In case you hadn’t noticed, life is full of little and big pleasures.

Without those life invigorating moments, we would be very sour individuals. Along my journey of years, I’ve known times on both ends of the pleasure spectrum, and have learned to pay attention to them and grab them with glee. The little moments of pleasure are so quick and passing that you must actively give notice to them. The big moments of pleasure are the times that grab you, and you got them — or is it, they’ve got you?

A little time of pleasure arrived awhile ago in a bottle of Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is made in Washington State, and is very reasonably priced. My history of wine tasting has provided many times with what to expect from a wine in this price range, and you have your own thoughts there so I’ll not act snobbish and set a price range.

I was very pleased with the taste of this wine. It is light bodied, and has satisfying tastes of black cherries and raspberries with a touch of vanilla. I saluted the wine and the type of pleasure it gave me.

It’s a mixed bag of pleasure when it comes to flying. It’s a pain in the posterior with all the activities one goes through at the airport, and sometimes the long waiting. But, the real pleasurable moments are when you’re flying at over 30,000 feet and you can view the clouds and the earth below you. I never get tired of those types of perspectives. I look upon the earth and am struck by how fragile it all is, and how we must do what we can to protect it.

Another item that gives me much pleasure is the act of reading. I’ve done it since I could hold a book — either to have it read to me, to look at pictures or to actually read it. Reading informs us, gives us some release from everyday life, and, maybe, even provides us hope.

And we all know books can stretch us! That’s not a bad thing, because, in that stretching, we gain insight to our history as humans. There’s also a lot of pleasurable freedom in books since it should be my choice of what books I want to read and not some other person’s choice. In the same way books give me pleasure, a wine can grant it.

The other day I came across a wine I didn’t recognize. It’s not that it wasn’t something I’d never heard of, but I had definitely not consumed it. Wandering through a winery, I cam across a bottle of Saint Croix Vineyards Vignoles. It is pronounced “vi-noles,” and I noticed the bottle shape. It was in the shape of a Riesling wine and that gave me a starting point. Upon further “research,” I discovered it’s actually a French wine made in the same way a German Riesling is made. Similar grapes but different location — meaning countries.

The real pleasure came with the tasting of the wine. There was very little floral aroma, and the taste of it was lightly acidic on the palate. Nice citrus flavors greeted me and I was pleased to start a relationship with this vino.

One never knows where that spot of pleasure will arrive!

OK, we’ve had a rather important moment in our family in the last two days, and I’ve got to mention it. Our second granddaughter was born within the past 48 hours!

Being a history nut, I understand the importance of legacy. Our children are our legacy, our actions are our legacy and our words are our legacy. When those actions and words are passed on to our children and grandchildren, we continue. That, my friends, is pleasure.

The entire family is thrilled with this little girl, and I’ve given her the nickname of Button. Live long and prosper, Button!

Very soon we will gather as a family, and, you know, we’ll have to pop the cork from a bubbly wine and toast Button, her parents and all of us.

That, my friends, is the utmost pleasure!

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

Cheers!