Merry Christmas

Ahh, Christmas Eve. For those of us who despise the winter months (even 65 degree winter months), Christmastime (including New Year's, and hell, I'll throw in Thanksgiving for posterity) is the beginning and the end of the season in less then 2 months. By the time, I toast my last yearly chime, I'm ready to throw the decorations into the trash and the patio furniture onto well...the patio. Don't get me wrong, I do love this season, obviously the birth of our Savior is beyond important. That coupled with gift giving, parties, food, carols, and etc., make it a fun time for all. But I'm definitely a Easter kind of gal, because once Easter comes, summer cannot be far behind. Thinking of Easter brings me to my "point" or "discussion" for tonight. The last time I set foot inside of a church was Easter 2009. It was at that point that my son became confirmed in the United Methodist Church. Alex stood in front of the congregation with 10 others and committed his life to walking in the light. Meanwhile, a few pews away, sat his mother, desperately worried God's light would shine on her either that day or someday in the future. You see, I haven't walked in the light in a long time. For those of you that don't know my faithwalk...it goes like this- I was baptized at Glade United Church of Christ in Walkersville, Maryland in August 1980. It was the church where my father's family attended and my parents were married. We were very faithful attendees while I was growing up. Sunday School, church choir, church dramas, youth group, etc. I was confirmed in 1996 after a two-year confirmation process. Once in college, like most youth, I questioned my faith and considered a conversion to Catholicism. I wanted something "cut and dry", i.e. do this/not this, worship here, say this, etc. I am not trying to belittle the Catholic faith in ANY WAY, but at the time, that is how I felt. Flash forward to August 2003, my husband Mitchell and I were set to be married at Glade in October, and I was called to serve as the Christian Education/Youth Director for Wellspring United Methodist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. We loved everything about Wellspring. Our daughter, MacKenzie, was baptized there in February 2006. Their former Pastor, Tim Tate, is a man truly led by God. I was literally reborn at Wellspring...and then we moved to Germany.

I stopped attending church in Germany not because of the language barrier as one may think, but because attending in chapel with a host of other Christian denominations is difficult. The one service that remotely felt home was the Anglican chapel service. However, they offered no Sunday School and the services lasted over lunch. When we moved to Georgia in October 2008, I was terribly excited about returning to a "real church." I could not wait to return to the Book of Discipline. We attended for some time at Richmond Hill United Methodist Church in Richmond Hill, Georgia. However, it is my humble opinion that the "one time" of the year you should feel connected and excited about being a Christian is Easter Sunday. As I sat in that pew surrounded by my family, I did not feel connected, I felt lost. I drive past Richmond Hill four times a week. I know they are currently searching for a youth director, but I cannot, not now. Something or someone has changed. I'm not sure when or how it occurred but it did. I'm devastated, but unsure if I am supposed to do something. Part of me thinks this is part of the Great Plan, I'm being tested, but by not going to church I'm failing that test. I feel like a teenager who gets test anxiety. They study but when push comes to shove, it goes out the window and all they are left with is a blank "blue book." I can't go to church, yet I miss it terribly. I miss Bible study, I miss hymns, I miss the lectionary, and I miss mission work. Another part of me (the Calvinist part I can't seem to shake) tells me God knew this was going to happen, and that even though "this" is happening, it is meant to be. Can you honestly say someone "isn't" meant to go to church?

I've wrestled with the idea of attending church as part of my New Year's Resolution. We have Jack now, and I have no clue where or when to baptize him. We toyed with the idea of September at Wellspring (friends, family, godparents are there), but then some have told us that we need to wait until we find a home church. So again, I am not sure where to turn. In fact, I am so unsure about this whole situation, I do not even know how to end this blog. So I will close with two questions:

1. Are you having a Mary or Martha Christmas?

2. Which is more important Christmas or Easter?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The End of the World

I recently caught a trailer for the soon to be released 2012, another "edge of your seat" end of the world, catastrophe driven, mega-movie. Starring John Cusack, Amanda, Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newtown, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson we have yet another film showcasing the end of the world. Aliens will not arrive from another galaxy to use what little is left of Earth's resources, zombies will not take over following a massive vaccination protocol, nor will a giant comet or asteroid hurl towards Earth with the force of a million Hiroshima bombs. No folks, in this movie, the world will battle the evil and catastrophic Mayan calendar. To make a long story short, the Mayan calendar ends on either December 21 or 23, 2012. Depending on who you believe the world will A) continue about in its' merry way, CO2 emissions and health care reform be damned, B) end in a worldwide apocalypse from which even Will Smith will not be able to save us (this includes theories of planetary collision, black hole existence, and polar reverse) or C) bring about an age of new consciousness (It truly is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius). It should be noted that most Mayan historians do not believe in the extinction of mankind based upon the calendar the Mayans created and that most of the hype and doomsday phenomena were created by numerous television series/documentaries based upon science fiction writings.

So, I thought it would be best to go back to the beginning to the named "Father of Science Fiction," H.G. Wells. Englishman Herbert George Wells was an English author best known for his works in the science fiction genre. He was a socialist, pacifist, and an ardent supporter of technocracy (an administration of scientists and engineers, in essence, a government run by experts in their perspective fields). Apparently Wells was quite the ladies man, first marrying his cousin in 1891, but leaving her for one of his students in 1894. He fathered four children, but only two with his wife, who remained married to him despite his liaisons until her death. I chose Wells for his most famous work entitled The War of the Worlds (WOTW). I came upon WOTW because I was scouring the shelves on our local library. They front portion of the library was filled with books that, at one time or another, were banned. WOTW was banned due to the amount of violence that it contained for the time. The narrator is unnamed and there is very little dialogue in the book. The story details an invasion of the Earth by martians and the very little, we, as humans are able to do to stop them once they arrive. The book ends as quickly as the invasion began with the martians succumbing to Earthly bacteria (perhaps H1N1?).

As a footnote, I began this post on October 25, a day before my husband left for two weeks to Fort Myers, Florida. It seemed that as soon as he returned, we left for a week in Williamsburg, Virginia for Thanksgiving. I tried, I honestly tried, to remember to return to the blog. However, still waking once a night with a 2.5 month old did not make the two weeks very pleasant. It is now December 8/9 and I finish this blog while The Colbert Report plays in the background. Therefore, I'll admit, it is not my best work. I promise and guarantee better prose the next time, when I will highlight a family favorite- The Brooklyn Brewery.

Disney Offerings

My family and I returned from a weekend trip to Walt Disney World. For those of you who know us, this is a fairly regular occurrence. We went as a family in March, just my husband and I in July, my husband and (step)son in September, and now all 5 of us (6 if you count Mamaw) for the Race for the Taste 10K. This time we chose to stay at the Boardwalk Inn due to its' proximity to Epcot, as we planned on spending the majority of our time enjoying the samplings at the annual International Food and Wine Festival. As Epcot was probably the most crowded I have EVER experienced, we did not get to enjoy many samplings in World Showcase. I think our time was limited to visiting France and the bathroom in Morocco. However, our trip was not a total bust as I did get to sample a few beverages throughout the weekend.

Friday evening we dined at one of WDW's signature restaurants, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, at the Yacht Club (another Epcot resort). I chose the recommended wine for my New York Strip Steak, a red, known as Cline Cellar's 2005 Cashmere GSM. I actually had no idea what to expect as I was unsure what type of red was even being offered. Upon further inspection I have learned that that a GSM blend is a mixture of Grenache (Spanish Red), Syrah (French Red), and Mourvedre (French Red). The grapes for this wine were harvested between August 29 and October 17. The Grenache and Mourvedre came from Cline vineyards in Oakley, with the Syrah coming from a vineyard in Sonoma Coast. The winemakers' notes state that this wine was initially created for an auction lot for the Hospice du Rhone held in Paso Robles annually. Hospice du Rhone is an tasting event designed to benefit Hospice du Rhone (the organization), a non profit group that works to improve business conditions of grape growers and wine producers around the world. You should taste cherry, raspberry, chocolate, black pepper, and plum. I certainly could taste the black pepper and cherry in this wine, but it had a particular "burn" sensation that I generally equate with my least favorite of wines, the merlot. Cline's 2008 Cashmere can be purchased online for $21.00 per bottle, and aside from a slightly later harvested date, there does not seem to be too much of a difference. I was unable to find the 2005 version for sale. A portion of the sale of each bottle benefits The Breast Cancer Network.

Saturday evening we dined at Chefs de France in Epcot's World Showcase. For this evening's meal, I chose a meal consisting primarily of duck. The recommended wine is a Pinor Noir from Burgundy, France- 2007 Bourgogne Rouge from a winery known as Signe. Unfortunately, I was unable to find information on the named winery. As pinot noirs are my most favorite of red wine selections, I was pleased to see this option on the list. Pinot noir grapes are of the most difficult to cultivate, as they require a specific type of soil to sprout and their thin skins can easily rot and succumb to fungi. Sadly, this means, that many restaurants fail to carry these wines as they can be expensive, or they opt for the "cheapest" version which may result tasting more like...well, something gross. Master sommelier Madeline Triffon says that pinot noir is "like sex in a glass." You can meet Mr. Pinot Noir at the second level of the Eiffel Tower (the top of the tower is too scary, too crowded, and too expensive). He isn't flashy, but you know that it is him when you catch his glance out of the corner of your eye. You have met a thrilling hedonist... rich, inviting, dare I say it...seductive. Enjoy your time spent with him, it may be a long time until you meet up again.

Cline Cellars Website

www.clinecellars.com

The First Time

I can recall the "first time" I had real alcohol. I was a Freshman in college and had spent the night visiting a friend at another nearby university. Upon leaving to return to my dorm, my friend gave me a bookbag full of alcohol. I remember the bag contained both Peppermint Schnapps and Absolut Kurant. Upon returning to my dorm room, my roommate and I, plus some friends from the 9th floor decided to enjoy it that night. First, let's get one thing straight, college Fresh(wo)men do not enjoy alcohol like my husband enjoys a good cigar. A bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue would be wasted in college. We really don't like the taste and those people who say they do (and they are out there) really don't enjoy it, but when you go to THE George Washington University you learn quickly that everyone is out to do one of two things, either A) impress with knowledge or B) impress with money. I'll let you figure out what was more popular at GW. Yes, 6 alumni currently serve in the U.S. Senate and 10 in the House of Representatives, but we also lay claim to Courtney Cox Arquette, Rachel Zoe, and yes, L. Ron Hubbard, Colonials, you should be so proud.

So, there we sat on the purple carpet purchased when we moved in to Room 219 of Thurston Hall. Actually it was just myself and a friend from the aforementioned 9th floor, the two of us proceeding to share (and finish) a liter bottle of Absolut Kurant. Well, to that point, my drinking consisted of the foam of my father's Miller High Life (probably once when I was 12 or 13) and two sips of a poorly made Screwdriver at a party in high school. You are talking to a girl who once got excited that she got to wash her hands with beer at a crab feast. Needless to say, I passed out (blacked out) on my bed, waking up to a whirring fan and smell of vomit (not mine) at around 6:30 a.m. in the morning. I think I spent the day shopping at the Pentagon City Mall, I remember having to buy sunglasses (hmm, wonder why?).

So, this is unfortunate because now as an adult, when I can drink responsibly, I am virtually unable to stomach the smell (must less the taste) of almost all "hard liquor" beverages. As vodka is the 3rd most popular alcoholic ingredient, I have eliminated popular drinks like Long Island Iced Teas and Black Russians, as well as something called the Black Death. Sounds tasty, no?

Absolut Vodka arrived in the U.S. in 1979, the product of Lars Olsson Smith, an orphan who had introduced his vodka masterpiece over 100 years earlier. According to the company's website every bottle of Absolut is made in the town of Ahus, in Southern Sweden. This "one source" process ensure that the water and winter wheat provides the same taste and texture each and every time. Absolut Kurant premeired in 1992 as a tribute to the company's Swedish origins. Apparently the Scandinavian cold is the perfect breeding ground for the vinbar (insert those funny little dots above the a) otherwise known in English as the black currant berry. Apparently these berries can even grow above the arctic circle. In making Absolut Kurant, the distilling process of the liquid is the same just with the addition of the "all natural" berries. Absolut now has 12 different varieties of vodka including- "plain", Ruby Red (grapefruit), 100 (more intense "plain" flavor), Raspberri, Vanilia, Citron (lemon), Mandrin (orange), Pears, Peppar, Mango, and Apeach. However, with the U.S. consuming approximately 60% of the worlds vodka, it looks like the third largest premium spirit brand is definitely here to stay...just not in my cabinet.

Absolut Nordic

1 part Absolut Kurant

bitter lemon

Fill a highball glass to the brim with ice cubes. Pour ingredients over ice and garnish with lime.

Beginnings

A few weeks ago, I overheard a friend remark that if they kept up their current state of drinking, they were going to become known as "the resident lush." I immediately thought that this would be an excellent name for a blog, especially if the writer was one who was known to imbibe on a regular basis. For a few weeks now, I have toyed with the idea of becoming The Resident Lush, not necessarily due to any regular imbibing. I haven't done any serious drinking since my college days and really the only moment that sticks out then is a night with a rather large bottle of Absolut Kurant. I know I had some really great ones in Germany, but with a pregnancy from November 2008 until August 2009, I'm sure my tolerance has severely lowered. Now with breastfeeding a 7 week old, I doubt it will get any better

Upon looking up the definition of lush, I found that although it does correspond to one who "drinks alcohol in excess habitually," it also refers to someone/thing "teeming with life, exuberant, or lavish." Something about that definition really sticks with me, in fact, it makes writing this blog all that more meaningful. You see, I really enjoy writing. I especially enjoy it when I get to expound on topics of interest to me. There is something in the release of putting pen to paper and detailing your innermost thoughts, desires, and yes, opinions.

By now, I'm sure you are thinking that a blog would be a perfect place for someone who enjoys writing to start. This is not true. I have probably started 2-3 blogs since 2006 and have yet to actually keep up with them. I am an incredibly vocal person, thriving on the compilation of both verbal and nonverbal communication to argue a point, relate an experience, or make someone laugh. I was never one to write in a journal or diary. Although I did find some release in writing on my closet wall in my parents' home. It is very difficult to push one's personality through the keyboard of a computer, but I am willing to give it another try.