Thursday Thirteen #384

My second 13 books of 2024. I wish I had something to say about Halloween, but I don't. So instead I'm turning my attention to my reading. 

 

Back in June, I listed my first 13 books of 2024. Now here I am with the next edition. My list is in the order that I read them. I put my personal grade after the link.

1. Fairy Tale Interrrupted by Rose Marie Terenzio. My grade: B-. An insider's memoir of working with John F. Kennedy, Jr. at George. A little fawning, but it's Ms. Terenzio's story to tell her own way.

2. If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. My grade: B+. A typical Nero Wolfe mystery, which means I enjoyed every moment.

3. Siracusa by Delia Ephron. My grade: B. A memorable but very, very dark look at two couples on an ill-fated trip to Italy. Made me glad I'm a barren spinster.

4. Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne.  B+. A biography of President Kennedy's favorite sister, who led a short but incredibly glamorous life. The author is a Brit, which is unusual and important, since so much of Kick's adulthood took place among the British aristocracy and there are nuances this Yankee just never understood before.

5. Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack. C. A unique but ultimately disappointing look at The Lads from Liverpool. The story is told through the life of Mal Evans, their roadie, who was with them from the Cavern Club to the "Let It Be" rooftop concert and beyond. The thing is: Mal was a weak and at times very unlikable man.

6. Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall.  C. A tale of the fight for reproductive rights. It tries to humanize the issue with a series of interconnected, multi-generational stories. The result, for me, was more soapy than enlightening.

7. The Hollywood Daughter by Kate Alcott.  C.  Historical fiction about McCarthyism and its effect on Hollywood as told by a teenage girl whose dad works for a major studio. An interesting premise, but I admit I didn't much care about the characters.

8. Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by MC Beaton. C. The 7th in the series, it has everything I look to Aggie for: a decent mystery in a bucolic setting with lots of eccentric characters. But do I think I'll remember this book six months from now? No.

9. Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy by Elizabeth Beller. B+. So often CBK is treated tangentially. "Another Kennedy wife." But she was ambitious and accomplished in her own right, and was from a family of ambitious and accomplished women. This book made me wish I'd known her.

10. One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt. B-. An Andy Carpenter mystery. I enjoyed this one because it gave us the backstory for Andy's much-loved golden retriever, Tara. The murder mystery was a bit too convoluted for my taste, but maybe that's because I didn't figure out whodunnit.

11. The Boys by Ron Howard and Clint Howard. A-. This book was such fun! Opie/Richie Cunningham and his kid brother, the boy with the bear from Gentle Ben, have lots of stories to tell. They tell them well, and each in his own unique voice. It's as much about family as it is about Hollywood.

12. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. B+. Oh, this book is maddening! The story telling is captivating in both its scope and its characters. More than 85 years old, yet it's filled with fascinating, self-determined women. But dear God, it is so fucking racist. It glorifies not only the Confederacy but slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. Yet I was sorry when it was over.

13. We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard. C. An intimate look at the end of the author's marriage. The style is frank and innovative. I'm just not sure what the point was.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

 

Dear Baseball

Dear Baseball, why do you do me like you do? Anthony Rizzo's last at-bat of the season -- maybe his last as a Yankee and possibly even his last as a professional ball player -- was a strike out with a runner in scoring position. It is so incredibly unfair I cannot stand it.

The man deserved another ring. He deserved another parade. He's brought so much joy and real comfort to so many but Baseball, you just couldn't let him have this, could you?

I cried over this. I lost two of my closest friends this year and have remained dry eyed. But Baseball, tonight's game made me weep. And it wasn't the first time.

I should hate you, but I can't. This old heart of mine is weak for you. I'll be back in April.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? 12 Months to Live by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. This insanely popular book (according to Goodreads, nearly 3,000 people are reading it right now) introduces us to Jane Smith, "the best criminal attorney in the Hamptons." Maybe after Gatsby I'm just attracted to dark doings along the Atlantic these days. Anyway, just as she's about to embark on a high-stakes, high-profile murder case, she gets a heartbreaking diagnosis. Yes, cancer. 12 months to live. Or maybe less, if she doesn't quit poking around where she's not welcome.

2. What did you recently finish reading?  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I decided to re-read it when it occurred to me that it's nearly 100 years old. Like Gone with the Wind (1936) it remains very popular. So I wondered if, like GWTW, it would hold my interest or if the world had passed it by. I am happy to report that, though thinner than I recalled (less than 200 pages), it's a very substantial book.

 

Gatsby is the titular character and of course he matters. He represents our American belief in self-determination and self-invention. But this time, as I read it for the third time, he's not the one who has captured my imagination. Now I'm struck by what monsters The Buchanans are. They are the dark side of capitalism and the American dream. More = better. Might = privilege. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made." It's a gorgeous book and rightfully a classic, but it left me so sad. There's no room for The Golden Rule in the world Fitzgerald described. I hope we're better now, but I'm not so sure.

3. What will you read next? Grudge Match by Mike Lupica.

Happy Birthday, Dear Kwizgiver!

Hope you have a ball! Or a skein, if you prefer.

If you aren't reading Kwizgiver, you should! You can find her here.

Why not go there and wish her many returns of the day?

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald really is that good. This is my first re-read in decades, and at first I thought I'd made a mistake picking it up again. The beginning struck me as stilted and silly. But then, suddenly, it took off and became just as beautiful and moving as I'd recalled. It struck the elder Gal differently than it did the adolescent Gal, but it still touched me. 

A passage that resonated with me then and still rings loud and clear is this exchange between Jordan and Nick:

"You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver. Well, I met another bad driver. I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honorable, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride."

"I'm thirty," I said. "I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor."

Sunday Stealing

15 More of the 200 Questions 

What’s your guilty pleasure? There are some genuinely awful 70s pop songs that make me happy when I hear them on the radio. ("Seasons in the Sun," "The Pina Colada Song.")
 
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Lunch

What do you do when you want to chill out after a long day? Take a nap and cuddle a cat.

How would you spend your ideal weekend? I like weekends where I don't anything planned.

Do you listen to podcasts, or mostly just music? What’s your favorite podcast? I don't listen to many podcasts, but I try to always catch this one. I'm going to listen to Joe and Tom discuss the World Series when I scrub the sink and clean the microwave this afternoon.

Hear it here

Do you prefer to go to the movies or watch movies at home? Unless it's scary or intense, I'd rather see it on the big screen at a theater.

What was your favorite TV show growing up? That Girl. 

What’s your favorite TV show now? Only Murders in the Building (I'm not done with the Hollywood season, so no spoilers please.)

 How would you spend your birthday if money was no object? I think I'd drop in on my oldest friend in Hesperia, CA. I really have no desire to see that town, but she's been going through a rough patch and I think an in-person visit would cheer her up and put my mind at ease.

What’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it? Fall. I like the trees. I like my sweaters.

Do you prefer camping or going to the beach? First of all, I'd never "camp." This gal sleeps on a mattress and box spring, thank you. But in terms of taking long walks and maybe having lunch, I like the beach and woods equally.

Which phone app do you think you use the most? 

 

Would you instead cook, order delivery, or go out to eat? I've been eating out a lot lately, so I'll go with "order delivery."

How do you drink your coffee? I hate, loathe, despise and abominate coffee.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose? I'd keep the two incredibly awesome cats I have.

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Me and Bobby McGee (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) The song begins with Janis telling us about a trip from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Have you ever visited Louisiana? If yes, where did you go? I've never been, and I don't know why, really. I have two friends who both insist it is terrific, easily walkable and with great food.

2) She and her boyfriend Bobby hitch a ride with a truck driver and together the three of them sing "every song the driver knew." If you were to begin a singalong with strangers in a bar or at a party, what song would you confident everyone knows? "Sweet Caroline (buh buh buh) good times never seemed to so good ..."

3) Janis had a painful time in her Port Arthur, TX, high school. She was ostracized for her looks and her taste in music. If you could give advice to your high school self, what would you say? Life is long and this is only four years. Don't take it all so seriously!

4) She credited the blues and Bessie Smith, specifically, for getting her through her tough adolescence. After she became famous and mentioned Bessie in interviews, Janis learned Ms. Smith had been buried in an unmarked grave back in 1937. Janis rectified the situation by paying for a proper tombstone for Smith in 1970. If money were no object, what's something you would like to do for someone else? I'd buy a condo in Long Beach, CA, and let my oldest friend live there. Her current living situation out there is not great, and I'd like to help.

5) Because of her party girl persona, people were surprised that Janis had a domestic side and enjoyed talking recipes. Thinking of cooking, what dish would you whip up for our Saturday 9 potluck? I don't cook, so I'd bring a fruit plate.

6) "Me and Bobby McGee" was written by the late Kris Kristofferson. Kris' life before hitting it big was varied, including time in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, focused on English literature, and serving as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. Which career path do you think you'd enjoy more: academia or the Army? Academia.

7) In 1971, when this song was popular, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Think of the last thing you bought at a store. Did you pay with cash, plastic, or your phone? I mailed a package and paid for the postage with my debit card.

8) England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971 and in honor of the occasion, she had an official portrait taken by fashion photographer Norman Parkinson. Who took the most recent photo of you? My friend Amy took a selfie of us. Last time I saw her (30 years ago), she had a mass of long black hair. Now it's short and gray. But she's still cute as a button.

9) Random question -- There's a knock at your door. Who do you expect it is? My neighbor from the end of the hall. He means well, but he annoys the living shit out of me. "Did your cable (or electricity) go out and then come back on again?" "Did you find that Amazon package I left yesterday?" "Did I tell you I'm selling my car?" I'm always tempted to pretend I'm not home, but I suspect he's lonely and really, it costs me nothing to be kind. But I admit I'm never happy to see him.

Three years, thirty years

So much good food, good conversation and good feelings this week!

First, I reunited with friends from my last agency job. It was me, my art director, and Megan. It was Megan who made it special. We haven't seen her in three years, after she was the first of our little team to be let go. She's a complicated one. She was run out of that agency, the victim of office politics, and it triggered a bout of depression. Then her favorite aunt died. None of us heard from her. 

Then, out of the clear blue, she reached out to me. After a long time off, she took a position as an independent contractor at a pharmaceutical company. She told them she knew of a good writer -- me -- and wondered if I was interested. I'm not -- I consider that part of my life over -- but it meant a lot to me that she still thought enough of me to put a good word in.

I asked her if she wanted to get together. After she immediately, enthusiastically, said "yes," I included my former art director. She is still in the game and I thought maybe Megan might be interested in promoting her to the pharmaceutical company. 

They didn't make the professional re-connection I'd hoped for, but that's on them, not me. I can play matchmaker, but I can't force them to fall in love, right? But here's the important thing: Megan felt supported. It made me happy that she felt so comfortable with me and remembered me so fondly that she wanted to get together. 

The three of us spent hours together, laughing and catching up and gossiping.  

Then I saw Amy. For the first time in -- wait for it! -- thirty years. Back in the long ago 1990s, she was briefly my admin. Then she got a promotion and was moved to our database department. She went away for a long weekend to be a bridesmaid at a wedding in Vermont and came back in love with one of the groomsmen. It was like a Hallmark movie. She was bam, struck by lightening.

I privately thought it was a cool weekend romance but nothing more. After all, he was from Philly, she lived in Chicago. She went to visit him in Philadelphia and upon her return, she said she wanted to move out there to see if they could make it work. I knew then not to underestimate the zsa zsa zsu.*

She left Chicago in 1994 and never looked back. Very involved in her community, now the mother of college student, and still very much in love with the man she met at the wedding in Vermont. 

Anyway, she was in Chicago for the first time since Bill Clinton was President. She was headed to a girls weekend in Lake Geneva and flew into O'Hare. She spent the night in a hotel by the airport and from there she'd rent a car for the drive to Wisconsin. Anyway, wanted to know if I'd like to meet her for dinner.

I was so flattered! We'd kept up on Facebook, but I literally hadn't heard her voice in 30 years. Yet she wanted to see me.

We literally closed the steakhouse. Thirty years gave us a lot to catch up on! We talked movies and books. Her recent trip to Italy and my retirement. Lots about her son and husband. They've had their ups and downs. Amy had a colectomy and requires a colostomy bag, a transition wasn't easy but she made it a triumph. 

Anyway, I had two terrific evenings and enjoyed them both immensely. I'm also proud of myself that I was able to pay for all of it out of the beer stein on my kitchen counter. Here's the deal: At the end of the week, I put any cash I haven't spent into that stein. Using that money keeps me from putting socializing/entertaining on my credit card.

 

 

 

*As defined by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City: “That butterflies-in-your-stomach thing that happens when you not only love the person, but you gotta have them. Isn’t that what gets you through the years? Even if it fades, at least you have the memory of the zsa zsa zsu…'”

 

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

Get ready

On November 4, I'm joining in Mimi's Blogblast for Peace. Why don't you do the same? It would be lovely if we filled the blogosphere with peace signs and gentle good wishes for a better future.

Thursday Thirteen #383

 My last 13 texts. I don't like texting. I can't touch-text like I do on this laptop keyboard, and I get frustrated. So I use the microphone feature, but I often have to correct the mistakes. For long messages and appointment reminders, I don't see why we can't use email, or God forbid, talk.

But we can't. It seems no one in my life shares my antipathy and so my text alert is always going off.

These are my most recent non-spam messages.

1. Yes, my friends and I are meeting for dinner at 6:00 PM

2. If we agree among ourselves to swap shifts at the card shop, we have to let our shift manager know in advance so they can notify HR. That will streamline payroll. (I never swap shifts so I don't care.) 

3. If we arrive at the card shop a few minutes late, we should plan to stay for a full shift and leave a ew minutes late. This, too, will streamline payroll. (I don't exactly understand this since I'm sure it's all calculated by some software program, but what the hell.)

4. Yes, I will be at the dentist office at 11:00 AM.

5. Betty from my movie group wants to know if I'm excited about Rizzo in the World Series. YES!

6. Lainie from the card shop wants to know if this is my phone number. (She just got a new phone.)

7. Rose from the card shop sent me a photo. Those teenage girls I thought might be up to no good were. They opened a box, removed the toy inside, and put the box back on the display. ("The fuckers!")

8. I let my oldest friend know that my birthday gift has arrived, but I'm saving it until THE DAY.

9. My aunt is on her way home. They evacuated after Hurricane Milton.

10. My nephew predicted the Mets wouldn't win Game 6 against the Dodgers. He was right.

11. My urologist reminded me to schedule that test ... for next summer! I suspect this is an automated text triggered by the notation in my chart. No, I'm not going to schedule a test nine months in advance. I'd just have to reschedule it

12. Commonwealth Edison apologies for the power outage and they are working on it. (It must have been a very short outage because I truly don't recall this at all. Maybe I wasn't home when it happened?)

13. My nephew and I agree that Anthony Rizzo is a national treasure.

What does your text log look like?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I haven't read this in decades and so far I’m enjoying it immensely. I’m amazed at how different my reaction is to it as a woman of 60-something than it was when I was a more romantic teenage girl. It’s just as good, but it feels like a wildly different book to me now.

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt. This was one of my favorites in the series (so far). Yes, I figured out the villain very early on and felt quite superior ... until I realized that I didn't even understand what was going on at all. So many twists and turns. Such a tight plot. YAY!

3. What will you read next? 12 Months to Live by James Patterson and Mike Lupica.

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt once again finds lawyer Andy Carpenter investigating a murder. At this early point in the book, we have yet to actually meet Edward Young, but based on this passage alone, I want him to be guilty. I don't know about New Jersey juries, but the following is all this Gal needs to convict.

"So what do you know about Edward Young?" I ask.

"He's a Cardinals fan, which makes him a prick." Since Robby is wearing his Cubs cap, this requires no further explanation. "I keep telling him it doesn't matter where he grew up; he needs to recognize the Cardinals are pure evil."

Upon Closer Examination

 I know I tend to examine photos of my favorite ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo, as though they are frames of the Zapruder film. But I found something extraordinary about this celebration shot.

Rizz is sharing an on-field hug after the Yankees punched their ticket to the World Series. Who is #93? Ben Rice. 

Rice is the kid the Yankees brought up to take Rizzo's place when he broke his arm earlier this summer. The player – 10 years his junior – who is considered one of the top contenders to replace him in 2025.*

Both men said they are close, that Rizzo has been a mentor. But that's what players say to reporters.

This photo makes me well up. 

•  Yes, he played through pain for a team that will very likely dump him in a matter of weeks. 

•  Yes, he somehow managed to hit .429 with an OPS of 1.000, despite those two fractured fingers.

•  He's this beloved by his teammates. Even the one he competes with internally.

•   And all of this is on top of the man he is off the field, a Roberto Clemente Award winner, who champions pediatric cancer patients in New York, Chicago and Fort Lauderdale.

On a Monday morning where the world can seem like a teeming cesspool (I'm looking at you, Donald Trump; see post below), I remind myself of the following:

Anthony Rizzo is going to the World Series again.

And then I smile. 

*If they decide to go cheap at first base and spend all their salary on re-signing Juan Soto, which they may.

As MAGA clutches their pearls ...

Oh, the hypocrisy gets thick! I read all the time in blog posts, tweets, etc., that "libs" are vulgar and have no class. We swear all the time, which indicates our lack of respect for the English language, for propriety, and for ourselves and for one another. Thank the Lord we have Donald Trump to rescue us from this liberal degradation!

Meanwhile, during a public appearance, Donald Trump has called Kamala Harris "a shit vice president" and rhapsodized about Arnold Palmer's schlong. 

He showed so little respect for American autoworkers that he said they simply take parts "out of a box, they assemble them, we could have a child do it." 

And then there's this. In a publicity stunt attempting to make Kamala Harris look bad, he worked the fry station. Without previously washing his hands or putting anything on his trademark coif. Apparently we're all supposed to feel honored to consume his germs and/or one of his dyed blond hairs with our fries. YUM!

He's a fucking asshole. And a little pervy for being so fixated on the dick size. Remember when he and Marco Rubio joked about dick size from the debate stage? From. The. Debate. Stage. So please MAGA, keep your righteous indignation to your damn selves. 

Oh, I'm sorry. I used a swear! Let me rephrase: Keep your cognitive dissonance within your cult.

Kamala Harris is right. America deserves better.

All Is Right in My World

Anthony Rizzo returns to the World Series! Notice how his right hand is all taped up, except for his thumb. That's because he has two fractured fingers.

Yes, he played 5 games in the ALDS with inhibited mobility and not inconsiderable pain. Yet he hit .429 with an OPS of 1.000.

I am so proud of him. 

The Yankees are preparing to let him go at the end of this World Series run. That obviously has not affected his play. 

He's prayed for this. He's worked for this. He deserves this.

I never thought I'd be a Yankee fan. But I am now, because I ride with My Captain.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Autumn in New York (1947)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Frank Sinatra sings that autumn in New York is inviting. How are you enjoying fall where you are? This is my favorite time of year! Today may reach 70º and the trees are showing some color.

2) He tells us the "canyons of steel" (aka skyscrapers) make him feel like he's home. What's something you love about your neighborhood? It's so walkable. There's a corner I pass several times a week -- seems it's en route to everywhere I'm headed -- that has a church on either side of the street. There's something uplifting about looking up between the steeples and seeing the clear blue sky.

3) Frank Sinatra was self-conscious about the scar on his cheek. The doctor used forceps to deliver him and left a mark. Tell us about one of your scars. I have a long scar that begins just beneath my belly button and runs south as far as it will go. It's from my hysterectomy. (Damn! There goes my Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover!)

4) Frank was a creature of habit. Every time he visited Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York he ordered the same dessert: lemon ricotta torte. Do you enjoy trying new dishes, or do you prefer to stick with your old favorites? I'm like Frank. My tummy can be awfully sensitive and so I tend to stick with what I know is safe.

5) "Autumn in New York" was written by New Yorker Vernon Duke during a hot summer vacation in Westport, CT. Have you ever been homesick? I'm homesick every time I go away. I miss my cats. I miss The Cubs. I enjoy vacations, but I always want to come home.

6) In 1947, when this recording made the Top 30, Daniel and Patricia were the most popular baby names. Are there any Daniels or Patricias in your life? There have been, but not right now.

7) Elton John was born in 1947. When you think of Elton John, what's the first song that comes to mind? Buh-buh-buh-buh Bennie and the Jets.

8) Radio was America's most accessible form of entertainment in 1947 and a mystery, The Adventures of Ellery Queen, was one of the most popular shows. Do you enjoy mysteries? Yes. I just finished one of the Andy Carpenter mysteries by David Rosenfelt and enjoyed it thoroughly.

9) Random question: What were you most excited about when you woke up this morning? Game 5 of the Yankees and Guardians. My favorite-most ball player is one game away from the World Series! Anthony Rizzo may have two fractured fingers, but he's going for another ring. Love him, love him, love him!

The teal glove helps accommodate his painful fingers

Frown turns upside down

I admit it: I've been struggling more than I imagined I would. Losing my dear friends, John and Henry, has broken my heart. Yes, it is a comfort to know that they are both happy and whole again in Heaven. I know neither of them would want me to be sad and so I look for joy in every day (and find it). 

But it's the loneliness. I miss them. I met John when I was 23, Henry when I was 34. I'm now 66. That represents a lot of love. So many birthdays, Thanksgivings and Christmases. So many memories. As October turns to November and December, I feel so alone without them.

But I am not alone, and buckle up, because here comes some joy. I am getting support and finding inclusion from the loved ones who remain.

•  Big birthday fun. I mentioned to Joanna that this will be my first birthday in for-fucking-ever without my dear old friends and boy, has she ever jumped into the breach! First we will tour Chicago's Christkindlmarket on its Opening Day (coincidentally, my birthday). Then we're having lunch at The Walnut Room, by their 45-foot tree! That 3:00 PM reservation was not easy for her to snag. Chicagoans have been making The Walnut Room part of their holiday tradition for more than 115 years, and at first we couldn't get in on the date requested. By Joanna would not be deterred! She kept checking every day, in case there was a cancellation, and voila! I am so grateful for her commitment.

•  Thanksgiving at Cooper's Hawk. John used to organize this and he called it "Orphan's Thanksgiving." For more than a decade there were three of us. Now there will be two. I wasn't sure Gregory would want to do this without him, but he does and I'm thankful for that. I suppose this event might be sad, but I've had so much change! I want this tradition to continue. John used to tease that the reason for this gettogether wasn't Thanksgiving, it was to get me into something other than a Cubs t-shirt. I will dress up again in his memory.

•  It's a Wonderful Life at The Music Box. It's a Christmas classic at one of Chicago's oldest movie theaters. Santa himself shows up before the film and leads us in song -- and, if we're lucky, we can snag the candy he tosses to us. This will be my third time doing this with Elaine, and she's excited. We've already got our tickets.

You know, perspective is a funny thing. I think of Joanna and Elaine as "new" friends because, compared to Henry and John, they are. But I've known them for years (11 for Joanna, 8 for Elaine). My shrink pointed out that not everyone maintains friendships as long as I do, and she reminds me that I now have history with these women and that's worth celebrating, in and of itself.

•  Christmas at my niece's house. For more than 20 years I spent at least part of the holidays in Key West with Henry. It was important to him, and he'd refer to my visit as his vacation. When she heard Henry had died, my niece ordained that I now spend Christmas at her new home in Michigan. She has declared herself the new matriarch of our clan, said she's hosting Christmas for the first time, and she wants me there. I get such a kick out of her. She's so bossy! (Trust me, no one orders me around like she does, which is pretty bold coming from someone I diapered.) But I am looking forward to spending Christmas with her, her husband and my nephew. Yes, my sister (her mom) will be there. But I'm confident it will be OK because niece has deigned it so and believe me, you don't want to cross her on this.

So now I'm facing forward with more optimism. Yes, it makes me sad when I look at my holiday gift list and see neither Henry's nor John's names there. Certainly I still miss them every day. But I'm buoyed by the love and support I still have.

Thursday Thirteen #382

 13 ways to prepare chicken. I admit it: I don't cook. But I do dine. I was recently at an upscale restaurant and noticed four different chicken dishes. That inspired me to tool around the web to see if I could find nine more. (Spoiler alert: I did.)

I start with the four from the restaurant we dined at.

1. Chicken potstickers

2. Chicken parmesan

3. Chicken piccata (the one my friend ordered and gave two thumbs up)

4. Chicken madiera

5. Grilled chicken

6. Roasted chicken (my preference, when available)

7. Chicken alfredo

8. Braised chicken

9. Rotisserie chicken

10. Buffalo chicken wings

11. Chicken salad (my second favorite)

12. Lemon garlic chicken

13. Fried chicken (always good)

Do you have a fave that didn't make my list?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt. This is the 10th in this series. It starts with an interesting premise: our hero, Andy Carpenter, lost a case and now he gets a mulligan. He has always believed Joey Disimone was innocent and was only found guilty because his father is a known mobster and, well, it's possible Andy fucked up. One of the things I've always liked about this series is how refreshingly imperfect our hero is.

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Ted Kennedy: A Life by John A. Farrell. Ted Kennedy was Senator for so long -- more than 45 years -- that I took him for granted. I truly either forgot or didn't know how much he accomplished for me, for those I loved, for issues I care about. Voting rights, bilingual education, deregulated air travel, family planning, low-income energy assistance, increases in the federal minimum wage, AIDS education and research, the Americans with Disabilities Act. I didn't realize how much what we call Obamacare was influenced by Kennedy's decades of work ... And that's just on the domestic side of the ledger. It doesn't include his work to end Apartheid and to bring peace to Ireland. His is a tireless, heroic list of legislative achievement. I now understand that I am personally in his debt.

He also let Mary Jo Kopechne die in his car and was home when his nephew committed an alleged rape.*

John Farrell celebrates the glories without whitewashing the undeniably ugly moments. I also enjoyed this book for a glimpse of Teddy's relationships with the White House. Both Nixon and Carter were terrified of Camelot and it brought out the worst in them. The Clintons were dismissive of Teddy's "old school" approach, to the detriment of Bill's legislative agenda. Obama looked at him as a mentor. Surprisingly, Reagan and George W. Bush "got" him and were able to work with him or at least clash without acrimony. Reagan understood, and consequently didn't fear, the Kennedy charisma and its hold on the public, while W. related to him scion-to-scion. 

 

I wonder how Donald Trump would deal with Teddy. Certainly twice-divorced, civilly liable sex offender President Pussy Grabber couldn't take the moral high road. Would he be like Reagan and understand/embrace Camelot? After all, in New York, Trump rubbed up to JFK Jr. whenever he could, has repeatedly compared Melania to Jackie, and welcomed Bobby Jr. to his campaign. Or would he be like Carter and Nixon, who resented the stardust?

At any rate, I highly recommend this book for its scope. Teddy's life story is told with clear-eyed compassion, and his political career is delivered with a level of detail that fascinated the nerd in me.

3. What will you read next? I don't know.

 

*And was found not guilty.