Family Time

Cherish loved ones during the holidays and year-round

By MICHELE FRANCISCO, OWP Editor

Family, whether blood relatives or chosen: how important to cherish them year-round. During the holidays, mine surround me with familiar traditions, making this time of year especially memorable. I’m writing this mere minutes after dropping off my parents at the airport. My mom and stepdad spent a week with us in Oregon.
We enjoyed plenty of family time: cooking together, strolling sandy beaches, driving through dense forests and catching glimpses of mountains between the clouds– all while leaf peeping and dodging raindrops. In fact, their stay resembled a highlights reel of our state’s most beautiful places.

And, of course, no visit would be complete without wine. Years ago, after learning a musical couple we know once lived in Santa Barbara and shopped at my parents’ guitar store, we vowed to gather them together. Don and Wendy Lange (owners of Lange Estate Winery) graciously hosted us on my parents’ final day here. Watching the four reminisce about their shared network of friends and Santa Barbara’s music scene in the ‘70s and ‘80s was priceless.

Filled with new memories and edible souvenirs of saltwater taffy, homemade cookies and a bottle of Lange Pinot Noir, my parents hugged me goodbye before entering PDX. I’m grateful for our time together and hope you have the opportunity to share the holidays with your loved ones.
I wish you merry everything and a happy always!

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.