What am I missing?

Terroir: It’s my word of the day. I’ll forgive it for being French. It means “how something conjures up the landscape.”

The word applies to such things as fine cheeses, wines, etc.

When I open up the little jar of Hungarian paprika that I keep in my fridge, I experience that sensation, I remember the hot summer sun beating down upon me in that gorgeous place, the bustle of Budapest and the stillness of its vast, pastoral countryside.

I can indulge this sense like any foodie in the realms of cheese, chocolate, heirloom vegetables and hot sauce. But there is one world that I have never entered, and that sometimes I wonder about: the land of libations.

My family has a history of alcoholism. So we don’t drink. On the plus side, I don’t have to worry about DUIs or doing stupid things that I will regret in the morning. But still – I have lived all my years without any idea what champagne tastes like and without the “terroir” of an English ale, a French merlot, a Southern mint julep or even a sip of Tennessee whiskey.

And sometimes I wonder. I spent such a happy time in Hungary but never sampled its legendary bikaver (bull’s blood) wine or the herbed bitter Unikum, the Magyar national drink. I did see plenty of people who did indulge a little much – and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Closer to home, mead – honey wine – is making a comeback, according to an article I read recently. Hmm. Guess I’ll miss that fad.

You light up my day

The aforementioned award from Lyn is entitled "You light up my day."

I pass this award on to Kat (herekittykatkat.blogspot.com) and to Ela (timeparticular.blogspot.com). Kat's blog is a delightful collection of art, nature photography and other fun things, and She is as sweet a person as one could ever meet, never failing to send a friend an e-card just when they need it. I will always treasure one that She put together Herself around Christmastime, of certain household things gathered together, that She knew would make me smile.

Ela is another person who always has an encouraging word for a friend, and whose artwork on Her blog is mysterious, enigmatic, compelling and often other-worldly. She's one who still visits my blog even when I have missed a few days of visiting Hers.

A happy evening

I called Sweetie on the way home last night. Told Her that I needed to stop by the grocery for some butter and salad dressing. Having been cooped up in the house all day, She seized the chance for some fresh air and asked me to come home first and to bring Her along, even though it had been drizzling and was a wet, cold day.

My mental wheels began to turn. My Sweetie deserves more than a jaunt to the grocery store, even if it is just a Tuesday night. So I came home, loaded Her into the car and we drove. She was talking on the cell phone to someone, so She didn't notice at first that we had entered the freeway.

Then She looked up and began to protest. We don't have the money to do whatever you're planning. Etc., etc.

I drove on. Took Her to Her favorite restaurant, Cracker Barrel. Enjoyed a wonderful hour talking with Her without phones or tv to distract. Then we wandered the country store part of the restaurant and She saw some cutesy things that She liked and fretted that we didn't any money to buy them right now.

She looked at me finally with those beautiful brown eyes of Hers. "Can we take a little out of savings?"

Of course we could.

I had a wonderful time with my best friend last night, I truly did. I am a happy man.

Awards

I am a terrible blogger. I have learned the hard way to stop making blog promises. I get asked to do memes and then somehow never follow through. I've even been given a few awards here and there, that I have utterly failed to mention or even for which I have not properly thanked the giver. And I do not visit my blog friends or answer responses nearly enough.

Lyn (womanlyn.blogspot.com) gave Isis an award last week that I just noticed today. I absolute adore Her blog and all that it stands for and I have got to make a habit of going there daily, as it uplifts me everytime. I encourage all my readers, male and Female, to visit Her site and visit it often.

Here is Her header: "IT'S A WOMAN'S WORLD
Women are the backbone of the world! We carry the weight of the world on our perfectly sculpted shoulders, we carry the waters of birth, we carry on the family tradition, plus, we are gorgeous, sexy, sassy, and may be domesticated, or NOT!!!! Many men have reminded me that it IS a man's world, and, that is fine... I was not being literal when I named this blog, when I designed this blog, I was thinking that within this blog, lies a woman's world..."

The only quibble that I have with that header is that Lyn should not be letting any man tell Her "it's a man's world." Then again, with the current state of the world, thanks mostly to poor male leadership and decision-making, perhaps Women should wonder why men would be so proud to claim the world and so quick to make such a statement.

Another interesting thought. Twice now, people who are unfamiliar with me have read my blog or my comments elsewhere and mistaken me for a Lady. I am a guy, definitely a guy, very much a guy and happy to be the gender that I am. But I will say, and I mean it, that the intelligence, the strength, the incredible qualities of Womankind are such that I certainly don't take those assumptions as an insult but rather as an honor. However, it is an honor which I cannot claim. (o:

Do not be so surprised that a guy, a rather ordinary guy, could believe so strongly in the worth and the beauty of Women. There are more of us enjoying this enlightenment, than one might at first believe.

Our code is simple: The Women in our lives will be treated with absolute respect, adoration and devotion, cherished, indulged, uplifted and celebrated on every possible occassion. Publicly, we will acknowledge that Woman is in every respect equal to man and support every law, measure and movement that works towards that goal. Privately -- and when it is appropriate, publicly -- we know that the truth is, Woman is not just equal, She is superior to man in every respect, a Goddess to whom we render quiet worship in our souls and hearts.

We will never insult, degrade or put down a Woman. In the workplace, we will never stand in the way of Her advancement or support any glass ceiling. We will celebrate Her strength, not fear or denigrate it.

We will extend this joyous enlightenment to EVERY Woman, regardless of age, background, education or appearance.

We know that something magical and wonderful, beyond explanation, happens to a human when the conceived particle of life takes on the xx chromosome pattern, We of the xy persuasion daily count our blessings that at least half the population is thusly blessed and we cherish our every interaction with said persons.

Some men call us "whipped." I am utterly unconcerned about that. My enlightenment brings me nothing but joy.

The Intern arrives

All my misgivings have died and gone to misgiving heaven.

The young Lady who will intern in my office over the next few weeks is competent, articulate and very ready to get to work.

It feels good to know that I will be able to help Her move forward in Her career path, as someone once did for me. I appreciated that and now it's my turn to reciprocate. Now, if I can just learn to pronounce Her name: Starts with "l" but doesn't look like it sounds.

Nature vs. nurture reconsidered

I listened to a blurb on National Public Radio the other day, in which a reporter visited a traditionally Catholic Ohio neighborhood and asked its residents about their voting intentions for the US presidency.

It got me thinking. True, it is sometimes a mistake and even can lead to terrible evils, to stereotype an entire religious culture as thinking or acting in one predictable way. But there are some patterns that do emerge and it makes me wonder: do people tend to develop their political outlook because of their religious backgrounds or do people tend to adopt a religion because it fits more comfortably with their inner political/cultural feelings?

And then what happens if they convert to another faith? If a lapsed Catholic becomes a fiery Evangelical, do their probable laissez faire politics get born again as well? Out West, for example, Mormons are known as a very conservative group, reliably Republican, pro-life, etc. Yet the current Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, who does not fit that bill at all, is a Mormon -- although an adult convert to the faith.