WWW.WEDNESDAY

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

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

1. What are you currently reading? Hollywood: The Oral History compiled by Jeanine Bassinger and Sam Wasson. 700+ pages of reminiscences from actors, directors, screenwriters, producers ... the story of Hollywood told by the people who created it. I just cracked it open and I'm already behind in my reading. I joined an online book club and we're discussing it ... soon. (I noted the date somewhere. If only I could remember where. Maybe I won't be discussing it. I mean, if I can't find the date and the link ...)

2. What did you recently finish reading? Murder in the Ball Park: A Nero Wolfe Mystery by Robert Goldsborough. New York, ca 1950, is in turmoil. A politician is murdered at the Polo Grounds, during the 4th inning of the Dodgers vs. the Giants. It's  shocking event that presents the NYPD with an almost insurmountable problem: a high-profile murder with tens of thousands of eye witnesses and a ton of suspects.

Cases that confound the police are the specialty of Nero Wolfe. I love being in Wolfe's world: his gourmet meals, exotic plants, idiosyncratic schedule, colorful employees. My favorite is Archie Goodwin, his "legman," out there in the city, cracking wise and collecting clues.

This is a fine effort. Not one of the best of the series -- I seemed to figure out the plot twist before Wolfe or even Archie, and that's just wrong -- but still a fine time.

 

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

 

Fields of Europe®

That's what 1800Flowers calls this bouquet. Did you know that fiber ribbon is called "raffia?" I didn't, but I do now. Anyway, this glass vase of flowers is on its way to my friend John's hospital room.

He's now "stable and improving." So much so that he's been moved from the ICU and into his own room. He has multiple health issues -- I know about congestive heart failure and diabetes, and I suspect clinical depression -- and they are going to run more tests to prioritize them and develop a treatment plan.

I heard all of these from Gregory ... who heard it from Jerry, John's brother. Jerry lives in Boston, but he's an RN so he understands better than us what he's hearing and what follow up questions to ask. 

We have been asked not to call the hospital ourselves so the nurses can concentrate on patient care. John also requested "no visitors." This amused me. Like I would go downtown to visit your grumpy old ass? (I almost wrote that on the card.)

But clearly he's going to recover from this. That is my takeaway. That is everything.

 

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play:

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

I haven't played this in more than a decade and there's no longer anywhere to link it to, but it seems like it would be fun to revisit so here we are.

I am plowing through Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson. I am enjoying it, but it's daunting. 768 pages! 

From Chapter 1, here's Charlton Heston spinning a tale about filmmakers traveling east and ending up in Hollywood:

(Director Cecil B.) DeMille always told the story that he and his group headed west to find yearlong sunshine, heading for Arizona to make a Western. When their train got to Flagstaff, it was pissing down rain ... DeMille got off the train, looked around, and said, "This isn't the weather they promised us. Let's get back on the train and keep going." So, according to DeMille, if it hadn't been raining in Flagstaff, "Hollywood" would now be "Flagstaff."

Three Nice Things -- Day 31

 

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 31:

1) My faith is natural and strong. God loves me. I know this. I have always known this. Trying to live in a way that pleases Him motivates me. Last night, when I was exhausted but unable to doze off, I felt Him. He was telling me to go to sleep, don't set the alarm, virtual church is OK this Easter. Suddenly I was able to sleep. I like the peace I get from my faith.

2) My sense of humor doesn't fail me. I fed the cats before Zoom church, so I could concentrate on the day and its special significance. I opened a new can of pumpkin puree for Connie (it helps keep her regular) and it had a magic effect on her. She had to have more. Not during the hymns. Not during the sermon. No, she waited until I was supposed to be in prayerful meditation. Every. Time. She would literally put her face in mine. She would knock stuff over. So much for my prayerful meditation. Instead of contemplating the meaning of the day, I was mixing pumpkin with her Gerber baby food. Then, as soon as the service was over, she curled up into a tight little ball and fell sound asleep. Of course she did. I thought it was funny, and I bet God did, too.

3) I love baseball. My Cubs beat the World Champion Rangers, Anthony Rizzo's Yankees swept the Astros. I like that my passions rescue me from darkness. I realize not everyone has that relief.

 

Three Nice Things -- Day 30

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 30:

1) I take my fences clean, like a good hunter. That's one of my favorite lines from the book Gone with the Wind. It's how Grandma Fontaine compliments Scarlett for the pragmatic way she looks at life: "You take your fences clean, like a good hunter." That's me at my best. I handle the shit that comes my way. I think about my friend John (post below) and his approach to his health -- he ignores problems until they become unmanageable and impossible to ignore any longer. I like that I'm not like that. I felt that twinge in my heel and I'm getting it taken care of. I'm getting my teeth fixed. I recognize that, when you live alone, you can't afford to wait for someone to take care of you. I take my fences clean, like a good hunter.

2) I was kind. I remembered to tell Gregory I'm sorry he had to see our friend John at his worst (see post below) and that I appreciated how lovingly and responsibly he responded. It seemed to help Gregory as he was suffering. I like that about myself.

That's all I've got for today.

 

Heartbroken all the same

Gregory never calls. He emails and texts, but he never calls. So as soon as I saw his name on my phone, I swallowed hard.

John spent the night in Intensive Care. He remains there today. As I post this, I don't yet know what's wrong with him.

John has been incommunicado for months. He decided in January that he'd been drinking and smoking too much weed -- Duh! I've been telling him that for 15 years! -- and was going to take time to himself to "re-evaluate." While that sounds positive, it hasn't been.

First he quit his four hours/week job at his favorite bar. He opened the bar on Friday mornings and was on hand to sign for deliveries and do other administrative tasks, freeing up the bartender and staff to wait on customers.The $50/week has been nice, but so was the free food, discounted booze and enforced socializing. The bar gave John a place to go, a sense of belonging. I was surprised he gave it up.

Then he stopped seeing us. All of us. He had his reasons: no "walking around" money coming in, trying to stay sober, fear of public transportation ... all part of his "re-evaluation" process. Then he stopped communicating with us. All of us. He'd sporadically respond to emails. He never returned phone calls or texts.

It's been more than three months. Gregory is the one who lives nearest and, on Friday afternoon, took matters into his own hands and dropped in. What he saw disturbed him greatly.

John's color was "off." He's lost weight. He was confused. Gregory called 911. John was admitted.

Northwestern is a world-class hospital. We are so lucky here in Chicago that good health care is so available. I am comforted knowing he is where he needs to be. I am comforted knowing that John asked Gregory to call me because he knows I love him. I am comforted that tomorrow is Easter, the day when we celebrate rebirth.

But I am heartbroken all the same. John has been part of my life since 1981. I know him well and, looking back, he hasn't been himself for a long time. Around Memorial Day he was short tempered, which is not like him. Then at Thanksgiving he was distracted. 

He's diabetic. He suffers from heart failure. He's depressed. There are a lot of meds coursing through his system and he doesn't take care of himself. I'm hopeful that the doctors will get him on a new and different regimen and now that he's not drinking anymore, the drugs will work as they're designed to.

But I am heartbroken all the same.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Two Easter Sunday Sweethearts (1954)

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

1) This song is about a couple dressed in their "Sunday Best." Will you be getting dressed up this weekend? Define "dressed up." I'll wear a nice blouse to church tomorrow. But no Easter bonnet with frills upon it.

2) The happy couple is walking up the street arm-in-arm. Have you recently seen a couple holding hands or walking arm-in-arm in public? Were you one of that romantic duo? I saw a couple walking hand-in-hand just after sunset. Internally I went, "Aw ...."

3) This week's featured artist, Vera Lynn, was a beloved English singer who is affectionately remembered for her tireless work entertaining the troops during WWII. She famously sang "There'll Always Be an England" during outdoor concerts in Egypt, India, and Burma, even as battles raged nearby. What is your favorite patriotic song? It changes. This morning it's "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Especially the lyric: "In the beauty of the lillies Christ was born across the sea with a glory in his bosom that transfigured you and me. As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free while God is marching on." (<<< I'll never understand that fetish some have for the Confederacy.)

 
4) Though she became a celebrity at 19, Vera continued to live with her parents until she married at age 21. How old were you when you left home for good? 19.

 

Now, here are some questions in honor of this weekend's holiday ...

5) More than 1.5 million Cadbury Creme Eggs are produced every day. Do you enjoy Cadbury Eggs all year around, only at Easter, or not at all? I'm not a big fan. Though if we have them in the breakroom with the rest of the unsold Easter candy at work, I will partake. Because free chocolate is free chocolate.

 

6) Pretzels are considered a delicious Easter snack in Germany. Do you more often crave salty treats or sweet ones? Sweet.

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween? I don't know. I'm more of a bakery gal than a candy gal.

8) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated? I'm always happier after a shower.

9)  This year, April Fool's Day happens to follow Easter Sunday. Do you expect to fall victim to any pranks? Nope. I'm a little old for such nonsense.

 

Three Nice Things about Myself -- Day 29

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 29:

1) I am my mother's daughter. While running errands Friday, I was first greeted by name at the bank and then at Walgreen's I was teased good naturedly about my perpetual use of coupons ("Save $3 on 8 Gerber Baby Food;" my Connie Cat gets her meds melted in the Gerber Turkey every morning). While having dinner with Kathleen Wednesday, Sophie from my yoga class recognized me and waved at me through the window. Looking back on this I felt very deja mommy, because everyone knew her in that small town. While this isn't a small town, it is a community and I like that I'm a part of it.

2) I bargain shopped. I need good shoes with cushion at the heel. I asked my chiropractor what she recommended and she said, without hesitation, "Nike." So I went to DSW and got two pair (one black, one white) of Revolution 7's on sale. I think they will serve me well both at the card shop and racing up and down Hollywood Blvd. next month at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Plus, since my plantar fasciitis flare up happened to coincide with DSW's sale, I saved about $20. I like myself for hauling ass to the store, trying on shoes and saving money instead of taking the easy way and clicking at Amazon.

3) I used social media wisely. Yes, Twitter can be a hellscape. If you're into paranoid conspiracy theories and hate, you'll be at home here. (Lately it's been that the Baltimore bridge collapsed because Maryland's governor and Baltimore's mayor are black and Secretary Pete Buttigeg is gay and, therefore, incompetent.) But it does always have almost instant links to the baseball video. I skipped the ugly MAGA bullshit and stuck to the Yankees. My favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo, executed a head's up tag and seeing him do something that smart made my day. I like myself for mastering the tool at hand without being dragged down into the Trumpy mire. That is a form of self care.

Three Nice Things about Myself -- Day 28

 

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 28:

1) I am good at laundry. Now this is distinct from enjoying laundry. I don't. I am a very lazy person who would prefer to not do chores at all. That said, my magical ability to make stains disappear does please me. Somehow, while shopping at Whole Foods, I got a cherry pie stain on the faux shearling collar of my coat. (I'm not exactly sure how this happened.) As soon as I got home, I treated it with OxiClean and the stain disappeared even before I could launder the coat. Yay, me!

2) I'm passionate about my passions. A friend once told me he wished he cared about anything as much I care about everything. Thursday I felt what he meant. It was not only Opening Day but the full schedule for the TCM Classic Film Festival was released! I was giddy with geeky glee. I like that about myself.

3) I thanked the woman at the front desk. I've had a crown lengthening before, so I declined a consult before next week's procedure. I know what to expect. I also know I'll need pain killers for days afterward, and I thought I'd make life easier by getting those prescriptions filled in advance. When I picked the scripts up, Edith, the practice coordinator, reminded me to eat breakfast on the day of the procedure and pop one of the painkillers before I come in. I thanked her "for taking such good care of me." That made her smile. I like that I personalized my thank you and added to it a bit.

Baseball Is Back!

I'm watching my beloved Cubs in Houston as I post this (we're up 2-1 in the sixth). My baseball day started in the afternoon when the Yankees played the Rangers. Behold New York's first base runner of the 2024 season.

I have been so worried and heartbroken about Anthony Rizzo and last season's concussion. It's a joy to see him looking healthy. 

Uh-oh. One of the heinous Rangers just hit a homer. Must devote all my energy to my heroes in Cubbie Blue.

 

Thursday Thirteen #354

13 items to donate to a food pantry. This is a tricky time of year for food pantries. Thanksgiving and Christmas put people in a charitable mood and donations come in. Easter? Not so much. But food insecurity is a 365 issue for many of our neighbors, and if you're inclined to help, now would be a good time to do so.

To find a food pantry near you, click here. 

While cash is always welcome, here are thirteen non-perishable foods they'll likely need:

1. Canned vegetables -- especially corn and carrots

2. Canned fruits

3. Canned soups -- especially cream of chicken and cream of mushroom because they can be used for casseroles

4. Canned pinto, kidney and black beans for chili

5. Canned tuna, chicken, ham or SPAM

6. Rice

7. Pasta

8. Tomato paste -- but maybe not pasta sauce, since some pantries don't accept glass containers

9. Breakfast cereals, including oatmeal

10. Peanut butter

11. Salt and pepper

12. Evaporated milk

13. Juice boxes -- many of those who visit food banks are parents and/or people with jobs trying to make ends meet, and juice boxes go well in sack lunches

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

 

Three Nice Things about Me -- Day 27

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 27:

1) I treated myself. At the end of each weekend, I put any leftover cash in a beer stein on my counter. Tonight, when I had dinner with Kathleen, I ordered a chocolate martini and we split a dessert, and I was able to pay with cash from stein. I like myself for working on that age-old retirement dilemma: how to enjoy today without jeopardizing tomorrow.

2) I changed up my makeup. I switched from foundation to BB cream nearly a decade ago. I haven't made any significant changes to my regime in years. I've seen ads for Jones Road and decided to give Miracle Balm a try. The look is subtle but a little brighter. Anyway, I like that I can see myself with new eyes and freshen my look.

3) I feel the love flow. Roy Hobbs was pressed up against me when I began this post. Connie Cat took his place and settled in for a tummy rub as I completed it. I like that, when I touch my cats, I appreciate the affection moving back and forth between us.

Three Nice Things about Myself -- Day 26

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 26:

1) I used my words. Marilyn Lands won her election for an AL State House seat today. I helped her cause by writing GOTV postcards. I celebrated by writing a few more for FL vote-by-mail access. I like that I do more than shake my fist. I am fighting for democracy and Democrats.

2) I took care of me. Started the day with yoga. Had a session with my shrink. Went for laser therapy on my heel. I've been upset about some of my relationships: Henry, John, my oldest friend ... I like that I concentrated on myself physically and emotionally, which helps me keep perspective.

3) I used the remote wisely. Some things really get under my skin and depress me. Monday I watched part one of a documentary about abuse that went on at Nickelodeon. I didn't expect it to affect me the way it did. There are more episodes in the series, but I won't be back. I'm sure it's an important story that needs to be told, but I'm not in a place to see it. I like that I'm learning to protect myself.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

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

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

1. What are you currently reading? Murder in the Ball Park: A Nero Wolfe Mystery by Robert Goldsborough. I love baseball. I love Nero Wolfe's assistant, Archie Goodwin. So naturally, I am loving this book.

Though I am disappointed to report that, thus far, there is little baseball. Archie and his buddy, Saul Panzer, take an afternoon off to take in a ballgame. The story is set around 1950, when New York was home to three (3!) major league teams. Our heroes are settling in their seats to see the Giants play the Dodgers when a shot rings out. A local politician is assassinated, right there in the park!

It takes Nero Wolfe -- lazy genius that he is -- a while to decide to take the case. But once he does, the action picks up. Goldsborough does right by the characters created by Rex Stout, and I'm happy to spend time with them. 

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony. JBKO was one of the most famous women of the 20th century and there's an almost limitless supply of books available about her. But this one is different. It focuses on a very specific period of her life -- 1949 to 1954, ages 20 to 24. This was a transformational time for her. She went from college student to working girl to bride, from her parents' home to her own apartment to a household with her husband, from private citizen to public figure.

She toured Europe in 1949, taking pictures along the way and even getting herself detained for hours by the Russians in Vienna. Honest to shit! The Soviets didn't believe her "story" -- that she was a well-heeled American girl on holiday -- because no US debutante would be that bold and have that expensive/complicated a camera. Yet that's how serious 20-year-old Jackie Bouvier was about experiencing and chronicling the world around her. It's amusing to realize that in little more than a decade, in 1961, she would be invited to Vienna and celebrated by international diplomats as America's glamorous First Lady.

 

Jackie Bouvier thought she wanted to work in fashion but realized early that she was more interested in people than in what they wore. So instead of an internship at Vogue in New York she took a job as "The Inquiring Camera Girl" at the Washington Herald. She loved that job and took it seriously, writing more than 600 columns before she quit when she married what's-his-name.

 

Before JFK she was engaged to a stockbroker named John Husted. It wasn't so much Husted as his lifestyle that she broke up with. While she wanted a home and children, she also wanted a husband she could help and partner with. She and Kennedy fell in love as much over her help with his speeches and her translation of French texts about Indochina as they did dinner and dancing. (And yes, the formidable Kennedy clan and its money helped her escape once and for all the warfare between her divorced parents, who treated her like a football.)

As I read this book, I thought of Caroline Kennedy. What a gift this volume is to her and her children! When I think of my own mom, a woman about a decade younger than Jackie, she always glossed over the short period between when school ended and her married life began. I wish I had a glimpse like this of how she made her choices during that time.

Researched, footnoted, nuanced and sensitive, I don't think I will read another book in 2024 that I will enjoy as much as I did this one.

 

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

 

Three Nice Things about Myself -- Day 25

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 25:

1) I got my geek on. I attended a free online forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library called, "The East Wing: Expanding First Ladies' Impact." I learned little new about JBKO herself, but the historians spoke highly of this biography of Pat Nixon, a woman I'm curious about. I like that I take the opportunity to indulge and learn more when I can.

2) I paid cash for my pedi. I stayed home last weekend and saved enough to pay cash at the salon. I wasn't going to charge it -- I have a credit card that I use to earn miles but I pay it off every month -- but still, it felt good to peel off $5's and $10's. I like myself for paying attention to money but not depriving myself.

3) I didn't want to, but I did it. I discovered that Rachel, my usual yoga instructor, is off this week and someone named Clare is teaching her classes. I am not very good at all  but I'm comfortable with Rachel! I have no reason to believe that Clare won't be an effective teacher and I liked myself for clicking "confirm," even though "cancel" was tempting.

Three Nice Things about Myself -- Day 24

My blogging buddy, Kwizgiver, wrote a post that really resonated with me. She detailed how self-care helped her helped her prevail during a (ridiculously) tough month. Her tips were very wise and so doable! So she has inspired me to take one and integrate it into my own life.

Since I can be a pretty harsh self-critic, this is the one I chose. I hope I can do this every day during March. By then it should be a habit, right?

Three nice things about myself -- March 24:

1) I learn and appreciate. I watched this week's movie group film today: Psycho. I've seen it literally countless times, but this is the first time I've watched it since learning how Hitchcock was influenced by Chaplin's silent films. Seeing it through that prism I noticed so much of the subliminal, silent, visual storytelling he does. Yes, the dialog is iconic ("A boy's best friend is his mother") and the famous shower scene wouldn't have been as intense without the music. But the set designs, and the way the camera lingers on the details ... I like myself for learning something over there and applying it over here.

2) I did some more research. Yesterday I mentioned I'd made an appointment with a podiatrist to get my heel twinge checked out. Today I think I'm going to cancel it and visit my chiropractor instead. I'm having oral surgery soon which will mean anesthesia and pain killers. I don't want to introduce more medications to my life right now, so I think I'll give my chiropractor a crack at it first. I like that I'm proactively looking out for myself.

3) I enjoyed the affirmation. I changed my Facebook profile pic. It got likes and a ♥ almost instantly. I liked that I allowed myself a moment to notice and smile.

Sunday Stealing

 FROM SWAT BOT

1. If you could witness any event from history, what would it be? Lincoln leaving Springfield for the last time in 1861. I've visited this depot. He was a great man and I'm enormously proud of and inspired by him. Mr. Lincoln represents the best of us.

2. What do you think about conspiracy theories? If Watergate taught us anything, it's that people can't keep secrets and the truth will out. So I suppose people who cling to conspiracy theories feel vulnerable, weak and disenfranchised and need something to help bolster their fragile belief system. I feel sorry for them.

3. Do you like cartoons? Do you have/had a favorite one? I loved Mr. Peapody and his boy Sherman.

4. What did you most dislike in school times? I was really very happy in grade school and junior high. I got to high school and my parents' marriage went south, the country was dealing with Watergate and the end of Vietnam, ongoing racism and emerging feminism and DISCO! The 70s weren't a good time for me or this nation. (It was a great time for movies, though.)

5. What sounds are in your opinion relaxing? The sound of the sea? Traffic? Vacuum cleaner? Combine harvester on the field? Some kind of music? Birds singing? ... A cat's purr.

6. What was the last thing you read? Camera Girl. A fascinating and completely charming book about young Jackie Bouvier before she married what's his name.

7. What is one thing that has stumped you so hard you won't ever forget it? Why does God imbue really crappy people with immense talent? Example: Truman Capote had little education yet wrote like angel and created masterpieces. He was also genuinely reprehensible.

8. What are you interested in that most people aren’t? Oh, good goobies, I'm such a nerd. Lately I've become fascinated by the nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and the influence it had on fashion and pop culture throughout the 60s. (See? You don't care.)

9. What’s something you really resent paying for? Toilet paper. Light bulbs. AA batteries. Utilitarian essentials that are no fun to shop for.

10. If you could choose a different time period and place to be born, when and where would it be? My stock answer to this is the 19th century but  I'd stay here in Illinois (no slavery). But summers are really hot here without air conditioning and I'm sure I'd hate wearing all those clothes.

11. What's one question you would ask Superman? What color are my underpants?

12. What's your favorite smell? What's your least favorite smell? Cinnamon = Yum. Coffee = Yuk.

13. How do you feel about cars becoming fully autonomous and having no steering wheel, breaks, or accelerators? I don't think about this much at all. Sorry.

14. What are your favorite books and authors? I loved William Goldman. His novels and his movies.

15. Have you had a reading or palm reading done? Yes. I remember little about it. My kid sister had a palm reading done when she was in her teens and it upset her and my mother tremendously. That I recall. My mom kept saying, "It was supposed to be for fun and she's CRYING!"