Daybreak in Napa

I can’t write this post without getting around the fact that it will sound very “The Secret-ish” but truth be told, I have a problem with The Secret.  I believe it’s true that if you can visualize your dreams and goals you will indeed find a way to make them happen but the operative word here is “find”.  Too many people read this book believing that their Bentley and dream job of selling jewelery on QVC will happen instantly despite the reality that they’re currently watching Oprah and eating a second helping of Cheetos.  On the couch.  Not moving.  Not doing anything about it.  Just dreaming.   All of us know that nothing comes easily.  You simply have to make it happen.  But what I will agree with, dear Secret fans,  is that it all starts with a great photo.

So here is my Dream which I will one day make happen.  And this is the photo that launched it all.  One day, I will look out my window and this is what I’ll see.  It’s a crisp October morning and the just-breaking sunlight is dancing on the cabernet vines of our Napa vineyard high, high in the valley hills (this could also be in Argentina, Santa Ynez or Sonoma, for the record).  The coffee is roasting in the background and my gorgeous boyfriend (because the jury is still out on marriage) is rustling about, getting ready to tour the field.  I’m staring at the dense fog that blankets the hills and can smell the dewy drops trickling down the trees.  I’m leaning against a solid wood plank in the outdoor veranda of a magnificent but casually elegant Tuscan Villa – perfectly nestled into the hills. It’s early and there’s a ton of work to do.  I’ll join my swarthy Latin bf in the field soon, after which we’ll change into smart clothes and greet guests in the tasting room.  There’s laughter, clinking glasses, happy couples and fantastic blends of cabernet franc, sauvignon and merlot. 

At the end of the day the sun will set and I’ll be looking at this view again for it tends to be eerily similar to the early breaking hours of the morning.  He and I will share a glass of our recent vintage, smile and gaze upon Napa’s pulchritude while Madeleine Peyroux plays in the background.  We’ll entertain guests for dinner where the most decadent spoils of the Valley will be served.  The house will be lively, candles will dance throughout the airy corridors and music will fill every space.  This view is still present yet slowly fading away as dusk takes over.  For a moment, it seems to wink as it fades away, for it knows it will surely be there again in the morning.   

And this is my Falcon Crest dream.  Off to making it happen!