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Beautiful Reminiscing

I had to share this because it is my favorite thing to watch, maybe ever!

Last week, thanks to –Dawn Kent, The Effect of Music on the Human Body and Mind, we learned how music has a positive effect on mood, creativity, learning, communicating, and even healing.

This video is a such a cool example of what music can do to a person!

I think it’s worth a couple of minutes to see how one ol’ fella is sprung to life by his favorite tunes.

The only quote to share today is what this gentleman says at the end of the video.

Most of us have or know someone with a loved one that has been affected by this disease.  Maybe we should find out their favorite song!

 

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Recognize the handwriting?

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

And maybe music is his voice…

Think about it next time you are pushing through the crowded sidewalk to get wherever you have to be. Stop and listen for a second to the man playing the sax, or gal on the guitar. Listen to the kids banging rhythmically on buckets instead of the drum sets they can’t yet afford.

All these fantastic sounds echo throughout the Alley!

Beauty is everywhere! We just have to take a second to observe it. It deserves our noticing it, even if only for a short time.

Sigur Ros (Victory Rose in English)

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Groucho found TV quite educational!

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book”

— Groucho Marx

These thoughts from this fantastic comedian and thinker certainly were coined years ago, but they still apply today.

There are tons of great, worthwhile shows and great mini-series nowadays. We have access to them from a number of sources, and that is great. Entertainment is therapeutic and somewhat vital for a healthy life. But, like everything else, in moderation.

Just sayin’, like Groucho, that the next time someone turns on the Kardashians (is that still a thing?) go read a few pages of a book. You will feel smarter because you are bettering yourself, not because the “celebrities” on the boob tube make you FEEL smarter.

And if you want to watch Survivor, watch Survivor!! But maybe later that night pick up Robinson Crusoe for a few pages.

A classic story of survival like that deserves some thoughtful melodies to pair with.

 

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Scent of a Blanc!

If you make a mistake and get all tangled up. You just tango on.”

–Colonel Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman.

Tonight’s featured vino and moving picture pairing is Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc with Scent of a Woman.

The name of the winemaker reminded me  of the famous Ferrari scene when a blind Colonel Frank Slade takes the wheel. Sorry about the spoiler, it’s a great scene and a fantastic movie!

Fume translates to smoke in French, and Col. Slade was certainly one to enjoy a nice Montecristo No. 1. He was not one, however, to sugarcoat his words and blow smoke.

Fume Blanc is a nice, dry version of Sauvignon Blanc and if you haven’t tried it you most certainly should. This one is a great starter!

With Valentine’s Day next week, here’s one more of the  multitude of great lines from the women adorer Col. Slade. “Women! What could you say? Who made ’em? God must have been a ……   genius!”

So throw on this Oscar-winning performance by Al Pacino and have a sip of this nice Fume Blanc. Maybe it will inspire you to get up and do a Tango with him.

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Let us have wine!!

“Good wine is a necessity of life for me.”

—Thomas Jefferson

Words to live by. Thank you,  Mr. Jefferson! But unfortunately not all of us have the means to grab any wine we want, whenever we want…and that’s OKAY!

Luckily for the rest of us, there are countless terrific, affordable wines within our grasps. A few months ago I started working, part-time, at a wine shop. I wasn’t quite sure why at the time. I just thought it would be a nice change of pace from my other work, and I could learn a little, which I have. However…

I HAD NO IDEA!

The wine universe is so vast that it’s hard to know where to start. When you’re on a budget like most of us you don’t want to waste your money on a guess. So you stick to your “go-to” wines.

So once a week a Vinosophy will be dedicated to finding a red, white or rose that we love and that ALL can afford! And those of you who have a little curiosity may learn about unfamiliar grapes and styles as I learn about them.

If a wine shows up here, it means we’ve bought it and we’ve tried it (not necessarily in that order) and we found it quite tasty!

In honor of the Rose, I thought it would be appropriate to start with a ROSE from La Vielle Ferme. Trust me when I tell you that I bring my beloved “Chicken Wine” home once a week, at least!  Most people think that all Roses are sweet (I know I did). This just isn’t the case. This wine has some fruit for sure, but is isn’t sweet (sugary). Fruit forward and sweet are completely different things. As far as bang for your buck, this wine is high on my chart as it almost always goes for less than $10.00!

Roosters are handy and all on the Old Farm (La Vielle Ferme). But I’d rather the start of my day sound like this! I love the entire song, but it’s great a little after the 2 minute mark.