Wine Wednesday :: Jean-Claude Lapalu 2011 Brouilly Vielles Vignes

Hello everyone!

I am finally getting back to my Wine Wednesday posts.  I'm sorry I have been so absent (if you've been following the blog, you know why) but I am very excited because in my absence, I have been stockpiling pictures and meals from some fantastic wines that I highly recommend you look for at a wine store near you!

What wine is it: 

Jean-Claude Lapalu 2011 Brouilly Vielles Vignes

What I ate with it: 

eggplant steaks grilled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper

How much is it: 

$19.99

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange & Wine Searcher

Alright, folks, I am starting to build up a repertory of wines that have struck me as amazing.  And let me tell you, this is very easily at the top of the list.  Some wines that you drink are difficult to dissect, others are very simplistic and hit you over the head with how fruity they are.  This wine was so beautifully harmonized, balanced, and all together a make-you-wanna-cry type of wine.  

we did decant this wine (which simply means pouring it into another vessel that allows for the wine to come in contact with oxygen) but it did not need it.

this is the rest of our dinner: grilled eggplant & green bell peppers, baby back ribs, Louisiana style sausages, and garlic mashed potatoes

The eggplant with the caramelized balsamic vinegar off the grill complimented the apple cider-y quality of the wine so perfectly that I can only think of one food pairing that I have liked better in a long time.  As the wine sat in the glass longer, floral notes (one friend swears he smelled roses in his glass) became more prevalent.  But the subtle cinnamon spiciness of the wine balanced with deep berry flavors and the light scent of flowers made this wine sound weird in that sentence but taste absolutely phenomenal in the glass.  

Get a bottle and try it.  You will not regret it!

Have a beautiful day!

back to the grind...

It has been a while since a normal blog post has come from this keyboard.  Many thanks to all my readers who sent very sweet notes of prayers and encouragement as you read about my grandmother passing away. Unfortunately, two weeks after posting that note, my grandfather also passed on.  It has been an emotionally charged month and I am still working out some of those details in my head and the ramifications for my life.

But I will say that I am so thankful to be striving for a normal blogging schedule again and hoping to be here more regularly.  I am excited to write and catch up on all my reading that I haven't been able to sit and do with family affairs and illnesses going on (oh, and did I mention that my whole family got the flu right after coming back from taking care of my grandfather's affairs?).

And if you haven't heard it before, I'm going to tell you again.  Don't sweat the little things.  We live in a world that has unseen events and circumstances right around the corner.  Whether they are good or bad, it is never too soon to tell someone you love that you still love them.  Again.  And again.  Enjoy.  Love.  Dream.  And enjoy.  People, places, good cups of coffee, baby kisses, and corn mazes.

1) Corn maze with my mom, sister, and cousins (currently behind the camera)
2) Grandma and Hito walking around the pumpkin patch
3) And a moment of mom and kiddo just enjoying...

Have a beautiful day.

note to my readers

This post is far overdue but I did want to explain my recent absence from the blog.  As you may have read recently, I have been dealing with illness in our family.  Both Corby's and my grandparents have been struggling with health issues and last week, my grandmother passed away.  My posting has obviously been non-existent since then.  I will begin posting again as soon as I can.  

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a beautiful day - every day is. 

one year...

Can you believe it?  One year.

Tears, dirty diapers, bruises, laughs, smiles, pictures, and joy.  Lots of joy.

And one year has gone by so fast.  This kid...

He likes any food you give him.

He likes people.

He loves the beach/water/pool.

He loves cuddling.

He loves walking, crawling, moving.

He is mine...for a short period of time, entrusted to me by my God to train and raise for His glory.  God, help me to do so...

Have a beautiful day and thanks for sharing one year with me!

i'm not sure what to call this post

I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head and I thought I would talk some of them out here with you all.  My dear readers.  Or the emptiness of the internet.  Either way.

Something that has been difficult this week is my grandma.  I got the news on Tuesday that she had had a stroke which has left her unable to use the right side of her body, unable to talk, and worst of all, unable to swallow.  That means she needs a permanent feeding tube to stay alive.  She has been fighting everything the doctors and nurses have been trying to do to help her so...we aren't sure how that will work.  Suffice to say...heartache.  And this is right after my grandfather got out of the hospital for a bad infection.

And then on the other side of the family, my husband's grandmothers are in failing health also.  One is in between surgeries and the other is starting to lose her memory slowly and it is harder for her to create new memories.

And in all of this I am wanting to spend every minute possible with these people who have always been there for me and Corby when we needed them.  I learned to crochet from my grandma.  I still have some afghans that she made for me on my bed.

But I'm not really able to.  I have a husband and child, I live half way across the country from my grandparents.  Another grandma is in Arizona.  But one is here and close by.  And I still don't feel like I am able to stay close enough.  Then I feel slightly (or a lot) guilty that I am not able to spend more time with grandparents.

So I have been praying and talking to people a lot this week.  And I realized a few things that have been helpful.

1.  I'm not the first one to go through this and I will make it through too.
2.  There are a lot of people in a lot of places praying for me and my family.  We can always use more prayer for God's will and healing so please feel free to join us.  =)
3.  Despite the sadness, God is still working out His perfect, holy, and sovereign will.  It will be glorifying to Himself and for my sanctification to become more like Him.  So I will trust in Him.

In better news, I have some exciting posts coming up about the jewelry side of Sense and Sensibility and my family is coming to visit me this week!  So I have a lot to look forward to.  God is good.

Have a beautiful day.