it's not too late to whippet, whippet good

Cooking! I can't believe I haven't addressed this aspect.
I too was fascinated by the fact that some people got to follow special baking directions. Now that I'm one of that rarefied set, lemme tell ya: It's not that different. When I made my daughter's birthday cake, I added some extra flour. My husband wanted brownies for his birthday (two birthdays here already, can it be?) and I just let them cook a bit longer, and they were fine. The biggest difference is, that watched pot of water on the stove never, ever boils. It takes about twice as long for water to boil here, or so it seems.

Challenges. Kathleen is right, challenges keep you strong. I recommend Judith Jones' article in the most recent Vogue (the one with Madonna on the cover -- my toddler son points to her and says, "Pretty!"). She's in her 80s, she walks several miles a day and exercises constantly, and she's still one of the premier book editors in the world. She says she'll never retire. There's also an interview with Jane Goodall, who was here a few weeks ago. I found out the next day. Heartbroken, me.

Judith Jones says she has a dog that requires walking about three miles a day. A greyhound, I guess. Maybe that's what I need. That and the Jane Goodall diet -- one meal a day.

And re: the weather: The high today was 65. I wore my black cardie today with my Birkenstock sandals. Just a couple of days ago, it was so gross. And in NC today it's 104 and humid. Summer is so weird.