Ellen's headed to Idol!

I'm thrilled...Ellen DeGeneres is dancing her way onto "American Idol," replacing Paula Abdul as the show's 4th-judge. Ellen will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi for the 9th-season in January. Don't panic, she'll still host her tv talk show...But as usual I suspect there's a financial reason for Idol...in recent years, Idol's ratings and viewership have dropped, not significantly, but enough to worry producers. So what better way to boost ratings and viewership than to bring in the ever lovable Ellen? Kids love her as the voice of Dori from "Finding Nemo," women love her, gays love her..everyone loves Ellen...I'm sure Idol producers are hoping all of Ellen's worshippers will follow her to Idol, thus increasing viewership, ratings and ultimately, the bottom financial line... I will be one of those followers and start watching "Idol" once again....will you be joining me?

Is She a He?

As a mother of 2-beautiful daughters,it pains me to see the circus surrounding the South African female runner, who's undergoing gender testing. Apparently, a female isn't suppose to run as fast as Caster Semenya runs. Her father has come out to say he knows for a fact that his daughter is all woman! But others are questioning whether Caster is really a man posing as a woman..or maybe she has too much testosterone in her system.... So now the World Athletic Association is running a gamut of tests on Caster to find out if she really is a female! The results are expected to take months. But in the meantime, a South African magazine has given Caster a complete make-over and featured her on the cover. Now, take a look at the results of that make-over:

I think the magazine has proven that Caster really is all woman!

Doctor Oz is in the house!

Another of Oprah's disciples is headed for his own tv studio! "The Dr. Oz Show," starring the heart surgeon and health evangelist, debuts on Sept. 14. It's perhaps the most eagerly anticipated syndicated talk show since another Oprah Winfrey associate, Dr. Phil McGraw. (never understood how he became famous!)

And apparently Dr. Oz is already getting a few people healthier...his staff! Dr. Oz has banned all junk food backstage at his new talk show. Staffers snack on whole grain breads, natural peanut butter, fruits and veggies...as a matter of fact, Oz has been secretly monitoring the food brought in to Jimmy Fallon's studio down the hall. Can't wait for that episode to air!

Oz has a sleek new studio at New York's 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the same room where Conan O'Brien worked before heading West. Its most fearsome element is the "truth tube," a platform that can display a person's weight, body fat and other health indicators, much like "The Biggest Loser" scale.

He expects few celebrity guests, and no Winfrey visit is on the schedule. The show will typically open with a health "hot topic" like swine flu or immunization, and will end with audience questions. In between, Oz will try different ways to make health advice personal, recognizing that lectures don't work as well as stories viewers can relate to.

Dr Oz will continue to perform surgery one day a week.

My main man is leaving me!

I'm crushed. George could have me, but apparently he thinks these young models are a better choice....go figure?

George Clooney's relationship with girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis is heating up. He's reportedly asked her to move to Los Angeles with him. The Ocean's Eleven actor was married to Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993 but famously vowed never to wed again. He has been dating Italian MTV presenter Canalis since July and the pair has reportedly become inseparable. Canalis has already spent time at the star's Lake Como property in Italy, and now Clooney is said to want the model to relocate to his main base in California. A source says "George has really fallen for Eli and wants her back with him in L.A. on a permanent basis. It's obviously a big step, particularly as George has been such a free spirit for so long. But it seems she really could be the one for him. Whether she goes along with the idea remains to be seen."

Life

I've been told that God never deals you anything that you can't handle.... and that challenging situations build character and make you stronger. In recent weeks, I have faced some of the most difficult challenges of my life....Each day I wonder where I'll get the strength to continue, but then somehow, some way I manage to wake up and face the day. When these latest challenges have been conquered, then I'm sure to be a person with awesome character! I find tremendous strenth in my children..my 2 greatest assets. Wish me luck!

College Bound

It's been a week since I dropped my oldest, Samantha off at college. The emptiness still remains, but I'm told it'll ease with time. The drive to Gainesville was shorter than I had anticipated...3-1/2 hours door to door. Sam followed me in her car, while I drove the pick-up loaded with all her worldly possessions. We talked a few times via cell, but otherwise, the trip was made in silence..a time to reminisce about the 18-past years. The day she was born, her first day of school, her first injury, her first boyfriend....you get the idea. The proverbial, "where did the years go" struck home.

Then it hit me, "Would she survive without me?" Who'll offer the gentle nudge when she's stalling on a task, who'll cook her meals, who'll take care of her if she gets sick.....I knew I needed to let it go and let the course of the events play out. It would be the only way she'd learn the hardships of the world, the mundane chores one is faced with each and every day, the difficult decisions we're all faced with.... I could only hope that she'd take some of the wisdom and knowledge I had bestowed on her and use it wisely.

After we organized her apartment, which I can say is nothing like mine was in college (granite counter tops, hardwood floors, top of the line appliances..tough life for today's college students!) and we toured the campus...my duties were complete. After 2-days of unpacking, arranging, washing, ironing, shopping and touring...it was time for me to head back home...without my little girl... a moment I was regretting....

The tears started 10-minutes before I actually did the deed of saying goodbye. An eerie quietness enveloped the apartment..neither of us looking forward to the goodbye...but then I ran out of little, last minute things to do and I turned and looked at my beautiful daughter, She was a woman now...a person about to embark on the best years of her life..a woman filled with hope and determination to make her life the best it can be..a woman who will some day fulfill all her dreams and desires...a woman ready to conquer the world.

As I turned to say goodbye, the flood started...the tears and sobbing uncontrollable....not me, but Samantha! But her waterworks were contagious....almost instantly, I was crying harder than I have in years...we clung to one another as if wishing it would make time stand still and we'd stay together forever...but reality set in...it was time for me to let go and say goodbye...let my little girl spread her wings and start her new life as an adult on her own...

I rushed to the truck, assuming the faster I left, the easier it would be...I was wrong. I cried for at least an hour and then periodically for the entire ride home. But as the miles passed I started to accept the new living arrangements...no more Sam running around the house panicked about where her cell phone was..no more random teenage friends found on the couch or in the guest room..no more empty refrigerator! Maybe life without Sam at home would have its advantages!

As I stated at the beginning..it's been a week since Samantha left home...She calls me at least 3 times a day to tell me about the latest adventures of college life.....for me ...it's very quiet around the house, no gang of teenagers chatting loudly in the family room or playing raucously in the pool, no more wet footprints on the floor from wet pool bodies walking through the house, and yes, my ice cream container remains untouched in the freezer! I can enjoy a moment of solitude without being interrupted by the latest teen drama and I know the $10 I have in my wallet will be there in a few hours....maybe Sam's latest adventure is a blessing in disguise!

But reality check..my youngest, Caroline is only 14 years old. I still have a few more years of teenage escapades to endure and all I can say is, "thank goodness for my children..they fulfill me."

College Bound

In June we celebrated my daughter Samantha's high school graduation. Party, presents, friends and family. A milestone in Sam's life, a turning point in mine. My little girl had grown up. We teased about her leaving ..counting down the days till that great day when she'd be moving out...we joked about how we'd change her room into a media center, a crafts room, maybe a reading room... Well, tomorrow the girls an I (Sam and my youngest Caroline) ht the road for one last vacation together. We're headed for the roller coasters of Busch Gardens in Tampa...a mommy-daughters weekend that I'll savor, because when we return, we pack the truck and head to Gainesville. Sam's moving into her new apartment for college! I thought I'd be thrilled to see her finally on her own and now I'm dreading it...I'm already crying about her absence...I'm afraid she'll get hurt, party too much, flunk out etc...everything that I think could go wrong has already happened in my mind. But most importantly, the hole in my heart is already growing. What will I do with out her smiling face? Her incredible wit and personality? Her laugh, her tantrums, her everything? Will she miss me as much? Will she survive without me? ...Oh, before you freak..I know she'll survive, but will I? I guess this is another character builder...I'll have a lot of character when this is all over. I know every mother endures this and I will too...does it get any easier? I guess I'll be spending lots of time in Gator Land...Sam watch out..get that spare couch ready...mom's coming to spend the weekend!