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Sunday, October 17, 2004

Wine, Music and No Shoes!

It has been a long weekend. I spent it at my part time job which is 2 hours away. This evening I have spent shoeless, reclined and relaxing with wine and some of my very favorite music. I will share with you my mode of relaxation.

Wine. The wine I am drinking is made by the Biltmore Estate. It is an American Chardonnay Sur Lies. It is a medium bodied chardonnay with a hint of pear. The Biltmore itself is a beautiful place. I lived about an hour away about 12 years ago and never went. Now I wish I had gone. It is a great getaway in the winter. The snow is beautiful. You can actually order wine direct from their winery. They have a french winemaker on staff and win many awards for their fine wines. $8.00 abottle from The World Market. The Biltmore is also a great place to go to see the leaves change. It is a 4 star facility and clearly is an American castle. It was designed by George Vanderbuilt as a working estate that would sustain itself and benefit the community. It is America’s largest home with acres of gardens, parklands, and managed forests. He used it as a country retreat for friends and family.

Music. Music tonight is from 4 of my most favorite artists. The first is Amici Forever: The Opera Band. I bought this cd about 4 months ago from Barnes and Noble and have been wearing it out ever since. I do love opera. I saw my first opera in 1987 when I was living in Atlanta. I was working at a group home for head injured adults as a therapist and we had one client who liked opera and wanted to go. Noone on the staff wanted to take him (opera? are you crazy!!! GAG!!!) So guess who got to go? Me of course. On went the little black dress and BAMM! I was there! All paid for by the company. Amici Forever has just begun to record their 2nd album which will be out next year. I cannot wait. The Opera Band has gone platinum in Australia and double platinum in New Zealand. What does that mean???? Does that mean that other european countries have a little more culture and class than America? It did not go platinum here in America.

The 2nd most beloved cd that I am listening to tonight is Paganini: After A Dream by Regina Carter. This is the best CD ever! She is a jazz violinist with classical training. I play the violin myself ...I have since the 4th grade and am now teaching dirty Fila(my daughter) to play...so violin ANTYHING I hold in high regard. My favorite song on the CD is Pavane. You can listen to snipets on the site. When I heard the story of how she got to play paganini's violin, I was entralled.

Perhaps the most legendary classical violinist in history,
Nicolò Paganini, born in Genoa, Italy in 1782, had a technique so dazzling he
was rumored to have sold his soul to the devil. When he died in 1840 he left his
famous Guarneri violin, called "Il Cannone" or "The Cannon," to his beloved City
of Genoa. Now it is kept in impeccable condition by the City of Genoa, and great
violinists from around the globe make the pilgrimage there to play and record on
it, but only under the watchful eyes of the conservators and two armed guards.In
December 2001, Carter, who had trained as a classical violinist but switched to
jazz late in her high-school years, received an extraordinary invitation from
the City of Genoa to perform on Paganini's violin. No jazz musician had ever
laid hand on the violin, nor had any African-American. The idea of jazz
being played on the precious instrument unleashed heated controversy in
Genoa - until Carter held a press conference and charmed the Italian press
by her gracious appreciation for the honor of playing the violin - and by
speaking Italian! The press rallied around her, the concert sold out, and
Carter received a standing ovation and became a heroine in Genoa.

On a side note...I am on glass of wine number 3 and feeling no pain! Just the music!

My 3rd favorite CD is Lord of the Dance. See this link This is the official Lord of the Dance link. I absolutely love celtic music. Celtic music is my next favorite nusic next to jazz. I love celtic music!!! I just love celtic music. (Damn.. the wine is getting to me! I am on to glass number 4.) I am in love with Micheal Flatley. He is a little small but he is majestic in his own right. I have the Lord of the Dance CD and DVD and I an enamored with him. We can hope can't we? I have seen Lord of the Dance when they have been touring and I see it every time it comes to town. I never tire of it! When I went to Walt Disney World a few years ago (1999)I was able to see him there as well. My favorite songs on the cd are Cry of the Celts and Warrior. I love ALL the songs on the CD but I do have my favorites. Nightmare is good also. They play a mean bag pipe in Cry of the Celts. I have this one programed in my MP3 payer.

Okay! I am on glass number what? 5????? All I know is that the bottle is empty and I am seriously going to have a hangover tomorrow.

Last and certainly not least is my CD by Vivaldi: The Four Seasons. I blast this cd at all hours of the night and day at home. So far I have not gotten any complaints from neighbors, but I have heard the brogan wearing no class neighbor talking about it. (GOD she needs some culture.) I love each season equally! It' s all good and all in the hizhouse! Get some culture people! I am not about rap music! I am into fine arts, classical and jazz!

No shoes. On Friday I took dirty Fila to the mall for dinner and shopping for new earrings and window shopping at Old Navy. On the way I got side tracked. There was a kiosk set up with Dead Sea Salt vendors and after a demonstration and a $50 sale, I had all I needed to be smooth and exfoliated. So far so good. It was not a $50 I was planning to spent but it is $50 that is now gone. I feel the difference. I have removed about 2 layers of dead skin from my entire body and am as smooth as a baby's behind. Da--yum! I need to sell Dead Sea Salt too! It really does work. I used it on my feet as well. It is course and hurts a bit but it does work.

(Can we say WOOH! After4 glasses of wine I am not feeling any pain. I just hope I get up tomorrow. )

But first I must dance to Warriors on the Lord of the Dance CD. Kick off your shoes and join me in wine, music and no shoes!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~


1 Broken Heels:

My Shoes said...

you would have seen them that night! thanks for stopping by1