"Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma" by Tilar Mazzeo

Some of the best wines in the world are made in California, and some of the best California wines come from Sonoma county.  My husband and I are extremely lucky that we live in the Northern California wine country.  We are about an hour drive from Sonoma and less than that from Napa.  We enjoy taking day trips to the wine country as often as we can.  We have visited many wineries in the area but the wonderful book "Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma" has let us in on quite a few wineries we did not know of.  

Even though I was familiar with the wineries in our area I found some wonderful back lane wineries that I was unaware of before reading this book.  The author showed me quite a few wineries that I knew nothing about!  I am sure that these wineries were known by the locals but I wasn't in on their secret til after reading this book.  This book also has lovely pictures of beautiful vineyards laden with grapes on the vines, rustic tasting rooms, wine caves along with farmhouses  and farm equipment. 

There is even a chapter on how to use this book.  It has wonderful tips on how to either take the time for a leisurely lunch and sightseeing along the way to spending a few days tasting and exploring.  The bulk of the book is all about the little known wineries divided into five primary tasting areas. Each of these tasting areas are chapters that list a selection of wineries, their histories, types of wine produced, some wine prices and the tasting fees. 

Whether you are a novice, a sophisticated wine aficionado, or someone who just enjoys a great bottle of wine, this book is for you.  The Introduction sets the scene, enticing you to picture yourself in the midst of striking beauty- tucked along a rural road having a picnic in the middle of a open field, or on the edge of an ancient redwood forest, or perhaps overlooking a hundred acre wildlife preserve sitting with a great glass of wine in your hand, a wine that none of your friends have ever tasted or even heard of. 

 Once you begin reading this wonderful little book you will want to plan a vacation to Sonoma whether for a day trip or for a few days. There are wonderful places to stay in some of the most beautiful country in Northern California.  Then there is the gourmet food that this area is also known for.  All of this is included in each chapter of the book.  

This is a book that I will refer to over and over again.  I will be pulling it off the bookcase for when out of town guests come to stay with me and I want to take them to the wine country.  I only wish that I knew of this book many trips ago as my wonderful past visits would have been even more enjoyable!

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

I am still here!

Wow!  What can I say except that was a long blogging break!  I had many challenges this last year that kept me away from a lot of different things including blogging.

My father passed away from cancer last May and I still have not got over that.  Each day is a new day and challenges in themselves.  A random comment about something can set me off crying or perhaps a memory and there I go again.  I can say though that mostly things are getting better.  The good days are starting to out number the bad days thankfully.  Now I am starting to remember all the good things about my Dad and that makes me feel so much better.  Don't get me wrong, it still hurts, but I know that he would want me to be happy and that is what I am trying to do.  I know he is in a better place and is pain free and that makes me so glad and thankful!  Cancer really is a horrible disease and I can't wait til we have a cure for it.

I have also had some health challenges that have kept me away from doing some of the things I like.  One of them being an emergency surgery right at the same time as when my Dad came home on Hospice.  Perfect timing I know!  I am still having residual complications from that but am waiting to get in with a specialist as we speak.  So hopefully that will be resolved also.

Then a few months after that I was involved in a slip and fall accident and hurt my shoulder and neck.  Boy did that hurt for quite awhile!  After quite a bit of Physical Therapy and home exercise it is also on the mend and now I am able to do things without intense pain.  I couldn't pick up or hold my grandchildren, I couldn't sit and sew, I couldn't stay in one place too long without getting uncomfortable but all of that has gotten SO much better!

I am staying busy now with the little munchkins that call me Memaw.  I have been busy with them at swimming lessons, soccer practice, play dates at the park and sleepovers.  I enjoy being with them so much and love being a Memaw.  The only thing that could be better about this is that the other 2 grandbabies lived closer to me!  Hawaii is definitely not within driving lessons.  I am blessed that we do get to see them a few times a year but that is definitely not enough!

I am very involved in sewing and quilting.  I am just getting back into the swing of sewing clothes and stuff for the little ones.  I used to sew clothes for my children but haven't really done a lot of sewing for the little ones except for costumes and such.  I am trying to make matching outfits for the two little girls and that has been so much fun!  I also have an embroidery machine and am getting a lot more proficient at that.  I have been embroidering little tee shirts, onesies, burp clothes and a few baby quilts.  I really like taking something that is pretty plain and turning it into a really cute embellished finished project.

I am SO involved in the local quilt guild.  In addition to being the 1st Vice President of Travel I am also in charge of Community Service.  Right now we are working on making 400 patriotic pillowcases for homeless Veterans in our local community.  We are also gearing up to give between 15-20 patriotic Quilts of Honor to very deserving Veterans at our upcoming Quilt Show.  We also make baby and childrens quilts for several different local agencies in addition to lap quilts for Seniors and several Auction quality quilts for other agencies to raise money with.

So my plan is to try and keep my blog up to date with regular posts.  I think it can be a nice way to put my thoughts and feelings down and let people know what's going on with me!  Here's to the rest of 2014!

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Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas sharing it with your family, friends and those you love.

My Secret Santa Apronista Swap Package

I am participating in the fun Secret Santa Apron Swap over at The Flirty Apron Swap.  I had some kind of bad luck this time around though!  I made up my apron with care, thought of all the cute little gifts I wanted to include, wrapped everything with love and care and then boxed it up to go on its merry way to my secret partner.

I made a very quick stop at the grocery store with my 4-year-old grandson on the way because I promised him a candy bar if he would go with me to the post office.  We got out of the car and I used the automatic key lock to lock up my car.  We were only in the store for a few minutes but when we came back to the car the back door was ajar and the box was gone off of the back seat.  Apparently when we got out we didn't get the back door closed and someone helped themselves to the package.  The only thing I could think is that maybe they really were in need of a really cute apron!

So I finally figured out what I wanted to do the second time around and whipped up another cute apron if I do say so myself!  I went back to the store and purchased some more appropriate gifts and then did the whole boxing and wrapping everything up again.  This time I went straight to the post office without making any stops and got it mailed off again.

So sorry swap partner!  I really didn't forget you I just got a little bit off track and had to start over again.  The post office assures me that you will receive your gift no later than Saturday.  So happy swapping.

Wonderful Giveaway over at ImagiMeri's Creations

"ImagiMeri's Creations has two beautiful vintage ornament wreaths to give away, and they each have a substantial amount of ornaments on them.  This first one is comprised of between 60-80 ornaments of varying sizes and colors, also has some vintage wooden ornaments and a small vintage china angel on it.  It is approximately 15" in diameter and quite whimsical.  Approximate value is close to $100.

 

This second wreath is the one from her tutorials HERE, and is comprised of vintage and some newer ornaments.  It has a plaster plaque filling in the center with a vintage decal on it, and touches of platinum garland and a blue bow as accents.  It is approximately 13" in diameter and has about 30-40 ornaments on it.  Approximate value is $85."

So what are you waiting on!  Go over there and enter and maybe you can win!

Apron Giveaway

Shawnee from Apronista.com is hosting a fabulous giveaway until 11/15/12 so hurry over there and enter.  You could win a lovely apron from Aprons by Vittoria.

Shawnee said she was "SO excited to offer this giveaway. I’ve been tickled by Aprons by Vittoria from the first moment I laid eyes on them. She lists new items weekly that are designed with new ideas and modern day to day fabrics. All of her Aprons are handmade, carefully making each stitch aligned and properly matched with the fabric to bring you a great result!   She has a great assortment of fabric choices, something for everyone."

Go over and check her out and then make sure you leave a comment on the Apronista website at www.apronista.com/

Aprons by Vittoria