It was an even better day than I could have imagined it would be. Sunshine, family, friends, fruit of the vine, food and lots of this type of picture…

I decided it would be fun to snap a few photos at each place to remember things later on. Well, if looking at strangers behinds does the trick, I was successful. (Note to self: Don’t taste every wine ever made in Niagara County when you want to take memorable photos.)

As you can guess, as the day went on, things got very warm and fuzzy and I have a case of assorted wine in the basement that I can’t remember what tasted like what, a collection of the worst photos I have ever taken, some lost items, great memories and a nice little bonus for me.

The bonus is that kids have wonderful friends who, even though are young and could be embarrassed hanging around with you, seem to enjoy your company anyway. (And that was even before we had our first stop on the wine tour.)

Plus, I didn’t cry. My daughter thought that I’d get all sentimental about  my kids being all grown up and she is the one who ended up blubbering. Picture that!

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“We’ve had bad luck with our kids – they’ve all grown up.”  ~ Christopher Morley

This weekend will be the mother of all good freebie visits. We are doing a wine tour. You visit all these places and they give you samples of wine in hopes that you buy some. I have all my lines down for maximum freebie capacity. Things like, “Can I have one more taste of that? My palate wasn’t quite clean” or “I am almost ready to purchase this but I need one more taste to make my decision.”

This procedure is most effective  when the person behind the tasting bar is very busy so that you can make a quick exit before any actual purchase. I wait for a bus of  red hat ladies on their weekend outing to arrive. Nothing like a group of menopausal women to provide adequate cover. When the kids were little, their crying and screaming worked pretty well, and a pre-teen hissy fit also did they trick, but they have grown up. Now they request payment for providing such diversions. At first I thought about paying them but realized that made me a free sample whore. I rather just spend my money on the bottle of wine at this point.

Anyway, this should be a happy weekend as we go from winery to winery and I am looking forward to it very much. I hope I last past the first two stops.

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“Of course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” ~ Robert Towne

They are so beautiful in the tree, especially when they catch some snow on their tops, that I can’t take them down. That and the fact that I just haven’t gotten out there to do it without the dog around who would eat them or break them.

To top that off, take a look at what is going on in Buffalo this weekend that is so brilliant and wouldn’t be so fabulous without all this snow. Tell me this Powder Keg Festival doesn’t look like huge fun?

You know that saying about if life gives you lemons, make lemonade?

Tubing down the Skyway Exit ramp.  Now that’s lemonade.

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“If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”  ~Albert Einstein

This $50 Marshall’s gift card I have had since Christmas is burning a whole in my pocket so I made a date with the kids to shop. Of course that means I will be footing the bill for dinner but such is life.

I can’t decide if I should use the card on sale winter clothing items or for some new, fresh spring thing. I also just ran out of wrinkle cream and need that too.

I love getting creams at Marshall’s because it’s like a treasure hunt. You have to hunt and dig your way through last year’s expensive products for this year’s deals. Some creams and things I have never heard of but I look at the original price with the reduced price on top of it and think, “sucker”, and I feel better instantly. Probably not good for the laugh lines but as I age my eyes are getting worse so it kind of works out.

Shoes are always a good thing to look at too. You never feel fat in shoes. Or watches for that matter. I go right to the really reduced shelves. It’s gotten to the point that I just can’t get myself to buy anything full price now. It’s like a sickness – that I can live with. I think it’s my competitive spirit. I will get that item for as close to or below cost as possible or I won’t get it at all. I’m sticking it to the marketing man.

My one weakness? Electronics. I used to hide my chocolate stash. Now I hide my electronics purchases. I think I might give up buying any more of them for Lent.

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“Those have a short Lent, who owe money to be paid at Easter.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin

My husband made lasagne, which takes him the whole day. He does the same dinner for us every year. It was delicious. I was happy too that my daughter observed how funny it was that it takes him the whole day do make a dinner, something I do daily in about 30 minutes for less. Now, THAT observation is a birthday present.

I used to hang around and put my two cents in (he didn’t put any sauce on the top layer – none!) but that was a mistake. I noticed this after about 25 years. I decided to just shut my mouth and let him make dinner. If he made a mistake, it was his. So I don’t get tempted to intercede, I leave to get a mani-pedi combo.

My birthday gift to you other wives out there who might be like I was in my younger years is some advice. Offering unwanted supervision when your beloved is trying to take a load off, even though it is hard for him to do and easy for you, isn’t a good idea. A few mistakes make for a more relaxing dinner atmosphere. And heaven knows, he’s had to eat a few of mine from time to time. Chow.

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“Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.”  ~ Sophia Loren

I got the call today while I was out. Luckily that made it be recorded on my answering machine for all posterity to listen to.

Where was the missing notebook that I was too blind to see? On the copy machine where he left it at school, not in plain sight on my living room floor. Not exactly a miracle but we are both giving thanks.

I did get an apology – and he didn’t mumble! Saints be praised.

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“In some families, please is described as the magic word.  In our house, however, it was sorry.” ~ Margaret Laurence