tasting wine

This weekend Husband and I hosted a wine tasting party, the second annual. Last year's was different--we did it around the time of our one year house owning anniversary, but this happened to fall on the weekend of another special date: our wedding. Instead, we saved it for autumn, the weekend after my own birthday, and instead of drinking bottle after bottle of riesling on the back patio, our dogs romping through the yard, we went indoors, kept an ice bucket on the porch, and Husband cooked for hours--chicken puffs, asparagus rolls, salmon crostinis, scallops with pomegranate. Recipes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We poured taste sized samples, and had them guess what each might be, an alphabetized list of possibilities at the top of their score card.

It was a fine evening, warm, good friends, good drinks. Geography prevents so many from making the trek, but it was still a full house, with two additional dogs, and Kelly and Richard spending the night, which is always a treat.

And, if you must know, I didn't taste much wine myself. I knew what each were, as Kelly and I wiped down the dripping bottles and attached construction paper labels to keep each a secret (she decorated them; we kept #6 as she sketched an entertaining view of our "family"). Instead, champagne, a toast to so many good things.

My favorite part of the evening might have been us sitting down at that table, making score cards and decorating bottle labels. Good quiet time with my best friend; we don't see nearly enough of each other. It's strange to have the kind of friendship with a woman that is more like having a sister, of complete unconditional love--not just acceptance of each other, something more. My adoration for this woman is constant; I have always felt so lucky to have her in my life, my rock, the person I turn to immediately in times of crisis and joy. She and Husband are such treasures; it's amazing there's all this love after that though, too--all I had to do was look around the room last night (and think of those who couldn't make it too, but were there in spirit).

Who is your touchstone, your person you turn to in any moment of need, or any moment of quiet, the person you'd drop everything at three in the morning for, would travel across the world to be with, would donate an organ to?