Our next door neighbor put in the most amazing in-ground pool last summer. Now, I have always lived in communities here in Florida that had one or more pools we could use, so there was no real need to have a pool in my yard. Here in this house, though, we do not have a […]

The Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida is getting a very exciting exhibit. Yesterday the museum staff started opening crates for the upcoming “Vatican Splendors From Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Swiss Guard.”
Removed by white-gloved artifact handlers were two items: “Daniel in the Lion’s Den,” a terracotta sculpture that dates to […]

I have probably mentioned this here before, but I am going to do it again. If you have every heard of the car donation charity Car Angel, you might wonder what exactly they fund with all of the car, boat, and other vehicle donations they receive. One of the cool projects they fund is the […]

You think your family is going to be a safe haven from the evils of the world. I know I think that. I trust my immediate family with my money, my safety, my secrets and my life. We tend to fight a good deal, but never to the point where we would harm one another.
Parents, […]

The Academy Award Nominations were finally announced and for the first time in years I found myself bored to tears not only by the actual nominations themselves, but also by the announcement that the nominations had been made at all. I’ve become less and less charmed by entertainment awards over the years. And now, I […]

Last month I wrote an ode to Clairol Torrids. I’ve received a good deal of traffic from this post and even some cool e-mails from fellow Torrid lovers. Here’s to all of you with good taste out there!
My daughter passed by the display the other day for hair color and told me it was time […]

I just got finished reading Household Gods by Harry Turtledove and Judith Tarr for a second time. I read it for the first time a long time ago. I have no idea why I am so drawn to the idea of someone from modern times being pulled back into ancient time and having to adapt. […]

I am in awe. My daughter appears to be having yet another growth spurt. She is quite literally eating as much as I eat at meals, plus she required additional snacks and some more protein at bedtime.
I was talking to one of my best friends, who has a daughter 2 month older than Gigi. Gigi […]

If you were to ask me what I wanted for a gift, it would be hard for me to give you an answer. The thing is, I feel like I have everything I need and almost everything I want. And, I really only want the things I need. Materialism is not something that sits well […]

My daughter is very artistic. She has a great voice and is quite graceful when she is dancing. She also loves to read and knows her way around descriptive vocabulary when she tells a story. I see her gravitating toward the arts, be it writing or dance or perhaps music. And, I have no problem […]