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.  

1. What are you currently reading? The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor by Tina Brown. The well-connected Brown conducted more than 100 interviews to tell us how the House of Windsor has evolved over the last 25 years. It's an entertaining read.

It amuses me that there are four women on the cover: Camilla, Elizabeth, Kate, Meghan. Good enough. But it's the one not shown that still fascinates the most. Diana's shadow is a long one, and yes, there's plenty of her in this book.

2. What did you just finish reading? Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline. Judge Cate Fante has a blonde mane, wears Manolos, and is no one's idea of a judge. So she attracts a lot of attention on the bench. Which is why her compulsive bar and bed hopping is so risky. Every time she goes out, her conduct unbecoming puts her career in jeopardy.

You'd think that would be a great premise for an adult thriller, especially in the hands of a pro, like Scottoline. Well, this is the most disappointing book I've read this year. There isn't a lot of sex, but what's here is smutty. For a woman who suffers from a compulsion, she's able to curtail her behavior quickly and easily as soon as the plot requires. The origin of her behavior is only hinted at, never explained. And oh! There too many characters and too many subplots plots! I literally stopped caring about any of them.

BTW, things about the main character annoyed me. Example: If you spell your name "Cate," you really shouldn't be snarky about an ex who goes by "Marc" instead of "Mark." Made me wonder if Judge Fante was really intended to be that unlikable, or if Scottoline needed an editor.

3. What will you read next?  Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. I hear it's funny and it's time for a giggle.

The Sunday Salon

In praise of Atticus and Andy.  In honor of Father's Day, I'm reflecting on my two favorite fictional fathers. (Say that three times fast!)

Atticus Finch was created by Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird. A small-town Southern lawyer, he's admired by the neighborhood and loved, but taken for granted, by his two children. They trust their father will care for them and know what to do the same way they know they will have lemonade to drink and a soft bed to sleep in at night. Their casual attitude makes that moment toward the end of the story -- when a courtroom observer admonishes the daughter, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing." -- even more moving. It's the dawning, when she begins to realize how special her father is, and how lucky she is to have him.

 

I've seen the movie about 10,000 times, beginning in high school, when we watched it as a class after finishing the book. I most recently re-read the book in 2020, during the covid lockdown. There's a character in the book I'd completely forgotten, a judgemental aunt who doesn't approve of Atticus' parenting techniques. Reading that he sometimes questioned how he was doing as a single dad touched me and made me admire him even more.

I wish every little girl could have a father like Atticus, who carefully allows her to feel her emotions but then teaches her how to reign them in, and who shows her right from wrong by his words and his examples. (No, I haven't read Go Set a Watchman. I don't need any more Atticus. He's perfect in To Kill a Mockingbird.)

Andy Taylor is the sheriff of fictional Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show was a joint creation of director Aaron Ruben, producer Sheldon Leonard and Griffith, but everyone agrees Andy was the force behind his character.

Andy was a sheriff who didn't wear a gun. "When a man carries a gun, the respect he thinks he's getting might be fear. I don't want the people of Mayberry to fear a gun. I'd rather they respect me." How refreshing in a culture that fetishizes guns!

Andy is an involved "pa" to his son, Opie. He helps with homework, doles out advice, and makes sure Opie knows his father is available for both serious chats and fun (usually down by the fishing hole). 

 

There's a famous father/son episode reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird. Opie disobeys Andy and accidentally kills a mother bird with a slingshot. He punishes his little boy -- who has also lost his mother -- not with a spanking but by making him listen to the mournful, hungry baby birds chirping outside his window. This inspires Opie to take the baby birds in and raise them himself. When the time comes, with Andy's help, Opie makes the painful decision to let the birds go. The episode ends with Opie ruefully observing that his birdcage sure looks empty, but Andy encourages him to look up and see how full the trees look. It's lovely, but it's not my favorite.

 

I love the one where Opie comes home with tales of his new friend, Mr. McBeevee. He describes this character as a magic man who wears a shiny hat, walks atop the trees and jingles when he moves. Everyone encourages Andy to discipline Opie for telling tale tales. Andy refuses.

"You don't believe in Mr. McBeevee, do you?" Barney asks.
"No," Andy says carefully. "But I do believe in Opie."

 

Then Andy happens upon Mr. McBeevee himself. McBeevee works for the phone company. He wears a hard hat and a tool belt  and works up in the trees to check on the phone lines. Andy's faith in his boy was justified.

What about you? What fathers have you read or seen that made a lasting impact on you?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Yesterday (1965)

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

Chosen because June 18 is Paul McCartney's 80th birthday. 

1) Paul McCartney sings that yesterday all his troubles seemed so far away. Can you recall a time when your life seemed carefree? I don't think life is ever carefree, it's just that your cares are proportional to your stage of life. One of my coworkers has a 3-year-old son and he's been acting up lately. This new demand for constant attention coincides with the birth of his first cousin. His mother suspects the little man is feeling insecure because he's not "the baby" anymore. That's a major issue when you're three and don't have a lot of words to ask questions or express yourself. He hardly feels "carefree." He's dealing with some serious toddler shit!

2) He has always insisted the melody to "Yesterday" came to him in a dream. Did you dream last night? Not that I recall.

3) The lyrics were inspired, in part, by the death of Paul's mother when he was 14. Thirteen years later, he named his daughter Mary after her. Are you named after anyone? If you're a parent, did you name your children in honor of anyone? No. In fact, my dad had an aunt with a name very similar to mine and my mom didn't like her, so she changed the spelling of my name slightly. She didn't want anyone to think I was named after his toxic auntie.

4) Over the years, Paul has performed on bass, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and drums, but not the first instrument he owned: the trumpet. A present from his dad for his 14th birthday, he exchanged the trumpet for a guitar because, "you can't sing while playing the trumpet." Have you more recently a) exchanged a gift, b) donated a gift you didn't want to charity or c) regifted? Probably "b" or "c." I don't do "a" so much because it can be a hassle.

5) Paul grew up seeing how much his dad enjoyed placing a bet and then listening to the horse race from his favorite armchair in the living room, so he took his salary from making the film A Hard Day's Night and surprised his father with a racehorse. After father and son proudly watched Drake's Drum win at Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse, the horse retired to Paul's farm in Scotland. If money were no object, what gift would you give a loved one? I would handle ongoing prescriptions for my friend John. He doesn't like to talk about it so I don't know the details, but I know he finds paying for his daily heart meds a challenge.

6) Paul is considered one of the world's wealthiest entertainers, worth an estimated $1.2 billion. This month, as he approaches his 80th birthday, he is winding up a 16-city North American tour, during which he performs 30+ songs in a 2 hour, 40 minute show. If you had all the money you needed, would you continue to work? Or would you kick back and relax? I wouldn't work for salary anymore, but I'd borrow another page from Paul and devote myself to project I believe in. Paul took the abandoned building where he went to high school and turned it into the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. LIPA's mission is to "provide education for performers and those who make performance possible." Though instead of performing arts, I'd like to support work with animals. That's where my passion lies.

Sir Paul and the Queen @ the opening of LIPA in 1996

7) Paul first joined the Beatles when he was recruited into the band by John Lennon. They met as teenagers when Paul showed up at a church picnic where John's band was performing. Paul recalls pedaling over on his bike to hear them, his guitar flung over this back. When did you most recently ride a bike? Probably more than a decade. Unless a stationary bike counts, but I haven't been on one of those since February 2020 when covid hit and the health clubs closed.

8) Paul met his first wife, Linda, at a London club and then again four days later when she was a photographer at a press party for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. Think about one of your romances. Where did you meet? At work. He was very, very smart but was deficient in people skills. Everyone was so critical of him that I felt I had to be on his side. I'd tease him that he was a cyborg who looked human but behaved like a machine. We didn't become romantically involved until the company went under and we were both unemployed.

9) TV journalist Barbara Walters played matchmaker for Paul and his current wife, Nancy. During the summer of 2007, when Paul was vacationing in The Hamptons, Barbara repeatedly and intentionally invited them to the same parties and picnics. Have you had any success in a matchmaking scenario -- as either the matchmaker or one of the dates? Nope.

Oh, to be a New Yorker!

First my favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo, has a stellar day in the Bronx. He got the only two Yankee RBIs, including a walk-off homer. (His 16th HR of the season, and it's still just June!)

A few hours later, at MetLife Stadium*, Sir Paul gave the last concert before his birthday this weekend and was joined on stage by Bruce Springsteen.

 

Much as I enjoy "Glory Days," I was more interested in "I Wanna Be Your Man," which starts at 4:55. It's an old Beatles song Paul and John wrote for Ringo to perform. Paul seldom does it himself. Enjoy! They certainly seemed to.

 

 

*Yeah, I know it's in Jersey, but it's where the Jets play.

Thursday Thirteen #262

 Thirteen Facts about Paul McCartney. In honor of his landmark birthday.

1. He was born James Paul McCartney on June 18, 1942. His father, Jim, was a volunteer fireman and cotton salesman. His mother was a midwife employed by Liverpool's Walton Hospital, where he was born. His younger brother Mike completed the clan in 1944.

2. He was the product of public housing. Even though both his parents were always employed, they had trouble making ends meet and had to rely on help from the government. Looking back on his life, Paul said he "never saw better than the people I came from. I met Presidents and Prime Ministers, but I never met anyone half as nice as some of the people I know from Liverpool."

3. Paul was a very good student (top 3 in his class). He just didn't like school. 

4. When he was 11, he auditioned for the church choir. He was not accepted.

5. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 14. It was at this time, perhaps to help him deal with the loss, that he became interested in music.

6. The first song he can recall performing publicly is "Long Tall Sally," which he sang at a talent show.

7. In 1957 he met John Lennon at church picnic. John's group, The Quarrymen, were performing. They hit it off, and we're all the better for it.

8. According to the Guiness Book of Records, the boy who didn't make the choir has sold more records than anyone else on the planet. He has million-selling Gold Records with The Beatles, with Wings, and as a solo artist.

9. The boy who grew up on the public dole is now worth $1.2 billion.

10. His teenage home, once subsidized by the government, is now a national landmark.

11. He has been honored three times by Queen Elizabeth. In 1965, all four Beatles were awarded MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) medals. In 1997, he was knighted. In 2018, he was elevated to The Order of Companions Honor.

12. The boy who hated school co-founded The Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts for students 4 to 19 years old. LIPA has earned accolades for teaching quality.

13. The volunteer fireman's son is an honorary member of the FDNY, an honor he received in recognition for his fundraising efforts after 9/11.

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.  

1. What are you currently reading? Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline. Cate Fante has been on a fast track for years, culminating in a judgeship. But she has a secret: she's irresistibly drawn to the wild side. Her behavior is not appropriate for a member of the judiciary, it causes her stress, but she's helpless to stop herself. When she's assigned a high-profile showbiz case, the tension escalates because of the press coverage. What if one of the bad boys she likes to bed recognizes her from the TV that's always on in the dive bars she frequents? She could lose everything she's worked so hard for.

This is an interesting premise, one I haven't seen before, and Scottoline is a good story teller. I just hope I come to like Cate a bit more than I do right now. Genuinely caring about the heroine would make this more compelling.

BTW, this is the second book in row (see below) that involves living a double life. I came upon this completely by accident because it's a Scottoline I hadn't yet read, so it's just a coincidence.

2. What did you just finish reading? All that Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin. I recall Rock Hudson as being old when he died in 1985. He was 59, younger than I am now. But he was ravaged by illness and looked much older than his years when he became the first public face of AIDS.

His life was short and ended early, but that doesn't mean this book is depressing. Author Mark Griffin takes us along as Rock escapes his unhappy home life first with classmates, then the Navy, then Hollywood. He worked hard, paid his dues, and slowly but surely became the biggest movie star in the world. He deserved the success. Moviegoers loved him, his coworkers enjoyed him, he shared a great deal of laughter with many good friends ... and he expended a great deal of energy hiding his homosexuality. He was always afraid of blackmail and exposure.

He was born Roy Scherer and the public knew him as Rock Hudson. But people in his personal life called him "Roy" and "Rock" interchangeably. Once Marilyn Monroe hit the big screen, she stopped being called Norma Jean. No one ever called Judy Garland "Frances" or referred to Cary Grant as "Archie." And yet Rock Hudson never completely quit being Roy Scherer. I found this to be the most obvious example of his double life, and it made me sad that he had to live in secret.

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

Eh, what does she know?

To anyone who still believes The Big Lie, know that Ivanka Trump does not.

Is Trump's favorite daughter, who was one of his closest advisors, suddenly now a puppet of "the lamestream media?" Or does she know her father better than you ever will? I believe the latter, while you believe the former.

You insist there was election fraud? Bless your heart.

The hearings continue tomorrow. If you still believe Trump was robbed, or that January 6 was overblown or that the he wasn't complicit, please watch. Make up your own mind after you hear the facts. That's what Ivanka did.

WWG1WGA

 Damn! I missed him yesterday! What did he say?

QAnon supporters also gathered in Dallas, waiting to hear from JFK, Jr. Who has been dead for decades.

Oh, well. At least they're happy. Bless their hearts. 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing. 

This week, our chief thief Bev stole from Unconscious Mutterings. Here's the UM archive, if you'd like to try more word associations.

I say ... and you think ... ?

    Hurry! :: You can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait ...
    Dumb :: and Dumber
    Fudge :: Hot fudge sundae
    Sturdy :: Hardware
    Printing :: Xerox machine
    Itch :: Scratch
    Creaks :: Door
    Paste :: Cut and ...
    Waste of time :: Status meetings
    Let down :: Depressed
    Cancellation :: TV Show
    Suspect :: Person of Interest
    Fireplace :: Creosote sweeping log
    Spring :: Baseball!
    Commute :: Train
    Places :: Persons, Places, Things
    Fraud :: Deception
    Adoption :: Best way to get a cat or dog
    Election :: Day
    Moving day :: Van

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Let Me Love You Tonight (1980)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. Watch this video for Vince Gill's lashes. I have serious lash envy now.

 

1) Pure Prairie League was a country rock band signed by Casablanca Records in 1980. The label, known for disco hits, wanted to expand their client roster in case disco died. (Which it did, and Casablanca ultimately went bankrupt.) Disco can be a polarizing topic among music fans. Do you love it or loathe it? I dislike it less than I used to. Now when I hear it, I don't think so much of the music as I do the memories; what was I up to when the song was popular.

2) In this song, lead singer Vince Gill encourages his girl to hold him tight. Who did you most recently hug? Somebody called my name as I was leaving work Thursday. It was a coworker I hadn't seen or spoken to in quite some time. I was so happy to see her because she always sees the best in me. Our hug reminded me why there is value to getting together in the office, even though I've gotten very comfortable working from home.

 

3) Vince Gill left The Pure Prairie League in 1982 and went on to be a solo success. Tell us about a job you were glad you left. It's the job where I did my best work, writing for a major haircare company, crafting the copy that appeared on the tubes and bottles. I really loved doing product packaging and won a Clio there. But I had a really wacky boss, and the toxicity of our relationship wore me out. By the time I gave notice, I was ready to go. And I met a really great guy at my next job and we had a lovely affair, so these things work out for the best.

4) He says his favorite song is the country classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Do you often listen to country? No. Sometimes I reach for Garth Brooks, though. I'm a fan. I love this one.

 

5) Vince joined The Eagles on tour after the 2016 death of Glenn Frey, taking over Frey's guitar solos. Do you have a favorite Eagles song?

 
6) Vince met future wife, singer Amy Grant, when she performed on his Christmas TV special. Have you ever had a workplace romance? Yes. I don't recommend them. They don't end well. On the other hand, when you're working long weeks with lots of overtime, it's just naturally going to happen.

 
7) In 1980, when this song was popular, The Love Boat was a hit. Have you ever taken a cruise? If yes, where did you go? I've never been on a cruise. I'm alternately attracted to it (it seems like such an EASY vacation) and scared (What if I hate it? I can't jump off the ship, can I? And what about covid?).

 

8) 1980 also gave us the Post-It Note. What did you most recently write on a Post-It? An address.

9) Random question: You find yourself one of three strangers trapped in an elevator. Would you rather the other two people be a man and a woman, two men, or two women? I don't know that gender matters in this situation, unless I'm thinking of turning it into a softcore porn episode in my memoir.

 

 

The Cubs are playing the Yankees this weekend

Heard through my front door every time Anthony Rizzo appears on my TV screen.

Thursday Thirteen #261

Thirteen facts about Queen Elizabeth. The world's eyes were upon her last week for her jubilee, so I'm a little late with this toast to Her Royal Highness

1. She was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.

2. Born at 2:40 AM on April 21, she's a Taurus.

3. Actor Tony Danza was also born on April 21. I don't think there's any question who's the boss here.

4. She has been served by 14 Prime Ministers.

4. She has never had a driver's license. Which is not to say she's never driven. She has. She just legally doesn't need a driver's license.

5. She's an early adapter, having sent out her first email in 1976 as part of a demonstration of how the technology works.

6. In 2019, she published her first Instagram post. It was a salute to mathematician Charles Babbage. (What? You were expecting a photo of bangers and mash with #Yummy?)

7. When she watches soccer she cheers for Arsenal.

8. She became a homeowner at age 6, when the people of Wales gifted her with a cottage.

9. Today she can be considered the landlady of 30 palaces and estates.

10. She has 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

11. She received an elephant as a gift from the President of Rangoon. He was named Jumbo III and lived out his life at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

12. She can make it rain if she wants. A tribe from Canada presented her with a totem pole believed to bring thunder.

13. Her favorite cocktail is gin and Dubonnet. 

Here's to ya, Lillibet!

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.  

1. What are you currently reading? All that Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin. An exceptionally good looking boy with a wretched family life fantasizes about escape and acclaim. His success becomes equal parts dream-come-true and nightmare. It's an old story, kinda cliche, and in the case of Rock Hudson, all true.

From Illinois, to Hollywood, this story follows Roy Fitzgerald as he becomes Rock Hudson, twice the biggest money-making movie star of the 1950s. And then as he becomes the face of AIDS in the 1980s. For an inherently shy man who treasured his privacy and so carefully guarded his sexuality, it was an especially cruel ending.

I didn't plan for this to be the first book I began in Pride Month, but it's fitting that it is. On these pages, Rock is a sympathetic character. Shy, determined and perpetually exploited. In addition to drama lessons, voice lessons, etc., he was expected to put across for gay producers and press agents. On the one hand, this "casting couch" behavior was completely accepted by the major studios, on the other hand, everyone is ready to expose and ruin the victims, not the predators. It's compelling, very sad, and reminds me of the tales I've read about Marilyn Monroe's career trajectory. Sexual exploitation is not about pleasure, it's about power.

This book is long (500+ pages) and frank but not salacious. It's fascinating.

2. What did you just finish reading? Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt. A serial killer is preying on women around Passaic. Attorney Andy Carpenter is asked to represent the suspect by his long-time pal Vince Sanders. Vince is the owner of the local newspaper and the suspect is Vince's star reporter. Andy is hesitant because the district attorney himself is going to try the case. The DA wouldn't take such a high-profile case if there was any chance at all he could lose.  

Andy takes the case anyway and it takes him from Jersey to Cleveland and back again. There are whistle blowers and prostitutes and mob kingpins involved. Is it possible that powerful forces are involved in a conspiracy to set up the reporter?

I recommend this book because of the character of Andy Carpenter. He's an unlikely but likeable hero. He smart but not supernaturally brilliant. He's brave, but neither strong nor a crack shot. He's just a lawyer who loves his dog, loves his girl, and wants to return home from court believing justice has been done.

3. What will you read next? Dirty Blonde, a legal thriller by Lisa Scottoline.

 

 

Sunday Salon

"There is no such thing as coincidence." That's Rule #39 as decreed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (the dreamy Mark Harmon), for many seasons the leader of the special agents on NCIS.

I don't care what Gibbs says, I've found coincidences in my reading lately. First of all, I kicked off Pride Month with a biography of Rock Hudson, the actor who became the first public face of AIDS. It wasn't by design. I'd forgotten June was Pride Month. I've wanted to read this bio since I saw two of Rock Hudson's best films at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April, and I just now got to it. Still, when I finished it, I was sad that he lived his life so deep in the closet. He seemed like a nice, hardworking, gentle man. I wish he hadn't had to live with the fear of exposure.

Then I picked up Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline. I chose it because my library app (Hoopla) recommended it. I find Scottoline books diverting so I clicked on it. Guess what: it's about a judge who has a secret and is terrified of exposure.

I don't know what I'll read next, but I hope it's light and frothy. After all this intrigue and suspense, I'd like to spend time with people whose secrets are, to borrow from the movie Cabaret, as "fatale as an after dinner mint."

What about you? Do you find patterns to your reading/viewing? Do you plan it that way, or does it just happen?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

STOLEN FROM FACEBOOK

1. The best story your parents or grandparents tell about the good ole days. When my mom was a little girl during WWII, she spent a few late summer weeks each year with her grandparents. They didn't live on a farm, but it was during rationing so they kept chickens and traded the eggs with their neighbors. Anyway, this was her favorite end-of-summer tradition: she would choose the buttons, rickrack and bows that her grandmother would use to make her a new back-to-school dress ... out of a chicken feed bag! It sounds sad, but the way my mom told it, you could tell the memory delighted her. The decorations were sold by a door-to-door "notions" salesman, and when my mom saw him come up the walk with his case, she thought life couldn't get any better.

 

2. The best things in life are... (In alphabetical order) Baseball, the Beatles, books, and cats.

 

3, Things that drive me batty. People who excuse thoughtless, hurtful or rude behavior by using words/phrases like "truth bomb" and "keeping it real." They aren't honest and authentic, they're just selfish and self-involved. 

 

4. A place I'd like to live and why. The Palmolive Building, right here in Chicago. It's a historic old building (that rotating light at the top was added to help Lucky Lindy find his way!) and it provides awesome views of The Lake and Michigan Avenue. And it used to be Playboy's national headquarters. I think Hugh Hefner was a dreadful, dangerous man, so the idea of an old-school, unreconstructed feminist like me putting her feet up there is appealing.

The shortish bldg w/the bright beam, left center, behind the Drake, is my dream home

5. The best thing I've ever found. I don't know if this counts as "found," but the ATM at the local convenience store gave me two 20s instead of one, and no receipt. I asked the kid who worked there what to do -- expecting him to give me a phone number to call or something -- and he pretty much told me to go away. No one had ever asked him anything like this before and it genuinely annoyed him to be confronted by a new problem. The bank never deducted any money from my account, so I got $40 free. I was perpetually broke in those days, so I mightily appreciated the good fortune.

 

6. The best thing that happened recently is. Saturday my nephew and I exchanged texts about baseball and made plans to go to Wrigley Field together later in the summer. It occurs to me that, over the years, I've discussed the Cubs with my grandparents, my dad, my uncle, and now my nephew. The Cubs are the thread that connects us. This brings me joy.

 

7. I admire people who... give. Here's a picture of my favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo. He was back in Chicago when his new team, The Yankees, played the White Sox. Before the game, he invited pediatric cancer patients onto the field during batting practice. He met these kids when he was a Cub and donated his time to Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital and made good on his promise to treat them like VIPs at the ballpark.

 

 

BTW, Saturday he hit another home run. His 13th of the season. It cost me another $5, but I couldn't be happier. Through the Anthony Rizzo Home Run Challenge, every homer he hits raises funds to support pediatric cancer patients and their families.

 

Here he is back in April at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital in Florida, when it was announced he was going to foot the bill for refurbishing the family lounge and play areas.

 

You know how people bitch and moan that today's athletes aren't role models? Here's a "truth bomb" for them: Anthony Rizzo probably does more good for kids every day than they do all year.

8. What makes me special.  Aw, hell. I'm just an all-around great gal.

9. I am looking forward to... special times with those I love. Soon John and I will celebrate his birthday. My oldest friend is coming to Chicago in August. I'm going to the ballpark with my nephew in September. And I believe with all my heart that I will have once again enjoy a nice, long phone conversation with my friend Henry when he is feeling better.

10. Things that scare me. Clowns, squirrels, and losing Henry forever.

11. Complaints I have. The same people who insist that wearing a mask to school is detrimental to a child's emotional well-being will say, with a straight face, that arming teachers and putting students through live shooter drills is somehow acceptable. "Consistency, thou art a jewel."

12. I could never live without... caffeine.

 

13. Things that make me laugh. Lots of things. But I shall share this with you. Ah, Lydia! When her muscles start relaxing, up the hill comes Andrew Jackson. (PS If you can your eyes off Groucho, watch Harpo. He seems to be having the best time.)

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Cinderella Rockefella (1968)

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

1) This record and video were inspired by popular tunes of the 1920s. Looking over your lifetime, which decade produced more of your favorite songs? Being a Beatle girl, I'd have to say the 1960s.

 

2) "Cinderella Rockefella" topped the charts in England, yet barely broke into the Billboard Hot 100 here in the States. Still, the number was known to American audiences, performed as a duet on variety shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Tommy and Kate Smith), This Is Tom Jones (Cher and Tom) and The Dean Martin Show (Nancy Ames and Dean). Do you remember watching musical-comedy programs? Did you have a favorite? When I was a little girl, Andy Williams was my favorite. He wore sweaters, had blue eyes and was nice to everyone. I did NOT like Dean Martin. He smoked all the time, always wore a tie, and seemed creepy with the women. BTW, Andy can still make me sigh. "Soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door ..." Aw. I'm such a sap.

3) It was written by Mason Williams, a prolific composer and comedy writer, as well as a talented guitarist. He is best known for "Classical Gas," his 1968 instrumental. Do you enjoy instrumentals? Or does a piece of music need lyrics to become one of your favorites? All my favorite songs are songs. I like singing along.

 

4) This week's featured artists, Esther & Abi Ofarim, were considered the Sonny & Cher of Europe. A married couple, they had hits in the 1960s in both the UK and Germany and were depicted in magazines as the perfect young husband and wife. Fans were disappointed when, in 1969, they quit performing together and divorced in 1970 after 12 years of marriage. Can you think of a couple you knew in real life whose split shocked you? Or can you usually see it coming? I remember that back in my party girl days, our crowd included Holly and Mark. She was blonde, hale and hearty. He was slender, dark and soooo angry all the time. I was less surprised that they broke up than they were together at all. Unfortunately, after they split, we kept him and lost her. I ended up working with her a decade later and am happy to report that she married a man who treated her like a goddess. (Which she deserved. A genuinely sweet woman.)

5) Comparisons to Sonny & Cher are apt because, as with the Bonos, the wife's show business career fared better than the husband's, post-divorce. Esther's BBC specials were "appointment TV" in the UK during the 1970s. Today, with the advent of streaming and DVRs, viewers don't have to make sure they're in front of the screen when their favorite show airs. Tell us about the last show you watched. Was it live, streamed, on DVR or DVD/Blueray? Never Say Goodbye, a 50's tearjerker I found on YouTube. It's kind of dopey, but all the pretty people looked so pretty in Technicolor.

 

6) She had a solo hit with Esther in Kinderland, a collection of children's songs. Can you recall the lyrics of a favorite song from childhood?  Where did you learn it (home, church, Scouts ...)? Here's a round we sang in Girl Scouts: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. A circle's round and has no end. That's how long I'll be your friend."

 
7) Abi continued performing after the split, but more often worked behind the scenes as a record producer and music publisher. Would you say you have a good head for business? Depends on how you define "business." I have become a savvy marketer. I am forever hopeless with finances.

8) After they finished school, both Abi and Esther served in the Israeli Army, and Abi saw combat. Have you served in our military? Did you ever consider enlisting? I appreciate everyone who does this, but no, I have never even been tempted to join the military. I have a little problem with authority and a big problem with my tongue. I think I would have spent  four years doing push ups.

9) Random question: How many keys are on your key ring, and do you know what each one is for? Four: Front/back door, my own apartment's deadbolt and cylinder locks, mailbox.