Good Morning Dear Reader:

It may be raining outside but inside it’s all sunshine. Attitude is the key! I love this quote:

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Herm Albright

Last night we saw the most delightful play ever, Harvey. It is at the Alley Theatre in Houston and runs through May 9 with Saturday and Sunday matinees. Although the Pulitzer Prize winning play was written during World War II, it is timeless comedy and the cast is just fantastic.( My husband, not a big lover of live theater, laughed louder than anyone!)

Elwood P. Dowd has an imaginary friend, a six-foot white rabbit named Harvey. It infuriates his sister who resides with him and her twenty-something daughter, who is convinced that her marriage chances are lost because of her deranged uncle. They plot to institutionalize Elwood and chaos erupts. This is a play that everyone in the family can enjoy together–so rare! Tickets on Tuesday and Sunday evenings are $21. AlleyTheatre.org

Sorry, this is as close as I can come to Harvey!

My favorite Elwood quote:

“I wrestled with reality for forty years, and I am happy to state that I finally won out over it.”

Help is on the Way!

A dear reader and friend, Frances, sent much helpful advice for yard dilemna. She recommends for weed control American Brands Weed and Grass Stopper, herbicide granules you sprinkle in flowerbeds where you do not want weeds to grow. Wait 3 weeks before introducing bedding plants to that area. This is ac cheaper, generic version of Preen.

On the mom front, Frances also has some great ideas for those mothers who don’t seem to need or want anything. She has found some lovely food gifts that would please anyone. These are some of her favorites:

CarolinaCookies.com

Sunnylandfarms.com

PetitJeanMeats.com (Also has delicious candy and nuts)

WildbirdFarms.com (Fredricksburg jams and jellies)

I can also recommend Harry and David for great fruit baskets and their Moose Munch.

Keep those great ideas coming!

Beautiful flowers are always welcome. Danell's Gifts & Florals are great!

Another Reader Weighs in!

My good bud, Molly, reports great diet success (and don’t we want to know about that!) when she joined her two daughters and eight or so friends in a weight loss challenge. They each put money in a pot and set a time limit for their challenge. They had progress reports noting weigh loss as well as inches. Much to her surprise, Molly took home the prize and lost the most weight to boot!

This reinforces what I have always believed and that is if we work together and are there for each other, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. She also highly recommends the Weight Watcher Scale for measurement of weight, body mass index (BMI) and fat composition. ( Note to spouse: Do not buy me this for my birthday, please. I am depressed enough.)

Drink up!

Last night while sipping a glass of champagne at the theatre, I was reminded that the British Journal of Nutrition reported that drinking champagne daily may reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes thanks to polyphenols. By the way, one glass is sufficient! (Self Magazine, May 2010)

Talk About Ridiculous!

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports that people who took 30 minutes to eat a bowl of ice cream created more fullness hormones than those who ate faster. Pray tell me, who do you know that takes a half an hour to eat a bowl of ice cream? OK, maybe if that bowl  is a mixing bowl, but otherwise, it would all be melted. This is just sick. (Self Magazine, May 2010)

Have A Simply Splendid Weekend!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

I normally pride myself on my fine proofreading skills, but yesterday I really blew it. I was so proud of my minor kitchen triumph with my Sweet Chili Salmon that I neglected to note that one of the key ingredients in the recipe was grated ginger, not grated finger. For those of you who know me well, grated finger is more likely to be found in my kitchen than ginger! I will try to do better!

What Was I Thinking?

I was so delighted when my precious little birds returned to my yard. They eat offending insects and are so much fun to watch out my kitchen window. It appears I may have made a huge tactical error recently.

When I was at Lowe’s procuring their favorite sunflower chips I was inspired to buy two kinds of tomato plants and both green and red bell peppers. I has occurred to me that in a matter of weeks my precious birds will discover that my plants are producing cute little red and green appetizers. This was certainly not what I had in mind as I visualized a bumper crop of summer vegetables.

Soon to be appetizers!

I know what he's thinking!

Yesterday, I caught a cardinal anxiously studying my little garden space. Short of relocating a cot to the yard, any suggestions for saving my birds and my produce? This is of course assuming that the dreaded Black Thumb of mine doesn’t eliminate the issue.

Fashion Alert!

I’m always watching the magazines and fashion reports to keep you alerted to the hot fashion news. We do want to be on the leading edge. The Houston Chronicle today has almost half a page devoted to what’s hot . Ho-Hum. It’s denim. Don’t we already have a lot of denim like jackets, shirts, 5 kinds of jeans or at least a couple of pair we live in?

What I do think is a great trend is the boyfriend jacket. It is basically a blazer, traditionally cut, worn with jeans. It could be a jacket from a suit in your closet or one you borrowed from a son or husband. Sometimes the sleeves are turned up to reveal the lining, but otherwise, it is very simple and smart. Recycle one your have or pick up one. They are in all the stores this season.

Check Out Talbots!

I just got the new summer catalog from Talbot’s and I must say it is one of the best looking of any of the summer clothing catalogs. They have added some darling details to simple knit shirts, skirts and cotton cardigans.

One of the cutest new accessories is a fabric belt that reverses to a different pattern in the same color family. It is worn with jeans, shorts and skirts. That one accessory with khaki or something very plain can really dress it up. If you sew, you can whip out a dozen!

Tomato Soup base can be sodium filled!

Watch Out for the Salt!

The Institute of Medicine is calling for better labeling and reduction of salt (sodium) in prepared foods to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Americans eat an average of 3,400 milligrams of salt a day( 1 and 1/2 teaspoons). 1500 milligrams or 3/4 tsp. is recommended. Most is hidden in processed meats, tomato juice (340-1040), tomato soup (700-1250), salad dressing (110-505), pretzels, 1 oz. (290-560), frozen pizza, plain, 4 oz. (450-1200). Boar’s Head makes some great low salt versions of their deli ham and turkey and they taste just great!

Always taste your food before adding additional salt. It may not need any.

Have a Great, Healthy Day!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

This past weekend I remembered to buy seed for my bird feeder. We have been out for several weeks and I am sure our name is mud with the cardinals, not to mention the wrens and finches. You know how important it is to be thought of well by your neighbors. Today the birds are singing a different song–a happy one!

After spending more hours than I can count pulling out sprouted bird seed under my feeder in the flower bed, I bought shelled sunflower chips. They don’t sprout and in the bird world, they are caviar. Our feeder is the Tony’s of the bird world. At some point we may have to start taking reservations when the greedy ones start shoving the smaller ones off the perch, but for now its just the place to be.

Color Me Confused

I know I have told you about my difficulties in choosing paint colors. The fact that there are as many as 75 different shades of beige at Lowe’s alone is enough to depress anyone. I don’t even want to talk about white. The May issue of Martha Stewart Living is devoted to color. If you are thinking about painting anything in your home in the near future, you need to buy this issue.

Beginning on page 130 are 18 color samples of some of the loveliest shades of paint I have ever seen. All are muted–neutrals with a hint of color. Every major paint brand is represented (in all your favorite colors) and you know where to go find that exact color as well as how it looks on a wall, a lamp shade, a mirror. Better Homes and Gardens did something similar several months ago and I am holding on to that issue as well. When the time comes to paint, I’ll be ready!

Save the Trees–Use a Sponge!

There has been a lot of concern over the amount of bacteria that accumulates on kitchen sponges. To prevent the growth of bacteria on them either toss them in your dishwasher with each load or wet them and put them in the microwave for one minute on high, once a day.

They are Prickly But Good!

Artichokes are in season and I love them! I found them at HEB for less than a dollar apiece. While you can boil them for approximately 20 minutes to cook, I prefer to cook them in the microwave. Wash well and using a serrated knife, slice off the top one inch, cutting straight across the artichoke’s pointed leaves.

Then, I take a pair of kitchen shears and clip the top off the pointed tops of the remaining leaves so you have no stickers! Be sure the bottom is sliced flat so it will sit up and place in a cereal bowl and add about 1/2 cup of water with a little salt and lemon juice (1 tsp). I also rub the cut surfaces with the lemon. Cover with waxed paper or a paper towel.

Microwave from 5-6 minutes on high. If it is small, 5 is plenty. When done, the leaves should pull out easily. Serve with creamy Italian salad dressing as a dip or use mayo diluted with Italian dressing and lemon juice. Delish!

Have a beautiful day!!!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

Yesterday I rushed out and bought Mother’s Day cards hoping to get a jump on my preparation for such a special day. So now I am flush with great cards and not much else. Flowers and plants are two favorites of both my mom and my mother-in-law so I know I cannot go wrong there. But I would like to be a little bit original this year.

Movie Moms

For mothers who are movie lovers, it is a banner week. Just out on video today, is It’s Complicated with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, possibly my favorite movie this year. Also out are Avatar, Leap Year (Romantic comedy with Amy Adams), Sherlock Holmes (non-stop action with Robert Downey, Jr.), Up in the Air (Drool, George Clooney) and Crazy Heart with Academy Award Winner Jeff Bridges. Truly, there is a movie for everyone this week!

If you have brilliant ideas for mother’s gifts, please share as many readers will be racking their brains for that special woman in their life. I gave up buying my mom beautiful gowns and robes because she would always put them in the bottom drawer for, “when I have to go to the hospital”. Those doctors are in store for quite the fashion show.

I cooked!

Major news blast–I cooked this weekend. Yes, I do cook something everyday, but it doesn’t always classify as something to brag about. Hardly anyone raves, “Oh my gosh, what a sandwich! Those nachos are just amazing! How did you ever create this oatmeal?’”. See what I mean?

With the help of my good friends at Bon Appetit I made quite a delicious Salmon with sweet chili glaze. And I’m sharing this horribly complex dish.

Using about a 1 and 1/2 lb. salmon filet, dry well and place in a glass dish. Make marinade using 1/4 sup of Asian or Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce ( I use low sodium) and 1 tablespoon of finely grated finger. Mix ingredients well and pour 1/2 over the fish. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. At this point you can broil for 6-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish or cook outdoors on the grill. Use the remainder of the marinade to spoon over fish as it cooks. Delicious!

I Ate!

You were worried weren’t you? Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who has ever in her entire life forgotten to eat. I might forget my phone number, where I parked my car at the mall or that I seriously needed to buy gas, but never do I forget to eat.

I am working on eating a healthy, tasty lunch and my go to staple is the the line of great variety tunas from Bumble Bee and Starkist. I love the Tomato Basil in BB and Starkist’s Herb and Garlic. Serve 1/2 container over your favorite lettuce or greens, add a handful of cherry or other tomatoes, 1/2 an avocado and about one tablespoon of Italian dressing–just divine.

And see how pretty it is? I know what you’re thinking…does she really use a cloth napkin? Of course not. It is part of my food styling. One day I may grow up to be Martha Stewart! Or not! There are worse goals.

Have a Martha Stewart Day–alphabetize your cleaning products,

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

These are not what's popping up in my flowerbeds!

It is another beautiful day just filled with the promise of great things, but not in my yard! I have already tip-toed through the dewy flower beds and snatched out giant handfuls of offensive weeds this morning. I am sorry to say that I am finally ready to toss in the trowel.

I have just this moment placed an emergency call to Mr. Good Lawn for help. He told me to “get in line”. He assured me that we would have a consultation later this week and he would let me know if my yard CPR was going to cost me the equivalent of a IPad or a mortgage payment. I wonder if he accepts old gold jewelry?

On the bright side, it was a magnificient weekend for hair. My hair magician, Sylvia (I call her that because she has nothing to work with yet she continues to make me look reasonably presentable when I visit) gave me a new product to try for volumizing those 6 stands of hair. Get ready for this. It is called Healing Style Powder Up Texturizer by Lanza.

It is a fine powder that you just sprinkle in very lightly underneath sections and miraculously, they stay up. As if that was not enough, another good friend found a hair miracle of her own, Big, Sexy Hair Spray. I tried that in combo with my Healing Style. At a social event on Saturday, tall people had to arch their necks to look over my hair, it was so big. And on Sunday, it was still BIG!

I would be getting the BIG head, but I know that when I wash it today, it will be little hair.  But when she needs to, Cinderella knows where to find the good stuff–and now my friends, you do too!

Big Sale Alert!

If you have any plans to replace some of your kitchen appliances, run don’t walk to your nearest Sears store. Our kitchen at the little lake casita is in serious need of a makeover. I think some of the dials on the stove  are written in ancient Greek. Sears’ Kenmore brand is GE in disguise and if you read Consumer Reports you know that most are rated #1 or at least in the top 3-5 brands in every category.

Until May 1st, their dishwashers, ovens, cooktops, microwaves and other appliances are on sale. The ovens, cooktops and microwaves are 30% off. That is a huge savings since most are over $2000. Don’t wait!

Yum-Yum in a Jar!

At a great fundraiser last week for our YMCA, I had a chance to taste some wonderful Italian foods by RAO’s Homemade of New York. Our HEB and Central Market stock their products, which truly taste homemade. What I loved most were their jarred Roasted Peppers either with portabello mushrooms or with golden raisins and pine nuts. These are sweet red bell peppers, not hot peppers.

They are delicious to serve at a party as an appetizer with crackers or bruschetta, on an antipasto platter, grilled pannini, or with a pasta. The 12 oz. jars are about $7.00 but will go a long way and the taste is divine, especially the variety with raisins and pine nuts. Do try them!

For a less expensive treat, try Mt. Olive Marinated Roasted Peppers, 12 oz. around $2 and add your own ingredients. They are darn tasty, too!

It’s Monday, don’t let it be ordinary !

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Storms have hit the South and appear to be heading our way with weather so inclement as to force me to abandon weekend plans for major overhaul of flowerbeds exploding with giant weed intruders. Oh woe is me. Whatever will I do?

Oh, possibly I should drown my sorrows at the movies! What a splendid idea. And how convenient! I have been dying to see Date Night because: I love Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, I am a sucker for a romantic comedy and I really love eating popcorn in the dark with a giant Diet Coke. The only way it could be possibly any better is if I had some m&m’s to go with it. Weekend dilemma solved.

Since we are talking about one of my favorite subjects–movies, I must recommend Whip It. It got positive reviews when it came out and I wanted to see it but just never got there. It’s out on DVD now and so worth renting. Drew Barrymore directs and has a minor role, but Ellen Page, of Juno fame, is the real star.

The story is sweet and funny and the acting and action are all great. Lots of humor and girls kicking each other’s butt in the roller rink. It all reminds me of the last time I went roller skating. It was a church party and I remember mostly lurching around the rink while clutching the rail periodically. Two adults in our group fell and broke their arms. I haven’t been to a rink since. This movie has all the thrills and none of the pain.

Speaking of movies, Chris Rock, who is soooooooooo funny, has been on all the talk shows promoting his movie, Death at a Funeral. Not only are the reviews terrible, the same movie was made about two years ago in England, with the exact same title and story, and played well here. It is hilarious. I saw it last year on DVD and if you liked Four Weddings and a Funeral or Best in Show or have any sense of humor at all, you will find it funny and entertaining. Rent that one and save your movie $$$.

I was going to insert a great picture of me in a pair of jeans, but no such photo exists!

Jeans Alert!

I have been a fan of Tim Gunn since I first saw him on Project Runway. He has possibly the best taste in America in fashion and is a great mentor to all the fledgling designers on Runway. He writes a monthly advice column for Marie Claire and this month one of the questions he addresses is how to buy jeans when your top is one size and your bottom is a size (or two) larger. It is the issue that most women face.

Gunn’s solution:  Try a low-rise jean that falls straight in the leg–not flared or tapered from the widest part of the hips. “The low rise mitigates the size difference between the wider hips and the smaller waist. Wear a top that either drapes over the waistband or is tucked in.” Two brands that sell this type jean, The Gap, $59.50 and Michael (Michael Kors) $69.50.

Make it a great weekend no matter what you do!

Definitely not from my yard!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

I am once again back at home and while it is sweet, it is not so neat. As always, when I packed for my trip I left behind a trail of rejected clothing, shoes, books and other assorted items that did not make the 50 pound limit.

I like to follow the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared”.  You never know when you will need a ball gown, galoshes, windproof umbrella, outfit for high tea, sun hat, swimsuit and flippers. I had to make some really tough wardrobe choices and leave behind a lot of really good stuff.

In my absence, they remained in exactly the same place where I left them. Some were piled on a table in my office (the room where everyone puts anything that they don’t know what to do with) and the rest stacked not so neatly on a chair in my bedroom.

While I was gone, undoubtedly there was a huge massacre because there must be about 25 loose shoes on the floor of my closet that appear to have lost their partners.  I must investigate further.

Look what I grew!

I dreaded coming home to some enormous weeds which I never got around to pulling before I left. This morning when I went outside, I had a lovely surprise. The amaryllis that were just buds when I left are in full bloom and look so lovely. I have done nothing to nurture them other than just stick them in the ground and ignore them. I believe I have finally found my kind of plant!

It’s Earth Day!

Today there will be lots of good information about how to recycle and go green at home and shop green. I learned a lot from my mother about recycling. She never used a piece of aluminum foil that she didn’t wash off and reuse again, unless it was burnt to a crisp.

When we discovered you could buy plastic bags, she bought them, used them, washed them over and over until they just wore out. We saved rubber bands, string, wrapping paper, bows, empty glass jars and coffee cans. We mulched with pine straw and grew our own vegetables in the back yard. Vinegar and baking soda were regular household cleaning products.

My parents lived through the depression and remembered vividly when sugar, coffee and nylon hose were either rationed or unavailable. Mother always treated her hose with such care and I am sure somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered when she had none.

We have been blessed with such plenty. In fact, looking around right now, I have “too much” plenty. I am going to tackle my closets and recycle those things I really don’t love and don’t wear to someone who needs them. I read recently that one way to save the earth is to shop and sell on E-bay because we are re-using what already exists.

There is a great book available at Amazon.com for $10.07, paperback, Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life by Gail Blanke.  (You can click on the title and read more/or order.) She tells you that if you can toss clothes and let go of the “need to be right” you can change your life and get rid of the clutter that blocks success. Then she give you instructions on how to really “let go”.

The Weekend is Coming…Toss Something!

Here's another beauty! I must buy more and ignore!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

I have discovered the vacuum cleaner is a great child rearing tool.

I think that it must be the curse of parents of young children to discover that even though they are college-educated, intelligent adults, after having children they can’t finish anything–including a………sentence (there I did it).

In some cases it is just a matter of fatigue, but in others, it is about:

a.  rescuing a child from near disaster (collapse of sofa cushion castle)

b.  supplying emergency chocolate milk, “hot, please”

c.   crawling under the bed to find missing McQueen or Mater (only true Cars fans can appreciate this one

d.  recognizing a possible potty emergency before it happens.

Attempting to watch an entire TV program is simply fool-hardy. If you wait until the little ones are in bed, your own personal coma begins to set in as soon as you are still for 10 minutes.

I know from personal experience. I have been trying to see the entire movie, State of Play, with Russell Crowe. Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams. It is completely engrossing, a real who-done-it with lots of twists and turns.

While putting the kids to bed, I missed the first 15 or so minutes of the movie. Then I fell asleep just as it was getting really scary. The next night, I saw the beginning of the movie and darn, if I didn’t fall asleep in the same place. There is Russell Crowe being chased in an underground garage in the dead of night by a homicidal killer! Snore alert.

Last night I was determined. I turned it on right in the middle and actually saw the end. I don’t remember hearing much about it when it came out, but if you like a good thriller with plot twists, this one’s for you. I only hope it doesn’t take you three nights to see it all.

Win $100,000 for your best burger!

Sutter Home Wines are sponsoring their 2010 Build a Better Burger Contest. First prize is $100.000 and the deadline for entries is July 31, 2010. For rules, tips and entry information, go to sutterhome.com

Eggs Aren’t So Bad After All!

I love an egg for breakfast but I have pretty much forsaken them for oatmeal, but now news comes from The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that cutting eggs out of your diet is a bad idea because they are a source of 13 vitamins and minerals.  So eat them in moderation and do your body a favor!

It’s Real Simple!

I love all the good information every month in Real Simple. The April issue has their road test of great instant products, page 249.

1.  Best dip mixes: Simply Organic French Onion Dip & McCormick’s Spinach Dip

2.  Best Chicken Noodle Soup Cup:  The Spice Hunter

3.  Best Asian Noodle Soup Bowl: Thai Kitchen Thai Ginger Rice Noodle

4.  Best Plain Oatmeal: Quaker Original

5.  Best Maple Oatmeal:  Wild Harvest Organic

6.  Best Chocolate Pudding: Jell-o Instant.

7.  Best Hot Chocolate:  Green & Black’s Organic

8.  Best Instant Coffee:  Nescafe Taster’s Choice 100% Columbian

I hope your day’s real simple!

Diane

Good Evening Dear Reader:

I am still tucked away in Babyland where I have discovered that two three-year old boys are way  smarter than I am. They look so innocent. Staring up at me with those big baby blues and letting me know that their mother and daddy always give them jelly beans at bedtime and big glasses of chocolate milk.

Bedtime at 8 p.m., which is when their parents told me to put them to bed, seems to be only a suggestion to the boys. Oh, they pretend that they are going right to sleep and even seem actually happy about it.

I proceed through all the instructed bedtime rituals–bathing, teeth brushing, potty visit, and collection of the necessary elements required to provide the perfect slumber. For one, it is a collection of 4 fluffy blankets which have to be arranged just so–none actually used for cover. There should be at least one car in the bed and a book.

Boy #2 wants only two blankets, a tractor-trailer rig and a water cup.

I turn on the night light, after reading  two thrilling  stories about big trucks, and kiss each boy goodnight. They look like angels. I close the door and breath a sigh of relief. They will soon be asleep.

Of course they aren’t going to sleep. They are simply waiting for that door to close and they shout, “All clear–commence jumping on the bed!”. I hear the bed springs creaking from the second floor. Back up the stairs I go.

I love that moment of surprise when you open the door and catch them in the act. They look shocked and then let loose a torrent of uncontrollable giggles. I want to laugh as well, but no, back in the bed they go. Brief lecture ensues about the importance of bedtime. Re-arrange blanket configuration. Kiss, kiss, goodnight.

Fifteen minutes passes, twenty–success ! A victory for me. It is brief.  A crash sounds from upstairs. I fly up, two stairs at a time ( yes, I will need to see my chiropracter). I fling open their door and their beds are empty. I look in the bathroom where as Boy #1 likes to say, “I nekid”. And they are.

Clothes are scattered everywhere and there they are on their little step stools, playing in the water in the sink. It is probably one of the funniest moments ever, but I cannot laugh. So I look very serious and say something like, “I hope your daddy doesn’t find out that you aren’t in bed. ”

Then there was some speed dressing, but three-year olds don’t really dress very well alone, and have no idea which is the front and which is the back of their underwear.

I like to think that I found the secret to finally getting them to sleep with the daddy threat, but truth is, I think they really were tired. Lord knows, I was. Tomorrow is another day. I’m sure they have something fun planned for me.

Green Tea is Good For You!

I know green tea has so many great health benefits and one I found which is really good and reasonable is at Costco. It comes in packages of 100 in precious little fine tulle tea bags. $19.95 at Amazon.com and significantly less at Cosco.

Have a beautiful day!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

It is day four of my babysitting adventure with possibly the world’s most adorable 3-year old twin boys. I raised two children of my own and babysat countless others so taking care of children is second nature to me.  When my own two were little and 23 months apart, I used to tell people it was like having twins. It is nothing like having twins. When one is an infant and the other is a toddler, there are naps and there are early bedtimes.

Sitting ( sitting is not the right word. You do not sit. You run, sprint, and lurch) with these two has been quite an education. And I’m not done yet! Just a few tidbits of wisdom:

1.  Bathing is not nearly as important as I once thought it was–for any of us.

2.  Coordinating clothing is really over rated.

Pretty much clothes are over rated, especially at tickle-thons.

3.  Peanut butter and jelly will save the world eventually.

4.  The toilet is possibly the most interesting place in the entire house. Neither boy can flush without an audience and show and tell. It beats diapers.

5.  If you don’t put the little plastic piece inside the no-spill sippee cup, it doesn’t spill, it gushes everywhere.

6.  No matter which cup you give one of the boys, it will be the wrong cup. It is not their cup. The other one is always their cup.

7.  None of us think vacuuming is fun.

8.  Right now they are supposed to be napping and I am pretty sure they are jumping on the bed. That should wear them down, shouldn’t it?

9.  If bribery is necessary for one’s mental health then it is ok. I do think M&M’s have anti-oxidant properties and that should count for something.

These are worth their weight in gold.

10.  By the time you have both of them buckled in their car seats, snacks and drinks packed and everyone’s underwear is still clean, you pretty much don’t remember why you ever decided to leave the house.

Otherwise, I am doing just fine.

Pieces of Brillance

Martha Beck is possibly one of the finest counselors/advice writers around today. Everything she says sounds simple, but yet profound. They are truths that are just sitting there, but we don’t recognize them. Her monthly column appears in Oprah Magazine and these quotes are from the new May issue, page 70. The topic for her column is, “10 Rules I’ve Unlearned”. You will have to read them all for yourself, but I am sharing two that I think are just the best.

#9. “If all my wishes came true right now, life would be perfect…People who have what you want are all over rehab clinics, divorce courts and jails because good fortune has side effects… Basically, any external thing we depend on to make us feel good has the power to make us feel bad. ..To attract something you want, become as joyful as you think that thing would make you. The joy, not the the thing, is the point.”

#10. ” Loss is terrible…Losses aren’t cataclysmic if they teach the heart and soul their natural cycle of breaking and healing…If you have abandoned yourself in the effort to keep anyone or anything else, unlearn that pattern. Live your truth, losses be damned. Just like that, your heart and soul will return home.”

I hope your Friday is just fantastic!

Diane