Today is Tuesday, September 2. This is the 246th day of the year with only 120 days remaining until we ring in 2009. On this day in 1898, the first issue of McCall’s magazine rolled off the press. The magazine had previously been called “The Queen – Illustrated Magazine of Fashion,” and later “McCall’s Magazine, the Queen of Fashion.”

Speaking of fashion, I have good news for those of us who are a bit “slope shouldered.” I just heard a fashion maven on Martha Stewart Radio declare that the shoulder pad is back for fall.

Hooray. I love shoulder pads and have a few velcroed sets I move from shirt to dress each day. I’d sooner go without earrings than my shoulder-ma-pads and everyone knows I wouldn’t go out to pick up the paper without my earrings.

My shoulder pads date to the 80s and the velcro has been filed down by too many trips through the washing machine. They are forever falling out, which is horrifying to someone who doesn’t know what they are. Either they fall out, or ride down and become lodged on your collarbone which can be just an embarrassing – you look down and think you have a goiter!

Not to worry, though. I’m told the new shoulder-ma-pads will be less pronounced than the ones from the olds days of “Dynasty” on television. I say, bring-um on!