Stoutpup

A lot of things happened here at Stoutpup last week. A few days before we embarked on our trip to Wyoming and before the loss of our beloved Mazzy, I was also laid off from my job. I wish I could say it was for something exciting like getting dooced but I don’t write about work because that’s not the kind of blog this is. Work doesn’t deserve a spot on the fun pages of Stoutpup.

Anyway, today is my second day of unemployment - my first day was spent having lunch and drinking pinot gris at my mother’s house and then meeting my father for dinner in the evening. I felt lucky that I got to see both my parents on the same day - that hasn’t happened since my brother’s wedding four years ago. At dinner dad told Corey and I that he felt lucky about his recent bicycle accident in which he was struck by a vehicle and sent to the hospital unconscious. How could that be lucky? most people would ask.

Dad said he felt lucky because the truck that hit him, struck his rear tire and not his body side - on. He felt lucky the truck came two seconds later than it could have sparing him serious injury or death. I hate thinking too much about this, but I will say that my dad’s words resonated with me because all week long I had been thinking how lucky I was, despite the job and dear old Mazzygirl.

Being back home in Cheyenne during the most difficult time I’ve had in 10 years made things bearable. I was so lucky to be surrounded by my immediate and extended family all in one place for 4 days. I was so lucky to be immersed in such love and kindness, forgiveness and comfort at a time when I could have been under the covers crying my eyes out for days, cursing life. I was lucky to dance and laugh the night away with my sister at my cousin’s wedding instead of drinking myself silly in my apartment from sadness. More than once through this trip I thought to myself, we are so damn lucky we sold that house in Tacoma in the worst housing market because now we’re not stuck in a town that has no job opportunities for art and media. We are so lucky to live in the best city in the Pacific Northwest. And I haven’t stopped thinking about how lucky I am to have grown up with my cousins three blocks away where I have lasting memories and strong bonds, even after 16 years of not returning home. And how lucky I am to have grown up with grandparents and aunts and uncles around me. That doesn’t happen for kids as often as it used to.

This week, though an end to an era in some respects, has also spawned new beginnings. A new marriage for my cousin and family, rekindled family bonds, and a new life for me. I vow to not let life pass me by anymore, and to focus on the things that matter, family, friends, love, and enjoying my time here on earth.

So today I took myself to the Seattle Art Museum - something I never seem to have time to do. I chronicled it in these photos. I saw the Impressionism exhibit I’d been dying to see. Job schmob — I’ll do that next week. It brought me back to my art school days and it was another good familiar feeling, but being carefree out on the town I was also filled a very inspirational exciting feeling. The type of feeling you get as a fifth grader when you know that you might run into you know who at lunchtime or in the hall. Just maybe something exciting is waiting around the corner…

Yesterday we went to Bainbridge Vineyard and Winery for a bit of wine tasting and wine education. We started the afternoon by riding over on the Puyallup. I just love ferry rides. It was such a beautiful day outside, even the bunch of super obnoxious college girls screeching and singing stupid songs on the deck next to us didn’t spoil the mood. We arrived at the winery just in time to join the 2 o clock tour. Bainbridge Winery is a small vineyard on the island and on of the two “real” wineries located there. That being said, the grapes are grown there, and the wine is produced and bottled at the winery. It does not import its grapes like many new “wineries” do these days.

The Vineyard and Winery is owned and run by Gerard and Jo Ann Bentryn. They’ve been growing grapes on the island for 30 years. I am so glad we ended up at this particular winery. Google picked it for us, but I had actually read about it in Seattle Magazine previously. We learned about how grapes are grown in the different regions and climates and we’ll carry this information with us next time we are driving through somewhere and see a vineyard with high-climbing vines versus low horizontal outstretched “arms”. Normally I find the tasting part of a wine tour to be the most fun, but really this tour was truly fascinating — with lots of history of the region and how the land was attained.

After the hour-long tour was over we went back to the tasting room. $3 will get you four tastes. We ended up buying 6 bottles of our favorite and will save these for special occasions. Gerard Bentryn says that one needs only to pay $10.00 for a bottle of wine that tastes acceptable for drinking with meals etc., and if you pay more than that — then you’re a sucker! Because unless the bottle says “grown, produced, and bottled by” the wine could be bottled 300 miles away from where it’s grapes were grown - even if it’s the best wine you’re ever tasted - it has less meaning. After hearing all Gerard had to say yesterday I really began to understand what he meant about his process of making wine and farming in general. I walked away thinking it’s a lot about integrity.

“Wine is Sex, a Vineyard is love and commitment.” That’s what Gerard says.

It’s appropriate that I am writing this post on Memorial Day because Gerard Bentryn, a noble man of extreme integrity, is also an Army veteran who is proud to have served his country but remains against war. I am happy to have visited his winery this weekend and look forward to returning - and of course drinking the wine.