My color for fall/winter

#161 = Teak Rose. Yes, I got a pedi today, first one in ages! Going from sandals all day/everyday to tennies and flats and even heels every once in a while has been hell on my tootsies.

That was a lovely evening

I took my niece, she who dreams of a career in culinary arts, to Eno -- a restaurant that specializes in cheese and chocolate flights. Everything was yummy, of course, but the part I really enjoyed was chatting with her. She's 17, and very focused. She knows what she has to do to get into the right colleges for her chosen profession and is doing what's within her power in terms of ACT/SAT scores, advanced classes, etc. She has discovered something she's good at, she enjoys it, and she can make a living at it. I'm so happy for her, and hearing about her life is so exciting.

She's still a kid, though. I heard about her Halloween costume, her friends, how much she enjoys George Harrison's music … (Not Paul! Where did I go wrong?) Her major problems with her mother, too. I was relieved because they don't seem like unusually serious problems, but I wanted her to know that I heard her, that I took her feelings seriously.

It was a nice way to end a very, VERY long week!