Happy Birthday, Nana!

Hello from 36153 feet! It is – 80 degrees F up here. . . brrr. 🙂 I am on my way to San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival which we will follow up with a 2.5 day adventure in California wine country. It feels like I have been waiting forever for this trip, but in reality it has only been planned for about 6 weeks or so. We visited San Francisco back in September and decided we had to come back soon. Coming for Foodbuzz was the only logical move! Over the next couple of days I will be eating my way through San Francisco with many amazing, brilliant foodie bloggers. We will be sitting in on sessions like “Farm to Table” with                         Chef Paul Arenstam, MA native and Executive Chef at the Americano Restaurant in San Francisco and “Underappreciated California Merlots” with Alder Yarrow, proprietor of vinography.com. We will be faced with the task of tasting food and wine from 40 different producers, and we will even have an Outstanding in the Field dinner at a real produce warehouse! It will be tough, but I am sure we will make it through! 😉

This morning was rushed. Our taxi driver was 15 minutes early, calling and honking the horn outside so we flew out the door. I always feel like I forgot something. We pre-empted our hunger with a lovely Nasoya tofu/frozen blueberry/Trader Joe’s Super Red Drink Power of deliciousness smoothie. Yum. Unfortunately I was hungry again not long after. Then came Virgin America. . .

Have I mentioned that I love flying on Virgin America? We settled in, and immediately I had to start ordering food and drinks like it was my job. I love the novelty of touch screen ordering. Clearly I don’t get out enough?! 🙂

We split the fresh veggies and cheese box which was delish, especially the mini gherkins and fresh mozzarella. I could eat pickled food all day long.  I am sure there will be more snacks ordered throughout the flight.

Today is a really big day for another couple of reasons. First, it is my sister and her husband’s wedding anniversary, so Happy Anniversary to them! It is also my nana’s 95th birthday! I can not even imagine being 95. Nana lived in a time when women couldn’t vote. She lived through the food rations and disastrous unemployment of the Great Depression. She saw two World Wars, prohibition, the rise and fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, the Civil Rights movement, and the first man on the moon. She has also witnessed insane cultural and technological changes. She has never owned or even used a computer or owned a cell phone. She actually flew for the first time just a few years ago!

Nana raised 4 kids and has many many grandkids and great grandkids. She is feisty but loving and was a great cook when she was able. She is in great health and is 100% with it mentally and intellectually. She will tell you what she thinks of politicians, family members, and the other people in her nursing home. And we all listen. I have mentioned this before, but she has used all sorts of natural health boosters such as barley green and apple cider vinegar as part of her diet, and I definitely think her health is an inspiration to us all. I am sad that I can not be with her today, but I will see her in just a few weeks at Thanksgiving and will give her loads of hugs then. In the meantime she will have other family visits today, complete with cookies and cupcakes. Hey, she’s 95, she can eat what she wants!

I will be spending the next few hours catching up on reading your blogs. I am so excited. I have really neglected reading and commenting lately, and it is a little luxury to spend some time doing so. Have a great afternoon and check back later tonight for a beautiful guest post!