I have to admit, right here, right now, that in June I had yet to finish our 2007 taxes.
But thanks to Annie, we had all of our numbers squared away in their little boxes in time for Charles to help us use his Turbo Tax program.
And so, to say thanks to Annie, to celebrate the near completion of our taxes, and because of a beautiful, shimmery solstice eve here on the California coast, we popped the cork on a bottle of 2004 Majella sparkling shiraz.
What in the world is a sparkling shiraz, you ask?
Until a few months ago, that was my question too. A red sparkling wine? Good? At the idea, at the very suggestion, my mind immediately flew back in time to my high school prom, and having my date pop the plastic cork of the cold duck: red sparkling wine spilled all over my cream colored dress. We left the beach for a nearby McDonald’s where I washed my dress in the sink and used the hand dryer to dry it off enough for us to head to the prom just in time to get our pictures taken. Continue reading →
Yes you should, you should go to the Grateful Palate Warehouse Sale Saturday June 7 from 9am-5pm! (ok within reason–if you live within 100 miles of the warehouse in Oxnard CA and the weather should be fabulous so stop there on the way to the beach in Ventucky or your estate in Montecito or the Santa Barbara Riviera!)
I have participated in the previous 2 Grateful Palate warehouse extravaganzas and I have only one regret–that I didn’t commit to spending more MOOLAH!.
That’s right, you should indeed spend all of that Bush rebate here, at the Grateful Palate warehouse sale Continue reading →
They predicted a heat wave for this May weekend and since the road and campgrounds at Pine Mountain summit in the Los Padres National Forest CA just opened for the season, Friday night we climbed up from the coast up and up and up highway 33 past the Ojai Valley and up and up and up past Rose Valley and up and up along Sespe creek and up and up and up to Pine Mtn Summit at 6,000 and then up the rough but periodically paved Pine Mountain road and up past snow patches and up to 6 site Pine Mtn campground and 6 site Reyes Peak Campground to nestle for the night in the big ponderosa pines, big enough to encircle your arms and hold tight, bury your nose in for a whiff of rich vanilla, yellow, blue and purple lupine, periwinkle phacelia, orange wallflower, green grasses…
As the sun faded from the sky, Kathy popped a bottle of Bollinger champagne–crisp and balanced with fine spray of delicate bubbles–which we enjoyed with cold artichokes and mayo while we heated up already baked potatoes to enjoy with perfectly beautifully little filet mignons…and an RBJ theologicum 2001, a blend of grenache and mourverde, not too heavy, but just right for the night…
Lots of waxing moon (full Monday night) to light our way to explore the boulders on the ridge, enough light to see to the sea…pancake breakfast and lazy morning in the pines exploring and bouldering, view gazing, reading and writing a poem too.
Then down down down to the other end of the watershed to spend the night at the boy’s preschool with his friends and then the day at the beach…
Of course, living here by the beach, it’s rarely hot–even now, when everyone else in socal is roasting, we have all the windows and doors wide open and cool breezes swim through the house and it’s heaven here with corn on the barbecue, a cold Fat Tire in hand, and the house finches celebrating the hatching of their second clutch in the nest on the heart shaped wreath on our front door…
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 