Kathiey's World

This is a blast from the past winery visit.  I visited in 2012, and I checked to make sure they were still open, and they are.  Enjoy my blast from the past... 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 After eating lunch in Elkin, NC, I headed off to find McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks in Thurmond, NC.   I had tried to find it on my last visit to the mountains but had failed miserably.  This time failure was not an option.  Although I did miss the turn and the giant sign, due to the beauty of the landscape, I turned the car around, and as luck would have it, I finally made it... Here is how they describe the winery on their website... "Located on nearly thirty acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains — deep in the heart of the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina — lies McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks.   We are a family-owned and operated winery and vineyard specializing in small lots of award-winning artisan wines and hard ciders.   Our dedication to sust...

I am starting a series called "Bringing a Movie to Life"  It will focus on watching a movie and bringing something from it into my life.  Just because I watch the film does not always mean I will always like the film, but I am sure I can find something in the movie for my series. The movie I watched is called Crimson Peak.   Here is the movie description from Rotten Tomatoes "After marrying the charming and seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe, young Edith (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself swept away to his remote gothic mansion in the English hills. Also living there is Lady Lucille, Thomas' alluring sister and protector of her family's dark secrets. Able to communicate with the dead, Edith tries to decipher the mystery behind the ghostly visions that haunt her new home. As she comes closer to the truth, Edith may learn that true monsters are made of flesh and blood." The Movie Trailer A bizarre and violent film. Scary creatures/ghosts or demons pop up on rare occasio...

  It is time to go Sunday Shopping.  As I thought about what I would like to go shopping for, spring umbrellas came to mind.  I thought, let's take a look at what Amazon has to offer in the way of kids and Nana's umbrellas. (I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you buy anything on Amazon using my links, I get a percent of the sale with no added cost to you.  Thank You!) 1- Laura Ashley Womens Ladies Classic Stick Umbrella, Windproof, Sun and Rain Proof Water Resistant Canopy with Large J Handle - Floral Blue 2- Stephen Joseph Kids' Umbrella 3- Hatley Girls' Printed Umbrella, Color Changing Dainty Butterflies, One Size 4- Vera Bradley Mini Travel Umbrella 5- Agaric Classic Wooden Hook Handle J Stick Umbrella Auto Open Windproof Umbrella for Women (Black) 6- KANGADOO Dinosaurs Umbrellas for Rain- Kids Cute Pattern, Safe Round Edges, Windproof and Rainproof… (Child, Blue) Happy Shopping, Everyone! KathieyV:-)

It's Wine Wednesday.  Let's visit a local winery.   Tunnel Creek Vineyards in Roxboro, NC. Here is a quote from their website... "Imagine a place where serenity meets exhilaration, modesty meets magnificence, and exclusivity meets affordability." It is about an hour and twenty-minute drive from where I live in West Cary.  I like to drive, especially in the country, so the trip was a joy. Let's head in for a tasting... The tasting room is lovely.  I like the wood and the long bar.  It is a beautiful venue for a wine tasting. The wine tasting cost $20.00.  The range in wine prices that I found online was $24.99-$48.99. Another quote from the site... "This gorgeous facility boasts an all-wood interior that looks and smells amazing.   One cannot help but feel this is the perfect setting to taste new wines."  Here is a list of their wines.  Quote from the site... "Want to stay inside as close to the wine as possible?  Our live music and indoo...

It is time to go Sunday Shopping.  As I thought about what I would like to go shopping for, spring rain boots came to mind.  I thought, let's take a look at what Amazon has to offer in the way of kids and Nana's rain boots. (I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you buy anything on Amazon using my links, I get a percent of the sale with no added cost to you.  Thank You!) 1- Petrass Women Rain Boots Black Waterproof Mid Calf 2- Western Chief Waterproof Mid Rain Boot 3- Joules Women's Wellibob Rain Boot 4- Rain Boots with Easy-On Handles 5- Kids Rain Boots with Easy-on Handles for Little Kids & Toddler Boys and Girls Waterproof Rain Boots 6- Beastie Shoes Waterproof Rain Boots for Little Kids Girls Boys and Toddlers Happy Shopping, Everyone! KathieyV:-)

Happy Wine Wednesday Everyone.  Today let's answer the question, Can wine go bad?  Yes, it can, and here are some tell-tale signs that this has occurred.  Let's take a look at the signs... There are three things people look at to tell if their bottle of wine has gone bad. One is the appearance of the wine, the second is the scent of the wine and the third is the taste. The Appearance of the Wine A change in color may indicate a problem with the wine.  The wine may begin to darken.  White wine may turn a brownish color and red wine can begin to brown or darken. A change in opaqueness may occur.  A bottle of wine that starts out clear and turns cloudy may be a hint that your wine has gone bad.  If the wine develops tiny bubbles and it is not a bubbly wine something may be amiss with your wine.  Here is what Chaumette says about those tiny bubbles that should not be there...      " Also, if you notice any tiny bubbles in the beverage ...

 It seems that I come across so many terms that I am unaware of.  With this in mind and hoping that I am not alone in the dark, I decided to do an ongoing series on "What the Heck Is...?"  As I come across terms or things I don't understand, I will write a post to help us develop a basic understanding. When I was reading the book Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, I came across a condition called Face Blindness.  I thought, "what the heck is face blindness?"  Let's find out. Face blindness is a neurological disorder that is also called Prosopagnosia.  This condition can be caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury, or for some people, it may be present at birth.  The disorder is characterized by the inability to recognize faces.  The severity of this condition varies, and some with a severe case have an inability to recognize their own face. There is not a cure for face blindness.  People with this condition have to learn to compensate f...

 I just did a post on  How long an open bottle of wine remains drinkable?   It seems that the main enemy of wine is oxygen.  One way to keep wine fresh longer is to keep as little oxygen out of the bottle as you can.  A way to decrease oxygen in the bottle is to re-cork your bottle.  One way to do this is by using wine stoppers.  Here are a few wine bottle stoppers that I liked on Amazon. (I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you buy anything on Amazon using my links, I get a percent of the sale with no added cost to you.  Thank You!) 1- Funny Stainless Steel Wine Stoppers, Silver Cat 2- Homestia Wine and Beverage Bottle Stopper Metal Wine Cork with Giraffe Top 3- Glass Wine Bottle Stopper - Traditional Cactus 4- Airtight Silicone Wine Stoppers 5- Dragon Decorative Bottle Stopper for Wine 6- Adonisaon Owl Wine Stoppers Happy Shopping, Everyone! KathieyV:-)

 I love books.  Since I love books, it makes perfect sense that I would adore bookstores.   With this in mind, I thought it was high time I became familiar with the bookstores in my area and the bookstores I find in places where I may travel. If you want to look at my first post that highlights five fun bookstores, I found online, click HERE Mikes Used Books "Mikes Used Books" is a place I have wanted to visit since before Covid.  Last week, I was running some errands, and I decided to plug Mikes into my GPS and head to the store.   Looking over their site, I see they were established in 2003 where "Mr. Mike's has been offering high-quality used books at excellent prices." There were a ton of books at Mikes.  They are divided into categories and authors, so you can easily find what they have. I was able to find some books on my Goodreads TBR, and I found books for Maggie and Caleb.   As I was looking at the books, I would consult my GoodReads app to s...