It’s a beautiful thing when life comes full circle. My first year of teaching first grade (I’ve taught fifteen years in second) and I kept thinking of my beloved first grade teacher, Mrs. Lane. It is such a coincidence that Mrs. Lane found herself in my new first grade classroom at the beginning of this school year. Her …
Classic Mad Men Cocktails
Cocktails have been an essential element of Mad Men from season one. Mad Men has made classic cocktails come back in fashion. Entertaining in the 60’s often featured cocktails, not wine. When Julia Child published “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 1961, that was about the time Americans became interested in wine. There weren’t …
LakeCities Ballet Theatre presents, Le Ballet de Dracula: A Ballet with a Bite
Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel, Dracula has inspired LakeCities Ballet in their ninth production of Le Ballet de Dracula. Dracula is gruesome, scary, bloody…just in time for Halloween! My daughter and I enjoyed Le Ballet de Dracula so much last year that we couldn’t wait to see it again. This year, we opted for the …
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The Evil Eye: A Lucky Charm
Nobody has more evil eye charms dangling from their pot rack, key chains, doorways, rear-view mirrors and necklaces than a Turk. My sister-in-law Jeyhan is Turkish. We have a few evil eye charms that she has given us that we proudly display in our home…they are our lucky charms. The evil eye is said to …
Juliet & Romeo: a cocktail with kisses for Juliet’s birthday
September in Verona, Italy is when the town celebrates Juliet Capulet’s birthday. Hundreds of years ago, Shakespeare made Verona famous with his play, Romeo and Juliet that was based on the life of two real young lovers who both died for each other and lived in Verona in 1303. People go to Verona to gaze …
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Bougainvilleas Bloom Best in Texas during Indian Summer
My parents have green thumbs. Right now, their bougainvillea runneth over in a sea of magenta and salmon. It’s Indian summer in Texas and bougainvilleas are getting their second wind. These beautiful plants love warm weather and if they’re heavily watered in summer and fed (bougainvillea food) then they can bloom several times year-round. It seems …
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Misty Copeland: Bringing diversity to classical ballet like a Firebird
Before Misty Copeland, there hadn’t been a black soloist at the American Ballet Theater for twenty years. She is only the third in the history of ABT to achieve soloist status. Misty is the first black woman in history to play Stravinsky’s Firebird for a major ballet company. In her new book, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, she shares …
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Many Happy Returns to my Dad!!
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust This is my Dad…a charming gardener who takes care of his trees and makes all those he comes in contact with, smile. Isn’t he the cutest little boy? I think he looks …
Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes
What is it that makes Rosemary Beach so unforgettable? It is a combination of many things…the sound of flip flops on the wooded boardwalks that lead to pathways connecting to pools, playgrounds, greens, tennis courts and fitness activites, the feel of the salty breeze when your toes touch the turquoise water, a bicycle ride to …
My Morning Swim: Peggy Weiss
Peggy Weiss is a photographer and collage artist from Midland, Texas. I’ve only met her once but heard lots about her from my Dad who grew up with her. They recently celebrated their 50th High School reunion and my parents told me about her work. When I saw “My Morning Swim” photographs, I thought that they …
Besame Mucho: Blue Ribbon Basset Hound
The last few months, we’ve been noticing that our fourteen-year old basset hound, Besame Mucho, has been looking extra elderly. Her once black head is now completely grey. She can’t see or hear anymore but still has her super sense that basset hounds are known for…smell! She is always appreciative for a big doggie bone and …
Many Happy Returns to my Mom!!
Happy Birthday Coco! One of my funniest memories of my mom was when we went to a drive through for lunch one day. I think it must have been quite the day because we stopped at the first window, paid…then bypassed the second window and FORGOT our lunch! I remember my mom asking me to …