to post. i had all these photos picked out from J.crew of "bridesmaid" dresses that i think i'd be adorable in, but i couldn't manage to load them to typepad. boo. ANYWAY- Lisa & Ben are getting married, in maui mind you, in march. which means i need to start thinking about what to wear, and how to fit into it. Lisa's theme is a hot pick, black, grass green type of look. though she has no bridesmaids, she has a gaggle of girls whom she would like to stay in keeping with the green theme. grass green is not my fav color, but I'm so pale, I suppose it doesn't matter what color i wear as long as it isn't flesh toned. 'lest i appear naked in all the wedding photos.

having said the above, i have exactly 4 months to slim down for the beaches of Maui.

 EEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppp!!!!!!

so today starts my attempt to loose 40 pounds by march... i have a few things going for me, in that I don't have a sweet tooth, and i like vegetables. but i have a dreadful aversion to sweat. so what's my plan? i'll get back to you in a bit....

un-done with laughter

sweet pea blues, flu med induced commentary and last but not least: storm troopers

In Cheynne's unending quest to educate me in classic film, we are going to the Stanford Theater tonight to see a double feature. Arsenic & Old Lace and His Girl Friday, all Cary Grant. All the time. I've never seen either of these movies so I'm really looking forward to it. And I'm so getting a jumbo soda and popcorn, woo!

In other news, I have a sinus infection.

The latest pic of my niece Nanaka:

 

Don't you want to smooch those cheeks????

 

What about my niece Sophia? Is she not the most adorable little pea you've ever seen?

I've been wanting to play with DailyBooth and post videos on YouTube... but I'm conflicted. Putting yourself so directly on the internet is frightening. DailyBooth is like twitter but with pics. Anyway, fun little sites. My favorite author is William Gibson, who writes abut - what i call - the "near distant future". Never a specific year but you can guess his mysteries take place in 2060 or even 2040... Just enough neo techno futurism to really hook me without leading me down the path of outright sci fi. On YouTube there is a channel called  "mememolly", and I can't figure this chick out. She's like video poetry, and british, and very pretty, but not her real self... and I don't understand what she's refering too, half the time- as I think she's deeply inbedded in YouTube subculture that is way beyond my comprehension. In other words, she's a YouTube nerd, yet I cna't stop watching her vids. Gah.
 
if you read my blog, and I think you do, then you can read between the lines. Elin, my Swedish friend, emailed me months ago and said how she has been doing just that and can tell that I really want to start a family. Ack! Do I?I suppose she is right. But I'm conflicted about that too. We have zero dollars, live apart, and well that's probably enough right there. People always say "oh there is never a "right time" to have kids" but I beg to differ. I want to be responsible, send my kid to private school (since we live in the 'middle of no where Caucasian ranch land'), and lord knows how we'd pay for college.... I don't think now is the right time. Not until we have thought about this subject a little more.

and because i'm on cold medicine, going on 8 days, my thoughts are quite fluffy and shallow... so I leave you with Danny Choo, as he best demonstrates how my synapses are firing today.