VinoVerve's Wineding Road

Gretchen Neuman is the VinoVerve.com Editor, Mom, Nerd, Wino, Locapour Chicago · VinoVerve.com

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Voting

Hey Sophie, 

Sorry to interrupt your time with Coco Chanel (I am certain she would want to dress you).  Could you possible bug your sister about voting?  Really.  SHe is being obstinate.

You know how much I tried to educate you girls about the matters of the day.  I was prepared if you all wanted to vote contrary to my desires and wishes. But not voting?  This makes me sick to my stomach.

I request a minor haunting.  I gave you a beautifully stunning headstone.  Come on! Just a little. just to the polls.

Love, maman

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Bad Week

Dear Sophie,

I’m sorry to bug you while you are accessorizing your halo, but it has been a hard week.  Firstly, your sister has been having periodic bad days.  Her urge to use has been very strong and I am worried, though I think that Nick been keeping an eye on her.  The big problem is that he is going to visit his parents this weekend and has two whole days alone.  This has me nervous.

Next?  Uncle Alan. He’s dying.  He just got moved to hospice today.  Auntie Noranne is staying strong but that won’t last.  Nicholas had to come home from school and Christopher is taking this very hard.  He’s 13.  So it is natural, but still.  Worse, he is dying of Cirrohsis.  We had no idea  that  he drank that much.  No one did.  So please, keep an eye out for him.  And maybe find him a guitar.  Remember how he let you play his guitar?  I have a picture someplace.  This is going to make Celia really upset when it happens.  She is feeling like relapse is inevitable.  But it isn’t.  Uncle Alan never even tried to quit.  Also the meds they had him on after his weird stroke may have made the effects of alcohol even worse.  He thought he was dying every day after the stroke.  Maybe when they fixed the  vascular abnormality, it effected his personality.  And maybe the post surgical seizures did as well.  Anti-seizure meds make things even worse. sigh. Moments like this make me wish I could ask Dr. Bill.  He would know more about that then he did about the Empress Josephine (not Josie... the historical one).   If you could look out for all of them, that would be lovely.  I suspect you do already.

Finally, Justin’s niece is in rehab like Celia had to go.  I’m going to talk to her Mom tomorrow.  Hopefully, I can help.  Wish me a bit of strength.  I have too much practical advice to give people in sad situations.  And I hate it.  I wish I could just be ignorant and sympathetic instead of knowledgeable  and sympathetic.  Knowing the hard parts to come sucks.

Oh. and just a silly request.  If you could block FOX News at Nana and Papa’s house that would be helpful.  They have no sympathy for people anymore.  I keep fighting for people to have healthcare like you got.  It is the very least we can do.  The real fight should be against disease.  And the #MeToo movement?  I heard too many awful stories.  From girls you loved.  You know who.  Nana was very nonchalant about these tragedies.  “Well, that happens”. Like she is worried about someone accusing Uncle PJ so she can’t support women telling their stories.  And clearly that is crazy.  Uncle PJ is with you and has been for 35 years.

Ok, babygirl.  I am going to try to cheer up.  Come see me in a dream.  I could really use that.

Love,  

Maman.

[mamandesfilles]

Dear Sophie,

How’s heaven.  Please send me a note or post card.

It has been a hard week.  If you’ve been watching, you know what happened.  If you haven’t? I don’t blame you.  I don’t want to know either, but I lived it.  I am sure you have a wicked cool replay system.  Check it.  Work on Celia.  Please. I am desperate.

On a lighter note, Daddy took Joey with him when Daddy went to pick out a new suit.  First they had breakfast with Mr. Cronin at Lou Mitchells.  You know how he can be.  Funny.  Then of course off to the suit dude.  

On another note, Daddy will be giving advice to William this weekend.  I saw pictures of him with the girls at a 4th of July party.  They all look good.  Happy.

So, that’s it for this note.  Again, your sister.  Work with Nana Mimi on keeping her upright.  I need it. Thanks.

Love you bunches and forever.

Maman

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Oak Cliff Zinfandel Product Of The Day

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Do you know how we at Qorkz are obsessed with terroir? Well, we aren’t the only ones. This was the clear message of John McPhee’s, Assembling California. The author, John McPhee is famous for writing literary nonfiction (this Qorkzter’s favorite kind of writing) and his topics tend to coincide with his personal interests. Assembling California tells the story of the amazingly complicated geology of that state, and much of the west coast. This information rolls out as McPhee drives the roads of the Golden State with note Geologist, Eldridge Moores, Professor Emeritus of Geology at UC Davis, stopping off to look at road cuts. Yes, this is true. You can see the hundreds of millions of years of geologic history by pulling over on the highway and looking where road crews cut through the hills and mountains and left the rocks exposed. Will you ever just drive down the highway blindly again? I won’t. Professor Moores’ speciality is ophiolite, or sections of oceanic crust. This is important to the geologic history of California because so much of the state is built of small crustal fragments that have travelled thousands of miles using plate tectonics and faults to make their way to places where you would never expect them. And then slam to together or otherwise accrete (stick together). Really. Now, I will tell you that this book is intense. And I am a serious nerd saying this. Ask our CEO. He once had to road trip with me when I kept talk nerd talk. He survived. barely. The science can be a little overwhelming but there are sections that are adorable that you can’t believe it. Like about how John McPhee went with Prof. Moores to Napa and Sonoma County to look at the “geology” but spent their time wine tasting. How perfect is that? There is good news and bad about this book. First the good news. It is available as a book on tape. Check on Barnes and Noble or iTunes. The bad news? This book got mixed in with a number of other books by McPhee, Basin and Range (1981), In Suspect Terrain (1983), Rising from the Plains (1986), and Crossing the Craton (2002) to become the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning Annals of the Former World which is the story of the 4.6 billion year geologic history of North America. California is enough for me. For now.

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Josie à la Manet's "Olympia". #josiethefrenchie #instafrenchie #fineartfrenchie

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Unmarked no more. #sophiebear #missyou #sophieneuman

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Note my preferred #wine shop. wine, cigars, live bait #wineshop #winestagram

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Coffee Talk cocktail from @cocktailcourier #cocktails #tasty #wrongglasssir

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Michigan Avenue. Planters decorated with kale, pumpkin, cabbage and Swiss chard. What happens to the food after Halloween? #wastenotwantnot

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My big girl posing for an id picture. She didn't care for the lighting. Le sigh. #kidsthesedays #celiaclare

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Josie the Frenchie never gets enough sleep #frenchbulldog #frenchie #empressjosephine

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It is cold and wet but we are still grilling. Now I must choose wine! #chicago #steaks #whatwine?

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250 posts!

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Does that look like a face to anyone else?

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Josie looks content with her new ribbon #killcancer #josiethefrenchie #frenchbulldog

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That pale blob is me swimming in the pacific (ok, Waikiki's baby pool... I was alone so already breaking the rules) #waikiki #pacific