Happy Thanksgiving!

Several years ago, my boys and I started a tradition of going down to the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade. We were fortunate enough to live less than a mile from the parade route, which made it that much easier to attend. Now, however, we are about 1,500 miles from the Philadelphia parade, living in Texas.

Our older son, Nathan, nowin graduate school, returned home the last night, making this the first time since mid-August that we all have been together. For that, of course, we are all thankful. As I have done for the past few years, I’d like to use this space to express why I am particularly thankful this Thanksgiving Day.

There are far too many people to thank (particularly given a rapidly failing memory), but I wanted to point out a few:

• I am thankful to all of you who take the time to read this blog from time to time. I really am humbled by the number of people who have said they read this blog, which serves as invaluable fuel to keep plugging along.
• Some wonderful people in New York and Healdsburg saw something in this little blog several years ago (when I thought there was no one reading) who still inspire me today to keep writing, for which I will always be thankful.
• I am lucky to have met several people “in the business” during my travels who I would now consider friends (they are really all over, but there are heavy concentrations in Sonoma, Napa, Lodi, California’s Central Coast, the Willamette Valley, Champagne, and the South of France). I am thankful for their support, encouragement, and most of all, their friendship.
• The many other writers and bloggers from all over the world whom I “see” either at events around the world, or nearly every day while sitting at my computer. Their writing is not only a pleasure to read but a motivation for me to continually strive to improve. The wine blogging “community” is an odd blend of people, but I am thankful to be a part of such a vibrant and eclectic group.
• There are many people here in Texas who have welcomed me to their state with open arms, and for that, I will be eternally thankful. I approached the move with more than a healthy dose of trepidation and the support I have received from Texans has been invaluable.
• A special thanks goes out to all those who work in public relations and have to deal with writers and bloggers daily. They are really a fantastic breed and there is no way that I could ever withstand some of the horrors that they have recounted. While there are far too many to thank individually, I am particularly thankful to a few who reside near and work in New York and San Francisco, several of whom, again, I would consider good friends.
• Last, I am thankful for my incredible family: my two boys who are rapidly becoming men and who patiently waited (most of the time) for me to finish an article before heading outside for a catch, and my far too forgiving wife who has never wavered in her support to pursue this passion of mine.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving 2014 (we flew to Detroit to visit my mother)

2013: Sebastian and Nathan trying not to be cold.

2013: Sebastian up on my shoulder, looking for Santa.

From 2012: My son meets one of his heroes–a donut.