Rain, rain, wine

I finally got what I wanted, days of rain and cooler temps. It rain Thursday night and kept raining on and off all day Friday, making me a very happy camper. But when it rained on Saturday and again last night, it was just what I needed to finally get some quality rest. It even got cool enough that I turned off the fan in the bedroom. As NoCompromises says, it was a symphony of rain and I a delighted listener experiencing the full performance, although there were elements of Wagner's entire Ring cycle to the repeat performances.

This morning in my usual email, I read about grapes, particularly purple and red grapes, and their health-giving, youth-supporting, longevity-producing capabilities. It's all about resveratrol and it is part of what is called the French paradox, the reason why the French, who eat such a high fat diet, remain healthy and have a low incidence of heart disease and stroke. It's the wine, specifically red wine, that keeps their arteries unclogged and free of blood clots. And I thought it was just because they were pickled in alcohol. Resveratrol is present in purple and red grapes in small amounts but producing wine concentrates it. You can get the same benefits by drinking grape juice, although there is a smaller concentration of the vital antioxidant and more sugar than necessary, so choose an organic juice, which will contain a fewer pesticides. Pesticides used in growing grapes commercially build up in the body's fatty tissues and cause a whole host of other problems.

I am not a big drinker, never have been, but I do have a case of wine still in the case that I have yet to open, which is probably why my fancy and easy to use cork screw is rather dusty right now (the case is dusty, not the cork screw). It was a gift when I joined the wine club where the case of wine came from and continues to come from four times a year. Anyway, I think I'll give the one glass of red wine at dinner every night a try and see what happens. Besides, all those wine glasses that I got as gifts for the house warming should be used once in a while, and it would be relaxing to sit down of an evening with a good meal, a glass of red wine and the sound of rain. When there's no rain, I'll listen to the crickets sing; that's just as relaxing.

That is all. Disperse.