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!)

Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller. A biography of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. One thing I envy about her was her ability to raise just her right eyebrow. I can't do that. If I had that talent, I hope I could use it as expressively as she did.

... Once, while she was about to dig into a slice of pizza, Carolyn heard a colleague berating Narcisco Rodriguez, a new young designer for the woman's collection from behind one of the screens during a fitting. Carolyn stepped into the area of the scuffle. She looked at the pizza in her hand. She looked at the face of Narcisco's adversary. She looked back at the pizza. Then raising that eyebrow, looked back at the adversary. Did this person want to stop berating her dear friend or did she want this piece of piping hot, dripping cheese pizza on her face? The colleague fled the scene and thereafter treated Narcisco with due respect.

 

August Happiness Challenge: Day 12

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: A Nap

 

The morning began with me doing two loads of wash. Then I went to the chiropractor and made a Target run (or limp, since my left knee is still a problem). I then had two hours until my movie group zoom call. What to do?

 

I napped. 

 

It was refreshing and it made me happy that, being mostly retired, I have the freedom to do it.  

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 11

Today's happiness: "Beach Baby"

Today was not going as I wanted it to. I had wanted to play outside -- it's one of those rare August summer days that isn't too hot and the leaves are all so lush and green! -- but let's say my gut had other plans. I was sad about the unfairness of it all, and then this song from 1974 came on the radio. I love the sound of it, and it made me miss juke boxes. (They're not only mentioned in the lyrics, I played it on the juke box back on the day.)

I am lucky that something so simple can lift my spirits so much.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Sunday Stealing

STOLEN FROM SWATBOT

1. I am looking forward to ... Going to the chiropractor Monday. This leg pain is getting better by day but it is still bad at night.

2. Least favorite words. My least favorite word begins with a "c." Let's leave it at that.

3. If I ruled the world people would be more polite in public. It sounds like a little thing when you consider all that's wrong with the world. But a stranger's rudeness and grumpiness can stick to me all day, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. I think the world would be happier if we all paid closer attention to how we board elevators, pass one another in store aisles, etc.

4. Favorite websites and blogs. I am loving the ladies who have joined me in the August Happiness Challenge: Deb J. in Utah, Kwizgiver and Country Dew.

5. Things I do for myself. Everything! I live alone so I don't share chores with anyone.

6. Weekly rituals. I do laundry on Tuesday.

7. DIYs I want to try. None. I am the laziest and least handy woman you'll ever meet.

8. On my shopping list. It seems I'm always in need of Bounty paper towels and Coke.

9. Places to see in your town. If you come to Chicago, you must visit The Friendly Confines.

10. Road trip must-haves. Twizzlers or Life Savers or a cup of applesauce and a spoon ... stuff that will quench my thirst but won't make me pee.

11. Guilty pleasures. Lately I have been watching reruns of the 1960s soap Peyton Place, and I have been enjoying them thoroughly.

12. Things I'd rather be doing right now. Napping.

13. Books I'd like to read this year. 12 Months to Live by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. I've heard that it's a fun read, and I'm on the library waiting list.

14. Lessons learned. Drinking water is good for you. Really. Your kidneys and your complexion will thank you if you drink more water.

15. Vacations to take. My TV boyfriend, TCM's Eddie Muller, hosts film noir film festivals in cities all over the country. In addition to Chicago, there's San Francisco, Detroit, Washington DC and Philly. I think it would be a blast to travel by Amtrak to all those cities and watch movies all day and night. (Margaret from my movie group does just that, and I'm so jealous.)

Extra question:   Olympic events I like to watch or follow. I don't pay any attention to the Olympics, but I am aware of this: Mallory Swanson scored the winning goal to win the Gold for the US in soccer. Her hubs is our own Dansby Swanson, the Cubs' Gold Glove shortstop.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 10

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: Hurkle-Durkle

 

A Scottish phrase, it means "to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about." I learned it from Kwizgiver. I didn't shower until after noon and only went out to pick up my late lunch. I accomplished little and regret even less.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Saturday 9

 
Saturday 9: Annie's Song (1974)

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

1) 50 years ago this month, we were all listening to John Denver rhapsodize about nature. He singles out walking in the rain as a particularly lovely experience. Do you enjoy walking in the rain? Not especially.

2) Denver wrote this song on a ski lift in Aspen. He clearly relished the ride, but ski lifts are problematic for those who suffer from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Acrophobia plagues approximately 5% of Americans. Are you one of them? Nope.

3) John Denver recalled that this song just came to him as he looked down on the beauty of nature. Can you recall a time when something you saw in nature touched your heart? I fell in love with Hot Springs, AR. The water comes out of the ground at about 140º so there's always steam rising from it. Everything around the springs seems lush and green. The water is rich in minerals and it's a delight to visit one of the spas and bathe in it. I'd like to return some day.

 

4) Wildly successful here in The States, John Denver's popularity didn't extend to the United Kingdom. In fact, "Annie's Song" was his only major hit. But it was a big one. Denver's version reached #1 in 1974 and then in 1978 James Galway hit #1 on the UK charts with an instrumental version. Do you have a favorite instrumental recording? I love "Seasons of Love," the theme from Peyton Place. I'm sure it contributes to my enduring affection for the 1960s TV show and the film from the 1950s.

5) John Denver's first-ever guitar, a gift from his grandmother, was displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Have you visited a museum yet this summer? If not, do you have plans to? My friend Elaine and I are talking about visiting the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at The Art Institute. It closes in mid-September, so we better just do it already.

6) In addition to the guitar, Denver also played the violin (or "the fiddle," as he called it). If a genie appeared to magically enable you to play the instrument of your choice, which would you choose? Piano. There's a scene in A Hard Day's Night where Paul McCartney sits down at a hotel piano and just starts playing. I always thought it would be so cool to be able to do that.

Let's look at the summer of 1974.

7) Elizabeth Berkeley was born. She's best known as Jesse on the Saturday morning teen sitcom, Saved by the Bell. What Saturday morning TV shows do you remember fondly? "He's the boss, he's a pip, he's the championship, he's the most tip top TOP CAT!" 

 

8) Hall of Fame pitcher and Cardinal great Dizzy Dean died. How is your baseball team doing this summer? Oh hell, I don't know. The Cubs aren't even playing .500 ball, and yet because our entire division kinda sucks, we aren't out of contention for the playoffs. Post-season baseball would be nice, but I'm not counting on it.

9) The biggest summer movie was The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds. What's your favorite Burt Reynolds movie? Smokey and the Bandit.

I went for John

My friend John died last April. He was 68. I am still heartbroken because I was nowhere near ready to say goodbye. 

Today I went to the chiropractor's office for a therapeutic massage. Monday I'll be back for an adjustment. Because of my spinal stenosis, my gait is "off" and it's causing strain on the muscles that run from the back of my left knee down to my ankle. It hurts like mad when I get up after sitting and stairs are difficult. But my chiropractor is going to make me better. I insist on it.

Which brings me back to John. He had so much wrong over the last five years or so. He had congestive heart failure and diabetes. He needed a cane to walk, he was short of breath, and suffered from anxiety. Yet he didn't even have a primary care physician. He behaved as though if a doctor didn't specifically tell him something was wrong, it wasn't wrong. 

Because I'm hurting, I'm struggling to understand why it happened. Why he had to leave me. The best I can come up with is that the way he lived and died should be a lesson to those of us who loved him.

I'm not going to let my world get smaller and smaller, as John's had. I'm not going to just accept that discomfort is part of growing older. I have Medicare and supplemental insurance and I'm using them to full advantage. 

John and I enjoyed so much together over our 43 years of friendship. Now I have to figure out how to go on without him. If I can help it, it won't be with a cane.

Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 9

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: "I really liked the berry!"

I always have "blessing bags" in my purse. Each zip-lock bag* includes $1, a lip balm, a tissue packet, a couple tiny hand sanitizer pouches, and a breakfast bar. Except for the buck, each of these items comes from the dollar store, so it's not a great investment on my part.

 

The folks I give the bags to often don't speak English, and others seem to have emotional problems, so we don't have much conversation beyond my "good luck" and their "thank you." Which is fine. I don't do it for praise. I'm inspired by that Bible quote: "As you did to the least of my brothers, you did to me." 

But that doesn't mean acknowledgement doesn't make me happy. Like today. I gave one of my regulars his bag as I went into Target. On the way out, he thanked me again and added, "I really liked the berry!" He'd noticed that I'd switched breakfast bar flavors and he'd snarfed his down already. 

One of my neighbors ate something nutritious today because of me and what's more, he enjoyed it. Something so small on my part made a difference to someone. I'm both humbled and very happy.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

 *When you spend most of your life outdoors, the zip-lock bag is important in and of itself because you can use it to keep your belongings organized and dry.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 8

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: It's Done!

I feel like I have been worried about my kitchen sink forever. First it was little winged bugs that would fly up through the drain in cold weather. I combated them with lots of hot water and a drain cleaner especially for the purpose, but it was a temporary fix because the bugs were coming in from somewhere.

Then it was the leaky pipes under my sink. I taped it up myself (and did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself) and put a bucket down there. but I knew it wasn't a forever fix, either.

Who would replace those pipes? I have a handyman I trust, but not a plumber. Would it be expensive and time-consuming? Would this plumber I don't even know have to turn off the water for the whole building? Will there be famine and pestilence? Really, I was spinning out of control.

 

I'm such an odd duck. In my previous professional life, I could make consequential decisions on the spot, at the head of the table, with all eyes on me. I was confident and didn't hesitate. But this homeowner shit! It perplexes and vexes me! 

The plumber was here for just 90 minutes. The bill came in at the midpoint of the estimate. Now I have a kitchen sink with no cracks for bugs and no leaks, and a plumber I can trust if something else goes wrong.

 

I am happy that it's done. I am happy that it ended well. I am happy I can relax.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

 

Thursday Thirteen #371

It was 40 years ago edition. My boss at the card shop is in her 30s and thinks the 80s -- when her parents were young -- was just the coolest decade. She loves the techno pop and the big hair. While she's never seen Dallas or Dynasty, she's aware of them and their impact on fashion.

This got me looking back to the top shows of 1984. We certainly were suds-obsessed that year! Four of the most popular shows were nighttime soaps.

Nielson's Top 13 of the 1984 season:

1. Dynasty

2. Dallas

3. The Cosby Show

4. 60 Minutes (still a Sunday night fixture)

5. Family Ties (when America first met Michael J. Fox)

6. The A Team (Mr. T.)

7. Simon and Simon (A spin-off of Magnum PI, which came in at 15)

8. Murder, She Wrote

9. Knot's Landing

10. Falcon Crest

11. Crazy Like a Fox

12. Hotel

13. Cheers (where everybody knows your name)

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

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 7

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: Company as I Did Housework

Today I had the windows opens and was able to cool my home with box fans instead of air conditioning. I vacuumed and Swiffered and had the Cubs on as I worked. My guys won 8-2. I was so happy that I actually sang the victory song.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 6

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: Cat Video Fest 24

 

My friend Elaine and I leaned into the Childless Cat Lady thing and went to Cat Video Fest 2024 at The Music Box Theater. This compilation was a delight, and our admission helped raise funds for a local animal shelter.

Afterward we went to Crosby's Kitchen for dinner. As if spending time with a good friend, supporting cats in need and enjoying a good meal weren't enough happiness for one day, there's this: I was able to pay for all of it out of the beer stein on my kitchen counter. Here's the deal -- at the end of the week, I put any cash I haven't spent into that stein. Using that money keeps me from putting socializing/entertaining on my credit card.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

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? One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt. The book I recently finished, while good, was a downer. And so I need a dose of distraction. Who better to deliver it than my fantasy boyfriend, Andy Carpenter, in this, the 9th book of the series?

Why do I love Andy so much? Because he loves baseball and classic rock, has a smart mouth, is a lawyer who only works when he wants to, and loves animals. Especially his dog, Tara. In this volume, we get some of Tara's backstory. Up until now, all we've known about her is that she is brilliant and beautiful, and that she was already an adult dog in full bloom of fabulousness when she entered Andy's life. Noah Galloway is a man in trouble who is not only in need of a lawyer, he was Tara's owner before Andy.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is almost always just a footnote in Kennedy lore. Often a mystery, sometimes a villain. Here she gets her own biography.

So much of the book explores how hard the press was on her in real time, how vastly her friends' recollections differ from her icy public persona. That's undoubtedly true. Narratives were spun every time she left or re-entered the Tribeca loft she shared with America's Prince, and the truth didn't really matter. She was a commodity to be sold, and her feelings didn't matter. She became angry -- very angry -- by how she was treated and depressed by the public's misconception of her. As presented by Beller, her responses were completely understandable. They were not Jackie's responses -- Jackie knew how to rise above the adulation/attention/slander -- but Jackie was sui generis. Carolyn was a separate person. I'm surprised to say I think I would have liked her. I feel bad right now for Meghan Markle.

I also came away with mad respect for the Bessette girls. Daughters of divorce who grew up middle class, nothing (except maybe beauty) was given to them. Let's look at their careers.

•  Lauren Bessette (who died with Carolyn and John) was an economics grad. Fluent in Madarin (!) she spent four years at Morgan Stanley's Hong Kong office before returning to New York, where she became a Vice President at their flagship office on Broadway

•  Lisa Bessette (Lauren's twin and the surviving sister) is now nearly 60 years old. She holds a PhD, lectures on art history at the University of Michigan and consults at the University's art museum.

•  Carolyn graduated from Boston University and worked her way up through the ranks at Calvin Klein. She went from retail sales to personal shopper to director of fashion show production to publicist. Her salary was $100,000/year when she resigned in 1996. That would be over $200,000/year in today's dollars. Not Kennedy-level wealth, but it certainly made her a well paid woman in a glamorous, competitive profession. It made me sad that she had to give up her job at CK because advertisers at John's George magazine thought it was somehow a conflict for ad space.

3. What will you read next? Don't know.

 

 

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!)

Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller. 25 years after Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy died in a plane crash, her life is being re-examined. This 350-page tome is the highest profile of the books and articles. I wondered why. I think for most of the public, it's promise unfilled. If she'd lived, she'd be 59 now. Perhaps we're all wondering what she would have done with her life. Author Bell offers this explanation.

There is an interesting disconnect between the pictures, which though archival, seemed fresh and of the time I was living, and the articles, which seemed somehow from another era, which they were. The end of the century, the millennium, the last days of the fax machine, the world before 9/11 and, crucially, the full force of the internet. But there was something else that seemed odd: a compulsion to be dismissive of and even disparaging toward Carolyn that appeared to be the flip side to the obsessive attention she attracted.

I so get this. The same could be said about her mother-in-law. In real-time articles abut JBKO, you can track the evolution of the American Woman through the last half of 20th century. In 1960, during the Presidential campaign, Jackie was contrasted with Pat Nixon ... and not favorably. Jackie was considered unrelatable to the average American housewife, with her Social Register pedigree, high-maintenance hair, soft voice and expensive clothes. Her ability to give speeches in French, Italian and Spanish was a boon to her husband in ethnic neighborhoods, but many journalists looked at her as pretentious, over-educated and "not American enough." Then as First Lady and First Widow, we were proud of her. Suddenly her style, dignity and education reflected how we wanted to see ourselves. I believe it was DeGaulle who said, "She taught the world how to behave." When she married Onassis, the press turned on her again. Flighty, shallow, money-grubbing. After he died and she went from Jackie O to Jacqueline Onassis, she was praised again as a woman who worked, even though she didn't have to, because being busy gave her life purpose, as a mother who shepherded her kids safely through a high-profile and challenging childhood in the public eye. Yet when you look at photos of her, from the 1960s to the 1990s, she looks contemporary. Her clothes could be worn today. Her expression is inscrutable. It's as though America kept changing but Jackie was always true to herself.

So I guess I personally wonder less what her daughter-in-law would have done with her life than how we would have dissected and analyzed it over 30 years in the public eye. CBK had a rough time with the press at the beginning. Would they then have come around and lionized her, perhaps as a style icon, advocate or mother? Did Carolyn possess the inner steel it took for Jackie to be Jackie even with the unrelenting scrutiny? I hope this book provides answers.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 5

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: My team

You thought this was going to be about the Cubs, didn't you? Well, today I mean my medical team.

This morning my chiropractor squeezed me in to help with that "crunchy" back and my miserable knee. She suggested the massage therapist in her practice and I'm seeing him on Friday. It feels like she's committed to getting me comfortable and well again, and there's always time for me at her office.

 

A week ago Sunday I was in the ER after an extreme allergic reaction to a bug bite. The NP recommended a follow up with my dermatologist and I was able to get in this afternoon, no problem. He is satisfied with how it's healing and switched me from the prescription corticosteroid ointment to Cetaphil moisturizer. (He gave me the cutest teeny-tiny free samples.) I'm supposed to call his office next week and report my progress.

I am so happy to live where quality medical care is so readily available. I realize not everyone is as lucky as I am.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 4

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: Too Good to Go

Do restaurants or grocery stores in your neighborhood participate in Too Good to Go? It's designed to reduce food waste. Early every morning, I check the app to see if any local businesses will be making food available that night at a reduced price. This is food that is still good today but that (likely because of expiration date) they won't be able to sell tomorrow. 

Oh, what a haul I got from Whole Foods tonight! I carried home a big bag of bakery including blueberry bagels, chocolate croissants, cinnamon raisin bread (yay!), pitas and (OMG!) an entire angel food cake. If I'd purchased the same items this morning, they would have cost me $31.45. With the Too Good to Go app, the bill was $7.15.

Part of the fun of Too Good to Go is that you don't know what you're going to get. Finding that cinnamon raisin loaf made my little heart sing. And it helps reduce the amount of food in the neighborhood that goes to waste.

It's not all carbs. My friend Elaine turned me onto Too Good to Go. She lives near Wrigley Field and her freezer is full of soups and stews from her local market, just waiting for fall.

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Sunday Stealing

From the League of Extraordinary Penpals

1. How would your pet describe you? "She is a furless bi-ped. She cannot run very fast and she never leaps, so she is no fun to play with. However she has thumbs and is the gateway to my food. She gives good headrubs and I like it when she talks to me. (She wisely asks my opinion on many topics.) She is very generous with cuddles when I sit with her. I just wish she wouldn't nudge me away from the other cat's food dish with her foot. With her foot! I am descended from Egyptian gods and deserve better."

2. Tell us a story... Once upon a time there was an engineer. Choo-choo Charlie was his name, we hear. He had an engine and he sure had fun. He used Good 'n Plenty candy to make his train run. Charlie says, "Love my Good 'n Plenty." Charlie says, "Really rings the bell." Charlie says, "Love my Good 'n Plenty. Don't know any other candy that I love so well." The end.

3. What do you pack in your beach / hiking bag. I don't go hiking or to the beach. Sorry.

4. How do you like to spend great weather weekends? I like to walk around my neighborhood. We have terrific tree-lined streets. I love to look up at the sky and see how the tree tops on the east side seem to be touching leafy fingers with the ones on the west side.

5. Describe a time when the circumstances fell in your favor. I've gotten very lucky with my medical team. Every one of my doctors/dentists is very good and attentive. I did minimal research on them, choosing them all based on walkability and whether or not they accept my insurance. It's almost been too easy! 

6. Which summer sounds do you enjoy. I live next to a children's home. One of the best things about summer is hearing the kids enjoying their back yard. 

7. It’s not really summer until ... We sing the song.

8. What music are you listening to these days? I recently rediscovered this CD. The album originally came out when I was in high school. It holds up rather well.

9. How much has changed since last summer? Not a ton. The biggest thing is I now have a part-time job at a card shop. I enjoy it. I am surprisingly comfortable helping customers and it's nice to have (a little) money coming in.

10. What are your favorite things to wear in summer? My jeans shorts

11. What do you miss about winter? My sweaters. I like my sweaters.

12. How would you spend summer vacation as an adult? I wouldn't. I prefer vacationing in March/April. It's a nice way to snap out of the winter doldrums.

13. Describe your ideal get together/party. Good food, good booze, good tunes, good company.

14. What makes you feel like part of your community. Every time I buy groceries for myself, I pick up something small for the local food pantry. When I'm able to fill a big bag of non-perishables and drop it off at the pantry, I feel like I'm helping neighbors in need.

15. How was your July 2024? Not great. The Cubs 13-12 and Anthony Rizzo was on the IL. As my guys go, so go I.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 3

My 2024 Happiness Icon

Today's happiness: Elizabeth Taylor

It was bound to happen: My happiness icon is a direct representation of today's happiness. I love classic film, and LaLiz is one of my all-time favorite classic film goddesses.

First I watched Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, the new documentary about her life built around taped interviews. So it's as though she's telling us her life story. In addition to hearing her story in her own voice, there are home movies of her in the pool, no makeup. The woman was ridiculously beautiful.

Next up was Jane Eyre, the classic for this week's movie meet-up. She was just 11 when she played doomed little Helen. Naturally talented and an underrated actress, even then.

I'd been kinda blue today. So I'm grateful to the glamorous Liz for getting me out of my own head for a while.

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.