Family, friends, and is it autumn yet?

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Florida for my uncle's 90th birthday. As usual, at the drop of the word party, our family convened from all over. A few of us stayed at a hotel with a huge courtyard and pool, and we invited everyone for a swim after Sunday's birthday brunch. It was great to spend time with my family poolside. The two to ten–year–olds were loaded with every pool toy imaginable. The 20 to 40-year-olds had fancy water bottles and an abundance of patience to exhaust the young ones with hours of water games. Those in the over-40 crowd had Bloody Mary's.

The good news is that we will have another reason to get together this autumn. There's a family wedding planned in New York when the city is at its best.

However, I must first make it through the spring and it will be busy.

First, we are preparing the yard for our first brunch of the season after winter.

Next, my Los Angeles tennis "besties" will be here for a girl's weekend in mid-April. I see lots of laughs, food, wine, and tennis in my future. A few weeks later, and the friends who visited me last October are coming for a repeat visit. More wine, food, and even more laughs.

I have signed up for four consecutive tennis camp weekends in June, in time to lose my wine, food, and laughing pounds.

But first, a whirlwind trip to Italy for seven days, including travel. We are going with friends and their two adult kids. It's their first time in Italy, and they're excited to experience Italy with an Italian.

Daniel has given me an ultimatum: I can only bring carry-on luggage since I am cursed with the lost luggage gene. At least, there will be the consolation of good food and wine while there.

Meanwhile, I am starting to plan my garden. The seeds are purchased, and I've reintroduced myself to the worms, which seem to grow longer every year. I found my garden journal, which I start and abandon every spring. There is something to be said about traditions, and abandoning the garden journal is one of mine. The good news is I never have to buy a new journal since I only use a few pages a year.

As usual, I am vacillating about planting zucchini or not. Since it's prolific and virtually foolproof, I will give in at the last minute and plant one. So be it if the birds, bees, and wind plant more. Squash adds a lot of green to a garden, looks very impressive, and it's edible. I love those win-win plants.

I will continue my tradition of planting radishes and cabbage. They are my ego-building crops. I am stubborn, so I attempt carrots, green beans, and parsnips again. And, of course, I will try to guess which tomato plants have volunteered and which I planted. I am sure lettuce will grow like crazy when we're in Italy, so if you walk by our house and see some, help yourselves.