A Heartfelt Thanks

I'm taking a moment - no, really, I'm taking the WEEK - to just be personal and honest with my favorite readers. (That's all of you, you know.)

I've gotten a lot of support from folks when I run into you at tastings or events. When you realize that you know who I am, you always offer your condolences. We did indeed have a rough 2007 at the Wine-Girl.net household. Kevin lost his father to early-onset Alzheimer's and I lost my little sister a month later to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

As you know if you visit the site as opposed to just getting the email or RSS feed, I'm partnering with my cousins to create a scholarship in my sister's name. We're trying to raise $25,000 in three years, but hopefully sooner. For me, this sort of thing is therapeutic, and a way to turn a tragic event into something that might help someone else.

With that said, I ask that you visit our site at www.klpscholarship.org. I used Ning to create a community site, sort of our own Facebook. We also have a Causes page on Facebook you can visit. Mostly, I'd love for everyone to come to the Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction on Friday night.  Tickets include dinner (chicken, fish, prime rib, pasta, etc), auction, raffle, dancing ... and oh! I do love our wine table at the Silent Auction.

You're not going to hear much from me this week. It's safe to say that any minute I'm not actually working at my paying job (which is NOT wine blogging, sadly), I'm working on Benefit-related things. No Friday post again, I'm afraid. I should be writing those again in time for St. Patrick's Day.

I also want to thank Party Source, Party Town, Kevin Keith at Liquor Direct (and all the fun folks there), Harmony Hill Vineyards, Tino Vino, and Kinkead Ridge Vineyards. They've all been tremendous help and are listed as sponsors on the Scholarship web site. Most of them have also donated rather nifty wine baskets to our silent auction - yet another reason you should all come to the Benefit.

If you can't make it to this one, the next is on May 17. I'll be bothering you about it as well, I'm sure.

My thanks for your continued patience with our blog "silence" this week, and for all your support. I couldn't ask for better readers!

Cheers!
Michelle