The most important meal of the day and we're not hungry for it. "We" are the people whose appetite doesn't rise with the sun. I've never had the stomach for eating first thing in the morning, which means I'm usually ravenous by 10:30 or 11. Then, while trying to lose weight last year, I started drinking powdered shakes for breakfast. Whipped up cold and frothy, they were a treat I came to enjoy. Now, I'm missing them, and most of all, the energy boost they gave.

I wasn't a Girl Scout, which is almost embarrassing for a child of the '50s and '60s to admit. Why, I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that our neighborhood was loaded with kids. There were five of us girls about the same age, and we were a tight group into our teen years.

"The Athlete's Palate Cookbook" is a collection of recipes from the Runner's World column of the same name plus new ones from chef-runners across the country. The book, published by Rodale ($25.99), contains 120 recipes in all, along with profiles of the contributors. The dishes photograph well, looking quite fresh and healthy.

Students at the College of Charleston present "The Vagina Monologues," a play by Eve Ensler that dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women's experiences. The production is part of a global movement called V-Day, which aims to end violence against women and girls by raising funds and awareness. Last year, C of C raised nearly $10,000 for People Against Rape. This year's performances will benefit PAR and the Center for Women. 7 p.m. Thursday and Feb. 12, plus a special midnight showing Feb. 12, at Physicians Auditorium at C of C. Tickets are $20 and $10 for C of C faculty, staff and students. They are available at Caviar & Bananas (51 George St.) and City Lights Coffee (141 Market St.) Visit www.cofcvday.blogspot.com.

"Lincoln Reconsidered: Essays on the Civil War Era" by David Herbert Donald includes 12 brief essays on Abraham Lincoln that will change your ideas of our 16th president. The author has been highly respected by historians, especially since his definitive biography in 1995. The essays on Lincoln folklore, his defective education, Herndon and Mary Todd, and Lincoln and the Founding Fathers intrigued me and caused a rereading and rethinking.

Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp, Camille Kingsolver's book caught my interest because of the idea of eating entirely locally for a year. It was a little like preaching to the choir -- no one has to tell me the negative impact of HFCS or GMO crops. I saw "Food, Inc." and support the same issues as Kingsolver and her family.

Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" is a complicated yet powerful story about race and beauty. Set in 1941, it looks at how young African-American girls deal with a society that sets the standard for beauty as blond and blue-eyed.

Let's agree that we're not going to "organize" your photos. "Organize" is a chore. "Organize" is for Tupperware. Photos are for sharing, cherishing, showcasing. Still, yours are a mess. Thousands of images jumbled on your hard drive. Vacations bumping into holidays bumping into birthdays. Envelopes of prints sitting unframed, unmailed, unalbumed. Here's a plan to untangle the mess. In four weeks, you can sort and label photos, group them in categories and share and showcase them.

Are you one of the millions who made a New Year's resolution to eat better this year? One way to do your part for your health and the environment is to go organic.

Got a trunkload of holiday returns? Take back those ties, cologne and panini makers and make some practical purchases instead. Here are five best buys for January

While we're excitedly looking forward to the new trends in shoes, dresses and pants, let's not forget to update our most important accessory: our hair. We chatted with celebrity stylist Philip Pelusi, who has upscale salons in Pittsburgh and New York and employs hundreds of stylists, about the biggest trends in hair for 2010, including color.

Tired of walking, running and the elliptical to get your weekly cardio? Get creative and try these different exercises that don't require any fancy equipment.

What if instead of feeling like you're about to hyperventilate, you got hungry after inhaling the smell of a freshly painted room? Made of about 90 percent food ingredients, Anna Sova Food Paint is a low-VOC formula that comes in more than 500 colors.