Day Seven

Fun fact about Cassie: she handles stressful and serious issues in quite the calmest way. Just as we were driving to our hotel for the night, out of nowhere, a taxi cab swerved out of his lane across the two lanes of the highway we were on. Cassie immediately swerved out of his way but his bumper was next to our tail light so I was sure we were gonna hit him. But she handled it so well we slipped right by him! I couldn't believe. I'm so thankf she stayed so calm and reacted.

I'm a day behind but I'll catch up. Sometimes I'd rather read or sleep than blog.

So yesterday we went to Napa Valley! We chose to take a tour with the Robert Mondavi winery. I have to say it was an excellent choice. Apparently Mondavi is so a marketing genius. And I love stories about marketing geniuses.

We also got to witness drunk California girls on a wine tasting spree. One of them sounded just like Kristen Cavallari on Laguna Beach. And they were wearing dresses with fur vests and heels. On a wine tour. I just don't get it but maybe I'm not "Cali chic". They also took a million selfies while our guide was actually giving the tour. They were just special.

Im sure the winery is beautiful in the spring or summer or during harvest time. But yesterday was cold and rainy and the vineyard was bare.  We got some excellent information on their picking system and their drip irrigation as well as how they use oak barrels for their wine. A lot of useful information on how the wine is made and why it tastes the way it tastes.

The tasting was great, too. We got to wat some bomb meatballs with our wine. We were very concerned we couldn't get more meatballs.

After the winery we made a spontaneous decision to meet some family that was getting together not to far from us. My dad is the sixth of seven siblings. I've only met one of my Aunts, my Grandma Maybelle, and last summer I met my cousin Mary for the first time. I was really excited to meet more St. Johns. I was meeting my dads oldest brother, Edward, his wife, and his three children and their children.

It was so great. I can't desribe how happy I was to meet them and feel so at home. It was so easy to see that we were family. And they had great stories about my dad and grandma that I wouldn't otherwise get to hear. It was also hilarious to see how they interacted with each other. They had so many inside jokes. I'm really just filled with not that I was able to meet them. And I had my Cassandra Marie with me the whole time.