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.

Ribbons - Pick a Color

So, I heard the Tony Orlando and Dawn former hit the other day, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," and now I can't stop singing it. It's been days.

My friend and former dj, Bill Thomas (you hear and see him on ABC7 Traffic now) told me about this radio station in Australia that plays music that is similar to what we played on KWIZ-FM when we were fellow dj's in the 80's. I love it. I listen every now and then when I'm online. Today I heard "Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis and Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby." Two songs I really like.

Today, yellow ribbons signify something quite different...supporting our troops.
And pink ribbons, of course, support breast cancer research.

My friend, Linda, is celebrating one of her milestone birthdays with an ice skating performance. She's been at it for a few years now, so it should be fun to see her in her tutu. No, I don't think she's going to wear one, but Bette Midler is her idol, so who knows how brave she'll be.
In lieu of gifts, she's asking for donations to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Linda's a breast cancer survivor and a very dear friend.

Healthy Lifestyle

I was surprised to learn that walking as little as 30 minutes five days a week is enough for you to get in good physical condition. If you're fortunate enough to have a park or lake near you, it's easy to get in the habit and reap the benefits of good mental health as well. Here's a picture of a park near our home.

Today we saw the usual ducks and geese and people walking their dogs, as well as a few motor-controlled miniature boats. I saw one that was really quiet, just skimming the water, much preferred to the noisy ones that are actually banned but seem to make their way there every now and then.

I much prefer this to actual repetitive exercises, i.e., my calves are noticably more toned without using the stair steps. With the good weather here in SoCal, there really isn't a good excuse for staying indoors if you're able to get out.

"To be alive, to be able to see, to walk...it's all a miracle. I have adapted the technique of living life from miracle to miracle."

Arthur Rubinstein

Optimism

In these scary economic times, couldn't you just use a word of optimism? I ran across a notebook while I was attempting to clean my office. The notes therein were from a "success" seminar I attended many years ago. Well, the information garnered there is still pertinent today.

Did you know that when Thomas Edison's building burned down, he said, "Thank goodness the mistakes are gone. Thank goodness we can start over." Three months later he invented the phonograph.

"Don't miss this moment. If there's hope in the future, there's power in the present.
An optimist is one who takes his last $2 to buy a money belt. He takes tartar sauce with him when he goes fishing."

Yes, Zig Ziglar was quite a motivational speaker. At 69 years of age, he said he was excited about the future. He felt he was 5-10-15 years away from his peak.
He's one of those who wanted to wear out...not rust out.

I think we run across information just when we need it the most.