Thursday Thirteen #379

This one is for her. I am currently reading Ted Kennedy: A Life by John Farrell. It's a serious yet very readable book. While it's sympathetic, it's balanced. That means Chappaquiddick is explored in detail and unsparingly. 

Chappaquiddick continues to break my heart not because of what it meant to Kennedy's career or Camelot. It haunts me because of Mary Jo Kopechne. Even now, decades later, she's "the dead girl."* "The blonde in the backseat." The implication is that she was a party girl or groupie, looking to lay a powerful man.

It's not true. 

There is no evidence that she and Ted Kennedy had a physical relationship. None. Zip. Zilch. 

But here are 13 facts about the serious young woman who, by dying one week shy of her 29th birthday, made her way into American history.

1. Mary Jo was the only child of Gwen and Joseph Kopechne. Her mom was a homemaker, her dad an insurance salesman.

2. She was a Red Sox fan and her favorite player was Carl Yastrzemski. 

3. Though naturally shy, she participated in high school musicals because she loved to dance.

4. After high school she intended to become a career secretary so she studied business administration New Jersey’s Caldwell College for Women (Class of '62).

5. But she was moved by JFK’s admonition to “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” So she instead explored ways to participate in the Civil Rights Movement.

6. First she moved to Montgomery, AL, where she used what she learned at Caldwell to teach typing and shorthand at an inner city high school to help the girls get jobs after graduation.

7. Then she moved to Washington DC, where she took a position in Sen. George Smathers’ office. While he had a reputation as a rake, she became known for her reserve. The standing joke was that she was the secretary hired to actually type and take dictation.

8. She didn’t drink or party with her coworkers but did play catcher on the Smathers softball team.

9. When Robert Kennedy became a Senator in 1965, she took a job in his office. She considered herself on-call 24/7. Ethel Kennedy recalled her husband bringing Mary Jo home so they could continue working overnight as he revised a Senate floor speech on Vietnam. She also occasionally babysat Robert and Ethel’s youngest children.

10. She threw herself into RFK’s 1968 Presidential campaign, becoming one of the six “Boiler Room Girls.” They were political operatives, not secretaries, as they would later dismissively be described in the press. They were in constant communication with regional Kennedy campaign offices, advising and notating the ground game. At the end of the day, they reported directly to Bobby and his campaign manager.

11. When Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, she was devastated. She lost the best job she could imagine in the worst way possible. She was eager to leave Washington DC.

12. She joined the Southern Political Education and Action Committee, concentrating on registering African-American voters in Florida.

13. In July 1969, 13 months after RFK's death, she went to Martha's Vineyard. She told friends she was looking forward to a “Boiler Girls” reunion and hoped to play touch football. She said she'd be back to work on Tuesday.

RIP, Miss Kopechne.

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

*Farrell's book treats her with respect, I'm happy to say.

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 by the Book by Rex Stout. The new year begins on a promising note for Archie Goodwin. Inspector Cramer (Manhattan, homicide) shows up on the doorstep of Archie's boss, private investigator Nero Wolfe, asking for a favor, and Archie so enjoys it when the police are indebted to Wolfe. Cramer wants help with a murder, a law clerk who was fished out of the East River on New Year's Day. They have no leads. Alas, Wolfe is no help. He listens, but he's lazy and after all, there's no fee involved.

 

But then, weeks later, a distraught father from Peoria, IL also rings the bell. His 20-something daughter is dead, the result of a hit-and-run in the Bronx. Dad refuses to believe it was an accident and hires Wolfe, who immediately sees a connection between the two cases.

Two deaths, two seemingly unrelated victims, 10 miles and 5 weeks apart. What's the link? Leave it to our genius, Nero Wolfe, to see it. So far, it's been great fun to investigate along with Archie.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard. The emotional and self-revelatory memoir of the end of a marriage. Hannah and Trish are best friends. Trish, already married, introduces Hannah to Patrick. After a promising beginning, Hannah and Patrick begin to drift apart. Trish and Patrick have an affair and Hannah's life goes BLOOEY!

 

A very interesting book. The author is smart and talented and her writing is innovative. But I'm not sure I enjoyed it, so I don't think I recommend it.

3. What will you read next? A biography of Ted Kennedy.

 

 

 

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!) 

As always in the Nero Wolfe series, meals play a part in Rex Stout's Murder by Book. It's fun to see what gourmand Wolfe and his personal chef, Fritz, have on the menu. Our hero and narrator, Archie Goodwin, loved dinner. Unfortunately, it didn't love him back.

If you like Anglo-Saxon, I belched. If you fancy Latin, I eructed. No matter which, I had known that Wolfe and Inspector Cramer would have to put up with it that evening, because that is always a part of my reaction to sauerkraut. I don’t glory in it or go for a record, but neither do I fight it back. I want to be liked just for myself. 

 

I love you just for yourself, Archie. Thanks for teaching me "eructed."

I'm not taking it well

I'd been happy. Really happy. The Yankees clinched their play-off berth. My beloved Anthony Rizzo hit the tie-breaking double in the 10th inning. Corks were popped. Then the Yankees went on to win the AL East, which is not only prestigious, it earned them a bye in the first round. Rizz is 35 years old, which sounds young to me but makes him an MLB senior citizen. I was happy he'd get the time off to rejuvenate. All he had to do was get through the last three games.

Three games that were, in terms of the standings, completely meaningless. After all, the Yankees have locked first place.

And guess what happened. He got hit by a pitch in a game that didn't really matter damn. Two fingers of his right hand are fractured. Amazingly, he may still play. First, he's a leftie. Then there's this: the breaks are at the base and, if he can stand the pain, the actions of a standard gameday won't further damage his hand. Whether or not he will play is still up for debate. The stakes of these upcoming games could not be higher. The Yankees just naturally must choose the best player for every position.

So all this leaves me nauseous. The Yankees simply must win the World Series. Anthony Rizzo needs a second ring so he can retire a World Champion. 

For him to miss the World Series and end his career with an injury in a game that didn't even matter would be so tragic, it's positively Shakespearean.

The Cubs were no help. These last games have been meaningless for them, too, but for a different reason: My guys have been eliminated from post-season play. Some of my favorites -- Kyle Hendricks, Nico Hoerner, Mike Tauchman -- likely won't be back next year. It made me too sad to watch those games.

So I am without baseball. And I'm desolate without baseball

Sunday was my boss Ceecee's last day at the card shop. I wasn't scheduled to work, but I stopped by anyway with some chocolate cupcakes. In a box tied with a ribbon, because for Ceecee, presentation is all important. I'm happy I made her happy because she's been so kind to me. But I am sad because I will miss her and am unsure about my what future holds when the store is under new management.

Enter Mike Cutter. Thank goodness for the Law & Order marathon on We-TV. The later seasons were featured Sunday so I got to crush on Linus Roache as ADA Mike Cutter. I not only like his hair -- it's very good hair -- I like his character. He's a passionate prosecutor. He feels a kinship to both the victims and to the police who bring him the cases. While I'm crushing on him, he's obviously crushing on his Assistant DA, Connie Rubirosa, but he won't act on it because it wouldn't be right or professional. Plus it fascinates me that he's a Brit playing a lifelong New Yorker. I've never heard a hint of incongruity in Cutter's accent. Meryl Streep, eat your heart out.

Sunday Stealing

MORE OF THOSE 200 QUESTIONS

1. What do you want to be remembered for? I was there when my friends needed me.

2. If you were put in solitary confinement for a year, what would you do to stay sane? Read. A lot, and a wide variety.

3. If you could have video of any one event in your life, what event would you choose? There's a memory that stays with me: I'm 10 years old, stretched out on the grass in the backyard, reading a book called The Flying Nun: Miracle at San Tanco. I have no idea why this memory is so indelible. Maybe if I saw a video of it, including a few minutes before and after, I'd know.

4. What are the top 3 things you want to accomplish before you die?  Have you accomplished them? Sorry, but I don't do the whole "bucket list" thing. I think it's morbid.

5. If you were forced to live one 10-minute block of your life again and again, what 10 minutes of your life would you choose. The bottom of the 10th inning, Game 7, World Series 2016.

6. Have you ever saved someone’s life? Nope.

7. What are you addicted to? Coke (caffeine).

8. What keeps you up at night? MAGA

9. What do you regret not doing? I'm sorry I didn't volunteer for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Oh, the damage and darkness we could have avoided!

10. What gives your life meaning? Doing good.

11. What are you most insecure about? My looks.

12. What’s the most illegal thing you’ve done? Back in the 1980s I indulged in cocaine, which was quite illegal.

13. What’s the most surprising self-realization you’ve had? Each time I fell in love, I was gobsmacked.

14. If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be? Remember that Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me." Maybe then some of us wouldn't be so determined to demonize the poor and the migrants. Or perhaps they could stop pronouncing themselves as Christian, even as they do the demonizing.

15. In what situation or place would you feel most out of place? A Trump rally.

 

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Cool Night (1981)

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

1) In this song, Paul Davis invites his old girlfriend to "come on over tonight." Have you more recently extended or received an invitation? Received. My former co-worker invited me to join her when she goes to see her boyfriend's band play here in my neighborhood.

2) He tells her she doesn't have to commit to any plans. Do you like having a schedule ahead of you with things to do delineated? Or do you prefer to see how your days naturally unfold? I prefer to not have plans. However, if I go too long without structure I get really lazy, so maybe what I prefer isn't what's best for me.

3) He wants them to cuddle by the fire. Will tonight be a cool night where you are? I've got the window open, so it's cool enough that I don't need the a/c.

4) A quiet night in front of the fireplace is likely how Paul Davis spent many evenings. When he died in 2008, his best friend remembered him as a quiet man, "a homebody" who liked staying up late into the night enjoying conversation and music with friends. Describe your perfect evening. Settling in with my cats and a good book, a good movie or a good ball game.

5) Mr. Davis also enjoyed playing pool and golf. Do you have a liking for either of those games? Not especially.

6) When he retired from music, Paul Davis returned to Meridian, MS, the town where he was born and grew up. Since we Americans can be a nomadic lot, let's find out: Is the town where you were born the same place where you spent most of your growing up years? When I was two, we moved 30 miles the from the town I was born in to the town I grew up in.

7) In 1981, when Paul Davis was a hit, so were The Rolling Stones with "Start Me Up." What's your favorite Rolling Stones' song? I'm no Stones fan, but I have always liked this one.

8) Also in 1981, Snoopy was all the rage, with kids and adults alike. You could buy Snoopy magnets, pencils, pencil sharpeners, note pads ... even a Snoopy bulletin board. If today we went shopping for office supplies, what would you pick up? I have a passion for binder clips.

9) Random question: In a biopic of your life, who would play your mom and dad? My dad is easy because he loooooved Archie Bunker, and I could see why. He was opinionated, stubbornly old school and always filled with grievance about "them." My mom could have been a typical sitcom mom, but she wasn't typical. While she loved her kids and her yard and pets and enjoyed getting her hair done, she hated housework and cooking. So maybe June Cleaver, but wearing jeans in the garden instead of pearls in the kitchen.

 

I thought it would happen, and it has

Ceecee quit. My boss at the card shop is leaving. She's going just a few blocks away to manage the new J. Crew store. But I'm bereft all the same. She's the one who decided last year to give me a chance, even though I have no relevant experience. She's done whatever she could to accommodate my schedule. She's forgiven my fat-fingered forgetfulness on the register. 

But I have been expecting this. Ever since our store became a soft target for shoplifters, she has been unhappy with the lack of support she's received from Corporate. So has Jen, the assistant manager I work with most often. I expect her to be gone soon, too. (I know she's interviewing.)

I don't know what all this means for me. Ceecee and Jen appreciate my strengths -- my comfort chatting with clients and promoting the sale items -- and are patient with my aforementioned fat-fingered forgetfulness on the register. The money isn't tremendous but it helps. I love the discount. I also think it's been good for me to have the structure of a job. I began working when I was 17 and found during my year of complete retirement that I need something like this to keep me sharp and content.

So I hope that the new manager, whoever they may be, won't rock my world. Fingers crossed.

Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash

Thursday Thirteen #378

13 things I do with my new love. I just bought a new bottle of white vinegar. It used to be that  16 ounces lasted forever, but I find I'm using it more than before. It's inexpensive, effective, and I don't worry about me or my cats breathing noxious fumes.

So here are 13 uses I found while tooling around the web.

1. Kill food odors in the microwave. This is my fave. I mix white vinegar with water in a shallow dish and heat it for a minute. Then I leave the bowl in the microwave for another 5-10 minutes, but with the door open. You'd never know that last night I reheated lasagna. 

2. Add life to your kitchen sponge. OK, I used to think this one was lame because sponges are readily available and easy to replace. But then one evening I was in full-on cleaning mode and found myself with only one sponge left (and not in the mood to run to the store for new ones). Fill a bowl with white vinegar and submerge your sponge. Then let it soak in clear water. Voila!

3. Freshen the washing machine. The grocery shelves now feature expensive products designed to remove smells and residue from your washer. Instead, try running it with no clothes but a cup of white vinegar.

4. Clean the dishwasher. Ditto.

5. Improve your showerhead flow. The mineral deposits that hamper dishwasher efficiency can also mess with your showerhead.

6. Refresh your kitchen drain. Remove smells by first pouring vinegar down the drain and following with hot water.

7. Remove adhesive. Get rid of that sticky stuff that remains behind after you peel off a sticker or label.

8. Wash your floors. I have tile in my bathroom and entryway and vinyl in my kitchen and it works great. (But don't use it on hardwood.)

9. Spray the inside of your shower curtain or door. Vinegar can slow the growth of mold and mildew.

10. Scrub your cups. It can remove those stubborn coffee and tea stains.

11. Wipe down your cutting board. White vinegar can help prevent food contamination if you use the same board for meat/poultry and fruits/vegetables.

12. Clean kids' bath toys. As a childless cat lady, I can't personally attest to this. But I'm told that those squeaky bath buddies are a breeding ground for germs and mold, inside and out. So soak them in warm water mixed with vinegar, then rinse them in clear water and let them air dry.

13. Get rid of ants. Vinegar repels them and it's safe to use around food and pets.

Have you got a vinegar hack that I missed?

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. 

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? We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard. I thought that after spending 1,000 pages with a book written in the 20th century about life and love in the 19th century, it would do me good to read some contemporary non-fiction. This book is so very different from GWTW that I almost got the bends.

This memoir is heavily dialog-driven and often reads like a play without stage direction. Hannah and Patrick (not his real name) fall in love, get married, fall out of love, and their marriage blows up when he has an affair. As she tells her (mostly) true story, she is honest about her responsibility for the deterioration of the relationship even before the affair. But I'm only about a quarter of the way in and I'm not yet sure if I like her. I hope I become fond of her because it will make the book resonate more. I definitely like Elmer, the couple's dog. He is a good boy.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I spent a month with the denizens of The County and Atlanta and now that it's over, I miss them. Scarlett -- brave, vain, stubborn and strong -- and her country neighbors. Melanie -- honest, decent, just as brave but never as strong -- and the townfolk. It struck me as a I reread this book (possibly my tenth time through, though the first time in at least a decade) that the male characters are all really in service of the females. I paid closer attention this time to Scarlett's Robillard relatives, especially the backstory of her mother, Ellen. In her way and in her time, Ellen was just as passionate as her daughter, though had Scarlett known she never would believed it.

 

I remain in love with Rhett Butler. My friend Elaine has also read the novel and seen the movie (multiple times) and insists whole heartedly she would be happier with Ashley Wilkes. Whatever. Rhett was hot. Not just because of his tan, hairy chest and strong arms. (Though they help.) I think it would be wonderful to find a man who knows me, understands me, and still loves me.

But, as I've said before, this book so very, very disturbing. The false equivalency between The Union and The Confederacy, the justification of slavery, the celebration of The Ku Klux Klan. Of course I cringed and winced. Still, I think it's important to remember that Scarlett felt this way in the 1800s, Margaret Mitchell obviously agreed in the 1900s, and unfortunately, some of our citizens find all this defensible in the new millennium. As much as the storytelling, that makes GWTW worth reading.

3. What will you read next? Something light!

 

 

 

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!) 

Since Hannah Pittard's We Are Too Many tells us upfront that it is a look at a marriage gone wrong, this is not a spoiler. It made me wish that, at the angry and often tearful but always kinda unhinged moments of break-up, I had been as together as our author, Hannah.

Hannah: You had sex with Trish? 

Patrick: Yes.

Hannah: Do you think you're in love?

Patrick: It's confusing.

Hannah: Thanks for your honesty. I get the house. I get the car. I get the dog. I'll see a lawyer Monday.

Patrick: Did you rehearse that?

Hannah: I didn't. But it's good, isn't it?

From mornin' till night

This song has been running through my mind all day. Because today started well and stayed good till now, when I have my pjs on.

First I went to the orthopedist. It was a follow-up appointment. Last month, for the initial consultation, my knee was so inflamed and achy that I had to take a rideshare. This morning, I walked the 8/10 of a mile. That's how much better my arthritic old knee is, with just exercises, ice and stretches! (I'm not even taking ibuprofen anymore.) He suggested a bone density scan and was pleased to learn I already have one scheduled. Best of all, I have no "next appointment" scheduled. He doesn't see any reason to see me again unless the swelling and pain return.

Then I took Joanna to lunch. We celebrated her birthday in style. There's a restaurant/winery in my neighborhood that's a little better than the usual places we frequent. She had the chicken piccata with a glass of pinot noir. I had the gnocchi carbonara (delicious!) with a strawberry mule. For dessert, we had truffles with a birthday candle. Because I splurged so on the meal, I had to economize on her gift. I picked up this desk calendar for her, using my 40% card shop discount. She seemed pleased with it, all the same. I was happy to fuss over her, as she's been having a hard time financially in 2024.

The evening ended with my movie group. We discussed Human Desire, a seldom-seen noir from 1954. The movie was provocative and we had a lively conversation.

I wish all days could be as good as this one.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Drive to You (2006)

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

1) In this song, Jewel sings that she can't sleep and is staring at the ceiling. Did you fall asleep easily last night? Yes. But only because I gave in and ran the window a/c unit all night. I hate doing that, especially in mid-September! But it's still 85º+ during the day and my building is brick, plus my bedroom windows face west, so it gets so damn hot in the afternoon and without the a/c it just doesn't cool off enough to be conducive to comfortable sleeping.

2) She concludes that the only thing to do is drive to her lover's side. Last time you got behind the wheel, where were you headed? I wasn't behind the wheel, but my last car ride was a Lyft home after a trip to the vet (for Connie's prescription cat food) and the grocery store (for my grub).

3) Jewel grew up in Alaska. Have you ever visited our largest state? Nope. I'd like to, though. Whenever I consider a cruise, it's always one to Alaska.

4) She once performed at the Sydney Opera House, which is more than 7,300 miles away from Anchorage. There are no direct commercial flights between those two cities. Given your choice, would you rather spend less on travel but have to change flights, or spend more and fly non-stop to your destination? I'll pay extra to fly non-stop, thank you.

5) Actor Sean Penn developed a crush on Jewel after seeing her perform on TV and attended many of her concerts during her 1995 tour. What's the best concert you ever saw? Sir Paul at Wrigley Field.

6) She married Ty Murray, a successful rodeo cowboy. Have you ever attended a rodeo? I believe I did when I was a very little girl, but I recall little about it.

7) In 2006, the year "Drive to You" was released, Al Lewis died. He was best known as Grandpa on The Munsters. It's time for you to declare where you stand on this issue: do you prefer The Munsters of The Addams Family?

The only correct answer

8) 2006 was a very good one for tennis pro Roger Federer. He reached the finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments, and won three. What's the last game you won? (Yes, Wordle counts.) I lost at online canasta to a bot, which was quite humbling.

9) Random question: Using one word, how would you describe 2024 so far? Painful. Both emotionally and physically. But, to invoke Sir Paul, I have to admit it's getting better.

 

Thursday Thirteen #377

The red, itchy, scratchy edition. I have very pale skin and rashes bedevil me. As I write this, I have a big splotch just over my left breast ... and I'm concentrating on not scratching or rubbing it. Fortunately my clothes cover it in public.

I am not alone. OTC rash treatments are a big business. Just diaper rash creams alone are a billion dollar industry. So there's a lot of redness and itching and scratching out there!

 

Here are 13 facts about skin rashes:

1. No one race or ethnicity is inherently susceptible to skin rashes. Mine just show more because my skin is so light.

2. Everyone will develop a rash at one time or another, beginning with diaper rash as a baby.

3. The most common type of skin rash is contact dermatitis. This is a reaction to something that irritates the skin (like a new fragrance or laundry detergent).

4. Hives are common, too. (I suspect this is what I'm dealing with right now.) Hives can be a reaction to bug bites, airborne allergens and extreme temperatures.

5. A rash can be an indication of an infection, like strep throat.

6. It can also be a sign of viral infection, such as chicken pox or covid. (When I had covid in 2020, it wasn't breathing that was hard. I was bedeviled by gastrointestinal issues and the worst rash. It actually bled!)

7. It's not a myth: scratching a rash will make it worse. Scratching releases serotonin, which just intensifies the itch. Better to leave it alone or, if you must, rub it.

8. A warm oatmeal bath can provide relief. (Look for colloidal oatmeal in the ingredients.)

9. Soaking in Epsom salts can help, too, because they not only soothe irritation, they help remove dry, dead skin.

10. Hydrocortisone cream can help reduce both the itch and irritation.

12. So can calamine lotion. I haven't tried this because it seems so old school, so Girl Scout camp. But that's just silly on my part. Next time I go to the drug store, I'll drop a bottle in my basket.

13. Don't be shy about calling your healthcare provider about skincare. Especially if the rash appears suddenly, spreads quickly, or forms sores.

 

How about you? How is your skin feeling today?

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

 

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!) 

Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind is told almost exclusively from Scarlett's point of view. That's why this passage stood out to me. Scarlett has announced to the household that she's going to Atlanta to talk to a banker about a mortgage on Tara so they can pay the taxes. Ashley understands that she will come back with the money needed to keep the plantation ... no matter what. 

He remembered the way she had squared her shoulders when she turned away from him that afternoon, remembered the stubborn lift of her head. His heart went out to her, torn with his own helplessness, wrenched with admiration. He knew she had no such word in her vocabulary as gallantry, knew she would have stared blankly if he had told her she was the most gallant soul he had ever known. He knew she would not understand how many truly fine things he ascribed to her when he thought of her as gallant. He knew that she took life as it came, opposed her tough-fibered mind to whatever obstacles there might be, fought on with a determination that would not recognize defeat, and kept on fighting even when she saw defeat was inevitable.

That's my girl! Doing whatever it takes to keep a roof over the heads of the 13 people who depend on her.

Sunday Stealing

More of those 200 Questions

1. What takes up too much of your time? This. I spend way too much time online.

2. What do you wish you knew more about? Oh, so many things! Right now, I'd like to better understand my musculature and how I can overcome the issues with my back, shoulder and knee.

3. What’s the best way to start the day? Cuddling a cat.

4. What mystery do you wish you knew the answer to? What/how do my cats think?

5. What’s your favorite genre of book or movie? Depends on my mood.

6. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home? Either Paris or Honolulu. They're both about 4,000 miles away.

7. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been? I love Springfield, IL. It's where Mr. Lincoln went from country lawyer to President. It's such a privilege to walk where he walked.

8. When was the last time you climbed a tree for fun? Junior high. My grandpa's apple tree.

9. What do you consider to be your best find? Hmmm ... I'll go with my cats again for this one. I found them in shelter and they have enriched my life immeasurably.

10. What’s special about the place where you grew up? I really wasn't crazy about the place I grew up. No diversity, no imagination. The best thing I can say about it that it's a 30-minute train ride from Chicago.

11. What age do you wish you could permanently be? 35. I felt womanly, powerful, and sexy.

12. What fictional place would you most like to go? Nero Wolfe's brownstone. Mr. Wolfe is the hero of Rex Stout's mystery series, and I have a mad crush on the series narrator, Archie Goodwin, who lives in the brownstone.

13. Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been? Good goobies, it's hard to choose between the spas I've visited! I suppose I give the edge to the spa of Colonial Williamsburg.

The charming walk to my happy place

14. What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen? I enjoy the work of Thomas McKnight.

15. Who has impressed you the most with what they have accomplished? Right now, I'll name my friend Joanna. She's suffered financial and professional setbacks over the past few years and, as she turns 70 this month, it would be easy for her to feel beaten down. But she doesn't give up. She's working on proposals and she's networking and she's focused on resurrecting the consulting business she's built.