I am perhaps the least artistic person within my sphere of family, acquaintances, friends strangers … in other words, the least artistic person in my life.

For example, at one point in my life, I thought I’d help a co-worker and make some hand printed signs for an event. I scrolled my letters, smartly highlighted information and generally made multiple signs showing off my “talents.” I found my work fascinating — it was so eclectic, yeah, that’s the word!

When my co-worker saw my handmade very amazing (in my mind, at least!) signs, she asked me if I did all of them. Giving her a firm affirmative, I will never forget the look in her eyes — more like pity — as she diplomatically stated she would volunteer to make all signs in the future. Looking back, I think her reaction defined Minnesota Nice.

After the event, I celebrated/mourned my artistic capabilities with a glass of Bogle Merlot and I found pleasure in its softness and its attempt to make me feel more comfortable with my lack of artistic abilities.

We find fascinations all around us. How about those initial green blades of whatever plant after a long and hard winter? Or, the first brilliant flowers of summer and how about those awesome colors of fall? Then, there’s winter with its fascinating pure whiteness of snow and refreshing (?) cold — so much to be fascinated about during the year.

There’s a fascination about people — how they act and interact with each other is interesting to watch and experience. How people from different parts of the world, country, state…heck, different parts of a city react to each other. Some of these reactions/interactions are not nice and we have to work to make them better but human beings, as a whole, are fascinating — so much alike yet so different.

Whew! After that rather deep essay on humans, I think I’ll continue with Bogle and pour a glass of its Sauvignon Blanc. The wine’s crisp taste with its nice citrus flavors are a delight to sip during the heat of the day.

Recently, a number of sculptures were placed around the town and they are so charming. Each artist’s view of a chunk of the world is interesting and must be respected because they are trying, through their abilities, to have us see the world in a fascinating new way. Art is simply that — fascinating — the piece you are viewing may not be your thing, but maybe, just maybe, we can learn something new by letting it infuse us with a newness of view.

One of the new sculptures is of a band director standing with up turned arms in front of some metal xylophones and one is able to take little hammers and make a tune. It’s fascinating to watch little children walk by, stop, look at the sculpture and then, tentatively walk up to it and begin to hit the instrument. Suddenly, their world has expanded, a tune appears and … who knows where that will end in the future.

After one session of watching people interact with this sculpture, I felt like a glass of 14 Hands Bold Red Blend from Columbia Valley. It’s my hope the extreme temperatures and drought this area is experiencing now don’t hinder further growing of grapes there. The area produces absolutely fascinating wine and this blend is no exception.

I imagined myself sitting in symphony hall with a glass of this wine and listening to a budding musical artist softly playing a xylophone. The wine’s cherry spiciness and dry finish matched my imagined piece of classical musical that was being played on the imagined instrument.

Yes, it was all in my imagination, but what if that one piece of sculpture brings forth the talent in one child — the world is then a better place.

We can also find fascination in the past — there’s so much beauty we see today that was created hundreds or thousands of years ago. How about those Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Sistine Chapel, the Great Wall of China, the magnificent churches of Europe and the structures left to us from the ancient Inca and Aztec? The art work of our indigenous people and all the art left to us from past cultures — we are fortunate to be able to view, study and learn from these fascinating people who walked here before you and me.

So, in honor of all of us — whether we think we can make an awesome hand printed signs, play a tune of a sculpture or just reach for the stars — let’s have a glass of wine and toast us.

We deserve it.

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!