I have been sick with allergies and a sinus infection off and on for the past three weeks. I am on my 2nd round of antibiotics….my wine world has come to a halt.

I try to be very good and not have any wine (alcohol) while I’m on medication. I want the medicine to work at its optimum level and wine tends to make my stomach turn if I’m on antibiotics.

So in other words, I have not had any wine for about 2 weeks and I have been somewhat disheartened about this.

Now before anyone jumps to a conclusion of me being an alcoholic; I want to clarify that I do not crave wine and I don’t get angry or go into a depression if I can’t have any. Wine for me is very sensory but it is not an emotional “crutch”.

I have noticed that without wine, I eat faster. I don’t pause to make “mental notes” as to what flavors are happening and how the wine and food are interacting. Drinking water with my meal doesn’t make me “ooh & aww”. In fact, I’m almost bored with what I’m eating.

My cooking kind of goes by the wayside too. I like to have a glass of wine while I’m cooking because I will try the spices I’m using and compare it with the wine. Cooking while drinking water is a why bother. Water doesn’t change anything.

Without wine I don’t have a blog and I feel like my community has gotten smaller. I really enjoy making a discovery and sharing it. I get a kick out of hanging out with my wine peeps and talking about growing grapes and what’s happening at different wineries. I have met a lot of really cool people because of wine. And I sure wouldn’t be “Resident Sommelier” for Church in the Cliff! 😉

Honestly when I think of wine, I think of joy. I have had many hobbies but wine is the one “hobby” that has turned into a passion that I can pursue (at least part-time).

Thank Goodness my teetotalling days will be coming to an end soon. So I will be saying “Goodbye antibiotics” and “Hello Joy”!

Cheers Y’all!