The Squash Doesn't Fall Far From the Vine....

Mike calls me from the grocery store near his home in Orlando. He says, 'I have very little money....tell me what I can get for cheap that will last a couple of meals.' I suggest grabbing a can of green beans and a can of corn, some ground beef and maybe a hamburger helper type mix.


He calls me back a few minutes later and says, 'I just couldn't do it.' And then sends me a pic of his dinner. His choice for dinner was sauteed chicken breasts and fresh zucchini sauteed in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Moments and Memories

Mark asked me the other night what the best meal I'd ever eaten. I told him that I didn't have ONE favorite meal of all times, but, I had moments or days or events that were favorites in my memory. Were they gourmet meals? No. But they're the events that have helped define my life, my relationships, my weight issues....

Not in any particular order and certainly just a sampling -

1. Potato Puffs at Two Friends in Key West during Mark's and my first trip together.

2. Cold meatloaf sandwich from a deli on Pike Street (Seattle) with my mom. We had a picnic at Chateau Sts. Michele in Seattle and watched a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert.

3. Shrimp Fajitas in Cozumel at Casa Denis with our friends Mary and Dennis.

4. The antipasta platter at Amicci's in Baltimore's Little Italy.

5. Eating dungeness crab with my friend Maureen on the waterfront in Seattle. The best I've ever eaten.

6. NEW YORK PIZZA!! At Big Nicks on Broadway in NYC. Sitting at a sidewalk table.

7. After driving all over Los Angeles looking at the sites, Valerie and I stopped at Gladstones in Malibu late afternoon, got some appetizers, and watched the sunset while sitting on their deck.

8. Sitting in the Italian Restaurant at Snowshoe with Mom and the twins and it began to snow. Through the twinkly lights outside. It was a magical moment for me -- can't even remember what I ate. Oh who are we kidding -- chances are it was spaghetti and meatballs.

9. The smell walking into the Pancake House in Gatlinburg with Mom and Mark -- smelled like my Grandmother's house when I was little. Coffee. Strong, rich coffee intermingling with the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking....OMG!

10. The best salsa and freshly fried tortilla chips I've ever eaten at this motor inn right outside the entrance to the Grand Canyon. I even put it on my eggs the next morning.

The Kids Will Be Proud

....That I reached so far back in my memory (the memory that fails me every day) and remembered one of their favorite meals. At least I think this was! Sometimes they tell me (now that they're adults) that they just didn't want to hurt my feelings but if they saw ONE MORE quiche they were going to find alternative living arrangements.

Here's what I made Mark for lunch today!!

He's No MIKE LOWRY.... But He's My Mike

Things I love about Mike. My special child and Megan's twin. He lives in Orlando and although I don't see him as often as I like, I talk to him (several times) every day.



1. When he was little he would hide in the racks of clothes while I shopped. He didn't make a mess or anything, he would just sit in the middle of it all.

2. He is very passionate. Sometimes it's with the wrong things, but, nonetheless, he's a passionate person.

3. He's clean and sober. And he's just as passionate about that as he was when he wasn't clean and sober.

4. He's thankful for his family and his life and his job. All the things we all take for granted every day but he takes the time to communicate to people.

5. He cuts his own hair better than he could ever pay someone else to do. Seriously.

6. He spends more time getting ready to go somewhere than anyone I've ever known.

7. He loves coffee.

8. He can't tolerate a mess for long. He will for a while and then all of a sudden (usually at 3am) he'll break out the cleaning supplies and won't stop until it's done.

9. He loves really good food. He would make a good restaurant critic.


10. He reads the Wall Street Journal and enjoys it.


11. When he's talking to me on the phone, I hear him say 'excuse me,' 'thank you,' 'please,' and 'hey...how are you doing?' to people on the street and that makes me smile.


12. He makes sure he calls his Grandmother every couple of days to see what she's up to.


13. He is very GAP-ish. He look like he stepped out from the pages of a GAP ad.


14. He pretends he knows nothing about picking out clothes so the sales girls will help him. In actuality he's critiquing their clothing choices in his head at the same time.


15. When he was in High School his Algebra teacher had him be the substitute teacher when she had meetings.


16. His laugh is cool. Not as cool as Megan's (sorry Mike) but it's genuine and fun.


17. He likes all kinds of music. Once when he was little, he came home from hearing an orchestra play at school and said he could feel it in his heart.


18. He finally likes himself.


19. He never once was embarrassed by me like some teenagers were....ya know the ones who wouldn't even walk near their parents at the mall -- acting like they didn't know them.


20. Was afraid of a german shepherd in our neighborhood and was so startled that when he ran into the house he forgot to close the door and the dog followed him into clear into my bedroom. This is really a very funny story - much funnier than it sounds here - but he and Meg know!



I love you Mikey! You've turned into lovely, kind person who will do good work in this world someday. I truly believe that.

"There's lemon shrimp, bbq shrimp, boiled shrimp..."

Gotta say..... I love Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. Mark and I have eaten at the one in Chicago, Gatlinburgh, TN and now the one at Universal Studios in Orlando. Each time I leave there wanting MORE! We always start (because I insist upon it) with the Shrimp Net Catch appetizer with cajun seasoning. It's hot (temperature) steamed peel and eat shrimp with the most amazing flavor and seasonings. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

This last time we went with Megan and Mike. Meg had a pass to Universal that she got for Teacher Appreciation Week (hey! how about a raise instead for those poor teachers!!) and Mark, Mike and I had only a month left on our annual passes so we picked Meg up in Tampa and Mike met us there. Our plan was to get through Islands of Adventure, eat lunch, and then Mike would have to leave to go to work, but then we would go to Universal Studios.

We began of course with our usual appetizer but added the hush puppies with the chunks of mahi-mahi in them. I didn't have any but the other three said they were delish (and they were gone so I believe them). Megan and I decided to order the Shrimp Platter -- I'm sure there is a cute name to it, I just don't know what it is.... we got a sampling of fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, coconut shrimp, and shrimp tempura (in my head, I'm saying this in Bubba's voice...ha). Mike got a BBQ pork sandwich that he took half of it home with him, and Mark had the shrimp po' boy with the best remoulade sauce ever.

It was good fun. The waiter came by with some trivia questions about Forrest Gump. I told him you better make them hard because the twins have seen the movie about 50 times (seriously...at least!). They answered things I never would have known the answer to! Only one or two that they didn't know! Very impressive. In fact, I didn't think the waiter would ever leave. I think he was determined to stump us!

And of course you can't leave without having your picture taken on the bench with the candy and Forrests' shoes.....