A few weeks ago, my husband and I journeyed south to the wine country of Sonoma County in California. We stayed with our friend June, now retired and a traveler and wine lover like ourselves. (She’s obviously chosen a great place to which to retire!) The evening we arrived found me catching up on some work on my laptop while June and Harry visited over a glass of vino.  I overheard Harry mentioning the Global Traveler charity auction to June, touting some of the great items on the list. Although we ourselves can’t bid, Harry likes to see what’s offered each year and keeps tabs on the bidding. He knew June had planned some upcoming trips and wanted to be sure she was aware of some potential great deals to be had which benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I thought nothing more of the moment until a few days later, when we accompanied June to an event for members of the Chateau Felice wine club. Held at the Vin Couture Lounge just off the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, club members picked up their current allocations while sipping some of the winery’s fabulous Bordeaux-style wines and chatting with winery owners Phyllis and Barry Rodgers. The two travel extensively, and Phyllis mentioned they were planning a trip to visit a cousin in Israel in the near future. Friend June immediately told them they had to check out GT‘s auction and proceeded to list several items they might be interested in, including two roundtrip tickets on EL AL to Israel. Clearly, June had heeded Harry’s advice and already looked into some of the great deals the auction offers. I was more than happy to provide Phyllis and Barry with my business card for the Global Traveler web address. It’s so nice to be associated with a great organization and features such as the auction; they really sell themselves! Be sure to check out the auction if you haven’t already (bidding closes on May 1) and get your bids in! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor