Mezcal and What?!?

Most of us are sitting, stunned this morning. The election results are still not final, but having such a close race is disturbing. I try not to openly speak about politics or religion because of my affiliation with our family business and as I've crafted the branding over these years, it has been important to all of us to be inclusive, keep personal feelings aside and welcome anyone to our doors. However, at this time, I have to say that I am shocked at how close this election is and I'm deeply concerned. That said, it is time to talk of other things... 

Mezcal! What the hell is it and why would anyone drink it? Yes it is the alcohol that sometimes has a worm at the bottom and often has a smokey aroma. Yes, it is the drink I have steered clear of because I viewed it as Tequila's evil cousin, but evidently it is much more. 

Oaxaca is known for several things, chocolate, gorgeous embroidery, ornate carved figurines, mole and Mezcal. After a tasting at a Mezcalria and some light reading on the subject (ok so Jesse did the reading and then told me pieces of info), I am learning how amazingly complex and interesting the drink is. I am a lightweight when it comes to hard booze and am, in fact one of those people that swears they can taste the difference in various vodkas, something I've been told by heavy spirit aficionados is impossible. So a Mezcal tasting wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but being obsessed with analyzing flavors and aromas, I happily accompanied my husband. 

I have to sidestep here for a moment to say that the branding of this Mezcalria "In Situ", was incredible. The evil drinking rabbit logo was clever to begin with, but they had black tiles laid in the floor that beautifully incorporated the design as well. The elegant, upscale tasting room took the logo and snuck it into every possible aspect of the bottles, merchandise, glasses and gift wrap. It was impeccable and my branding bone twitched with envy.

OK back to the actual booze. We each tried 3, I took on the flavor infused and Jesse took on the pure, plant focused line up. Amazingly, these artisan crafts are meant to showcase the plant and never be sweet so while plum, honey chile and chocolate may sound like a girly drink, they are most certainly not. I really enjoyed the sampling and learning how they add the infused flavors during distilling and in pure form so, for example, the chocolate was actual cocao beans! I also learned that Oaxaca supplies the bulk of the agave used for Mezcal. And handy tip, Tequila is a type of Mezcal, but made from the blue agave plant and made in a very specific way in Tequila, Mexico. Think Champagne, only called such if made in a specific way in Champagne, France. Jesse tasted 3 that were quite unique and while the 1st one smelled lovely of green vegetation, the palate was a bit intense for me. The 2nd, the more classic smokey version was actually sweeter on the palate and the 3rd made my face twist and contort, guess which one Jesse liked? Yep, the weird 3rd one that smelled of band-aid and tasted like sweat socks, or what I imagine sweat socks to taste like. He's so weird.

As I scribbled notes, the gentleman pouring discussed the intricacies of the 3 Jess tasted. As he learned that Jess is a winemaker and also amateur distill fanatic, he launched into different aspects of the process and the plants. "This plant was 30 years old before harvest, they did a hand mash and distilled in copper then added the chicken and did a second run..." hey hey hey WHAT?!? Yes, yes that's right... CHICKEN!!! OK that is when the wheels in my head came to s screeching halt. Maybe I am naive in the hard booze biz, but did you know that meat is sometimes used as a flavoring component?!? Ya, this is no bueno in my book and I am an avid meat eater. 

Needless to say, we bought a small bottle of chocolate, a small bottle of the "green one" and Jess got a big bottle of the chicken, ewww. They wrapped them beautifully in logo stamped paper, mine even came in a delightful box with a bowl/ cup they like you to drink out of... that has the logo subtly formed into the bottom of the glass, and slid the items into a bag made from the fibers of the agave plant. A+ for attention to detail "in Situ"! As a thank you, they gave us fantastic logo emblazoned masks, I seriously love this place.

Once home in our new hotel, we stretched out over the bed and checked our phones. We have switched hotels, finding a far more amazing place 4 blocks from our previous hotel right in the middle of things, but absolutely divine. It looks like an art gallery, the room has big windows with flowers planted along it, the room is twice the size and the location offers us a new area to explore. Social media was on fire with anticipation for election results and we felt we needed to seek out alternative entertainment. Jesse chose booze news (yes this is a thing) and excitedly alerted me that he MUST have this Bourbon made with deer meat and one made with the musk of the beaver. I'm seriously disgusted and wondering if my husband needs mental health support.

Now, today is stretching into afternoon and I have a glass of chilled Chenin Blanc from Mexico in my glass, my deep love for wine ecstatic over this nectar. The heat of the sun is warming my feet and the joy of being 2000 miles from home as the insanity unfolds in the USA, is deeply soothing. I send you all love, kindness, and patience as these will no doubt be difficult times regardless of results. Take time out of the day to pour yourself a glass of wine and take a deep breath because no matter what, Wine First. 

You Have Arrived

 

DISCLAIMER: I want to start with the fact that we have been extremely safe during the time of Covid. We have essentially been in lock down since March 2020. We wear masks, we sanitize, we socially distance. But, as with other families around the world, we have faced critical issues that have forced us to assess the risk of travel against the risk of dropping everything for a loved one in need. The details are not mine to share so I'll leave it at that. I ask that you trust me, I wouldn't be travelling under regular conditions during a pandemic. 

Oaxaca has been our destination since leaving the USA and finally we have made it. The City isn't what I thought it would be though. Somehow it is far more authentic than the Disneyland version I'd anticipated. The colorful buildings and expressive colonial facades are what I pictured, but the feeling is different. I always find that curious, the feeling of a place. No matter how many photos you see prior to arrival, the feeling is its own and it can either envelope you or reject you. Oaxaca definitely welcomed us with open arms... after a momentary, cautious check.

Like a hesitant blind date, the city seemed to hold back at first. We arrived stunned by the chaos of the large city and confused by the expensive hotel that called a small room with no windows a "junior suite". We stumbled about the dirty Zocalo (a plaza of sorts that is in the shape of a cross so really 4 different squares) and wondered if we'd made a mistake booking so many days in this strange city. The next morning however, as we lapped up coffee in the most charming balcony patio you could possibly imagine, a veil was lifted and we began our courtship with this mysterious town. 

Usually a packed tourist destination, the almost empty streets opened up to us. The "dirty" square shrugged off the grime and allowed us a peak into covertly smart combinations of the old traditions and the new styles. Covid safe practices are followed to a degree we haven't seen before and made us feel protected in market places. The giant markets are filled with so many goodies you can't help but gasp and fill your nose with the cloth of your mask. Colors so magically vibrant, smells so defiantly exotic and wonders the eyes have never seen... at least my USA white girl's eyes have never seen. And the best part? It is all largely your own play space as they limit numbers and the stalls beg you to make discoveries all your own. Quickly we became enamored by the subtle whisper that Oaxaca was, the gentle warm breeze that swathed us, and the easy massage that was culling our weary bones. It is unusual to find a place so original while simultaneously tourism driven, it has not lost its authenticity and that is poetic.

We have planned purposely to be here for Dia de Los Muertos, a place touted as one of the best to celebrate this festival in Mexico. While Covid has clearly made an impact on festivities, it is perhaps more perfect as we get to sneak into the local celebrations with a silent, artistic peak at what it really means here; no parades, no fiestas, but pure unadulterated beauty and dedication. Giant skeletons ornately dressed stand guard at corners and on balconies while orange flowers drip over doorways, and everywhere you turn you find the most amazing shrines to those we've lost. The longer we are here, the more it seems to seep into our blood. I see the chaos of home less and less in my rear-view mirror and I breathe a sigh of relief. My joints scream time to time throughout the day as I battle RA, but my daughter laughs with an ease that I haven't heard in so long that my chest literally pounds with happy heartbeats.

I have backed off work while I travel, a first for me. I usually spend a great deal of our vacation working and to have a mandate from my doctor to make my life stress free immediately is definitely a change. I gratefully have my sister-in-law taking over aspects of my part of the winery and while the sensation of letting go is foreign to me, it is adding a lush and vibrant element to my existence and I relish every moment.

As I sip my Madera 5 Rose of Sangiovese, a Mexican wine a little too salty, a little too acidic, but beautifully strawberry and interesting, I ask you to reflect on where you can pull back in your life. The stress of the election tomorrow is weighing heavy on everyone. Let us be kind to one another and to ourselves. Pour a glass and remember that no matter what you do, Wine First.

Do As The Locals Do

 

DISCLAIMER: I want to start with the fact that we have been extremely safe during the time of Covid. We have essentially been in lock down since March 2020. We wear masks, we sanitize, we socially distance. But, as with other families around the world, we have faced critical issues that have forced us to assess the risk of travel against the risk of dropping everything for a loved one in need. The details are not mine to share so I'll leave it at that. I ask that you trust me, I wouldn't be travelling under regular conditions during a pandemic. 

 As we completed another long day of driving, the city of Puebla, only an hour and a half left away, tantalized us with an end near in sight. Suddenly the free for all of crisscrossing traffic narrowed into tight straight lines and we found ourselves in stand still traffic. Walled in by semi-trucks we sat for hours, discouraged and frustrated we saw no way out. The accident 8 miles up the road (a couple semi-trucks having tipped over, a mess, but didn't seem to have serious injuries) would take many more hours to clear and we started to survey our supplies for a probable night in the car. Out of the stillness, a truck in the lane up ahead, sandwiched in, began twisting and turning in its confines, threatening to crush its own bumpers against the bohemith vehicles surrounding it. Then suddenly, the small sized truck reversed skirting a semi-truck, narrowly escaping the steep concrete crevasse that ran along the highway, past a cop and then up onto the grassy hill beside us. We watched in awe, what was this psycho doing?!? Local men standing at the top of the hill, presumably to ascertain any progress with the accident up ahead, began working with shovels to create a makeshift bridge and helped heave the truck over this off-road obstacle course and then... he was gone. Jealousy must have hit more than just us because soon other trucks were squeezing their way awkwardly through spaces that caused us to gasp. Where were they going?!?! Were we crazy enough to follow?

The answer to that last question seemed to be a shaky yes. As the car behind us readied himself for the tango to free his car, he yelled out the window for us to follow. Elated at the idea of freedom Jesse threw the car into reverse, my daughter and I quickly voicing our concerns, we we found ourselves, in our small VW Jetta, riding over enormous ditches and piles of dirt down into fields of wheat and corn. We trailed behind the other crazy people driving through these crops along what can only be assumed to be ancient tractor tracks. We emerged onto a small road that wove its way through tiny towns and back on our way to our destination. Even for people that grew up off-roading in the hills of Taos, NM, this was exhilarating. Perhaps simply because the breath of being freed from a certain terrible night in our car was avoided. Maybe it was the idea of being in a different country and feeling like this was certainly not a legal way to find a new route. Any which way, we knew the adventure had for sure begun.

Puebla itself proved to be charming. We stayed in the old part of the city, a block from the central plaza and church, in a fantastic two story little apartment style hotel that tended to our every need. We wandered under the mandarin colored lights, ate moles in every color of the rainbow and sipped delicious Mexican wine.

The slow nature of Mexican culture is deeply soothing to our raw USA lives. And it isn't that Mexico is loose on covid, they are incredibly on top of it actually. Temperatures are taken before you are allowed to sit in an outdoor cafe that is setup on the sidewalk. Your hands are sanitized and everything is wiped down before and after you touch it. EVERYONE is wearing masks and while the social distancing appears to be less, it is based on familiar pods of people with stores/ restaurants/ hotels limiting numbers, and keeping seats separated. It feels very safe, it is beautiful, the people are amazing and we are grateful to be here.

So why are we here? People really want to know, and as the disclaimer states, I can't get into all the details, but I will share my personal issues. I was officially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and the pain is effecting my daily existence. Several years ago I battled a brain tumor via a disease called "cushings" which I have healed from, but will have to be monitored for forever. Having an autoimmune disease now seems horribly unfair and my depression has spiked. My daughter has also needed support as she has struggled with depression and as the spiral of our family seemed to plummet, we needed to get creative and quickly. My RA is severe and I am on strong drugs to combat progression, but due to cushings, we have had to be creative since I can't take things that would interfere with that. And, when I return home, we will combat the RA with a hard hit of chemo treatments for 3-6 months. Yes I did make the choice to come to Mexico during a pandemic, during a scary diagnosis and during political unrest, and yes, it was absolutely the right choice.

And so, another type of healing has begun; one of great food, warm breezes and breathtakingly beautiful culture. Join us in raising a glass as Dia de Los Muertos starts and remember, no matter how bad things get to open some wine and Wine First!

Beyond Boarders

 

DISCLAIMER: I want to start with the fact that we have been extremely safe during the time of Covid. We have essentially been in lock down since March 2020. We wear masks, we sanitize, we socially distance. But, as with other families around the world, we have faced critical issues that have forced us to assess the risk of travel against the risk of dropping everything for a loved one in need. The details are not mine to share so I'll leave it at that. I ask that you trust me, I wouldn't be travelling under regular conditions during a pandemic. 

The morning we left New Mexico on our journey toward Oaxaca Mexico, it was warm and the last of the golden leaves were falling. We packed our car to the brim and made it our future home for the next few months. My husband at the wheel, we made the 12 hour trip into Texas, day one down. I'm sure you are wondering how we did this safely, what we encountered and for many of you that messaged me, what is it like in Texas?!? 

In this very strange time, I have to admit that leaving felt very much like a zombie apocalypse movie, dangerous people everywhere, absolute mistrust of venturing from the safety of our car... for anything, even gas. And what we discovered was that the stories of Texas being essentially mask free was true, what little we saw of the state, was filled with people congregated in groups, maskless. We kept to ourselves, masks on, let people stare and slathered the antibacterial on. 

The following day we crossed into Mexico. I don't know if you have driven from the USA into Mexico ever, but under the best of times your imagination can flood with the worst news stories. We drove easily across and into a strange little town, fumbled around trying to find the registration office and panicked that we'd be turned back, but we weren't. Everyone was friendly and helpful and shockingly in compliant with the mask mandate. 

Each mile we drove, we felt terrible that we were "those Americans" the self-righteous type that ignore the rules. We'd clearly crossed the boarder when we weren't supposed to, we were travelling during a global pandemic, we were essentially running away and it felt every bit like being a fugitive... not that we actually know what being a fugitive is like, but we watch A LOT of movies. So pretty much experts.

The drive to Oaxaca is without a doubt a commitment. We are currently on day 5 and the exhaustion is palpable, yet it is mixed with a relief that is indescribable. Everyone wears masks here, I mean everyone, the homeless are even wearing masks. Hotels and restaurants take your temperature and sanitize your hands, they clean behind you as you walk, they limit numbers and separate customers and there are hardly any tourists. The lack of people make exquisite hotels available inexpensively and they become our own private villas. The three of us look dreamily at each other, a collective sigh of relief for our family, and we gratefully continue our journey deeper and deeper into Mexico.

It has been pretty uneventful so far, the biggest hurdle was trying to get Siri to speak properly. No you read that correctly, Siri works fine, it is the speaking that is ridiculous. Clearly Siri did not take Spanish in high school. This leaves me, a dyslexic with directional challenges, to direct my husband as he drives through  congested cities. The traffic flying in every direction, complete disregard for lines on the road, Siri is calling out street names that don't make sense, are completely unintelligible and at one point, as we careened toward a busy intersection, Jess starts yelling "which way? which way?", the arrow on the map had several seconds of delay causing my response to be "ahhhhhhh.....uuhhhhhh....ahhhhh!" and then Siri rang through the chaos with non-words and finally had a stroke simply uttering 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'. We chose a road, luckily the correct one of the 6 presented, and erupted into laughter. It is those moments that, while harrowing, bring us together. It is why travel has been so important to our family and it was a reminder that yes, we do need to be doing this. As long as we survive the driving. 

After Siri's stroke, we decided to venture into Mexican Siri options where she pronounces the streets correctly making it far easier to find where you are going... only she also speaks entirely in Spanish so we have a full immersion happening now, also not ideal. Luckily Jesse was a Spanish Literature major, I on the other hand seem to have learned Spanish from the first version of Siri. Needless to say we are having an adventure. In fact some parts of the drive are more of an adventure than others, but that's for another post.

Hopefully you will all sit safely in your homes, glass of wine in hand and enjoy our journey remotely. We have only packed enough wine to cover our weekly "A Fern Between Us: Emotional Sanitizer Wine Show" (on the Vivac Winery Facebook page every Thursday at 5:00 (mnt time)), so please, raise a glass for me.

Cheers and remember, no matter what you do, Wine First!

Covid19 Shopping

The Stay-at-Home-Order is still in effect in New Mexico and we are following it as best we can. Luckily the winery is still in production so there are projects for the winemakers to do. My theory is that these projects keep them more sane perhaps, than some of us that are stuck wandering from the bedroom to the living-room and back again trying to find ways to entertain ourselves for the 5 billionth day in a row.

As you all know, my number 1 hobby is drinking wine, but even I need some diversity. At first it was the Netflix binge, then Hulu, then Hulu add-ons, and of course Prime... I have now literally seen everything ever made. Then, finally I became prey to the click bait ads on social media selling you crap. I've always known that it is going to be cheap fabrics sewn together by children in some far off country, but when you can't sleep at 3am, somehow $15 for that cute shirt that the skinny, beautiful, young model is wearing seems like just the thing you need. Hell maybe it will even inspire you to get dressed, finally, tomorrow. Well, that one purchase turned into several more, like a crackhead I clicked on the PayPal button, eager to pay and leave the site before my conscience could talk me out of it. And after waiting for 4+ weeks for my items to arrive, lets see what I got.

It started with bras. Like most women during this time, it has become a lounge pants and no bra household, however, with an occasional zoom during the week, I decided what I needed was a more comfortable bra, you know, so I'd actually put one on. So, in a wine induced semi-coma, I ordered 2 from a site that promoted themselves as "a bra you will live in"! Why would I order 2 of something I didn't know if I even liked yet? Because they gave me a discount, and I love discounts. When they FINALLY arrived I found out that they pull on over your head, a detail I obviously missed during shopping. The idea is they are on the tight side so they will hold you up and in place without underwire, then you swath your torso with lace straps. These straps not only are the part that makes it pretty, but give you added lift. I managed to get the thing over my head and then like an alligator's jaws, my arms were clasped straight up, shut tight to my head. I attempted to pull it, tug at it and wriggle through it without getting far and decided it needed to come off and be examined for a better approach. Round 2, I got it on and I strapped in. Once on, it was comfortable and I did like the result, but taking it off proved harder than putting it on! Add a bottle of wine to the mix (or maybe more, who's counting?) and it's damn near impossible... so I slept in it. Then wore it all the next day... and slept in it again. I can see why they say you will live in it, you literally have to.

The items I was really excited about were comfy lounge pants that again I was duped into buying 2 of, but the patterns were so cute and the model looked so comfy, that I felt I really needed 2 of them. Especially since I was now a prisoner in my new bra; I needed to compensate with super comfy pants. But, the package seemed to never be arriving, only ever "on its way". What did arrive was a package that I opened with complete confusion. Was this a gift from someone? Who is this company? Turns out it was a super cute shirt, actually 2 (obviously suckered into my usual pitfall of multi purchase clicks), a pair of cute pants and a shirt so ugly I don't know how to explain it. Clearly this was not a secret admirer, it was little ol' me...shopping on a heavy wine buzz. I really should download an app that keeps you from shopping while drinking.

Anyway, I tried on the shirts, yes cute, but made of a fabric (rayon?), that makes them clingy and full of static, something my Covid-diet tummy rolls really don't love. Suddenly $15 for the shirt, nay 2 shirts making it $30, seemed like a lot. Next was the pants, a kind of jogger that fit tight across my hips making my ever increasing butt really unattractive. Kinda like the photos of people's dogs in clothing that fit terribly and clearly the dog is uncomfortable and you wonder why someone would do that to this poor animal. Ya, I was the poor animal, trying to waddle across my living-room to the bathroom mirror. And also yes, I change clothes in the living-room right out in the open, lockdown has made me care very little about a lot of things. Oh and another thing, the pants feel like cardboard, didn't know you could make clothing out of cardboard, but congrats company, you did it! And finally the ugly top. When I looked up the site to remind myself why the hell I would have bought this hurt-your-eyes-neon-hot-pink top with missing fabric cutouts, I found a model leaning against a wall wearing a gentle hue of pink colored top that fell off her shoulder in a temping "I remind you of the '80s and we know you love it" kind of way. Ahhhh yes, it's coming back. But that is NOT the color of the shirt I got, their definition of pink and what I got are seriously different. I mean I think aliens will assume I am signalling to them it is that insanely bright. Also, clearly the size 2 model is wearing a size 400 shirt so that it will hang that way on her. I guess you'd say I lost hard on this purchasing roulette.

At long last the happy day, my lounge pants arrived! Yes, they are super comfy, yes I am wearing them all the time, are they well made? NO! Would I like to send them back? If not in a pandemic where I will be living most of my life on my sofa for the foreseeable future, I would, but paying to send them back and, lets face it, the effort it will take, is more than I can handle.

So now that I have a hideous wardrobe, don't be surprised to see me looking like a joke on our next Zoom. Also, from now on, I am sticking to drunk shopping for wine ONLY.

Stay safe and stay off the the click bait... but as always, whatever you do, Wine First!

10 Reasons Why Social Distancing Isn't So Bad

It's May 1st today, I've been in lockdown since March 13th. The world feels completely foreign and strange and I wonder if I will emerge from this a little bit of a mental person. For obvious reasons social distancing is GREAT, but we are all a little stir crazy as the weeks drag on, but lets focus on some positives. Here are 10 unexpected reasons why I'm loving social distancing:

1) You can skip the makeup entirely and wear a face mask and sunglasses to go out!

2) Day drinking is ok.

3) Wearing PJs all day, every day is not only acceptable, but expected.

4) You can finally catch up on all the shows you've missed.
         
5) Extra time spent with your eye-rolling, opinionated, snarky know-it-all teen.

6) Hours and hours of every day spent staring blankly at your spouse.

7) Cooking every meal of every day, over and over and over and over and over again.

8) Day drinking.

9) Day drinking.

10) Day drinking

I hope this finds you safe and healthy with a fully stocked bar.

And remember, no matter what you do in quarantine, Wine First!

Don't Kill The Old People

Well, how's everyone hanging in out there? For me, I've been in quarantine since Mar 13th, when things started to get real here in New Mexico...at least for me. I didn't talk about it because not much was really known at that time and the craziness hadn't struck, but I had been in NYC...at an event with 300+ people...I shook ALL of their hands, even hugged some...even shared glasses with them (a la "here taste mine!"). At that point they had something like 10 cases reported in the city, wow, can you believe it? With numbers they way they are now?

Anyway, I got home from that trip completely beat. I had been in CA for a wine competition and then in TX for another prior to the NYC trip and was going straight there from a conference so it made sense I was tired. I bounced immediately into work though because my calendar was already full of events and meetings. I gave a wine class at the old folks home in Taos, I touched all of the glasses, stood over them while lecturing, hugged excited patrons after the class, things that made sense then, but are alarming now.

After that I had back to back meetings with people to design the summer's activities, however I was slapped in the face somewhat suddenly with total exhaustion. I needed to pull back, I was wearing myself out...or wait, was it??? Another day went by and suddenly I had a sore throat and an ear infection (tell tale signs for hardcore sickness for me). I could feel something was taking me down. My always amazing Doctor started to monitor me with regular check ins, I was told to stay home and report ANY changes. Quickly things had changed and he requested a Covid19 test for me. At this point I was getting scared, I was deeply ill and the idea that I could have this insane virus was giving me PTSD from the time in my life previously where I was told 'you should have a will in place'.

The way the hospital had to handle the possible threat was straight out of the Twilight Zone. They met me at the car in a hazmat suit, taking me to a private area and then not allowing me to leave until several tests were done. All were an invasive shoving of swabs up my nose so far up I thought they were trying to operate on my brain...I might get that surgery I escaped a few years back after all. Then I had to wait...for days for results. During this waiting period is when things got real over here in NM and I started to panic that I may have single-handedly killed the entire population of the old folks home from that class. Here I was trying to give my grandma and her friends something special and fun to experience...and I might off 40 of them...nice move! Schools closed and businesses followed. We scrambled to figure out how to keep money rolling in, customers and employees safe... while absolute awe drifted over us as we watched this strange movie like plot unfold before us.

Thank God, my test came back negative and I just had some weird horrible bug, but it also means I've been in quarantine longer than some of you. I can't say I'm going stir crazy because I live on a gorgeous farm in the countryside...of course it is in the country, where else would it be? I don't know of big farms in the middle of a city, do you? Anything called a "farm" in the city is like a rooftop garden really...I think. OK maybe I am going a little crazy, but anyway, we have plenty of wine and space, really not that bad. 

What has surprised me however, as I try to find projects and distractions, is that I am struck with an emotional slap at the oddest times. Waiting in line at the grocery store, no not to pay like we used to, outside waiting to go in, all of us cloaked in masks, and I suddenly couldn't stop the hot tears from streaming down my face. Or wondering if I should watch another episode of Tiger King even though it's 2:00am, then realizing that it absolutely does not matter because there is nothing to do tomorrow... absolutely nothing...and suddenly my wine holding hand starts to shake with silent sobs. Or taking my clothes off to finally shower and seeing that my already plump body is getting plumper and that I have to put the bag of cookies down in order to actually get IN the shower... a deeply depressing moment. 

I hope you all are weathering the storm alright. I look forward to the time when we can enjoy wine in each other's presence again, probably not going to let people drink out of my glass or excessively hug people anymore and that does make me super sad, but I'll take the win to leave home and see you face to face. After all, I never want to wonder if I just killed all the old people ever again.

* For entertainment during lockdown, please tune in to "A Fern Between Us: Emotional Sanitizer Wine Show" from Vivac Winery's Facebook Live, Thursdays at 5:00pm. It's a little wine tasting, a little Q&A and a whole lot of fun!

Don't forget, no matter how weird this world gets, Wine First!