Happy 5th of July. It is fairly rare—and a wonderfully unexpected blessing—when the day after Independence Day lands on a Sunday.
For me, Sundays are the one day of the week that almost always start slow. Kyle is usually up early, heading off to church early to rehearse with the band. That leaves the first couple of hours of the morning entirely to me before I follow.
Those quiet hours mean an extra cup of coffee and a longer walk through the gardens. They mean taking an extra moment to look out at the vineyards right beyond the kitchen window—a grounding reminder of exactly where we are and the beautiful work we get to do.
The contrast to yesterday couldn’t be more profound.
Yesterday was full, loud, and celebratory for so many of us, filled with gatherings, smoky grills, and fireworks. But as I sat in the quiet this morning, I realized something: we spend so much time planning for the big, loud moments of celebration that we often forget to plan for the recovery. True rest rarely happens in the middle of the party. It happens in the quiet margin of the “day after.” Sometimes, the most freeing thing we can do is simply give ourselves permission to stop moving.
It is a true gift how the calendar aligned this year. We gained a day that actually feels like what a holiday is supposed to be—unhurried, unscheduled, and entirely yours to fill however you need.
So please, take this as your official permission slip. Savor the memories of yesterday. Take the nap. Let your coffee go cold because you sat with it longer than you should have. Do whatever it is that allows you to truly reset before Monday morning creeps back in.
If you are near the estate today, we would love for you to spend part of your quiet recovery with us. Sundays here have a decidedly slower energy than most days—there is less hurry and far more intention. The friends who find their way down the driveway on a Sunday afternoon usually come to genuinely connect, not just to taste.
The member patio is open, the gardens are exceptionally peaceful, and there is always a glass worth lingering over.
