when in sonoma, do as the sonomans do

Whenever I visit northern California, either with Nick or my family, one of my favorite things to do is visit my uncle in Sonoma.  Sonoma is one of those places that makes you feel like you are walking through a post card, which is I think is why I love it so much.  Either that or because everyone is always encouraging you to another glass of wine.  Yeah, I definitely love it because of the wine.

My uncle is the type of person who could make any place seem interesting.  Everywhere we go, he knows an interesting story about the history, or a funny anecdote, and he sees beauty and creativity everywhere.  He took us to Cornerstone, which is sort of like an outdoor landscape architecture gallery.  The gray skys made every hue pop, and the grape vines were just beginning to peek out at spring.  There are plots or gardens that different landscape architects have designed, and my personal fav was the one that had chicken wire clouds with crystal raindrops that looked like DIAMONDS (said in the voice of the guy from the Old Spice commercial.)  While I was taking pictures a woman standing nearby was commenting "Isn't it just LOVELY?!  I just ADORE that!"  The more she said it, the more I knew this lady and I could definitely be lady bros.

The evening involved wonderful chillens who told stories, and laughed, and played games, and told jokes, and danced, and quietly listened to the "grown ups" (first time I've grouped myself into that category.  I even got to sit at the grown up table!), and recited poetry they had memorized, and looked quietly with me through photography books, and did everything that wonderful children do.  Oh, and did I mention they even speak two languages?  When I was their age, most of my time was spent beating up imaginary bad guys and being the pink ranger.  WHY again do I get to sit at the grown up table?  Oh right, because there was wine there.  Something about drinking wine a few miles away from the vineyard it was made made me feel very sophisticated.  Until I spilled ceviche on my lap.  Sophistication points -25 for that party foul, but +15 since I now know what ceviche is.  Flippin' incredible is what it is.

And I will conclude with this little ballad I just made up:

OH Sonoma,
I wish you were my home-a,
in your vineyards I would roam-a,
we'd sip merlot til we were in a coma,
then wake up with a bump on my dome-a.

That's about all I got.  Lucky for you ;)