Jessica, Madonna, and a Bottle of Raspberry Wine

In 2006 my mom, Natalie, and I went to Hawaii to celebrate my mom's 65th birthday.  We had a really good time as you would expect travelers to Hawaii to do.  One of the last things I purchased in Maui was a bottle of raspberry wine (http://www.mauiwine.com/specialty/).  My thought was I would save it for a special occasion and share it with my friends.

Last week the bottle still resided in the bottom of my refrigerator, mocking me. Translated the last six years have not really been full of moments conducive to drinking raspberry wine.  My wedding day might have been a good day, but my dearest Natalie does not drink alcohol.  I got to a point that I no longer even saw the bottle and gave up on the hope of an occasion to drink the wine.

Forgotten the bottle became one of those things (like that stray tube of wasabi) taking up real estate in my frig.  Until Thursday night when the stars finally aligned and a corkscrew was found to open this symbol of  lost hope.  My sister and I dragged ourselves home in the wee hours of the morning from the Madonna concert thirsty and feeling an occasion coming on.

Yes, I said Madonna. Many months back my spouse bought two tickets to the Madonna concert for my sister and I to go, cause Natalie is awesome that way.  She knew after over twenty plus years of loving Madonna and never having the opportunity to see her in concert I would want to go.  Jessica, my sister, picked up my love of Madonna somewhere in the days when she was strapped into a car seat forced to hear me sing along to all the songs on "Like a Prayer."  My poor vocal abilities aside Jessica learned to love the Queen of pop too. 

Tempest & Jessica pre-concert

The concert was everything I could have imagined.  Lots of costumes, scantily clad dancers, interesting staging, and of course Madonna at her usual outrageous best.  The woman did it all and worked hard to give us a two hour show full of her own spin on entertainment.  Jessica and I danced and sang along basking in the glow of Madonna's starpower. Both us left the venue happy to have shared such a good time together.

Madonna Center Stage

Once home we got ready for bed, but were still a little to hyped up on adrenaline to sleep.  We decided on a snack before bed.  As I opened the refrigerator there it was the unopened bottle of wine.  I thought at last the perfect occasion has arrived.  We drank the whole bottle enjoying the sweet raspberry flavor and each others company.  I must admit we both got a little buzz from the wine.  I fell asleep happy, happy to have shared so much of a fun time with one of my favorite people. Sometimes you hold on to a special thing for just the right occasion, and when the moment happens you know life can be good, very good.