Unexpected Story: Wine Glasses

Last date in Observatory Park in 2004

In November 2004, Nick and I went on a date in Sydney. It was our last date before the end of our trip. The end of the five months when we met, fell in love, and went on the most incredible adventures. We walked the streets that had become so familiar and stopped in a number of stores to gather items for a picnic. We even stopped in a small gift shop and purchased two beautifully painted wine glasses. Late that afternoon we headed to our favorite park in the city and stayed for hours. We drank wine out of our new glasses, watched the sunset, and talked about what would happen next.

A week later, Nick left Australia. When I returned to my dorm room after saying goodbye, I found a note on my desk. In it, he explained that since we couldn't be in the same place right now, our wine glasses would stay together and we would pass them between us. Since we had planned that I would visit him in Minnesota over the New Year, he would bring the glasses home with him until that time, and so on.

New Year's Eve Party 2005. Australian wine glasses.

Sure enough, on December 31st Nick and I were at party in Minnesota. I was meeting all of his friends and we were drinking from our wine glasses painted with aboriginal art. A few hours and glasses of wine later, my glass was sitting on the kitchen counter when a girl swung her arms out. I watched, as if in slow motion, as my glass shot across the granite and shattered on the floor. Without a thought of composure, I crumpled over the broken shards and cried. I unintentionally made a small scene in front of Nick's friends who did not yet know me. Only a few seconds passed before embarrassment overshadowed my disappointment and I rushed out of the room.

In my absence, Nick's sweet friend, Myles found a tupperware container and swept the pieces into it for me. After I returned to the kitchen, explained myself, reassured everyone that I was fine, and cradled the plastic container- the party resumed.

When I left Minnesota at the end of that week, I did bring the intact wine glass and the tupperware container back to Boston in my suitcase. When I got home, they were packed in a box of fragile items and for years, every move, every apartment, the glass and the tupperware moved with me and then with us.

A few days ago, as I wrote about in this post, I pulled the glass and the tupperware out of the box. I decided that we should start using the one that is not broken and either make something with the broken pieces or finally toss it out.

Last night, we used the glass for the first time in eleven years and right before we went to bed, Nick knocked the glass off a table and it broke into pieces.

I did not crumple. I did not cry. But it wasn't until this morning that I started to laugh about all of this. So now I ask, does anybody have any experience with mosaic?

Both glasses in the tupperware.

Guest Post: Australia's Best Wine Regions

To end the week of guest posts, we have an entry that incorporates three of my favorite things: Australia, wine, and my friends. Two of my closest friends spent a few years traveling the world and documented everything on their blog, LivingIF. You can also follow their adventures and sage advice by liking them on Facebook, here. If you are planning to travel or you want to get lost at your desk for a moment, enjoy!

Personal vineyard tours, tastes of prized vintages and tastings poured by the winery owner are what we all wish for when exploring a new wine region.  In the Adelaide Hills and Coonawara wine regions of Australia personal service is expected.  While McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley among others get all the attention these two lesser known areas are worth your time.

In each of the places we stopped in Coonawara and Adelaide Hills we were given individualized attention and provided with stellar service. We explored the small towns of Hahndorf near Adelaide Hills and Naracoorte near Coonawara.  Each region with the side trips is a full day and will require a car, but you won’t regret it.  Below are the highlights of our wine tours in each region.

ADELAIDE HILLS

Hahndorf
The delightful little town of Hahndorf is the perfect place for lunch between tastings, to pick up picnic items or to feed that chocolate craving.  The main road makes it easy to avoid getting lost and will take you past both Udder Delights and N5 Chocolate Shop.  Even if you have no plans to purchase anything you have to stop into Udder Delights for their fantastic samples.  The chocolate shop on the other hand is where you want to spend your money with truffles starting at an affordable $2 and plenty of other indulgent treats that are easy on your wallet and divine on your tongue.  The Honey Pot truffle, a Belgian milk chocolate “hive” filled with honey and ganache is a must-try.



The Lane Vineyard
With over 20 wines to choose from on their tasting list you’re bound to find something that strikes your palette.  If you don’t know where to start just let The Lane Vineyard’s excellent and informed staff guide you.  The all glass tasting room surrounded by vineyards creates a beautiful backdrop for their wonderful array of wines.  The Lois Blance de Blances white sparkling was particular favorite with a crisp, clean finish.

Ekhinda
 Our experience at Ekhinda is what you dream of when visiting a winery.  The wines were sensational with robust, fruity reds, refreshing whites and even their own craft beer on tap.  But what made our visit so special was a hands on lesson from the owner and vintner along with a private tour of the vineyard.  We couldn’t help but linger, in part due to the generous pours from the fun, knowledgable and charismatic tasting staff and part because we couldn’t get enough of the “she viper.”  This full bodied Grenache, Shiraz blend is to die for, maybe that’s why it’s call the she viper

  

COONAWARA

Naracoorte
This UNESCO World Heritage site is just 28 kilometers from the Coonawara Wine Region and is home to Naracoorte Caves National Park.  The bat cave is one of just two caves in Australia that Southern bent-winged bats use to raise their young.  During the summer months, over 30,000 bats emerge from the cave at dusk to feed on flying insects. While this may be a turn-off for some, these guys are helping you out by getting rid of those pesky mosquitoes.  The park staff lead a guided tour of the bat cave, but if you are just interested in the mass bat exodus each evening you can show up at dusk to see for yourself.  They light the cave entrance allowing you a fleeting glimpse of bats flying out of the cave in every direction.

Rymill
The welcoming woman working the tasting counter at Rymill immediately drew us in and had it not been our first stop we would have stayed much longer.  From her detailed wine descriptions to her explanation of cork vs. rubber wine stoppers we thoroughly enjoyed our tasting.  My personal favorite was quite aptly named “The Bees Knees” and was a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Wynns
The laid back tasting at Wynns was made all the more entertaining by the two tasting staff that played off each other superbly.  It would be hard to pick a favorite at this red-heavy winery, but the 2009 (54th vintage) Cabernet Sauvignon was amazing.
While all the guidebooks will steer you towards McLaren Vale, opt for a more personal experience in the smaller regions of Adelaide Hills and Connawara.  Not only will you enjoy the small town charm of Naracoorte and Hahndorf, but you’ll meet some of the best tasting room staff Down Under.

Being Honest: 22 Weeks

Kaleb and Colin letting me practice.

I have been so tired all day today. I went grocery shopping and bought a latte. I have been sipping on it for three hours. I am trying to find that sweet spot between caffeinated and jittery. It is harder than it should be.

I try not to complain about pregnancy too much because I know that I am lucky to be able to experience this odd journey and I know that plenty of women have it a lot tougher that I do. That being said, my truth is that I really dislike being pregnant!

My best friend has asked that I document this journey so that she has a personal reference when it is her turn. I don't think complaining is what she meant but there is a lot of this process that goes unsaid and I want her to know that whatever she is feeling, is okay.

I am very excited to be a Mom, to have a daughter, to watch Nick be a Dad. I know it will be tough when she is here. I know my life will change in ways I can not grasp. I know that I will be exhausted and pushed to my limits. And as Nick's Dad likes to remind us, I know I will get poop under my fingernails.  Being a parent will have challenges and I am sure I will write all about it. But now I am strictly talking about the nine months of carrying baby.

First ever instagram photo of self. Harder than I thought it would be.

 Being pregnant is strange and foreign and more difficult than I expected. It is different for everybody. But for me, it is hard. My friend Abbie was the first person to tell me that is was okay to not enjoy pregnancy. She admitted that she hated it and her honesty brought me so much relief.

To put it simply, I do not feel like myself.

It is a challenge to both the mind and body. My emotions are all over the board. Tears are brought on by the stupidest things. I have cried on more than one occasion just from singing along with the radio, song subject is irrelevant.

My clothes do not fit right. The body I am working with is not the body that I know. If you lose or gain weight, you still know your shape. Pregnancy changes that. It leaves me not knowing how to dress myself and that creates frustration.

Food could really have it's own post. It is such a struggle! I have always thought that would be a fun perk of pregnancy. But I almost never know what I want to eat and when I do make a decision, it is a gamble as to whether it will actually taste good. Something that was appealing yesterday, today might make me gag just thinking about it.

The first trimester felt like I had the flu all of the time. I never wanted to eat. I carried gingerale and saltines with me at all times. My appetite started coming back around 12-14 weeks and for a while after that Nick would tell me that seeing me eat made him happy. I guess things were rough for him too.

Everybody will tell you that the second trimester is better and it is. Fewer stretching pains and less nausea. The second trimester also brought a lot of headaches and a rarer pregnancy side effect, intense itching when I try to sleep. Yes, itching. It is my body's reaction to all of the hormones.

The best parts, so far, of this process also happen in the second trimester. I started to feel her move around 18 weeks and now at almost 23 weeks, I feel her everyday. I love it so much. It is comforting and makes me feel connected. The other best part was finding out that we are having a girl! 

The ultrasound that shows gender, is much more. It is really an extensive look at all of her development. It was amazing! My favorite was seeing the 3-D image of her rib cage and spine. I could not help looking over at Nick and reminding him, "Hey, I built that!"

A few hours after the appointment, my doctor called. She let me know that baby is perfect but that I have placenta plevia. It means that my placenta is too close to the cervix. There is a strong chance, that as I grow, it will move away. If it does not, I will have to have a c-section and I may end up delivering earlier than expected. It also increases the risk of bleeding. I will know more at 28 weeks when we have another ultrasound.  Until then, I have to take it easier than I would like. As my doctor put it, I am not on bed rest but my cervix is.

It is a complication that I can handle. I am grateful that we have the technology to detect these problems and I remind myself that years ago I would not know to change my habits.

I am figuring this out and it helps to share some of my struggles. It is Friday evening and Nick just got home. I am going to fill up a wine glass with juice. Have I told you how much I miss wine? Because I miss it SO MUCH!