The good news is ...

It was a beautiful midsummer's night on the patio of an Italian restaurant on the Hill in Saint Louis. We were celebrating my mother's 79th birthday. The dinner was fantastic; we had our fill of locally grown fresh green salad, whole grain penne with a homemade marinara sauce and a perfectly cooked piece of Dover sole. Everyone seemed content, until my teenage son looked at his plate and screamed.

The best thing about winter is that we can transplant shrubs and small trees in North Texas and give their roots time to establish before the heat of summer. Transplant in January and February when plants are dormant, and before early March when our spring warm up begins.

Mellanie True Hills calls herself a heart survivor because of blockages and atrial fibrillation. I call her a good hearted woman. In 2003, three weeks after near death on the operating table, she undertook a mission to help other women understand and avoid heart disease.

Looking for a dessert that's both easy and sure to please? This is the one! Serve it with berries and whipped cream for a special treat.

I can recall as a young boy my fascination with "automatic doors." Stepping on those floor mats was the solution to taking my dad places in his wheelchair...I could keep pushing him, as doors 'magically' opened for us. I didn't know the term Universal Design, yet I lived it.

Dig out that fabulous red dress. Pull on those red cowboy boots. Grab that flashy red leather jacket.  Friday, February 3, 2012, is National Wear Red Day®. It's not just for Valentine's Day anymore. We may not look like celebs in haute couture, but  we can all show our support for heart disease awareness in our own way!

South America amazed us. The beauty of the countryside, the flavors of the food and wine, and the kindness of the people left us wanting to return. Here are some of the images we will never forget.

Buenos Aires means Tango and Tango means Hot Shoes. We did tango right with lessons from experts and bought handmade shoes from a little shop around the corner from our dance studio. We started the day with a city tour led by Jessica, a young woman from New Jersey who's lived here for about five years.

Leaving Mendoza was tough. There are wineries we never got to visit! We'll miss Fernando, the driver who took us all around the area. He always made us laugh and had lots to tell us about Mendoza.

We arrived in Buenos Aires after eight days of hardcore wine tasting, and took advantage of a lazy afternoon. Our new lodging, Purobaires Hotel Boutique, has 11 lovely rooms and is situated in trendy Palermo SoHo.