Mome reads Mommy, My daughter's way to spell it when she was younger... It stuck. My son calls me Mome... just like it looks. I now sign all my notes to them "Love, Mome". It's our inside secret and makes them smile. I always want them to smile.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

It's Picture Day Confidence



Today is Picture Day for Puddin' Pop.  3rd grade starts the "labeling" of others.  I often listen to her refer to classmates as "the popular one", the "sweet" one, or the "smartest".  Poor kids are trying to find their way and are put under the scrutiny of who others think they are.  It's sad, really.
We do it as adults, label each other, so it's no wonder our kids do the same, doesn't make it right.

I've always tried to allow my children to be their own people.  Hairstyles, how they want to dress, what they enjoy or find interesting.  I want them to have the chance to try everything withing their grasp, and choose, for themselves, who they want and are meant to be.

Watching my baby girl (age 8) transform from  a sleepy, little girl into a confident young woman, with just the change from PJ's to her self selected outfit, is amazing to me.  She wanted her hair kinky, so we put it into tiny braids before bed last night.  I love that she embraces an 80's style.  It was the best decade.

If we could all commit to NOT make our children be the people WE want them to be and instead guide them to be the best THEM they can be,  I think we will be amazed at the end result and how much confidence and self esteem they will exhibit.

Who's with me?

Sunday, September 21, 2014

National Grenache Day

September 19 was National Grenache/Garnacha Day.

What better way to celebrate than by sipping on a glass and learning more about the wine and how it came to be...

In my glass...


With a nose and mouth of dark berries, pepper and oak, this wine was smooth on the palate with a rich mouth appeal and bold red in color.

About Las Rocas Garnacha (from the winemakers)

The vibrant red color of our 2009 Garnacha hints at its rich dark cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors. This well-structured wine integrates nuances of oak with round tannins to deliver a rich palate of decadent fruit flavors.
By cold-soaking the grapes prior to fermentation, we extracted the full range of color and flavors for whichGarnacha is widely renowned. We fermented the grapes for 15 days at temperatures between 75°F and 82°F. Malolactic fermentation softened the mouthfeel and added depth and nuance to the Garnacha. A portion of the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for nearly one year.


 Typically called Grenache in the United States and France, this Spanish table wine received 90+ points by the Wine Advocate, and was a very enjoyable sipping wine that I would definitely drink again.