Posted on by agilejack

So Much Summer, and Still No Sewing… But a Winery Visit!

I still haven’t had the motivation to get into my sewing room and get busy. I keep realizing how happy I am that I’m not in a creative funk, like I’ve suffered occasionally over the past year. I think I just burnt myself out with some feverish projects. So this little break has been good for me.

I’ve been busy. Work is hectic because we’re doing a database conversion and we’re going live on the new system in 10 days. So I’ve been consumed during the day and exhausted at night.

Our Summer has continued to be gorgeous and I’m so happy that I’m getting a good tomato crop for my evening salads.

I only grew sun golds and sweet millions this year because they’re the tastiest. I usually grow more cherry varieties and end up only eating these two. So I went for broke in planting this year. They are so tasty!

A week ago today I drove up to the Tacoma area with my brother and sister in law. The traffic was terrible and it was a bit of a stressful drive. But we ended the evening at my 96 year old aunt’s home and my cousin and his wife joined us for dinner. We ate spaghetti with the sauce I made, with a salad made from my SIL’s Garden lettuce and tomatoes from my aunt’s garden. We bought some nice baguettes on our way out of Portland and they made yummy garlic bread. It was a tasty meal and everyone loved my spaghetti sauce. My aunt was very happy to have some left over.

We got up Saturday morning and hit the road for my other cousin’s vineyard in Hanville, WA. It was a gorgeous day and it only took us about 1.5 hours to drive there.

My cousin has about 7 acres of grapes that he purchased about ten years ago. He’s trying to raise his grapes organically, so no pesticides or herbicides. This also means a lot more work. It’s a beautiful area and it was so fun to see, literally, the fruits of his labor.

Harvest is usually early in the fall, so these grapes have a good deal of growing to do.

We spent the first hour or so walking among the rows of grapes as my cousin explained how he’s improved the land and how he takes care of the grapes to get the best crop. It’s a huge amount of manual work.

My cousin’s corgi joined us for the tour of the grapes.

It was interesting that the different varieties of grapes look so different. I think he’s growing at least six or seven different varieties.

While we were walking the rows we spotted a few special tiny visitors. Only about an inch long!

The countryside is so beautiful up there! It really reminds me of the Willamette Valley of Oregon… rolling hills with beautiful green fields surrounded by Douglas fir trees.

After the tour of the grapes my sister in law and I hopped in the car and drove 1.5 miles with my cousin’s fiancĂ© to pick up some food at the local bakery right on the Puget Sound.

The bakery had a selection of my cousin’s wine for sale.

It was such a gorgeous day! From my cousin’s vineyard you’d never know the water was so close. What a wonderful treat. And his winery is up out of the Tsunami zone, which is always nice.

When we got back my cousin showed us the actual winery. He’s been building this over time. This is where he presses the grapes, makes the wine, ages the wine in barrels, and bottles and labels the finished product.

We finished the tour in the newest part of the building where the wine ages in oak barrels.

This section of the winery is still under construction and will eventually contain a small tasting room for customers. Each of those barrels is full of wine and I remember my cousin telling me that each one each will fill about 300 bottles! Can that be true?

My cousin pulled a sample of each of his varieties from the barrels for us to taste.

It was fun to taste how different the varieties are. Some had notable acid, some were fruity, some were nutty. They were all really good!

We probably took about an hour to taste all the wines and eat a little lunch.

That’s my cousin in the overalls. You can tell that we interrupted his work!

Here’s my cousin and his fiancĂ© with a wooden sign my sister in law made for his winery.

His winery is named after the village in Northern Italy from where our grand parents immigrated to the US.

What a great day! It was so fun to get to spend some time with my cousin and his fiancé at his winery. I like that I can now picture it when people talk about his. And I came home with a case of wine! It will be well enjoyed throughout the long winter.

We got back to my aunt’s house in time for dinner and got to spend some time with my aunt, which is the thing she likes the most.

My other cousin and his wife, from dinner the first night, joined us for breakfast Sunday morning. They brought each of us a collection of home made jams and jellies my cousin’s wife made.

Because I told her how much I love a spicy black berry jelly she brought me a big jar of that one! These will also be thoroughly enjoyed throughout the upcoming long winter.

We drove back to my place Sunday morning. My brother did me the huge favor of hanging some curtain rods for me that will be used to display my hand made quilts. One in my bedroom is heavier duty and will hold various throw size quilts for display.

The other one is a smaller one hung above my sewing table and will hold wall hangings that I’ve made.

The quilts will be hung on the rods using curtain rings with clips attached. I purchased two different size rings several months ago and I can’t find them for the life of me. I’ve turned my house upside down and can’t find them anywhere.

I know that if I want to find them all I have to do is buy more!

Since my brother had to stand on my sturdy sewing table to put up this rod up, my sewing room looks like a tornado came through.

I have a feeling I might have put the rings in some wire basket drawers in the closet in my sewing room. I haven’t had the time to wade through the carnage yet to check there.

I’ve continued to take pickleball lessons and some friends from pickleball have joined in so it’s more of a class now which is working really well. We all went together and bought our teacher a gift certificate to an online pickleball shop. He was so touched!

In addition to lessons, I’ve been playing at least three times each week recently. And I’m having a blast!

My boys say hello! They got to hang out with Ernie while I was gone last weekend.

56 Replies to “So Much Summer, and Still No Sewing… But a Winery Visit!”

  6. I enjoyed reading your most recent post. It sounds as though you had a wonderful trip last weekend with your brother and sister-in-law. I’m glad you were able to have a great visit with you 96 year old aunt as well as visit your cousin and tour his winery. Adding lessons and games of pickleball to a busy workweek doesn’t leave much time for sewing. But really, who cares?! You’re taking time to enjoy yourself during the summer, and that’s super important! I’m sure Rico and Bender were happy to see you when you returned home.

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  7. So glad you’re getting to enjoy the summer. When you’re ready to sew again you will be refreshed, relaxed and have the creative juices flowing.

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  9. Summers after the pandemic and really sounds like you’re back to out and about and life! Yay. Great explanation and photos of winery. I felt like I was really on tour. Glad he’s going organic!!! I’ve always loved Washington wines. They are some of my favorites.

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  10. That looked like a great trip! Such interesting jam flavors. We’re having a disgusting summer in CT. Ridiculously high humidity and pouring rain. It may improve next week.

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    1. I don’t know how people live with high humidity. It’s the one weather phenomenon
      I don’t think I could live with. As nice as it is here, we could use a little rain. But there is none in sight.

      Anne

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  11. So glad to read all about your summer adventures. You were up in my neck of the woods. I am only about 20 miles west via roadways from hansville but probably 5 as the crow flies.
    I’ll have to look up your cousins winery.
    Keep enjoying the days!

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  12. Thanks for sharing your super fun weekend. Your cousins fabulous winery. I would love to visit that winery and buy some organic wine! And the homemade jam đŸ˜‹. You have very talented relatives- just like you!
    Your Aunt looks so happy and healthy, so precious. I am looking forward to seeing your quilts on display. Where is forrest’s picture going?
    Hi Rico and Bender đŸ’•đŸ’•đŸ’•

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  14. This post clearly reflects your happiness – how grand! Loved the photos of the vineyard – brings back memories of growing up near wine country in lower Michigan. I’ve been lighter on sewing this summer (aside from Little Man’s projects) and consider it a time to refill the rest of myself.

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  16. I enjoyed reading about your busy summer life. It’s great to stay connected with family and friends. I too do much less sewing in the summer and spend endless hours in the garden and going to farmers markets during the summer days. Eating the freshest foods available! Enjoyed the photos you shared too.

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  17. Enjoyed your post and happy you are enjoying something other than your studio. You were wearing me out with so much production and I felt even more bereft that I wasn’t producing a thing! I am 80 and my friend says I need to practice being 80. How do we know how to behave. I look 60 so everyone expects a lot of me ( and I do of myself). Enjoy your summer.

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  18. J know what you mean, Joyce! I’m 84 and look about 10 yrs younger so folks expect more of/from you is right. I have “Princess Days” to relax and do nothing when I’m over-tired. Your trip sounds wonderful Anne. I’ve never visited the Pacific Northwest and would love to, but I think my traveling days are over. I grew up in NH/MA and really miss the ocean. You’ll get back to your creativity Anne. It’s good to give your brain a rest from quilting. Continue to enjoy your summer!

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  20. Very interesting post and what a great family you have and beautiful part of the United States to live in. Thanks for a really good read

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  21. Sounds like a lovely weekend. I thought you might be coming to Seattle for the pickleball tournament. I envy your tomatoes. Ours still have a couple of weeks before they’re ready. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I have some friends that were up at the pickleball tournament yesterday! They really had a good time.

      My tomatoes were a little early this year. I only grow cherry varieties, but they are usually not on and ripe until the end of July. I’ve been eating them in my salads for over a week now! And they’re so good!

      Anne

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  22. I think a lot of people do less quiltmaking in the summer because of many outside fun things to do and longer daylight hours. You sound so energized with all of the pickleball fun. Once days are shorter, inside things take over. I bet your boys were happy to see you come home.

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    1. I think you’re right. Plus, we’ve had such a lovely summer here. the temps have been so nice with very few really hot days. And our winters are so long and dreary that we really do have to take advantage of the good weather when we have it!

      Anne

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  24. What a wonderful trip! Your cousin is living his dream with the winery! So nice to see it all come together. I love Auntie’s pink shoes!! She must have a lively spirit! Enjoy the summer-it’s quickly coming to an end! Some school districts have teachers reporting on Tuesday!
    Take care-

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    1. My aunt is as sharp as a tack. So amazing at almost 97years old!

      It makes me sad that summer is coming to an end. I can already see it getting dark earlier. And we’ve had a glorious summer here so far!

      Anne

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    1. My cousin told me that an old friend of his painted those water colors many years ago and they just seemed perfect for wine labels! I think they are tulips, but look like a cross between tulips and wine being poured into a glass.

      Anne

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  27. Anne, you may not have been sewing but gosh, what a trip you’ve had!!
    I enjoyed reading and looking at the photos of your tour around the winery and then coming back home and having your brother fix up the hanging rods, good job your sewing table is a good sturdy one. Question, do you have your computer in the sewing room? I like to have mine in there but it cuts down on the available space o it seems to migrate on a regular basis between sewing room and spare bedroom!

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    1. I don’t have my computer in my sewing room. My work desk in in my dining room/kitchen right next to my sliding glass door. When I first started working from home I knew I did NOT want anything work related in my sewing room. My personal computer is a Mac Book so I take it with me from room to room and outside. I rarely use it while sitting at some kind of table or desk. It truly is a LAP top!

      Anne

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