Red Wine
Southern Rhone of France
I bought this to give a French red yet another go. It was also given a "90" rating by I-don't-remember-who. I would not agree with the 90 rating unless drinking it with the Castello Sage Blue Brie I eventually shared it with. With the cheese, it was really, really flavorful & vice versa. Alone, it was good but I was disappointed with the "eh" finish. I found the wine bordered more on the herbal side than a berry side of flavor, which I tend to prefer in as much as it is a not-so-typical wine flavor. It also had a touch of minerality - another preferred characteristic of wine for me. I grilled organic turkey burgers with organic fire-roasted tomatoes, sea salt & pepper, & crumbled Saga Blue Brie cheese. Again, with the burgers, the wine was great. I didn't notice the weaker finish when had with the cheese alone or with the burgers.
I think a lot about the "right attitude" and how it can (or can't) affect one's life. Take, for instance, the person who is given a poor health diagnosis. You hear of people who pack it in with such a diagnosis & you hear of people who persevere with a positive attitude. Yet some of those with the "I will beat this" attitude don't end up making it. I've always wondered what happened there. Lately I have been thinking about this in my own life. I feel like I've been down more than I've been up. Always on the brink of finally making it. Not making it big, mind you - just being able to provide for our needs without stressing so much. The truth is, if I am being honest with myself, behind my attempts to have faith & believe that everything is going to work out, there is actually doubt that it ever really will. And I sit & contemplate, is that the real problem here? As much as I try my best to believe & trust & have faith, down deep I just don't have enough of it to make it fly?
I read a book last year by Don Miguel Ruiz called "The Four Agreements". Don is a surgeon turned Shaman (who returned to his familial roots by becoming a Shaman - Toltec). I read his little book front to back & vowed to implement it in my life. The basic premises of the Four Agreements are as follows:
Always be impeccable with your words
Don't take things personally
Do not assume anything
Always do your best
What struck me most is that the first (3) things I felt I am in definite need of conquering. And the 4th also to a certain degree. Let me tell you, it is HARD to follow these (4) agreements daily. I can't help but feel if I can make it through a week of following all four, I should be given a PhD. Truly. I don't think I've made it through just (1) day mastering all (4).
I find myself, like yesterday when I was cut off by a Subaru Sedan (from my own State nonetheless), saying or thinking bad things. I was in the left lane of a main road coming out of a stop light. I know, from living here for a long time, that the right lane merges into the left a short distance later. I always stay in the left lane & I try to give anyone in the right the benefit of the doubt of possibly not knowing the area (i.e., out of Staters especially) & therefore, let them in. Yesterday, this IDIOT in the Subaru ran right up alongside me as the lane was ending. There was NO ONE behind me. Rather than back off & move behind me, he moved up right along side me when it was now (1) lane only. He was forcing me over to the middle line of the road. I backed off & let him in. But I called him an as*hole out loud in my car. I then proceeded to tell myself (out loud in a super kind voice) that I wasn't being "impeccable with my words". AND, what's worse, upon deeper introspection, was that I found I was assuming this guy just wanted to dominate the situation & felt some sort of power in forcing me to back off. These were the thoughts actually controlling my mind for the next 10 minutes home until I took a left & was no longer following the idiot. For a moment, it was totally scary as I found a rage building in me that wanted to run him off the road! Whoa! What is up with THAT??????
Whenever I look back
On the best days of my life
I think I saw them all on TV
I am so homesick now for
Someone that I never knew
I am so homesick for
Someplace I will never be
Time Won't Let Me Go, The Bravery
8.0 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$18/750 ml. bottle
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