Send a Postcard

Coming back from vacation is a tiring time. She must quickly readjust to her old schedule, wash a ton of laundry, restock her pantry, and follow up on all the mail she received. If she's really organized, she has a meal ready in the freezer. Upon her return, she has a dinner ready to microwave instead of eating out one more time. "Are we there yet?" has turned into "Mom, I got nothing to do." Meanwhile, she's doing plenty: Retrieving her pets from the kennel, catching up on all her mail and work, weeding her garden, and possibly getting used to her normal time zone. She puts away souvenirs, downloads pictures, and flags a possible Christmas card photo, all while answering her e-mail and returning her latest Netflix. She takes notice of what her house smells like upon return, wondering if that's what it smells like to others, and making a note to light more candles. The remnants of a sandy beach falling out of a dirty towel remind her that she is not going to get that type of relaxation for a while. She delivers a few thoughtful gifts from her trip to family, friends, and the neighbors who kept an eye on her house. She lovingly places her own souvenirs around her house; whether it's a shell from the beach or a roadside antique treasure, it's her memory. And while a vacation is meant to be peaceful and relaxing, she has chaotic memories-searching for a pediatrician who accepts her insurance for her child's injury or waiting in line for 45 minutes for a lackluster meal at an expensive restaurant. Hopefully, the good times overshadow the challenging times. After a few days, life returns to normal with the clothes washed and put away, schedules conflicting as usual, and her commute the same as it ever was. coloumn

She Could Be

• Cleaning out her car
• Studying for her GED
• Starting a home-based business
• Driving to a water park

Buzz words

• Peaches
• Artichoke
• Soy
• Funnel

She quote!

"The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page usually records nothing but man's failures." - Barbara Walters

She fact

According to Self magazine, women who are ten years out of college make only 69% of what a man does doing the same job. To learn more, or to contact your legislature regarding the Paycheck Fairness Act, log on to www.AAUW.com.

She calorie

For many, a stop at Starbucks is really proving to be habit. Sales are stable or increasing at most outlets after their recent price increase. Now they offer two new Frappuccinos that will lighten our wallets but not pack the pounds. These Frappuccino Lights come in Strawberries & Crème, Blended Crème, and Blueberries and Crème.

Blended Crème is about 150 calories and fat free, but you have to ask for it light, or that calorie count will increase.

She's not so sure

Mo's Bacon Bar is a candy bar that combines milk chocolate and smoked applewood bacon with a touch of salt, giving a sweet, salty, crunchy, smoky taste. Maybe if she's pregnant! To take a look and decide for yourself, log on to www.vosgeschocolate.com.

• Get more She Prep at www.ShePrep.com