Cosmetic question

Why does lipstick rub off my lips in five minutes but stay on my water glasses through a cycle in the dishwasher?

My living room becomes a tennis court

I bought Jeff a Wii for Christmas. I was worried it would do little more than collect dust. I worried for nothing. After playing Wii tennis in our casual TV room for a few weeks, Jeff moved the Wii to the more formal living room.

At first I thought maybe the living room offered a better Wimbledon vibe. There's no grass, of course, but the furniture is green. Then I thought maybe Jeff just wanted to irritate me by turning my living room into an arcade.

But no, it seems Jeff simply needed more space to play. In the small TV room, he tripped over furniture and hit walls. In the larger living room, he rearranged the furniture (moved it all to one side of the room) to maximize his playing space.

Now he swings his racket, er remote, with no fear of hitting walls. He chases imaginary tennis balls and trips only occasionally over a dog who runs on the court, er carpet. The change in venue must have worked because Jeff now plays at the professional level.

I guess as long as he doesn't draw white lines on the floor, I shouldn't worry. We can always move the furniture back. After all, why am I complaining? I'm married to a tennis pro.

Save my shoes

After an awful day at work this week, I came home to find a package on the front porch. Inside were two beautiful shoe boxes. Inside those boxes were two perfect pairs of heels. The stress of my day melted away as I gazed at those pretty shoes.

I happily tried on my new shoes and... discovered they didn't fit. This is not an uncommon problem considering my silly foot is super-skinny, and not in a good way. A size AAA is extremely hard to find in stores and usually needs to be ordered online through Zappos. Both pairs of my brand-spankin'-new shoes were too wide. Arg. The stress of my day immediately returned, and I became a self-pitying monster. My alarmed husband sent me outside for a run and reminded me that Zappos has a great (meaning free) return policy.

When I finished running, my husband showed me a product he found online. These back-of-the-heel cushions from Foot Petals promised to prevent feet from slipping in and out of shoes.

The next day, we went to Target and bought these heel cushions. I placed them in my new shoes and... they worked!

If you have a shoe or foot issue, try these cushions. They won't change your life but they just may save your shoes.

My latest obsession: The Tudors

I've always loved history. It's memorizing datelines and taking pop quizzes that I've never learned to love. The reign of King Henry VIII is particularly fascinating. The dude beheaded two wives for goodness sakes.

Showtime's series "The Tudors" explores King Henry's life and his fast-changing relationships with his wives. The first three seasons are available on DVD and my sister let me borrow her copies (thanks, Anne).

I've been watching the show with my laptop. I love to check on the accuracy of the show's details. How does it rate? I wouldn't use it as study material for a history class, but the basic storyline is true. The most disturbing thing, to me, is the "composite character" that's supposed to represent Henry's two sisters. It doesn't. The show also takes some liberties with England's relationship with Scotland and France during that time period.

The acting is excellent and the character development is strong, if a bit fictional. I'd certainly suggest the show to friends and even history buffs. In fact, especially history buffs. Jeff (a history minor) and I have enjoyed talking (and arguing) about the show. Just keep your laptop close to settle any disputes.

Dear outdoors,

I miss you.

I miss running along your streets.

I miss walking my dogs at your beautiful parks.

I miss hearing children laugh as they play in their front yards.

I miss waving to my neighbors as they go for their daily constitutionals.

I miss listening to birds chirp.

I miss sitting on my deck while drinking a glass of wine.

I miss watching my neighbor's cat chase squirrels.

I miss feeling your warm sun shining upon my head.

I miss going outside without wearing a coat.

Your faithful but cold friend,

Dawn

New Year's in the woods

My sister organized a Minty-style outdoor adventure for our New Year's Eve celebration. (Thanks, Anne!) What's Minty-style? Luxurious, of course. Our "cabin" had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full-size kitchen, hot tub, TV and, most importantly, heat.

Now before you suggest that we weren't really "roughing it," you must acknowledge that there was no internet connection, no cell phone access, no DVD player and no video-game system.

What did we do on our three-day wilderness adventure? We went hiking, though technically it might be considered more of a walk. We ate a lot. We listened to music and danced. We caught up on our sleep. We stared at the gas fireplace. We watched some TV, but only classics like "Die Hard" and "True Lies."

Oh, and the peaceful woods provided the perfect setting in which to read. I read two books using my Kindle IPhone application. Ah, nature and technology. I love thee both.

Christmas 2009 was very merry

Jeff, Sassy, Alley and I hosted Christmas at home with my sister Anne, her boyfriend Luke, aunt Anita, cousin Ian and his girlfriend Kim. Oh, and Anne and Luke's dogs Kapono and Maggie. On Christmas Eve, we had a few friends (Sonya, Alan and Kara) over.

The people had a great time eating turkey and ham, drinking wine and cocktails, wearing crowns and chatting. The dogs had a better time chasing each other, destroying stuffed toys, barking at nothing, fighting over crumbs and inhaling milk bones.

Here are a few photos from our Christmas gatherings. The crowns come from Christmas crackers which are an English tradition in our family. Christmas crackers are tube-shaped paper presents which make a popping sound (similar to a crackling fire) when opened. Each cracker contains a paper crown, a toy and a joke.

I hope you all had as lovely (and filling) a Christmas as we did. Happy holidays!


Dawn and Jeff are king and queen of Beaver Court on Christmas Eve.

Alan tried to get out of wearing his Christmas crown by saying his cracker didn't have one, but he couldn't fool Dawn who found a crown (in pink) for him to wear.

Don't be fooled by sweet-seeming Kara. The minute she received her Christmas Eve crown she made a run for the throne.

The centerpiece of our Christmas dinner was this... fried turkey. I was glad Jeff, Luke and Ian still had all their limbs when this bird was done. I have to admit that it was delicious.

Confession: A beautiful wood dining table doesn't exist under these linens. Hiding under tablecloths and chair covers are two card tables and seven folding chairs.

O.K. it's not the reason for the season, but eating is a huge part of the season. Here's our Christmas Day feast.



Alley waits patiently to see what presents Santa brought.

Merry first Christmas to Anne's puppy Maggie, who has quickly become best friends with Alley.


Sassy is tired after spending the day as a sizzlin' elf.


Alley wants to be one of the princesses (Anne, Anita, Kim and Dawn), but she doesn't want to wear the crown.


Oh, the kings (Luke, Jeff and Ian) do jest.


After attempting to play the role of king, Luke declares himself a reindeer.

Kapono refuses to share the chair with Anne. He says she sheds everywhere.


The dogs are sleeping after two days of Christmas celebrations and way too many milk bones.

A good time was had by all except this poor giraffe who lost his tail after one morning of "life."