January night out

Winter is the season of charity fundraisers around here. Over the years we've attended and supported auctions and other activities for schools, the art center, ski club, humane society, social services, etc. This year I signed us up for the library foundation's "Wit, Wisdom, and Wine" evening, which was held last night. I volunteer at the library a couple times a month, selecting books for homebound patrons, and working in the bookstore, so I consider this a very worthwhile cause. Although this was the 7th year for this event, it's the first time we've attended. The format consists of two groups of classes or lectures on a variety of topics, plus refreshments and a silent auction; this was the first time I was intrigued enough by the classes to want to attend. We really enjoyed "The Meats and Cheeses of Spain" hosted by the chef from the local Tapas restaurant - this place became my new favorite local restaurant after our first dinner there. Fortunately, most of the items that we sampled should be available locally, so we will be able to enjoy them again. Our second class was a wine tasting and overview of the history of some interesting wineries. The hors d'oeuvres were delicious, we got to dress up, and I was the winning bidder for a book/shawl package in the silent auction, so we had a fun night.