PageFiftyNine

Today. Was. Beautiful. Finally, we have The Spring. Perfect weather makes me want to have a productive morning so that I can earn a lazy afternoon with my books and my wine- so today I did just that. Something about my mood made me want to reach for an old classic. I didn't start from the beginning, I just opened it to a random page and slipped in. As the temperature started to cool, all that was needed to complete the moment was a lightly chilled red. The Pairing The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and 2014 Arnozan Reserve de Chartrons Bordeaux Superieur This book is... large. It's not as easy to read as a beachy romance, but not as tough to decipher as Shakespeare and such. It has a casual storytelling feel, like at the beginning of chapter LVIII where Dumas says, "Here is what had happened in the crown prosecutor's house after the departure of Mme Danglars and her daughter, and during the conversation that we have just recorded." So f...

There has been so much progress over at PageFiftyNine headquarters (aka, my living room). A business plan is in the works, a logo is being created, and I just went on another wine shopping spree! My fiance is thrilled.  This week's pairing embodies my mood lately- spring is here(ish), the school year is charging towards graduation (but still so far, hence the wine shopping spree)... overall, I'm growing lighter and less stressed each day. I hope you all are feeling the same! The Pairing The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Lindemans Pinot Grigio Bin 85 Do you need a pick-me-up? Already feeling great and want to keep the train rolling? Not sure what you're in the mood for, but want something light? ...Do you like to make charts and lists? The answer to all of these and more: grab this pairing. This wine and book combo is for anyone in any place in life. I first read The Happiness Project years ago when, no surprise, I wasn't all that happy. At f...

Boston! Boston! Boston! As a School Counselor, I occasionally get the privilege of chaperoning field trips with my high school students. This time I hit the chaperone jackpot: an out of state trip to an amazing location where one of my friends lives. Hanging out with my girl all night and running around the city with the kids all day! I flew, which meant I couldn’t bring this wine with me. I figured that wouldn’t be a problem- a wine with Benjamin Franklin on the label had to be everywhere in Boston, right?? Very wrong. We ended up going to NO LESS than five or six wine stores and all said they did not have the wine I was looking for. We called around, drove to multiple towns... nothing! So there we were, standing in yet another store, when I finally thought to double check the name of the wine. I’d been asking for “the Founding Fathers wine”... which... as it turns out... I realized while standing there...is not the name of this wine. I turned and asked if they had The Federal...

This book is on my top shelf for many reasons, but one reason is dearer to my heart than others: a teacher at the high school that I work at, Ms. Baker, has procured a class set of The Girl on the Train for her seniors, and it allows them to get excited about reading again. I learned long ago that if you want children to read, you first need to teach them to love reading, and that is where Ms. Baker steps in. One point for Ms. Baker. You may not like this book as much as I did, and that's okay (although I think you should maybe give it another try because it's very good). But hearing that teenagers are reading ahead of the class pace because they just couldn't put the book down, well that is something to celebrate! ...Of course, I will celebrate them from the comfort of my home, without students, and with wine. The Pairing The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Lila Rosé Let me address the obvious in this pairing: there is a girl on the can of wine, and t...