Wine Tasting/ Auction was a treat for the senses

Another report (with facts) will be coming about the annual Odessa Healthcare Foundation Wine Tasting and Auction.

The wine-tasting, the main event of Odessa's social calendar I've been told, was held in the Community Center. As a first-time attendee, I didn't have much idea what to expect walking in the door. It was obvious from the beginning that the volunteer force was a well-oiled machine and the generosity of the comminity was very impressive.

The wine did not start flowing until 6 p.m. sharp, but upon entering, we received a stemless wine glass, a bidding number and a small program listing all the items up for auction. After asking for instructions on how to bid in the various areas such as sections one, two and three of the silent auction, the live on the side auction (still not sure why its called "live") and the live auction, I made my way around the perimeter.

It seemed the items up for bid in the silent auction all had starting bids of far less that the cost of the item. People seemed to be bidding on the same things they had bid on other years and on which they had gotten good deals.

There was a little crowd around the dessert table and it was there I met the wife of one of several politicians attending the event. She said she could tell we had some very talented bakers living here. With our editor not in attendance, I was dismayed to find myself being introduced to several other people running for office and listened with probably a fairly blank expression as they educated me about who they were and for which office they were running and which communities made up District 13. We didn't even get to the issues.

Eventually, the hors d'oeuvre table was filled with many kinds of tidbits, chosen to enhance the wine-tasting experience, including marinated mushrooms, olives, chicken wings, meatballs, crab dip and crackers and crudites. The next table was filled with chocolate-dipped strawberries, homemade truffles and coffee. Chocolate can be delicious with red wine, but I was clued in that it is also complemented by champagne.

The wine selection was wide, but even so, I heard someone wishing for more crisp whites. Of course, we all know that red wine is better for our health, but don't you just love white wine, too?

The local brews from Rocky Coulee Brewery were available for tasting and purchasing as well, and are always very popular.

Of course, the quilts hung up on the stage caught my eye and looked amazing from across the hall. One of them, "Mini Mildred's Garden" was made by the Odessa Quilt Club, Fronen Stepdecker. I had come especially to bid on that, since it was named after my mother, so I put my number and bid on the sheet. Throughout the evening, I came back several times to raise my bid, but in the end, just as the bidding was ending and I decided to see if I needed to raise my bid once more, I was physically blocked from doing so by another smitten bidder. She gushed about the quilt being a work of art and how she had fallen in love with it upon first seeing it that evening. I decided the quilt would be in good hands.

For me, the high point of the auction came when the auctioneers started the live auction. It had been a long time since I had been to a live auction (I mean a long time) and the sound of their calling punctuated by the word "sold!" and the ringmen's gestures were entertaining.

At this point, I've been to quite a few events at the Community Center and am looking forward to seeing it brightened up with better lighting and any other touches to make it a warmer and more inviting place. Can you imagine wedding receptions, Quilt 'til You Wilt, various fundraisers and shows being held in that building if it were a really cheerful place. Its a good atmosphere for the Bier Garten, but needs more light for many other events.