Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

Happy Labor Day! It is my wish that neither you nor I actually labor today. Hats off to the employers who have the same value system. I am always interested in the annual list of the best 100 companies in America for whom to work. The values of those employers are focused not just on competitive salaries, safe workplaces and good employment practices, but nurturing their employees and supporting them to the extent that many provide not only onsite fitness facilities, but day care as well.

Those same companies also provide leave for the father as well as the mother when there is a birth or an adoption. Maybe one day, all employers will realize that perks like these build huge loyalty from employees and lead to a satisfied, stable and productive workforce.

Take care of your SELF…

I am a regular subscriber to SELF Magazine because it is filled with really great information on health, fitness and emotional well-being with a fashion forward look. There are always success stories of women who have overcome health challenges. In the September issue, there is an excellent feature about young healthy, active women whose lives were changed by heart disease, “My heart broke”, page 146, by Marisa Cohen.

These symptoms of heart disease should send you running to your doctor:

Heart Attack:

• Tightness, pain in center of chest
• Pain in shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth, jaw or abdomen
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety, dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting or both
• Unexplained or unusual fatigue

Stroke:

• Numbness/weakness in face, arm or leg (esp. one side)
  

  Visit The American Heart Association, www.heart.org

• Trouble speaking/understanding
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Dizziness, nausea, loss of coordination
• Severe headache
• Chest pain/breathlessness

Aneurysm:

• Sudden and severe headache/pain above/behind the eye
• Weakness/paralysis on one side of the face
• Dilated pupils/changes in vision, including light sensitivity
• Nausea/vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Loss of consciousness or disorientation

Many of these symptoms are present with all three conditions. Know them and don’t take a chance.

This month’s Consumer Reports, October 2010, also has an excellent article, “Surviving a heart attack”, page 38, which includes information about aspirin for your heart. According to Dr. Steven Nissen, of the Cleveland Clinic, your best response, in addition to getting to an emergency room is to swallow an uncoated 325-milligram aspirin tablet during a heart attack or suspected one. Not a bad addition to our make-up bag.

I am a long-time subscriber to Consumer Reports and never make a major purchase without consulting either their annual yearbook you get with your subscription or their online resource. Their repair record for almost all auto makes and models goes back five or more years so when purchasing a used car, you know where to look for trouble spots.

The October issues features a guide to saving energy and one tip I think most parents can use is to turn off devices that draw power when they are in a standby mode. Video games are a major offender. Turning them completely off can save as much as $125 a year. A one-year subscription which gets you online access as well is only $29.

Join us for Christmas Markets!

If you can slip away, come join me for our wonderful Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Tour, Dec. 1-9 to Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We have 29 fun ladies from ages 30 to 78 and would love to have you come, too! If you have frequent flyer miles you may be able to use those as well and knock about $900 off the price of the trip. For details, click on TRIPS at the left!

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

If you have been reading my posts for a while you know by now that many times my (mis)adventures have been a result of my “creative” method of tackling a problem. Even as a young child, I always looked for more interesting ways to accomplish tasks. I remember one of my early inventions was a series of lawn rakes tied together that I had planned to use to triple the amount of pine straw I could collect in every swoop of the rake. Unfortunately, once tied together, the rakes would have required a 250 pound man to drag anywhere. Thus, the invention of a huge labor-saving device was thwarted.

Later on, my mother entrusted me with the highly glamorous job of cleaning the bathroom. Her cleaning product of choice was powered Ajax. After a few futile attempts to get any real action out of that powdered product, I had a brainstorm. Looking around the bathroom shelves, I commandeered bubble bath, a dab of toothpaste and a good shake of mother’s dusting powder.

I had some powerful action going, until she poked her head in the bathroom to check on my progress. Her first clue there was a problem was the mountain of bubbles flowing over the edge of the toilet. Then there was the trail of Cashmere Bouquet dusting powder across the room. I didn’t have to clean the bathroom for a while after that. Other consequences of the event have been repressed and I am still working on that with my therapist.

Unfortunately, my mother’s short-sightedness has ultimately cost us a fortune. Little did she know at the time that I had invented Scrubbing Bubbles.

I was reminded of that experience yesterday as I attempted to mop the dusty tile on my back porch. I started with a large bucket of water and a dab of dishwashing liquid with pathetic results. Ah, not enough soap, easy solution—more detergent.

This is where my plan went astray. I have always belonged to the school of, “if a little is good, a lot more is better”. This an excellent philosophy when considering things like money, chocolate, clothes and shoes—not so good with water and dish detergent.

As I dumped a large bucket filled with water and detergent onto the slick ceramic tile I quickly discovered that old slick flip flops can become powerful gliders. Actually they can become out of control powerful guiders. After a few attempts to escape the slippery slick, I resigned myself to wait it out.

Eventually, my husband wandered out of his man cave upstairs for a half-time snack. He took one look, shook his head and for the 537^th time, and rescued me. (Yes, he does keep count.)

Who’s in your family tree?

If you are interested in tracking your family history, the Internet has a wealth of information at your fingertips. For a fee, Ancestry.com, with four billion records and Genealogybank.com, a great newspaper collection, are valuable resources. The free site, Pilot.familysearch.org covers the U.S. and other countries. Read more in Allure Magazine, September 2010, from Emily Hsieh, page 104.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend and come back Monday!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

This morning I found myself pouring over the” Flavor” section of the Houston Chronicle where every recipe just sounded amazing. I should not have been hungry because at the time I was stuffing my mouth with some leftover cranberry pancakes I had stored in the freezer. Did I tell you I had topped them with fresh peaches and blueberries? I was enjoying this feast while reading the recipes and cookbook reviews and I could just taste the Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings and the Carrot Cake with Pineapple. It is the curse of being a foodie.

No matter what social scientists say, I contend that all people fall into two groups, foodies and non-foodies. It is easy to tell the two apart. Foodies love food. When they are not eating they are talking about food. When they are not talking about food, they are reading about food or watching the Food Channel, planning their menu, a trip to the grocery store or a restaurant.

Non-foodies can take or leave food. Sometimes they go so far as to forget to eat. This is a concept so foreign to me that I simply cannot even imagine how that could be possible. The only time I can think of that I might have forgotten to eat was when I was giving birth. That would make only twice in my life that I was not either eating or meal planning. As it happened, I had to have two C-sections and I do remember waking up from the anesthetic and first asking, “boy or girl?” (these were the olden days before sonograms), and then “could I please have a chocolate pie?”.

You can always tell when a non-foodie is under stress. Their weight begins to plummet and they refuse all offers of food, no matter how enticing it may be to a foodie. When a foodie is under stress, the reverse is true. Our weight begins to inch up and we become one of H.E.B.’s most popular customers. Blue Bell Creamery in particular loves us. Somewhere in our history, food and comfort were married and divorce is not even a possibility.

Unlike other opposites, we foodies embrace our non-foodie friends as we marvel at their iron will power and pathetic appetites. Besides, they are the perfect buddy with whom to share a luscious dessert because we already know, one bite and they’re done.

Movie Alert…

For those of us who love George Clooney, his latest movie The American, is getting great reviews and 3 and 1/2 stars out of 4. In it he plays an assassin who is depressed and lonely. I am never depressed or lonely watching George. Just a warning from the reviewer, this movie does contain some violence, sexual content and nudity. So I’ll be seeing you there?

Have a lovely Wednesday and come back tomorrow!

Diane

Did I tell you I was a bird watcher? These are my favorite.

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Finally, it’s Friday! The rain that was forecast never materialized and the steam heat is still with us. I have to remind myself that this humidity is really fabulous for my skin, but I really can’t see it for all the SWEAT!

Trip drastically reduced!

Drastically Reduced (not me, I wish!)

Pardon my raving about the China trip yesterday. Can you tell I am excited? Last night I received an alert that the 12-day Imperial Jewels of China trip with Viking has dropped from over $3200 to $2499. That is 3 days in Beijing, 3 days in Shanghai, and a 6 day river cruise. The hotels are the Ritz-Carltons. Wow!

Weekend Movie Alert!

You know I have been anxious to see Eat Pray Love after reading the book by Elizabeth Gilbert last year. The movie is out today and the review in theHouston Chronicle is a bit lukewarm. The author, Mick LaSalle,  found the love affair with James Franco obligatory ( please obligate me), and the section of the book where Elizabeth goes to India to deepen her studies of meditation and yoga to be pretty boring.

I can’t imagine how you would film someone really meditating and make it exciting. I don’t think meditation is exciting, if it was we would all be doing it and Elizabeth would not have had to go to India to do it.

LaSalle found the film’s spiritual insight superficial. It is superficial. It’s a movie. He says her journey toward self-acceptance, “arguably borders on solipsism.” Frankly, I was thinking the same thing about Mick, except I wasn’t quite sure what solipsism was. I don’t remember covering it in my 365 New Words a Year calendar. After much research, what he really wanted to say was that she was guilty of self-absorption. Yes, she was. Her life was turned upside down in a terrible divorce, her spouse took most of her money and her home, and her self-esteems was shot.

He does herald the arrival of Javier Bardem, hot fiance of Penelope Cruz, in Bali. He credits Julia Roberts with never being so relaxed and at home with herself. “She is a nice travel partner.”  For those of us who enjoyed the book or who are Julia Roberts fans, who love a great travelogue, or who want to escape with James Franco and Javiar, it sounds like 2 hours well spent.

This is what love looks like!

I saw Dinner for Schmucks and even though I love, love Steve Carrell, the premise is sad–making fun at the expense of people who are very different ( a blind artist/fencer, a woman who speaks to dead pets, and Steve who creates dioramas with dead mice). Paul Rudd is simply wonderful. Wait for the DVD.

For my money, the movie to see is The Kids are Alright with Julianne Moore and Annette Benning, sure to be Oscar-nominated, especially Benning. It is about a gay couple, Moore and Benning who have one child each with a sperm donor (unknown) and when the children reach 18, decide they want to meet their father (Mark Ruffalo). He enters their life and reeks havoc. He is a motorcycle-riding health-food chef and they are all changed by him. It brings to mind the following quote:

“Remember as far as anyone knows we are a nice, normal family.”– Unknown

Have a splendid weekend and come back on Monday!!

Diane–check out those TRIPS!!! (left on the page)

Good Morning Dear Reader:

If it is not 100 degrees every day where you are, I want to go there. Here in Texas, we have reached beyond the “frying an egg on the sidewalk” stage. Last night we jumped in our pool for some relief from the heat and I could have sworn it was the hot tub. About all I can say is that it was wet and very, very warm.

It is just the time for the release of a fun movie to watch indoors--Date Night is out with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. If you are like me, you already have a trip planned this weekend to seeing the opening of Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts. I loved the book and am sure the movie will be delicious as well, although possibly a girlie movie. Guys be warned.

Yesterday, I was just over the top about the September issue of Oprah Magazine, but not without reason. With the doldrums of August upon us, now more than ever, we need to be energized and positive. This issue will do it for you. There is a special offer inside for a one-year’s subscription for $15. That’s a deal. Last year’s best offer was $18, I think. Incidently, about that early Christmas shopping thing, this is one of those items that makes a great gift and when it arrives each month, it’s like another little gift from you!

Give Yourself a Mental Makeover

Dr. Phil’s column, page 78, is so spot on. We have all kinds of help to improve ourselves on the outside, but what’s on the outside is a reflection of what is going on inside, and that is where we need to begin.

1. Own Up– “We teach people how to treat us…Even if kindness is not repaid in kindness, remember no one else has the power to hijack your state of mind. Your emotions belong to you.”

2. Be a trend-spotter–Watch for patterns in  how you behave–saintly, martyr, put-upon friend. Adjust your responses and change your life.

3. Shed toxic emotions–Suffering with anger, anxiety,guilt or the  pain of betrayal? Start by doing the smallest thing you can to clear your mind of debilitating thoughts. Apologize, forgive yourself?

4.  Adjust your approach–Improve how you engage with the world and the people you love. Watch for triggers that de-rail relationships. Try on a new attitude.

5. Write a new life script--Push yourself outside your comfort zone and try new things connect with new people. It is never too late—until you are dead.

6.  Accept yourself– Love yourself enough to believe you can do better and deserve better. “If you have an internal reservoir of dignity and self-aceptance, you won’t be begging others to fill it”.

Good words from Dr. Oz

I love Dr. Oz. His TV show is just filled with great health information. Good facts to know (O Magazine, page 142)

1. Valerian Root is an ancient insomnia remedy that may have a positive effect for people struggling to get a good night’s sleep.

2.  Check your toohtpaste for sodium lauryl sulfate, which causes foaming action.  It does not contribute to the cleaning process and in some people can cause canker sores. Ouch!

3. Ask your doctor, if you are over 40, about taking 1-2 baby aspirins a day to reduce your risk of heart disease and breast and colon cancer.

Traveling soon? Sign up at Yapta.com to track airline ticket prices and possibly get refunds if prices go down.

Have a lovely day and try to stay cool!

Diane–check out The Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Tour–click on TRIPS at the left! Let’s Go!

I think carrot muffins could be considered vegetables!

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Life is back to normal or whatever that might be. Athough I am still trying to re-distribute the contents of my suitcase which miraculously doubled in New York. No, I did not shop until I dropped, in fact, quite the contrary. My only real tangible purchase was a pair of flip flops I bought because my “comfortable, but dressy tennies” had rubbed giant blisters on my heels. Obviously, the breaking-in of them was insufficient. They are still cute, but will be worn in short increments of time, with big wads of cotton stuffed in the heels leaving them looking not quite so cute after all.

Look what I did…

I want you to carefully observe the photo to my right. Not only is it of some beautiful coleus I grew, but there are actually 3 zinnias in there as evidence that some plants are determined to survive no matter how you treat them! The other thing I would like you to notice is the clever photo editing, the softening of my photo, the text on the picture and the borders. No, I have not mastered PhotoShop, and possibly never will. However, thanks to a wonderful seminar at BlogHer, I discovered the fantastic photo site, Picnik.com. It is free to use and easy to use. I mastered the basics in 10 seconds, so you know even your beagle can learn to use it. The basic services are free, but there is an upgrade for about $2 per month that allows you to get really, really fancy. For most of us, this is plenty. Try it, have fun!!

Quick, buy this issue! It is life-changing! Buy one for a friend!

Oprah really is brilliant

If you don’t subscribe to Oprah Magazine, run, don’t walk to the store and buy a copy of the September issue. I will not recycle it. I will not loan it. I will keep it forever. It has the best collection of articles to inspire and improve how we live our lives. Every article is spot on.

Even Dr. Phil, who at times I must admit, gets on my nerves (at least on TV). His column, Give Yourself a Mental Makeover, is powerful. In fact, the entire magazine is devoted to “Makeover Your Look, Your Luck, Your Life”. I started turning over corners of all the articles I found helpful and pretty soon I realized I had dog-eared more than half the magazine. I am going to share some excerpts, but you owe it to yourself to have your own copy because I can’t do justice to it because there is so much great content!

Tomorrow, I will highlight some of the articles I found to be so powerful–truly, road maps (with clear directions) for getting to where you and I want to be in our lives.

Have a great hair day anytime!

Another thing about this issue that I think is great, Oprah is wearing a darling wig. She looks fabulous and I think younger as well. I am all for wearing what I like to call “party hair”. I don’t care how fabulous your hair is, there are just days when fab is hard to find. Traveling is hard on the hair. Looking good from dawn til’ disco might be easy for some, but for the rest of us, there is not enough hair product in the world to give us good hair after 9 p.m. on a big day. That is when you pull out your “party hair” (wig) or your clip on hairpiece. Today, the wigs are light weight and very natural and the clip-ons, like Jessica Simpson’s are available in many color matches (at Ulta).

I have had great success finding my great party hair at Sherry’s Wig’s on 1960 at I-45 in Houston. If you know of other great stores, let me know and I will share.

Have a simply wonderful day!!!

Diane

Don”t forget to check out our Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Dec.  1-9. We already have some absolutely fun women going and we’d love you and your bestie to join us!!! Click on TRIPS at the left for details!

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

I know that you have wondered why I have not shared any of my recent gardening news since I was so preoccupied earlier in the summer with the growth of my garden. I’ve been nervous about planning summer vegetables since a horrible episode back in 2000 when there was a convention of grasshoppers, mealy bugs and enormous green tomato worms convened in my yard.

Naturally, in addition to the important business they had to discuss, they took frequent snack and meal breaks. I hosted those, or should I say my poor little tomato plants did.

There they were, loaded with plump green tomatoes one day and the next, something resembling green Swiss cheese. I can’t begin to tell you how long my depression lasted from the sheer trauma of it all.

My sister Janet, who could coax a walking stick into bloom, assured me that my previous tomato disaster was a one-time thing and with her counseling I would be supplying my entire neighborhood with big, juicy tomatoes. Did I tell you she also insisted I plant bell peppers and zinnias? There truly is a fool born every minute.

Yes, I planted my crop, fertilized, watered, documented, hired a sitter when I was out of town and even resorted to camouflaging the vegetables like little net Christmas trees.

Professor Tomato was shocked at the sad state of my plants

The plants’ progress was slow. It was as if I had purchased the bonsai version of real plants. When they finally began to produce little veggies, I could have sworn I heard neighboring squirrels and birds discussing them. Holes began to appear in my tiny little produce. I rescued a few but the rest mostly resembled compost.

My 5 packages of mixed zinnias which I purchased at the exorbitant cost of $1 each from Wal-Mart have produced 4 possibly 5 plants which appear to have rickets. I had no idea plants could get rickets.

I’m sure if I ever get up the courage to plant again, if there aren’t insects or bird and squirrels, there will surely be a tornado or really bad neighborhood children to assault my garden. Therefore I am tossing in the trowel. I will gladly support the efforts of neighboring farmer’s markets and my local grocers, but I will probably never get over a bad case of tomato and zinnia lust. For your sake, I just hope it’s not contagious.

Fall style watch

The summer sales are in full swing as the department and specialty stores begin to roll out their fall inventory. No matter what fashion magazine you pick up, animal prints are just the hottest thing going. From the subtle to the outrageous, they are here to stay, at least one more season. Both TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are carrying some great animal print bags. These ranged from the small at $59 to the large bag at $99. A steal for these brand names bags.

InStyle’s here for our makeover

Great bags, great prices!

The fall 2010 issue of InStyle Makeover is on the shelves and if filled with some great looks for fall, including more beauty bargains, which we love. Page 30 has some of the best.

Look for these in a drugstore near you:

Andrea Eye-Q’s Makeup Correctors–$4, a pack of pre-moistened swabs for travel to remove eye makeup.

Roux Tween Time—$6. Touch up for between color jobs so those little roots don’t show. I still worry about the visible roots that some Hollywood types are rockin’. I am pretty sure they can afford a trip to the salon. Strange.

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Treatment--$3—Be kind to your hair!

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum–$5. A silicone gloss for your hair, both light and non-greasy. One pump for fine, two for thick hair.

Have a simply lovely day!

Diane  P.S.

Don’t forget to check our our TRIPS, Come with me to Austria, Germany and Switzerland!

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

I was just minding my own business when the call came in. I had a full slate of exciting activities planned that included scrubbing the grout in my shower, sewing buttons on the assorted 16 garments I own that are held together by safety pins and removing food from my pantry with expiration dates older than 1997. Pressing, I know. But when the president of our country picks up the phone asks a favor, how I can say no?

Undoubtedly, B.O. (he said I could call him that) has heard that I grew up on the gulf coast and have a special understanding of that area. He said he just was not sure that he was getting accurate information about what was going on down there and he needed someone who would just tell it like it is. He probably reads my blog.

So I put down my grout brush, packed a bag, okay two or three bags, a dozen or so magazines, some snacks ( you never know when you might have a snack attack and be without), my laptop, several adorable hats (the humidity on the beach just reeks havoc with bad hair) and a week’s supply of Cherry Coke Zero (not every store stocks it).

I thought Air Force One might be picking me up, but B.O. said that Oprah needed a ride to dinner so I was on my own. It’s just as well. When I am doing my investigative reporting I like to fly under the rader, so to speak.

Yes, I am roughing it.

My first stop is Biloxi, but I decided to forgo the ostentatious Beav Rivage and stay at the ever so sedate Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. I was afraid that I might have to rough it in such austere surroundings but I was gratified to find not only Ben, but Jerry nestled right next to Starbucks on the second floor. I am in Nirvana. I also found my sister, Janet, whose husband Steve just happened to be speaking here at a conference. Funny, I never noticed it before, but Ben and Jerry look an awful lot like us.

Ben and Jerry look strangely familiar...

Just be yourSELF!

I just picked up the August issue of SELF Magazine and as ever, it is filled with so many great articles about health, beauty and wellness. They have a fabulous offer, 12 issues for $12, plus $3 shipping and you get a cute tote as well!

Here are a few nuggets:

According to a study at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, people who drank chamomile extract every day for two months experienced less anxiety. According to the report, chamomile’s flavonoids may reduce your body’s production of stress hormones. Having a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime may be just the ticket for a great night’s sleep.

People with the highest intake of vitamin K have a 45% lower risk for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The study from the Mayo Clinic of Medicine in Rochester, Minessota suggest eating more leafy veggies like spinach and other greens.

If you suffer with migraines, you may want to try a simple remedy before resorting to drugs. In a recent study,  more than 50% of the subjects tested found that Aspirin eased the pain.

Sunset on Lake Travis, so beautiful I had to share!

Have a lovely evening!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

It is finally Friday and I hope for you it is a lovely, long holiday weekend. In addition to lots of Fourth of July celebrations and  fireworks shows, this weekend signals the beginning of serious swim wear sales as the stores make room for coats, and fall ensembles. Even if you dread the prospect of trying on those swimsuits, you pretty much have to own one to get into the pool, ocean or lake. And who can say “no” when the prices hit 75% off? Certainly not me. The great price dampens the pain of the dressing room trauma. Heck, isn’t that why they invented beach cover-ups? They’ll be on sale, too!

The secrets to longevity

I was fascinated by an article in The Dallas Morning News about Jeanne Calment, a French woman who was born in 1875 and died in 1997 at age 122. She was confirmed to be the longest living human ever recorded. In addition to having great genes, Calment had some remarkable milestones in her life:

1. She met Vincent van Gogh when she was 13.

2.  She took up fencing at 85.

3.  She quit smoking when she was 120.

4.  She released a spoken CD accompanied by a rap and hip hop artist just two days before her 121st birthday.

We can draw some interesting conclusions from the life of Jeanne Calment:

1.  It’s never too late to try something new.

Try new things, in case they don't work out, make sure insurance is paid up.

2.  Be open to meeting new and different people, even if they only have one ear and appear to be a bit off-kilter.

3.  Just because you have never been athletic, keep looking for a sport that suits you. Who knows, the Jamaican luge team might be right for you.

4.  Maybe some of your “bad habits” aren’t so bad after all. Smoking may be the exception. We don’t all have Jeanne’s genes!

5. Keep up with what’s hot, stylish and hip,it will keep you young (maybe not in body, but in spirit).

Let’s go to the movies!

Outside the rain is pouring down and the prospects for the weekend are not so good, which is a great prescription for a trip to the movies. Here’s a mini-report from The Dallas Morning News’ media critic, Tom Maurstad:

Cyrus: A- Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly, a mix of creepy and comic and a romance thwarted by Tomei’s character’s son, Cyrus.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: B+ the third in the trilogy. More vampire action and a werewolf pack.

The A Team: D, Many attractive stars, lots of action, most of which may make no sense ( my own interpretation of review).

The Back-Up Plan: C+, Jennifer Lopez, artificial insemination, and romantic complications. Not the worst you’ve ever seen.

Knight and Day: C+, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, action/romance, mayhem.

Letters to Juliet: B+, “Charming romantic comedy is a shimmering tribute to the glories of both true love and the Italian countryside.”

Killers: D, Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. “Killers has neither suspense nor laughs.”

Growns Ups: D, “Sentimental meets stupid.”

Get him to the Greek: B+, “A cut above the average dumb comedy”.  Probably if you liked The Hangover, you’ll find this one funny.

Robin Hood: C-, a prequel, “grim and gritty lesson in 13th century British history”, that we might need, if we slept though history class. Not sure if we will see Russell in Crowe in tights or not.

Sex and the City: B-, Lots of fabulous clothes, fabulous lifestyles, “snarky-sweet sisterhood”–so what’s not to like?

Shrek Forever After: A-, “Fall in love with him all over again”.

Toy Story 3: A, but you already knew that.

Have a smashing Fourth! Please come back on Monday!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

I hope this post finds you in good spirits and at a good place in your life. Having my baby sister with me this week has been a true “upper”. I don’t think there is a drug on the market that can duplicate the joy that comes from spending time with those you have loved all your life, be they spouse, family or just good friends.

In our case, frequently that joy deteriorates into extreme silliness. Pity those in our company who have to endure us, my apologies to all. You cannot imagine the fun we have had with the bounty from her garden, especially “Professor Tomato”.  He has enjoyed some amazing scenarios since we discovered him.

Today, as he continues to ripen, we imagine he spent too much time by the pool, not marinading in quite enough sunscreen (he prefers vinegar).  Or consider the shock he experienced when we asked if would introduce a recipe in this blog for SALSA? I can’t even begin to describe his reaction.

Last night on the news I saw a piece about the tourists fleeing  Cancun in the wake of Hurricane Alex. They all appeared to be distressed and upset that their vacation was interrupted, except for the 9 women who have been best friends since high school. Even forced to rent a car, drive to Brownsville to catch a flight back to Houston, they were upbeat, smiling and I’m pretty sure there was a party going on all the way home.  It’s the only way to go.

Good advice from Vogue

When I think of Vogue magazine, I think of fashion, celebrity features, the social register, and interesting interviews. The July issue has a remarkable article on page 130, Wake-up Call about the dangers of cell phones by Nick Knight.

Knight recounts purchasing a new phone and while reading the instructions is amazed to discover that they recommend holding the phone away from the ear and avoiding letting it touch the head as well as reducing the time spent on calls. Shocked by such a recommendation, his research leads to the following discoveries.

One of the biggest issues is the amount of radiation that cell phones emit and the fact that FCC standards for safety were established in 1982 and updated last in 1999. A 2008 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer showed that people who used cell phones regularly for ten years had an increased risk of developing a brain cancer, called glioma, on the side of the head they used most with their phone.

In Israel, research connected cell phone use to a 50-60% greater risk of salivary gland cancer.

Children using cell phones are particularly at risk because of their thinner skulls and longer lifetime of exposure versus adults.

What can you do to protect yourself and your family?

1. Text instead of calling.

2. Use the speaker phone. Even the Bluetooth headset and an ear piece with a cord all still transmit radiation, even if less than the phone to your ear.

3. If your phone has poor service, it is struggling to make the connection and thus emitting more radiation (rural areas are more prone to this issue). A protective cover can also impede service.

4. Check your phone’s radiation emission level on the Environmental Working Group’s Website  ( www.erg.org). There is a big difference in phones.

5. Don’t carry your cell phone in your pocket or on your belt, emission can impact your internal organs, and for some men reduce sperm count.

The complete report as well as a listing of cell phones and their emission levels from best to worst are on the web site:

www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone

Be safe and have a lovely day!

Diane