August 7, 2008
Summer Fun, What Makes a Tomato a Tomato, and from Playgirl to
Minister
What a perfectly glorious summer week it has been. The Three
Tomatoes hope you are all enjoying your summer and taking some time to just have fun. Which is just
what several tomatoes (and a couple of tomato husbands too) did last week when we went on a tour and tea of the Mount Vernon Museum and
Hotel, on East 61st Street in NYC. What a delightful afternoon touring this historic building, and
meeting other great tomatoes. We’ve posted the Mt. Vernon event photos. And it’s not too late to join us for more summer
fun at Karaoke
Night on August 12th when tomatoes will be singing just for the fun of it.
Singing on key is not a requirement. Which brings us to what makes a tomato a tomato. Not that you don’t know who you
are, but since we’re asked that question a lot, here goes.
Tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, creeds, and political
persuasions. Tomatoes don’t all live in NYC, and not all of them share our love of martinis. But there
are three traits that all tomatoes have in common. Trait #1 is being comfortable in
your own skin. Forget whether it’s wrinkled, sagging, dimpled, lipo’d, botox’d, tucked, or
toned. Tomatoes long ago figured out who we are and know that life is too short to not spend it “being
you”. Trait #2 is that tomatoes have an enormous passion for life.
This is not the “glass is half empty” crowd. And Trait #3 is that
tomatoes have a great sense of humor and know how to have fun. And we know how to laugh when we start taking ourselves a bit too
seriously. Which seems to be what we’re doing right now. But this does help us segue to introducing
you to our newest Three Tomatoes expert in matters of love and relationships, Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway. She’s quite a
tomato and you’ll love her story.
But first, a word about this week’s sponsor, Mail Boxes, Etc. at
511 6th Avenue. NYC. See their ad in our side bar for a special discount offer just for tomatoes that
includes shipping your luggage before your next flight. And you can bet after last week’s American Airlines fiasco
that left thousands of passengers en route to Europe with no luggage, they were wishing they had done just that.
From Playgirl Editor to Ordained Minister
About a month ago, Rev.
Laurie Sue Brockway wrote a delightful guest column for
us called “Summer Love”. And after talking to her, we knew we had to persuade her
to become a regular contributor as our Love and Relationships expert. And lucky for us, she said yes even when we explained that tomatoes
don’t need empowerment advice, and we’re not sure about that goddess thing. (She’s just written a book on
Goddesses, her 12th book by the way.) Not only did she not take offense, she even laughed when we told
her this. Clearly, she possesses tomato traits in abundance. So we are delighted that she will be sharing her unique
insights on love, relationships and how to feel like a hot tomato
with wisdom and humor. She’ll cover the gamut of tomato topics from marriage and menopause, romance and dating, to sex
and spirituality. And who better than a Playgirl magazine editor turned Ordained Minister and wedding
officiate to write on these topics? So how did she get from there to here?
Laurie Sue has enjoyed a colorful career as a journalist writing for women, for
over 20 years. She was editor-in-chief of Playgirl and Single Living, and managing editor of
Women’s News. She's written for NY Daily News, Denver Post, Washington Post,
Philadelphia Inquirer, Ladies' Homes Journal and Woman's World. One of her freelance jobs was to edit the
sex scenes in “saucy” novels to make them more appealing to women - erotica from a woman’s perspective. And
along the way, she got married for about 10 minutes, and raised the child from that marriage as a single, working mom.
In 1997 she wrote her first book, The Seductress Within: How to Seduce A Man and Thrill You Both (which was re-released by
Random House in 2004.) 1997 was also the year her father died and she was in a quandary about the
funeral. She had not been raised in a religious home. She was “culturally Jewish” on her
mother’s side and she knew her father was Christian, but not affiliated with any church. So when it came time for the
funeral, she decided to officiate herself. Shortly after the funeral, a Methodist minister who was in attendance (a friend of
her uncle) approached her. And to her surprise, rather than chide her, he asked her if she had ever thought about becoming a
minister. It was a turning point, and shortly after her father’s death she entered a two year program at an Interfaith
Seminary, and became an ordained minister. She took a vow to serve people of all faiths and backgrounds.
Today she has a very active wedding ministry in New York, marrying couples of
all faiths and backgrounds. And she started writing again. She is coach and creator of The Soulmate Project on Beliefnet.com and editor of Wedlok.com. She is the author of 12 books including her two most recent ones, Pet Prayers and Blessings: Ceremonies and Celebrations to Share with the Animals
You Love (Sterling Books, September 2008); and The Goddess Pages: A Divine Guide to Finding Love and Happiness (Llewellyn, November 2008).
The Elvis Wedding
And, while she was at Seminary School, she met her soul mate, Rev. Victor Fuhrman.
And at the age of 48, she married him. So who would you think two ordained ministers, who have officiated at hundreds of
other people’s weddings, would want to marry them? Why Elvis, of course, Las Vegas style. You
can read all about it this week in Rev. Laurie Sue’s first column as our Love and Relationship expert. You’re gonna love
it.
Here’s a big martini toast to tomatoes everywhere. Happy
summer, and if you spot Elvis anywhere, let us know.
‘til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
Copyright©2008. The Three Tomatoes, Inc. All rights
reserved.
