Fan mail!

I got into the store yesterday and found a little red envelope, addressed to me, stuck to the message board with a magnet.

 

I got fan mail! A thank you note from Lynn, a woman who came into the card shop last week in distress. Every year her company holds a very early holiday party and nesting dolls are at the center. She forgot, simply forgot, to order the nesting dolls and now there was simply no time, not even for Amazon. 

I unfortunately had to tell her we had no nesting dolls. She looked like I'd broken her heart.

So I made a suggestion: What if we nested gift boxes inside of bigger gift boxes? It wasn't a perfect plan. The boxes didn't fit as neatly as the nesting dolls would have and we could only fix it to go three deep, as opposed to the five figures in a typical nesting dolls set. 

She was thrilled. So much so that she wrote out a card and walked it over to the store, letting me know "the box game" was a hit and thanking me for my "expertise and support."

I don't think I fully realized how important gratitude makes one feel until I worked with the public at the card shop. Her little card made me so happy. It was satisfying to know I played a part in their office party. 

I must remember to pay this forward and thank people who help me at stores and restaurants.

 

 

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 2

My aunt sent me a big box of teas again this year. It's very sweet, really. Since she moved to Florida decades ago, she recalls Chicagoland as an arctic tundra and wants to help me ward off the cold. The thing of it is she sends me more than I can ever drink. So I will go through the box and what I know I won't consume, I'll either donate to the food pantry or give to Will and Gregory when we meet for Thanksgiving dinner. 

She also included a festive little Christmas pin. I mentioned on Facebook that I lost one last year and was bummed about it. Again, it was so sweet of her to remember that after all this time and act on it.

What's sad about this is how small her world has become. Like many who are MAGA (or MAGA adjacent), she just can't resist telling the rest of us how very wrong we are. And reveal what a racist homophobe she is. Her oldest son, my sisters, and her adult grandchildren are all estranged from her. She has a great grandchild she hasn't seen. She's been enduring health problems – as people knocking on 80 will – and is hurt that they don't check on her. The only Mother's Day gifts she receives anymore are from me (she's my Godmother). 

I wonder if the cold comfort she receives by "being right" about Trump is worth it. 

I prefer to focus on the fact that she's one of two people left on earth who held me as a baby. I choose to treasure that she loves me and is my last tie to my favorite grandparents.*

And I cannot wait until this MAGA fever breaks and I can celebrate my birthday without Donald Trump intruding on it!

*My grandmother never missed church and was very active in the congregation and the Girl Scouts. She was every inch a lady. My grandfather was a German immigrant who was outspoken in his support of unions and Democrats from FDR to Jimmy Carter (<<< President when he died). They would be appalled by MAGA.

 

Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash

 

Sunday Stealing

What 10 Questions Can Tell You the Most about a Person

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be? I'd like to be a happy housecat. Not one of those unfortunate cats who lives outdoors or whose owner unwisely allows him to roam. I want to be a cat who can safely snooze wherever, demand/get affection whenever, depend on never ending quality food/water,and lead a lovely life of serene leisure.

2. Are you generous? I try to be. I want to be.

3. Of the following, which consistently gives you the most pleasure: a) music, b) money, c) books, d) science, e) spirituality, f) food and wine, g) movies? C or G. But except for D, I'm a fan of them all.

4. Describe your dancing ability. Completely non-existent. 

5. What do you think your worst enemy really thinks of you? First you'll have to tell me who my worst enemy is. There are people I know I annoy, but I don't know that their antipathy has elevated me to the role of "enemy."

6. Can you tell when someone is lying to you? Sometimes but not always.

7. Describe how it feels to fall in love. Wonder. Every time I've been in love, it's filled me with awe at the enormity and beauty of it.

8. In deadly peril, what three people would you want in a foxhole with you? First, my friend Joanna. She's been through so much and she handles it all so well. Then Officer Mike, our neighborhood beat cop. He's calm and strong. Finally, my friend Kathleen because she's very good. I mean, her heart is solid and trustworthy. 

9. What is your greatest weakness? I'm stubborn.

10. If you were to live out the rest of your life as your favorite fictional character, which would you choose? Jo from Little Women.

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Rings (1971)

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

 

1) This song is about a young man who is happy to hear his phone ring. How about you? How do you feel when your phone rings? (Excited, annoyed, surprised, etc.) Depends on which phone. Hearing my cell ring annoys me because it's either spam or a friend who doesn't recall that you should text me on one line and call on the other. I prefer the landline for conversations because the call quality is so much better. When my landline rings, I have a more positive feeling because it's likely someone I want to talk to. 

 

2) He's got James Taylor on the stereo. Are you a James Taylor fan? Yes. I don't listen to him all the time, but when I'm in the mood he hits the spot.

 

3) He tells his girl he's been hanging with his buddies, Tony and Mario, but they're no substitute for her. What friend did you recently spend time with? What did you do? I spent Thursday afternoon touring a local architectural landmark with my friend Gregory.

 

4) Tony and Mario were real people. They ran a restaurant frequented by the songwriters. Did you dine out this past week? I got pizza to go on Wednesday and dined in on Thursday.

 

5) "Rings" is the only hit for the band Cymarron, who hailed from Memphis, a town known for classic southern comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, cornbread and mashed potatoes. What's on the menu at your home this weekend? I'd like to pick up some barbecue this weekend, if I get around to it.

 

6)  The boys in Cymarron took their name from their favorite TV show, the Western Cimarron Strip. What TV show are you currently enjoying? Maybe your fellow Sat9ers would like it, too. Modern Family. Yeah, I know it had its series finale 5 years ago, but I just recently discovered it. It's not only funny, it has diversity and heart. It's the family I wish I was part of.

 

 

 

7) In 1971, when this song was popular, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Is there any change in your wallet or pocket right now? Yes. About 45¢ in dimes and nickels only. (I put pennies in the piggy bank and quarters in the beer stein for laundry.)

 
8) Also in 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie, the doll with a tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed? Oh, golly, I did it back in the 90s. The man I was seeing back then confessed that he found tanlines sexy and so I resolved to get me some, even though I am excruciatingly pale and don't tan. So I bought several 20 minute sessions in one of those awful things, listening to tunes and trying unsuccessfully to relax. Ah, the things we do for love!

 

9) Random question – If we were to ask your friends, which of these qualities would they say they like best about you: your warmth, your sense of humor, or your intelligence? Probably my humor. 

 

 

 

It's not the same, but it's something

I spent the afternoon with Gregory. Like me, Gregory was one of the satellites who revolved around our friend John, who has been gone for 19 months now. As much as I miss John – and I do, every day – I think the loss is even greater for Gregory. Both gay men of color, coming up through corporate America in the 1980s, they had to navigate minefields I can't even imagine, and I'm glad they had each other. 

But because John was so charismatic, and also because, I suppose, I'm lazy, I lumped Gregory in with John. I assumed they were more alike than they are. In the year-and-a-half since we lost John, I've come to discover a man I've known more than 40 years. 

For example, Gregory is far more visually attuned than John was. Whereas John was all about the tunes, Gregory enjoys art and architecture. There are impressive examples of prairie style architecture in my neighborhood and a landmark home offers guided tours.* I asked Gregory if he wanted to see it and he was very enthusiastic. As we took the tour, he photographed a lot and asked many smart questions. (The man knows his doorways!) 

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash 

 

Afterward we went to a late lunch/early dinner at the bar in my neighborhood John loved. We compared notes about how our different neighborhoods are enduring the ICE occupation. We talked about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, et al. He filled me in on others in John's circle that I'd lost track of (Vanessa, at 70, is contemplating marriage for the first time to a man she met at a conference!). I told him about an incredibly trippy old movie I'd just seen – The Locket (1946) – that had a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. 

Something was missing, of course. John. But he's gone forever, and we're here and we have to go on. I like to think he'd be happy that Gregory and I still see one another.

*Free in exchange for a donation to the food pantry. What with the government shut down, the ICE raids and the suspension of SNAP benefits, the demand has suddenly increased. As we go into the holidays, I was happy to help my neighbors.

Happy Birthday to me, Part 1

My early birthday gift from Sir Paul arrived today! Turns out I am an Emerald VIP for his upcoming concert at the United Center. I'll be honest: when I was finally admitted into the Ticketmaster "room" to purchase my ticket, I clicked "best available" and all I focused on was completing the transaction before the timer hit 00:00. I really didn't care what "best available" got me. 

As an Emerald VIP, I get a box of swag!

 

That's a lanyard with a VIP pass, a "cross body belt bag" (aka a fanny pack you wear across the chest) and my favorite – a Paul McCartney wristwatch. The black/white cat on the floor on the left is Roy Hobbs. While I was squealing over the tour merchandise, he was plotting against the black/pink mouse toy on the floor on the right. 

Is this worth what I paid for the ticket? Nah. But then, I can't possibly put dollar value on seeing Sir Paul end his world tour in Chicago just days after my birthday – and from the 11th row of section 101! He's 83 years old now, I'll be 68. I don't know how much longer we'll keep meeting like this. I'm going to savor it.

 

 

All is not lost

It's so easy to get depressed about the way things are going in this country. I can't believe that a full 42% of Americans have a "favorable" view of Donald Trump. It makes me sad, as much as it made me sad to hear my countrymen dismissively say things like, "If Trump thought he was a king there wouldn't be any No Kings protests." Don't these people ever stop to reflect on tea in the Boston harbor and why we don't speak with a British accent?

Well, I do.  I believe in Madisonian democracy. I follow elections. I work campaigns.

It took me three months, but I wrote 225 GOTV postcards for the Pennsylvania judicial race. Judges at the state level are important. Because these races are often off year and/or down ballot, they don't get much attention or voter participation. That makes it easy for big money and corporate interests to insinuate themselves. That's where I come in. I'm unpaid labor! I can't sing or dance, but my one talent is my penmanship. It's attractive and legible and I'm ready to use it for campaigns that that don't have money to spend.

On Tuesday November 4, my efforts were rewarded. The judges I supported were retained by the good people of Pennsylvania. It was very satisfying. 

I want to give a shout out to Postcards to Swing States and Postcards to Voters.  They have given me a way to serve and make myself heard. All it takes is time, stamps, and the willingness to contribute.

This matters. Not only to my country but to my peace of mind. 

 

Thursday Thirteen #438

 Just desserts. The neighborhood bakeshop is currently promoting their Thanksgiving desserts. Here's what organized folks around here are ordering. Listed in the order of popularity ... 

1. Double crust apple pie

2. French silk pie

3. Pumpkin pie

4. Gluten free carrot cake (by the slice)

5. Assorted pastry tray

6. Cinnamon rolls

7. Pecan pie bites (a tray of 16 individual pies)

8. Lemon scones

9. Giant chocolate chip cookie with "Give Thanks" written in frosting

10. Tray of six yogurt parfaits

11. Berry and kiwi fruit tart

12. Banana bread

13. One dozen vanilla sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles (The shop is known for these, but I'm not a fan. They're tasty, but impossibly messy. The cookie – pardon the phrase – crumbles and sprinkles get all over the place.)

Have you settled on a dessert yet?

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

My wildest dreams

 My sleep has been disturbed by vivid dreams for weeks now. I think I know why ...

I haven't been blogging daily for more than a month. I've been feeling a little too overwhelmed. Operation Midway Blitz continues to weigh heavily on my community. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem likes to say they are focused on deporting "the worst of the worst," but it's not true. The people ensnared by DHS are our neighbors. ICE has staked out the parking lot of the children's museum and detained parents at the elementary school. Landscapers have been pulled off ladders and collected from front lawns, so local teens have volunteered to rake leaves and cut grass for free – that way we can cancel scheduled yard services but still pay the bill. (After all, these workers are not only scared, they're cash strapped.) Restaurants are struggling because back-of-the-house employees are afraid to go to work and service suffers. The card shop where I work has a protocol to follow if I feel "threatened" by federal officers, who are not allowed to enter the store but can stand directly in front of the front or back doors. 

The above is just off the top of my head. I could write about pepper spray and zip ties. I could notate how detainees are denied due process. I could talk about how we're encouraged to keep our whistles and phones with us at all times, so we can first alert our neighbors to ICE and then document their excesses. 

Between undocumented workers and unpaid federal employees, the demand at the food pantry has grown to nearly unmanageable. 

This is no way to live. It's oppressive and it's with us all the time. 

Yes, I know illegal immigration has grown to unacceptable proportions. But this response is illegal, excessive and cruel, just as it's intended to be.

Donald Trump has coarsened us. He's cost us our compassion, civility and dignity – the destruction of the East Wing is an apt metaphor.

Now he's costing me my sleep, too. 

I used to think that posting about these things could become tiresome. I once worried that I was releasing malaise into the blogosphere.

But at 4:30 AM I realized that this is where I work things through. This brings me a certain level of relief during a stressful time. So I'm returning to blogging. Not only about politics and current affairs but my life.

After I post this, I'm rolling over and hopefully going back to sleep.

 

 

Photo by S L on Unsplash

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? Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie. My friend Joanna spent a month in England and reports that the Epstein scandal is on everyone's mind there, too. Only in the UK, they're not especially interested in why Donald Trump is "in the files." It's about Lord Mandelson, the career politician who was first appointed Ambassador to the US and then fired from the post for the same reason: his relationship with Epstein and Trump. It's about the head of one of the UK's most powerful and prestigious banks who was forced out because of his relationship with Epstein. Most of all, it's about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the Prince formerly known as Prince, and his high-spirited ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who are now titleless and (technically) homeless because of their relationship with Epstein.

 

This book is England's juiciest read on the scandal, and since I don't want my view of it to be totally US-centric, I picked it up.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. In Book #2 of the series, Isabel gets everything wrong.

Isabel is the middle child and eldest daughter of the Spellmans, a family of detectives (except the oldest, David; the black sheep of the family, he became a wealthy, successful attorney). It's not that Isabel is a bad detective. Technically she seems to have many skills – planting bugs and GPS devices, doing background checks, tailing subjects. etc. It's just that she makes faulty assumptions and draws erroneous conclusions. This gets her arrested four times in three months.

She also loses her apartment(s) and needs to find a date to her last boyfriend's wedding. To an Olympian. It doesn't do a lot for a girl's ego to be down on her luck at the precise moment her ex is marrying a world class specimen.

These books are very funny but even more than that, they have a lot of heart. Time spent with the Spellmans is time well spent.

3. What will you read next? Miami, It's Murder by Edna Buchanan.

 

  

Sunday Stealing

The Desert Island Meme

You're stranded alone on a desert island ...

1) Which three BOOKS could you read over and over again?

William Goldman's Princess Bride is a no-brainer. I love that book. It's funny and, as he moves between old Florin and modern day Los Angeles, poignant. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell would be good, too, because it entertains me, infuriates me, and makes me think about America in the 1860s, 1930s and today. JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton would be my third. It takes the future President from birth to his early 30s. While to outsiders he seemed to have everything – money, charm, privilege – he overcame tremendous challenges, only to die at 46. This book reminds me not to be so damn judgey. 

 

2) Which three MOVIES could you watch over and over again?

 

My favorite love story

As beautiful & ugly & engrossing as it gets

Also written by William Goldman

3) Which three SONGS could you listen to over and over again? All B's. Babs singing "My Man." Bruce singing "No Surrender." The Beatles singing "All My Loving."

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: That Funny Feeling (1965)

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

 

1) In this song, Bobby Darin admits he cares more for the girl than he should. What's something you have recently overdone (eaten too many potato chips, stayed up too late, etc.)?

I just discovered these pretzel bites. I love them. I really love them.
 

2) Bobby wrote this as the theme song for a movie he starred in with his wife, Sandra Dee. That Funny Feeling (the movie) turned a profit at the box office and "That Funny Feeling" (the record) made the Billboard Top 40. Can you think of another movie and song that were both popular? "So it's the laughter we will remember whenever we remember ..."

 

 

3) While Bobby had a successful movie career and earned an Oscar nomination, he didn't get the part he wanted most: Tony in West Side Story. While he could sing and dance very well, producers didn't think Bobby looked like a romantic leading man. What actor or actress makes your heart skip a beat? 

Josh Duhamel. He appeared in 5 seasons of NBC's Las Vegas and recently starred in the Netflix miniseries Ransom Canyon. I'm eagerly awaiting Season 2 because I like his face.

 

 

4) Elvis enjoyed watching Bobby perform, but understood that if he sat in the audience he would be a distraction. So Elvis always watched Bobby from the wings. Think about the last thing you saw in a theater (concert, movie, play). Were you distracted by another audience member? Was anyone crinkling paper, checking their phone, whispering, etc.? My movie theater has these fabulous recliners. If I'm there for an action movie, like One Battle After Another, I don't notice my fellow theatergoers adjusting their seats. But for something quieter, like the Downton Abbey movie, I could hear the footrests extending all around me.

 

5) When the editor of a teen magazine asked if he could cook, Bobby not only said yes, he offered up his manicotti recipe. What's your favorite pasta dish? (To eat, not necessarily to whip up in your kitchen.) I used to love the manicotti at La Cantina, a tiny restaurant tucked away in the basement of the larger, more famous Italian Village. It closed during covid and never reopened. Now the space is a hipster bar. I fear I will never have fabulous manicotti so cheesy and divine again.

 

6) In addition to cooking, Bobby's friends recall he loved talking about classic cars and baseball. Which of those three would you be most comfortable discussing? Baseball. I don't cook and I can't drive, but I love the Chicago Cubs.

 

7) In 1965, when Americans were listening to "That Funny Feeling," aspirin was the top over-the-counter pain reliever. You could get a bottle of 200 tablets for just $1. Is there aspirin in your medicine chest right now? Nope. I don't keep meds in the medicine chest. But I don't have any aspirin in the basket on my kitchen counter, either, and that's where I do keep my meds.

 
8) Also in 1965, I Dream of Jeannie premiered. The sitcom about a beautiful genie living in the suburbs was developed to compete with Bewitched, about a beautiful witch living in the suburbs. Which show do like better?

 

9) Random question: After a friend leaves your home, you spot a small, bound book on the floor next to your sofa. You flip through it and see that her journal fell out of her purse. It's mostly shopping lists and appointments but also includes personal observations, Once you realize what it is, do you close it and keep it closed until you can return it to her? Or do you continue reading? I hate to admit this, but I'd continue reading. 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #437

Remembering the Ladies. Our First Ladies matter. In real time, they are a lightening rod. Looking back, they are a reflection of the way we were. Of course they contributed to their husbands' administrations through their personal relationship, but they served this country publicly. 

The complete destruction of The East Wing, where every First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt worked, is an indication of how much President Pussy Grabber values their contribution.

This week I'm listing 13 accomplishments/events that had their start where there is now rubble. While no means exhaustive, I hope this list is inspiring.

1. Eleanor Roosevelt – the first Press Conference by a First Lady. She did it from the East Wing. Radio was the most immediate news source, and it was important for Americans to hear her voice. For this groundbreaking event, Mrs. Roosevelt insisted that all 30 reporters were women.

2. Bess Truman – the restoration of the White House social season. After WWII, she issued her social schedule far in advance, and she did it from the East Wing. This may sound frivolous, but Bess was not a party girl. She believed this was a comforting indication to a war-weary nation that life was returning to normal. 

3. Mamie Eisenhower – decorating the White House for the holidays. Mamie was the First Lady who made Christmas trees and the Easter Egg Roll a priority, and she did this from the East Wing where she raised private funds to pay for it.

4. Jacqueline Kennedy – the restoration of the White House itself. She was committed to making the White House a living museum of American history. You can see her historic televised tour here. She initially walks through the East Wing corridor toward the camera.

Graphic created by the JFK Library

5. Lady Bird Johnson – environmental/beautification projects. She improved the view of America we see from the road, banning "billboard forests" and turning highways into a landscape of green and wildflowers. Like Jackie, she approached this with care and scholarship, meeting often in the East Wing with nurserymen and environmentalists to make sure the wildflowers were native plants that were more than pretty but would co-exist with wildlife and the natural ecosystem. (This may sound like a yawn in 2025 but was radical in 1965.)

6. Pat Nixon – "The Peoples' House." She told her East Wing staff that it "irritated" her to hear the White House referred to as "the mansion," and instructed them never to do so. She believed that the White House was not for the rich and privileged but for all of us. At Christmastime, she opened it for evening tours so local Washington DC families could enjoy the decorations after work. She also introduced White House tours for the vision and hearing impaired. Yes, she did this work from the East Wing.

7. Betty Ford – dancing at dinner. Though she wasn't First Lady for even a full term, she played hostess to an impressive 33 state dinners. That took a lot of work and she did her planning from her office in the East Wing. Betty made sure there was always live music and dancing, which had been absent during the Nixon administration. With echoes of Bess Truman, she wanted to reassure the country that Watergate was behind us and let us know the White House was bright and happy, and the invitation world leaders coveted.

8. Rosalynn Carter – making it official. While every First Lady from ER on used the East Wing as her base, they didn't each have an office there. For example, Jackie and Pat Nixon each set space aside in the private residence and Mamie worked out of her bedroom. As a result of the White House Personnel Authorization Act of 1978, Rosalynn and every subsequent First Lady received an official budget and space allocation in the East Wing* for her staff. In 1979, she became the first First Lady to testify before Congress, working to remove the stigma attached to mental illness.

9. Nancy Reagan – replacing the cracked plaster. She found the Oval Office and adjacent spaces had been neglected and set out to get rid of "cracked plaster, chipped paint and beat up floors." She, too, did her homework from the East Wing. She was inspired by the way Presidents in the early 1900s decorated the Oval Office and brought back White House antiques that had been in storage.

10. Barbara Bush – hugging an AIDS patient. Barbara Bush's sons are certainly famous and accomplished, but her little girl left a legacy, too. Robin Bush died of leukemia before her 4th birthday. Her daughter's brief life and health challenges gave Barbara Bush an understanding of blood diseases, which is how she viewed AIDS. Though it was controversial back in 1989, and the White House didn't publicize it, she made news by being photographed hugging an AIDS patient. She kept that photo on display in her East Wing office.

11. Hillary Clinton – Congressional liaison. Because she went on to be New York's Senator, Secretary of State and the first woman to win a major party's nomination for President, it's easy to forget that she was once a controversial and highly influential First Lady. Her East Wing staff was big and busy and included a Congressional liaison. From the East Wing she helped craft legislation like the Foster Care Independence Act, which helps kids "aging out" of foster care get help and job skills so they can become self-sufficient adults.

12. Laura Bush – not a stranger. Laura Bush did much for literacy as First Lady, but in today's incredibly hostile, partisan climate, I most appreciate her reaching out warmly and consistently to two women who followed her into the East Wing, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. 

13. Jill Biden – showcasing military families. In 2023 she unveiled The Military Children's Corner in the East Wing. The artwork you see created by the kids of active duty service members. She said these children "don't wear a uniform, but they serve our country, too." This is all gone now. Bulldozed.

 

 

 

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

 *Since the East Wing has been bulldozed it's unknown where the next First Lady will have an office.

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 Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. Oh, those wacky Spellmans! They run a family firm and they're all detectives (except the oldest son, David; the black sheep of the family, he became a wealthy, successful attorney). They're also all more than a little loopy. 

 

This is book #2 in the series. I'm rereading them all before I part with the books. I find I remember little about the actual mystery in this mystery, but I recall the interplay among the women in the family – Mom Olivia, sisters Isabel and Rae, David's wife, Petra – affectionate and idiosyncratic.

 

Why hasn't Netflix made this a mini-series? 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Muzzled by David Rosenfelt. I just finished another case with the Pride of Paterson, Andy Carpenter. If you're unfamiliar with this series, Andy is a once hard-working defense attorney who came into considerable money. He no longer has to work and no wishes to, preferring to drink beer, watch sports and (his real passion) rescue dogs. Andy loves dogs, and I love that about Andy. 

In Muzzled, Andy is lured back to the courtroom by a man and his dog. The man was first thought to be one of three men killed in a boating accident, then became the focus of law enforcement as a murderer. Andy not only admires how much the man loves his dog, he believes in his new client's innocence (always a plus).

Andy delivered a few laughs and even more smirks because he is such an adorable smart ass. I liked the plot – it was just complicated enough, but not byzantine. I wish there was more about Lucy, the defendant's dog, as well as Andy's own Tara and Sebastian, but that's a tiny complaint.

3. What will you read next? Non-fiction.

 

  

Dona Nobis Pacem

This year, Mimi challenges us to "Speak Love." To embrace and enhance and nurture love with "your families, yourselves, your communities, OUR WORLD."

So I'm taking this opportunity to give a shout out to Letters Against Isolation. This organization is all about the positive power of the handwritten word and how it can help alleviate loneliness. Every week I create little cards that will be tucked into a Meals on Wheels delivery or handed to a resident in a senior facility. I am sending a handwritten connection to a lonely person. 

Loneliness is a thief. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can rob you of your health – increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. According to Mental Health America, it can rob you of your happiness – often sparking anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

So I'm using the written word to Speak Love. LAI is not a pen pal program. I'm corresponding with people who will never know my full name or address. It's just a simple moment we share, beginning with me at my dining room table writing and culminating with an isolated senior opening and reading my card, hopefully when they need to know they are not forgotten.

 
Find other peace bloggers here.

 

Sunday Stealing

Monday Morning Meme

1. What was the last thing you laughed at? My niece's baby. Violet is not quite 5 months old. She sleeps very soundly but wakes up (snap!) instantly. She was asleep in her mother's arms when I arrived to meet her Saturday morning. Violet awoke on her own, caught sight of me sitting beside her and had this wide eyed look of, "What the fuck?" Her big brown eyes telegraphed her thoughts so clearly, she was like a cartoon character, and it made me laugh. She also literally rubbed her eyes when she got sleepy. Aside from the fact that she's cute, her face is animated and expressive. For someone who has no words, she makes herself understood quite clearly. I found her endlessly amusing.

2. Who among your friends/family "gets" your sense of humor? This is why I miss my friend John so much. He always got me. My oldest friend used to, but her cognitive/mental challenges get in the way. On the plus side, my nephew usually gets me.

3. What jewelry are you wearing at this moment? Little faux pearl studs.

4. If you could offer one bit of etiquette that everyone should follow while dining out, what would it be? Before you go to the restaurant, stop at the ATM so you can leave your tip in cash. If you put the tip on your credit card, your server likely won't see it until they receive their next paycheck. 

5. What's the first thing a guest would notice when they walked through your front door?