Thursday, May 7, 2009

More stuff, same Thursday

Just a couple of things:

I am wearing a bright, lime-green top and have on long, dangly earrings in the same color (just about shoulder-length earrings). Lately, I seem to have discovered color and lost inhibitions along those same lines. I bought these earrings (and a coupla other pairs) at a chain called Charming Charlies. What a fun store to browse through! The costume jewelry is SO fun, so inexpensive... each pair of earrings that I bought, was only $5. And it makes me feel bubbly when I wear one of these funky pairs of earrings.

Last night, after work, I went to a wine-and-food pairing put on by one of the HEB grocery stores in my suburban area. I know several of the people who work there, especially those at the Cooking Connection. And also the store's wine steward. The Cooking Connection is where they offer recipes and samples of food prepared with store specials of the week, whether it be meat, fish, spices, etc.It was a lot of fun, and I was surprised to see a woman come into the room who was from my church. In fact, when we joined this church 10 years ago, the church paired us up with someone, and she was our "sponsor". Anyway, she lost her husband years and years ago... and well, I don't want to go on and on.

So it was fun to have someone to talk with, compare wine favorites with, etc. I think we were the last two people to leave the room, when the evening was drawing down. Good times - great laughter! I wasn't too fond of her when we met her years ago, and that mostly stemmed from the fact that she smelled like a walking cigarette. I smoked in my late teens and early 20's, then quit. My late spouse had oral cancer years ago, and it was caught in time. But you and I know the biggest contributing factor for oral cancer: tobacco use. So maybe you can understand my dislike for smokers. J, the woman I sat with last night, quit smoking years ago, and now I find that she has a fun personality.

Tonight, at the other HEB in my area, I am going to a wine-tasting night. They don't have a full-blown food menu with this one, but do offer some cheese, fruit, bread to try to keep us half-way sober (well, that is how I interpret that). And I know the wine steward at this store, too, and also E, the woman who is kind of a steward-in-training. E makes me laugh, and that is a GOOD thing!

So - two nights where I don't have to cook. Great! And where I can be amongst other people while eating and sipping - even better. Eating alone gets to be the pits, folks, don't let anybody kid you on this. I mean, I used to enjoy trying to squeeze in "me" time (sometimes I felt like we had too much together time). But when the choice isn't there, it gets old in a hurry.

That's the summary. Maybe the weekend will produce something worthy of blogging about. And I can tell you what happened in probate court, where I'll be on Monday, as the lawyer presents the handwritten will to the judge. My two friends from Wimberley are graciously coming back into Houston to swear to Greg's handwriting, bless them both. I hope I can be as good a friend to them through the years, as they have been to me.

5 comments:

Janine said...

OK ... I am DEFINITELY going to complain to the HEB in our area!!! We don't have wine-tastings, let alone cheese/food pairings!!!!
Not fair.
At all.
But I'm glad that you have it ..... for you.
:)

jessica said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jessica said...

Janine - you need to get to bed at an earlier time! I realized that I forgot to comment about "getting" the gallows humor in my previous post - of COURSE you do! I don't think most of us would be still standing (given what we have gone thru) if we did not, could not have a sense of humor.

I just assumed that all the HEB's that have Cooking Connections, were pursuing these wine or wine-food deals. The one last night was excellent - we even got to taste an $80 bottle of wine (which is NOT sold in HEBs)! It was a winery from Australia, small-sized one that had some very good wines. I think the label is Hallet (?). Most of the rest of their wines were in the $8 - $15 range. They actually had HEB pizzas last night - very thin crust, with a variety of toppings. Yummy!

The Retired One said...

I didn't realize you have to still go through the will thing....
It is bound to bring up some sadness for you.
You will be in my thoughts!

Anonymous said...

A wine and food pairing sounds like fun to me! :)