The end of an amazing week...punctuated by an afternoon of mall-ratting with friends, brunch and chat on the far NE side of Indianapolis. Complete with checking out the newest Yankee Candle scents (...LOVE "Sweater Weather" and "Vineyard"...) Picking up some more shimmery "Paris" body spray from Bath and Body"...a box of hand-dipped (complete with stems) chocolate dark chocolate covered cherries from The South Bend Chocolate Company... French Hook Earrings from Macy's...Lace and Ribbons Panties from Victoria's Secret and Ecco Domoni Pinot, Bruchetta, Salads and Slices of Cheesecake Factory Vanilla Bean Cheesecake at TGIF's...and a wonderful time had by all. Proving once, and for all you should never let three women over 50 plunder a mall unsupervised!
"Because we're worth it, darling!"
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Plodding along with my most recent acrylic (still under construction) and discovering the wonders of texturing gel. Going to work on building up barnacles on the beginnings of the shore rocks...and using a dry brush technique to really make them pop when I add the details. Hoping to work more on the water today and yes...their will be a large wave breaking against the rock jutting from the surface...added as a last detail...nowhere near finished...but it is coming along.
Details of the beginning texture gel...I LOVE this stuff! Who knew?
Also siphoned off my "Blush" wine this morning to clarify. It smells incredible.
And reserved a small bit to sample.
Did not do a blend with this one. Just Concord Grapes, Sugar and Yeast. It will lighten a bit as it finishes clarification...a little drier than my white, surprisingly. A heavier "nose" and a bit more bite. Rounder and expect the flavour to develop even more as it cures. I tasted this with Savory crackers and Gouda and it paired very well. Will be good with pastas.
Voila...
Gypsy Winery: Message in a Bottle Wines
"A Little Bit Shy"
Début Blush
Vintage 2014
The message in this bottle: "More PASTA, por favore!"
Going to set a Honey Mead to ferment on Friday :)
Getting a bit spoiled with the micro-batch time frame...and will have to adjust accordingly if I attempt a larger batch to bottle. From ferment to clarification is roughly a week on these 4 cup batches. Clarification to curing another week and the entire curing process is less that a month.
And setting aside tasting (sealed) jars for September, Idgy! Can't wait to see what you think...only
more days! A week here...a week there and a short road-trip together :) A late Summer/Early Fall Adventure :)
More news emerging about Robin Williams untimely death...as it appears he had been diagnosed and recently exhibiting the early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Suddenly, and sadly, his suicide makes a lot more sense now.
And Ferguson, Missouri is still in chaos...
People,(...black and white...) I get the absolute outrage over the police shooting. I REALLY do. Officers have the right to apprehend and arrest an unarmed shoplifter. They, however, do not have the right to be judge, jury and executioner.
This teen was killed over a $48.00 box of cigars.
Having said that...it is really HARD for me to understand how destroying businesses, burning stores and cars, and looting liquor and hair weave/beauty shops has ANYTHING to do with your cause. It would seem to be undermining what possible hope you have of getting your message across.
WTH?
Seriously.
And as long as I am shaking my head...which seems to happen daily while reading the news now...
Ebola...from 26 cases/deaths located within one small West African Country: Guinea to this morning's numbers of
1,145 Dead
2, 127 Confirmed
in 7 Different Countries now. In 5 months.
Excuse me for saying but
"Way to Drop the Ball, Guys"
So now Guinea is making an effort to close their borders...instead of when it was only 26 cases and they were all in Guinea...
SMH!
The priest shipped back to Spain has died. The Philippines is reporting a possible outbreak. We have two Americans sequestered in a hospital in Atlanta...and a few hundred Peace Corps Workers and Good Samaritan Missionary/Heathcare which immediately hopped a plane the "...the hell out of Dodge..." when the Doctor and Nurse ended up with it...so they are back in The States. Can't see how that could possibly go wrong.
And you have to blame cinema for part of the apathy we have seen. Movies like Outbreak and Contagion which help cause people to think that pandemics are something that start overnight. Wake up in 4 days and people are dropping dead like flies outside your doors.
It makes for exciting theater...but it is far from the way real life unfolds. Real life takes times. Has sputters and starts. The longer the virus is spread in human hosts the closer we come to that airborne mutation.
And the mixed messages sent by WHO and the CDC and various media.
"Not to worry."
"Okay, we are a bit worried."
"There is no need to screen flights."
"OMG...it just spread to two other countries off a flight..."
"There is no need to close borders"
"Christ...Close the BORDER already..."
"We're shutting down flights"
and my personal bugaboo...and both the media, CDC and WHO have used it endlessly...
The TERM "Bodily Fluids"
Which, post HIV/AIDS- we have been conditioned to think of as "Blood and Blood Products" and "Semen"
But...which, in this case, actually means ALL bodily fluids.
ALL OF THEM,
Blood, semen, mucous, saliva, tears, feces, urine, sweat.
And, unlike HIV this virus can live on contaminated surfaces...even linens and clothing (much like Hepatitis B) for up to 3 days. And is fully transmissible at that time.
See the problem?
Misinformation and lack of differentiation is costing lives.
This week's book...the first in a long long long series (...I think there are 18 in all..) recommended by a friend Left Behind by Tim LaHaye. A piece of fiction about an airline pilot (and quite a few other people) who realize post-Rapture that amidst the piles of clothing/shoes and ipods they haven't quite "made the cut". Especially interesting on our main character's part (the pilot) who discovers the disappearances at 50,000 feet while flying a commercial airline. And you thought people got pissed when you lose their luggage!
Fast paced. Borderline preachy...but once you get past that a hell of a story. Interesting to watch the sociological breakdown after people realize they have been "left behind". Not at all likely that I will muddle through all 18 of these...but this first book was pretty entertaining.
Not to worry...neither the friend that turned me on to the book...or I have any worries of disappearing in a pile of clothes and shoes...ever.
Pretty sure about that. Sometimes these things just go without saying...
Have a Great Weekend!
((((hugs))))