Men Are Such Funny Creatures

In the past year, I have lost some weight. Now please don't go and congratulate me, because I think that is strange. You lose something, and people congratulate you for it. When else does that happen?

In case you were wondering, I didn't go on a special diet or join a gym or become a guest on a reality TV show. In the beginning, it wasn't even a conscientious effort to lose weight. In life, we all become a little too content, and the pounds creep up, especially on my tiny, short frame. I had some major life changes - we moved, I quit my sedentary job, a flu virus hit - then before I knew it, one day I realized I had lost a few pounds.

Now you must know, I am a person who needs instant rewards. And the thrill of unexpectedly losing a few pounds was so motivating that I thought, heck, I could lose a few more pounds, and then a few more, and before I knew it, I was wearing smaller jeans. Basically all I did was cut out soft drinks, garlic bread, and potato chips. It was pretty easy, after I got over the initial Dr. Pepper withdrawals.

This post seems boastful and boring. Who cares if I lost weight? But the reason I tell you these things is because my husband never seemed to notice. He never commented on my weight loss. He's the type of guy who stares at the sports page and answers, uh-huh, mmm, okay, whatever, whenever I talk to him. The weight was slow to come off, but his negligence to notice my smaller waistline bothered me.

So this is where my very non-scientific experiment comes into play.

But first, another confession. I am not a natural blond. Well, I was, when I was a kid, but now require the help of a bottle and a beautician. And any woman who colors her hair knows that the color is never permanent, it grows out and fades. A while back, my locks were looking pretty dull, so I decided to get a heavy dose of highlights. That evening, when my husband came home from work, a curious thing happened, he became more attentive and showed more affection than usual. It was strange. I thought to myself, I can lose two dress sizes and the man says nary a word. But I go blond, and it's hello honey.

This got me to thinking. Tomorrow I have an appointment for some highlights and have decided to gage my husbands response. It's very non-scientific, but if I get the same response as last time, my hypothesis will be that men are more receptive to women's hair color than body size.

Just think, I went to all that trouble losing weight, when all I really needed to do was buy a bottle of L'Oreal blond number seven. Men are such funny creatures.


Soup is one of those foods that I feel free to eat all I want, especially the vegetarian ones with no cream in them. This Vegetable soup with Fennel, Herbs and Parmesan Broth is perfect for springtime. I found the recipe in a Food & Wine magazine several years ago and it quickly became one of my favorites. The top photo was taken just as the soup finished cooking while the broth was light and the vegetables held their shape. After the soup simmers a while, the Parmesan rind melts and the soup thickens into a healthy bowl of goodness, which is the way my daughter enjoyed it. This has become one of our favorite things to make using all ingredients from the farmers market. And it goes great with a glass of wine and a crusty piece of bread. Let me know if you decide to try it(!).