I am struggling to lose those last 10 (20?) pounds of baby weight. I fear my son Jack will be old enough to drive, and I’ll still be using the just-had-a-baby excuse for my "few" extra pounds. One night recently, while watching television, I heard about the above-mentioned diet and its promises of how much you can lose in three weeks.

Sick of my clothes being a little too tight, I hunted down the book (21 Pounds in 21 Days by Roni DeLuz, R.N., N.D., with James Hester) and began what I believed to be Mission Possible.
And so far, so good. As I write this, I am 15 days into the diet and 15 pounds lighter. The detox means living on antioxidant berry drinks; high-fiber, veggie-packed green liquids; juiced, leafy-green vegetables; and cleansing (pureed) soups. Basically, you just don’t chew for 21 days. You’re allowed no caffeine, salt, sugar, processed food, meat or alcohol. Hardships, for sure. And in the first two days, I had some nausea and headaches.

But within a few days, my skin began to glow, I had more energy, and my clothes started fitting better. (I guess a little cheating is OK: I had a salad one night, some grilled vegetables another time and a glass or two of white wine, and still kept losing the promised pounds.)

Gorgeous Setting
So on to the events … and my valiant efforts to behave (at least about the diet). I did my best to close my eyes to the fabulous foods and open them to the glorious scenery at Youth Haven Night at Villa Venezia. This gorgeous waterfront home on Marco Island—on the market for $12 million—will take your breath away. The Van Hoesen family painstakingly attended to every detail—from the painted murals on the wooden ceilings to the replica of the Romeo and Juliet balcony over the pool. I’m ever grateful to popular Marco Island couple and columnists Chris Curle and Don Farmer for inviting me as a special guest, along with Hollywood agent Gary Rosen.

Youth Haven is a shelter for abused and neglected children, and this party was the prelude to the Dancing with the Starz gala at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort.

Milestone Birthday
Another evening, another festive occasion … this one for Lee County Manager Don Stilwell. His daughter Jessica (my NBC2 anchor colleague) and his girlfriend, Debbie, threw him a fabulous party at Jessica and her husband’s lovely home on McGregor Boulevard in honor of the birthday you celebrate before you turn 70. Don’s a guy who runs five miles a day, and it’s hard to believe he’s approaching that milestone. He’d better keep that conditioning up since he’s got six granddaughters to chase the boys away from. Me? I stoically watched a roomful of people eating Famous Dave’s Barbecue ribs, pulled pork and chicken … and sipped away at my pureed veggies and herbal tea.

Cooking Honors
More food news … A tip of the toque to chef Brian Roland and sous chef Ritchie Wilim of Cru in the Bell Tower Shops. They won first place in the STAR CHEFS cook-off at the Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio. Chef’s Garden is one of the premier organic farms in the country and brought in Food Network star Paula Deen as the hostess for the event. The guys from Cru had 30 minutes to make a two-course gourmet meal from a mystery basket of organic vegetables and five proteins. Their winning dish? Grilled lobster over polenta and tri-colored baby cauliflower.

Grand Reporting
Speaking of winning and food, the ABC7 reporting team of John Burns (my talented little brother) and Katie LaGrone took a national Edward R. Murrow Award for their investigation into phony grouper. They tested "grouper" in various local restaurants and discovered, in several cases, it was Asian catfish or another cheaper type of fish. Also on the local news front: Isn’t it great to have the aforementioned Jessica Stilwell on the air again after a 10-month hiatus attending to her three little girls? She couldn’t stay away, and we’re happy to have her back with us at least on Saturdays and Sundays. I’m keeping an eye on how her husband, Samir, handles this one. No more sleeping in on weekends for him!

A Touching Farewell
Finally, a tearful goodbye to my good friend Gaye Levine. She died recently after a five-year fight against ovarian cancer. Hundreds of people showed up to honor her one Sunday this summer at her restaurant RedFish BluFish on Sanibel Island. Gaye was a classic—a little spitfire full of energy and life. She loved good food, great wine and music. The last time I saw her she was so thrilled because she had just had a one-hour, heart-to-heart phone conversation with her cherished mentor, Heidi Barrett, who’s widely regarded as one of California’s leading winemakers. Gaye was an accomplished cellist who helped make the music scene in South Beach a recognized hot spot and, as an agent, booked many acts that went on to become household names. When she moved to Sanibel in the 1980s, she brought her passion for music to Ellington’s Jazz Club (and to Club Neptune in Fort Myers as well).

One of her devoted staff members told me he knows Gaye was there that Sunday when everyone came to say goodbye. As he was cleaning up, he noticed that a red wine stain on one of the tablecloths formed the perfect shape of a butterfly. Too perfect, he thought, to be a coincidence. Gaye’s free of pain now and has certainly left her mark.