Didn't take notes at the family dinners. We had a Benziger Merlot (decent) a Predator Zinfandel from Lodi, California (interesting) and a Sauvignon Republic Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa at my sister's and brother-in-law's house. At Bravo (an Italian restaurant in a new shopping center--the restaurant had impressively high ceilings and tall windows and dozens of red poinsettias throughout the space) my sister and I each ordered glasses of Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. I really enjoyed it with my Caesar salad and fresh tilapia with crab sauce and my sister enjoyed it with chicken breast in balsamic sauce. It also was a good pairing for the shared appetizer of artichoke and spinach spread on crisp flat bread. Others at our table of nine had a Toscana Rosso blend of Sangiovese and Merlot or cocktails.
I saw deer on two occasions from the windows of my sister's home (not reindeer). Her grandchildren, a girl of 7 1/2 and a boy who turns 5 in January were present along with her three sons, a daughter-in-law and another son's girlfriend so it was a fun Christmas/Hanukkah visit. (We had a lighting of candles on the menorah every evening as Steve's wife is Jewish and the children are being raised in that faith.) Santa also visited and a Christmas tree was decorated in the living room. We had an early birthday party for the boy about to turn five at Chuck E. Cheese--my first visit to that iconic party place. Fortunately, it wasn't too crowded on Dec. 26 and not unbearably noisy or chaotic. My nephews and the girlfriend shot hoops and footballs and the children enjoyed various arcade games. Seven of us went to a live performance of "The Sound of Music" at the Des Moines Playhouse--really great voices and the children were enthralled with the musical and were excellent audience members.
