Finding Balance

Hi everyone! Cassini Ranch was quite an experience as many of us had never done any type of camping before. Roughing it? Well, maybe not, but it was certainly “roughing it” for this group of Jersey girls. We definitely had a lot of fun.

I’m glad we’re moving on, and it’s all aboard Rich’s magic carpet. I have to give Greg and Vito special thanks, since they really did their share (and Rich’s share) of the work at the campsite. Well it’s no secret now that Rich likes to do as little physical labor as possible. His motto has always been, “Why use your back when you can use your brain?” Lucky for him he always finds someone (willing or not) to pick up the slack, so he can supervise. Thankfully he’s a good driver and we all laughed our way there in one piece.

Our tour of the Lavendi Vineyards was great. Our host and winemaker, Allison Doran, was very informative and patient as she answered questions and walked us through the winemaking process. She is so passionate about her profession. Allison even sings opera to the grapes! We were lucky to get a special performance as well.

The California wine country is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. The storybook setting of the Lancaster Estate just takes your breath away. Nicole Simpkins, the owner of the estate, was such a pleasure to talk to. When we went to the wine cave for our wine tasting, it brought back fond memories from my childhood visits to Italy. My grandfather did in fact have a wine cave. However it was not quite as grand as the one at Lancaster. It was very rustic and not nearly as sophisticated, but nonetheless it was nostalgic just to be there. It was a wonderful beginning to the evening.Caroline’s surprise birthday dinner was special for all of us. Being perched upon the hilltop overlooking the vineyard was absolutely breathtaking. The heartfelt tributes from her children made me proud of them. As a mom, you can only hope that your children can love you in that way and express it that well. That in itself is one of the most precious gifts of all.

When Joe Giudice stepped away for his phone call, none of us knew what was said or what had happened between him and Teresa until this week when we previewed our episode. In retrospect Rich’s comment, which was meant as a wisecrack, now may have been a little insensitive. Rich and I both feel badly about the situation. This all happened a year ago, and we sincerely hope that they are in a much better place.  I want to address the little talk I had with Caroline and Jacqueline before our last dinner at the Lancaster Estate. If you’re wondering why I asked so many questions about what went on in their conversations with Teresa, I will tell you. We all spent a great deal of time on this trip trying to understand and sort out our relationships. Some relationships were on the mend and others were fractured. This was true for each and every one of us. Here we were, all together, trying to make a go of it, each in our own way. I felt that I needed to understand the dynamics of what was going on so that I could be supportive and compassionate to everyone. That’s just me, I’m a libra and I constantly try to find balance.

This brings me to our last dinner. Sometimes I need to see things played back, because I want to be sure of what I heard or didn’t hear at that dinner. The fact that I was left out of my cousin’s toast after I had tried so hard with her was a disappointment at best.  If you were there, you knew it was a deliberate snub. You could cut the tension with a knife. I was embarrassed, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin my evening or cause a scene that would ruin anyone else’s evening. Once again Teresa’s actions speak volumes. So at this point I would like to offer my own toast, “In Vino, Veritas (In Wine Is Truth).” The wine keeps flowing into next week as we wrap up our vacation in California.

Have a great week!

As always, you can catch up with me on my website and through my newsletter at www.kathywakile.com, on Facebook, and Twitter @KathyWakile, @RichardWakile, @VictoriaWakile, @JosephWakile.

Lots of love,
xoxo Kathy