Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Well, it's time again to say thanks to that wonderful woman who gave you life and is always there to listen or lend a hand when you have a problem. My mom is in the place where special moms go, but I want to thank my three daughters who have all turned out to be such fantastic women, with mothering skills that they share with everyone around them. I am lucky to have them to learn from, and thank God for giving me my time with them. I think being a grandmother is really the best hat I've ever worn. Cody, Leo Maxime and Natasha have brought me more joy than i can ever express, and I know already the amazing joy coming to my heart with my new great grandchild coming in June/July. There is an unspoken connection with grandchildren that no one can explain, but it's there and it's the best! A special May 30th happy birthday wish to my #1 daughter Kathleen . . . you're the best Kat, and I love you!

I wish to honor all the great teaching nuns, and women in my family who have helped me grow and become the person I am today, especially my Aunt Dolores (Marcella) Stein who had a PhD in unconditional love, and shared so much to help me along my life journey. I thank all the great spirit driven women in history who have inspired me so much to never give up and always try to do my best, including Golda Meir, Mother Theresa & Eleanor Roosevelt. I won't bore you with my list of who all these women are, but we all have a collection of great women whose books we have read, paintings we have admired, designs we wish we could afford, recipes we wish we could duplicate, and exceptional political women who continue to fight for our rights as women. But, most of all I thank my dear women friends who have been there for me through the really tough times and the joyous moments over many years. I love you all!

Pope: Equal pay for equal work - Pope Francis has added his voice to the feminist anthem of equal pay for equal work, saying it's "scandalous" that women earn less than men for doing the same job. Francis also lambasted the attitude of some who blame the crisis in families on women getting out of the house to work. He says such attitudes are a form of "machismo" that shows how men "want to dominate women."

In this issue we visit Bacara Resort & Spa for highlights from the 2nd Annual Santa Barbara Food & Beverage Weekend featuring Chefs Goin & Lentz, Mayet Cristobal-Bognar & Bobby Bognar, curators from Julia's Kitchen at the Smithsonian, renowned author Anne Willan and so many more. We have additional food and beverage coverage in "Sips" and "Culinary Coup", and exciting upcoming event and festival news. Cruise and Air Line news can be found in our travel and wheels section for vacation plans you may be making for summer. On our links page you will find contact information of the airlines, and Amtrak. Train travel is becoming very popular with families and my story on train travel to San Francisco in "Wheels" is an example of this popularity. Wheels also has a great car review done by Jeramy Gordon.

Additional contributing writers are included on an individual issue basis. Please contact the editor with questions regarding journalist assignments. Email: writebc@aol.com