But first, let’s review her Dallas visit.

Having just arrived Sunday night (thank heaven, she missed snowy Saturday) after a PA at Lake Austin Spa Resort, Pamela was the main course of the “Feather Your Nest Speakers Series” (FYN) luncheon at the Ritz. Since seating at Dean Fearing’s was limited to 60, Dallas authoress/FYN co-founder Kimberly Schlegel Whitman asked her mom Myrna Schegel if she would host a book signing reception in the evening for T&C‘s legendary editor-in-chief. Despite a nasty twist of the ankle suffered in Toronto last week — and being forced to wear flats — Myrna opened the Schlegel manor with the graciousness and elegance befitting a T&C event.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?

According to Pamela, her stay at Lake Austin was really quite excellent, despite the fact that it meant her missing what was “supposed to be the most perfect weekend of weather” in New York City. But it was well worth it. She was fascinated by the women at the spa just walking around in terry cloth robes and wearing no makeup. . . just being themselves.

Then it was a quick trip to Dallas Sunday and the FYN luncheon, which was “perfection,” according to Pamela, who is a true-blue fan of Chef Dean Fearing. “The fish was prepared just perfectly,” Pamela reported. “Everyone was so very nice. What a simply gorgeous place.”

Ah, but that was just a warm-up of the hospitality in store for the 28-year veteran of the country’s leading media expert on class, style and taste. The Schlegels somehow manage to combine mega-amazing (their mansion, of course) with personal charm and gentility. With Myrna in ballet slipper-like flats at the front door, guests were warmly greeted. If you were lucky enough to get there when the doors opened at 5, you might have missed Pam as she stood in the hallway catching up with old friends like Courtney Sinelli (pictured). It seems that 30 years ago Pamela was Courtney’s babysitter.

FYN co-founder Chris Kleinert (pictured) had to leave co-hosting duties to wife Ashlee and get back to work. By the way, Ashlee and Chris are also the driving force behind Executives in Action.

Yes, this gathering was made up of people who wear out passports with trips to India, Brazil, Europe, and all points in between. Their shopping sprees take place in foreign ports of call as opposed to Sam Moon’s. “You do know that bargains can be had overseas because of the dollar situation?” is heard more than once. They wonder aloud what others only fantasize about — a month-long-rental of a house in Tuscany  this summer, perhaps?

Even the serving staff took note that this crowd was not your typical wine and champagne group. When a waiter placed an order for a “Negroni,” he admitted none of the staff had ever heard of such a concoction. “Only the bartender knew what it was” —  equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Like the guests in attendance, the drink is a classic for the well-traveled set.

Still there was something about Pamela that set her apart from this Black Card set. Was it her diminutive size? Was it her emerald-green jacket? Her necklace of multi-strands of jade? Or, perhaps it was her smile that highlighted each introduction?

But then the hallway started filling with guests, and it was time for Pamela to take her place at a desk in the two-story library with its elegant curtains. To her right were a stack of her books that quickly dwindled as guests queued up for a personal signing. Some wanted a book for themselves. Others wanted them as gifts. Don’t tell anyone, but there is one mother whose Mother’s Day gift is already a done deal.

For those who live for the itty-bittiest of details, Pamela is a southpaw and claims that her “excellent” inscriptions (pictured) are due to “Sharpies.”

What you soon learned about Pamela was her ease at making others feel comfortable. She was fascinated in all who approached her. With amazing eye contact, she made you feel as if there was no one else in the room. How she did it time after time is a wonder. But then again it was a pretty heady crowd. For instance,

• Former Crystal Charity Ball Chair Sara Martineau (pictured) with her daughter Maria Plankinton discussed Swiss fashion house of Akris’s Albert Kriemler‘s being the featured designer at this fall’s Best Dressed Luncheon with Pamela. “You’ll love him. He’s adorable,” Pamela smiled.
• Fashionista First Lady Heidi Dillon in a softer-than-legal white leather jacket exchanged business cards with Pamela with the latter saying, “Everyone loves to talk about fashion.”
• While waiting her turn to chat with Pamela, Barbara Daseke in luscious black lamb leather jacket admitted that she had been so impressed with the Lauren Bacall talk recently at the Nasher that she had bought Lauren’s book and was amazed at her diverse life.
• Barbara Buzzell complimented Pamela on one of her staff with whom BB had just worked with on a story. Without hesitation, Pamela knew the staffer and noted that she was a Dallas gal and very good.
• Shelle Sills (pictured right hugging Billie Leigh Rippey) got a big hug from Pamela saying, “I’m here because it’s you!” Then Shelle reported that  husband Michael was on his way just to see Pamela, too. In a flash, Michael not only showed up but presented Pamela with a drink refresher. That man knows just what the doctor orders. By the way, don’t think that NM Downtown Non-stop Head Lady Shelle spends her life entirely in four-inch stilettos. “When I’m home, it’s strictly flip flops.” Why, oh why, do we suspect that hers are so much classier than the rest of ours?

But it wasn’t all pleasantries among the book-buying guests. Pamela also shared some thoughts on the publishing industry and the various rumors swirling about.

• Shelter magazines — “The entire shelter industry went . . . (she motioned with her hand hitting the desk).”
• Print vs. online — ” So many women tell me how they like holding paper in their hands when they read.”
• Advertising — “Advertisers are so eager to think they can cut costs by advertising on the web. But a little ad online just cannot compare to a wonderfully produced ad in a magazine.”
• Social media trends — “We going through a period when people are flirting with things like Facebook.”
• Publications adjusting their standards to survive — “I’ve told them (her staff and publisher) that we’re not going to do that.”
• Blogging — “Someone just recently told about blogging and that it can be fun.”
• The Devil Wears Prada: “My doorman said, ‘Ms. Fiori, you’re not like that woman in The Devil Wears Prada.’ I sure hope I’m not.”
• Her publisher Jim Taylor — “I have the world’s best publisher. We don’t always agree but we respect each other.”
• Her next book — “It’s on St. Bart’s.”

And that rumor that’s been making the rounds. Well, it seems the NY Post’s Keith Kelly reported this past Friday that HEARST Magazines President Cathie Black has quietly been searching for Pamela’s replacement. When confronted with the Post‘s latest item, in typical T&C style, Pamela just smiled and said, “There are always rumors about Anna Wintour, me and all of us. If it happens, it happens. I have a life. . .  my husband (Colt Givner) of 28 years, my relatives, my friends. You truly realize their importance when times get difficult.”

In parting, someone asked, “Will you be back in September for the Best Dressed luncheon?”

“I hope so,” Pamela replied.

“American Red Cross chief executive Gail J. McGovern was about to give a fundraising pitch to a roomful of Texas millionaires when news of the earthquake in Haiti reached her by text message.

She knew right away that this would be her first real test as chief of the renowned relief organization, which had fallen into debt and disrepute after missteps after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Katrina. But she wasn’t about to abandon her talk to donors at the home of a concrete-paving magnate, an estate modeled after a French chateau.

Without “an eyelash out of place” — as one Dallas charity blogger noted — McGovern went on coolly with her prepared remarks, making scant mention of the disaster then unfolding. And she stayed and mingled afterward, charming the wealthy crowd with a self-deprecating anecdote about her first meeting as Red Cross chief with their home-town son, George W. Bush. (She’d burst into tears telling him that she’d dropped her kid off at college the previous day.)”

SweetCharity covered the party at the Schlegel estate and enjoyed her chat with Annie.

Then it was on with the big show!

First, there was the singing of the national anthem by Captain Michele Matthews. Now, co-chairs Gene Jones (pictured) and Charlotte (Jones) Anderson  are well aware of Dallas’ flag issues so they nipped that problem with flags everywhere — paraded around the room and shown on three humongous screens.

Check that one off the list. Whew!

Next on the list was SA’s success story of Delora Evans’ rise from crack cocaine addict to graduate school student with a position as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with Metro Care Services in Dallas with Delora being presented. Bravo!

Then SA Major Ward Matthews (also Michele’s husband), who had just moved here four months ago,  introduced Advisory Board Chairman Judy Gibbs. But before he turned the podium over to Judy, he announced that the event had earned $2,582,828 on the tote board. That’s nearly $200,000 more than last year’s take. He attributed this amazing figure to luncheon chairs the Jones girls and Jan Pickens, and underwriting chair Charles Wyly.

Judy then took over and introduced Brit.

For the politicos in the audience, the choice of speakers was great. For those seeking heart-wrenching inspiration, Brit’s only brush with that was during the first few minutes. He told the group how he truly enjoyed hearing Amazing Grace because it reminded him of his days at an Episcopal boys school.  He then went on to say how much “I appreciate and respect this organization.”

Then it was on to his forte — today’s political scene. He talked with a recurring frog in his throat about the country’s still being center right on the political scale despite the election of a Democrat president, a brief analysis of the most recent elections, the priority list of concerns facing the country (the economy is still #1 with health care farther down the list), the reason for the Democrats trying “to ram through” the health care package, etc.

He described this past year’s stimulus package as “the second worse thing I ever saw Congress do. The worse thing I ever saw Congress do was to pull the plug on the support for South Vietnam in the aftermath of the American pullout from South Vietnam, which had devastating consequences for that country.”

Gee, Brit, don’t hold back on your opinions. Let us know what you really think.

Two comments that got chuckles from the audience were

• Global warming: “Now they call it ‘climate change’ because there hsn’t been any global warming in the past 11 years.”
• Ross Perot: “the little guy with the charts and graphs” and “he quit the race and was claiming that President Bush 41′s administration was trying to make a mess his daughter’s wedding and he was behaving sorta in a way that is not normally the precursor to being elected.”

Brit’s parting comment was a question for the group to mull over: “What will President Obama do if he and his party suffer major losses in next year’s election?”

Didn’t notice, but did Laura Bush looked relieved that her husband wasn’t going to have to worry about that question?

Major Ward then returned to the podium with eyes to next year, but not about the election. Rather, he told the group to put November 18th down for next year’s lunch. As you know, it’s always held the Thursday before Thanksgiving, which kicks off the annual kettle campaign. Ring, ring!

And did we mention that this year’s $2M+ results from this year’s lunch were largely due to the following sponsors:

Diamond — Anonymous

Crystal — Bosque Foundation, Jack Furst, Judy and Jim Gibbs, Gene and Jerry Jones Family, Dr. Bobby B. Lyle, Anonymous, Alice and Erle A. Nye, Sarah and Ross Perot Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt  Jr., Rowling Foundation, Anonymous, Cheryl and Sam Wyly, andDee and Charles Wyly

Titanium — Anonymous, AT&T Inc., and Morningstar Family Foundation

Platinum — Anonymous, Ruth Altshuler/Susan Sharp, Carreker Family Foundation, Ginger Murchison Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Frank King, Chase, Old Mutual, Margot and Ross Perot, Boone Pickens Foundation – A Communities Foundation of Texas Fund, Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Pickens, Dottie Thompson – Thank Heaven Foundation, Jean and Tom Walter, William Noble Rare Jewels, and Kim and Evan Wyly

Gold — American Contractors / Mr. and Mrs. William S. McIntyre IV, Anonymous, Ashford Hospitality Trust and Remington Hotels, Marilyn Augur Family Foundation, Faye C. Briggs, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O. Chesnut, Sandy and David Cole, Mollie Allen Crow, Linda and Bill A. Custard, Joy and Ralph Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Farrow,The Gayden Family Foundation, Hunt Consolidated, Inc. / Hunt Oil Company, David B. Miller Family Foundation, Estate of Alva Mae Moore Foundation, Vin and Caren Prothro Foundation, Carolyn and Karl Rathjen, Mardie and Alan Schoellkopf, Charles E. and Sarah M. Seay Charitable Trust, Peggy and Carl Sewell, Harold Simmons Foundation, The Ted and Shannon Skokos Foundation, Michelle and Phil Swatzell, Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Troutt, and John and Susan Wilder Foundation

Silver — Lana and Barry Andrews /Natalie and Mike McGuire, Anonymous, AT&T, Mrs. Shea Boscamp and Mrs. Tiffany Willeyon behalf of Granite Advisory LLC, Broadview Security, Jim and Gayle Caldwell, Nancy and Clint Carlson,Ann and David Carruth, Central Market / H.E.B., Governor and Mrs. William P. Clements Jr., DAVACO Inc., The Robert and Nancy Dedman Foundation Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas, Heather and Bill Esping,Jacqueline and Joe Fojtasek, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Francis Jr., J.M. Haggar Jr. Family Foundation, Carol and Jim Hailey, Elizabeth and Joseph W. Harris, Sally and Houston Holmes, Stacie Hyatt,Dorothy and Don Iglehart, Carole M. Lee, Lincoln Property Company, Denise and William Lindquist, Robert L. Mason,J.D. and Anne McCaslin, McGuire Craddock and Strother P.C., Anonymous, Lydia and Dan Novakov,Mark Oetting, Mr. and Mrs. W.M. C. Pickens, Plains Capital Corporation, Judith Scott,Shelle Sills/Muffin Lemak/Claire Emanuelson, Mersina and Phineas Stubbs, Target, The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, The Rosewood Foundation, Thompson and Knight Foundation, Dorothy (Dee) Collins Torbert, and Billie and Wayne Watts

Bronze — Anonymous, BenefitMall, Susan Brown and Sally Stout, Comstock Resources Inc., Cooper Aerobics Center, Dallas Mavericks, Dean Foods Company, Essilor Vision Foundation, Godwin Ronquillo PC, Patricia and Steven Haworth, Haynes and Boone LLP, Jennifer and Doug Houser, Vester Hughes, Libby Hunt/Sharon McCullough, JCPenney, Luther King Capital Management, A.K. and Monica Mago, Sara and David Martineau/Linda and John McFarland, Northern Trust, Parkland Foundation, Robertson Griege and Thoele/Financial Advisors, Carol and William Ross, Sammons Enterprises Inc., Kathleen and Wayne Sanders, Annie and Lou Schaufele III, Southern Methodist University, Stallings Foundation, The Biggers Law Firm P.C., and The Hockaday School and St. Mark’s School of Texas

Recently, the SweetCharity headquarters has received releases with “oops!”

What’s an “oops!”? How about misspelled names, wrong locations, not-quite-accurate facts, and incorrect times? While volunteer pr types are cut some slack for providing error-ridden materials, professionals need to clean up their acts. An oops! not only throws the professional’s reputation into purgatoire, it also reflects poorly on the group/person they represent.

Heaven knows SweetCharity minions are far from perfect (don’t agree too quickly on that one) and grovel occasionally for forgiveness, but we have a high standard for the Dallas PR folks and expect them to surpass our expectations.

SweetCharity will now get down from her soapbox and be prepared to be stoned.

9:30-10 — 150+ of the media entourage (left) convene at the Wyly for coffee and credentials. Oops, no sweet rolls and the coffee is running low at 9:45. Not a good sign. Media without coffee can turn into an angry mob scene. Horrors, visions of Les Miserables! Quickly, coffee urn is refilled.

An animated Howard “The Jacket” Rachofsky is walking between the Wyly and Winspear with landscape architect Michel Desvigne. Planters in the Hal and Diane Brierley Esplanade take turns tipping over due to the wind. Wyly architect (aka Michael Bolton look-alike) Joshua Prince-Ramus (pictured right with Rem, left) and his former partner Rem Koolhaas sit outside looking a bit dejected, like football players warming the bench. Is the reason for their down mood because they’ve read The New York Times article by Nicolai Ouroussoff about their “divorce” over the Wyly? By divorce, we mean professional divorce. The Times claims that the two haven’t spoken at all since the breakup. Must have been an interesting time completing the Wyly. But here they are together looking friendlier than Jon and Kate or Bill and Hillary on 60 Minutes. Is a reconciliation in the future? Ah, come on, kids. Let’s try a little counseling. After all, you have a bouncing baby Wyly.

PAC Board Chair Howard “Happy” Halam arrives bright and chipper; Winspear designers Norman Foster and Spencer de Grey are greeted like rock stars and the anticipation is starting to build; Mayor Tom Leppert, like so many others, tries to enter through a door that won’t open; and PAC pr staff or media wranglers are getting their ducks in a row. All these media types corralled in the lobby of the Wyly is an intimidating prospect. Would they be user-friendly or useless brats?

10:10- The media is headed up and moved upstairs to the Potter Rose Performance Hall. Everyone is mooing gently, or rather behaving nicely so far. Who said media tours were like herding cockroaches? Howard H, AT&T PAC President/CEO Mark Nerenhausen, and Mayor Tom talk to the group. It’s sorta a repeat of the congratulatory words spoken at Monday’s dedication. Caren Prothro (pictured), who was instrumental in gearing up the funds, and Anita Martinez, of Ballet Folklorico, sit way in the back among the regular folks. Everyone applauds at the appropriate times. Now the big media herd is broken into smaller groups (green, yellow, red, etc.) for tours of the facilities. Ah, these PAC organizers are crafty. They know that by breaking the media mob up into smaller pods, they’re more manageable.

10:45 – As the green group hikes up the esplanade from the Wyly to the Winspear, Mark Lowry of Theater Jones tells his fellow journalists that it will be interesting to see the vertically-challenged esplanade in a rain storm. “It’ll be a big whoosh!” Laughter. Another media types adds, “An ice storm will turn this into a skating rink.” Still another chimes in with, “Wonder who’ll get the naming rights to it?” Don’t think these comments were in the media wranglers’ scripts (aka bibles).

Two groups are put together in the C. Vincent Prothro Lobby to hear the Winspear architects describe the facility. Norman (pictured left with Spencer) is a cross between Stanley Tucci and Patrick Stewart. Very natty and upper brow. You can just imagine him having tea with the royals. Spencer is a bit more casual with shaggy blonde hair and glasses. He seems like a fish-and-chips kind of fellow. As they start their discussion, three things become quite apparent. First, they should have their own talk show. Everything is interesting. Second, the two of them—though they’re the designers of this amazing opera house–have a very soft spot for rock and roll. Third, they prove that a British accent just elevates any discussion to a new level of intelligence and sophistication.

In the theater itself, it becomes apparent that KERA’s Bill Zeeble has claimed squatter’s rights on the Brits. Hello? There are other people who want to talk with the boys, too.

Ah, but it’s the theater that’s the story. Each of the seats has its own “ventilation” system, much like air-conditioned seats in a Lexus. Speaking of seats, Spencer tells the group that the Winspear is slightly larger than that Royal Opera House and that the plush seats are a bit bigger, too. The reason is because “we have to accommodate anatomically larger people than those who sat in the gilded seats of old.” What a lovely way of saying we Texans are wide in the get along.

Then there’s the mammoth chandelier. No punter is going to hurt that baby. You see, the chandelier with its 300+ lights is suspended beautifully from the ceiling as people arrive. Then just as the performance is about to begin, the whole lighting spectrum rises flush to the ceiling. Now that alone is worth the price of a ticket.

Ah, but the wranglers are starting to look nervous. We’ve got a schedule to keep and we have dallied too long. The two groups go their separate ways, one passing ABC Channel 8’s Gary Cogill, who is sipping coffee inside the theatre with one of the staff. He’s the BMOC (Big Media On the Center). Guess he’s got his own media tour going.

11:25–Group goes up to the level where the boxes are. No time to see the boxes; time’s a-wastin’ and we must make it to the next level before another group is upon us. We’re now at the top level but have lost Norman and Spencer with Zeeble sticking with them.

11:30 — Now it’s time to scramble back to the Wyly. As we cross Flora, a large group of uniformed schoolchildren is seen touring the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. They walk neatly in single lines appearing to be much more orderly and well-behaved than the rag-tag media.

11:35 – Our group is on the very tip-top of the Wyly in an “outdoor” entertainment area. Wranglers tell the group that we can buy tickets to a New Year’s Eve party that will be held there. Media chuckles. Don’t know if it’s over the potential price of the ticket, or the idea of a chilly New Year’s Eve atop a building.

One of the two architects is to meet the group here and discuss the facility, but no one appears. Wrangler reads from prepared script. Ah, the tubing surrounding the building is a total of 9 miles long, or from here to the Galleria. Next door the underground parking garage is being built that will protect patrons going from their cars to the theaters. Right now it’s a very big, muddy hole in the ground.

Wranglers are looking a bit aggitated as the media starts chattering among themselves about the lack of activity and the waiting for the no-show architect. Are we, the media, being stood up?  Seamlessly, the wranglers announce that the group will talk with Joshua at the next stop. Into the elevators.

11:40 – At the Bess and Ted Enloe Terrace, Joshua talks with us about the multi-form Wyly. It’s every man’s dream woman. Whatever you want her to be, by jingo, she can transform herself into it.  Thank heaven Josh can project because he’s standing under a tremendous exhaust fan causing quite an uproar. He reminds the group of the old days when “the shed” (aka the Dallas Theater Center’s barn-like facility in the arts district) was flexible for various types of staging but still a barn. Had everything but pigs oinking and roosters crowing. Is this New Yorker artiste saying that our old rickety shed was downright rural? Ah, but the Wyly took the best parts of the shed, eliminated the problems, and added the ability to lift and lower staging, seats, and practically the roof. While some of the media hold out their iPhones and flip cameras, others bend down to feel the cushy Astroturf floor.

Any questions? No, the group has learned its lesson. They have a schedule to keep or they might not get their milk and cookies.

11:50- The group peers down into the costume shop and around the Education Center. Still no questions. They head to the elevator for the 6^th floor and the patron lounge.

11:55 – Rem Koolhaas, Wyly architect #2, talks to the group. (Remember, he’s Joshua’s former partner. Guess it’s a good thing that they’re on separate floors.) Unlike his former partner, he looks more like Al Bundy in a windbreaker.

Any questions? Yes! We have a winner. Someone is going to ask a question.

“Were you intentionally trying to go against what was expected for Dallas by the design of this building?”

(After all, the Wyly is rather unique looking: a silver corrugated box with a big, old rectangle cut out of one side and see-through elevators on the other.)

Good question. Better answer.

Rem, without missing a beat, replies, “Dallas is such a flat pancake that it was significant to add a vertical look.” Hmmm, pancake?

Are these architects telling us that we were nothing but artistic pigs in a blanket?

Wranglers are going to reward the group by allowing them to see the “Grid Room,” the brain center for all the mechanisms for raising and lowering the staging, seats, etc. It’s a tight fit, so only a few at a time are allowed in. Looks like a huge, gloriously green loom or the world’s most convoluted backstage for a puppet show.  

Noon – Back into the elevator, which someone notes can be seen from the outside. Wrangler adds that if the door on that side of the elevator opens, people will fall out. Voice from the back of the elevator says, “Like Jennifer Jones.” Overall chuckling at that one. Think Towering Inferno. Only the art-oriented media would think of that.

Now it’s on to lunch in the Winspear café. Media needs no direction on this one. They cue up with the grace of Texas Ballet ingénues. Wranglers immediately get on walkie-talkies and cellphones to coordinate the arrival of the other groups. You just don’t want these groups coming together like the Discovery Channel’s episode on the colliding of two universes. Smash! PAC benefactors and management look on in relief that the media is so cordial and happy. The media is always happy when it’s fed.

Congratulations, AT&T PAC, you seemed to have passed with flying colors your first mammoth media tour. Your wranglers brought the herd home with no damage.

Photo by Janet D. Smith

The late philanthropist Rosine Smith Sammons loved butterflies. So much so that her daughter Mary Anne Sammons McCree arranged for a $3 million lead gift funded in part by the Rosine Foundation Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas to create a year-round tropical butterfly house at the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park. 

This Saturday, Texas Discovery Gardens President Barbara Hunt Crow and WFAA co-anchor Gloria Campos (just back from a chat with Oprah in Chicago) will cut the ribbon at 9:45 a.m. to officially open The Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium. Fluttering around will be hundreds of free-flying monarchs, swallowtails, and zebra longwings. To ride herd on the mariposas is “butterfly wrangler” John Watts, who just joined the Gardens last week. 

Admission for this weekend’s grand opening is half price with sponsors including Calloway’s Nursery, Dallas Child Magazine, El Centro College, Half Price Books, Preservation Tree Services, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Wendy Krispin Caterer, and WRR 101.1 FM.