Any cares melt away when you're engrossed in play!
“ We don't stop playing because we grow old...
we grow old because we stop playing.”
— George Bernard Shaw
I'm so thankful that my word this year was "childlike." What beautiful, pure and contagious characteristics they have and it does my heart good to remember and to "see again."
Being somewhat of a task-oriented person, and a bit linear at that, play is something that needed to be returned to the rotation of priorities. Play is a surprise, it's an attitude, an instant shot of youthfulness.
It reminds me of the idea of spontaneity and how I have to "plan it." Play is a bit like that but even writing about it makes me smile. I had such an imagination as a child and any cares I had seemed to melt away when I was engrossed in play.
I had a memory of actually making a playground for snails out of popsicle sticks and set it up right next to the mud pies I was making to bring to my little playhouse in the backyard.
My childlike pursuit: To never stop playing.
Pictured below: Shawn and me playing with the dolphins in Hawaii last month. SO fun!! Love their playful spirit.
SERENDIPITOUS NEWS
FUNDRAISER REPORT -
HIGH DESERT RENDEZVOUS
We're honored to have been invited to participate in the High Desert Museum's annual fundraiser, High Desert Rendezvous! A Serendipity Wine Tour was part of a wine country package that I'm told helped to bring in $1500 toward the museum's fundraising goals! Thank you for letting us be a part of this successful event and we can't wait to visit the High Desert Museum next time we're in Bend!
FUNDRAISER REPORT -
THE GATHERING
The Gathering benefit for Saving Grace Maternity Home was held last month, September 11th, and I'm so excited for their outcome! I was informed that they raised $70,000 toward their goal of $100,000 and that was AFTER costs. The Wine Country Getaway package that we were privileged to be a part of brought in $1700 toward that goal. Here's to your continued impact to your community, your mission and your amazing progress in paying off the home's mortgage balance of $245,000 completely. Can't wait to follow your story.
SWT GIFT CERTIFICATES!
It's not too early to be thinking of gifts for the holidays! If you're looking for a great gift idea, look no further. Serendipity Wine Tour Gift Certificates are now available! Can be purchased in $100 increments or "The Works" for $600. Give someone (or yourself) the gift of an experience in Oregon wine country. You know you wanna. ;)
TWO CLAPS!
This is a space created for appreciating those who go above and beyond. It's fun to catch people in the act of being kind!
This edition of Two Claps goes out to my daughter and the Operations Manager of Serendipity, Hannah Kirby. It's not always just about what you do, but HOW you do it and how you make people feel. That's what gets remembered. I want to give a shout out today to the way Hannah takes such good care of those around her, all without expecting anything in return and content to stay out of the limelight. She is responsible for keeping our social media presence bright, inspiring and beautiful and she consistently does that. She also makes sure that our guests and vendors and even our friends in the industry feel appreciated and well taken care of. She keeps her momma grounded, supported and laughing. TWO CLAPS, Hannah, for all you do and how you do it. You help us remember we matter. Thankful for YOU.
VISION BOARD
Coming soon...Pay it Forward Industry Tour Days are launching in January for our friends in the Oregon wine industry. We will have 1-2 days a month (which will be announced) where our industry friends can take a tour with us at a deeply discounted rate.
First meeting of the Oregon Wine Tourism Collective is targeted for November, 2021. Can't wait!
Mission statement, check. Venue, check. Invites, coming soon!
Hannah and I will be working to plan our first Serendipity Business Retreat in January, 2022. We think it will provide a forum for reflection, process improvement, celebration, forward-thinking and fun.
CURIOSITY CORNER
What's that I see? Is that a Woolly Mammoth at Domaine Serene?
I took these pictures on a tour last month. I just love "Woolly" and wanted to give you a little background if you have spotted this amazing piece of art while visiting Domaine Serene Vineyard and Winery.
After reading about the ice age and the extinction of the Woolly Mammoth during the Missoula Floods, a local artist named Dixie Jewett imagined a frozen Woolly washing in with all the silt and boulders from Montana. This creation took Dixie all of a year since she bent and welded all of the parts herself. She did this with no formal training as an artist and with simply inspiration and a 6-week course in welding as her guide. Amazing!
The story goes that Grace Evenstad drove by Dixie's art for many years out in a field near Lafayette, OR until she could resist no more and brought Woolly to his new home. So happy we can all still enjoy the fruit of Dixie's imagination and skill as we remember some of the history that made the Willamette Valley what it is today.