My mother was admitted to New York’s Pratt Institute around 1940. She had great artistic talent and was lucky to get into such a prestigious institution after graduating from high school. She went to Pratt for two years, dropped out, got married, had three daughters and never did a thing professionally with her talent. Some of her early oil paintings hung in my father’s dental office. I remember one of a cowboy leaning against a bar. This painting captivated me because it looked like the cowboy was the only person left in the word. I realize now that mom’s work reminds me of Edward Hopper’s, my favorite artist.

FOF actress Jane Seymour also is an accomplished artist

Mom took a couple of art classes later in her life, and I remember her being pleased with her work, but she never really got into it. If I had been older at the time, I probably would have encouraged her to continue and try to sell her art. But I was a teenager and teenagers think only about themselves; they’re not worried about whether their mothers are utilizing their talents and making the most of their lives.

I believe women must use their God-given talents. If a woman chooses to have babies and stay home, there’s no reason she can’t use her non-mom talents at the same time. She doesn’t have to make money, either. Let’s say she’s a brilliant knitter. She can create one-of-a-kind sweaters for her friends and family. If she’s a wonderful saleswoman, she can help fundraise for a local charity.

My sister has the cowboy painting stored in her basement. I’d like to have it to remind me of a talented woman–who also happened to be my mother.

A FOF woman sitting across from me in the subway had such thin hair her scalp was visible. She was impeccably dressed and had a trim figure, but her hair (or lack of it) detracted from her over-all appearance.  At least, that’s what I thought.  Clearly, she didn’t seem to mind at all.  I don’t care whether I have the same amount of hair I had when I was 20, but I’d prefer not to see my scalp.

Funny how we all concentrate on different things and can also be full of contradictions:

One FOF is happy to let her hair go gray, but she colors her eyebrows.

Another buys a limited selection of expensive clothes and doesn’t mind wearing the same sweater, shirt or slacks twice in one week, but she owns more eyeglass frames than Lenscrafters.

A third FOF doesn’t lose sleep about her under-eye darkness…

…but she goes crazy when she breaks a nail or chips her polish

One FOF must wear feminine nightwear…

…but her daytime outfit of choice is sweats and a tee.

A fifth hasn’t changed her hairstyle in years, but she changes her fashion style every season.

I wonder if the woman I saw on the subway ever sees her hair the way I saw it.  And is she more secure than I because it doesn’t bother her the way it would bother me?  Then again, I’m heftier than she was, so maybe she looked at me and thought: “That FOF should lose some weight.”

My FOF friend, Jenni Lipa, is lucky to travel throughout the world in search of the best spa resorts for her business, SpaTrek Travel. When she arrived in Siem Reap Province, in Northwest Cambodia, a few years ago, she was struck by the extreme poverty in rural communities.  Although the Province (home to the famous temple Angkor Wat) is attracting more luxury hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities, many families walk for miles to get their only water from ponds and rivers. This dirty water is often the source of severe diarrhea and other diseases. The children don’t have schools, either, and many are orphans. “It was my social obligation to help,” Jenni told me, so she immediately donated $220 to build her first water well. “It changed the lives of 40 people,” she said.

FOF Jenni with Cambodian children

Since then, Jenni has become President of The Cambodian Child’s Dream Organization (CCDO), a non-profit and non-political charity organization, officially licensed by Ministry of Interior of Cambodia.  Its mission is to improve the health, life expectancy, living conditions and education of the community by providing clean water wells, toilets, libraries, school supplies and classrooms.  “We teach English in four schools, support an orphanage with 86 children and have adopted three villages and a commune of 8,000 people,” Jenni said.

Jenni’s organization is holding a fund-raiser on May 3 in New York, featuring a live auction, but you don’t need to live in New York to help.  You can participate in a spectacular raffle to win a seven-night trip to Asia worth $15,000.  I’m going to buy my raffle ticket right now.  It’s only $25 a ticket and $100 for 5. You can contact Jenni to buy tickets. Her email is jenni@friendsofccd.org.

Jenni, the kids in Cambodia are lucky you’ve become part of their lives.  I’m lucky you’re part of mine.

I’m not sure I’m going to wake up at 4 a.m. to watch the ROYAL WEDDING live this Friday. I think I need my beauty sleep more than I need to watch two 29-year-olds get married with whom I have absolutely nothing in common (except I’m a commoner, and so is the bride.) I can always watch news accounts of the big event, which, I’m certain, will flood the airwaves and Internet for days.

If any of you have been sleeping under a rock recently, a smart, pretty (and thin) young woman, named Kate, is marrying a smart, handsome (and trim) Prince William. He’s the oldest son of Prince Charles and Diana, the Duchess of Wales, who died tragically in 1997. The pending event has captured the attention of the world.

I never dreamed of being a princess and living in a castle.  I would have made a dreadful princess, anyway, and I’m not a fan of castle architecture or furnishings. Curtsy to my mother in law? Are you kidding! Ride a horse?  Not for me. Make small talk and smile 24/7.  Not on your life. Nevertheless, the life of the “royals” captivates us, and I am no exception. If I do watch the hoopla, I will be curious to see how Camilla interacts with Kate, the role Diana plays in the ceremony and whether Queen Elizabeth acts like a real person. She seems to take herself entirely too seriously.  Now that she’s FOF, she needs to lighten up,  maybe pass the torch (oops, throne) to her son or even to her grandson.  That would liven up the situation, for sure.