Tag: diversity

I wasn't a little girl who thought about marriage. My Barbie doll was a writer and nature lover who lived alone in the trees; miraculously free of mosquito bites. My Donny Osmond doll spied, took pictures, and wrote articles about how beautiful it was to see my Barbie live naked and free and filled with love for all living creatures. A little creepy? Sure, but I liked having an audience without having to figure out how, exactly, to fit him into the picture.

We each have our own reasons for participating in a sport or supporting our children in their endeavors. Many athletes are revered because we all know the commitment that is required to excel.

When my 17-year-old son decided he didn’t want to play travel hockey this year, we were surprised and disappointed—felt kind of let down actually. Why did I feel this way? Was I too attached to the outcome because of the money "invested" for the past eight years? He’s the one playing hockey, not me or my husband.

Tucked in a quiet spot, just two miles south of the flag pole in downtown Los Olivos, California, Beckmen Vineyards has spent the last two decades earning its reputation as one of the nation’s premier producers of Rhône varietals.

The winery was founded in 1994 by Tom Beckmen and his son Steve. Tom, who grew up on a farm outside of Chicago, began searching for promising vineyard property in the early 1990s. He purchased an existing small winery on 40 acres and established Beckmen Vineyards. Two years later, Tom and Steve purchased another parcel: an amazing unplanted 365-acre Santa Ynez Valley ranch.