Getting That Glass from Half Full to Empty: The Value of a New Year's Wine

The world celebrates the beginning of a new year today. Some of you lucky folks welcomed the new year yesterday, but at press time, most of us were already embracing 2014.

My guess is that very few of you are in the appropriate emotional state to hear more about drinking. That’s understandable. Stick with me for just another few paragraphs anyway. I want to explain how a nice glass of wine today can get you in a better place for the new year.

You’ll have to slow down. A nice glass of wine – and I prefer a rich, full-bodied red wine for the new year – is going to force you to slow down and focus on it. That’s not true for our other friends behind the bar. You’ll have to gulp a shot. Keeping beer cold and effervescent demands some measure of attention. And while hard liquor has the power to slow you down, a nice glass of tequila doesn’t have the volume to keep you occupied for very long. Stick with a glass of wine, and slow down. Savor it. Take it sip by sip. You have a whole year ahead of you.

Alexa? Alexa, come on! You're thinking too hard! 

Wine stimulates thought. I know, I know. We’ve all seen that brave soul at the end of the bar, gazing deeply into the melting ice cubes as they settle into his glass of whiskey. Something’s on his mind. It’s probably a pretty deep question. Will she ever come back? Was everyone right about me? Are Tony Romo and Kyle Orton really that different? But you know what he’s not thinking about? He’s not thinking about how watery his drink is getting. Your glass of red is gently breathing there in its glass, ready to warm your viscera and stimulate your gray matter. It only took me a third of a glass to realize that Romo would probably have done the same thing Orton did against the Eagles. Then I was able to turn to other, more mysterious things, like whether now is a good time to take things to the next level with Jason Garrett. Remember, the active ingredient in wine is truth. The same cannot be said for Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, can it? (In case you’re wondering, wine said I should wait to have that talk with Jason. Tequila would have told me to go to his house. I don't ask tequila important questions anymore.)

Wine likes company. I’m not talking about friends, although I do love a nice drink with my fellow oenophiles. I’m talking about food. Something about a nice red makes food rise to the occasion. I find I can taste the lash of the grill more with the help of a glass of wine. A bit of cheese finds depth and dimension under the influence of wine. Even the lowly french fry enjoys the company of a sophisticated wine. Because you’re drinking slowly, you have the freedom to concentrate on your senses more. A good meal with a good wine is a special blessing, and the perfect setting for a nice long meditation on this new year. Starting 2014 by indulging your senses – how can that be a wrong idea?

It’s almost nine in the morning on New Year’s Day. What are you waiting for? I can hear your corkscrew gently weeping from here.

Happy New Year!

**Alexa Day is here to meet you on the first Wednesday of every month, and she is usually sober. Promise. Check her out here for a new way to bring the sensual into your everyday life, and then follow her on Facebook during the month. You can also be a part of her unfortunate TV habits on Twitter. And don't worry. Wine told her that working on her next book would take her mind off Jason Garrett.

Calm Your CRAZY

Maybe it’s the sound of rain falling on a tin roof that relaxes you, which is a stark contrast to the horn blowing in rush hour traffic that causes the blood in your veins to boil. Again, maybe it’s the maniacal laughter of your boss that lets you know that your day has gone from resting on Hell’s gates to sitting by the devil’s side. Regardless of what finally causes you to roar, we all have things that can set us off like fireworks in the Fourth of July sky.

But, I’m not one to speak from a different plane. My life is a washer filled with different varieties of stress, problems and a mountain so large of things, that I often feel overwhelmed. The stress has affected my clarity, whereby it is easy for me to see things that are not there – to over analyze in such a way that all that I am left with is a shadow of a dream or the beginning of Dante’s nightmare. When you are on the precipice and finally about to shout your peace to the fates, and have nowhere else to go besides up, then here are my tips for finding your calm.

1.       Take a deep breath

Although my practicing of yoga ended when I did Hot Yoga, there are some things that still stay with me, especially the power of breath. Focus on your core, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. When I first tried yoga, I was quite intimidated, but then when the room fell away, and I was able to be united – mind, body and soul – I finally found bits of clarity that I hadn’t discovered through other arts of exercise.

2.       Sunshine

Feel the warmth of the sun and a fresh breeze on your skin. Getting out into nature can make a big difference on your psyche, and it will help you from uttering those words circling in your head.  Allow the power of nature to soothe you and help you regain your composure.

3.       Lavender anyone?

Aromatherapy has the power to influence you, I believe, and when I am searching for calm, I enjoy the smell of fresh lavender. Yes, my home is a place of serenity not only because of the lavender in the air, but also because I constantly seek to not let OPS (other people’s sh@t) come into my sanctuary. Instead, I try to check it at the door and focus on what home is supposed to be about – family, rest, warmth and love.

4.       Ritual of Tea

When all else fails, I reach for a steaming cup of tea. The ritual of sitting down and pausing in order to take a sip of the hot brew makes me slow down; it also makes my mind relax, causing me to then relocate the balance within. For me, it is an art of meditation, where I can become one with the universe, and in the silence (although noise may be all around me), I am able to gain clarity and strength. Like nothing else in my life, tea seems to provide me with a blanket of comfort, clarity and calm.

5.       Let it go.

Maybe the best you can give on any given day is 70% or 80%, while someone else can give 90%. Stop comparing yourself  and enjoy what you are able to give. Stop beating up on yourself for not being able to do more, be more or even sacrifice more.  To the person who has only one dollar, giving ten cents away is a lot, but for the person who has a million dollars, giving ten cents away is a drop in the proverbial bucket.

There will always be things and events that will require you to make a rash decision, but when we are able to continue to find ourselves, in spite of the struggles and the storms, then we are not only growing through the experience, but we are also then able to help those that may be in trouble that come our way.

Just remember: you are responsible for your happiness! Don’t let anyone destroy a moment of what you will never be able to get back – time, oh, precious time.

What would you add to the list or what suggestions do you have for me to also de-stress?

Tina Glasneck walks the line. She enjoys creating murderous tales and can be often found sipping a cup of lavender tea. Tina is currently working on the follow-up novel to THOU SHALL NOT, and is excited to see where the road of authorship takes her.

To connect with Tina, connect with her on facebook, and tell her how much you enjoy drinking a cup of lavender too.