Time For Spring Cleaning

By / Mavericks / April 10th, 2010 / Like

I’m usually on my toes when spring rolls around. The sun is finally making temperatures warm and the days seem just a bit longer. I start to think about renovation or simply fixing things around the house. But most of all I think, “Au vidange!”

It’s a battle cry my wife hates to hear. She’s much more of a hoarder than I am. I seek to clear the clutter so that I can breathe more at ease. If our house is in order then our lives are in order.

As I look to empty each of the closets, I find myself frozen in front of one in particular.

  1. The pretty labels fix me.
  2. I think back nostalgically to the moment of purchase.
  3. I wonder how I ever let it get this out of control.

Of course I’m talking about my wine closet — a set of wine racks cosily placed in my basement. Every year I work my way through boxes and boxes of wine. I’m not trying to gloat but rather punctuate a simple point — a lot of wine passes my way. But when I look at the racks I always find several bottles that should have been gone a long time ago.

Whether they are hidden from discovery or simply forgotten, a dirty dozen bottles have passed their prime in my cellar. Tears are wetting my keyboard as I write this. Rosé, overaged whites, meant-to-be-drunk-off-the-boat reds, all these are sitting there. I claim to never make this happen again but every year there they are. Some are fine, while others make a run for the sink. I’ll even go further and mix some of these unfortunate wines into sangria.

I guess what I am trying to say is drink. You’ve heard this other battle cry before. Letting things go to waste is simply a waste. Clearing the shelves on a more regular basis allows us to discover things we misplaced, enjoy glasses at just the right time and avoid these sad, sad moments.

This is a preview of the May/June issue of Tidings. Look for it on the shelves of Chapters/Indigo or a newsstand near you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Looking at the small things that make life great and the people who create them.

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