Random Thoughts at Year End...

The end of the year always takes me by surprise. So many things I wanted to do, but somehow didn't get around to. People I wanted to see, places I wanted to go. But I can't regret the way the year has gone.

JD and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary; we've actually been together longer than that, but it's nice to keep track of the numbers.

I'm still close with friends from high school - Wil up in San Francisco, Craig in Albuquerque, Jae closer to home in Santa Clarita. We don't see each other enough, but there is a connection that is never lost. And, thanks to social networking, I was able to reconnect with old friends from Pennsylvania. I love technology!


Thanks to support from newer friends, like Ian and Eve and Mark and Rico and Joyce, I've gotten Goddess of Wine into the world as a viable wine education business.

I achieved certifications through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and the Wine Academy of Spain.

Didn't do as much traveling as I would have liked, but got up to San Francisco to work an amazing Burgundy event with LearnAboutWine, visited with the Rhone Rangers in Paso Robles and Santa Monica, made new friends in Valencia, Malibu, Simi Valley, Santa Ynez, Santa Maria, Templeton, Paso Robles, Napa, and Sonoma. And much, much more.

Tasted and drank some extraordinary wines. Shared great meals with friends and family.

I wish I could come up with something clever, some bon mot that would sum up the year and set the stage for the next, but all I really want to say is Thank You - to my friends, my colleagues, my family, and most of all, to Johndickey (one word, three syllables!), the love of my life. This has been an extraordinary year personally and professionally, and I know the best is yet to come.

Cheers to you all! Happy New Year! 

And please join JD and me in January for Introduction to Wine with The Goddess and JD, and the first Sunday in February when I teach Wine Camp at LearnAboutWine!