Because words matter

Please join Mimi Lenox for a special Blog4Peace event this weekend. Let's fill the internet with love, support for Ukraine, and prayers for peace.

Thursday Thirteen #251

Thirteen subject lines from my spam folder. I wasn't remotely tempted to click on a single one.

1. Suffer from hernia mesh?

2.1 tbsp of this permanently eliminates nerve pain.

3. URGENT! We have been trying to reach you. Please respond.

4. Tense this muscle for 1 minute to unlock massive growth.

5. Did you know you could save on your mortgage?

6. Biblical "riddle" solved after 2,000 years.

7. This knife will turn daily food prep into an unforgettable experience.

8. Say goodbye to lines and wrinkles.

9. The secret reason you're not pooping right.

10. Diabetes gone in two days!

11. One simple change to reverse bone loss.

12. You'll never need Viagra again!

13. Insane method destroys toe and nail fungus fast!

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? Summer Secrets by Jane Green. Do you feel like winter is just hanging on too long? I do! So when the library recommended this Jane Green book to me, I snapped at it. Summer! But be warned, this is no light beach read.

It's a novel about Cat, a 30-something divorcee and recovering alcoholic. It's about family secrets and the impact yesterday has on today. It unfolds slowly, drawing you in. So far, I'm intrigued.

2. What are you currently reading? Jackie: Her Transformation from First Lady to Jackie O by Paul Brandus. This book concentrates on the five years between JFK's assassination in Dallas and Aristotle Onassis' wedding to Kennedy's widow, the most famous woman in the world, Jackie. It's about how a young mother claws her way out of depression while enduring the scrutiny of just about everyone on the planet. It's an interesting spin on an oft-told tale.

Unfortunately, I don't think it really delivers. I'm not sorry I read it. Jackie's tale is fascinating: part Jane Austen, part Jackie Collins, and all true. But there's precious little in this book that's new or particularly insightful. Maybe I've just read too much about Jackie, but there wasn't much here that wasn't recycled.

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

 

The Smartest Person in the Room

This clip from Broadcast News is me and my new boss, Marilyn. We've never had this conversation, per se. But Friday we came close.

I came up with a pair of major promotional initiatives for my client. I thought them through completely. My write ups were detailed. My boss said she didn't like my "handles" (the snappy titles) but she thought the tactics were sound.

She said she would take them to the account/strategy teams herself. Days later, when I saw the ideas after their input, I barely recognized them. New tech innovations were added that, I felt, obscured my insight. I wasn't pissed, just confused. What happened at that meeting? My boss told me she thought my ideas were valid, and now somehow they were transformed into something bigger but not (in my humble opinion) better. I know my client. I get my client. Aside from the occasional request for a Tik Tok video, they are old school. Their brand is authenticity, not innovation.

What's more, my boss told me the strategy team was going to "take it from here." They were going to take over the actual writing, creating a white paper to present to upper management, and then (with management approval) the client.

Since I'm the writer, having the strategy team take this over was insulting, I suppose. But we were on deadline, and I didn't feel like working evenings. I had other work to do (the car client reared its head and I had to come up with 1000 words on the meaning of dashboard indicator lights).  So what the hell. I no longer understood "my" ideas anymore anyway. If I was this far off, this far away from the mark, I shouldn't work on them.

Then late Friday afternoon, my boss Zoomed. Upper management had reviewed the concepts and found them lacking. Marilyn asked me to rework them. She straight faced asked me to "dial up" the insight (as if upper management had thought of it) and wanted to know how long it would take. (This was late Friday afternoon, mind you.)

"Not long at all," I said. "That's what I wrote originally." 

She made an "O" with her mouth. "Did I have that?"

Yes, the ideas I sent her nearly a week ago were almost exactly what upper management thought my client would want. They were right before she and the account and strategy teams "retooled" them. 

I resent them in an email titled, "Back to the future." Then I logged off for the weekend. 

I get paid less than my boss. I have less authority than the strategy director whose fingerprints were all over the rewrite. I should not be the smartest person in the room. It's scary to be the smartest person in the room.

Monday morning, my boss very graciously did a mea culpa and called me "clairvoyant" for being able to anticipate how this would go. I was gratified to see much of my original copy is now in the deck. Literally. ("Confronted by a dizzying array of options, consumers can feel paralyzed ...") 

But there's something very wrong with the team that's currently in place if I'm the smartest person in the room. Jane Craig was right. Sometimes it's awful to know you know best.

 

"Forever Grateful"

Last week was my work anniversary. 18 years at the same agency. That's unheard of! I never meant to be here this long. This is where my career became my job, where I stopped caring about the title or the next rung on the ladder. I've known for a while that this would be the last stop, and I'm fine with that.

There's a certain ennui to it all. Deja done that. 

Which is why this meant so much to me. Rita, my new-ish (4 months) writer sent me this fruit-and-chocolate bouquet to celebrate. About $50 out of her own pocket. She wished me a happy work anniversary and then closed with, "Thank you for taking me under your wing. Forever grateful."

I'm prouder of what she wrote than I am of anything I've written in a while.

 

Sunday Stealing

From SwapBot

1. Do you like sushi? Nope.

2. What color is your car? No car.

3. What is your favorite thing about the place where you live? My neighborhood is very diverse. Everyone is welcome here.

4. Are there brands of certain items that you will ONLY buy that brand? I am very brand loyal to Bounty and Viva paper towels.

5. Are you allergic to any food? Animals? Plants? Medicines? Meds: Thimerosal and morphine. I'm also highly allergic to bee sting.

6. Have you ever been stung or bitten by an animal? Bees. See above.

7. Do you have a favorite bird? Do you feed the bird at your house or the park? No birdhouse, but we do have a very proprietary robin in front of our building. He's always on the branch by the railing. I look for him whenever I come and go.

8. What would you recommend binging on Netflix or similar? I've been watching The West Wing on HBO Max. I remember the characters and the dialog, but not the plots, so it's a comforting mix of old and new.

 
9. What is your proudest achievement? I'm a good friend. I'm there.

10. Do you have or are you from a big family? Well, my clan has endured many divorces and remarriages, so I suppose it's big if you're flexible in your definition of "family."

11. What do you do for exercise? I do 8 minutes of stretches every morning. It will be 9 minutes in April. I'm adding a 60 seconds every month.

12. What would be your favorite breakfast? (You didn’t have to cook it yourself.) Egg and bacon with wheat toast and hashbrowns.

13. is there an item that you really want but can not afford? Can we definite "home renovations" as an "item?" There's lots I'd like to do in that regard.

14.  What was the farthest distance you made for your holidays? 1500 miles = Chicago to Key West.

15. Are you afraid of speaking in public? Depends on the audience. I'm very good at speaking to groups if it's made up of my clients. My internal team? Not so much. You'd think it would be the opposite, but it's not.

 

Sunday Salon

 

Indulging in a few scoops of sorbet. I'm reading a lighter-than-air chicklit, Back to the Burbs by Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff. A 30-something inherits a huge ramshackle suburban disaster from her eccentric aunt. She could sell it, which makes financial sense, but instead she sets out to renovate it. This home improvement project is a metaphor for her life, which she's trying to rebuild after divorce.

I know there will be comedic mishaps as she makes the repairs. I know which new man she will fall in love with. I know she will live happily ever after. I know all this because I've seen more than one Hallmark movie in my life.

And that's fine. I'm enjoying a book that just carries me along without requiring much thought. I just finished reading Lady Bird and Lyndon by Betty Caroli. It was a terrific dual biography, with special emphasis on the First Lady.

I keep thinking about a particular part of the book. Lady Bird was 22. She'd just graduated from University of Texas with two degrees. She was financially independent, thanks to the inheritance from her mother, and was ready to go into a career in either journalism or teaching. She had a couple beaux but wasn't ready to settle down yet. She wanted to travel first. A girlfriends trip to NYC had whetted her curiosity about the world beyond Texas and now she wanted to go abroad.

But she went on a blind date with a 26-year-old congressional aid named Lyndon Johnson and within 90 days, she married him. She used part of her inheritance to finance his early campaigns. She used most of it, however, to purchase a radio station. Independent of her husband, she built a media empire that would eventually include TV stations. She was the first First Lady to be a millionaire in her own right.

Her marriage put her in the history books. She got to fulfill what she believed was her destiny. But it cost her a great deal, too. Her larger-than-life husband demanded her focus and subservience. From looking the other way at his infidelities to leaving their daughters to accompany him on the campaign trail, she put his needs before anyone else's. She never vacationed in Europe until she was a widow in her 60s, because her husband insisted it was inappropriate for the wife of an American public servant to galavant overseas.

Was it worth it to her? Did she ever wonder what her life would have been like if she married one of her college beaux and became a small-town Texas schoolteacher? I'm fascinated by how her interest in journalism led her to buying radio and TV stations. Would she have taken her mother's money and used it to become a media mogul like Katherine Graham? She used that money to finance Lyndon's dreams, but what about hers?

So after reading a biography that captured my imagination and felt like a heavy "main course," I'm cleansing my palate with a light little romance.

How about you? Do you mix up your reading or viewing? Or do you tend to stay in the same lane?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: GET ON YOUR FEET (1989)

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

1) In this song, Gloria Estefan encourages us to stand up and make it happen. What's something you want to accomplish this fine Saturday? I want to haul my ass over to the UPS Store. I have to print out my Amtrak ticket and hotel reservation for my upcoming trip to see my nephew on campus (for the last time before he graduates). I know I don't need the printouts, but I don't want to be that woman scrolling forever through her phone for the PDFs. (Don't you hate her?)

2) She sings that we've all been through some nasty weather. How has winter 2021/22 treated you thus far (weather wise)? Winter seems to have been hanging on stubbornly. But I bet I feel this way around this time every year. By March, I'm just bored with cold weather.

3) Best known as a recording artist, Gloria is also a best-selling author of children's books. When you were a kid, were you a big reader? Oh yes. Always. I remember that, the first time we went on a family vacation to Springfield to see the Lincoln sites, my parents told my sister and I we could get any souvenir we wanted. I chose this book. It was my favorite among my books for a long time. I'm happy to see it's still in print and available for sale at The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. I like to think of a new generation of little gals reading it on the car ride home from Springfield.

 

4) In addition to music and writing, she's a linguist. As a college student, she supported herself as an English/French/Spanish translator at Miami International Airport. When were you most recently at an airport? Were you traveling yourself, or picking someone up/dropping them off? I was returning home from Key West after Christmas.

5) Gloria made her acting debut in 1999's Music of the Heart, a Meryl Streep movie about music teachers in Harlem. Did you have music classes in school? Have you ever taken private lessons? Yes, I had music classes in public school. But they made me sad because I'm tragically unmusical. I wish I could sing, but I'm tone deaf.

 
6) Today Gloria is one of the celebrity residents of Star Island, a man-made island in Biscayne Bay. Star Island is connected to the mainland by MacArthur Causeway, named for General Douglas MacArthur. Tell us about a street in your neighborhood, and who it's named for. Cermak Road is a busy street named for Anton Cermak, the Mayor of Chicago was killed during an assassination attempt against FDR. (Everything damn thing here seems to go back to gun violence.)

7) 1989, the year "Get on Your Feet" was popular, was the year of the first HDTV broadcast. By 1998, high-def shows and TVs were dominant. How many TVs are in your home? Do you watch shows on your computer or phone? I have two TVs, one in the living room and one in my bedroom. I prefer to watch videos, shows and movies on my TV, not on my computer or phone.

8) Also in 1989, The Simpsons premiered. It's now the longest-running prime-time TV show ever. Are you a fan? I like it when I stumble upon it, but I don't seek it out.

9) Random question: Should husbands wear their wedding rings? I don't care.

Thursday Thirteen #250

Thirteen reasons to drink more water. That's my New Year's Resolution: to drink more water. As we're into Month 3 of 2022, I thought it would be good to remind myself why regular intake of H2O is good for me and my --

1. Joints: It helps maintain cartilage

2. Mouth: It's important to creating saliva

3. Teeth: It contains no sugar, and sugar causes decay

4. Skin: It can help reduce premature wrinkling and sagging

5. Brain: Dehydration can cause fuzzy thinking

6. Body temperature: Water helps me sweat, and sweat keeps me cool (maybe I don't care about this right now, but I will soon)

7. Gut: More water makes constipation less likely

8. Blood pressure: Dehydration can lead to high blood pressure

9. Nose and throat: Dehydration can exacerbate asthma and sinus issues

10. Kidneys: More water makes kidney stones less likely

11. Weight: Few calories than Coke ... or just about anything else!

12. Nutrition: It helps carry vitamins, minerals and nutrients to my organs

13. Headaches: Migraine sufferers, like me, report a reduction in "frequency and severity"when we stay sufficiently hydrated

More water? YES, PLEASE!

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? Jackie: Her Transformation from First Lady to Jackie O by Paul Brandus. I've read many, many books about JBKO, but this is the first I can recall that concentrates on that five year period between autumn 1963 and autumn 1968, when Jacqueline Kennedy was the world's most famous widow.

Will I learn anything new? So far, the only nugget I've gleaned debunks the popular rumor that Jackie and Bobby Kennedy were lovers by sharing that there was no mention of an affair in Bobby's FBI file. J. Edgar Hoover hated Bobby, and loved notating the sex lives of his enemies, so if credible evidence existed, it would have made Bobby's file.

The rest of the book, so far, is pretty familiar stuff. Compelling, to be sure. But that's because Jackie's life was so dramatic. Hopefully Mr. Brandus will deliver more nuggets like the one I mentioned above. Fingers crossed.

2. What are you currently reading? The Visitor by K.L. Slater. David, aged 40+, has a hard time leaving the house. It takes all his strength and wherewithal to handle his part-time job as a parking lot attendant. He spends the rest of his time in his room of his mother's house, watching the neighborhood. Through binoculars and telescopic lenses.

That's when he spots Holly, the young woman visiting his widowed next door neighbor. He doesn't know how long Holly plans to stay, but he never wants her to leave.

This books is a thriller, but a highly unsatisfying one. David and Holly are introduced to us slowly and carefully, which builds the suspense. David's story is revealed slowly, as well, and when we understand why he's suffering from PTSD we begin to feel sorry for him. But the character of Holly! Nothing about her is believable. 

I don't recommend this.

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

The Sunday Salon

 

I belong to a classic film group. Every week our moderator chooses a movie and then we get together via Zoom to discuss it. We just watched Unfaithfully Yours, a 1948 romantic comedy about an imperious conductor and his younger wife, whom he believes is cheating. It seems everyone had something glowing to say about it.

"I loved it!" "I watched it twice." "One of my favorites!"

I hated it. I thought the conductor was an overbearing narcissist and, while I never for a moment believed his wife was unfaithful, I wouldn't have blamed her if she was.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever seen something, or read something, that absolutely everyone is raving about so you wondered if somehow you got a different copy?

I made progress on the biography I'm reading: Lady Bird and Lyndon by Betty Caroli. I'm very ambivalent about LBJ. His work on civil rights and Medicare was spectacular and truly life changing. Vietnam? What a painful chapter that was! Anyway, as I make my way through 480 pages, I'm surprised anew by how quickly Lady Bird fell in love with him and how committed she remained. She was 22 -- a financially independent new college grad starting out on life -- when she was fixed up with the 26-year-old politician. Three months later they married. It was the most impulsive thing this cautious woman would ever do in her life, but she never looked back, never wavered. 

I gotta tell you: I don't get it. Bird was so smart, a natural businesswoman. She also had tremendous people skills. Except for a stepmother she didn't trust, it doesn't seem she made any real enemies throughout her entire life. Yet she seemed to feel lucky to have married this man! I think he married up. A friend's mom used to advise us: girls, there's a lid for every pot. Maybe she was right, and these two were made for each other. At any rate, I think LBJ hit the jackpot when he went on that blind brunch date with Bird.

Do you believe there's someone for everyone?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

 QUESTIONS TO ASK FRIENDS

1. What emotion do you experience the most? Joy. Even in the worst times, I can find something that lifts my heart. I'm blessed that way.

2. What embarrasses you most in front of other people? When I don't "get it." It infuriates and embarrasses me when I miss the point.

3. What do you love most about yourself? See #1.

4. Who has influenced you the most? I'll answer by saying that my best qualities -- my love of the little things, my affection for animals -- came from my mom. Are these qualities emulated or inherited? I don't know.

5. What would you like to change about yourself? I wish I wasn't so lazy and easily distracted.

6. If you could do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Work at an animal shelter.

7. If you had the option of adopting a baby fox of baby koala, which would it be? Neither. Wild animals should not be housepets.

8. If you had to be on a reality show, which would it be? Something starring Honey Boo-Boo. Because I like saying, "Honey Boo-Boo."

9. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? A London townhouse. I think a year would give me a good idea of what life is like in a city I've long read about.

10. How many bones have you broken? Two

11. What do you fear about getting older? Being helpless.

12. How do you relieve stress? I nap.

13. Are your feet the same size? The same size as what?

14. 100 kittens or 3 baby sloths? Kittens. See #7. Though I have to tell you, kittens are exasperating.

15. What do you want more than anything else in life? Serenity.

Saturday 9

Beautiful Day (2000)

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

1) This song is about finding joy in an imperfect world. What brings you joy today? Nothingness. I had a super busy week at work. A weekend with nothing on my calendar is just what the doctor ordered.

2) The lyrics mention being stuck in traffic. A poll of Boston commuters revealed that drivers have a variety of responses to be stuck in traffic — everything from bored to impatient to angry. How do you feel when you’re stuck in a traffic jam? It depends where I'm headed. If I'm trying to make it to the theater, or I have a plane to catch, I freak out. But otherwise, I just let it go. There's nothing really to be done.

3) This year Bono and his wife, Ali, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Who is the longest-married couple you know? That would be my friend Mindy and her hubs. They are coming up on (gulp!) 40 years! They have been through difficult times -- finances, fertility -- but they have always been sure of each other. I think that's so romantic.

4) When Bono inducted Frank Sinatra into the Grammy Hall of Fame, he complimented Frank on his “swagger.” Do you think you have “swagger?” At times, at work, when the ground is very solid beneath my feet.

5) When U2 guitarist The Edge did a charity concert at the Sistine Chapel, he became the first rocker to perform there. If you were to travel to Rome, what sites would you be certain to visit? OK, ya got me. I'm really not all that interested in seeing Europe. It's such a long flight ... I only speak English ... I have a sensitive tummy .... all that said, I'm sure there are restaurants around Vatican City that would rock my pizza-loving world.

6) This week’s song was chosen because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and U2 is one of Ireland’s most famous exports. What else is Ireland famous for? Crystal

7) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours? I don't think I've ever had it. Am I missing something?

8) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia? Not really. Snakes are not my favorite thing, but they don't freak me out.

9) St. Patrick’s Day fantasy: A leprechaun will share his gold with you, but you must request a specific amount for a single item. How much would you ask for, and what would you buy? $5,000 (I think). I'm getting a dental implant.

 

What a thing to find out pre-St. Patrick's Day

I am not Irish. I grew up thinking I was 88% German, 12% Irish, with the Irish coming from my maternal grandmother. She believed she was 50% Irish. She wasn't.

My aunt just shared the results of her Ancestry/DNA kit. Her mother's daughter, she was expecting to find she was about 25% Irish.

No Irish whatsoever.

Mostly German, the rest nearly equal parts Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.

She represents my dad's side of the family.

My mom's family always maintained they were 100% German. With what I just learned about my dad's side, I highly doubt that. 

I also wonder if I really care.

Thursday Thirteen #249

Thirteen facts about the four very verbal Ephron women. I am a massive fan of Nora Ephron's, and the more I learn about her, her life, and her family, the more I wonder about nature/nurture, especially when it comes to talent.

1. Phoebe Ephron was a screenwriter and playwright from the 1940s-60s. She collaborated with her husband Henry on many projects. My favorite is The Desk Set, an office comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Hepburn pointed at Phoebe and told the costume designer that Phoebe should be the model for her working woman wardrobe. Phoebe and Henry were nominated for an Oscar (Best Screenplay) in 1963 for a film called Capt. Newman, MD.

2. Phoebe and Henry had four children, all daughters: Nora (1941); Delia (1944); Hallie (1948); Amy (1952). When her girls had school or romantic problems, Phoebe would tell them, "This will make a good story someday." She explained that when you tell your own story, people laugh with you, not at you. All her daughters became published authors, and each has drawn directly upon her own experience in print.

Clockwise: Nora, Hallie, Delia and Amy Ephron

3. Nora Ephron was a fabulously successful hyphenate: journalist-screenwriter-playwright-director. She began writing for Esquire magazine in the 1970s, and her columns became best-selling books (Wallflower at the Orgy and Scribble, Scribble). In the 80s, she wrote a popular novel, Heartburn, which was turned into a major motion picture (she did the screenplay). She returned to essays in the new millennium, and her works were collected and published as I Feel Bad about My Neck and I Remember Nothing.

4. During the 1970s Nora became a media celebrity. She was a popular talk show guest and appeared in the columns for her marriages, all three to successful writers. #1 was Dan Greenburg (How to Be a Jewish Mother), #2 was Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame, and #3 was Nick Pileggi (Goodfellas and Casino).

5. In the 1980s, Nora turned her hand to screenwriting. She earned three Oscar nominations (Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle).  

6. She remains one of Hollywood's most successful woman directors. Her hits include Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and Julie and Julia.

7. Nora wrote for the stage, too. Imaginary Friends was her first Broadway play, about two famous feuding women writers (Mary McCarthy and Lillian Hellman). Lucky Man, which featured Tom Hanks' Broadway debut, opened in 2013 (after her death). Her most oft-performed play -- Love, Loss and What I Wore -- was co-authored with Delia Ephron.

8. Delia Ephron often collaborated with big sister Nora, but she wrote a lot on her own. One of her first successes was an illustrated children's book for adults called How to Eat Like a Child. She followed it up with an illustrated etiquette book: Do I Have to Say Hello? Aunt Delia's Manners Quiz for Kids and Grownups. Her 2016 novel, Siracusa, was well reviewed and her memoir, Sister, Mother, Husband, Dog, was a best seller.

9. Delia had a long, happy marriage that ended with her husband's death in 2015. She has written frankly about her grief, as well as her own battle with leukemia (the disease that killed Nora) and how she found love again at age 72.

10. Hallie Ephron is (guess what) a New York Times best-selling writer. She's written a half dozen standalone suspense novels (I just finished latest, Careful What You Wish For), as well as a cozy mystery series about Dr. Peter Zak, a psychiatrist who frequently consults Boston PD. For the Zak books, she uses the pseudonym GH Ephron. She's also one of the Jungle Red Writers, bloggers who "dish on writing and life." Hallie teaches workshops on how to write a mystery and then get it published.

11. Hallie, too, is a widow. After more than 50 years of marriage, her husband died last year. He was a professor and researcher who (you guessed it!) wrote a textbook on physics.

12. Amy Ephron has achieved her greatest success with a series of popular children's books (Castle in the Mist, Carnival Magic, and The Other Side of the Wall). She's also written two novels and a collection of short stories. Prior to covid, she appeared often at schools, encouraging young people in their love of books.

13. Amy is also an essayist. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Saveur, and the LA Times. Her memoir, which includes many of her essays, is called Loose Diamonds.

I'm exhausted after just writing this blog post! How were these five women so incredibly productive? Nature? Nurture?

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? The Visitor by K.L. Slater. David is an odd one. 40+ and still living at home with his mom, he only works part time and spends the rest of his time looking out the window. With binoculars. The latest object of his attention is a young woman named Holly. She just moved in with the widow next door, renting a room as she gets settled and tries to make a new start. David decides Holly will be his friend and never, ever leave. This is not going to end well.

2. What are you currently reading? Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein. This is a love story. When, as a teenager, Carl Bernstein showed up at the Washington Star for a job, he fell hard. For all of it. The noise of the presses, ink on his fingers, getting the story from cops and witnesses, the banter among the reporters, the martinis after work (even though he was still a teenager). His first front-page story was an obituary about the woman who ran the local newspaper stand, and he seems as proud of bringing "Annie" to life as he was of bringing down Nixon. This book makes me glad that he became such a resounding success in the news biz, because his career proves the old adage: Do what you love and the money will follow.

Be warned, though, this book ends when Carl moves to the Washington Post. No Watergate juice here. Since it covers 1960 to 1966, it's a Valentine to days gone by. Typewriters ... carbon paper ... phone booths with benches ... the world of the Washington Star that he creates is long, long gone.

BTW, he confirms something I've always suspected: the biggest news story in the summer of 1963 was the death of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the infant born to the President and Jackie who lived just two days. Imagine, a baby born to a First Lady! And then, to have that baby die. "Baby Patrick" (as JBKO always referred to him) is almost forgotten now, overshadowed by the world-changing assassination of his father. I have a feeling, though, that at the time, Patrick's birth was as big a deal here as Prince George's was in London 50 years later.

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

The Sunday Salon

 

This is my first time participating. It's the first Sunday in March, so I'm going to start by looking back at the books I read in February.

Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein. A highly-entertaining memoir and candid look at the last part of the 20th century. 4 stars out of 5

Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron.  A mystery by a writer with a sure hand. I think of books like this as candy bars. I enjoyed it while devouring it, but I doubt I'll still be thinking of it often or ever six months from now. 3 stars

She Made Me Laugh by Richard M. Cohen.  Cohen's affectionate memoir of his decades-long friendship with Nora Ephron (Hallie's older sister). I'm such a fan of Nora's that I loved it before I even picked it up. 4 stars

My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle.  A thriller that's actually thrilling. One of those plots you try to unravel in your imagination when you're forced to put it down and go do other things. BTW, My library's Hoopla's algorithm recommended this, based on what I've read before, and they aced it! 4 stars

Diana by Sara Bradford. A sympathetic but still clear-eyed look at the life of the Princess of Wales. 4 stars

I'm anticipating a grueling workweek ahead. I hope I'm wrong, or if I'm right, I hope I still can carve out a moment to find refuge in books and in cuddling my cats. (I also have a bottle of Bailey's Irish Creme in the refrigerator, just in case!)

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

 Stolen from my blog buddy, Kwizgiver.

1. How long have you lived in your current residence? I moved in less than 60 days before 9/11, so 21 years. (I remember because I was so hopeful, unpacking ornaments ordered for my first-ever Christmas tree in my new home. Such a weird juxtaposition with the shattering news on my TV.)

 
2. What changes have you made to it since you got there? I renovated my bathroom in 2018, and it could already use a sprucing up. Actually, every inch of this place could use sprucing up.

3. What surprised you about living in your place or in your neighborhood? I'd never owned anything before. I miss having a landlord to fix things. I'm not good at this homeowner thing.

4. If someone were considering moving in next door, what would you warn them about? The elevator is more than 50 years old. It can be unreliable. Remember, "unreliable" and "unsafe" are different things. If it stops on the second floor for no particular reason, just go with it. It's really not worth the expense of an emergency call to the elevator repair company.

5. If you have to move in the next 45 days, what are you definitely not taking with you? Oh, so much! I don't know why I have such a hard time parting with things. I think it would take having to move to get me to really concentrate on getting rid of stuff.

6. What are you currently reading? A biography of Lady Bird Johnson. I find First Ladies fascinating.
 

7. What did you recently finish reading? Carl Bernstein's memoir, Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom.

8. What do you think you’ll read next? I don't know.

9. When did you take the road less traveled? I don't know that I have ever consciously chosen the road less traveled.

10. Did you ever participate in a talent show? I must have, but I don't remember.

11. When did you most recently strike out? I don't understand this question. "Strike out," like lash out? Or "strike out," like strike out on my own? Or "strike out," like three strikes and you're out?

12  Where do you go to find yourself? Home. I lock the front door and spend time by myself.

13. What do you have mixed feelings about? So many things! Life seems to become less black-and-white with passing year.

14. What did you most recently add to your collection of something? I ordered another Miche shell. BTW, Kwizgiver is the one who turned me on to these handbags.

15. When did something most recently stir you to tears? The Ukraine. Please, please remember who has been sympathetic to Putin and never let him near the Oval Office again.

 

 PS ...

 

If you'd like to read more Kwizgiver, go here

 

 

 

A warm, but still chill, Saturday

Yesterday was a good day. I have been starting to venture out and see friends -- three weekends of socializing in a row -- but that was enough. Now I'm happy to stick close to home for awhile.

The mercury climbed to 65º and I wanted to get out in it. I headed off to the dollar store, walking more than a mile to and fro. I stocked up on stuff I use often that I pay more for elsewhere (especially the refills for the automatic air freshener spray near the litter box; $6.00+ at CVS and $1.25 at the dollar store). 

I also bought packages of generic lip balm that break down to 45¢ each. I picked those up for my "blessing bags." I've been carrying ziplock baggies in my purse that include a breakfast bar, tissue packet, cough drops, a $1 bill, and a mask. But as the mask mandate fades, I wanted a replacement item. Since masks are still required for public transportation, I'm going to continue including them for the time being, but I'm glad I have the lip balms on hand as we transition out of covid.

I swung by and picked up a double cheeseburger because, well, don't I have to undo fitness benefits I gained by walking? That's just how I roll.

All day, my oldest friend was popping into head. For example, while I was waiting for my burger, the restaurant was playing "Flashdance." It's hard to believe, but it's been nearly 40 years since she and I saw it at the movies. Just stuff like that. I know Snarkypants calls those "pings," and I took her advice and paid attention to them. I called my oldest friend.

We talked for (gulp) three hours! She sounded good and happy, which is a relief. She updated me on her life and on her daughter's life, and I'm so glad they're getting along. Until comparatively recently, she was much closer to her son and I worried her daughter was neglected. Yes, her daughter is now 24, but a girl always needs her mom and I think it's great that their relationship is improved.

I'm anticipating a rough workweek ahead, and I'm glad I've been gifted with this lazy weekend to recharge in preparation.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Good for You (2015)

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

1) In this song, Selena Gomez sings about how eager she is to look good for her lover. What color do you look best in? I have a sweater made from green and blue yarn. I always get compliments when I wear it. But is it the green or the blue that I look good in? I don't know.

 

2) She compares herself to a diamond, which is the birthstone of people born in April. Do you know your birthstone? Is it a gem you often wear? It's topaz. When I was a kid, well-meaning adults would give me yellow topaz costume jewelry and really, who wants a yellow stone? Not this gal! It wasn't until I was older I learned it came in a variety of colors, including blue. Now that we're talking about it, I think I may look for blue topaz next time I want to refresh my earring collection.

  

3) Selena Gomez is a successful singer who has appeared on the Billboard charts more than 30 times. She also has her own cooking show on HBO Max. In each episode, Selena invites a chef to help her master a new recipe. She says that, off camera, the dish she enjoys making most is spicy miso ramen soup. What's your favorite soup?  Ah, seafood! There's a bar around the corner that has the most divine lobster bisque, and the clam chowder is right up there on my hit parade, too.  

 

4) She was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the Hulu miniseries Only Murders in the Building. Have you streamed anything interesting lately that you would like to recommend to Sat 9ers? I really liked Only Murders in the Building and Hacks. We Need to Talk about Cosby was very good, too, but I don't know that I recommend it. Reconciling Bill Cosby's accomplishments and his ugly, ugly deeds is important, but it's not fun television.

 

5) Selena Gomez provides the voice for Mavis Dracula, daughter of the Count, in the animated Hotel Transylvania movie and its sequels. In these family movies, Dracula and his family run a luxury hotel where monsters can vacation and get away from it all. The tone is similar to The Munsters and The Addams Family, TV shows from nearly 60 years ago. Caspar the Friendly Ghost has been entertaining children for generations. When you were a child, were you fascinated by ghosts, goblins, monsters and other such creatures? Sure. Remember Barnabas and Dark Shadows? I raced home from school to discover what was up with my favorite undead friend.

6) Selena's busy schedule is especially impressive when you realize that she lives with lupus, a chronic condition that can affect the skin, joints and kidneys. She credits "diet, routine and medication" for helping her avoid flare-ups. Do you have any tips that might help us increase our productivity and efficiency? First of all, kudos to Selena Gomez for all she accomplishes. Onto the question, I believe in Newton's law that a body in motion stays in motion. I find that the toughest part of getting shit done is getting off my butt. So I set a timer. I promise myself I only need to spend 2 minutes on a task. That feels doable, doesn't it? Not daunting at all. I often find that once I'm doing, I keep doing.

7) In 2015, when this week's song was popular, Leonard Nimoy died. Without looking it up, do you know why he was famous? Poor Mr. Spock. He died from COPD. I recall him, toward the end of his life, wishing he'd never been a smoker.

8) Also in 2015, NASA announced that water had been found on Mars. Do you follow news about science and space? Nope. But this reminds me of an old boyfriend. He could prattle off the names of all the missions and their astronauts. As a little boy, he dreamed of walking on the moon, and as an adult he still devoured anything space-related.

9) Random question: What was the best year of your life? 1992. It's the only time I can recall ever achieving work-life balance. I was in love and my career was chugging along nicely.

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #248

 Thirteen Facts about Jimmie Nicol. Who? Well, let me use this 13-fact format to tell his story. 

1. Jimmie Nicol earned his place in music history by temporarily playing with the Beatles during the height of Beatlemania in 1964. Ringo came down with tonsillitis and was hospitalized, just as the Lads were about to tour Australia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. It would have cost the Beatles too much to cancel the tour, so they looked for a drummer to take Ringo's place for eight shows, until Ringo was strong enough to rejoin the group.

2. Beatles producer George Martin suggested Jimmie, a session drummer he'd recently used in the studio with other acts. Jimmie auditioned with John, Paul and George, performing six numbers as they rehearsed for the tour, and got the job. There's no record of anyone else being considered. Ringo admitted he felt bad that he'd been replaced so easily, recalling, "I thought they didn't love me anymore -- all that stuff went through my head."

3. The next 27 hours were a whirlwind for Jimmie. A pair of women -- a hairdresser and seamstress -- showed up at his house to fix his hair and tailor Beatle jackets for him. Then he was on a flight with the Beatles and their entourage and played his first concert with them in Copenhagen.   

You're right. That's not Ringo.

4. He also drummed for them in Holland, Hong Kong and Adelaide, Australia, before Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.

5. The Beatles changed their set when Jimmie was with them. Ringo's solo, "I Wanna Be Your Man," was eliminated. Jimmie never got the spotlight because The Beatles didn't want anyone to think Ringo was "out."

6. In Melbourne, Beatles manager Brian Epstein took Jimmie to the airport, giving him a check for £500 (about $6,000 in today's dollars) and a gold watch inscribed: To Jimmie with gratitude. Brian Epstein and The Beatles.

7. Jimmie then formed his own band, The Shubdubs. When one of the Beatles' rival bands, The Dave Clark 5, was unable to fulfill a commitment due to Dave Clark's illness, the promoter got publicity by hiring the "temporary Beatle" to fill in.

8. After that, though, gigs were few and far between. He spent his own money trying to promote the Shubdubs and at about this same time, his wife filed for divorce. Jimmie went bankrupt.

9. Paul McCartney put a good word in for Jimmie with his friends, the duo Peter and Gordon, who took Jimmie with them on the road. When that tour was over, he was again unemployed.

10. He moved to Sweden and joined a band called The Spotnicks. He toured the world with them until 1967, when after an engagement in Mexico he chose to stay behind. He studied the samba and bossa nova and played small clubs.

11. In Mexico, Jimmie remarried and had a son. He also, unfortunately, seems to have gotten involved with drugs and became quite paranoid. His ex-wife said he complained that Brian Epstein had him blackballed and then he destroyed the gold watch he'd been given. (Considering what Beatle memorabilia goes for at auction, that was an expensive tantrum.)

12. In the 1980s, he returned to England. He left music behind and worked as a contractor, renovating homes. He also appeared at a Beatles fan convention in Amsterdam in 1984.

13. It's rumored he has retired to Mexico, though neither his second ex-wife or son is in contact with him. There have also been reported sightings of the 82-year-old Jimmie in London.

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

 

Outrage!

 

Last night, during the official GOP rebuttal to the President's State of the Union address, the Iowa governor repeatedly used the phrase, "Parents Matter."

As a childless woman, I am desperately offended. Don't ALL LIVES MATTER?

Wait! That would be an intentionally obtuse response, a facile way of dismissing Gov. Reynold's point.

Never mind.