It was quite a week for the 82-year-old “Oracle of Omaha.”

He joined Twitter saying, “Warren is in the house.” He also raised the roof and told the world how valuable women are to every business in a magazine article he wrote for Fortune. Read it here. In essence, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO says we need women in every occupation. Women are “the key to American prosperity,” he said.

He encourages women to be confident, and so does “Lean In,” Sheryl Sandberg’s book that discusses how women often hold themselves back. Read what Erie women think right here in a great story by Lindsey Poisson.

Check out Hathaway’s interview with Rebecca Jarvis on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” here.

Here’s an article on how Gen-Y women will close the salary gap. Read it here.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom of three and step grandmom of one.

Sloane Stephens, 19, earned a half million bucks last night, topped 35,000 Twitter followers and will likely break the top 10 in the Women’s Tennis Association. Her parents are Sybil Smith, a hall of fame swimmer at Boston University, and the late John Stephens, a former New England Patriots running back, who died in 2009.

Last night, Sloane Stephens made history at the Australian Open. She became the youngest American player to ever beat Serena Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a quarterfinal match that ended at midnight, and I watched every minute.

She’s famous now, and this kid has some personality. The Wall Street Journal reported on her Twitter followers that include NBA star Shaquille O’Neal who told her, “When you defeat a legend, you become a legend. Keep it going.” The kid is in The Wall Street Journal.

She started a hide-and-seek game off the court — hiding a tennis ball with her name on it and tweeting clues on the grounds at the Australian Open.

ESPNW quoted her in a story:”This morning when I got up, I was like, ‘Look, dude, like, you can do this. Like, go out and play and do your best,’” Stevens said.

Williams, 31, has battled back from innumerable injuries during her stellar career. They include a blood clot, foot surgeries, countless sprains and back problems. Yet, every time she takes the court, she is impressive. Don’t ever count her out.

But Sloane Stephens is the new wave of tennis and a youngster to watch — especially since we’re all getting sick of hearing about lip syncing, Lance Armstrong and virtual girlfriends.

The games continue in Melbourne, and Sloane Stephens plays again later today — visit the official site for details.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three, grandmom to one and an avid tennis player for nearly 40 years. 

I’m late to the party on this one, but what a party it is. Bethenny Frankel, one of the housewives from The Real Housewives of New York City and founder of SkinnyGirl, hit the cover of Forbes Magazine in 2011. She’s a millionaire and has a million Twitter followers. And a great idea is what boosted her to the cover of Forbes. I learned more about her on CBS News on Sunday.

Frankel came up with low-calorie liquor for ladies years ago. She took her idea for SkinnyGirl Cocktails to major liquor companies, and they turned her down flat. In 2010, Frankel and a business partner launched her 100-calorie cocktails — some with only 5 carbs. The successful SkinnyGirl Cocktails brand hit it big with female buyers and Beam Inc. purchased it for more than $100 million in 2011.

Frankel is now a mom and making news divorcing her husband Jason Hoppy. In the meantime, her millions continue to grow. Frankel had fame all over her resume long before she hit Forbes. According to Wikipedia, her credits include:  The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, The Real Housewives of New York City, books, exercise DVDs, nutrition bars, food items, and more TV with Bravo’s reality show Bethenny Getting Married, Bethenny Ever After and Skating with the Stars.

SkinnyGirl – a world-famous brand — now includes cleanses, a nutrition line and much more than cocktails.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one. 

James Conner, right. Photo from goerie.com

Even if your son or daughter isn’t an athlete, you need to read this terrific story by John Dudley. It explores the importance of postings via text message, Facebook and Twitter. Kids need constant reminders that what they post can be seen, forwarded, copied and pasted all over the Internet. James Conner, a McDowell senior, and one of the most recruited local athletes, learned the power of social media. If you Google his name, more than 10 pages of listings come up with multiple Youtube, ESPN, and Yahoo listings. Most schools don’t dictate social media policies, but Oil City does. Here’s a quote from Dudley’s article

“Social media policy

Oil City’s policy on social media, as stated in the district’s athletic policy manual:

- “I understand that it is my responsibility to not use any form of social media (text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc.) to be critical of teammates, coaches, game officials, school administrators, opponents, opposing schools, or any other personnel involved in the athletic program. Furthermore, I understand that a violation of this policy could be cause for suspension from or removal from the team.”

James Conner photo by Josh Barber, Erie Times-News

Conner rushed for 246 yards on only eight carries Saturday in a 49-20 victory over Lancaster Catholic. He scored three touchdowns and is committed to the University of Pittsburgh for 2013.

To follow all the regional football games live on Friday nights, check out the live Erie Times-News Varsity blog — just click here. To see Conner and the McDowell Trojans in action, check them out Friday, Sept. 21 at home against St. Ignatius (Cleveland, OH); Friday, Sept. 28 against St. Edward (Lakewood, OH); and Friday, Oct. 5 @ Cathedral Prep (Erie, PA).

You can also listen live to the McDowell games — click here for the school’s Internet broadcasts of the games.

Pam Parker is the daughter of the late famed football coach Walt Strosser, the wife of football coach Kim Parker, and the mom and stepmom of five former football players. She is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

Brian and Minnie Sprague-- homegrown hops and great beer. This is one of many couples who successfully started a brewery.

Darby Patton Scalise of Erie just picked up her $25 gift card, and you can too.
It’s payday for Lake Erie LifeStyle readers! Join us on Facebook at Friends of Lake Erie LifeStyle magazine, and tell us about your favorite local teams, restaurants, small towns,  foods and more. Tell us what you like and why. It could win you a $25 gift card! (If you don’t want to use Facebook, see below for alternatives way to enter).
We’ll be publishing reader comments in our November issue where we turn the page on four years as the region’s lifestyle magazine, and we want to hear from you.
Today, the October issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle, delivered in newspapers, is all about great brews from the Erie region. Find out what your neighbors have been brewing.
If you’re not into Facebook, but want to share your views, send me an email at info@lakeerielifestyle.com. Or, contact us on Twitter at HerTimesErie@twitter.com or PamEckertParker@twitter.com
Today, I’m looking at a beautiful sunny fall day and loving the way the sun casts shadows on the green, green grass of home.