be my rosary
a decade of regrets
in a passing touch
your curves and cleft,
chalice
and font
be my sanctuary,
your bowed body
my
altar
and let the sound
of your cries
give voice to my prayers
Last night, my grandfather passed away.
The man was made of iron. He joined the Navy when he was young and had the tattoos to prove it.
I never once heard him raise his voice, although he could cuss like a sailor.
He built the house he lived in most of his life.
He loved walking for miles for the sheer joy of it.
He taught me about deep-sea fishing.
He was a devout husband, a stern father, and a loving grandparent.
I have never seen him do a single petty or hateful thing; he was, quite possibly, the most decent human being I have ever met.
Salut, Bumpy.
“I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles.” – Bishop of Seville
I enjoy wine.
I am not a wine expert – I favor ports, or mixed drinks – but over time I’ve grown to appreciate the possibilities. My first exposure to wine started in college with boxed wine and Boone’s. In my post-college years, my tastes expanded to embrace the wines favored by NE and other friends (White Zinfandel and Rieslings).
Last Saturday, to celebrate NE and Bear’s birthday, I had dinner at Ruth’s Chris with several friends. The food, as always, was excellent. But what made the evening memorable was the attention we received from the restaurant’s sommelier. He made a point to stop by often, suggesting wines that would complement our food and then bringing us samples for us to try.
In particular, his selections for our desserts were spot on and went a long way in convincing me that the right wine can transform a meal. In the spirit of epicureanism, I’ve included his suggestions below (with a brief description and suggested dessert).
Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Noir
Unique dessert wine, made from black Muscat grapes.
Chocolate Sin Cake
Lilly Pilly Noble Blend
Sweet dessert wine.
Crème brûlée
Castello del Poggio Moscato D’Asti
A sweet white wine style which falls somewhere between spritzy and sparkling.
Any sweet dessert.
I couldn’t convince my brother to upgrade the SQL database on his server which in turn would allow me to upgrade my blog to the newer versions of WordPress, so I finally caved and moved my blog to a commercial server.
I’m sure I’ll be playing around with WordPress themes for the next week or so until I find one I am comfortable with.
Mortality is a right bitch.
She stood at the top of the stairs, blindfolded and naked.
With a single tug on the leash, she took a shaky step forward. Her left foot came to an uneasy rest on the step below. Her right foot followed a moment later.
I signaled again and she advanced down to the next step, moving with the unsteady grace of the blind; her hands were at her sides, but at each step they would reach the slightest bit forward, fingers grasping and flinching at the unseen. Step by step, I took her down the stairs, my touch on the leather strap her sole source of guidance.
And in her descent, I found beauty.
In her trust, implicit as it was: there were no hedged moments of hesitancy as I led her down the stairs.
In her vulnerability. Divested completely of conceit, her thoughts were unguarded; I watched them play out in the sway of her body and the brisk pacing of each breath.
And in my connection to her, a pattern of direction and response played out along the length of leather from my hand to the collar around her neck.