Your Friends Are What Will Matter In The End

Well, tonight we had our fundraiser for WaterPowerPeace at the Staggering Ox.

All I can say, we have really great friends, new and old. Chris and I are so grateful for all of your support.

From the purchase of wristbands, to liking and sharing our project on Facebook, to sending donations, to showing up at the Staggering Ox on the first really nice Saturday of the summer and bidding on our auction items, we thank you so much.

In the end, you, our friends, are what really matter. Thank you.

Reunion - It Does a Body Good

50 Is Our Friend

Last Sunday I headed out to Chico Hot Springs for three days to meet six high school girlfriends for a 50th birthday celebration/reunion. Oh, what a celebration/reunion.

My husband asked if it seemed weird to be meeting up with friends that I have not seen very often in the last 30 years. For some reason, it did not. Maybe because we are now 50 and life has sort of worked itself out. Maybe because I had a blast with all of the friends meeting up way back when. Maybe because I wanted to go to Chico Hot Springs, one of my favorite places in Montana, and I would make the most of it no matter what. Who knows?

The answer: All of the above. We did not miss a beat. We looked through old photos, year books, props from drill team, cheerleading, listened to '80s music for 72 hours straight. Quite simply, we picked up where we left off. We laughed non stop. Everyone got along. There was not one moment of tension. The trip was the perfect length; not too long, not too short. Some cooked. Some cleaned. Everyone had a grand time. It was truly the perfect reunion.

As I have told you many times before, once you turn 50, each day is a gift. Make the most of each day. We will not be waiting to turn 100 for our next reunion. Next June we are headed to Coeur d'alene, Idaho to pick up where we left off. Stay tuned.

I love you all. ~ Stella

50 Years Young

Keeping with my food, fun and wine theme, and also the reason I became a closet blogger in the first place, turning 50, I am headed to Chico Hotsprings tomorrow morning to meet up with several old high school girlfriends for a 50th Birthday Bash. This trip has been in the works for quite some time. Some are flying in, some live in Montana. It started out as possibly a trip to Las Vegas or Phoenix, somewhere warm, where we could bask in the sun, eat, drink and be merry. Too hard to coordinate. Chico, here we come. Good food, great fun, and don't forget the wine. We also have some beer drinkers for this trip. Some are bringing pink Solo cups and the official rules for beer pong. Should be entertaining. Stay tuned for photos after I return home.

As girl trips go, this one has been incredibly low key and easy. Usually, my girl trips are quite labor intensive; many emails, planning menus, you bring this, you bring that, what time should we leave, do we have enough wine? Not this trip. Show up and have fun. How refreshing. It sort of reminds me of I Heart Neihart. Simple.

Can't wait to see everyone. Cheers.

"Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there." ~ author unknown

House Wine Will Do Just Fine

Do you order house wine?  I do. Not always, but a lot of the time.

Do you know people that refuse house wine just because it is house wine? Some house wine should be refused, but I think a lot of house wines are very drinkable, and some good. I don't think I have ever had a great house wine, but I do not expect it to be great, and I do not need great wine all of the time. If I want a great wine, I will go to the wine store, carefully select the wine, then enjoy it in the comfort of my own home or some special spot with special people. Also, a great bottle of wine in a restaurant is -- sorry to say -- expensive. The exception is Wednesday nights at Lucca's. They have half-price wine on Wednesdays. There you will always have great food, a great atmosphere, and great wine at half-price. You will never be disappointed.

House Wine took on a new meaning last Thursday. Chris and I decided to head out to sell bracelets. Are you getting tired of hearing about the bracelets yet? I hope not, we just placed an order for 200 more. $5. Just let me know how many you want. As usual, we ended up at the Brewhouse. Unbeknownst to us, the going away party for Jackie, a long-time server at the Brewhouse, was in full swing Downstairs. Kitty brought in a band,  and all of the employees and regulars were there to see Jackie off. There was also a silent auction.

Well, how can we expect anyone at the Brewhouse to support our cause if we don't support theirs? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Great motto, by the way. It really does work, and a lot of great projects get funded that way. If anyone has ever done anything for you, never forget to reciprocate.


Kitty, the manager, is also a photographer and had some really great photos in the auction. Woody, a great server, artist, and one of the most talented, creative, delightful people you will ever meet, had one of her paintings in the auction. Amber, another great server, cute as a button, made a whole bunch of great jewelry for the cause.  

The one thing that caught my attention was the House Wine Bike. I am sure you've all seen the really fun, trendy, cool, retro, one-of-a-kind bikes that different cool companies supply and have drawings for in local beer establishments. Fat Tire has one. Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville had one hanging from the ceiling. Cool colors, cool logos, old fashioned big fat tires, one speed, back brakes, straight handlebars; one of life's simple pleasures.

I wanted it. My husband said, "You don't need it." Well, when you turn 50, you start to look at life differently. You realize that each day is a gift, and "you don't need it" goes right out the window. First of all, I do need that bike. It says "House Wine" on it. It doesn't get any better than that. I thought I would buy it as a piece of art, hang it on the wall in the wine room in my basement that isn't finished yet, and it would look awesome. I also have a really cool whiskey barrel that is waiting for its spot in the wine room not finished yet. And there would never be another House Wine Bike. The two items would go quite nicely together. The whiskey barrel came from Tim, the brewer, at Blackfoot Brewery, and it was free. Thanks, Tim.

I was the successful bidder. Yeah! I have ridden my new bike every day since I got it. I really hadn't planned on that. Exercise; what a novel idea.

I sent a picture of my new bike to my nephew in California. He asked if it was a fixie and told me I was a hipster. I had never heard the term fixie so I Googled it. I don't know if it is truly a fixie, as I did not find a good definition, but I am going with it. My very own House Wine Fixie.

Tonight, my husband and I rode our bikes over to the high school where I proceeded to complete my photo assignment; a portrait type photo that you would hang on your wall. Well, I now have a portrait type photo of my new bike at sunset out in a field that I will be hanging on my wall tomorrow.

As I like to say, a win/win for everyone. I got something really cool, helped somebody along the way, and also got my assignment done. Life is good.

"No one has ever become poor by giving." ~ Anne Frank
(So go buy something at a fundraiser that will make you smile.)