phanaerozoic

Day 24 – California Sparkling Wine, Brut Cuvee and Gouda Cheese

Here on Christmas Eve, the final Day 24 of my Wine and Cheese Advent Calendar, is a mirror image of Day 1: A white Brut Cuvee Sparkling Wine in place of a Rose, a Gouda in place of Edam. But a fitting close, bubbly to toast a fun and educational exercise, a simple Gouda that fit with a day of otherwise extravagant tastes like dark chocolate dipped cashews, spicy Lebkuchen cookies, chocolate chocolate-chip cookies, Aged English Stilton Cheese and Aged Cumberland Cheese from the hills of Tennessee.

Turned out canceling our in-person Christmas Eve festivities was appropriate as two of our grandsons tested positive for COVID this morning. Here’s hoping their youth and healthy vigor will see them through this (both are vaccinated). Prayers and positive thoughts on their behalf will be much appreciated. Pat and I did our little driving tour of Riverside this evening to take in the Christmas light and holiday decorations; we were pleased to see at least eight manger scenes in evidence. Three or more years ago we would have seen one or two in addition to ours at most.

To all our friends and acquaintances we wish you all the joy and love of the Christmas Season. Here is a link to a wonderful Dallas, Texas acapella quartet, “Kings Return,” singing their captivating and lovely arrangement of Ave Maria, which is certainly an exquisitely appropriate song for Christmas Eve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRzI8y-EJJ0

~Roy Beckemeyer, December 24, 2021

Day 23 – California Sauvignon Blanc and Red Leicester Cheese

Here, on the penultimate day of the Advent Calendar, we find to our utter amazement, that one of Santa’s prescient ALDI Elves, tongue in cheek or simply prognosticator par excellance, decides to repeat Day 13, which just happens to be the day of this series’ most pleasing and fulfilling pairing of the products of grapes and cows milk: California Sauvignon Blanc and Red Leicester Cheese! Just as fine as ten days ago, and a suitable Christmas gift. Danke schön!

As the Omicron variant of COVID 19 has surged and spread these past days and weeks, our confidence in the safety of spending Christmas Eve in the company of our daughter’s family and Pat’s sister and her husband Lori’s home (as has been our tradition now for many years, after missing the experience in 2020) has waned and we have once more postponed the pleasure of that treasured tradition. Jay and Shelley will be staying in Illinois, and we will relegate our Christmas Eve this year to a masked, safe-distanced, open-air porch visit sans hugs, sans kisses. As 80 year-olds with chronic illnesses, we opt for waiting once more (please, God, only once more) putting off tradition for safety. We will still bask in the sight of loved ones and the knowledge that we do indeed love one another: enough to forgo momentary satisfaction for future reward. Here is another Christmas card watercolor rendering for Christmas Eve, 2021:

~Roy Beckemeyer, December 23, 2021