December, 2008
LEE CANNON 
She already possesses the keys to many hearts charmed by a personality that’s a happy mix — contradictory but never clashing. She’s playful but hard working; celebrated yet humble; energetic but relaxed; passionate but calm. Then there are the parts that have no opposite: She is forever funny and charming.
What's in your bag?
Want to know a secret? The Lee County Revenue Commissioner always carries a pocketknife and usually carries spurs. Remember that next time you drop in to pay your taxes.
Cookie Crazy!
So many cookie recipes, so little time. I love baking cakes, pies, breads, and confections that ooze buttery sugar or crunch with nuts or toffee. But hands down, everybody’s holiday favorite is cookies. A few years back we went through a phase where the bigger the cookie, the more excited people got about it. But sanity returned and we realized that cookies are really about a couple of bites of wonderful.
Ooh-la-la Orchids!
Every time I step inside my father’s orchid-filled greenhouse, the sheer pleasure of it overwhelms me. When he started his hobby more than fifty years ago, orchids were exotic, expensive, difficult to find, and intimidating. He rerouted family vacations to pick up new plants and potting supplies.
Parties from hell
My son John turns six this month. That’s a good thing, and a very bad thing. The good part: John is getting older. Still can’t tie his shoes, but isn’t that what Velcro is for?
Make learning fun
Did ever a society demand so much entertainment? Look at all our toys. Big-screen TVs with surround sound, SUVs with DVDS, iPods, Blackberries, laptops, cell phones with so many functions you need a master’s degree in engineering to operate them. Blue Tooth. Sports tickets. Concert tickets.
It IS all about you!
Sara lost forty pounds and looks marvelous. How did she do it? It doesn’t matter, and here’s why: The method Sara used would never work for Beth, another client and friend of mine, and they wouldn’t work for you either.
Ready to sparkle
Holiday party season is near. Christmas parties, New Year’s parties, let’s-party- because-we-can parties. Thank your host that plenty of parties require little more thought than which sweater and what earrings. But when you need that perfect party dress, a fairy godmother is not available to select it for you.
Party pressures
You’ve slaved over the menu, shopped for the best ingredients, cleaned the house so thoroughly your children thought you moved and left them behind. Surely, you don’t have a thing to worry about. If anyone is ready, it’s you.
