I just dropped my son off at the airport and headed straight to In-N-Out burger.  He’d hoped to do one last run before he got on the plane, but time was tight and traffic was bad.  So he made his flight and I made one last stop on the “Eat Like A Twenty-Two Year Old” food plan, per his request.  Love knows no bounds.  Or calorie counts.

The week started out well with a trip to Boulevard to celebrate his sister’s birthday.  Lit up with gorgeous views of the Bay Lights, this sumptuous San Francisco restaurant offered exquisite dishes in a beautiful Belle Epoque setting.  What more could you ask for?

It turns out A Lot.  At least if you’re an athletic 6’2” man-boy with the metabolism of a hummingbird.  The next week included a greatest hits run through East Bay food joints like Bakesale Betty for the fried chicken sandwiches and Homeroom for its classic mac ’n’ cheese.  We added a little ethnic diversity with some bolgogi at the Sahn Maru Korean B.B.Q. and Chinese chicken wraps from Little Shin Shin. At home I grilled burgers and made potato salad and taco salad and strawberry shortcake and chocolate chip cookies and peach cobbler.

I had fun creating and sharing all those boy-favorite meals but now I’m ready for a little kale salad.  Maybe a cup of berries on the side.

Tomorrow I’ll tackle the Apple Jacks he left behind. A girl’s gotta pace herself.

***

Here are some other tasty tidbits from the week:

1. Remember how grueling the end-of-school time can be for Moms?

2. Once the last school bell has run, here’s how to make summer last longer—at least in your mind.

3. While you’re swinging in a hammock (rope or virtual), think about what makes you you.

4. My husband, mother-in-law and son-in-law are all smart, tenacious southpaws.  This is for them.

5. My fix-it-guy husband got a kick out of this spoof on how men and women approach problems.  Me, too.

Happy Weekend!

Studies show that certain design elements like “golden triangle” proportions (about 5 x 8), fractal patterns and verdant green colors can trigger the part of the cerebellum that governs hand movement. “Instinctively, we reach out for attractive things; beauty literally moves us,” says author Lance Hosey.

Last weekend while in Manhattan to celebrate my daughter’s 2^nd wedding reception, I definitely felt the urge to reach out and touch (as well as procure) some good design. Like the beautiful flowers at the NYC Flower Market, particularly the lavender and roses at Dutch Flower Line.

Followed by this delicious cup of hot chocolate stamped with the signature bear paw of the Café Gitane.

I left wanting a step-down library outfitted like this one at The Nolitan Hotel.

Perhaps augmented with light fixtures like these clever bookish ones at McNally Jackson.

Perfect for a place to read some delicious novels, preferably while consuming some artful chocolates from MariBelle.

Or maybe knitting up some wonderful yarn from Purl.

Here the lovely Allison from Purl winds a skein of worsted weight wool–Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter in the color Snowbound–for a scarf project.

I’ve already begun knitting the Snowbound yarn in a pleasing, fractal-like herringbone pattern. Because the only thing better than seeing good design is creating good design.