Satin

Helen Hunt, Renee Zellweger and Marisa Tomei led the posse of A-list actresses who showed up in simple black gowns. The evening's stunners tended to be feminine and flattering instead of revealing and risque. And obscure fashion statements like Bjork's swan frock from last year were noticeably absent. As Hollywood's glitterati sashayed down the red carpet at the 74th Academy Awards last night, the plethora of gorgeous ballgowns and ooh-la-la slinky dresses gave some hint that things have crept back to normal in post-Sept.

Say "Poconos" and for many people, the word "gaudy" almost automatically comes to mind. It is, after all, the place where Morris Wilkins invented and installed the world's first heart-shaped tub in 1963. The Pennsylvania resort area is also a place known as the "honeymoon capital of the world," where champagne glass-shaped spas are sometimes the prelude -- or finale, depending on your inclination -- to a night of romance. And for some odd reason, it's a place that seems to bring to mind sappy family-themed resorts that offer never-ending games of pinochle and shuffleboard.

CUMBERLAND -- John A. Miller IV, described by prosecutors as a "highly motivated predator" who lured a Carroll County girl to her death, was convicted yesterday of murder and sexual assault, setting the stage for a death penalty hearing next week. Miller, 27, was found guilty of first-degree murder, a first-degree sexual offense, robbery and false imprisonment in the strangling of 17-year-old Shen D. Poehlman in Reisterstown in July 1998. The defense had conceded that Miller killed the girl but had fought the sexual-assault and robbery allegations, knowing that prosecutors needed those convictions to pursue the death penalty.

If you were writing in Denise Koch's baby book, on the page marked "Mom, Six Months' Pregnant (with twins!)," the entry would read:Dear Meg and Wynn,Your Mom is walking gingerly these days, tiptoeing around the house in shimmery gold ballet slippers like some plump fairy godmother.She's gained 19 pounds -- from eating muffins, hamburgers and ice cream mostly -- and her round form now pokes out beneath her purple blouse.But it's her face -- that angular, elegantly made-up anchorwoman face -- that shows how she feels about your arrival.

IT HAD to be a firecracker. .....The quick popping sound that interrupted our seventh-grade English class could be nothing else. It was Jan. 20, 1983, a Thursday, and my classmates and I were sitting through a grammar lesson. There were 10 minutes to go until lunch.Our school, Parkway South Junior High, was an orderly, well-regarded place ensconced in a western suburb of St. Louis. The pupils were predominantly middle-class and, on the whole, we took our budding educations seriously. In our community, a bang in the distance meant a firecracker, a cap gun or a backfiring engine -- petty fractures in the white noise of suburban life.

Of all the mysterious statements in the Talmud, one of the best known says that finding a true partner in life is as difficult as parting the Red Sea.In the world of Orthodox Judaism, where family is second to God alone, people are always working to part the seas so men and women can get married, fulfill the commandment to multiply and ensure the faith for another generation.As the father of a recent bride put it: "Matchmaking is the favorite indoor sport of Jews."Whether they are professionals using computers, a yeshiva rabbi intimate with all the qualities and quirks of his students, or Aunt Malkie who just happens to know a nice boy from a good family, somebody is always trying to fix people up.Certain Hasidic families in the United States still choose mates for their sons and daughters as they did in 18th-century Poland.

This holiday season's answer to party dresses are party pants. They have the advantage of eliminating the hemline issue altogether. They are also almost universally flattering because they give the illusion of a long, lean line. All the top designers have them, but the evening pants idea has trickled down to all price points. Here are some ideas and inspirations from the runways.Universal velvetThe new evening basic -- black velvet trousers -- can be the foundation for many looks. Josie Natori, the diva of lingerie design, showed them with a lace bustier.

Poster show -- Gallery 44, 9469 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, will hold a Vintage Poster Show and Sale, with rare authentic pieces from the early 1900s and later, today through Sunday. "Satin Skin" (above) dates from before 1920. Similar posters were produced from 1903 to 1919. Hours are from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 410-465-5200.

This is the season of "The Nutcracker" and your little ballerina may dream of dancing the role of Clara. Books to feed those dreams:* "Angelina Ballerina" by Katharine Holabird* "The Little Ballerina" by Katherine K. Ross* "I Wear My Tutu Everywhere" by Wendy C. Lewison* "Shoes of Satin, Ribbons of Silk: Tales From the Ballet" AntoniBarber, editor* "Little Ballerinas" by Ann Morris* "Lili at Ballet" by Rachel Isadora* "Degas & the Little Dancer" by Laurence...

Her Asics laced up and her water bottle at her side, Meredith Dobrosielski stepped onto the treadmill for a robust half-hour walk. For the Towson runner, this wasn't just any trip to the gym. The session took place in a lab at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. And each step offered information on the impact of exercise on her fetus. Dobrosielski is about 8 months pregnant. Doctors expect the information collected to fill in some gaps in the data on how much pounding is OK for a developing baby.