Happy Birthday….

There are certain moments in life that stand out with crystal clear recollection. Today, I celebrated (in my own way) my 44^th birthday and as I lay in bed trying to sleep I am haunted by the memories that are vivid and as clear as day from my 4^th or 5^th birthday.

I recall there being a large box… a swing set, something every kid in their right mind should be excited about- and I was! However, I recall all four of my grandparents being there for dinner and cake along with several Aunts, uncles and other relative. The crystal clear memory isn’t really of the swing set or most gifts though. The memory that rings true and brings tears flowing is of Granddaddy. He handed me a simple brown paper bag filled with cucumbers he had picked, because he knew I loved them. My next memory of him was his death the following year.

Today was strange for me. I’ve never made a big deal of my birthday, its always been just another day and milestone for myself. Yet, I had customers bring me bottles of wines they wanted me to experience, and friends bring me smiles and well wishes. Cathy shared with me a caramel apple drizzled with chocolate…. and other friends, new and old alike came to share my favorite ports this evening. Personal experiences from the heart forming lifelong memories that bring tears to my eyes for the joy of love I have the greatest honor to have experienced.

I am truly blessed to know the levels of love from the most wonderful people on the face of the earth. Now I lay me down to sleep and wrap my arms around the one person who has been by my side when I’ve had my lowest moments and my highest moments…the one who has made me the most angry and the most happy. I lay down to the end of one of the most happy birthdays anyone could ever dream of… and it is because of each and every person who has touched my life and made me the person I have evolved into. Thank you.

The Gift…

We have been fortunate over the years to have hired some wonderful young people to help us in our business ventures. The last few years have revealed the reality of how fortunate we were to have had access to those individuals and how spoiled we became by them being such great staff, friends, and family even.

Kegan, Evan, Will, and Conner live in Philadelphia and remain good friends even as all this time has passed and stay in touch with us. They contacted us a few weeks back to get an address to ship “something” to us for the holidays. While the thought of them being gone for this many years and still remembering and caring about us was enough to soften the hardest of hearts, they were doing more than just thinking- they were acting.

So, anticipation set in. My other half is much like a 4 year old when it comes to anticipation and patience, asking every afternoon if “the package” arrived today. It did not come; instead Kegan and Conner stopped by yesterday to hand deliver the package!

Gift set

While the contents of the package Are not products I carry, nor can I legally sell at this point in NC, they are worthy of your knowing about. The wonderful package contained local Philly Products, John & Kira’s Chocolate figs and Penns Woods Winery Lacrima Dolce and the most important aspect was a note remembering fondly working and playing with us.

Now, The Lacrima Dolce is a dessert Merlot with bright red cherry flavors coated in deep rich luscious dark cocoa robed in silk. The figs are injected with dark chocolate ganache and dipped in a deep dark chocolate. This makes for a perfect pairing that is nothing short of a culinary sexual experience… click on the links above to visit their websites and if tempted enough order a tasty treat!

So, while the boxed gift was a bonus, the real gift happens to be the reality that these young people are part of our family. We were proud to have them in our lives and to have been impacted by them in a positive way. We hope we have impacted them and others as positively as they have us.

As the holiday season draws to a close, we hope everyone has had as wonderful a season as we have here in the little village of Blowing Rock this year.

Peace.