Brought to you by the letter W

Random thoughts, observations and musings, all beginning with the letter W ...

Let's start with a few choice words about weeds. I HATE weeds! I know it's not a very original sentiment, but they're driving me especially nuts this year. We made a concerted effort to seed our front and back lawns this spring and watered them faithfully every day, but the only things that seem to be thriving are the weeds. How can they be so hardy? Why can't plants (the kind you actually want in your garden) be that resilient? How can they grow where nothing else will grow? How can they spread so far so fast? How vast can their root networks get? If I let down my guard, will they take over the world?? I'm thinking maybe a rock garden next year.

On to some slightly more philosophical thoughts about weekends, which are wonderful things, aren't they? But lately, I've noticed that my weekends are even better than ever. Before, I used to look forward to the weekend as a chance to spend time together as a family BUT it was crucial that sometime in those two short days I also had to find time to unwind, destress, relax and recharge my own batteries - and these two needs didn't always live together peacefully. But now that my stress level is down in the normal range and I have some "me" time during the week, I find I have less of a need to recharge and I can truly enjoy spending time with the kids and doing family things. Don't get me wrong - I'm still happy to sneak away on a quiet Sunday afternoon to read my book or take a short nap, but if it doesn't happen I'm not completely bent out of shape. What a nice way to live.

Let's end on a high note by talking about a new winery we love - Malivoire Wine. We've been drinking their White and Red for a few months now and continue to be impressed with their all-round deliciousness (that's a technical term) and versatility, all at a great price ($13). We were lucky enough to be travelling through the Niagara region recently and stopped by the winery to sample a few of their fancier wines. There I discovered my pick for the summer of 2012: Musque Spritz. It's light and sweet and refreshing, with just a hint of bubbles. But really, they describe it best: "Contagiously cheerful, the impression on the nose is of honeydew melon, poached pear, quince, wildflowers and white jellybean. Flavours delicately imply peach, tart green apple, lemon-lime and canteloupe." Yum!