Time It Was, and What a Time It Was, It Was

Not enough can be said about the love one has for family, and the love one feels for friends and neighbors who have become family. This sentiment has been on my mind as of late, because two of my dearest friends, who also happen to be neighbors, are readying themselves for a move.

I have shared so much of my life in California with Mike and Patti Walling, and one of the passions we have in common is a heartfelt love for terrific food and wine. Tonight, Patti was feeling a bit stressed about final exams and nostalgic for home (she grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania where her mother and family still reside) and so she decided to whip up another one of her fantastic meals, this one a round steak topped with peppers, onions and tomato sauce, all baked to perfection in the oven.

The dinner turned out as expected- simple, delicious, comforting and made with the same love and devotion that Patti's Mom would infuse when she'd make it for her daughter's birthday. A family tradition, passed down from one generation to the next: a time of innocence...a time of confidences...

What do drink with this wondrous meal? Tonight, I opened one of my favorites from Bogle Vineyards called Phantom. This wine is a heady, velvety blend of the grapes I go ga-ga over: Petite Syrah, Old Vine Zinfandel and Old Vine Mourvedre. The bottle reads, "In the dark recesses of the cellar you sense a presence, hear footsteps."

Creepy, huh? Maybe not, as I like to believe it evokes something more than a mere foreboding apparition. I'd like to think that the presence we sense is that of change, a positive movement forward. The footsteps we hear are our very own, leading us not to grave danger or harm, but to a new beginning and a future bright with the promise of our dreams. A new school, new job, new friends and neighbors-all while cherishing what and who we already know and love, and excited for what lies ahead.

And as we sip our wine like we have on so many of the beautiful evenings we've spent together over these
last five years, laughing and crying, a bit scared but excited, the three of us listen to our favorite music, and the sounds of Simon and Garfunkel emanate through this soon-to-be empty apartment...long ago it must be...I have a photograph...preserve your memories...