Living Well Etc.

After many years of visiting our great state of California’s countless wineries, I've found the key to creating the perfect wine tasting experience.   Furthermore, I'm sharing it with you.   Shhhh...we don't want everyone learning about this.   It's our little secret. Create a Moment with the Pourer Just about everyone loves attention and the pourer at the winery is no different.   This person usually knows quite a bit about the wines and most often wants to share it.   So, inquire about the wines, how the grapes are grown, and where.   Ask questions, even if you consider the questions to be too simple.   The plus side is that you just may learn more as well.   My favorite question is, "What am I smelling in this wine?   I can't seem to identify it." Now if the tasting room is empty besides you and the pourer, usually, the more you engage this person, the more he/she will share.   For example, during a visit to Silverado Vineya...

  While enjoying one of my favorite past times, I had an epiphany.  I realized that there is etiquette involved when gardening, which I should have realized sooner.   After all, there is etiquette involved and expected in every aspect of our lives.  Except, I hadn't really thought much about "Gardening Etiquette" and what that might entail.  And, how about you? I wonder what all of you think of this concept.  Do you think there is etiquette when gardening (for our plants, for our land, for our neighborhood, etc.)?  The thought and question have my mind working as a mouse on a little wheel.  So, let's get that mouse running full speed here. Respect for Our Plants First, consider how we treat our plants.  Since we care about our plants and want to treat them with respect , we would also want to consider their comfort.  Yes, this means planting them where they would thrive and not in some dismal spot where they would suff...

  Stay Healthy During Season Changes Every autumn my immune system goes into hyperdrive as if it is trying to fight off some fierce monster virus.  After two decades of multiple sclerosis – or what I like to call it: what will it do to me today? – I've come to expect the flu symptoms, severe fatigue, and achy muscles my immune response to the change of weather brings.  It is an all-out assault against my body and mind.  Why is Season Change an Immune-System Trigger? With temperatures dropping from warm to cold, the change of season affects everyone at some level.  After all, this change adds stress to the body, thus triggering an immune system response.  Fold in the increased chances of contracting a cold or virus and this is a challenging time for all of us—autoimmune disease or no.  Through the years, though, I have found ways to combat this assault.  Plus, the pandemic taught us many general health lessons.  I’ve found wearing ...

  Dear Polite One, My husband and I can't agree on this one point.  If making a bed with a patterned top sheet, should the top sheet lay with the pattern facing up or down?  I think that it should be down so that when it is turned back the pattern is visible.   Making the bed Dear Making the Bed, Lay the top sheet pattern side down so that the decorative edge is showing (face up) when it is folded back over the blanket.   The moral of this story is: The wife is always right.   (smile) Sincerely, The Polite One More by Rebecca Top Tips: Easy, Timesaving Methods for Spring-Cleaning Your Home California’s Drought is Also an Energy Issue Trader Joe’s Frozen Chocolate Croissant

  Diet and Exercise is my Fountain of Youth Menopause is a major life change for women.   Some welcome it, as it means the end of the dreaded monthly visitor.   Nevertheless, some mourn , viewing it as the end of their youth.   No doubt, menopausal women are not as youthful as we once were, but this can be the best time of our lives.   So true, except for that one enormous elephant in the room.   That elephant can be us due to the typical weight gain associated with menopause.   My experience is slightly different than most because I am also saddled with a chronic disease that limits my activities .   Combine the natural weight gain many menopausal women face with the neurological damage of multiple sclerosis and I could become that elephant quite easily.   Yet, I am not.   Why?   Follow me and I will share all my secrets.   Move that body! Even though my form of MS is a chronic progressive type, which chips away at my...

  Even though tipping is thought to be optional, in today’s society it is expected.   Because of the contrast of ideal and reality, we are often, rightfully, confused.   And, if we short-tip, we are viewed harshly.  To help with that confusion, what follows are a few scenarios with solutions. Going Out to Dinner with Short-Tippers So, what should we do when you’re out to dinner with your future in-laws and they leave an embarrassingly small tip on the table?   It would be ill-mannered to correct them; but if there is an inconspicuous way to leave some money on the table as all are leaving, do it.  Still, waitstaff expects some to be socially clueless.  Consequently, and unfortunately, they are prepared for the short-tipper.  How About That Generous Bartender? How much we should be tipping a bartender who has discounted our drinks all night?  Usually, we tip a bartender similarly to waitstaff: approx. 20%.  If in a ...

  The What, Where, and Why of Burgundian Wines For years I wanted to see the lush interior of France, more specifically the vineyards of Burgundy.   Still, it was the wines I was most interested in exploring.   Wines from Burgundy don't carry the clout of their nearby cousins in Bordeaux, but they are some of my favorites.   Since the wine was a huge draw for me to visit, I took every opportunity to learn more while in that special place.   What follows is what I learned.   Grapes, Grapes Everywhere & Quite a Bit to Drink Burgundian wines are primarily made from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.   Yum!   Like most French wines, the name of the wine is based on the area or region and not the varietal as is common here in the U.S .   The white wines of Burgundy—made with Chardonnay grapes—come from these regions: Chablis, Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise and Côte de Beaune—some of the best.   Wines from Chablis are a dry Chardonna...