VISITING WORLD WINERIES

It's on my bucket list to visit and tour as many wine regions of the world. My favourite is white wine although I will drink red wine if it suits the dinner. On three occasions, wine regions have been visited. On our anniversary trip to Italy in 1996, Adolph and I took a day trip to Frascati- a small town in the Colli Albani- the small towns- just an hour from Rome. By train we passed many vineyards terraced on hill sides. Frascati is famous for its Villas and white wine. Since that trip I have enjoyed the wine Frascati and Fontana di Papa -two wines from the region even though there are many more. It helps to remind me of that special vacation. Near my folks in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia is the winery- Mission Hill. Took a tour there and was able to sample their fine wines. The Okanagan Valley is noted for its fruit belt and wineries- large and small. I will buy a bottle from that region occasionally to support the industry there. The Niagara region in Ontario is famous of course for Niagara Falls but due to the Niagara Escarpment is able to produce fruit and of course vinelands for many wineries. Several years ago Adolph's social club was hosting a day trip to the area, lunch at Brock's Monument and tours of several wineries- Jackson Triggs and Carolines to name two. My goal for the trip was to buy a bottle from the various wineries and they continued to be enjoyment at several dinners after that tour. Niagara is also known for the famous Canadian Ice Wine. It is always interesting that every year the right cold must happen to pick the grapes at the right moment to make the wine. On one trip to Italy our Ice Wine was a special gift to a cousin there. Europe has many fine wines but not Canadian Ice Wine. So three tours already completed. I like a nice white wine from South Africa called Two Oceans- maybe one day I will tour there. Love the wines from the Rhineland- know there is a wonderful boat cruise down the Rhine stopping at several locations- sounds inviting doesn't it? California has some great wines- love to tour there. That Mateus- white, rose from Portugal- a vacation there would be okay. Of course, the wines of France- their vineyards would be wonderful to visit. And I hear the cheese is good. Wine and cheese parties every day! Australia has some wines- don't know if they are great but the continent itself would be a wonderful place to see anyway. Russia is known for Vodka- like wine but maybe it has possibilities too to visit. Have you toured any wineries? Do you even like wine? Is there a wine region you would like to visit? Do you like white wine or red- or really do not care! Maybe you are a beer drinker- hear there are some great beer tours like in Belguim that has more beer than any other country and a glass for each kind!

TO THOSE CHILEAN MINERS

I take a pause in my regular blogging to say Yeah to the rescue efforts in Chile. What a feel good story especially when there have been mining disasters in our country-Canada. There were some Canadian connections to the rescue efforts from two firms from Calgary. I am sure it has been an international effort. To see families reunited, is universal. The long awaited hello, hug and kiss- very touching. Then there is the analysising- there will be PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, psychological issues etc. The important point and only one is the men are alive and able to live. If it comes with some baggage so be it. Were you watching the rescue unfold? Do you feel good about the story? I had some tears in my eyes and joy in my heart- how about you?

A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME

In our modern times there is so much emphasis on the value, the cost, the design of our houses. Good location, better property value. Decorating, buying expensive electronics are all part of our lives. But a house is not a home unless there is love, comfort, a place to escape the world. The feeling our homes give us is very different than a house. It is as if the house is the structure, but the home is the heart of the structure. Like in the expression, home is where the heart is! Our house can be our home, of course. Even when adult children move out into their own houses, they often want to come home for short intervals back to the house where they grew up. The home is where the memories reside!

Do you visit another house and it feels just like home? Do you tell someone your house has such a homey feeling to it? Children when tired will say, I want to go home, not I want my house! Dorothy in the " Wizard of Oz", "there's no place like home." But it is more than a house- your country is your home, your home team, your home away from home, produce that is home-grown, and crafts that are home-made. People on the street are homeless even though they do not have a house or a place to live.- the word home implies alone with no place. Even birds come home to roost! What does the word home imply for you? Do you feel there is a difference between house and home? Where have you felt most at home?

WHAT''S IN A NAME

We all have one- a name. Some of us like our names, some wonder what were the folks thinking. My husband's name is Adolph- Adolfo in Italian and can be spelled Adolf. Yes, I know what you are thinking- like Hitler! Adolph was born in post-war Italy- so what were they thinking! No matter where we go and we introduce ourselves- at least one and often two people will comment about his name! My name Barbara was after the popular Canadian Skater who won Gold at the Olympics in 1948- Barbara Ann Scott. Except my name is Barbara May! I thought I gave my girls interesting names- Natasha and Sonya. With the influx of many people from Russia in Canada, Natasha is quite a popular name now. Sonya actually is a Native Canadian name, thought it was Eastern European when I named her. There is a small town north of Port Parry, Ontario called Sonya. Some parents resort to cute, made up names that are fine when you are two, but not so fine if you become the President of a Company. Nicknames can be anything. Barbara has Babs, Bub, Barb, and Barbie. I was Barbie all through High School because my mother embroidered Barbie on the back of my gym suit. Not Barbie since- unless I run into someone from school!! In my world now, I am Barbara at work but Barb to my friends and family. I like to use my full name as it can be a power move on someone's part to give part of your name so I do not want to diminish myself. We all have names of endearment for each other- sweetheart, cutie, honey, puckie and the list goes on. We can have the opposite names too that can be offensive- well you know what they are and the letters they use. Names run in families and some cultures insist on naming their children after dead relatives. The first born son after the father. Give your daughter your great-grandmother's name that does not fit in our modern world. Etc. You can name your child whatever you want! But new parents can be pressured to satisfy a family member with the naming rules! In genealogy, it is often a way to search in older times as names stayed in the family in chronological order. My grandfather had two last names as his first names because he was the youngest of many children- his parents ran out of names! Names were after famous people as well- think of the number of Williams and Elizabeths in England centuries ago! In Italy how many Tonys and Marias- well way too many. I think we know at least 100 Tonys and yes must give them nicknames! Does a name make an impact- the celebrities seem to think it does! Look at the old stars and the names they chose- did not like the one their family gave them! Are you your name? Or are you the whole person? Do you ever judge someone by their name because there is someone you do not like with that name? Do you like your name, if not what would you call yourself? Well as the Bard of Avon- William Shakespere once said- " A Rose is a rose........

NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO

You take yourself with you. This is one of my statements I give to anyone looking at change. Change your job-take yourself. Leave your marriage-take yourself. Lose a friend-take yourself. Move away to a new city, new province, new country- yes you take yourself. New does not make better. If you leave something because the situation does not suit you, well you take yourself with you. Yes there are abusive situations worth leaving and are better for you. Must be done. But if you think a change will make everything better, look at yourself first, are you changing? It is tough to hear the pain of others when someone leaves and they bear the brunt! Hello, it was not about you, it was about the other person. Maybe, you are just fine. Not perfect, but just fine! I remember when I managed a program, one worker was so unhappy with the job. Everything was terrible about the job. When she left, her dreams would be met! You know what I told her. Remember, wherever you go, you take yourself with you! Change is good and necessary often. We need to apply for a new position because we need to grow in our job. We need to downsize because the children have moved out. We need to try new things, adventures, travel to new places. But we are the same old US! Too often we can blame the people we knew as the reasons we are not happy- blame your parents, blame your siblings, blame your friends- stop blaming and look at yourself and you change you. If you have been the victim of someone's else's unhappiness- shake it off! If you were not abusive but did not meet the needs of that person, say WHATEVER! Wherever you go, you take yourself with you! Thank you very much, I am just fine and when I want, I will look at changing me not because you were unhappy! Simple but too often we blame ourselves for someone's else's unhappiness- remember you are about you. Yes, people can outgrow or stop loving us but it does not mean we are not worth loving and being loved! Have you been in a situation where you were blamed for someone's unhappiness? How did you handle it? Can you feel confident now to say, I understand what you are saying, but remember wherever you go you take yourself with you?

CANADIAN THANKSGIVING

We celebrate our Thanksgiving weekend the second Monday in October due to a Proclaimation in Parliament January 31, 1957. The celebration is different from the American Thanksgiving which is celebrated in November and is part of a pilgram/american native celebration.
There are different reasons regarding the celebration in Canada. Martin Frobisher an explorer trying to find the northern passage to the Pacific held a formal celebration in Newfoundland in 1573. The explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in 1604 celebrated with his First Nations neighbours in Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, many Loyalists who came to Canada including the Palatine Germans- of which there are several roots in my family
brought- some of those American traditions of pilgrims and pumpkin pie. It is a Harvest celebration which does have some English roots as well.
For most Canadians, Thanksgiving is a time to have a wonderful family dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes and the famous bread stuffing. Every cook may have a variation but it is usually bread- fingered into pieces, celery, onions and sage- seasoned with some pepper and salt. I like to add fresh parsley, garlic and a bit of butter to help hold it together.
It gets stuffed in the turkey which adds to the flavour. Any number of vegetables can be added to the meal- some cook turnips, squash- such varieties as acorn, hubbard, butternut, spaghetti-, corn and sweet potatoes or yams as they can be called. These vegetables actually are very North American and part of the Native Canadian crops. Our dinner also includes rapini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, and Italian sausage. There is a vegetable for everyone. It is topped off with cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. Cranberries are very native to this country- when the white man arrived, the Native Canadians were growing them. Dessert- pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Adolph loves apple pie with vanilla ice cream- so it is included of course. Our dinner is served on the Sunday of the long weekend so we can have leftovers on the Monday and the cook which is me can have time to enjoy the day off. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest in the Fall. Ontario markets are full of squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants, red peppers, apples and all the end of season vegetables. From coast to coast in Canada, people celebrate in their churches often with a variety of harvest produce on the altars. It is a wonderful celebration of the Fall and family. Can you smell the turkey cooking? What an odour in the home? Do you have a traditional Canadian dinner or do you have a variation? What is your favourite part of Thanksgiving? For me it is family and the opportunity to give thanks. To Canadians coast to coast-Buon Appetito!

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NETWORKING

In our careers, we all are used to the concept of networking. It builds relationships and hopefully it becomes a win-win situation helping to advance our work status. I find myself lately caring less about my career- probably an age thing and more about helping my children with their new business adventure. Tonight I went to an Open House for a new agency that supplies caregivers that may be a helpful resource for my work but I ended up marketing the new business and trying to determine if there is a link. I find it amusing that I have no difficulty trying to sell Lullaboo Gym- the new business. Then we are told watch out for the Momma Bear. It may be true that no matter how old your children become, Momma is still watching their backs. And Pappa too! Networking for the children has become delightful. Trying to sell me is less inviting. I wonder why that is? Have you had the opportunity to try to help your children? Is it easier to talk about them and their successes than your own? Will we be Momma and Pappa Bears for the rest of our lives?