On this first anniversary of the day COVID-19 changed my life, I share my silver lining of 2020. Friday, March 13, 2020, I was furloughed, then permanently laid off a couple of months later from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone due to the COVID-19 shutdown. I was the professional wine tutor for the Master’s […]
Category: Personal
100 Days
June 20, 2020 is day 100 of sheltering in place in my single-person household and without full-time unemployment. I had a job that I passionately loved, which began Monday, January 13 and ended Friday, March 13. For those two months, I felt like I had finally discovered my sweet spot, a place where my experience […]
Going home — or trying to — during a pandemic
This personal travel story was difficult to write and share, but cathartic as well. I received lots of supportive feedback from around the world. The greatest lesson to come from my experience was this: I thought my COVID-19 furlough/unemployment and isolation in Napa – and being alone – were the worst, until this. The day […]
A Tale of Two Elizabeths and Bee Hunter Wine
As luck would have it, it was a very cold night for the kickoff reception and dinner at the 13th Annual Anderson Valley Aromatic White Wine Festival hosted by the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association. However, it was under the warmth of a heater, accompanied by delicious wine and food, where the two Elizabeths, one from Philo […]
2017: My Year of Challenge, Transformation, and Love
When asked to describe my 2017 in one word, my immediate response has been challenging. The first things that come to mind are the sudden death of my mother in January (Obscurity Thwarted), an unexpected tax bill in March, my health scares in January and May-June, then the Napa and Sonoma wildfires in October (A […]
My First Writing Award!
Today something incredible happened. I still cannot believe it, but I won my first writing award. I have always loved writing. I am a much better writer than a public speaker. It is my communication method of choice. As a child, I kept a diary, under lock and key, of course, and as a young […]
A TWC Update: 2017, wildfires, recognition, and Villa Maria
Here it is November already. I don’t know about you, but it has been a heck of a year for me. In January, I lost my mom unexpectedly. When I returned home from traveling home for the the funeral, I became so ill that my doctor thought I had pneumonia. When she sent me for […]
My Wine Movie Moment: French Kiss
I was recently asked to contribute a movie or television wine moment to a recent Snooth article, Wine in the Movies and on TV, and being the hopeless romantic that I am, my immediate choice was French Kiss, a longtime favorite movie. *CLICK HERE TO READ*
#MWWC33: Once Upon A Time
*This post is an entry for Monthly Wine Writing Challenge #33. You may vote through June 19 at this link.* Once upon a time, I sat down at my computer to publish another post when I realized, “Oh crap, #MWWC33 (Monthly Wine Writing Challenge #33) is due! I have no idea about what to write!” I […]
Translation, Passion, and Transformation
This is my entry for Monthly Wine Writing Challenge #32 (#MWWC32), as described at this link. Voting begins Tuesday, April 25, 2017, and ends Monday, May 1, 2017, at the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge website. I never used to be a procrastinator until I started participating in the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge. After a lifetime as […]
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