Monday, March 19, 2012

Like a Lamb


Is there truth to the saying, "In like a lamb, out like a lion."? March weather can be temperamental. This year, for example, March has been unseasonably mild. So mild that I have been going around singing Phil Collins' Another Day in Paradise. Okay, the lyrics to the song don't quite make for a happy feeling, but the words are still catchy.

It has been relatively speaking a beautiful Spring. The daffodils are in bloom. The birds can be seen, going from branch to branch in search of a place to nest. The grass is now green. The seeds have begun to sprout. Let's hope that our paradise continues for awhile and the tornadoes will not come out.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Wine Tonight

I am a bit of an oenophile - not seriously but happily. The word oenophile can mean a connoisseur of wines or a lover of wines. I fit nicely into the second category.

That means that I don't stack unopened crates of wine in the cellar. My nose can not distinguish a Granache from a Sangiovese. Nor, do I spend hundreds of dollars on a wine that I will longingly look at, but not drink. No, wine is meant to be enjoyed, and I do love a glass or two with dinner and with friends.

In moderation, wine has a calming effect at the end of a hard day's work. And with friends, we can uncork a bottle and share worldly thoughts around the dinner table.

I select a bottle not because of the price, but by region. A bottle of Chianti or Valpolicella reminds me of Italy and it goes great with pasta. Both wines are from Tuscany, home to Florence, Pisa, and Sienna.

A fine wine from the Rhone Valley suggests to me the countryside of Provence. where grapes have been grown since the days of Julius Caesar. These fruity wines complement veal or chicken. A bottle of the saintly sounding, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, either red or white, reminds one that even the popes enjoyed a glass or two.

For something a little more robust, then select a French Bordeaux or Spanish Rioja. Of course, there are great American wines that come from regions all along the west coast. Most famous of these are the California counties of Napa and Sonoma. There, movie director Francis Ford Coppola has been happily fermenting grapes for decades.

The point of this worldly excursion is to demonstrate that one can stay at home and yet travel around the world for the reasonable price of ten to twenty dollars a bottle. That is, unless one is dining out at a fine restaurant.

Loving wine as much as we do, Traditions Home has surrounded itself with much with which to celebrate wine.

Consider our unique wine furniture made out of old wine barrels. The newest item is the coffee table seen to the right. A great item together or separated as end tables.

There are dozens of items to choose from, including tables, bar stools, a lazy Susan, relish trays, and, of course, wine bottle racks. And, all of these items are made in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia. What will they think of next?

 If you like to show off your selection of wine, then choose from the many styles of wine holders available. We have wine holders that accommodate just one selection or a dozen.

Of course, we can't stop there ... .

We have jewels for the bottles, whimsical sayings, art work of your favorite wine region, ice coolers to keep that favorite bottle chilled, and, even a French bistro table and chairs to sit around while you sip.


 It is all in fun. So, whether you are a girl or a boy who likes wine, Traditions Home is the place to come for furniture and gifts. And, if we are having a party, you just might find we have selected a favorite wine to share with you.


Thursday, March 8, 2012

Last Snow Before Spring

Our Wichita Spring Fling is tonight, Thursday, March 8th from 5 until 8 p.m.. If you are out and about stop by for some refreshments and fun. And, if you are in Overland Park, well, that party is yet to come.





Last Snow before Spring

Spring in the air
There is snow, but I don’t care
The flowers know it
The robin knows it
Spring, sing Spring - everywhere

The golden sun warms the earth
Soon old man winter will fade
And in a Holly tree a robin will perch
Nesting with blue eggs laid

While by the garden gate
Or in the Trumpet vine
Keeping guard is her mate
Until a tiny new chirp signals all is fine.

Spring gives us hope
Of something new to share
Spring brings a smile
To hasten away our cares

Let this last snow linger a day or two
Before grey clouds become blue skies.
Yet how will I sing, where will I go?
What will I do? At winter’s last sigh.

Even if the weather is not,
I am ready
To celebrate Spring…
At Traditions' Thursday fling.