JPPENS

Warmer days are coming and with it comes the call for some new found "refreshing" sipping beverage and the marketing world has blasted ahead to meet that call. The domestic wine industry (winemakers in this country) are attempting to compete with the huge beverage business and are working to keep themselves in the game.  Hard teas, seltzers, beers, wines and spirits are being packaged in just about anything that will hold and protect the liquid! Mini squeezables (frozen slushies), slim cans and short boxes that can easily be placed in coolers or over ice are taking over the packaging world.  They make it easy to "pack in and pack out" and most are lower in alcohol (except Spirits) so they can be easily enjoyed for hours on summer outings.    The beverage market has always been extremely competitive within their ranks and the marketing venues have managed to confuse and mislead many consumers as the shelves are flushed with brightly colored and bold font beverage hol...

  Most of us in this country... pay our taxes work hard are good neighbors realize the power of our Democracy have never been investigated have never needed to be investigated sincerely care about others treasure our integrity respect each other are not afraid of our own thinking are not fearful of the truth don't have a team of lawyers don't lie their way into power don't ask for "loyalty" don't make promises we don't intend to keep don't rely on "hush" money to look good don't steal what we don't earn So how come "most of us" can't turn this mess around? "Most of us" would never elect a person like this to anything much less as a leader of this Country When "most of us" remain quiet people like this continue to fill our air I still believe that "most of us" are good honest people in the USA and our Democracy is dependent on "most of us".

 unless it is a ROSE-AY!!!! I know the Northeast is still in deep winter mode so keep enjoying those rich deep red wines but here in the Southeast Spring has sprung and that means it is time to begin to think about those chilled, fruity, crisp, dry and refreshing light red or dark pink wines to sip through the coming warm days. Because these wines are made from red grapes they tend to be more fruity and light because they only sit with the grape skins for a few hours instead of many days. The most common grapes used are grenache, pinot noir, syrah and sangiovese but others can be used as well.  These grapes most often make dry wines while White Zinfandel that is made with red zinfandel grapes tends to be sweeter. Rose wines can go the full spectrum from very very sweet to absolutely bone dry.  The style of wine and the winemaker who makes it determines the place on the spectrum.  For sure Rose wines have become much more popular. Just check out the "Rose" section at ...

The purpose of EDUCATION is to teach people how to learn, to know how to acquire knowledge.  P arts of the learning process are made up of interactive pieces that include: memory, language, attention, processing, organizing, writing and higher order critical thinking skills. This is what public schools are charged to bring to the students of their communities. The purpose of INDOCTRINATION is to  teach a person or group to accept a set of beliefs with no room for any critical thinking.  Public schools DO NOT promote indoctrination.  The military survives on indoctrination, religious schools rely  on indoctrination...brainwashing is hiding facts, not allowing student opinions, rejecting any ideas to the institutions beliefs and does not allow for individual critical thinking.... Books and libraries are essential to allow people to engage in the search for knowledge. That some humans are banning and attempting to control what others have access to is not only crim...

My entire life has been spent attached to my one and only baby. I was presented to her by Mom and Dad on her first birthday and we have been together on and off, mostly on, for many decades.  Life through my eyes with her has shown me lots of things. Some great, some good and some we would just like to forget.  I have seen the inside of a backpack; been stuffed in a duffel; squished in a box and hugged and tugged so that my once soft "fluffy" and puffy body is now worn to about being bald. Through it all I lived a life! I got to sleep and camp in the backyard.  I went to grade school a couple times. I was taken to a few sleepovers but never understood the "sleep" part. I saw lots of cartoons on Saturday mornings and marveled at The Jetsons and what life might be like only to now see the results of automation beyond our expectations. In the 60's I was carried to boarding school; quiet and structured; lights out at 10 P.M. and "study hall" everyday from ...

This is the short version of how all this beautiful, luscious birthing of a wine begins... The clone vine (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir etc) that is purchased from vine nurseries just about anywhere on the planet that supports vines, is hand grafted onto an American root vine here. It is then usually planted in the ground at a nursery, usually on the west coast, and is monitored about three years until it is ready to be sold to vineyards for their further development. Once it has traveled to its new home, it is placed in the ground and trained usually like you see above, in a three tier system. Not all vineyards use this tier system but most do as it makes it easier to hand prune and harvest. Once the clone vine has been growing in its home soil it takes about three years to develop into a usable grape.  Keep in mind through all of this that Mother Nature leads in this long dance. Climate is what is expected but weather is what we get so there are no guarantees. A healthy mature grape vi...

  Most of us have been around for many years. Lining hallways and locker rooms in High Schools and Middle Schools, it's what we call "home". We have seen, heard and sometimes smelled too many things. We have witnessed friendships develop, dates made, relationships fade, sock hops planned, quarrels explode, first smooches, class rings exchanged, class rings returned and yes the list goes on. Remember your hallway and locker room days? Then there were white socks in penny loafers, polished white Keds, saddle shoes and dusty bucks.  Can't forget the pleated skirts with bobby socks, petticoats under a poodle swirl or jumpers and knee lengths and white button down blouses with Peter Pan collars.  Button up tight angora sweaters, bobbed bouncing hair, headbands, pin curls, bobby pins, clip on earrings,charm bracelets and perfume.  Saw loose fitting dungarees with cuffs rolled up, khaki slacks with no pleats, white socks in black polished loafers. Brown and black tooled bel...