Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I've Written a Letter to Daddy (1962)

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

 

1) This song is from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, which was released on Halloween Day, 1962. Do you like scary movies? Scary, yes. Bloody? No.

 

2) The "Baby Jane" of the title is Baby Jane Hudson. Jane was a child star, singing and dancing in vaudeville. She was so popular that Baby Jane dolls sold well at her shows. Tell us about one of your favorite childhood toys. I loved Lassie like no other. She's still up in my closet somewhere.

 

3) Baby Jane's career hit the skids when she hit her teens and audiences no longer found her cute. Adolescence can be a tough time for many of us. Did you ever go through an awkward phase? Beginning in junior high through high school. I was always OK socially, always had lots of girlfriends, but I never felt pretty. I finally came into my own in my early 20s. Though in my heart, I'm still often that girl.

 

4) Meanwhile, Jane's older sister Blanche blossomed into a beauty and became a major movie actress. Her career was cut short when, at the height of her popularity, her back is broken in a car accident involving a drunken Jane. Most of the movie takes place in the mansion Blanche bought back when she was a star. Blanche is confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on Jane, who is bitter, jealous, and well, bonkers. Very bad things happen. Can you think of another movie where scary things happen in a big old house? Psycho gave us a two-fer: a scary motel with a big, scary house behind it.

 

Oh, that Norman Bates was one scary dude.

5) As a (crazy) older woman, Jane convinces herself she can relaunch her career and recapture the love of the public. She dresses like she did as a little girl and makes up her face to look like those Baby Jane dolls that were sold long ago at her childhood performances. Then she rehearses this week's song. The result is so memorable that now, more than 60 years later, you can still find "Baby Jane" Halloween costumes online. Tell us about a Halloween costume you really enjoyed wearing. Decades ago I went as Harpo Marx. It was a pretty easy costume: a man's boxy overcoat, a curly blond wig, a hat, and a bike horn. I had such a good time using that horn instead of words! I wonder if anyone today would even know who Harpo was.

 

6) Which kind of spooky movie villain do you find scarier: supernatural monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, ghosts, etc.) or human monsters (Baby Jane, Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise, etc.)? I'm more afraid of human monsters. 

Questions inspired by Halloween ....

7) Orange and black are the traditional Halloween colors, with orange representing the autumn harvest and black symbolizing all things scary and mysterious. Are you wearing either color as you answer these questions? Nope.

8) Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland, though instead of pumpkins, they carved gourds. When Irish immigrants arrived in the US, they used pumpkins because they were more readily available. Did you decorate your home with a jack-o-lantern, or anything else, for Halloween? Nope, though if you did, I'm grateful. We sold a lot of Halloween decorations at the card shop where I work.

9) Think back to your trick-or-treating days. Which candy were you happiest to find your bag? Mary Janes! They were very chewy peanut butter and molasses candies. My older sister hated them and so we would trade. Mary Janes are no longer readily available at the checkout counter, which is probably just as well since they would be killer on my dental work.

 

 

 

My contradictory nature

I don't like travel. I like airports. I like hotels and waking up somewhere new. I just don't like the actual travel thing – the literal moving from hither to yon. This washes over me when I think about how much I enjoyed my little trip to Grand Rapids to visit my niece and Baby Violet.

O'Hare recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was a lovely display, especially as the daylight shines through. I also saw another lovely display. As I was checking in, I noticed a young couple saying goodbye. That was quite a hug! Such sad faces. Were they breaking up? Was one of them moving away for a career opportunity in a shitty economy? Had they just fallen in love when one came to Chicago on vacation, and now vacation is over? 

I've become so appreciative of Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Yes, it's a small airport. But it's laid out very well and the employees have been uniformly helpful. As one who spent decades flying in and out of EYW, I promise you this is not always the case. I also like the visuals. There are installations inspired by Alexander Calder and the architecture itself is pretty cool. 

I was very happy and comfortable at one of the airport hotels. In fact, I insisted. Both my niece and her husband work full time. They have two cats and a most active toddler. They don't need me underfoot, and they certainly shouldn't have to bother with the guest room.

It gave me an opportunity to observe the hotel staff, which is like a little village within a town. The guy who drives the airport shuttle, the front desk staff, housekeeping, the breakfast host ... I had trouble with the heat and, at about 11:00 PM, I padded down to the front desk. A lone middle-aged woman was manning the post. Two girls were lounging around the lobby, a twenty-something with an iPad and a  grade schooler with a Barbie. The girls were the oldest and youngest of the hotel employee's six children, "keeping Mom company." What a little snapshot of domestic life I got in that moment.

Now, for the star of our show. Little Violet is a most extraordinary 16-month old. She looooves books and has a small bookshelf all her own. She will grab a book, bring it to you to read with her, and then just drop it on the floor when she's done. They simply cannot convey to her the importance of putting things back. I am the same way.

Like Violet's, only she stacks her books 2 or 3 deep.

 

They have two cats. The skinny black one gives her wide berth and she seems to respect that. But the big black and white one with the bum leg – he is like her brother. They are always together and she shares her toys and books with him. I am the same way.

Where Violet and I differ is in our eating habits. We dined in a restaurant together. She is fascinated by utensils and almost - but not quite – understands their use. Example: she was served mac and cheese. She then took her spoon and added some of her mother's Ranch dipping sauce to her pasta. Not my culinary choice, but it was artfully done. Then she proceeded to abandon the spoon and eat with her fingers. She enjoyed it thoroughly and needed a bath when we got home. She takes swimming lessons and was proud to show off her willingness to lie back in the water. 

In the backyard we were one again. She played for a moment on the slide because it seemed to make us happy, but she was all about her swing. The look on her face as she flew through the air! I am the same way.

  

Happy Birthday, Kwizgiver

May your day be full of sunshine, books and iced coffee.

Do you read my blog buddy, Kwizgiver? If you don't, you should. Find her here. And while you're there, you can wish her a happy birthday.

 

Thursday Thirteen #486

 I have a theory. I believe the names we get at birth help determine our fate.The popular girls of my school days had the popular names. They were always Linda and Nancy, never Phyllis or Eunice. 

Of course, this brands me as a late-boomer. Names go in and out of fashion. Here are the popular baby girl names of the 50s, when my classmates were born.

Courtesy of Good Housekeeping and the website Kate Knows.

1. Linda

2. Mary

3.  Lisa

4.  Elizabeth

5. Sharon

6. Sandra

7. Nancy

8. Julie

9. Cynthia

10. Barbara

11. Patricia

12. Kimberly

13. Kelly 

Think back on your school days. Who were the popular girls? Do you see their names on the above list?

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

 

Get Ready!

On November 4, I'm joining in Mimi's Blogblast for Peace. Why don't you do the same? It would be lovely if we filled the blogosphere with peace signs and gentle good wishes for a better future.

Sunday Stealing

The Grown Up Meme 

1. Do you have a college degree? No. These are the musings of a community college drop out.

2. What was the amount of your last electric bill? There are two ways to answer this. 1) I know what I pay each month, which is $29. 2) But because I'm part of the budget billing program, where they project how much power I'll use and spread it out over the year, I can't tell you with any certainty how much my last bill was really for.

3. Do you have life insurance? Yes.

4. Do you check your cholesterol on (at least) an annual basis? No, but my primary care physician does. That reminds me: gotta reach out to her. I believe it's time for bloodwork and a mammogram, too

5. Have you ever attended a high school reunion? No. I hated it the first time. No fucking way am I going back.

6. Do you have a will or estate plan? Yes.

7. Do you remember when MTV played music videos? Yes. In the 80s, I had MTV on every morning when I was getting ready for work. 

8. Is there a bottle of wine in your refrigerator? No. Wine gives me a headache. Now Jose Cuervo, he is a friend of mine, and he's in the frig.

9. Have you been divorced? No.

10. When you were 16, did you play music on vinyl, cassette, or CDs? Vinyl.

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Smoke Rings (1933)

   

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

   

1) In this song, Donald Mills of the Mills Brothers encourages us to "puff, puff, puff" our cares away. When did you most recently smoke a cigarette? I have never smoked. Anything. The idea of exhaling smoke through my nose or mouth is just so stinky and unhygienic. 

 

2) In the 1930s, when this week's song was recorded, an estimated 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes. By the early 1960s, that number reached a high of 42%. According to the CDC, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to 11%. Do many of your friends and relatives smoke or vape? Not anymore. My oldest friend recently quit smoking. 

 

3) Donald was the youngest of the singing Mills Brothers, and he's the one who most often sang lead. That squares with popular birth order theory, which proposes that the youngest tends to enjoy being the center of attention, the middle child is the diplomat, and the oldest is the high-achiever. Think of your own family and the families of your friends. Do you think this theory holds true? I'm the middle child and I don't think I'm diplomatic. I'm the most independent of the siblings. 

 

4) The Mills Brothers were one of the first famous singing brother acts. The Williams Brothers – which featured future TV star Andy Williams – followed in their footsteps. Can you think of another group of singing brothers? Don and Phil.

 

 

5) In addition to recording hit records, The Mills Brothers were a staple on radio in the 1930s. They were among the first African American artists to host their own radio show and sang jingles for Standard Oil and Crisco. What commercial do you recall having seen, or heard, recently? I watch a lot of baseball. Throughout the playoffs, I have seen way more of Megan Fox and her Ro Sparks commercial than I care to. 

 

6) In 1933, when this week's song was popular, actor Robert Montgomery and his wife had a daughter they named Elizabeth. That little girl would become famous in the 1960s for her own TV show. Without looking it up, do you know what show Elizabeth Montgomery starred in? She was Samantha on Bewitched. BTW, if you're looking for a good, scary-but-not-bloody movie for Halloween, I recommend Robert Montgomery in Night Must Fall. He's legit chilling.

 

7) Johnny Cash was also born in 1933. Do you have a favorite Johnny Cash song? Ring of Fire.

 
8) In 1933, five French airlines merged to form Air France. Think of the last time you were at an airport. Were you taking a flight or meeting a flight? I landed at O'Hare after a quick trip to Grand Rapids for a playdate with my grandniece, Violet. 

 

9) Random question: Your best friend just received a certificate for completing a car maintenance course at your community college. Would you let them work on your vehicle? Well, I don't have a car so I don't know for sure. But my impulse is no. I don't think it's a good idea to hire friends. 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #485

This one is for John. My late friend and I were like minded on much, but we disagreed mightily on disco. I find it mind-numbing and rather silly. He found it liberating. Before diabetes cost him a toe and his balance, he liked nothing better than to get on the dance floor and shake his groove thing. Disco was the soundtrack to his college years and early twenties and it was playing during his most carefree good times.

 

So it's with him in mind that I list 13 of the best-selling songs of the disco era. #13 was played at John's celebration of life, and I like to think that he was happy and whole again, cutting a heavenly rug.

1. Gloria Gaynor — “I Will Survive” (1978)
2. Chic — “Le Freak” (1978)
3. Bee Gees — “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)
4. Rick James — “Super Freak” (1981)
5. Lipps Inc. — “Funkytown” (1979)
6. The Trammps — “Disco Inferno” (1976)
7. Village People — “Y.M.C.A.” (1978)
8. Patrick Hernandez — “Born to Be Alive” (1979)
9. Bee Gees — “Night Fever” (1977)
10. Pointer Sisters — “I’m So Excited” (1982)
11. A Taste of Honey – "Boogie Oogie Oogie" (1978)
12. Peaches & Herb – "Shake Your Groove Thing" (1979)
13. Diana Ross – "Love Hangover" (1976) 

Except for #1 and #9, I don't like any of them. Which is not to say that I couldn't sing along with any of them on karaoke night. That's how pervasive disco was when Top 40 radio was still king.

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? My Life by William Jefferson Clinton. I'm like, "Who is William Jefferson Clinton? He's Bill!" He's been part of my life now for more than half my life (35 years). He's charmed me, inspired me, and broken my heart. When he left office in 2000, I was happy to see him retire. The Lewinsky scandal exhausted and disappointed me personally. Bill and me, we needed a break.

 

But now in 2026, I'm ready to reassess. He was deeply flawed but charismatic and enormously talented. I'm a Kennedy Girl, I grew up on deeply flawed but charismatic and enormously talented. Bill Clinton had something JFK did not – the gift of time. I want to look at his life, at his eight years in office, now that I have some perspective. His accomplishments – peace in Ireland and Bosnia, FMLA, a balanced budget, international cooperation on the environment – somewhat mitigate the scandals. I believe he is a good man. I believe Donald Trump's scandals are far more dangerous and venal and doubt he is anything but an authoritarian. Maybe it's that contrast that makes me ready to view Bill Clinton not as the man in whom I personally invested so many of my dreams for the country, but as a President.

 

This is a reread for me. I got it as soon as it came out 20 years ago. I remember thinking at that time, "This sucker is long and Bill sure is blabby!" Let's see if I've matured in this regard, too. 

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Murder at the Movies by Alicia Malone. A 30-something Hollywood publicist named Audrey inherits a house and an old movie theater on an island just off the coast of Maine. So she pulls up stakes and heads off to make the theater a success as a revival house, showing the classic films she and her late grandmother both loved. Unfortunately, on the night of the grand reopening, someone dies. Was it an accident, or murder? (The title answers that for us.)

I'm like Audrey in that I can't stop quoting movie dialog and my friends roll their eyes, too. So I get all the classic film references and they delight me. I like the atmosphere Alicia Malone creates. Pine Island is a very specific place. The murder? I didn't guess the killer or ultimate motive, so that's a plus. But there were many times when I stopped and said, "Oh, come on!" The murder victim was so bad he wasn't a person, he was a cartoon. Some of the actions Audrey takes make no sense.

 

But I had a good time with it nevertheless. I know that this is book #1 in a series, and I'll be back this summer for #2. 

3. What will you read next? Bill and I are spending 900 pages together. I don't know that I'll ever be done!

 

  

 

Sunday Stealing

Getting to Know You 

1) Describe yourself in three words. Loyal. Introverted. Short.

2) What's your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant? The chicken parmesan sandwich.

3) Did you set goals for 2026? If yes, how are you proceeding toward them? My New Year's Resolution was to donate/rehome every month, and I was doing so well! Note that "was." Between fall being warmer than usual – which means I still haven't put my summer clothes away yet – and Postcards to Voters taking up so much of time, I skipped September and October isn't looking too promising either.

4) What's something you have learned the hard way? Just about everything. 

 

5) If you could skip one item on today's to-do list, what would it be? Laundry. But it must be done!

 

Cold and warm water, too!

 

 

Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash 

Final total: 238

Now is the time for all good wo/men to come to the aid of their country. In the lead up to Tuesday, November 3, I've done (drum roll, please) 238 postcards.

Through Postcards to Swing States, I wrote to 200 registered Ohio Democrats. If Sherrod Brown doesn't reign victorious, it's not on me.

The Coke bottle is there for proportion, and because I couldn't have done this without caffeine.

Through Postcards to Voters, I wrote 20 for James Talarico in TX, 10 for Roy Cooper in NC and 8 for David Jolly in FL

When people tell me that while they're appalled by Trump and today's GOP, "but there's nothing I can do," I point them to these two postcard organizations. Trump has only been able to flex his Authoritarian muscles because the other two branches of government haven't been holding him accountable. So down ballot races – judges and aldermen through state legislatures and governors up to Congress and Senator – are key. From ICE on the streets to The Kennedy Center takeover to waging war in Iraq without the Congressional approval to Epstein and grift, none of this is legal. All of it could be stopped/slowed if we elect qualified people who will do their jobs. 

My late blogging buddy, Book Mama, turned me on to this. I can never send enough thanks to her in Heaven. I refuse to be helpless! Book Mama gave me this way to participate, to make a difference. We are not helpless!

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Somewhere Over Laredo (2025)

   

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

   

1) In this song, Laney Wilson namechecks Tito's Vodka. Is there a product you you are very brand loyal to? (It doesn't have to be liquor. Maybe you always reach for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, even if another soap is on sale.) I'm a very sloppy Cat Lady, so I clean up a lot of messes and I take my paper towels very seriously. Viva is my favorite, but it's not always available. I like Bounty. I'll settle for Brawny. I will never, ever go store brand.

 

2) The lyrics start with her in a window seat on a flight out of Houston. Do you prefer the window or the aisle? Aisle. I hate asking people to move when I want to get up and stretch my legs or go to the bathroom.

 

3) She's dreaming of rodeo nights with the guy she loves. If you could spend this evening with anyone at all, anywhere at all, where would you go and who would be with you? I would go back to Key West and be with my late friend, Henry. Sitting on the water, bonding, enjoying one another's company. I took this photo on our last Christmas Day together. The memory tugs at my heart and makes me want to go back, but it will never be the same.

 

 

4) Lainey is from Baskin, LA, population 200. Do you prefer big cities or small towns? Oh, big city, all the way!

 

5) There's a Netflix documentary about Lainey called Keepin' Country Cool. What show have you recently streamed? I've been catching up on Modern Family. I don't know why I didn't watch it when it was originally on. I love all the characters so much. 

 

6) This week's song borrows liberally from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," so much so that "Rainbow" songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg receive credit. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the most beloved song from The Wizard of Oz. Can you name another? "Optimistic Voices." You may think you don't know it, but you do. It's sung when they finally get to the Emerald City. "You're out of the woods, you're out of the dark, you're out of the night. Step into the sun, step into the light. March up to the gate and bid it open." If I'm alone, I sing along.

 

7) In 2025, when this song was popular, more patients took advantage of telehealth than ever before. Have you ever had a virtual doctor visit? Yes. After my test results come back, I ask for telehealth appointments to go over the results.

 
8) Also in 2025, smart home technology was integrated into more new home construction. Do you use smart devices to automate your lights, thermostat, or doorbell? We have a Ring doorbell.

 

9) Random question – On which day are you happier: a) the day you take off on vacation or b) the day you return home from your trip? I'm always happier when I come home. I miss my cats and am eager to get back. Plus, I don't like to travel and there's less stress coming home. Like, if the airline loses my bag on the return trip, it's nowhere near the big deal it would be on the day I arrive. 

 

 

 

Old Dog = New Trick

Ah, Christmas at the card shop! Yeah, I know it's not even Halloween yet. But yesterday, during my shift, we got 27 boxes of merchandise delivered, and at least 20 were all Christmas. It's overwhelming.

Before I tackled all that corrugated cardboard, I clocked in, filled my water bottle, and looked at the employee notices. I was shocked to see a December calendar, with the store's extended hours, and instructions for how to request holiday time off. My boss advised that she needed to know by November 15 in order to accommodate us.

Really? I made my holiday time off request back in June, and it came back denied.  I was told, "This is our busiest week and it's all hands on deck. No vacation requests are going to be approved. This is retail."

I was furious. I hate that tone: "This is retail."  I know what my job is here. I also know that I get no benefits and no paid time off. I know that in 2025 and 2024, my time off requests were honored. I know that my take home pay for this job is so minor that my financial planner doesn't even include it when developing my fiscal forecast. While we're cataloging things I know, I know I don't need this shit.

However, I didn't say any of that. I could tell back in June that my manager was parroting the edict of her boss, Eric. She usually doesn't talk that way. Since then, Eric has been transferred.  

My partner on the floor yesterday happened to be the store manager. It was just her and me for the whole four hours. We'd had a short power outage a few nights ago – I experienced it at my home – and though electricity was restored quickly, the power surge had blown out some of the store's circuitry. Until repairs were made, we'd been unable to accept anything but cash. Halloween is busy and lucrative, so this was a hit to the store's bottom line. One of our most popular vendors has pulled out of its contract with us. After decades. So when customers come in and ask for that specific brand, we get to tell them we simply don't have it anymore. 

See more here

My manager seemed so defeated, I just didn't have the heart to mention the holiday announcement to her. She started the small talk by asking me about The World Series. You know I can talk baseball for hours. Then I opened one of the shipping cartons and met Ulrich the Wolf. He is the softest, sweetest stuffed animal I've seen in forever. I oohed and aahed and was reluctant to put him down. 

"Look at his puppy paws!" I enthused. 

The encouraged her to show me pictures of her dog whose feet do, indeed, look like Ulrich's. You know what I can discuss even longer than baseball? Critters.

Finally, at the end of my shift, she brought up the holiday thing. She asked me if I'd be able to let her know by the 15th if I needed time off. I wanted to scream, "I TOLD YOU BACK IN JUNE!" I wanted to ask her what happened to, "This is retail?" 

But I know what happened. Eric was replaced, that's what happened.

Why put her in a position where she has to admit how little power she really has?

Do I think I'm owed an apology? Yes, I do. In her position, I'd offer one. But I could tell that in this way, my 30-something lesbian Hispanic boss is exactly like my ultra-WASP, WWII generation mom was. There are things it's easier to pretend never happened, and my June holiday request is one of them.

So I bit my tongue. Instead I promised her I'd have all my vacation time nailed down by my shift next week. I left feeling good about the whole situation.

I am learning – slowly – that my every thought doesn't need to be shared and my every impulse doesn't need to be acted upon. 

 
Photo by Siora on Unsplash  

Thursday Thirteen #484

 

 

Hot or cold? Ice packs and heating pads are inexpensive, powerful and medication-free ways to alleviate aches and pains. I'm a fan. But I'm often confused as to which I should reach for. And so I tooled around and here's what I found:

 

13 facts about ice and heat therapies.

 

1. If it's an injury or a pain that came on suddenly (like a bump or a bruise) you might want to reach for ice. 

 

2. Cold works by reducing swelling and numbing the nerves to relieve pain.

 

3. Ice works best if you apply it right away. An injury you received more than a day ago may not respond. 

 

4. Ideally you should press a cold pack on your skin and keep it there for 10 to 20 minutes. Then remove it and let your skin recover for an hour or two. Prolonged exposure to ice can damage your skin.

 

5. If instead of an ice pack you're using ice cubes, be sure to wrap them in a towel. Do not place a baggy of ice directly on your skin! 

 

6. It's also a cheap beauty treatment. Ice can quickly reduce under-eye puffiness.

  

7. If it's a recurring ache – the back ache you always wake up with or the stiff neck that regularly appears after too much screen time – try heat therapy.

 

8. Heat works by enhancing the blood flow and loosening tight muscles.

 

9. Do not use heat on swelling! You'll be hurting, not helping. Reach for a cold pack instead.

 

10. If you are feeling bloated or constipated, it might help to apply a heating pad to your abdomen. The heat can help relax abdominal muscles.

 

11. In my long-ago teen days, I found warm compresses helped with menstrual cramps. 

 

12. Similarly, when I was suffering from kidney stone pain, I found relief in a warm tub.

 

13. Dry, itchy eyes can benefit from heat because it stimulates tear production.

 

Remember, though, I'm just a curious gal with access to the internet. Do your own research and check with your own healthcare providers. 

 

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