friends

I cant believe it's been almost 8 days sinced I've blogged!! I was kinda down for while but Im doing tons better. Thank God this the last week to pay me union initiation fee! Maybe I will have a normal pay check for once( Hey Glory!! right, colecta?)
I want to say how thankful I am for all my friends. I know that having a support group around you helps you to get through things. Lets face it: We cant do it alone.

This week, I came a cross a very interesting passage in Exodus about support: 17:8-13
When the Israelites were at Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites. So Moses told Joshua, " Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God."

Allow me to take a detour from my usual ramblings about wine to talk about something that has the potential to change our world. It's about an exhibit currently on display at the Main Jacksonville Public Library.

Are there any secrets in your family? There used to be plenty in the life of Sala Garncarz Kirshner.

It was in 1991 when Sala was told she had to have heart bypass surgery that she decided to come clean with her daughter, Ann Kirshner.

Time passes. Life happens.  Distance separates. Children grow up. Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes. Men don't do what they're supposed to do. Hearts break.
Parents die. Colleagues forget. Careers end. No matter how much time and how many miles are between us, a friend is never far away. When you have to walk that valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the friends in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, praying on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...or come in and carry you out. When we begin this journey we have no idea of the joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor do we know how much we need each other. Every day.

It’s not often an alcoholic beverage makes its way to the cover of Fortune magazine, but that’s exactly what happened with red wine in February.

The cover story “Drink Wine and Live Longer: The exclusive story of the biotech startup searching for anti-aging miracle drugs” discusses the agent identified as reservratrol, which has been shown to ward off the negatively-perceived side effects of aging, such as Alzheimer’s and other illnesses impacting the brain.

The night began with everyone introducing themselves. "Raise your hand if you've ever toured a winery," I asked? All but two people's hands went up in the affirmative.

Then, I went around the room asking whether the attendees prefered reds or whites or dry wines versus sweeter wines. The consensus was white and "not-so-dry." Keep in mind, this was a room of 5 men and 5 women. So far, in my wine consulting travels, I see that men usually prefer reds and dry wines over whites, so I braced myself for an interesting tasting experience and, indeed it was!

We began by tasting a Sauvignon Blanc from the pay d'Oc region of France. In the glass, it looked so light and airy that it was going to evaporate into the heavens. Vinted by the winery Domaine Galetis, this wine, which offers hints of silvery colors and apple scents, was well-received by all Cheers, everyone! Pair this wine with scallops and you are in food-wine paradise.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday, my first wine tasting event. It was sponsored by my college French Club and the poster said it would offer an evening of French wines and cheeses.

So, I asked my roommate Todd to go with me and check this out. He was curious like me and we both agreed we knew very little about wine. He felt even more out of place since he wasn't even taking French, but was taking Spanish at the time.

Having been raised on a farm in a dry county in South Georgia, the idea of a wine tasting seemed pretty classy and even upscale to me at the time. Heck, my parents didn't even allow alcohol in the house growing up. So, attending the wine tasting was a way to branch out on my own and "get away" with something at the same time.