These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 65!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live just outside Chicago, the best city in the world. I'm an aunt and a friend. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.
During the TCM Classic Film Festival, we wear our passes on lanyards around our necks. It's become custom to add pins of our favorite movies and stars to the lanyard. In April, while Will from my movie group and I were waiting in line for another movie, we compared notes about our movie going the day before, I rather enthusiastically described Suddenly, Last Summer, starring Elizabeth Taylor and directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. One of the people in line near us, a stranger, enjoyed my retelling so much she leaned across the rope to give me another pin for my lanyard: Elizabeth as Cleopatra. 1963's Cleopatra was also directed by Mankiewicz. I was happy to get the pin, Will was amused that I had entertained our fellow movie fans.
Fast forward from April to August. Cleopatra is having a moment. TCM has made it the subject of this season's The Plot Thickens podcast and tonight, Chicago's Music Box Theater just showed all 245 epic minutes on the big screen.
I was in the stylist's chair this morning when Will reached out to me, inviting me to go with him tonight. His initial invitation consisted of this photo. Every movie fan, every baby boomer, knows it:
I declined his invite because I woke up this morning with a disrupted gut. I was worried about making it through a 4 hour movie and then dinner and a train ride home, and stress only makes the situation worse. Yet I feel good about the whole thing. Will fondly remembered that moment in line at the film festival and wants to hang with me. That's important to me.
I know "diversity" is suddenly a dirty word, but I like it in my life. While I hang with lots of classic movie fans, they're all women. Will is a closeted gay Republican.* He's also a regular church goer.† I truly don't have anyone else like him in my life. Knowing him makes me stronger and makes life better.
I hope he'll continue to reach out to socialize. I want all kinds of people, all kinds of energy in my life.
*Here in Cook County, Republican raises more eyebrows than gay.
†We've talked religion on occasion but steer clear of politics.
Thirteen Jackies. Next week, on July 28, we'll see the 96th anniversary of Jacqueline Bouvier's birth. No other First Lady has had her pop culture impact. 31 years after her death, she's still fascinates. Producer Ryan Murphy recently made news by announcing his Jackie, the actress who will play John Kennedy, Jr.'s mother, in his upcoming mini-series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
Murphy decided on Oscar and Emmy nominee Naomi Watts. Here are 13 other actresses who have also portrayed the former First Lady.
3. Roma Downey. A Woman Named Jackie (1991). This mini-series got tepid reviews at the time, but I was pleasantly surprised by Downey's performance (if not the series' Lifetime/Hallmark tone).
1. What bill do you hate paying the most? I'm going to respond not with a bill but an item: light bulbs. They're seldom on sale and they're always boring to shop for.
2. Which restaurant would you recommend for a romantic dinner? I am going to defer to a former coworker for this one. She loves going to Coopers Hawk Winery with her new husband. They are having a lot of work done in their condo and when the chaos at home stresses them out, they get dressed up and go to Coopers Hawk. It's easy to get in, and they like the food, the drink and the ambience. To see if there's a location, click here.
3. Who was your first grade teacher? Her name was Mrs. Krach. I don't recall her first name. In fact, I doubt that it even occurred to first-grade me that she had a first name.
4. What should you be doing right now? Showering and feeding the cats. If I don't get moving, they're going to remind me that it's time to feed them very soon.
5. What did you want to be when you were growing up? So many things! The earliest I remember is a singer. When I played Barbies, my doll was always a singer so she could hang around with her pretend BFF, Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) of That Girl. Ann was an actress in New York and she and my doll had such fun on their imaginary showbiz adventures. Of course, the fact that I'm completely tone deaf helped quash this ambition.
6. How did you choose the shirt you're wearing right now? I'm wearing my nightshirt. I chose it because it was on top when I opened the drawer.
7. Gas prices! What's your first thought? That I don't care. I'm sorry, but since I don't drive, I don't pay attention.
8. Do you have a teddy bear? Yes. It wears a yellow shirt that says "Someone Loves Me at FKCC." It's a treasured gift from my late friend Henry, who taught at Florida Keys Community College and did love me.
9. Do you own the last book you read, or did you get it from the library? I don't know how to answer this. I own the last book I finished Tuesday but the one I'm reading right now is a library book.
10. Did you more recently send a text or write a Post It? Text.
I was proud to contribute money and time to Elizabeth Lewis' campaign for Board of Education member. She didn't win, and that hurts.
Maybe she wasn't the best candidate. Her campaign was so focused on hearing and empowering students that perhaps she was ignoring fiscal and administrative issues. But here's what touched my heart:
1) She announced her candidacy when was only 17, though she turned 18 in time to serve on the Board. I love it when young people are involved and giving back. She took it so seriously! Her website has more depth and detail about the Mohonasen Board of Education than I've seen from candidates in mayoral, aldermanic and state house campaigns. She made herself available to the press, and while sometimes she sounded naive she was, as Teddy Roosevelt said, "in the arena." Most touching of all, she spent all day Tuesday at the polls – just outside the perimeter where campaigning is banned. She was there for hours and hours to answer the questions of parents and voters. All this for a seat on the Board of Education! 💔
2) She stood up to a bully. I know in today's MAGA/Might Makes Right World being heavy-handed and insensitive to DEI issues is in vogue, but I'm still a proponent of the old Golden Rule. When she was still a student at Mohonasen High, Lizzie had the temerity to lobby for a GSA organization at her school. A Board member publicly singled her out, chewed her out, and disparaged her advocacy of LGBTQ+ students. He was admonished by the state's education department for the way he treated her, but he has never apologized – even though his callous remarks cost the district more than $14,000 in legal fees to defend him.
Think about it: a grown man in a position of power holding a student up for ridicule. A student who, by the way, often needs crutches because she struggles with EDS (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome). Not a pretty picture, is it? When I was 15, that would have been enough to make me slink away. He would have completely dispirited me.
But Lizzie is made of
stronger stuff. When she was old enough she ran against
him. (Though she always said that wasn't the only reason why she ran. Read about it here.)
I hate bullies. I love Lizzie. Young people like her will help make our world a better, safer place.
1. Twenty years ago? In spring/summer 2005, my Cubs weren't doing so great, but my favorite-ever pitcher, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, was back in Cubbie blue so I was happy. I think I had a nice office. The agency I worked for rearranged and moved us often, and having a good office had a major impact on my attitude toward coming to work. I was still a redhead and I still had a waist. My cats were Joey, Charlotte and Reynaldo.
2. Ten years ago?In spring/summer 2015, I was immersed in The Big Project. It was the highest-profile assignment, with the biggest budget, I would ever have in my career. I didn't know it then (wouldn't know until fall), but I acquitted myself well and it would be a success. Joe Maddon was managing the Cubs and the glory days were upon us. (I'm still a little in love with Joe.) Connie had just joined Joey and Reynaldo.
3. Five years ago? In spring/summer 2020, we were on Covid lockdown and I was obsessed with finding Cubbie blue masks. My cat Reynaldo really, really loved me working from home. I reread To Kill a Mockingbird, which was a good and inspiring choice, and rediscovered That Girl, which I loved as a little girl. I stopped wearing contact lenses because I didn't want to be touching my eyeballs all the time during a pandemic. I don't miss them and kind of like switching up glass frames.
4. One year ago? In spring/summer 2024, Anthony Rizzo hit his 300th homerun so I was happy. I had a wonderful time at the TCM Classic Film Festival, but so many of us returned home from the fest with colds/flu. This year I masked up for my flights and stayed healthy. I think that, like wearing my glasses every day instead of contacts, wearing a mask when I am on an airplane is my new normal. Catwise, it's Connie and Roy Hobbs.
Saturday 9: Georgia on My Mind (1978) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This lyrics refer to "an old sweet song." What old sweet song is a favorite of yours? "More Than You Know" was published in 1929. This is one of my favorite Streisand performances.
2)
Composer Hoagy Carmichael said he was inspired by saxophonist Frankie
Trumbauer to write a song about Georgia. In those days, bands traveled
by bus and Frankie enjoyed rolling through Georgia. Hoagy
recalled that Frankie even volunteered the first two words, "Georgia,
Georgia ..." If we were to organize a Saturday 9 bus trip, where would
you recommend we go for lovely scenery?Arkansas. I used to take an annual spring spa trip to Hot Springs and there was a courtesy van that would pick me up at the airport in Little Rock and take me to my hotel. The hour-long drive was lovely. Lots of rolling hills and dense green foliage. I love Chicagoland, but it's very flat here and in late March, the trees are still bare, so I really enjoyed that drive.
3)
This version of "Georgia on My Mind" was controversial before it was
even recorded. Willie Nelson's label, Columbia, didn't see the point of
their outlaw country star singing an old standard that was associated
with Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. Willie had the last laugh. This
record was a hit and Willie won a Grammy. Tell us about a time when you
were a success despite opposition. Oh, this is an example of why I'm glad to be out of advertising. My client wanted us to save them money by encouraging customers to pay bills online rather than through the mail. I suggested using a simple front/back "buck slip" inserted in their monthly statement. One side would say, "Go Paperless. Save Trees." and the other side would show how paper – and trees – could be saved annually if just 10% of customers switched to online payment.
My boss thought it was a good idea, but that I was "wasting" it on a buck slip. "No one reads those!" he insisted. Why don't we send a letter? It's more likely to be read and we would have more space to do an emotional appeal about saving water and trees and landfill space ... how we'd be helping future generations ... how we could toss in a buck slip but it would show a child planting a seedling on the front ...
I was like, "But we'd using more paper to discuss how bad using paper is." After all, his idea would include a separate envelope and an additional 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. As a consumer, that would set off my bullshit meter. Plus it would cost the client more in production and postage. My boss argued, "It will pay for itself."
He really didn't like being disagreed with. At least not by me. He said he would present both concepts to the client and let them decide. HE would present? He never presented! I knew what he would do: he'd say, "you could just do a nice little buck slip ... or an effective, heart-tugging appeal that's certain to change minds and behavior."
Well, based on the cost of the two concepts, the client chose mine. Every step of the way through execution, my boss bitched and complained. "I can't believe they chose THIS!" he would say as he approved first the copy, then the layout, then the final print. Over and over he made it clear that my idea was deficient and lame.
He was the Vice President/Creative Director. He could have killed my idea before the client ever saw it. Instead he presented it, along with his own, just so he could prove me wrong. Put me in my place. What a petty shit he was. We worked for the same agency. Any time the client was happy with us was a win for us. Not in his eyes.
This kind of thing happened all the freaking time. I'm glad to work at the card shop.
4)
While it's at odds with his "outlaw" image, Willie was a popular and
active high school student. He played three sports and was a member of
Future Farmers of America. What school activities did you participate in
during your teen years? I wasn't big on participation. I'd join a club at the beginning of the year so I could work on and ride the homecoming float, but then drop out before Christmas.
5)
Willie once worked as a tree trimmer, so clearly he didn't suffer from
acrophobia. How about you? Do you have a fear of heights? Nope.
6)
He wrote the lyrics to one of his biggest hits, "On the Road Again,"
during a flight, using the airplane barf bag as scrap paper. That was
back in 1980. In 2025, do you handwrite onto note paper, or do you make
all your "notes to self" digitally? I scribble on lined paper.
7) In 1978, when Willie was singing "Georgia on My Mind," audiences were flocking to see the movie Grease. What's your favorite song from Grease? The first one that comes to mind is "Summer Nights." Wella, wella, wella, ooh, tell me more, tell me more ... 8)
Also in 1978, Karina Smirnoff was born. After spending her early years
in the Ukraine, she came to America and found success on Dancing with the Stars. Are you a DWTS fan? I was during the early seasons but I've lost interest.
9) Random question: Do you ever carry a backpack? Not often. I switched to a backpack during my vacation at the TCM Classic Film Festival. It holds so much and made it possible for me to not keep running back to my hotel room. But for day to day, the backpack is in the closet.
2) What was the highlight of your last week? Saturday I attended one of the 1,200 HANDS OFF! rallies. It was right here in my neighborhood. Members of my church group took the el into the city for the protest at Daley Plaza (see photo), but I chose to stay local. It was inspiring to see the spirit of peaceful activism as people spoke up for Medicare, Social Security, medical research and free speech at universities. Yes, we live in a nation where Medicare, Social Security, medical research and free speech at universities need defending from our own President. Anyway, we gathered at the WWI memorial next to the library and marched through the center of town. According to the Associated Press, I was one of hundreds of thousands "from New York to Anchorage." So far, there's no word of arrests. It was peaceful, it was serious, and it helped me feel empowered, less alone, and less like I'm living in Berlin before The War.
3) You have to give a 10-minute speech to a group of high school students. What's your topic? I think there's a lot to be learned from the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, with a special emphasis on her accomplishments as First Lady. For example, she was personally responsible for the Mona Lisa coming to the United States. It was the first time the painting had been allowed outside of France since it was returned after WWII. Jackie believed that seeing the world famous masterpiece would inspire Americans, especially school children, to become more interested in art. She lobbied French cultural minister Andre Malraux. She convinced her husband to augment security and insurance with his family's fortune, on top of the credit of the United States, a gesture that impressed the French government. She oversaw Mona Lisa's transatlantic voyage on the SS France, where it was cossetted by a special vibration resistant crate and the temperature was always 62º. The painting was displayed first at the National Gallery in Washington and then the Met in New York. Americans turned out in record numbers: more than 60,000 a day in New York alone. It was a resounding success, and it was Jackie's show. This was just one of her accomplishments. Jackie was a compelling mix of strength and grace and, as her friend Tish Baldridge used to say, there was a brain under that pillbox hat.
Mission accomplished: The official unveiling In DC
The Mona Lisa, protected by the Marines, at The National Gallery
4) What is the single best decision you've ever made in your life? Buying this condo. I didn't really want to be a homeowner. Renting seemed so much easier. But there are financial benefits to owning that I appreciate more every year.
5) If you could ask a coworker, friend or family member a question and be guaranteed an honest answer, who would you choose and what would you ask? I would ask my financial advisor what he would tell his own grandmother to do with her retirement funds as we try to navigate Trump's fakakta tariffs.
6) Do you cook for yourself when you're home alone? I have to. I live alone. If I didn't cook for myself I'd starve.
7) Do you most often access the internet from your computer, your phone, or your smart watch? Laptop
8) Do you have more email addresses or phone numbers? Email addresses
9) What's the biggest source of anger in your life right now? The current administration
10) Mondays make me feel _________________. Like I'm starting anew.
1) How do you show others love? What makes you feel loved? Like the song says, "I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour." I'm available to those I love. I put the time in. I feel loved when someone trusts me and shares what's important and dear to them.
2) Who is someone you admire? Why? I have always admired JBKO. She lived her life on her own terms, despite unsparing public scrutiny and judgement. She faced everything life threw at her with matchless grace. As Margaret Mitchell described another heroine/horsewoman Scarlett O'Hara, she "took her fences cleanly, like a good hunter." Jackie confronted hardship and then did her best to move on.
3) Do you have the qualities you value in a friend? I like to think so. I work at it.
4) What is something you enjoyed doing when you were younger but don't do anymore? Why did you stop doing it? I used to dance a lot. Alone, at home, I'd turn up the music and spin around to get my heart rate up. I don't know why I stopped, but I don't it anymore.
5) What is something other people think is fun but you don't? Sci-fi and fantasy. The Turner Classic Movie Film Festival is in a few weeks and they just announced the opening night, red carpet film: The Empire Strikes Back. It's a big deal, and there's an extra fee to have director George Lucas himself introduce the film. I'm happy for all the fans who are happy. I'm also happy to save the money, because I quite literally have no interest in it.
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? How I Helped OJ Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse by Mike Gilbert. I recently watched Netflix docuseries on the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman and was introduced to OJ's agent and confidant. One of his comments really resonated with me. Gilbert wondered whether OJ was a good man who did a terrible thing, or if he was a terrible man who could occasionally do good. It reminded me of something our minister said while encouraging us to do prison work: Don't judge an entire life by its worst moment.
OK, but Gilbert eventually cut all ties with OJ and even wrote this book, which obviously is not a defense. How did he get here? I believe we each have a snapping point -- which is why I'm against citizens carrying handguns -- so I suppose it's possible that I could somehow find myself in his position. How do you deal with it when someone you love does something despicable?
I'm ruefully amused that in early 1994, Mike Gilbert didn't approve of OJ golfing with President Bill Clinton. Gilbert was all judgey about Bill while he was proudly representing a man who, within months, was going to commit a double homicide. Okeedokee.
Btw, this is a library book. I'm not yet sure of Gilbert's motives and don't wish to support exploitation with my cash.
Back then, I was shaken by Elizabeth's courageous candor about how the death of her son rocked her. She shamelessly recounted how she literally collapsed with grief in the grocery store when confronted with Wade's favorite soda. In 2006, I had to put the book down after that passage. It was too real, too raw. It shocked me that anyone would willingly share something (and she shared much in a similar vein) that made them seem so vulnerable, so wacky. As I made my way through these difficult passages, I realized Elizabeth was teaching me that it's OK to be weak, to struggle, to hurt and to be confused. That weakness, struggle, hurt and confusion are universal and can bring us closer to one another and those connections will ultimately bring us strength. I've internalized that. In the last 20 years, I've been more honest with my friends and loved ones. This past spring, after my friend John died, I very honestly called Joanna and Elaine and told them I was suffering. They each came through for me. I am grateful to them, and to Elizabeth Edwards for being my sherpa.
But in 2025 it hit me differently. I worked on the Kerry/Edwards campaign, and this time it was those chapters that made me the most emotional. We've lost so much in the last 20 years! Elizabeth recounts how shocked she was when, en route to a campaign appearance, a man held up a handmade sign calling her, "Fatso." Today the Oval Office is inhabited by a man who, while being deposed about a rape, said unasked that the female lawyer questioning him was not his "type." Good to know what our Predator in Chief's preferred "type" of rape victim is, I guess. (I'm not making this up. See it here.) After the 2004 election, John Edwards was reluctant to concede because of Republican shenanigans in Ohio. Come to think of it, in 2000 there were shenanigans in Florida. Apparently the Bush campaign was good at shenanigans. So why didn't I go to Washington, storm the Capitol and beat up a cop or two? Because Al Gore and John Kerry were patriots who were more concerned with the peaceful transfer of power than in possessing it by any means necessary.
So this time around, Elizabeth's words have spurred me to fight for my country, like she did as a Vietnam-era college student. When one of her professors chided her, telling her no one in Washington was not paying attention to peace protests and asking why do it, she said she continued because she had to do something. Well now, I have to do something, too. Something more meaningful than hand-wringing posts like this and Facebook memes. I'm going to raise funds for candidates I believe in and work on local campaigns so that by the mid-terms, Trump's power will be diminished. (Don't worry, Elon. I will do all this legally and peacefully. No reason to shut down my blog and toss me in the Gulag.)
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.
It seems I am shocked anew every day. Our President wants to revoke birthright citizenship and signed that Executive Order on the holiday for Dr. King's birthday. Are Trump and his supporters really that ignorant of US history, or just that insensitive? Then our President mocked the idea of visiting the Washington DC plane crash site, saying, "It's the water. You want me to go swimming?" People who assaulted Capitol police on January 6 were pardoned because violence against cops is just ducky if you're willing to do it for him. And half my countrymen are applauding this! Most disturbing are the ones who quote Scripture all the time. Let's face it: Jesus was a man of color born on the West Bank. If he walked among us today, MAGA would try to deport him.
So I'm returning to Elizabeth Edwards, that gallant lady who endured so much. I recall her teaching me that sharing your fears and pain can strengthen your faith and your relationships and that is a lesson I need to hear again.
2. What did you recently finish reading? Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by MC Beaton. The "Wizard of Evesham" is a hairdresser, Mr. John, known for his transformative styling talents and his way with the ladies. Even our hard-boiled Aggie is not immune to his charms. Though drawn to him, she also has reservations. Something about him seems "off." So she decides to snoop around. Is she doing this because Mr. John is up to no good, or merely because she's bored? Doesn't matter which because, soon enough, someone dies in his salon.
This is one of my favorites in the series. Watching Agatha manufacture "a case" at first, just because she wants something to do, was amusing. I've enjoyed her gradual acclimation to retirement. She is grudgingly fond of her more small-town neighbors, though she's snarky about them. Right after I finished this book, I ran into my down-the-hall neighbor. I was carrying a white drawstring trash bag toward the dumpster. "Where are you off to?" he asked. Um ... where did he think I was going? When I stated the obvious, he said, "OK, then." Like I need his approval to take out my garbage? Annoying as he is -- and he is -- I would hate it if something happened to him. Dear God, I'm Aggie!
1)
The lyrics encourage us to take a chance on love. What's something
you've done recently that took you outside your comfort zone? How did it
turn out? I'm slowly taking on more responsibility at the card shop: Pricing sale items, choosing the cards that go on the rack, etc. I do have an extensive marketing background, so it makes sense. So far, so good.
2) Bing Crosby introduced "But Beautiful" in the 1947 film, Road to Rio. Name another movie song that became a hit. "The Way We Were."
3)Bing's leading lady in Road to Rio was Dorothy Lamour. When she was a teenager, she worked as an elevator
operator. With the advent of user-operated/push-button elevators, few
elevator operator jobs remain. What's another job that was once
commonplace, but has virtually disappeared? I always kinda thought it would be neat to work in that FotoMat booth.
4) Road to Rio was one of seven Road
movies Bing Crosby and Bob Hope made together. They were one the most
financially successful comedy teams in history. What movie or TV show
always makes you laugh? Animal House.
5)
Crosby's given name was Harry but he acquired the nickname "Bing"
because as a kid he was a fan of a comic strip character named "Bingo."
As a child, did you read the newspaper? Yes. The Chicago Sun Times in the morning and Chicago Today after school. They were both tabloid style, so I could easily read them back-to-front, starting with the sport page, and then the comics, the entertainment section, the local news and the international news. I admit I was usually bored by the time I got to the front page.
6) His 1942 version of
"White Christmas" is still one of the best-selling records of all time.
He was a movie star, nominated three times for the Oscar, winning once.
Can you name another performer who has been successful both acting and
singing?
My queen
7)
Bing loved golf and enjoyed traveling the world, playing at different
courses. If today you were to receive an airline ticket to any city in
the world, what destination would you choose? What would you be certain
to see/do there? There are many places I visited years ago that I long to see again. Graceland, Colonial Williamsburg, New York City, Key West ... I enjoyed them all and would love to do it all again.
8)
In 1947, when "But Beautiful" was a hit, Farrah Fawcett was born. She
became famous for her bathing suit poster, her blonde hair, and a 70s TV
show. Without looking it up, do you know the name of that television
series? Charlie's Angels
9) Random question -- Are you someone who makes things happen, or someone things happen to? I'd like to think I'm the latter, but in reality I'm probably a mix of both. Things may happen to me, but how I respond is up to me.
This song was chosen because it's time to say goodbye to 2024.
Thanks for participating in Saturday 9 this year.
1)
In this song, Mary Hopkin asks her lover not to let her sleep too late.
Did you wake up this morning on your own, did someone wake you, or were
you jangled awake by an alarm clock? I'm battling a bad cold and am letting myself sleep as much as my body wants to as I recover.
2) The lyrics reference "a lonely song." Can you name a song about loneliness? "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles. Paul asks, "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?"
3)
"Goodbye" was written for Mary by Paul McCartney. He was the one who
signed her to her first record contract and produced this and all her
Apple Records, including her first big hit, "Those Were the Days."
Looking back on 2024, who is someone who gave you a helping hand when
you needed it? My former boss at the card shop, Ceecee, made me feel like she wanted me to succeed. Her support gave me confidence. She's a very good supervisor.
4)
This video shows Mary performing on The Ed Sullivan Show while wearing a miniskirt. Minis were very popular in 1969. Did you embrace a fashion trend in 2024? If we expand this to makeup, yes. I began wearing light blue and violet eye shadow again, something I hadn't done since the 70s. But I like it.
5)
Also in 1969, the Colts lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
The game is famous because of all the hype leading up to it, including
Joe Namath "guaranteeing" the underdog Jets would win. Do you have a
special sports memory of 2024? In September, my favorite-most ball player returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since he was traded. It wasn't just the 41,000 fans in the park who celebrated him. There were signs all around town welcoming him home. I hope Anthony Rizzo realizes how much he is loved here.
6) What's the farthest from home you traveled in 2024? ORD to LAX is about 2,000 miles.
7) What was the biggest purchase that you made in 2024? I spent about (gulp) $4,000 on dental work this year.
8) What was your favorite book of 2024? Camera Girl is a biography of Jacqueline Bouvier, before she became Mrs. Kennedy or Mrs. Onassis. It concentrates on her life after high school and before marriage. It's about the choices women had (or didn't have) in the 1940s and 1950s and made me wish I knew more about my own mother's life after high school, before she left my grandparents' home for her husband's.
