Wine and Girlfriends

Here's the scene: Ring; ring. (Actually, marimba music, but let's go retro for a minute.)

"Hey, You."

"Hi. Are you busy?"

The direct-and-to-the-point, are you busy, means only one thing.

"Are you coming over?"

"Yeah. I need a girl chat."

"Sure. When?"

"Uuhhh, I'm on my way now."

"See you soon. Drive safely."

Dear reader, what you need to know is that I live in the middle of Oregon countryside nowhere. It's "a far piece" out to our place. This is not somewhere you drop by on your way to somewhere else. These are not accidental visits. They are necessary.

An hour of chatting and a glass of wine under the old and special apple tree (how many of these important conversations has this tree heard by now?, I wonder) turns into several. Chores get easily put on hold. In this life, there are just more important things.

Like men. And breakups. And hair. And health concerns. And hair. And crazy work stuff. And missing certain special people. And what great wines we've had lately, and what we've had for dinner last week that was so yummy. And the things we want and the things we need; goals, hopes and dreams. And hair. And did I mention? Men. Mars. Venus.
Girl talk like this is easily aided by a bottle of French Rosé. This particular Rosé, La Ferme Julien 2008, a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, is bright watermelon pink in color. It is a very inexpensive wine that is readily available at Trader Joe's. Hey, we aren't celebrating here, we're getting down to brass tacks, so fancy is not necessary. Its looks betray its taste: This is a very dry wine with tart but muted cranberry fruit. At one point I thought it carried a bit of minerally salinity, but that may have been our shared tears I was tasting.

Allow me say that I am terrifically blessed in this life with my female relationships. From my Mom who lives across the country to my neighbor down the way, my life is graced by women of all ages who possess diverse points of view, and I treasure them all. This particular visiting friend is so close and so dear, she is sometimes like a sister or mother and even sometimes like a daughter to me. Over the years we have shared so much of life, and she has taught me so many things. We always seem to be able to lift one another up, and to make each other laugh until we are snorting and our sides ache. I think we bring out the best in one another.

There is someone else really important in this story, too, and that's My Baby. Not long after we first met, I informed him that there were just always going to be things I was going to need my female friends for, things that he just wouldn't be able to provide. Never before have I seen such a look of relief in the eyes of a man. He already knew, and was glad that I knew, too, that he could a most important person in my life, but he couldn't be everything I would always need all at once. He is gracious and giving, supportive and loving to each of my girlfriends and my relationships with them. He and I share the view that life is too short to not be a good friend and have good friends.

Fast-forward a week: Ring; ring.

"Hey! How's your week going?"

"Terrific! And you?"

"Awesome. I've had the best news..."

Where would I be without my girlfriends?

Comments

  1. OK.... that just totally warmed my heart!! What a wonderful, wonderful post!

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  2. Love this post! Girlfriend time is ageless and always so so important. This sounds exactly like me and my girlfriends... fun to see validation that girl time is universal. Great post and I'm glad you enjoyed the wine! I'll have to look for that one at my next Joe's visit :)

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  3. I enjoyed reading this post--I'm blessed to have friendships like this, too. There's nothing like BFFs!

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  4. patgstacey@gmail.comAugust 9, 2010 at 9:35 AM

    Great post.

    I love my girl friends, they saved my life this last year and you were among them. I am sooooo
    Thankful for all the wonderful women in our lives.

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  5. Wonderfull post. Girlfriends are so important, and having the right ones can completely change your life.

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  6. This is a great post! Thanks so much for posting this :-)

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  7. What a lovely post...I will also try to taste this wine

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  8. I really liked your post! Most of us men are very glad that our significant others have girlfriends, it is a relief....

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  9. Even though we may not have met in person, I appreciate my community of female blogging pals, too! Last week I noted someone's Facebook pic was a sign that said, "I love my computer because my friends live in it." A commentary on modern-day life!

    And, Chef Michael, thanks for your note... I wondered how the men were going to receive this post!!!

    Hugs around, Pam

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  10. Ohhh. Makes me miss my girlfriends, too. There's no replacement for hours of chatting and wine drinking. Lovely post.

    And I think my husband would agree that my girlfriends are a blessing to both of us :)

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  11. There is nothing better than wine and girlfriends, I know my wine chats last for hours and I treasure them.
    Love the wine too! It looks so fresh and light, perfect for summer.

    Gree

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  12. Such a touching post. Honestly, sometimes there is nothing better in life than a glass of wine and your best friends. And chatting under an apple tree? Honestly, what I'd give for one of those!

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  13. Nothing more precious than girlfriend time along side a French rose. Those relationships bring so much into our lives, make us so happy, give us such fulfillment that they are worth nurturing by thoughtful significant others...and through great bottles of wine!

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  14. Great post! Girlfriends and wine go hand in hand!

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  15. Love it - I feel exactly the same with my girl friends. Don't know where I'd be without them!

    Jax x

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  16. Bravo! I usually don't realize how much I've been needing time with my girlfriends until we get together and it's like a breath of fresh air. Thanks for the reminder.

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  17. what a treat to read! refreshing as the wine looked. love the napkins!

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  18. I love that open door policy, where your door is open to your friends when they need it. That's the true spirit of Aloha. :) Leaning on each other is what helps us through life, I think. Unconditional support and unfailing strength from our girls helps to refocus. I really love that saying by the way! Thank you for sharing this. :D

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