So, we have to say . . . it’s a little weird.  When you raise your kids and see them off to college, you’re pretty much ‘done’ with raising them.  Well, it sounds good in practice but not so much in reality.  There are always going to be moments when they need some advice, direction, an opinion, a shoulder or an ear.  We aren’t even close to perfect, but we strive to give both girls the opportunity to talk with us; tell us what’s on their minds; offer advice or suggestions when asked to do so and every once in a great while, we get the chance to impart a little life’s moment on them.  It’s one of the gifts of having children–watching them grow up, blossom and spread their wings.  We are now understanding more and more every year how our parents must have felt (other than relief) when we were moving out of the nest after graduating from college.

As we told you last night, we’re in the process of helping D#1 get ready for her first teaching position.  This means all hands on deck!  Yep, painting white here and there; painting red over there; moving books; cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, it’s a lot tougher job being a teacher than teachers let us see!  The amount of preparation leading up to the first day of school is immense.  The physical transformation of the school and classrooms leading up to that first day of class is the stuff that legends are made of!  After seeing the commitment of professionals who have been a part of education for a lot long than D#1 has, we understand why there are issues in education today.  These folks put  in long, long hours–and are compensated at (if you really want to figure it out) maybe a little above minimum wage.  The women and men who are charged with educating our future workforce earn peanuts while professional athletes earn hundreds of millions of dollars even AFTER having needles put into them.  Talk about a screwed up system!

The classroom is a mecca for kids and their teacher, and we’re hoping that as the time winds down before classes start, that you’ll not only thank a teacher, BUT lend a hand to a teacher. . .you’ll learn more than you ever dreamed!  And, it’s with this spirit of helping a teacher that we opened and tasted a Spanish wine this evening.  A 2009 La Mano Mencia Roble–had a nice, crisp nose when we opened the bottle–which kind of surprised us.  Actually, we weren’t sure exactly what we were getting with this wine- -but the nose turned out to be very nice.  It has a deep crimson-color, and it delivers aroma of earthy notes, mulberry, and blueberry. On the palate, it has extraordinary depth and concentration for its humble price of less than $9 a bottle. Surprised?  Don’t be!  We’ve been fortunate enough to uncover some amazing wines at less than $10-$11 a bottle–wines that would cause your friends to think you’ve spent far more!  The wine is an interesting cross-section.  A spicy, smooth-texture and it’s clearly intended for pleasure…however, the finish–well, the finish was nothing to write home about.  It just kind of disappeared.  No fruit, no spice, no leather or cedar. . .it was a tasty wine up until the finish.

At the end of the day, one of the best parts of seeing our teacher get ready for school is our ability to lend her a hand–or two.  It may not necessarily happen every year, but there is something special about the first year.  It’s a clean slate; a new beginning; a fresh perspective.  And, when those kids march into class on the first day, they’re going to meet someone who has passion in her heart and a lot to offer them.  We’re a LOT biased, but will refrain from outright bragging!  And, with this wine tonight, well, you should try it to see if you like it.  Obviously, you’re not going to break the bank. . .it’s another wine from the folks at East End Wine in Austin.  They really know how to stock their shelves.

By the way, Kudos to Bruce Wayne for coming over and helping out get things moved and organized – means alot to us and D#1!  Enjoy your night, remember to taste your wine responsibly and recycle whenever possible.