With Memorial Day and weekend coming up, I’ve been contemplating what this holiday means, or should mean to me.

Sure, I’m happy about the long weekend, having dear friends over and hosting a couple dinner parties, but I’m trying to make this holiday ‘count’ for me this year. Here are five things I vow to focus on this Memorial Day:

1)  Our Troops and Their Families

I just saw The Messenger, starring Woody Harrelson, this weekend and it was a novel way of not only looking at the war from our troops’ perspective but from the view of the families of the soldiers fighting. I no longer have anyone in my immediate circle fighting in the war, but want to take some time to really think about what those men and women are seeing and experiencing and how that affects the ones who come home and the families of the ones who don’t.

2)  My Friends

I have five friends coming into town to spend the holiday weekend with us and I also want to take some time to relive some of the good, and not so good, memories of the years we’ve been friends and where that might take us in the future now that we live far apart.

3)  The Food

I want the food I’ll prepare for my friends and family to remind me of where I’ve come from, special meals I’ve shared with people dear to me and family recipes I’ve cherished over the years.

4)  The Wine

Having recently returned from Napa and Sonoma, I’ve decided to buy American wines from the kind folks who I met during my fantastic stay. Some of the ones I’ll be uncorking:

• 2008 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling: Link to my review of this wine.
• 2007 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc: Link to my review of this wine.
• 2004 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir: Link to my review of this wine.
• 2006 St Supery Virtu Napa Valley White Méritage: Link to my review of this wine.
• 2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon: Link to my review of this wine.

5)  The Future

I’m a planner by nature, so I have a plan for the far future: retirement funds, new cars for my nieces when they turn 16, plan to move to New Hampshire and raise goats and grow alfalfa (okay, that’s a maybe), but I want to spend some time figuring out is where to go with my food and wine blogging and social media consulting. Must-Get-Things-Figured-out!

A very safe and happy holiday weekend to all my friends, fans and even foes. Hope this post will have you reflecting a bit and appreciate all the memories from the past and the memories you’ll be making over the holiday.

Cheers,

Veronique