Favorites of a Wine Drinker

About six years ago, I decided I wanted to become a serious wine drinker.  I didn't know a lot about wine, and I didn't want to become a connoisseur but I knew the fruity, sparkling, high fructose corn syrup beverages I was consuming wasn't the real thing.

So full of determination, I ventured out by myself one day for a glass of the real.  The first one I tried was a Chablis.  Not knowing that while I didn't want a glass of sugar, I also didn't want something dry as the dessert.  I wasn't ready for it; I hated it, it is way to dry for me.  This was enough for me to head back to the fruity stuff, but I had only had one kind  of wine, so I decided not to stop there.  I decided the next one I would try would be a red. 

 I went on a retreat with some co-workers and I told them what my mission was as far as wine drinking, and these women gave me the 411 on wine.  They told me all about the different grapes and how some wines will be very dry from one wine maker, and another wine maker will make the same wine and it'll turn out to be my favorite.  That night several of the ladies there bought bottles of red wine; there was Merlot, Pinot Nior, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  I tried all of them, and Merlot was the winner.  It quickly became my favorite.

I stuck to Merlot for several months then I had the opportunity to attend a wine tasting, They had whites as well as reds. Now I'm all confused; however I quickly got educated further on wine, and I got a chance to taste white wines like Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Moscato, I now love all these, 

I am comfortable enough now with my wine palate to have put together a list of what I call my favorites.  If you're wanting to take your wine drinking game to another level, try surfing the web to find a wine tasting near you or a wine club that offer memberships, some clubs offer memberships for as low as $21.95 a month.  Enjoy your learning experience, I did.  Oh and please do not drink and drive, and please drink responsibly!

Favorite Wines                                                           Favorite Brands
Gewurztraminer                                                           Barefoot
Merlot                                                                          Yellow Tail
Malbec                                                                         Clos du Bois
Pinot Nior                                                                    Panilonco
Chardonnay                                                                 Bodega Elena De Mendoza
Moscato
Shiraz
Riesling
Sweet Red
Roscato

Thankful Thursday

Hello Everyone!

Today is going to be thankful Thursday.  First let me start by saying I have far too many things to be thankful for to be able to blog about in just this one post.  The fact I am sitting here in my right mind blogalking (my made up word for blogging/talking) (I know….just roll with it for a minute) is something to be thankful for.

Several days ago, I was reflecting and trying to find peace with some things.  I have this notebook, an extra, large three ring binder actually, that I keep with copies of inspirational writings I find on the internet and magazines, and poetry and summations that close friends have written and shared with me over the years.  I’ll go ahead and confess I’m a hoarder of anything that moves me; if I read it and it challenges my mind or my heart, and I’m excited about it, it goes in the notebook. 

Anyway I came across something one of my close acquaintances wrote several years ago that made it into the notebook. While I was reading it, it seemed as if I was just reading it for the first time, and I’ve read it several times over several more times in the past six years.  I felt so good after reading it that I decided to drop her a few lines.  I’ve noticed over the past six months how very faint she’s been on social media, which could mean she’s involved in some deep thinking, writing, studying, or doing something constructive with her time.  I didn’t hear back from her immediately; actually I didn’t hear back from her until three days later.  She told me I lifted her spirits with my email; I was so thrilled to hear back from her, and to just chat with her. I shared with her how even to this day whenever I read her writings they give me a new outlook on things. Her words are invigorating.

I’m thankful today for you Chloe B., and all artists, poets, writers, musicians; people like you who inspire.  You help stimulate and arouse the thinking of people through your creativity.  You give us 3D eyes into things that are sometimes never thought of.  You give us access to a different world just my using your imagination, gifts and talents. Using your talent to inspire others is not always as easy as some may see it to be, for Stephen King once said “talent is cheaper than table salt.  What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” While I can definitely appreciate the hard work, talent can encourage a multitude of people.

A Love Letter From A Diva's Journal

Love Letter #4

So I said I'd try and guess what? I did. I still get the gloom from time to time, but when I think of YOU a ray of sunshine resuscitates the outer me while the inner me still boxes the en-e-my to breathe. I'm swinging and making contact as that coward loneliness tries to sucker punch me from time to time. I'm ducking, but I'm not dodging, I'm finally fighting back.

I must admit questions still plague me, like If I wait for you, will you come for me? If you miss me will you let me know? Will you remember my kisses and my warm embraces? If I find my way back to you will you be waiting? then I remember to breathe. Once I begin to take air into my lungs and then expel it, I begin to feel at ease once more, and I remember that's just ol loneliness trying to trap me, and I have to knock his ass down again.

I hope everything is well for you. It is for me. I wish you nothing but success as you walk your thoroughfare, and I pray your route has been paved with kindness to make your journey easier. We all have crossroads to travel and crosses to bear. It's not the kind we have that determines our strengths, but how we handle them that proves us strong. I still believe in you. I know you can do this.

Until we see each other again, I'm remembering you, and I'll always hold a space for you in my heart.
-TDJ

If I Could

Hi people! many of you know this, only a few don't. But I am a tree hugger. That's right I'm a good old fashioned huge recycler of not just some things but of everything!

My favorite thing to recycle or upcycle, as my granddaughter would say, is clothes. Fabric, shoes, jewelry, anything that can be worn, I love taking it apart and putting it back together and a lot of times I like putting it back together totally different than what it originally was.

So if I could, all day long, I would just find things to upcycle, make them trendy or keep them vintage and give to people to wear. Some I may keep in my own little personal stash; it all depends on if what I'm upscaling fits into my collection of my favorite things.If I could.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Photo from QuotesTag

Reasons To Smile

Reason to smile: Person snatches the best produce up as they see you approaching it. Store quickly puts better stuff out, and they see you get first picks. Then they try to bring theirs back without you seeing them.

Reason to smile: The most obnoxious person in the aerobics class pulls a hamstring.

Reason to smile: When someone says "I've lost my mind". Okay great...how do we find it?

Reason to smile: When the sign says “elevator out of order” and the man who doesn’t hold doors for women and children has to walk.

Reason to smile: Repeatedly making the same mistake twice so you won't have time to make all the other ones just yet.

Reason to smile: Rude people who have laundry sheets stuck to their clothes unbeknownst to them.

Reason to smile: Mean people who drop their entire cup of coffee.

Reason to smile: The aggressive driver who cut you off in traffic getting caught in a speed trap.

Reason to smile: You throwing me under the bus and standing behind it. Bus decides to back up instead of pulling forward.

Reason to smile: Person who always uses all the paper towels without replenishing them, washing their hands only to realize there are no more paper towels.