Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Lady in Red (1986)

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

 

1) Is red a color you often wear? No. I was a redhead for decades and avoided reds and yellows. I am slowly allowing red and pink back into my closet. Yellow still leaves me looking a bit sickly.

 

2) In this song, Chris De Burgh is thrilled to be dancing with the woman he loves. Do you recall what was playing the last time you stepped onto the dance floor? The Beatles "Twist and Shout."

 

3) Chris says he wrote this song about the first time he saw his future wife, who wore a red dress when she came to see his band perform. Tell us about a memorable concert going experience. I'm making another concert memory on Monday when I see Paul McCartney! I just found out that my friend Mindy and her husband are going, too, and sitting in the same section as I am, just six rows behind me. The United Center seats 23,500 – what are the odds that Mindy would just happen to be sitting so close?

 

But to answer the question at hand: I've seen Sir Paul at Lollapalloza, Soldier Field, the late Chicago Stadium and Wrigley Field. All were outstanding, but my favorite would be have to be Wrigley. Not only is that ballpark one of baseball's great cathedrals and the home of my Chicago Cubs, Paul's timing was exquisite. I was in the midst of a cancer scare, awaiting major surgery so organs could be biopsied. I was terrified. At this moment, my knight arrived! It meant the world to me. PS Everything was benign, thank God.

 

From August 2011

4) Chris' father worked as a diplomat for the United Kingdom. Former US ambassador Robert D. Blackwill believes a diplomat should possess strong writing/speaking skills, meticulous attention to detail, historical knowledge, and stamina. Do you have any of those attributes? I write and speak well. Which is not to say I would make a good diplomat. I think I'd be terrible at it.

 

5) Chris' family owns Bargy Castle, a 15th century fortress in County Wexford, Ireland. Bargy Castle has been converted into a hotel. What's the last hotel you stayed in? The Holiday Inn near the Grand Rapids Airport. It was my second stay there and I can see it becoming something of a home-away-from for me as it is so convenient to my niece, her husband and their new baby. My niece has graciously invited to stay at their home but I'm comfortable at the Holiday Inn. She's a working mom with a new baby! She doesn't need to get her home ready for guests. I just want to sit, talk to her and her husband, and look at that adorable baby. I'm just as happy to sleep at the Holiday Inn.

 

6) Chris is a wine connoisseur who sold a collection of vintage reds for over $500,000. If you suddenly came into $500,000, what would you do with it? My fantasy would be to move into a small apartment on a short-term lease and then, while my condo is empty, renovate it. I need new floors and that's so hard to do when I'm living in here with all my furniture and other stuff. If there's money left over, I would pay down my mortgage. That would free up cash every month for me to do good.

 

7) In 1986, when this song was popular, singer/actress Lady Gaga was born in Manhattan. Have you been to New York City? Yes, but not for decades. I should go back. I found New York exhilerating.

 
8) Also in 1986, NHL Hall of Famer Jacques Plante died. Are you a hockey fan? I used to be, but not anymore. I appreciate baseball so much more.

 

9) Random question – You just slid behind the wheel and are about to embark on a long road trip. Which of these famous Williams would you choose as your navigator: Willie Nelson, Bill Murray, or William, Prince of Wales? First of all, I don't drive so I'd need my William to drive. I don't want Willie Nelson driving. He's 92 years old. I adore Bill Murray – he cracks me up and we're both Cub fans. But I'm afraid over a long trip I'd learn we aren't just naturally besties and that would make me sad. So I shall choose Prince William. I'd love to hear about his life and besides, he'd have a protection officer in the car behind us, so we wouldn't have to worry about getting lost or running out of gas.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Me, Part #3

More gifts came in the mail! First was the lemon-scented Yankee Candle. I suspect that was from my Cousin Rose, but there was no note so I'm not 100% sure. While I appreciate the thought and like the scent, this will be a regift. Candles just aren't safe here with my feline roommates.

Speaking of cats, I got a page-a-day cat trivia calendar. I suspect this is from my oldest friend, but again, no note. There was a time when she and I exchanged page-a-day calendars every year, so I really hope she did choose this for me. It would mean a welcome return to normal as she battles bipolar disorder. (But she's not answering my texts, so I wonder if her mood downshifted between when she picked the gift and its arrival.)

Then there's the personalized water bottle from Mme. Snarky Pants. How perfect is this? OK, so the one she sent is ginormous and my name is not Melissa, but you get the idea. It's especially fitting because of something that happened to me at work yesterday. I was in the storage room, searching for an empty carton to store the unsold Halloween merchandise. ZAP! I solved the mystery I've been reading. All the pieces just snapped into place. So clearly while my body was at the card shop, my attention was really on the case in 1990s Miami with fictional crime reporter Britt Montero. This mug just reinforces that Snarky "gets" me. 

Birthdays and holidays have been hard since John and Henry died. I'm glad – I'm lucky! – I have people who still fuss over me.

 

Religion and legislation

A young (20something) man in my movie group is a devout Jew. In addition to movies, we both follow baseball* and politics. He has educated me on what his religion has taught him about the LGBTQ community, explaining Jews are called to "acknowledge the sacredness of every human being and rededicate ourselves to creating a world where every person can live with dignity, safety, and pride." 

His rabbi has told him that abortion must be seen not in absolute terms but reviewed on a case-by-case basis. My friends Nancy and Mindy, also Jews but of my generation, have said that they were taught once a fetus is born, it's a baby. Until birth, the mother's life and decisions are honored.

The First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ensuring the right to practice any religion or none at all. 

You know where I'm going with this: Why does the Religious Right feel it can/should pass laws that go against the sincere beliefs of other established religions? What about the rights of Americans who don't believe in God at all? Why is this group so willing to celebrate the Constitution yet so eager to blur or downright ignore the separation between Church and State?

At a time when Tucker Carlson is comfortable giving Nick Fuentes a platform, and Donald Trump defends Tucker for this – while demanding Jimmy Kimmel be taken off the air – this looks darker and darker. 

America should belong to all of us. Our tent should be big enough for everyone. As a Christian, I have no problem with inclusion. After all, my faith has taught me about love and activism. If I believe abortion should be rare – and I do – that's what sex education is for. That's what adoption advocacy is for. That's not what legislation is for. 

Apparently Catholics are the wrong kind of Christians in Trump's America, too. Immigrants being held here in Chicagoland are not only deprived of due process, they are not allowed to take communion. Convicted prisoners on death row get to observe their faith, but not detainees here. Maybe I'm wrong about this. Perhaps it's easy to ignore the human rights of people who have yet to be found guilty of anything not because they are Catholic but because they aren't white. Either way, I find this chilling. And more than a little hypocritical. 

I also am not for telling consenting adults what they should be able to do in the privacy of their bedrooms. Denying tax-paying gays the legal rights that come with marriage? How can that possibly be fair? What's next? Denying gays jury trials because you don't like their lifestyle? Maybe transsexuals should no longer be allowed to vote because some (by all means not all) Christians don't "approve."

To me, this is the scariest thing about MAGA: It's made us comfortable with intolerance from people who claim patriotism, but aren't willing to live it. We're complacent and don't see where we're headed. As my late friend John liked to say, "People living in Berlin before the war didn't know they were living in Berlin before the war." Of course, he was gay, so why should we listen to him?

 

*He and I disagree on the AL MVP, though. Fond as I am of Aaron Judge, I'm just in awe of what Cal Raleigh was able to accomplish with his bat this year while playing more than 120 games as catcher. What a player!

Thursday Thirteen #439

 

 

Thanksgiving pantry items. The big grocery store in my community is encouraging us all to shop now and make sure we have the pantry staples needed to create a turkey day feast. Here are the top 13, in order of popularity ... 

1. Stove Top Stuffing

2. Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy (12 oz. jar)

3. Idaho Buttery Homestyle Potatoes (4 oz. packet)

4. Morton Coarse Kosher Salt

5. Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce

6. French's Original Crispy Fried Onions

7. Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 

8. Store brand French cut green beans

9. Swanson Chicken Broth (32 oz. carton)

10. Dole Pineapple Slices (20 oz. can)

11. McCormick Brown Gravy Mix (.87 oz. packet)

12. Store brand steam-in-bag mixed vegetables (12 oz.)

13. Store brand ground cinnamon 

Are any of these items on your grocery list? 

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

 

A welcome addition

I like having a medical team, a group of pros who I like and trust and, just as importantly, are willing to communicate and coordinate with one another. Chiropractor, dentist, dermatologist, ophthalmologist, oral surgeon, orthopedist, shrink, urologist ... I look to them to advise me and help keep me healthy. 

But just before Easter, I lost my QB. My primary care physician left to join a practice about a half hour away. I was bereft. All those specialists I listed above – I can walk to their offices. This is very important to me. Yes, I adored her because she got me through covid and communicated so freely with the specialists, making sure my care was coordinated and right for my whole body. But I don't drive, and coordinating a rideshare or public transportation is too unreliable for when I'm not feeling good. I want care as close to home as possible.

All these months later, I finally have a replacement! I met a nurse practitioner who is willing to slip into the role. She's on a first-name basis with my orthopedist and is in the same practice as my urologist. When I asked her if she would review pain meds and antibiotics before major dental procedures, she said, "of course." Like it was no big deal!

Her office is in the local hospital. An easy ride on the bus or a 20 minute walk (it took longer yesterday because I stopped for a hot dog on the way back). 

She called in my prescription refills and said she wants to see me in January – new insurance year – to do blood work. Now I can have the mammogram and urine test I'd been putting off until I had a PCP.

Phew. I have a QB. I like her. Now my team is complete and I am so relieved.

Photo by mahdi chaghari on Unsplash 

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? Miami, It's Murder by Edna Buchanan. Britt Montero is a dedicated crime reporter in 1990s Miami. It's summer in the city and she has plenty to do. There's the bandit with body odor who is robbing banks. There's the rapist who stalks white color women in major office buildings. And there's little Mary Beth. She was raped and murdered 20 years ago and her case is still unsolved. Britt wants to see justice finally done.

 

I like Britt and her best bud, a photographer named Lottie. That's important in a series like this, which is too dark to be called "cozy."

2. What did you recently finish reading? Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie. I am a Royal Watcher, but have always found Andrew and Fergie among the least interesting. This book shows that there is a story here that needs to be told. It's sad and ugly, but it was worth reading.

 

They're both depressing figures. She's "needy and greedy," a damaged woman with few coping skills who was easily seduced wealth and attention. He's worse: not bright, not talented, and a moral vacuum. Unlike the other "spares" I've read about – second born heirs to the throne who find themselves displaced as soon as their nephews were born – Andrew seems to be a uniquely empty vessel. Troubled though they seemed, Princess Margaret and Prince Harry displayed greater substance. Margaret honestly loved her sister and mother and was extremely loyal. Harry wants to be true to his mother's legacy and do good. But Andrew? He seems to want to golf and get laid.

 

Yes, there's a lot of Epstein here. It was illuminating to see how he operated. Not everyone ensnared in his web was a sex offender. They all do seem to have been, like Sarah, vulnerable to blackmail. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but there seems to be plenty of evidence that Epstein had ties to intelligence all over the world. Perhaps Congress should look into that, as well into whatever the hell it is that Donald Trump so desperately wants to keep hidden. 

3. What will you read next?  Something lighter. 

 

  

Fan mail!

I got into the store yesterday and found a little red envelope, addressed to me, stuck to the message board with a magnet.

 

I got fan mail! A thank you note from Lynn, a woman who came into the card shop last week in distress. Every year her company holds a very early holiday party and nesting dolls are at the center. She forgot, simply forgot, to order the nesting dolls and now there was simply no time, not even for Amazon. 

I unfortunately had to tell her we had no nesting dolls. She looked like I'd broken her heart.

So I made a suggestion: What if we nested gift boxes inside of bigger gift boxes? It wasn't a perfect plan. The boxes didn't fit as neatly as the nesting dolls would have and we could only fix it to go three deep, as opposed to the five figures in a typical nesting dolls set. 

She was thrilled. So much so that she wrote out a card and walked it over to the store, letting me know "the box game" was a hit and thanking me for my "expertise and support."

I don't think I fully realized how important gratitude makes one feel until I worked with the public at the card shop. Her little card made me so happy. It was satisfying to know I played a part in their office party. 

I must remember to pay this forward and thank people who help me at stores and restaurants.

 

 

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 2

My aunt sent me a big box of teas again this year. It's very sweet, really. Since she moved to Florida decades ago, she recalls Chicagoland as an arctic tundra and wants to help me ward off the cold. The thing of it is she sends me more than I can ever drink. So I will go through the box and what I know I won't consume, I'll either donate to the food pantry or give to Will and Gregory when we meet for Thanksgiving dinner. 

She also included a festive little Christmas pin. I mentioned on Facebook that I lost one last year and was bummed about it. Again, it was so sweet of her to remember that after all this time and act on it.

What's sad about this is how small her world has become. Like many who are MAGA (or MAGA adjacent), she just can't resist telling the rest of us how very wrong we are. And reveal what a racist homophobe she is. Her oldest son, my sisters, and her adult grandchildren are all estranged from her. She has a great grandchild she hasn't seen. She's been enduring health problems – as people knocking on 80 will – and is hurt that they don't check on her. The only Mother's Day gifts she receives anymore are from me (she's my Godmother). 

I wonder if the cold comfort she receives by "being right" about Trump is worth it. 

I prefer to focus on the fact that she's one of two people left on earth who held me as a baby. I choose to treasure that she loves me and is my last tie to my favorite grandparents.*

And I cannot wait until this MAGA fever breaks and I can celebrate my birthday without Donald Trump intruding on it!

*My grandmother never missed church and was very active in the congregation and the Girl Scouts. She was every inch a lady. My grandfather was a German immigrant who was outspoken in his support of unions and Democrats from FDR to Jimmy Carter (<<< President when he died). They would be appalled by MAGA.

 

Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash

 

Sunday Stealing

What 10 Questions Can Tell You the Most about a Person

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be? I'd like to be a happy housecat. Not one of those unfortunate cats who lives outdoors or whose owner unwisely allows him to roam. I want to be a cat who can safely snooze wherever, demand/get affection whenever, depend on never ending quality food/water,and lead a lovely life of serene leisure.

2. Are you generous? I try to be. I want to be.

3. Of the following, which consistently gives you the most pleasure: a) music, b) money, c) books, d) science, e) spirituality, f) food and wine, g) movies? C or G. But except for D, I'm a fan of them all.

4. Describe your dancing ability. Completely non-existent. 

5. What do you think your worst enemy really thinks of you? First you'll have to tell me who my worst enemy is. There are people I know I annoy, but I don't know that their antipathy has elevated me to the role of "enemy."

6. Can you tell when someone is lying to you? Sometimes but not always.

7. Describe how it feels to fall in love. Wonder. Every time I've been in love, it's filled me with awe at the enormity and beauty of it.

8. In deadly peril, what three people would you want in a foxhole with you? First, my friend Joanna. She's been through so much and she handles it all so well. Then Officer Mike, our neighborhood beat cop. He's calm and strong. Finally, my friend Kathleen because she's very good. I mean, her heart is solid and trustworthy. 

9. What is your greatest weakness? I'm stubborn.

10. If you were to live out the rest of your life as your favorite fictional character, which would you choose? Jo from Little Women.

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Rings (1971)

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

 

1) This song is about a young man who is happy to hear his phone ring. How about you? How do you feel when your phone rings? (Excited, annoyed, surprised, etc.) Depends on which phone. Hearing my cell ring annoys me because it's either spam or a friend who doesn't recall that you should text me on one line and call on the other. I prefer the landline for conversations because the call quality is so much better. When my landline rings, I have a more positive feeling because it's likely someone I want to talk to. 

 

2) He's got James Taylor on the stereo. Are you a James Taylor fan? Yes. I don't listen to him all the time, but when I'm in the mood he hits the spot.

 

3) He tells his girl he's been hanging with his buddies, Tony and Mario, but they're no substitute for her. What friend did you recently spend time with? What did you do? I spent Thursday afternoon touring a local architectural landmark with my friend Gregory.

 

4) Tony and Mario were real people. They ran a restaurant frequented by the songwriters. Did you dine out this past week? I got pizza to go on Wednesday and dined in on Thursday.

 

5) "Rings" is the only hit for the band Cymarron, who hailed from Memphis, a town known for classic southern comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, cornbread and mashed potatoes. What's on the menu at your home this weekend? I'd like to pick up some barbecue this weekend, if I get around to it.

 

6)  The boys in Cymarron took their name from their favorite TV show, the Western Cimarron Strip. What TV show are you currently enjoying? Maybe your fellow Sat9ers would like it, too. Modern Family. Yeah, I know it had its series finale 5 years ago, but I just recently discovered it. It's not only funny, it has diversity and heart. It's the family I wish I was part of.

 

 

 

7) In 1971, when this song was popular, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Is there any change in your wallet or pocket right now? Yes. About 45¢ in dimes and nickels only. (I put pennies in the piggy bank and quarters in the beer stein for laundry.)

 
8) Also in 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie, the doll with a tan. Have you ever used a tanning bed? Oh, golly, I did it back in the 90s. The man I was seeing back then confessed that he found tanlines sexy and so I resolved to get me some, even though I am excruciatingly pale and don't tan. So I bought several 20 minute sessions in one of those awful things, listening to tunes and trying unsuccessfully to relax. Ah, the things we do for love!

 

9) Random question – If we were to ask your friends, which of these qualities would they say they like best about you: your warmth, your sense of humor, or your intelligence? Probably my humor. 

 

 

 

It's not the same, but it's something

I spent the afternoon with Gregory. Like me, Gregory was one of the satellites who revolved around our friend John, who has been gone for 19 months now. As much as I miss John – and I do, every day – I think the loss is even greater for Gregory. Both gay men of color, coming up through corporate America in the 1980s, they had to navigate minefields I can't even imagine, and I'm glad they had each other. 

But because John was so charismatic, and also because, I suppose, I'm lazy, I lumped Gregory in with John. I assumed they were more alike than they are. In the year-and-a-half since we lost John, I've come to discover a man I've known more than 40 years. 

For example, Gregory is far more visually attuned than John was. Whereas John was all about the tunes, Gregory enjoys art and architecture. There are impressive examples of prairie style architecture in my neighborhood and a landmark home offers guided tours.* I asked Gregory if he wanted to see it and he was very enthusiastic. As we took the tour, he photographed a lot and asked many smart questions. (The man knows his doorways!) 

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash 

 

Afterward we went to a late lunch/early dinner at the bar in my neighborhood John loved. We compared notes about how our different neighborhoods are enduring the ICE occupation. We talked about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, et al. He filled me in on others in John's circle that I'd lost track of (Vanessa, at 70, is contemplating marriage for the first time to a man she met at a conference!). I told him about an incredibly trippy old movie I'd just seen – The Locket (1946) – that had a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. 

Something was missing, of course. John. But he's gone forever, and we're here and we have to go on. I like to think he'd be happy that Gregory and I still see one another.

*Free in exchange for a donation to the food pantry. What with the government shut down, the ICE raids and the suspension of SNAP benefits, the demand has suddenly increased. As we go into the holidays, I was happy to help my neighbors.

Happy Birthday to me, Part 1

My early birthday gift from Sir Paul arrived today! Turns out I am an Emerald VIP for his upcoming concert at the United Center. I'll be honest: when I was finally admitted into the Ticketmaster "room" to purchase my ticket, I clicked "best available" and all I focused on was completing the transaction before the timer hit 00:00. I really didn't care what "best available" got me. 

As an Emerald VIP, I get a box of swag!

 

That's a lanyard with a VIP pass, a "cross body belt bag" (aka a fanny pack you wear across the chest) and my favorite – a Paul McCartney wristwatch. The black/white cat on the floor on the left is Roy Hobbs. While I was squealing over the tour merchandise, he was plotting against the black/pink mouse toy on the floor on the right. 

Is this worth what I paid for the ticket? Nah. But then, I can't possibly put dollar value on seeing Sir Paul end his world tour in Chicago just days after my birthday – and from the 11th row of section 101! He's 83 years old now, I'll be 68. I don't know how much longer we'll keep meeting like this. I'm going to savor it.

 

 

All is not lost

It's so easy to get depressed about the way things are going in this country. I can't believe that a full 42% of Americans have a "favorable" view of Donald Trump. It makes me sad, as much as it made me sad to hear my countrymen dismissively say things like, "If Trump thought he was a king there wouldn't be any No Kings protests." Don't these people ever stop to reflect on tea in the Boston harbor and why we don't speak with a British accent?

Well, I do.  I believe in Madisonian democracy. I follow elections. I work campaigns.

It took me three months, but I wrote 225 GOTV postcards for the Pennsylvania judicial race. Judges at the state level are important. Because these races are often off year and/or down ballot, they don't get much attention or voter participation. That makes it easy for big money and corporate interests to insinuate themselves. That's where I come in. I'm unpaid labor! I can't sing or dance, but my one talent is my penmanship. It's attractive and legible and I'm ready to use it for campaigns that that don't have money to spend.

On Tuesday November 4, my efforts were rewarded. The judges I supported were retained by the good people of Pennsylvania. It was very satisfying. 

I want to give a shout out to Postcards to Swing States and Postcards to Voters.  They have given me a way to serve and make myself heard. All it takes is time, stamps, and the willingness to contribute.

This matters. Not only to my country but to my peace of mind. 

 

Thursday Thirteen #438

 Just desserts. The neighborhood bakeshop is currently promoting their Thanksgiving desserts. Here's what organized folks around here are ordering. Listed in the order of popularity ... 

1. Double crust apple pie

2. French silk pie

3. Pumpkin pie

4. Gluten free carrot cake (by the slice)

5. Assorted pastry tray

6. Cinnamon rolls

7. Pecan pie bites (a tray of 16 individual pies)

8. Lemon scones

9. Giant chocolate chip cookie with "Give Thanks" written in frosting

10. Tray of six yogurt parfaits

11. Berry and kiwi fruit tart

12. Banana bread

13. One dozen vanilla sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles (The shop is known for these, but I'm not a fan. They're tasty, but impossibly messy. The cookie – pardon the phrase – crumbles and sprinkles get all over the place.)

Have you settled on a dessert yet?

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

My wildest dreams

 My sleep has been disturbed by vivid dreams for weeks now. I think I know why ...

I haven't been blogging daily for more than a month. I've been feeling a little too overwhelmed. Operation Midway Blitz continues to weigh heavily on my community. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem likes to say they are focused on deporting "the worst of the worst," but it's not true. The people ensnared by DHS are our neighbors. ICE has staked out the parking lot of the children's museum and detained parents at the elementary school. Landscapers have been pulled off ladders and collected from front lawns, so local teens have volunteered to rake leaves and cut grass for free – that way we can cancel scheduled yard services but still pay the bill. (After all, these workers are not only scared, they're cash strapped.) Restaurants are struggling because back-of-the-house employees are afraid to go to work and service suffers. The card shop where I work has a protocol to follow if I feel "threatened" by federal officers, who are not allowed to enter the store but can stand directly in front of the front or back doors. 

The above is just off the top of my head. I could write about pepper spray and zip ties. I could notate how detainees are denied due process. I could talk about how we're encouraged to keep our whistles and phones with us at all times, so we can first alert our neighbors to ICE and then document their excesses. 

Between undocumented workers and unpaid federal employees, the demand at the food pantry has grown to nearly unmanageable. 

This is no way to live. It's oppressive and it's with us all the time. 

Yes, I know illegal immigration has grown to unacceptable proportions. But this response is illegal, excessive and cruel, just as it's intended to be.

Donald Trump has coarsened us. He's cost us our compassion, civility and dignity – the destruction of the East Wing is an apt metaphor.

Now he's costing me my sleep, too. 

I used to think that posting about these things could become tiresome. I once worried that I was releasing malaise into the blogosphere.

But at 4:30 AM I realized that this is where I work things through. This brings me a certain level of relief during a stressful time. So I'm returning to blogging. Not only about politics and current affairs but my life.

After I post this, I'm rolling over and hopefully going back to sleep.

 

 

Photo by S L on Unsplash

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? Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie. My friend Joanna spent a month in England and reports that the Epstein scandal is on everyone's mind there, too. Only in the UK, they're not especially interested in why Donald Trump is "in the files." It's about Lord Mandelson, the career politician who was first appointed Ambassador to the US and then fired from the post for the same reason: his relationship with Epstein and Trump. It's about the head of one of the UK's most powerful and prestigious banks who was forced out because of his relationship with Epstein. Most of all, it's about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the Prince formerly known as Prince, and his high-spirited ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who are now titleless and (technically) homeless because of their relationship with Epstein.

 

This book is England's juiciest read on the scandal, and since I don't want my view of it to be totally US-centric, I picked it up.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. In Book #2 of the series, Isabel gets everything wrong.

Isabel is the middle child and eldest daughter of the Spellmans, a family of detectives (except the oldest, David; the black sheep of the family, he became a wealthy, successful attorney). It's not that Isabel is a bad detective. Technically she seems to have many skills – planting bugs and GPS devices, doing background checks, tailing subjects. etc. It's just that she makes faulty assumptions and draws erroneous conclusions. This gets her arrested four times in three months.

She also loses her apartment(s) and needs to find a date to her last boyfriend's wedding. To an Olympian. It doesn't do a lot for a girl's ego to be down on her luck at the precise moment her ex is marrying a world class specimen.

These books are very funny but even more than that, they have a lot of heart. Time spent with the Spellmans is time well spent.

3. What will you read next? Miami, It's Murder by Edna Buchanan.

 

  

Sunday Stealing

The Desert Island Meme

You're stranded alone on a desert island ...

1) Which three BOOKS could you read over and over again?

William Goldman's Princess Bride is a no-brainer. I love that book. It's funny and, as he moves between old Florin and modern day Los Angeles, poignant. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell would be good, too, because it entertains me, infuriates me, and makes me think about America in the 1860s, 1930s and today. JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton would be my third. It takes the future President from birth to his early 30s. While to outsiders he seemed to have everything – money, charm, privilege – he overcame tremendous challenges, only to die at 46. This book reminds me not to be so damn judgey. 

 

2) Which three MOVIES could you watch over and over again?

 

My favorite love story

As beautiful & ugly & engrossing as it gets

Also written by William Goldman

3) Which three SONGS could you listen to over and over again? All B's. Babs singing "My Man." Bruce singing "No Surrender." The Beatles singing "All My Loving."

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: That Funny Feeling (1965)

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

 

1) In this song, Bobby Darin admits he cares more for the girl than he should. What's something you have recently overdone (eaten too many potato chips, stayed up too late, etc.)?

I just discovered these pretzel bites. I love them. I really love them.
 

2) Bobby wrote this as the theme song for a movie he starred in with his wife, Sandra Dee. That Funny Feeling (the movie) turned a profit at the box office and "That Funny Feeling" (the record) made the Billboard Top 40. Can you think of another movie and song that were both popular? "So it's the laughter we will remember whenever we remember ..."

 

 

3) While Bobby had a successful movie career and earned an Oscar nomination, he didn't get the part he wanted most: Tony in West Side Story. While he could sing and dance very well, producers didn't think Bobby looked like a romantic leading man. What actor or actress makes your heart skip a beat? 

Josh Duhamel. He appeared in 5 seasons of NBC's Las Vegas and recently starred in the Netflix miniseries Ransom Canyon. I'm eagerly awaiting Season 2 because I like his face.

 

 

4) Elvis enjoyed watching Bobby perform, but understood that if he sat in the audience he would be a distraction. So Elvis always watched Bobby from the wings. Think about the last thing you saw in a theater (concert, movie, play). Were you distracted by another audience member? Was anyone crinkling paper, checking their phone, whispering, etc.? My movie theater has these fabulous recliners. If I'm there for an action movie, like One Battle After Another, I don't notice my fellow theatergoers adjusting their seats. But for something quieter, like the Downton Abbey movie, I could hear the footrests extending all around me.

 

5) When the editor of a teen magazine asked if he could cook, Bobby not only said yes, he offered up his manicotti recipe. What's your favorite pasta dish? (To eat, not necessarily to whip up in your kitchen.) I used to love the manicotti at La Cantina, a tiny restaurant tucked away in the basement of the larger, more famous Italian Village. It closed during covid and never reopened. Now the space is a hipster bar. I fear I will never have fabulous manicotti so cheesy and divine again.

 

6) In addition to cooking, Bobby's friends recall he loved talking about classic cars and baseball. Which of those three would you be most comfortable discussing? Baseball. I don't cook and I can't drive, but I love the Chicago Cubs.

 

7) In 1965, when Americans were listening to "That Funny Feeling," aspirin was the top over-the-counter pain reliever. You could get a bottle of 200 tablets for just $1. Is there aspirin in your medicine chest right now? Nope. I don't keep meds in the medicine chest. But I don't have any aspirin in the basket on my kitchen counter, either, and that's where I do keep my meds.

 
8) Also in 1965, I Dream of Jeannie premiered. The sitcom about a beautiful genie living in the suburbs was developed to compete with Bewitched, about a beautiful witch living in the suburbs. Which show do like better?

 

9) Random question: After a friend leaves your home, you spot a small, bound book on the floor next to your sofa. You flip through it and see that her journal fell out of her purse. It's mostly shopping lists and appointments but also includes personal observations, Once you realize what it is, do you close it and keep it closed until you can return it to her? Or do you continue reading? I hate to admit this, but I'd continue reading.