October 26, 2017

Dearly Beloved Red Blend

While chaperoning a student Halloween party over the weekend, a miracle happened.  Not one, but two of the teenagers at the party actually took the time to say thank you before they left.  “I had so much fun,” said one.  “Thanks for letting us play music,” said the other.

Those two little phrases just about saved my hope for humanity.

There are some absolutely amazing parents that are a part of my world.  Parents who are supporting of teaching staff, who hold their kids to a standard, who expect their kids to behave and be good humans.

And then there are the others.

I won’t give you the litany of things I’ve seen teaching staff be blamed for.  And it’s sad, because most of us would walk over fire for our students. 

And the hurtful things that are said don’t need to be repeating.

But to hear thank you, not once, but twice…I honestly almost cried.  There wasn’t an adult standing there, telling them to say it.  It was said out of honesty and truth.

And for moments like that, I will continue to walk through fire.  I will continue to be the scapegoat for anger and disappointment.  I will happily walk into a classroom on Monday, hoping to make one positive impact this week.

Halloween is almost here, I’m winding down on my Halloween wines of 2017.  There are a lot of reds, not a lot of whites, but some beautiful ciders as we looked at last week.

Dearly Beloved has a fun bottle, reminding me of Day of the Dead.

Inside the bottle is a medium heavy, jammy red wine with lots of raspberry and a hint of smoke in the nose.  I expect to taste spices, but instead get some strong tannin, dark fruit, and a touch of sourness.  

This wine is drinkable on its own, it doesn’t need heavy food to hold it down.

I wouldn’t put it in my top ten, but for a $10 bottle, I’d stock it for Halloween or Day of the Dead parties.  It’s enjoyable, easy to drink, and the bottle makes a fun conversation piece.