4 Stars for SIP AND SAVOUR!

HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

This weekend I visited one of my favorite Thai restaurants in North Carolina. I usually get the Pad Thai or Red Curry or even the whole fish, but this time I ordered Southern Charm fried rice, (yes, the menu does have some fun, regional twists but the food is totally authentic) and it blew my socks off. Moist, flavorful, fresh, and SPICY.

As we each ordered, the waitress asked politely 'how many stars?' Which, if you have eaten Asian food, means she's asking you to tell the chef how "hot" you want your fare. I'm pretty happy with 3 out of 4, and my husband never goes below 4. We know lots of people who think we're crazy for even inviting one star onto their plate, but that's the adventure.

I like it spicy. I like when your tongue is on the edge of begging you to put your spoon down, and your nasal passages are getting a four alarm workout. But as we know, the "heat" is good for us and the tingle is downright fun, so we forge ahead with water and napkin in hand.

The name of this restaurant? Thai Spice in Hendersonville and they know how to do the flavors right. How do I know this? Well, personal opinion aside, I lived in Seattle for 7 years, which is the mecca for good Pacific Rim cuisine. Still, how do I know it's fantastic? I'm also a pretty good cook, and taster, according to friends and the occasional foe alike who usually aren't disappointed in my recommendations. Still not convinced? Well, you will have to take my word for it.

But then, isn't it that way with so many things? We inquire about the excellence of a restaurant, the selection of gifts and clothing at a certain store, the validity of a coupon offer, even the likability of a movie, all by taking the "word" of the person we trust.

So here's my point. Our next event in September is going to be HOT, and it will give you a TINGLE, and the VALUE is INSANELY affordable (only $25 for all the food, all the wine and all the fun!!). So, if you've enjoyed any of our events, or enjoyed our messages, or even thought about attending at least once, or felt like it was time to become a part of Networking, Women and Wine, SIP AND SAVOUR is  THE CAN'T MISS EVENT in Charlotte.

Take my word for it. It will be four alarm fun!!!

Half Empty OR All Empty?

A friend of mine inquired about my state of mind towards a potential catastrophic issue I'm dealing with.You know the type of issue I'm referring to:  No light at the end of the tunnel and probably no tracks either. And there's a good bet there's no bottom to the tunnel.

So, I pondered about her question, asking me if I can see the silver lining and look past it to the lesson therein. "You mean do I see it as half full or half empty?" I asked?  That was, she confirmed, her question.

Of course, since rising that day I had been holding back screams, and part of me was aggressively looking for an abandoned Buick that I could throw through a plate glass window to adequately display my frantic state. Alas, no sedans were lying by the side of the road so I gathered my courage, put on cute shoes and headed out with my happy face to greet the world. When I finally answered her I was actually surprised at my lucid response, happy at least that there was a modicum of composure left in which to couch my opinion.

"Trying to find the silver lining in this is simply a waste of time. To be honest I don't see it as half empty or half full. I see it as all empty." She looked at me like she hoped her car was parked far enough away that I couldn't get to it.

"You see, there is nothing redeeming about this problem. We're dealing with people who are not willing to be honest, an outcome that won't give anyone relief, and a process that will do nothing but drain our energy. We are a pawn dealing with due process. So....Here's what I think. The key here, is to look to another glass completely. The lesson; to realize that I cannot control this, so I shouldn't let it control me. If I do, then all the many wonderful things all around me won't be visible or available. Given that, I choose to stay open and not give any of this my energy."

Hmmm. I felt better already, and saying it made me feel a little more in control. But what you don't know is that for the 40 minutes leading up to that question we had mentioned over and over again how wonderful it always felt to get together to share inspiration and uplift each other, and that trying to muster courage and strength without reaching out to others is simply not possible. The 'girlfriend' lunch had shored me up and restored me.

I share this with you because although you look composed, (yes, I pay attention to what's in your eyes when I meet you...) and you talk like everything is fine, I suspect we are all looking for something large and heavy to throw or whack or punch at from time to time. What we should be looking for is connection with others to help us nurture the inspiration needed to reinvent. Or at least a good look at what's in the glass.

I invite you to join us for our August event, and SEEK TO BE INSPIRED!

Heat Waves and Wisdom

I don't know where to start. Seems that the commitment to Reinvent for 2011 is meeting some resistance something that feels like the unleasing of cosmic speed bumps at every turn. Gas prices keep jumping. New business wanes. Friends and family continue to face new challenges and to top it off, a cool spring was unceremoniously dismissed into oblivion with temperatures in the 90's consuming the last days of May.

It's enough to make you drink a glass of wine.

Well, actually, that's not a bad thing. There is quiet wisdom in a glass of wine. The patience needed to grow, nurture, harvest and blend wine is something that takes place whether or not there are scuffles in the sky over Dulles, controversial Idol winners or even the emergence of an extra chin. Although I'm not directly advising you to go out and throw a few back, I do continue to find that the "wisdom of the vine" can be one of the centering metaphors in our lives.

The good news is that on June 21st, at Cru Wine Bar in Ballantyne we can all gather and find humor, love and connection in an authentic gathering with real stories, real women and real opportunity. We can celebrate this liquid metaphor and talk again about our courage to reinvent.

Don't know about you, but I could use a hug with that Cabernet...

See you on the 21st!

Changes mean a new beginning for Networking, Women and Wine

Many things have changed for the group this last month and one item in particular that we want to share with you. My partner, Carmen Hunter has taken a position in Asheville and will be moving to the mountains. We wish her luck, health and happiness in her new venture! This photo is of Carmen and her husband John in Italy doing what we love: drinking wine!


As far as the future of our chapter, I have chosen to continue our group here in Charlotte because I am passionate about the kind of connections women know how to make and I feel it’s valuable to have a platform for growth, safety and connection. You will still have a monthly venue for wine tasting with us in a safe, nurturing environment and we hope you will invite your friends and help us grow.

Thank you for your loyalty for the last 2 and a half years and keep in touch to find out about more events and exciting opportunities with Networking, Women and Wine!

Camine

Hidden Journeys

It’s odd, isn’t it. We discover our truest passions by accident, stumbling upon them like a pit in an olive or a fantastic sunset. Then, quite suddenly, they’re a part of our lives and we can’t imagine what we did before they came along.

My opinion is that these kinds illuminating moments inevitably solve a myriad of other open ended questions and create a recipe for solutions that’s as easy to follow as making chicken soup. Finding these kinds of analogous answers, and leveraging them to new heights, seems to be the hallmark of the female species. Sure, shopping with us is frustrating, so say some of our husbands and lovers. Guys hate it when we walk in to a store looking for red shoes, but walk out with a coffee maker, new eye shadow and salad tongs. But with one trip you can bet we’ve crossed out three other things on our list, and we’ll look good making our morning java!

Why are we so open to and drawn in by peripheral cues that guide us to a path different from the one we set out to travel? Because choices are made not just by logic but by emotion. The stimuli we feel at any given moment helps us make a judgement call to insure that we’re nurturing, protecting and expressing all at the same time. There are cues happening all around us beckoning us not to miss the subtleties of possibility, when the courage to take the path less traveled is put in motion.

It’s hard not to relate this to the story of wine. You never really know what the grape will become. You offer it soil and it prefers rocks. You give it water but it likes it when it’s just a little dry at the end of the season. You gently harvest it and massage it to release its liquid secrets but it never really gives you much hope of predicting it’s exact journey. How do we make wine? We give it respect, we offer it the chance to change and release hidden flavors, we protect it and let it sleep and refine and then it gives us the greatest gift of all, it’s uniqueness and complexity with every sniff, swirl, and swallow.

Our Networking, Women and Wine blog about wine is about that love affair, a connection that invents itself only when we let our intuition discover it’s own way, and then celebrate life together as women who are working hard to become all that we can be, when a passion finds us.