Overindulgence

Gourmets claim that the true enjoyment of fine cuisine requires that you stop just when you would like to have a little bit more. In this way, the connoisseur maintains his interest. Everywhere, knowing how to stop short of satiety helps you savor life and, more importantly, helps you be free. - EKNATH EASWARAN

There is a price to be paid for celebrating too much birthday.

Anne Frank

I've always been fascinated by the story of Anne Frank...maybe "touched by" is a more accurate phrase. A few years ago, I bought the video of her biography, and read her diary many years ago. Her writings are so poignant that I was happy to see her being introduced to children via The Mini Page in Sunday's newspaper.

The historical diary, entitled, "Meet Anne Frank" was told in a forthright manner, covering most of the details. It's hard to believe Anne Frank would be eighty years old today. If only...

Also, interesting to read that Miep Gies, one of the helpers to the Frank Family, who is credited with finding Anne Frank's diary and turning it over to Anne's father, Otto, who survived Aushwitz, turned 100 in February, 2009.

Cell Phone to the Rescue?

Remember that email that was circulating about "5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do?" Well, I unfortunately had occasion to try one...and it didn't.

Yup, I locked my keys in my car. I most alwayskeep my valet key in another small leather wallet in my purse. But for some reason, after lunching with a friend and using valet, I kept the key on my key ring.

So, I called home and had my main man use his remote for my car to see if it would unlock it while I held the cell phone near the lock. So, now my question is, "Why didn't it work?" I hope I don't have to try it again. Too much wear and tear on my long-suffering hubby.

Hot Weather Remedy

What do you do when the temperatures rise to over 100 degrees. Make a smoothie! We first tried this out in Maui years ago. We've altered the ingredients a bit, but today it was so delicious and cooling.

1 banana
1 papaya
4 oz. (adjusted to get right texture) passion, orange & guava juice
(You can buy it this way.)
Add an equal amount to above mixture of Tart Mango Frozen Yogurt (Dreyer's)
Mix in blender until ingredients are smooth.

Chill the glasses in the freezer while you're mixing this wonderful concoction.
Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

I like having a July birthday. My mom and dad were also born in July. I arrived one day after my dad's 24th. They always made a big deal about my birthday. I had many birthday parties; however, no where near the grand scale that you hear celebrities are doing for their kids. In my opinion, it's just having your friends gather round for cake and ice cream and a few games that were joyful.

I also like making a fuss over my friends' birthdays as well. It's a nice excuse to see some dear friends at least once a year. I'm a one-on-one person. I'm a good listener, and over the years, I've gotten to know my friends on a deeper level because of this.

Which brings me to the subject of intimacy. Really? Yes, well, I'll explain. When I was in the corporate world and would make lunch dates, I was always surprised when a friend showed up with one or two other friends for our lunch date. That's really okay, we still had a good time, but it took me years to understand why this happened repeatedly with the same people.

It wasn't until I got into singing cabaret that I understood that certain of your audience will be made uncomfortable in a small setting and dare you actually look at them while singing. These people would be much more at ease in an arena setting for a concert. It's not to pass judgment but more of an observation. Viva la difference!

Now, on to what I really wanted to share was my birthday itself. When I heard the Laguna Playhouse was doing "My Way: A Tribute to the Music of Frank Sinatra," I decided I wanted to see it. Four great singers, two males and two females in a cabaret setting. The set design by Bruce Goodrich was gorgeous. They sang all or part of 57 songs in Frank's vast discography. The big iconic songs were sung in their entirety, but they also did abbreviated versions of lesser known songs. I love, "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry." Oh yes, and the Jobim numbers were nice. They all sang and danced, rare in this setting. The guy who best represented Frank's music (in that his style was reminiscent), John Fredo, was a great tap dancer. It brought me back to my childhood and all those dance lessons. (I loved my costumes...but I digress). The writer of this bio-musical, David Grapes, did not want any kind of imitations of Sinatra by the gentlemen performers. Vince Di Mura did a great job as Musical Director, Conductor, and Pianist.

My one disappointment, if you will, is that I would have preferred to hear Frank's songs sung by female mezzo or alto voices. But that's just my bias, I guess. All in all, I would recommend seeing the show that has played to popular review in 48 states since its inception in 1999. It runs at the Laguna Playhouse through August 23.

The picture of the cake reminded me of the ice cream cake the tv staff were surprising me with one night during "The Talk Show," which I co-hosted years ago. Because of delays in the show, by the time they carried the cake out with the candles it was quickly melting all over the place. These are the moments of which fond memories are made.