An insatiable chardonnay on a special birthday

August 30, 2014 was a difficult day for me. August 30 is my grandmother's birthday and this year was the second year I didn't get to spend her birthday with her. I LOVE birthdays. Not just my own, but those that I care for and call family and friends as well. I believe that birthdays should be celebrated with excitement and warmth and compassion. It doesn't mean you have to throw a party but it means that you have to celebrate that person. Embrace the meaning of a birthday. I also like to thank the parents of the birthday boy or girl because actually isn't it all because of them that we're able to celebrate that particular person's birthday anyway?

I loved spoiling my grandmother on a daily basis, but on her birthday I did it even more so. I must say, she did the same for me - every day of my life. I tried my best to make her birthday special every year that she was on this earth and I sure hope I did a decent job. 

This year on her birthday, I woke up early to take my sweet dog outside and it was peacefully quiet. Only the sound of birds chirping and trees rustling. Neighbors weren't up yet and I was grateful. I walked to the top of my backyard where it inclines to a slight hill in between two trees and faced the sky and sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  (She loved when I sang and even has asked me from the spirit world to keep singing, so it's the least I can do for her.)

 

It was a bittersweet day for me because while I know it's a happy day and she is in a much better place celebrating with my grandfather and her other family members and friends who have passed before her and since in heaven, it makes me sad to know that I can't be with her. Yes, I know, she's here with me in spirit. I think it's hilarious actually when people say that to me. They don't want me to be sad and want to say something that will make me feel better. What they don't realize is I don't need their sympathy, or kind words or to be "pumped up" because I KNOW she is with me.  I feel her, I hear her, I smell her. I even have proof from HER through my spirit medium that she is indeed always with me. Would be funny to say that to someone just to see their reaction when they said "oh, honey, don't be sad, she's with you." What I want to say is "no shit" in my saracstic way, but that probably wouldn't go over well, would it?

But I digress....

This year, I decided I needed to be with my mom because she would be in a melancholy state just like I was and we should be together. So.... off to the beach house, Prowler and I went to spend the day and night. It was an overcast, cloudy kind of day. The kind of day when you think it's going to rain but it never does but continues to stay gloomy. Not a good weather day for me. Not on this day.

Instead of going straight to the house, I drove the long way down along the river. The river always makes me feel better, I thought. Just as I was about to make the turn away from the river to head up my street, I looked out and a ray of sun was starting to peek through the clouds and was glistening down on the river. I smiled, with a tear in my eye and said, "Hi, ladybug. Thanks for waiting for me to get here." She knew all would be better once mom and I were together in "her" new house in the town that she loved so dearly. The sun came out bright and shined the rest of the day.

I was determined to make this a happy day and not be down and depressed. Taking Henri, the golf cart, for a ride to the Food Lion (come on, it's a small town. Give me a break. Plus your golf cart doesn't have a name?) with Dad, to find a cheap, California Chardonnay was the mission. Luck was on our side, because I not only found a cheap Cali Chardonnay but I found one that I had not tried but had been wanting to try. So $9.49 later, we were headed back home to chill this baby.

  

2012 Sterling Vintner's Collection

Chardonnay

Central Coast, California

A few hours later we were enjoying front porch sipping, the sun was shining and my heart was heavy but smiling.......finally. She would be happy because the ones she loved so dearly were together at her favorite place on earth on her birthday.

You can't have a birthday without wine and you can't have wine without cheese. So I grabbed two "tasting size" packs of cheese to try. A Bruschetta cheese which has sundried tomatoes, basil and garlic in the cheese, and a New Zealander cheese which is a combination of gouda and cheddar.

Dad and I have had the Sterling Zinfandel (see blog post from April or May, I believe) and we both enjoyed it. I also have two other red Sterlings on my wine rack but haven't had them yet. So it was only natrual that we try the white they make.

The Sterling Chardonnay has floral aromas of pineapple, apricots and white peach.  It has a creamy flavor with hints of vanilla oak and a slight tart finish.  As I suspected, it paired better with the New Zealander cheese than the Bruschetta cheese by taking the tart aftertaste away. 

Flies tend to love our snacks so mom found this awesome contraption to stop the flies this time! Brilliant!
 

While Mom may not be a wine fan, she definitely is a cheese fan and this smile says it all!

While this wine was very satisifying to the palette on its own I had a feeling it would be really good with my mom's crab salad - which is just lump crabmeat, mayonnaise and tiny bit of lemon juice. Well, I completely underestimated how good it would be because once I took a forkful of crab and then a sip of wine, I was blown away. Insatiable. I could not get enough of that incredible combination!

Well done, Sterling. Well done, Food Lion.
Well done, Grandmother for obviously pointing me in that direction for your birthday wine!

 

 

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

~Robert Heinlein

 

I spent all of my life trying to make her happy and I loved her with all of my heart. I have never known such an unconditional and magical love like the one that we shared. There is nothing I wouldn't have done for her and she felt the same and did the same for me.

I am blessed to have had her for almost 40 years of my life - every single second was priceless.

 

 

Happy Birthday, my sweet ladybug.

I love you and will continue to celebrate you, especially when I'm at your happy place!

 

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words."

- Plautus