| How Jaci Rae Learned the Value of a Dollar - The Early Years
My life has been anything but ordinary. I began life impoverished, but with poverty came a street knowledge that I might not have found otherwise. It is because of my early years that I came to learn how to get something for free or next to it. Even though my story is quite different today, I still use these same strategies to save money and get the most bang for my buck. I have been to the depths of financially disparity and I don't want anyone to have to suffer the same. I know what it's like and I have been there pinching pennies since I was very young. As my Grandmother always used to say, when she sat me on her lap to read me a story, "It's always best to start at the beginning." The beginning for me is my early years and how I learned at a very young age the value of a dollar.
Happy Hour: PomIranian
Some nights I stay up too late catching up on email, work and my shows. One of my shows is Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie on PBS. The other night I caught an episode entitled "Raising the Bar" where they featured Bartender extraordinaire Scott Beattie. As bartender of one of Sonoma County's finest restaurants, Cyrus, Beattie is constantly pushing the envelope for mixed drinks - he even visits local farms to pick his own herbs and produce. His drinks are amazing looking (I only wish I could say I've tasted one personally) and contain things like candied lemongrass, thai basil, simmered fruit purees and essential oils. They also have ridiculously whimsical (actually they're terribly punny, but I love them) like PomIranian, Olallie Go Lightly and Grapes of Roth. Since most of us won't be able to head out to Sonoma to have one for ourselves, I thought I'd hunt down one of his recipes.
Thrifting: Finding treasure in others' junk
While driving home from a story one day, I detoured through South Tampa with one mission in mind: The Salvation Army at MacDill Avenue and Bay to Bay Boulevard. As far as thrift stores go, this one is pretty good, I rarely walk away empty-handed and, over the years, have found some unique tchotchke, designer clothes, even one-of-a-kind collectibles. My impromptu foray proved worthy: No sooner had I walked in the door than I noticed the place was unusually packed. Elderly women hovered in the dishes aisle, customers were sweeping up armloads of clothes, pillows, books; one woman even admired a slightly tattered wedding dress, well-cut, I thought, sleeveless, with satin covered buttons and a tulle skirt. As it turned out, it was "Wacky Wednesday" - a weekly event where everything in the store was half off.
Jane Wayne
Saturday, more than 35 Marine Corps spouses turned out at the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth to participate in Jane Wayne Day.Jane Wayne has become a tradition for the Marine Corps. For years, military bases have opened their doors to allow spouses a chance to see the other side."Jane Wayne is a time-honored tradition," said Gunnery Sgt. Rusty Baker. "It has been going on for years, not just here, but throughout the Marine Corps."They get to go through the same things we do as Marines."Kimberly, a Willow Park resident, has been a military wife for more than 10 years, but Saturday was her first time to join the "ranks" of the USMC."I have always wanted to do this, but something always came up," she said. "I'm really excited. I always enjoy trying new things."The participating spouses, divided into five groups, had a very busy agenda for the day.
Double the fun of Del Shores in Palm Springs
A Del Shores doubleheader at the newly renovated Palm Canyon Theatre alternates two comedies in repertory programming through April 15. "Sordid Lives," a favorite in the desert, is being reprised. It is directed by William Layne. Don Hillier is directing "Daddy's Dyin' ... Who's Got the Will?" Radio personality Joey English takes the role of a singing ex-con in "Sordid Lives." The story about a family of misfits brought together for the funeral of the matriarch, who died when she tripped over her lover's prosthetic legs and hit her head, has a cult-like following similar to audiences at "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." .
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