I have been vacationing with my children and my parents in Southern California. What a cornucopia of characters out here!

Here I am matching my hands with Bette Davis' at Grauman's Chinese Theater.


I have been amazed by the brown cloud of smog sitting on top of this town. So I decided to treat my children to a breath of fresh air at an oxygen bar in Hollywood.

This past weekend was dance recital weekend. The girls' dance school is huge. They have 5 different recitals, and of course, my girls were in different ones. That's 5 hours of recital for a combined total of 5 minutes on stage.

But they were beautiful, energetic, and nimble. We enjoyed seeing old friends from competition days, seeing the polished dances of the competitive troupe, and the disoriented babies in the youngest classes.

I hate being sick.

This top photo is by the crab wharf on Slaughter's Creek where we purchased lunch, the eastern side of Taylor's Island.

On the East Coast, you can't see the sun set over water unless you are on the eastern shore of a bay. Sunrise, although beautiful, is much more difficult to catch. How lucky for me to have spent sunset on the Eastern Shore.

I had my lunch on Saturday on Taylor's Island, a small residential island the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake.

I learned that softshell crabs have a very small window of edibility. These crabs, caught as "peelers" are molting. Within 4 hours of molting, their new shells are hardened again.

So they are kept in these troughs and monitored. I am a novice at eating softshelled crabs and don't even know how to cook them. But it was fascinating to see who the crabbers deal with their catch.

Our lunch was fresh off the boat. They were delicious.

I don't know if it is karma, or providence, but someone is sending a message to me today.

Had Plan A gone according the script, today would have been my 20th wedding anniversary and I would be packing my bags for Tahiti. I'm hardly moping around about the significance of today, too busy with all the blessings in my life.

One of those blessings is a fun job as the School Columnist. The job I am covering today of all days, is the installation of a "Peace Pole" at a school as part of a Bronze Award project for a local Girl Scout Troop. The pole, like hundreds of thousands around the world, says in several languages, "May Peace Prevail on Earth."

Hhhmmm.
Some days peace is easier to achieve than others.

I have the wonderful dilemma of stretching myself between two fun jobs. Yesterday, after hosting the farewell Bus Stop Breakfast, I was able to make my deadlines - whew! I kind of like that adreneline rush of trying to beat the clock, although it sometimes makes for late nights & early mornings.

I like how Calvin explained it to Hobbes:

C: You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
H: What mood is that?
C: Last minute panic.


How are youwith deadlines?

The book review I wrote has finally been posted. It was fun to do, especially because I got the book pre-release. If you look through this website and its archives, you will want to go directly to the book store. If you are into it, you can sign up and be added to their list of potential reviewers.

The review that I wrote is for Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble. Meg Cabot is most famous for her Princess Diaries series. She writes a lot of adolescent lit and some adult. The one I reviewed was in between those two categories.

womenwriters.net

I'm camping with the Brownies this weekend. Thank God it's cabins and bunk beds.

But I'm in charge of campfire songs and skits. It has been a while for me, so I need your help.

What are your favorite campfire songs?
Do you remember any silly skits? All I can think of is "Pebbles in the Lake."

They let me preach at my church again last Sunday.

You know how you always think of the right thing to say later that day when you are lying in bed? Well, being given the opportunity to preach is a weird kind of notice to avoid that situation. I knew that if I stood in this spot, in this room, at this time, on this day, 150 people were going to listen to me. So I could head off the "I shoulda said" at the pass.

Since I have an in with the website manager at my church, not only is the sermon posted, but the audio is available. (Thanks Dad.) I listened to it and was relieved that the mic didn't pick up my pounding heart. I learned how to fake not being nervous as a teacher.

"Daring Questions"

Here is a picture of the Lab that recently processed the ring I purchased last fall at Tiffany's in NYC.

I couldn't believe it, it all happened so fast. I was interviewing a photographer for a magazine article. He had asked that I conduct the interview at his house due to the new puppy. Cute dog, but a rambunctious, not-yet-trained cutie.

I extended my hand for her to investigate and she just reached up and pulled off my ring, that was apparently not sized accurately.

The photographer and his wife valiantly tried to save the ring - and their dog, but stood and faced me, stricken, when they realized what happened.

"Your dog just got more valuable," I said, trying to lighten the moment. "I want that ring back."

I have heard of the ring's safe return. I inquired and was satisfied that the sanitation process was adequate.

I picked that ring because of its symbolism: a heart, a little squished, but still beautiful. So it is appropriate that the ring went through a little shit. I just meant that to be a metaphor.

Would you wear it?