Foiled Christmas Plans

"The best laid plans of mice and men...." I thought Hemmingway said that, but no, it was Robert Burns, way back in 1786, who actually wrote: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft a-gley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promised joy."

I think he meant - sometimes plans don't go as planned. Deep, huh? I like Robbie Burns. I do tend to confuse him with another poet Robert Frost, who wrote the famous lines: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Great stuff huh? I like that one.

But I digress. What I'm meaning to say here is that I had plans to travel to Canada for Christmas, and they went awry, due to the worst weather Canada has experienced in 30 years.

30 years!

A white Christmas all across the nation, and believe or not, that is a rarity - no, Canada is not normally blanketed in snow in December in its entirety, especially not on the mild west coast from where I hail (pun not intended).

As a result, I missed Christmas with the family, meeting my sister's fiance's family at a dinner party, and my former teacher's memorial service. Not to mention seeing a couple fo friends and spending some quality time with nieces, siblings and parents. Sigh.

I was grounded in sunny Southern California for the holiday season, whether I liked it or not.

So I decided to make the best of it by hibernating. Yep, movies, food, that sort of thing.

Yes, some wine was opened. The most notable of which was the 2000 Camille Saves Brut, a deliciously rich Champagne full of Pinot Noir fruit (but not entirely Pinot Noir). This Champagne made The Wine Country's Champagne of the Year and the Wine of the Year as well if I recall correctly - a small grower Champagne from Bouzy that has such richness and complexity and character that one wishes one could drink it daily. This is a Champagne for drinking by itself or having with almost any kind of food one desires, be it Alaskan King Crab legs or massive sea scallops or fried calamari or a roasted leg of ham (the last one there is one of my favorite Champage foods).

Unfortunately, I have to confess that when we opened this wine, it was Christmas day, I was a little stuffed up and under the weather, and maybe just a tad sad that I didn't make it up to Canada, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, but I did enjoy it nevertheless, but I think my husband got to enjoy it more and enjoy more of it - lucky him. Fortunately though, when I bought this wine, I splurged and bought 2 bottles, so there is another one lurking in my wine cupboard and when I get to opening that one, it will not be on a particularly special day so much as a day when I am fully healthy in body and in mind to be open enough to enjoy the wine in all its light golden glory.

Ah yes...