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? Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers by Elizabeth Edwards. This is a reread for me. When I first picked it up almost 20 years ago, it had a major impact. I reached for it again now because I long to feel something powerful, something hopeful, again. 

It seems I am shocked anew every day. Our President wants to revoke birthright citizenship and signed that Executive Order on the holiday for Dr. King's birthday. Are Trump and his supporters really that ignorant of US history, or just that insensitive? Then our President mocked the idea of visiting the Washington DC plane crash site, saying, "It's the water. You want me to go swimming?" People who assaulted Capitol police on January 6 were pardoned because violence against cops is just ducky if you're willing to do it for him. And half my countrymen are applauding this! Most disturbing are the ones who quote Scripture all the time. Let's face it: Jesus was a man of color born on the West Bank. If he walked among us today, MAGA would try to deport him.

So I'm returning to Elizabeth Edwards, that gallant lady who endured so much. I recall her teaching me that sharing your fears and pain can strengthen your faith and your relationships and that is a lesson I need to hear again.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by MC Beaton. The "Wizard of Evesham" is a hairdresser, Mr. John, known for his transformative styling talents and his way with the ladies. Even our hard-boiled Aggie is not immune to his charms. Though drawn to him, she also has reservations. Something about him seems "off." So she decides to snoop around. Is she doing this because Mr. John is up to no good, or merely because she's bored? Doesn't matter which because, soon enough, someone dies in his salon.

This is one of my favorites in the series. Watching Agatha manufacture "a case" at first, just because she wants something to do, was amusing. I've enjoyed her gradual acclimation to retirement. She is grudgingly fond of her more small-town neighbors, though she's snarky about them. Right after I finished this book, I ran into my down-the-hall neighbor. I was carrying a white drawstring trash bag toward the dumpster. "Where are you off to?" he asked. Um ... where did he think I was going? When I stated the obvious, he said, "OK, then." Like I need his approval to take out my garbage? Annoying as he is -- and he is -- I would hate it if something happened to him. Dear God, I'm Aggie!

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

 

 

The Ghosts of Christmas Yet to Come

 

 

-----------------------------

I posted the above to Facebook. I thought those who know me well would find it funny because I'm rather well known for my resistance to change. Most who responded got it. Their comments made me smile. But the one from my Cousin Rose annoyed the living shit out of me.

Be a good Christian and do 1 or 2. 

Oh, for fuck's sake. It was a JOKE! And it makes me wonder where Rose buys her cards.

Her comment burrowed so deep under my skin because of what it represents. As she ages – and Rose just turned 78 – she's more difficult for me to interact with. She picks at me constantly because I do nothing right. (My purse is too big. I worry too much about my friends. I drink at lunch.* I chose a Medicare supplement plan and not a Medicare advantage plan. I'd rather watch old musicals than Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I could go on, but I'd start screaming.)

When I was 16 and she was 27, Rose was my goddess. My role model. My champion. I couldn't spend enough time with her. Now I avoid it. I maintain our relationship but I do it online or through the mail.

This makes me sad. I know Rose loves me. When she's not ragging on me, she can be enormously thoughtful. For example, for Christmas she made a $50 donation in my name to The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. It was so sweet, so perfectly Christmas-y, it made me cry.

Plus she's one of only two people left on the planet who held me as a baby. That's important. I honor that. So it upsets me that she's changing like this. 

She's not the only one. My friend Kathy, also 78, is in such cognitive decline that we haven't communicated for more than a year. Both her phone and her laptop now perplex her. I don't miss her. The last few years of our friendship were difficult and, I suspect, brought me more agita than they brought her pleasure. I doubt she misses me, or even remembers me anymore.

But wait! There's more! Bonnie died. She was a staple in our movie group, and it was hard for me to interact with her because she always lost the thread of every movie. But she was one of us and truly loved classic films, even the ones she didn't understand. I looked up her obit, hoping to find a charity listed that our group could contribute to in lieu of flowers. I was shocked by what I found. Bonnie, who died one day shy of her 74th birthday, had a master's and worked her way through school as one of Illinois Bell's only female telephone installers. She went on to teach journalism at one of Chicago's best colleges. Gloria Steinem once crashed in her apartment. I wish I'd known that woman, instead of the one who got confused by Little Women. But age robbed her of her energy and concentration.

I'm 67. What do my 70s hold? Will I be humorless and joyless, like Rose? Will my skull be filled with oatmeal, like Kathy's? Will people be shocked that I once had it going on, as I was shocked about Bonnie?

I don't want this to be happening. I hate change. I've had enough change already.

 

*I only have three drinks/week. I don't see how it matters if I consume them at noon or after six. I have explained this to her. She doesn't agree.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: But Beautiful (1947)
   

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

 

1) The lyrics encourage us to take a chance on love. What's something you've done recently that took you outside your comfort zone? How did it turn out? I'm slowly taking on more responsibility at the card shop: Pricing sale items, choosing the cards that go on the rack, etc. I do have an extensive marketing background, so it makes sense. So far, so good.

 

2) Bing Crosby introduced "But Beautiful" in the 1947 film, Road to Rio. Name another movie song that became a hit. "The Way We Were."

 
3) Bing's leading lady in Road to Rio was Dorothy Lamour. When she was a teenager, she worked as an elevator operator. With the advent of user-operated/push-button elevators, few elevator operator jobs remain. What's another job that was once commonplace, but has virtually disappeared? I always kinda thought it would be neat to work in that FotoMat booth.

 

 

 

4) Road to Rio was one of seven Road movies Bing Crosby and Bob Hope made together. They were one the most financially successful comedy teams in history. What movie or TV show always makes you laugh? Animal House.

5) Crosby's given name was Harry but he acquired the nickname "Bing" because as a kid he was a fan of a comic strip character named "Bingo." As a child, did you read the newspaper? Yes. The Chicago Sun Times in the morning and Chicago Today after school. They were both tabloid style, so I could easily read them back-to-front, starting with the sport page, and then the comics, the entertainment section, the local news and the international news. I admit I was usually bored by the time I got to the front page.

 

6) His 1942 version of "White Christmas" is still one of the best-selling records of all time. He was a movie star, nominated three times for the Oscar, winning once. Can you name another performer who has been successful both acting and singing?

 

My queen

7) Bing loved golf and enjoyed traveling the world, playing at different courses. If today you were to receive an airline ticket to any city in the world, what destination would you choose? What would you be certain to see/do there? There are many places I visited years ago that I long to see again. Graceland, Colonial Williamsburg, New York City, Key West ... I enjoyed them all and would love to do it all again.

8) In 1947, when "But Beautiful" was a hit, Farrah Fawcett was born. She became famous for her bathing suit poster, her blonde hair, and a 70s TV show. Without looking it up, do you know the name of that television series? Charlie's Angels

9) Random question -- Are you someone who makes things happen, or someone things happen to? I'd like to think I'm the latter, but in reality I'm probably a mix of both. Things may happen to me, but how I respond is up to me.

 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #397

 13 jolts of joy. Here are 13 things that never fail to make me smile, no matter what. With the nation going the way it is, it's important to cling to these little moments.

1. Seeing a friend's name on my landline caller ID. Everybody texts these days. I love it when someone carves out a little time to talk.

2. Getting off the train and realizing I'm in The Loop. Ever since I was a little girl I believed there was magic and excitement downtown. It doesn't disappoint.

3. Seeing my building as the train pulls in. I'm lucky to live so close to the station. Catching sight of my building, peering into the lobby, as the train slows to a stop always make me happy because in about 5 minutes, I'll be home.

4. When the three of us curl up together. My two cats are very independent and unpredictable. They go their own way for their own reasons. Yet about once a day, they both settle in around me on the sofa or in my bed. I can feel the comfort they take from one another and from me. I love this.

5. Starting a new book. Especially if it's one I know little about. It could teach me anything and take me anywhere.

6. Rewatching a favorite movie. It's like seeing old friends again. It surprises me how much faster the time goes by with a rewatch.

7. American Airlines e-shopping. How I love earning extra miles for shopping as I would anyway! I know I have earned enough to fly one way to LA this spring for the TCM Film Festival. Depending on which flight I book, I may have enough to fly round trip for free. YAY!

8. Singing with the oldies in the morning. My little shower radio is the best $20 I've ever spent. It brings me joy every morning.

9. A dash of cinnamon. I add it to my hot chocolate and to my applesauce. I do it as much for the scent as the taste.

10. The sound of a Coke can when I pop it open. Soon I'm going to feel cold bubbles on my tongue!

11. The crack of the bat. Especially if I'm listening to the ball game on the radio. Sometimes I know right away if it's a base hit.

12. Reaching that spot with the back scratcher. A couple weeks ago, when I dedicated a TT to dry skin, Liz A. and Kwizgiver recommended I get a back scratcher. How right you ladies were!

 13. Freshly sharpened pencils. It's a delight to see that thin line on paper.

How about you? What always coaxes a smile out of you?

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? Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by MC Beaton. My first three books of 2025 were heavy and it's time for something light. I don't know what it says about me that to me, light means murder. But here I am.

My heroine Agatha tries a DIY dye job and mucks it up. We all know how bad bad hair makes us feel. So to remedy the situation she turns to a new stylist, Mr. John, who is hailed as the Wizard of Evesham. He not only leaves her looking great, his flirtations lift her spirits. Yet she senses something is "off" about him. Why is someone so talented languishing away in Evesham when he could make more money in London? Why does he insist on staying in this small town? Is he hiding from something? Should she embark on a relationship with this charming and attractive man, or should she trust her suspicious gut?

Then, as always happens around Aggie, someone at Mr. John's salon gets dead. And we're off!

2. What did you recently finish reading? Leo Durocher: Baseball's Prodigal Son by Paul Dickson. I grew up on Leo. He was the ferocious manager of the Cubs when I was a little girl. He managed the heroes of my youth. He was at the helm when the Cubs folded in 1969, breaking the hearts of everyone in my family. But he was an old man when he got to Chicago. I had no idea who he was before. He led a huge, entertaining life and even after 350+ pages, I wanted more.

Leo Durocher was charismatic. Eisenhower was a fan. Garbo thought he was adorable. When movie star George Raft was in New York, he didn't stay at a hotel, he stayed with Leo. During the winter he played poker with his California neighbor, Frank Sinatra, and vacationed with Dean Martin in Acapulco. His third wife was a film actress, and Leo's jealous behavior on the set pissed off John Wayne. He was good enough at billiards to go pro. During the 1940s he was regularly named one of America's best-dressed men.

 

He was also an asshole. He bullied three of baseball's best good guys -- Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks. Even as a little girl, I hated how he treated Ernie. I was surprised by how emotional I got when I revisited his time here. The '69 Cubs went from 8 games up in August to watching the Mets take the pennant in September because Leo fucked up. He never rested his players, even though the Cubs were the last team to play all their home games during the day in the dog days of summer. He mocked them if they showed fatigue. They came to hate the manager who publicly blamed individual players after each loss (contrast this with Joe Maddon, who "praised publicly and criticized privately"). 

But he showed courage and integrity when he helped integrate baseball. His clashes with Jackie Robinson came later; Leo could not have been more supportive of him at the start. He was a warm and sensitive mentor to the great Willie Mays and Roy Campanella. Baseball and the nation owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that.

I enjoyed this well-written book, even if I didn't always enjoy the man himself.

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

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Rikki, Don't Lose that Number (1974)
   

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

 

1) In this song, a man asks a girl to spend more time with him and suggests they go out for a ride together. Do you ever take a leisurely drive, just for relaxation and pleasure? Or do you always have a destination in mind when you get behind the wheel? I don't drive. But every time I leave the house I have a destination in mind. Even if I'm just going for a walk. If I want to enjoy the sunshine and sky I'll head off for the post office branch that's farther away or the bigger grocery store, but I never just wander.

 

2) He repeatedly suggests that she could have a change of heart. What's something you've changed your mind about recently? Abigail. She's the manager I work with most often since Jen left the card shop. She's the youngest manager and I'm the oldest employee so I was worried about how we'd get along. She's lovely. Supportive and funny and we have a lot to talk about. Also, I love how amused she is when she hears me refer to her as, "my boss." For those 4-6 hours, that's exactly who she is, and I want her to own it.

3) This week's featured artists are the duo Steely Dan. They earned the reputation as perfectionists, requiring take after take in the studio until they got their sound just right. Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? Or do you more often find that "good enough is good enough?" Depends on what I'm doing. At my previous job I could be rather demanding of myself and others. I'm less so at the card shop because having a job I could leave behind when I go home was kinda the point of getting it. At home? I've always been "good enough is more than good enough." (Meaning I'm a slob.)

 

4) The Rikki of the title is a writer/poet who met Steely Dan's Donald Fagan when they were both students at Bard College. He had a crush on her and gave her his number, which she refused to call because she was married. She went on to teach in the English Department at the University of Denver, where her students would probably be surprised to learn she was the inspiration for a famous song. Is there something we would be surprised to learn about you? Yes. And I'm not sharing it here.

5) Another woman who played a role in Steely Dan's success is Barbra Streisand. She recorded one of their early songs, "I Mean to Shine," for her 1971 album, Barbra Joan Streisand. It was her thirteenth album and though 13 is often considered unlucky, it reached #11 on the Billboard charts and was certified as a gold record. Do you have a lucky number? 7.

 

6) In 1974, when this song was a hit, The Magic 8 Ball was still a top-seller at toy stores. It retailed for just $1.99, and promised that all you had to do was gaze at it, concentrate, and wait to learn your fate ... "if you dare!" If you could get an answer to one question about the future, what would you ask? Where will my beloved Anthony Rizzo be playing in 2025?

7) Also in 1974, Good Times premiered and the character JJ (played by Jimmy Walker) became a sensation with the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" What's another phrase that is forever connected to a TV character? Could Chandler be any funnier?

8) 1974 was the year Barry Manilow became a household name with his first major hit, "Mandy." Do you have a favorite Barry Manilow song? I gotta be honest: I cannot stand Barry Manilow. But even I like "Even Now." Heartbreak makes me sappy.

9) Random question: Imagine a beautiful little church on a hillside. Quiet, with stained glass and lovely pews. Well-maintained grounds with plenty of parking nearby. Seats 150. Perfect for a wedding ... or a funeral, because it's located in a cemetery. Would you consider getting married at a cemetery? Of course. A house of worship is a house of worship. The physical location doesn't matter. Besides, the fact that I was getting married at all would be more shocking than the cemetery thing.

 

Thursday Thirteen #396

Questions I'd ask my cats. My friend Elaine is fascinated by this video and shared it with me. It got me thinking about the furry friends I share my home with. If there was no language barrier between us, what would I ask my cats?

1. What do you dream about? I can tell sometimes when they're cat napping that they are dreaming. I wonder what visions play in their heads.

2. Am I your mommy? Elaine and I discuss this often. She maintains her cats think of her as their mother. I maintain my cats know I'm not a cat and therefore can't be their mother. Who is right?

3. Where do you think I go? When I exit through the front door, what do they think happens to me? I know they can't perceive of things like yoga class or a job. So do they think I'm chasing birds and climbing trees? 

4. Do you miss outside? I never, ever let my cats out. Not under any circumstances. My oldest friend thinks it's fine for her cats to wander around a fenced yard. I'm very inflexible on this. She's simply wrong. A cat can get spooked by a bug bite or distracted by a rabbit and suddenly find a way over (or through a hole in) that fence. Similarly neighboring stray cats (or worse, a coyote) can find a way over (or through a hole in) that fence. Anyway, I wonder if my cats miss grass and leaves.

5. Do you get bored? I put a lot of effort into mixing up their food so they don't get chicken or salmon too many days in a row. Do they care? Or would a 365/always-the-same diet suit them just fine?

6. Why can't your food bowl stay in one spot? We go through it almost daily: I put Constance MacKenzie's food down in the kitchen and she eats most of it. Then she leads me into the hall, beckoning me to bring her bowl so she can finish it there. This is obviously important and quite logical to her. Why?

7. Why do you love sleeping on paper? Next to boxes, my cats love paper best. I get the box thing. Small spaces make cats feel secure and in control of their environment. But why is napping on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet so satisfying?

8. What's with the left side of my body? Roy Hobbs always curls up to cuddle on my left side. Even if he has to pretzel himself to squeeze in while my right side remains open.

9. Why can't I cut your nails? Connie becomes The Amazing Cat with No Spine when I try to clip her nails. She'll flop from side to side like a fish on the floor of a boat. I don't understand this. She lets me touch her feet. She lets me look at her nails. But at the sight of the clippers she becomes passionately uncooperative.

10. Do you remember Reynaldo? Connie loved the skinny beige demon cat. They slept together entwined like a fur yin yang symbol. After he died, she was desolate, walking around the apartment calling to him. She plays with and grooms Roy Hobbs, but she's not in his physical space the way she was in Rey's. Does she miss him?

11. When you purr, is it sincere? Sometimes I think Connie purrs less out of affection or happiness and more in an attempt to charm me into giving her a treat. She can be awful cute and it often works.

12. What do you remember from your old life? I know Roy Hobbs was badly abused. Certain deep, male voices terrify him. Is that a sense memory? Or does he actually recall what he endured?

13. What could I do better? There are things that would be non-negotiable, even if requested. For example, I would never banish trips to the vet or provide an unlimited stream of treats. But I am committed to their happiness and comfort, and if Connie or Roy Hobbs have legit beefs I would be happy to mend my ways.

That's Mrs. MacKenzie on the left, Roy Hobbs on the right.

Oh, the conversations we would have!

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

A Sign of the Times

This was taped to the door of the administrative office of my church. My. Church. Is this what half the country voted for? For the most vulnerable among us to be frightened in a house of worship?

I haven't seen a dip in the cost of eggs. I've heard drivers whine about gas prices. There is no peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. Those are things the new President promised "on day one" and they haven't happened. But he has made cruelty a priority during his first week.

That's a reflection of my elbow under the sign. I'll never forget how shocked I was when I saw this sign at my church.

My church.

Why aren't the uber Christians who support MAGA ashamed? Didn't they learn this in Sunday School: "Treat the least among us as you treat me?"

But I'm proud of my community and my congregation for making federal law enforcement obey the law.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: A Summer Song (1964)
   

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

 

1) Are you enjoying winter? Or do you daydream about summer? Winter suits me. I'd rather have it 0º than 90º. On the other hand, I do daydream a lot about summer because summer = baseball.

 

2) In this week's song, trees sway in the breeze. Is it windy where you are today? No. It's very quiet.

3) There's rain outside their window. Have you more recently seen rain or snow? Snow. I like snow.

4) This week's artists are the duo Chad and Jeremy. As a teen, Chad Stuart was very versatile in the arts. While he enjoyed drawing, he showed real promise in music and won a scholarship to London's Central School of Speech and Drama. When you were a teenager, what were your best classes? English and American History.

5) Between 1965 and 1966, Chad and Jeremy played British pop stars on a variety of American TV shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Patty Duke Show, and Batman. Which of those series do you remember? All of them! At first glance, you'd assume that Batman is the least realistic but no, I'd say it's The Patty Duke Show. How are "identical cousins" genetically possible?

 

6) While those TV appearances were good for the duo's record sales, they sowed the seeds of dissent between the friends. Jeremy Clyde realized he enjoyed acting far more than music and began threatening to leave the act. Chad finally got tired of dissuading him. Between Jeremy's dramatic aspirations and contract disputes, they broke up. Later they both admitted they regretted the split, but as Chad said, "we were just kids." Is there an old friend you've drifted away from but miss? My friend Barb. She moved to Hilton Head and we drifted apart. I remember her fondly but I don't really miss her. I assume she feels the same way. It occurs to me as I answer this that we didn't even exchange Christmas cards this year.

7) In 1964, when "A Summer Song" was popular, the #1 movie in the country was Mary Poppins. Have you seen it? Oh, yes! A million times! 

8) One of the biggest news stories of 1964 was Elizabeth Taylor's wedding to Richard Burton. The bride wore yellow, with yellow and white flowers in her hair. The groom wore a dark suit, red tie and yellow boutonniere. What did you wear last time you got dressed up? A coral knit pantsuit with mesh sleeves. I'm surprised that I was just about the only woman in the room wearing a bright color. Everyone else was muted or neutral.

9) Random question: When you're in the backseat, do you wear a seatbelt? Ever since I read that Princess Diana might have survived if she'd been wearing one. Her body likely wouldn't have flown into the back of the front seat with such velocity.

 

Hurt? Angry? Sad? All three!

On 1/20 I posted this photo to Facebook. It's the 2024 chocolate Advent calendar I'd just laid waste to. I explained that Corporate decreed my card shop could no longer sell them and they had to be "destroyed." Obviously by inhaling all this chocolate, I'm just being a team player.

I thought it was funny.

My aunt responded, "What a perfect way to celebrate this most joyful day!"

Since it was Monday, a Federal holiday, I clicked "like" and said: "This is the first MLK Day I've ever worked and after my shift I promised myself I'd do good by creating extra cards for Letters Against Isolation. The sugar buzz helped carry me through! Happy Martin Luther King Day."

Her response: "Who? In our home we're celebrating Donald Trump's inaugural and an end to corruption and lawlessness."

What the ever-loving fuck? Dr. Martin Luther King merits a "who?" Plus, she knows how I feel about Donald Trump. Which is exactly the same way her son, her daughter-in-law and adult grandchildren feel about him. Because of her aggressive Trumpiness, she is estranged from them. She has learned nothing from this and is working on alienating me now.

I posted chocolate. She responded by gloating about the election. She used this opportunity to hurt me. Someone who is supposed to love me went out of her way to wound me, disrespect Dr. King and ignore the service the I did in his memory.

I deleted her response. To paraphrase her, "In this home, we celebrate Dr. King." I won't have him minimized.

This made her angry and she's now ignoring me. Well, guess what: I'm angry, too.

And hurt that "being right" about Donald Trump is apparently more important to her than my feelings. And sad that she can't stop herself. I know she feels bad that she has a great-grandchild she hasn't seen and that the only Mother's Day gifts she received last year were from me (she's my godmother). 

My cousin (her son) has repeatedly told me how disillusioning it is when the woman who insisted you go to Sunday School, who extolled Christian values, just can't stop being intolerant, belligerent, racist and homophobic. I get that. The hypocrisy is stunning. 

But I will heal. I'm not letting her go. She's 78 years old. She has had health problems and her husband recently battled cancer. At this point in her life, losing me would hurt more than she knows. If I still haven't heard from her by April, when I go to the TCM Film Festival, I'll still send her a postcard and buy a souvenir. I'll still send her a birthday card and Mother's Day gift come May. 

It really doesn't cost me much to be kind. If she were to take off her MAGA glasses, I bet she'd see our relationship the same way.

Thursday Thirteen #395

The "there's this spot on my back" edition. It happens every year: I struggle with dry winter skin and find myself with itches I just can't reach.

So what is it about cold weather that has me rubbing up against door jambs? Here are 13 possible reasons for/ways to combat dry skin in winter.

1. Cold air holds less moisture than warm.

2. My condo's steam heat also reduces moisture in the air.

3. Cold weather reduces blood flow, and my skin misses the more robust circulation of warm weather days.

4. I enjoy long, hot showers. Hot water can strip skin of natural oils, and when the air is dry to begin with, I'm left itchy.

5. I don't drink enough water. While drenching my outsides in water is bad in winter, consuming more of it is good.

6. It's hard to slather moisturizer on my back. I've stockpiled Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Lotion, which helps somewhat.

7. The holidays and financial/tax time worries can cause stress, and stress can worsen skin irritation.

8. Less Vitamin D. We get Vitamin D from sunshine and when we're indoors more, we just naturally enjoy less sun exposure.

9. Does the skin on your face feel dry? Maybe you're exfoliating too often. 

10. Are your hands dry? It might be that hand sanitizer you carry with you. Don't give it up. Just carry a small bottle of moisturizer with you, too, during dry winter months.

11. Have you forsaken fabric softener? You may wish to add it back to your laundry routine to help your clothes feel better against your winter-weary skin.

12. Maybe switch to one of the laundry detergents specifically formulated to be gentle on skin.

13. Vacuum more often in winter. When the windows are closed and the heat is on, dust mites can become a problem and they can irritate skin.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to try to reach that spot with my hairbrush.

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? Leo Durocher: Baseball's Prodigal Son by Paul Dickson. When I was a little girl, Leo was such a big presence on the Chicago landscape I thought he was like a member of our family. Everybody was always talking about Leo. Everyone always had an opinion about him. In my lifetime, only Mike Ditka and Joe Maddon have come close to Leo in terms of cultural impact. But Ditka and Joe actually did what Leo just promised us -- they brought championship trophies to Chicago. So in a way, Leo has always seemed like a tragic figure to me. A big ass, massive WHAT IF? 

So I'm enjoying this 350+ page book because it gives me a greater picture of the man. Before he was a big deal in Chicago, he was a big deal in New York and Los Angeles. Before he disrespected our beloved Ernie Banks, he humiliated Babe Ruth. Before he married Chicago royalty -- heiress to the Goldblatt Department Store fortune -- he was married to a movie actress and hung out with Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson. 

He's even in Bartlett's quotations for "nice guys finish last."

All that, and he was one of the winningest managers in baseball history. He's an asshole, for sure, but an entertaining one.

 
2. What did you recently finish reading? The Fall Girl by Marcia Clark. I was mad when I finished this book. Disappointed ... frustrated ... pissed. And here's why:

Imagine you have just sat down for a big meal. The appetizer is just OK, so you're a little worried about the main course. No need. It's delicious. Now you're looking forward to dessert, and it's crappy. Stale. That's this book. The middle was so good I almost forgot how convoluted the beginning was. Then the ending was so rushed, so derivative, that it left me sorry I picked this book up.

Marcia Clark writes well. Maybe I'll give her another chance, but not anytime soon.

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