We’re walking the strand in Morro Bay, California. It’s been just a few months since our first date, but there is something so authentic about all of it, and we just seem to fit together. And then I say it, a phrase that she returns to often—a reminder of the moment, but also her fun-loving way to rib me about my way of viewing things— “Fundamentally, you’re either in or you’re out.” I’m speaking openly about us blending our families together. Blended family. It’s hip now. Back then, to us, it referenced a reality neither one of us ever expected to experience. But here we were, two divorced, single parents, raising kids, walking a beach, contemplating a new adventure together as a blended family. I’d like to think that my inspired words guided us forward; however, I know that this isn’t entirely true. Well, not true at all. Rather, like everything we’ve done, we feel our way through things together (okay, with some needed micromanagement from Liza). It’s like digging your toes in the sand, replete with that cautious pause when your bit toe encounters something unknown. What is that? Oh, just a piece of seaglass! A new addition to Liza’s collection of mementos of a time and place. Of course, there are also the days when the glass is not soft and worn by time, but rather a jagged edge that cuts deep.
For me, that walk was the beginning of it all. Some time after that, we mapped out our dreams (more on this later) and kept walking. Almost nine years later, we are now in Maidens, Virginia. We own and run a 10-acre orchard, farm, cidery, and brewery: Courthouse Creek Cider.
We attempt to manage four teenagers, struggle with everything that comes with being a blended family, constantly doubt and second-guess ourselves, make mistakes, laugh, cry, worry, go through the highs and lows, and experience a whole host of things that test our resolve. When it all goes sideways, my mind returns to that day in Morro Bay. Fundamentally (and now you can perhaps get a glimpse of how Liza teases me about the use of this word . . . “Fundamentally, Eric is a pain in my ass!”)—but, yes, fundamentally, things are still as they were that day. Two people, committed to one another, committed to their family (oh, right, sorry, forgot the qualifier, their “blended” family), and committed to creating a family business. People often ask me how it all got started. I usually spin this 30 second elevator pitch type crap—we knew we wanted to start an agri-business, we wrote it all down on a piece of paper, and viola! But the real truth? It began with a walk on the beach in Morro Bay.
Well it has been a wonderful journey to watch from afar without know the intricacies of the relationship or the starting point. Thank you for sharing your journey through your words, pictures, and accomplishments. I do hope to visit the winery and enjoy a cider one day and sit quietly in the beautiful setting you guys have created with such love.