Desert Magnolia

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. Some of my friends go absolutely bonkers over it, and begin planning costumes in early summer. I'm not one of them, and chuckle when I think of some of the costumes I've donned in my life. As a kid I usually went the pirate, hobo, and gypsy route. Later on, though, well, things started to get a little sillier. There was the year I went as a Hershey's kiss. Seriously. Complete with chocolate 'perfume'. Now that was something...brown Danksin leotard from head to toe, kiss foil 'body' with a big hoop at the bottom so it really looked like a kiss shape, white tab sticking out the top. It was hilarious. Hard to go to the bathroom, but somehow I managed..and I giggled when everyone started craving chocolate if they stood by me for more than a minute. That chocolate extract I used as perfume brought out the chocolate hound in the best of 'em. Dolly Parton was next. Blonde wig,  gold lame sleeveless vest and fl...

Each day of the week holds significance. Monday is all about getting back into the swing of things after cursing the alarm and dragging out of a very warm, comfortable bed. Tuesday is about celebrating the fact that Monday is over, and actually attacking the monstrous To Do list that Monday's organizational frenzy produced. Wednesday, well, it's about taking a breath in the middle of the chaos and knowing that at the end of the business day, the week will be more than half over. And continuing the momentum that finally occurred late Tuesday morning and must continue through late Friday. Thursday. For me, Thursday is special. It's the day I treat myself to a chocolate steamer with an espresso shot from the Grove, a treat I savor all morning long, often accompanied by an apple somewhere around 10 a.m. I rewarm my drink around then, too, since it's not quite as piping hot as it should be to warm my core and preserve the deeply warm dark chocolate yumminess. Tonig...

It's getting chilly out, which means it's time to break out the boots. Not the sissy, high heeled Steve Maddens, or the cool, saucy Kenneth Coles. I'm talkin' cowboy boots. My Western roots are showing, aren't they? Good. I like that about myself. I also like boots. A lot. Don't get me wrong, I own the high-heeled pretty black boots and the saucy tan Kenneth Coles and the warm sheepskin lined boots that everyone loves so much, too. But cowboy boots, well, they just do something to a girl. They make you work, just to get them on. But when your foot slides nicely into a perfectly broken-in, glovelike boot, it feels like home. 'Ahhh!', you're tempted to say. Or I am, anyway. They bestow instant attitude. I have never donned my Tony Lama cowhides without assuming just a bit of the badass.  I think I like the badass from time to time. Maybe the attitude has to do with the tight jeans I always wear with my boots. Maybe it's to do with the sw...

Dating, as my friends who are out there playing the game insist, is not for wimps. Whether you're trolling via your friend network, or utilizing the worldwide 'web, the process is fraught with silliness. So my friend J is going out tonight. To dinner.  With an engineer her friends introduced her to at a wedding they all attended recently. Safe meeting ground, and good references since it was real friends and not some online service or scam 'vouching' for the guy. She feels good about this upcoming dinner, thinks the guy actually has a pretty good sense of humor (I did NOT say 'for an engineer' cuz that wouldn't be very nice). There's only one problem. She's letting him pick her up. She never does this. See, she needs a way to escape..just in case things get dicey, which, as it turns out, they can do with no warning. Turns out by the time he'd had her confirm her address, she was too deep in to back away without seeming rude. J is intensely ...

Science and technology have been good for wedding planning. How do I know this? Well, last week our very good friend KD married. A really nice man. With a big, loud family. And the normal complement of madness. They've worked hard at this relationship. The love has always been there. The logistics, politics, practical considerations and emotions surrounding harmoniously blending families have played into the whole equation. More than once. The bride? Stunning in a princess like eggplant lace dress. Gorgeous. Her blonde hair was arranged in  a soft updo, with pincurls in the back. Sooo pretty. The ceremony? In a lovely Catholic church with small stained glass windows. The light came through and created an absolutely gorgeous glow in the entire church. Vows, were a nice mix of traditional and modern. Short, with a mass. Serenity and joy and calm infused us all. The serenity piece was, for me, unexpected. See, Daughter got injured in a soccer game earlier in the day. A knee in...

Conference was an absolute success. Presenters, well, they were world class. Networking, awesome. Weather...well, all I can say is Really? Are you kidding me? 80 degrees on average, with spikes to 90. Humidity always. Wind (does Scirocco mean anything to you guys? Why did I spend time on my hair anyway???) seems to kick up at will. Speaking of hair and stuff, I figured out what to wear. Went with the cool lacy blouses, jeans, heels for at night, and more professional skirts and tops during the day. Seemed to work fine except it's 90 outside and 62 in the buildings. Eek! Final day, though, tops it all.  Lance Armstrong was receiving a humanitarian award for his work promoting cancer awareness and research. The presentation was heart rending and beautiful, his presentation, and how he shared his story, well, humbling is the best way to describe that. Made me want to shelve all of my petty complaints and look for a greater cause besides the cause of moi to focus upon. Go Lanc...

It's suppose to be in the 80's during the day, and only in the 70's at night. It's humid. I'm not sure what to pack. For once I'm attending a conference instead of having a booth at the tradeshow and networking that way. It's going to be good...to be in the classroom, listening to what people are caring about now. I look forward to it. But I'm spending way too much time worrying about whether jeans are too hot, capris are too cliche, clogs are passe, should I just go with a theme and be done with it, and all that crap. Seriously, you'd think I have better things to waste mental energy on, right? Apparently not so much.

Italian cuisine is replete with masterpieces. Any of the piccatas or marsalas or parmigianas are enough to send you right over into culinary bliss. Northern or Southern recipes, they're remarkable for either their richness or their freshness or their robust combination of seasonings. Since our tomatoes have been going completely bonkers, we've been making caprese salads-a taste sensation of their very own. Love the wonderful sweet tomato and fresh mozzarella slices, spicy chopped and whole leaf basil, all topped with a little kosher salt, pepper, a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. Freshness on a plate, and with a bit of crustini or garlic bread, you've got yourself dinner. And it's a dish that shows beautifully, so it's great to take to dinner parties. My guiltiest pleasure among the Italian choices would have to be Osso Buco topped with garlicy gremolata. Couple that with a lovely, deep and hearty red Italian wine, maybe a Barbera,  and culinary heaven await...