MAN Shiraz

MAN Vintners
Shiraz 2007
South Africa
under $10, of course

I'm used to Australian Shiraz with really big fruit that attacks the palate in unsophisticated but pleasant ways. MAN Vintners Shiraz isn't like that it all. The taste was so far from what I expected that if it hadn't been for the screw cap I might have said the bottle was corked. This wine has a wonderful musty flavor to it - kind of mushroomy. After reading a little about the growing conditions I understand much more clearly. The vines for this shiraz grow in slate soil, which gives the grapes plenty of character and depth.

While the initial taste is delightful the finish is not as impressive. After the wine goes down the flavor dilutes and goes a little murky. It's not bad, it's just lackluster. Honestly, this is where many value wines show their faults so I certainly don't fault MAN Vintners on the matter - I just wish it were different. The solution to this little problem is to drink more, which I will certainly be doing both tonight and in the future.

A couple of Cinderellas

This has been a rough week at our house. It's the first full week of summer vacation so we're all getting used to the new routine and to spending so much time together. We had a family meeting to come up with rules of conduct and a chore list. Both Monkey & Peanut contributed and agreed. It was a lovely pedagogical event. Since then, both Monkey & Peanut are acting as if the documents - which are hanging on the fridge - don't exist. This makes for not-at-all-lovely events around the house.

They wanted to make potions and marinades and other such things mixing water with greenery outside. "Sure - just make sure you clean up when you're done." They tried to carry the dripping containers covered in wet leaves back into the house. "It's the best we could do!" I sent them back out with a roll of paper towels. I'm wicked.

They love to change clothes multiple times a day. We don't usually let them, since the burden of laundry falls exclusively on me. During the summer Monkey & Peanut agreed to be totally responsible for their clothes so that they can change clothes at will. They're headed out of town for the weekend with their mom and asked if I'm going to wash their clothes while they're gone. "Hmmm ... no." So today they're washing, drying and folding in the midst of all their playing. They're upset at the disruption and angry that I'm making them finish it all before they leave today. Wicked, wicked stepmother.

All the step-parenting books out there say not to step into disciplinary roles, which should be saved for the biological parents. We can't very well do that around here so I find myself fighting a constant PR battle. "I love you. I like you. I want good things for you. Now go clean your room." This week I've been so frustrated - "Don't provoke your sister. We don't pour water on the basement carpet. Yelling during naptime is not acceptable." - and I'm losing that PR battle. They don't like me much this week. Mommy & Daddy are, of course, perfect parents who would never make them pick up their toys or clean a bathroom. "Life would be better if you would just go away. Leave Puddin' here though - we like her."

A few hours later, when they've played happily for a little while, they're excited to invite me into their play. All is pushed aside even if it isn't actively forgiven. Sometimes that fickle love can work to my advantage. Maybe someday, when we've gotten through the drama and are all mature adults, I'll take some time to re-write the fairytale from the stepmother's perspective. I wonder if maybe she's not as bad as the kid makes her out to be.

Farallon Chardonnay

Today's wine is Farallon Central Coast Chardonnay 2006. Once again, under $10, which is our general price point for every day dinner wines these days.

The wine has a tangy - almost fizzy - character to start. After being in the mouth for a minute the feel mellows a bit and the tart green apple and taste comes through. Honestly there's not much remarkable about the wine. It went nicely with our dinner (turkey with mustard tarragon sauce) which is all we asked of it. On a hot summer day, it soothes adequately but I'm still not likely to seek it out in the future. Of course, to be fair, this is a little late for a 2006 chard of this quality. Maybe the more recent vintages would present more pleasantly. I read at least one glowing review for the 2007 - maybe they know something I don't.

I don't know anything about this label so I went online for some background info on the folks making the wine. An hour on Google and I still don't know any more than I started with. Nobody seems to claim this wine. That mystery intrigues me more than the wine itself. Let me know if you find any clues.

P.S. At my husband's suggestion I checked out Microsoft's new search engine, Bing. (Fabulous home page fun, btw.) Two minutes brought me this little tidbit - Farallon is owned by Pacific Wine Partners which owns a lot of other value brands. They have a list of "celebrated brands," many of which I enjoy, but they don't list Farallon anywhere on their very limited site. I can't find dates on any of the info so I wouldn't consider this definitive data. Still, we do have a winner here - score one point for Microsoft and Bing.

The Day Alone

Monkey & Peanut are with their mom this weekend so Stan and I had the opportunity for some relatively relaxed time. I mentioned the possibility of enjoying time without any kids, not intending to do anything about it, but the idea stuck with me. Every once in a while I'll get to do some errands by myself so I ran through the mental list of household needs. I just couldn't take a day of shopping this weekend so that was out. The bird sanctuary near our house is usually a good spot but I know it well and I was hoping for something more exploratory. Then suddenly I knew I wanted to go downtown to the National Gallery of Art.

I asked Stan if he wanted to go but he wanted to play with his new computer. I asked if he wanted me to take Puddin' but we both agreed that she would be better off playing at home than riding around in the stroller. I hesitated and realized I was reluctant to go by myself. What? I used to adore eating alone at restaurants and taking myself to a movie. But I've become so accustomed to having someone around at all times that I've lost the ability to be alone. That was when I knew that I had to go on this little mission.

I metro'ed downtown (which had its own set of issues - track maintenance in tourist season?,) walked through the pouring rain, and then settled into the gallery. It took me a while to get into an adult mindset. I spend so much of my time filtering experiences/words/ideas to make them understandable to children that I tend to look at everything that way. In all honesty I did still come away with a handful of summer kids' art ideas inspired by the art I saw. You can take the mama out but ...

The details of what I saw don't seem quite so important as the fact that I went. [I did see some lovely art: I'm reassured by the curvaceous women Degas used as his models. Rodin's Thinker has a funny hat-like thing on his head. Matisse did some wonderfully creative work with scraps of paper while recovering from surgery.] The thing I came away with is that it's possible. Freedom is not lost. My wonderful husband gladly took charge of Puddin' for the day because he loves me. He fell in love with an independent woman who, among many other attributes, finds inspiration in artistic expression of many sorts. He wants me to still be that person and will support me in whatever way he can.

Another important lesson of the day is that sometimes I need to get out of the way. Stan is an incredible dad to all three of his girls. He was doing a splendid job as single dad before I came along and hijacked the child care dutites. Puddin' adores her father and he loves her. She cried a little when I left but recovered and the two of them had a great day. Sometimes I need to make myself scarce so they get that needed daddy/daughter time.

I'm grateful for the inspiration floating through my brain, the ideas for paintings, songs (and kids' crafts) that will fill the summer days. I'm grateful for the chance to wander the city at my own pace, following my own inclinations. I'm grateful for renewed joy at being alone. I'm grateful for my fabulous husband. Happy Father's Day Stan.

Herding Cats

Before my glamorous life as a mom I worked in the wine business. I don't miss going to the office every day but I miss being in that world. I miss the first sip of an unfamiliar wine. I miss swishing and sniffing, detailing the faint flavors and aromas that hit my senses. Since this blog is an attempt at keeping my distinct identity it makes sense - to me at least - that I "review" the wines Stan and I are having here in our house.

Herding Cats, Merlot/Pinotage 2007
South Africa
Imported by Underdog Wine Merchants
Purchased at Total Wine for under $10

I have to admit I picked this one for the name. I'm not usually so swayed by labels but given how I spend my days, I was drawn to this one. Dinner tonight involved a peppered roast so I chose what I thought would be a very robust wine. My first sips with dinner were disappointing. The flavor was ok but thin. The wine couldn't quite hold up to the strong tastes in the main course and I found myself wishing I'd gone for something more classic like a malbec or a CA merlot.

Now that the kids have gone to bed I'm returning to the wine. As an end of the day sipper I'm enjoying it more. The first thing I notice is a bright acidity that comes from the Pinotage portion. It's not overly fruity, with slightly metallic overtones. After savoring for a moment the Merlot kicks in. It's almost like having the sub-woofer suddenly turn on - without warning there's a thumping down low, with nice (albeit immature) tannins to bring in some balance.

Overall it's a decent wine. Not a show-stopper but a nice everyday wine. Word to the wise - when pairing with food think more along the lines of a strong Pinot Noir than of Merlot. It might also be worth noting that this company has a number of value wines, both imported and domestic, that have surprised me.

(Please note that the picture, which I borrowed from Underdog's site, is of the Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay, not of the Merlot/Pinotage.)

Last Day of School

The time when Monkey and Peanut are at school is my productive time. I can get housework done, catch up on email, play guitar, go for a run, or any number of things. It's a little hampered by Puddin' but she's fairly cooperative so most of the time I can get through my list. Today, however, is the last day of the school year. I have a mere 3 hours today and then we're a gaggle of four all day long.

I'm looking forward to certain things - no homework to monitor, for one. I'm also looking forward to museum trips, science experiments, reading together, bike rides, and on and on. What I'm not looking forward to is pulling in the reins. The kids - Monkey in particular - tend to get destructive if they're not bounded by structure. A day at home with them becomes a constant race to stay one step ahead of their activities. If they get bored before I get to them then they decide to cut something to bits or dig up the flowers or wrestle a sister to the ground on the concrete. I become weary from the constant monitoring and get grumpy. They get annoyed at my grumpiness and start to act out. Puddin' gets stressed out by the stress and clings ever tighter. It's not a pretty sight.

Don't get me wrong - it's not all bad. On good days they make fabulously creative toys out of cardboard, spend hours exploring the yard with magnifying glasses, volunteer to help with the housework, and read to their baby sister. On those days I often find myself sitting back, watching what wonderful people they are, grateful for the honor of being in their lives.

I sent the girls to bed last night, myself dreaming of relaxing summer days. This morning was more the unpleasant sort, though. I hope I can muster enough energy to make this afternoon lovely and laid-back. With a little luck and a little prayer, maybe I can pull it off. Ready or not, summer is here.

How did this happen?

I woke up at 5:45 this morning to the sounds of Puddin' wailing. I jumped up in vain hopes that if I got to her quick enough maybe no one else would wake up. I briefly considered trying to coax the darling to go back to sleep but then she signaled her desire for food and milk - so much for sleep.

Puddin' and I sat on the kitchen floor playing the quiet game for a minute or two when in walked Stan. He started the coffee, let out Zero, and started conversation. Around 6:00 Monkey and Peanut were moving about, and Tsunami was howling. By 6:15 everyone was dressed and just like that we were off and running.

I'd love to tell you that this was a big trip day, or that this is out of the ordinary. I'd even settle for telling you how graciously I've adapted to this wrinkle in my life. Instead I usually sit and pout. I drink my coffee in the midst of chaos rather than my preferred peace and brood woefully on the fact that I am outnumbered.

I'm introverted, quiet, serious. I am independent. I crave solitary contemplation and study. I'm also married with two gorgeous step-daughters, a precocious toddler, a dog and a cat. I'm outnumbered.

There's a multitude of mom blogs out there, with subcategories for step and blended and such. I don't pretend that I have some great wisdom that makes mine worth adding to the list. Honestly, I don't know if I'll even make it public. My reason for writing is simply to stake my claim, to stand my ground, to try to keep my sense of self and my sanity in the midst of loving these voracious minds and hearts. I love my family and I love my life. Mama just needs a little space.