Surely, there HAS to be a 12-step program.......

I just had to share this.  How fun is it to do a craft project that will actually produce something so luscious?? Now everyone can have their very own little Hermes Kelly that they have made themselves, out of paper!  Or you can be really crafty and involve some leather!  On the Hermes website, you can download the template of seven different designs, or you can get the blank one and create your own masterpiece (when you get to the site you must click on the picture of the Kelly cutout to get to the exact page, it is just right right of the center).  I am usually not good with stuff like this (it involves glue and cutting within the lines) but I did download it and plan on seeing if I  might have a career in luxurious handmade handbags.  I am pretty sure that I will discover that I am better suited at the buying than designing.   

I am surprised Hermes would do this but I guess they are taking a page from the marketing of Phillip Morris, train them young so they can grow up to be addicts. 

Location, Location, Location......

This past weekend we slipped away with our close friends, Eva and Beau to celebrate our birthday month and grab a few days of much needed R & R! Eva chose Little Palm Island after she read it was named one of the top resorts in the world by Travel+Leisure magazine. This place is only accessible only by boat.

After we departed Houston just a mere two and a half hours later we arrived in the Keys and were whisked from the dock on a beautiful wooden Chris Craft boat the "Truman" named after President Truman -- Little Palm was a favorite getaway of the President and his wife Bess. it still attracts an international clientele of couples, businesspeople, and celebrities including John McCain and Tiger Woods among a few seeking the same peace, quiet, and privacy.

The ride to the Resort lasts about 20 minutes, and it's quite nice. On the starboard side of the boat, beautiful homes line Middle Torch Key; on the port side, the great, big Atlantic Ocean rolls off into the distance.

At Little Palm Island there are no televisions, no telephones, no fax machines, though the presence of modem connections chips away a bit at the illusion. The thatched-roof bungalows are named for birds both tropical and otherwise, and nestle into groves of Jamaican coconut palms. I kidded our gang that Little Palm Island is more Warren Buffett than Jimmy Buffett, with a price tag to match. But at any price, it is remarkable that there is a corner of the Keys that still feels so remote and unspoiled.

Cell phones were not allowed ....Eva suggested I snap this one of John on a conference call back to the office

The highlight of our stay was a sunset cruise -- this was magical

Views from our thatch roofed bungalow.....

The meals were truly the best part about this jaunt. Every evening, the hour of us enjoyed the gentle breeze and the fading sunlight, a key deer popped into view. Standing roughly two feet tall and weighing between 45 and only max at a mere 80 pounds, key deer are cousins to the Virginia white-tailed deer, but much, much smaller. Officials estimate that only 800 remain of the endangered species.

Medical Update....

I am still on a permanent IV and I take Cubicin among a slew of others daily.  I have an AMAZING Nurse, Brunetta that comes to oversee my progress daily.  I have to say, my sweet husband was a pretty incredible "Florence Nightingale"  on our getaway trip.  

The Cubicin is so strong it has left me nauseated, very lethargic and my entire body blistered but the Dr's tell me this is not out of the ordinary and I have to be on medicine this strong for it to take effect.

Last week, ironically, I started to get a deep hacking cough in my chest.  I was completely perplexed with all the antibiotics I was on how in the world could I be catching a "summer cold."  My internist suggested she get chest x-rays for my Infectious Disease specialist.  The technician gave me a paper robe to wear while they took the x-rays.  

The technician started taking the photos the Dr had ordered and after she took the first set she paused and said  "Ms, did you remove all your jewelry?"  I assured her I did.  Then she inquired if I had any piercings or anything foreign in my body?  I assured her I did not. The embarrassed technician reluctantly asked me "Do you have a nipple ring?"  I laughed out loud and said "Of course not.....never in a million years"  and then I logically explained there maybe something medal on my PICC line that was showing up on the x-ray.   She said "I see the line on your right side"  There was a very long moment of silence and she said "You probably need to come see this"

I walked around the corner where the X-Ray machine hung on the wall and saw the remains of a metal clamp that was left in me after I had a breast reduction over a year ago.  

This is a comedy of medical errors

   

A few things about Cindy McCain......

Yesterday John and I along with our dear friends Eva and Beau took off to celebrate our birthdays.  Since it is Eva's birthday first she chose the location.  Little Palm Island is off the Keys in Florida and 90 miles from Cuba.  It is a private island encompassing five acres of manicured foliage.  So far we are all loving it!

As we boarded "Air Bisso" I noticed a Wall Street Journal article on Cindy McCain, potentially our next First Lady.  All I ever saw was an extremely attractive woman standing proudly next to her husband, John.  I was impressed how talented and involved with world problems she is. This is a summary of the article.

She graduated from Southern Cal and was a special-needs teacher.  After her Dad died she became involved  in the family beer distributing enterprise and is now the Chairman.  Sales have since doubled after she took the helm.  Cindy and John have a marriage prenuptial agreement, her assets remain separate.  She is involved around the world clearing land mines -- travels to these countries on a detonation team and serves on their board.

They have an 19 year old serving in Iraq and another son in the Naval Academy, a daughter recently graduated from Columbia University, an adopted daughter in high school, and another son who is the head of finance at the Distributor.

Cindy and John raised their children in Phoenix, rather than Washington, DC.  Cindy felt like this was a better atmosphere so John commuted.

In 1991,  Cindy came across a girl in an orphanage in Bangladesh.  Mother Theresa encouraged her to take the little girl with severe a cleft palate.  Initially, she took the girl without telling her husband.  The couple adopted the girl who has had a dozen operations to repair her cleft palate and other  varied medical problems.  They have a family foundation that supports children's causes.  Cindy is active with "Halo Trust" to clear all land mines, provide water and food in war ravaged developing countries.  This year she will join "Operation Smile" - a charity for corrective surgery on children's faces.  

Mrs. McCain has had two back surgeries and admitted to an addiction to pain killers.  She sought treatment and has been rehabilitated.  She talks openly about it which she says is part of her ongoing recovery process.

I am surprised the media is so quiet about her attributes.  I started hearing of her selfless endeavors via Mica and Robert Mosbacher when the campaign first started.  Robert Mosbacher is John McCain's national finance chairman.    Quite honestly, Cindy McCain sounds more capable than Hilary and Obama combined.  We would really get two for the price of one.  A person with a business and international  expertise.   

Cindy McCain is a true "Lady First"

An American in Paris.....

Last night my precious, Mr Wonderful and I went to go see The Gershwin's An American in Paris.  It has everything you want in a Broadway performance: upbeat music, wonderful dancing and belly-aching laughs.  Playwright Ken Ludwig does an incredible job of reworking this classic.

The dialogue is hilarious if you follow closely to all of the sarcastic innuendos and dry witticisms.  At times you seriously feel like saying "Who's on first?"  We spent so much time laughing so hard we had to hold our breath to make sure we did not miss more of Ludwig's brilliantly written banter.  The sets the pace for a perfectly placed mixture of George and Ira Gershwin songs, familiar and some virtually unknown, yet still appreciated.

On one or two occasions the gags were "hit and miss".  Only once did I find the lead trying a bit too hard to deliver the lines with comedy.  Aside from some "punchy" deliver the script is just simply funny.  The slapstick complications in Act two (bedroom scene), built a crescendo to a substantial payoff.  

Ludwig poetically coincides the Gershwin tunes to fit his format.  I immediately fell in love with the casting of Harry Groener as the lead of Michel.  He pulls off the role as the  pompous Playboy Parisian with effortless ease. 

John and I were guests of our friend Margaret last night.  Her philanthropic  trust underwrote this season's performance.  After dinner with Margaret, Joan, Diane and Rose we prepared to settle in our seats and I said "these are not are usual seats do you know which ones we are?"and John replied "the seats in front of my in-laws"  I must have looked really confused until it dawned on me he was referring to Beverly and Winston his former Mother and Father in-law. They looked great and met us with big warm hugs and smiles.  They invited us for an after theatre nightcap but we had to get home since it was a "school night"

At the intermission John mentioned one of the cast seemed very familiar.  I forgot to peruse the Playbill since we were tardy getting back to our seats seeing many of our friends.  When we got home and crawled into bed we heard (pitty-pat-pitty-pat) and Sinclair peeking her head around the corner "Mommy - Daddy, need hugs, please!"   We had a big snuggle- tickle session and settled back in to reading our Playbill.  

The role the whole room seemed to embrace the most was Meredith Patterson who was a key energizer as the saucy "Yvette".  She seemed so familiar to both John and I.  It dawned on us she was the crazy on-again off-again, Broadway show tune obsessed wife of Tom Selleck  in our favorite quirky dramatic comedy, Boston Legal.

I love the way that Director Gregory Boyd gives the production a 1940's "Louie Mayer" feel of tradition when Hollywood was run by one man and one woman, gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper.  

If American in Paris is another example of putting vintage wine in new bottles, the content is fine and the container is a Jeroboam! 

Happy Daddy's Day

We got up early yesterday and started baking pies for Daddy's special day! Sinclair rolled out the dough and whipped the meringue.

Sinclair's LOVES riding Lucky's shoulders!



Hailey effortlessly prepared an amazing meal of veal steaks in a red wine mushroom sauce, whipped potatoes, green beans and creamed corn!!! John declared it the "best Father's Day" he has ever had!

SoCal Snaps....

"June Gloom"

The Momma bunny outside our bungalow early this morning

Exhausted from chasing the bunnies in hopes of petting their soft fur

Best Friends....

Ryland and Jack Allen enjoying the breeze

watering the bunnies (note the two bunnies running out of the flowers)

Early mornings in Laguna during June are typically foggy and overcast with an occasional drizzle.  The fog turns to low clouds by late morning and early afternoon.  Finally, by late afternoon, solar heating is sufficient enough to evaporate the clouds.  Often the overcast will be "burned off" quickly inland, but will linger along the coastline.

"June Gloom" has been reported by some Californians to bring on symptoms consistent with Seasonal Affective Disorder.  It is often cited as the highest period of a depression rate among West Coasters.

Obviously, these people with "Seasonal Affective Disorder" have never "summered" in South Texas!