Thursday Thirteen #478

 

 

 

Meet my imaginary sister. I grew up on Little Women. I always wanted to be Jo and have a Meg who could be yin to my yang. I yearn for a sister whose strengths complement mine, who could teach me things and with whom I could share. Alas, that is not what I got. So I adopt pretend sisters. The first was Nora Ephron, now it's Joanna Coles.

 

13 facts about Joanna Coles. 

 

1.  Joanna Coles has been in all manner of media for more than 40 years – newspapers (Britain's Daily Telegraph and The Guardian), radio (BBC Radio 4), TV (BB2, E! and Project Runway) and many, many glossy magazines.

 

2. She got her first story by kicking down a bathroom door. She was a newspaper reporter, covering the story of a woman in a high profile case who had just been freed from jail. The woman left the courtroom and fled into the ladies room. All the male reporters were patiently waiting but Joanna was propelled by adrenaline. Assuming the woman was hiding out from the press, she barrelled into the bathroom and kicked open the stall. The poor woman wasn't hiding, she was actually urinating. Joanna was mortified.

 

3. It was during this millennium, in magazines, and on this side of the pond that she really hit her stride. She went from editor at New York Magazine to editor-in-chief at both Marie Claire and Cosmo. Today she is all digital, which is where I found her. She is the Chief Content Editor of The Daily Beast (Substack, website and YouTube).

 

4. She is equally comfortable in the worlds of fashion and politics, which is why I find her so much fun. Her favorite interviews seems to have been with Barack Obama and Rep. Seth Moulton. She is also proud of getting OJ Simpson's first one-on-one interview post-acquittal.

 

5. Joanna advises us each to have "a big life," where we are engaged and giving back. This is key to satisfaction and fun "at any age and any stage." She is a fan of fun. She makes me laugh, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. Example: Her Melania Trump imitation is very good and her Donald Trump is terrible, but she enjoys doing it so I've heard it a lot.

 

6. She warns that "it's easy to spend a lot of time online at the expense of the real world." According to Joanna, digital social skills and interpersonal social skills are different and it's not "a zero sum world." In today's world we need both to have a rewarding life. As one who has to make myself interact in real life, I appreciate this reminder.

 

7. I love her look. She's 64, with white blonde hair and pale eyebrows. She favors tailored blazers over bold graphic t-shirts, whether she's wearing a skirt, slacks or jeans. Joanna has mastered creating visual impact while remaining age appropriate. I want her to take me shopping and then to have my make up done. I really need help in this area.

 

8. But there are areas of American life she is woefully unaware of. For example, in the run up to the IndyCar race in Washington DC in late August, she was shocked – shocked, I tell you! – that cars would ever zoom through a busy metropolitan area! Um, Joanna? Chicago hosted a Nascar race through the city streets in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and we have approximately 2 million more people than Washington. She also seemed genuinely surprised by the outpouring of grief over Dolly Parton's death. I could help familiarize Joanna with a US beyond NYC and DC.  

 

9. Joanna met Peter Godwin when they were both journalists in London. They moved together to New York in the 1990s, marrying in 2001. He has written books and served President of PEN America, "whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights."

 

10. Husband and wife co-authored a book called The Three of Us, which detailed her first pregnancy and what it was like to be new parents together in a new country. I can't find it at my library but I haven't stopped looking.

 

11. Today both their sons are grown. Joanna says often that now she wishes she had more children. She and Peter divorced after 18 years of marriage. I believe her husband got their dogs, and I have seen her cat interrupt her podcasts (as cats will).

 

12. Her mother died earlier this year. She was very frank in sharing that final illness and passing with us, often broadcasting from her childhood room in West Yorkshire as she bid farewell to her mother and tended to her father. I appreciated her candor, because dealing with aging parents is something we will all face.

 

13. She is an imaginative business woman. I read that in 2024, The Daily Beast was not profitable, and I am watching how she tests different subscription models and endorsement deals as she fights to turn it around.  

 

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

 

August Happiness Challenge – Day 23

My 2026 Happiness Icon

Today's Happiness: Hepburn. Today is Katharine Hepburn Day on TCM. I watched two of my faves in real time and DVR'd two more. One that I recorded, Mary of Scotland, I've never seen before! She is my queen, and I've enjoyed our time together today enormously.

 

Happy August Happiness Challenge!

 

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

 

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Margin of Error by Edna Buchanan. Miami in the 1990s was hot, and not just by National Weather Service standards. For a time, Hollywood came calling and it was a popular location for films and made-for-TV movies. That's how glamorous actor Lance Westfall plausibly can be in the life of hardworking Miami reporter Britt Montero. Her newspaper has assigned her to him as he researches his role for an action movie. He's going to get an eyeful, because Britt works hard and is dogged in getting the story, no matter how ugly or how dangerous the story is. The last big story was awful in every way, and at the beginning of this book, she's still haunted by it.

 

This is a series and I like the recurring characters, but be warned: these books are not remotely "cozy." Edna Buchanan was a Miami crime reporter in real life and she is unsparing in what she shares. But the violence is believably, frighteningly rooted in real life. (That's the complaint I've had with Rosenfelt and the Andy Carpenter books. Most crimes are do not involve in international intrigue. The stories Britt covers and uncovers feel real.)

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Touched by the Sun by Carly Simon. Carly Simon was galpals with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the last decade of Jackie's life. This is the story of that relationship, and the ongoing impact it had on Carly's life.

 

The first time I read this book it was for Jackie and yes, she continues to fascinate. This time through I concentrated on Carly. At one point she was dealing with the death of her mother and Jackie's last illness. I wanted to revisit Carly's attitudes and observations because now, at age 83, she is simultaneously battling Parkinson's and skin cancer. 

 

The Carly on these pages is fragile, complicated and indulgent. I liked her, related to her, yet was frequently annoyed by her. Maybe the things that annoyed me are the same things I see in myself. It's an involving memoir. A slim book, I may reread it again in the future, and maybe I'll get something different from it.

3. What will you read next? Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise by Sally Cline.

 

  

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Blueberry Hill (1956)

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

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Fats Domino sings about a hill named for blueberries. According to the Old Farmers Almanac, blueberries can grow just about anywhere in North America, as long as they have plenty of direct sunlight. Do you have a garden? No. I don't have my own yard. Though I suppose if I cared to, I could tend to the little plot in front of our building. We pay a landscaper to come a couple times each season to do minimal maintenance. We all agree it looks crappy, but we aren't willing to spend any more money on it.

2) Blueberries are low in calories and rich in fiber. Are they a regular part of your diet? Sporadically. Sometimes I want them, most of the time I don't.

3) They also have a high moisture content. Staying hydrated is important to human health. Do you drink the standard recommended 8 glasses of water every day? No. I try, but I seldom get beyond 5 glasses.

4) Fats originally had a big hit with "Blueberry Hill" in 1956, and then enjoyed the record's renewed popularity in the mid-70s, when "Blueberry Hill" was often referenced as Richie Cunningham's favorite song. Without looking it up, do you remember what show Richie Cunningham was on? (Extra non-existent Saturday 9 points if you can also name the actor who played Richie.) Happy Days, Ron Howard.

5) Born Antoine Domino, he took the name "Fats" not just because of his physique. Growing up, jazz pianist Fats Waller was one of his heroes. If you were to adopt the first name of someone you admire, what would we call you? Jacqueline.

 

6) Despite his warm and friendly stage persona, Fats was shy around strangers and hated giving interviews. Tell us about something you did only because it was part of your job, not because you enjoyed it. At my current job, I hate handling customer returns because I believe the cash register is my enemy. I always end the transaction by saying, "Thank you for your patience," because I know I suck.

7) In 1956, when this record was topping the charts, the Olympics were held in Melbourne. Have you ever been to the land down under? Nope.

8)  The star of the 1956 Olympics was Austrian Toni Sailer, who won all three gold medals in Alpine skiing. Do you prefer snow skiing, water skiing, or just watching other people ski? I enjoyed snow skiing, even though I am no good at it. I've never been on water skis.

9) Random question: Do you believe everyone has a jealous streak? Yes.

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? Touched by the Sun by Carly Simon. Carly Simon was galpals with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the last decade of Jackie's life. This is the story of that relationship, and the ongoing impact it had on Carly's life.

 

This is a reread for me. I reached for it when I heard Carly is ill. I grew up on her, and of course on Jackie. These are two very complicated, high-profile women who grew up with wealth and achieved fame (though through very different routes). Yet there is universality in this memoir – they both experienced heartbreak, they both loved their children, they both felt at times inadequate. 

 

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden. Suburban housewife Debbie Mullen is having a really bad day. Her oldest daughter is all hormones and bad attitude and just can't stay away from the class bad boy. Her younger daughter is having trouble on the soccer team but refuses to talk to Debbie about it. Her husband is under appreciated and underpaid at work and they need more money – for the mortgage, for home improvement, for the girls' college – but he's reluctant to ask for it. Her neighbor works from home and plays his music too damn loud all damn day. The bitches in her book club are condescending. It's too much. She's starting to hear a hum in her head. 

 

She's going to have to start doing something about everything that bothers her. 

 

This is a twisted little thriller. There are plot holes, but they are really beside the point. It's the zigs and zags that will propel you from chapter to chapter. This book is about boredom and isolation and rage and revenge. 

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

 

  

 

 

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? Act of Betrayal by Edna Buchanan. This is the fourth of the Britt Montero series and it's a thrill ride from the very beginning. Britt is a reporter on the crime beat for a major Miami daily. She's had a helluva morning, covering the death of a grandmother found in her own kitchen and a van accident that killed immigrants being transported illegally to a work site. She stops for lunch and as she contemplates the empanada purchased from a street vendor, Britt hears an explosion. Being a reporter, she doesn't run away, she runs toward it.

 

And we're off! The Britt Montero books are not cozy mysteries. They are shocking and violent, but also very human. Miami-born Britt is a thirty-something single, looking for love but not as hard as she pursues leads. Her best friend is Lottie Dane, a statuesque crime photographer transplanted to Miami from Texas. I like these women and their friendship.

 

Buchanan is a good writer, successfully creating a specific time and place: 1990s Miami. Very Crockett and Tubbs. Newspapers were still thriving, though very aware of competition from local news stations. Britt keeps a quarter in pocket all the time so she can use the nearest pay phone to check her office voicemail. (I kinda miss those days.)

 

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto. There have been more than 100 books written about Marilyn, her movies and her legacy. I'm glad I grabbed this one. Donald Spoto takes her seriously as a woman and an artist. He doesn't ladle on extra sensationalism or victimization because 1) those are baked in and 2) he respects her and us.  

 

This is a reread for me and I came away with a different emphasis this time. First, Marilyn worked very hard and kept improving. Because she was fired from her last movie and then died at 36 just weeks after, it's easy to assume she'd peaked. It's impossible to know, of course, but she had two new films on her horizon* and it's possible that, like Elizabeth Taylor, she could have become more than her looks and kept getting better. 

 

Second, she kept evolving as a person, too. Around the time she got a part in The Asphalt Jungle, she was struck me as selfish and unlikable. She was 23 and (to slip into today's vernacular) was couch surfing and using people. All exigence and ambition, anything to get by, anything to get a part. Over the next 13 years, she learned about herself and others. As she became more comfortable in her own skin, her generosity of spirit emerged and by the end of the book, I mourned this sweet woman.

 

Unfortunately, Marilyn's death seems to have become more important than her life. This book walks us through her final days and puts to rest many of the more tenacious and lurid rumors.  

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

 

  

 *Both movies were made with other actresses. Carroll Baker played Harlow and Shirley MacLaine starred in What a Way to Go.

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #466

Birthday Girl. This month classic movie fans are celebrating the centennial of Marilyn Monroe. She remains the most recognizable star Hollywood has ever produced, and is among the most famous American women ever. Today she's known all over the world, identified more for her whispery voice, platinum hair and tragic personal life than her work. 

That's too bad, because she cared about her craft. She completed 29 films in 14 years, though her appearances in the first 4 are blink-and-you'll-miss-her. Of the remaining 25, these are the ones I recommend. She does not have the quality oeuvre of Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck, two actresses with whom she shared the screen. But Marilyn did her best with what she was given and was often very good. She made a shit ton of money for an industry that never respected her, and she was always fascinating to watch.

1. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). She was showgirl Lorelei Lee who wore hot pink and believed "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." She's silly and funny as the girl who very wisely plays dumb. BTW, here's another reason to love Ryan Gosling: he used his live performance of "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 Oscars to pay homage to Marilyn's "Diamonds" number.

2. Some Like It Hot (1959). On a snowy night in Chicago, two musicians witness a certain Valentine's Day mass shooting. To escape the mob, they dress in drag and travel out of town with an all-girl band. Marilyn is luminous as Sugar Kane, the boozy and confused lead singer. They fall in love with her, and you will, too. (The 80s TV show Bosom Buddies owes an awful lot to this movie.)

3. All About Eve (1950). This is the best movie on this list, though it's Bette Davis' show, not Marilyn's. She has a small (two scenes?) but cleverly-written role as Miss Caswell, "an actress and graduate of the Copacabana School of Dramatic Arts." Miss Caswell may be only moderately talented, but she's smart enough to persuade New York's most famous theater critic to mentor her.

4. The Misfits (1961). She's in Reno for a quickie divorce. She unwisely begins a rebound relationship with a much older man, a cowboy played by Clark Gable. Initially they seem to have nothing in common, but it turns out they are both emotionally battered and can give each other hope for the future. At least that's what I think it's about. I've seen it several times – it has an amazing cast and terrific dialog – but it's not one of Arthur Miller's better works. Still, there's such real affection between Marilyn and Gable that I find it touching. (It was the last completed film for both of them.) 

5. Bus Stop (1956). A naive cowboy falls in love at first sight with a showgirl performing at a rural bus stop and decides to make her his wife. She's a painfully bad singer – not quite as awful as Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins, but certainly prettier – yet he stubbornly insists she's "an angel." Often mentioned as Marilyn's own favorite Marilyn movie, she is good as a world-weary woman who longs to see herself as he does. 

6. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Three women set out to ... well ... find rich husbands. Hey! It was the 1950s. The thing that elevates this comedy is the camaraderie among the three stars, each gorgeous in her own way. Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn could be the precursors of Carrie Bradshaw and her SATC posse. 

7. There's No Business Like Show Business (1954). One of those musicals about a family of performers who believe the show must go on and all those other cliches. The movie is not very good, but Marilyn has two great numbers, "(We're Having a) Heat Wave" and "After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It." Seeing her in gorgeous clothes, dancing well and putting her songs across, you enjoy her work as the untalented showgirl in Bus Stop even more.

8. Niagara (1953). This movie is a curiosity because it's the only time Marilyn plays a completely unsympathetic character. She's Rose, a sexy siren who is so very over her husband and open to all ways out of her unhappy situation. She's unlikable, for sure, but you can't take your eyes off her.

9. Don't Bother to Knock (1952). This one surprised me. Marilyn plays an unhappy girl who gets a gig babysitting a little girl at a hotel where the parents are out-of-town guests. She finds herself attracted to one of the other guests and makes up an alternate identity for herself, pretending that the nice clothes and makeup in the hotel room belong to her, not the little girl's mother. Eventually we realize she's batty. It's a little, low budget movie, barely over an hour long, but Marilyn handles her dramatic part well.

10. Clash by Night (1952). Marilyn has a rather small part in this one, but she's sweet as a young girl in love. Her boyfriend has a big sister (Barbara Stanwyck, the star). Sis is unhappily married with a baby, and Marilyn's character is worried about ending up as unsatisfied as the older woman. 

11. O. Henry's Full House (1952). Marilyn appears in the first of four vignettes. A homeless man is tired of life in the cold and wants to get himself arrested so he can enjoy a bed and three squares. He approaches a pretty young woman on the street and makes a lewd suggestion, assuming she will report him for harassment. Marilyn rather charmingly provides the plot twist.  

12. The Prince and The Showgirl (1957). What a weird ass movie this is. Marilyn was as big a star as she would ever be – at least in life – and this is what she chose to do with her power. She produced the movie, and hired Sir Laurence Olivier as her director and co-star and they have no chemistry whatsoever. The title tells you all you need to know about the plot. And yet, when she's on screen, you can't take your eyes off of her, even when she's sharing a scene with the great Olivier. Part of it is her white dress. It deserved a co-starring credit.

13. The Seven Year Itch (1955). I feel like I had to include this one, even though I do not like it one bit. This is THE MOVIE, the one that made Marilyn a superstar, the one where her white skirt blows up. People not yet born will see that iconic image. I find this film to be a smutty affair, where a married man leers at her for 90 minutes. It's all childish sex jokes, like an episode of Three's Company. Marilyn's character is so completely sexualized she doesn't even have a name! She's The Girl. But here's the thing: you like her. She rises above the slop she's given to do and imbues it with humanity. In that way, I suppose this movie is a microcosm of her enduring appeal.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn! Watching you gives me joy. Sending you love and wishing you peace. 

6/1/26 through 8/4/62

 

 

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? Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto. This is a reread for me. I was inspired to dig it out when I got an email from The Hollywood Roosevelt, which is the TCM Film Festival's mothership. This grand old hotel is celebrating Marilyn Monroe on the occasion of her 100th birthday this month. Then I saw a photo of Lisa K., a Los Angeles-based TCM fest fan who paid her respects by visiting Marilyn's old dressing room on the former Fox lot. So I thought it was time for me to take a moment and reflect on Marilyn. 

 

Her story has always touched me on a number of levels. I first discovered Marilyn when I was in high school. My feminism was awakening at just this time and I saw her as a cautionary tale. She did everything the patriarchy asked of her and it literally broke her. Then I set out to see as many of her movies as I could so I could assess her as an artist, not just a celebrity. Now I'm wondering what it is about her that makes her endure.

 

I first read this particular biography of Marilyn more than a decade ago and recall that Spoto treated his subject with respect. So far, I see I wasn't wrong.  

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Off the Menu by Stacy Ballis. This book was great on atmosphere. It feels very Chicago. But as a romance it was a yawn. It was slow, it had too many supporting characters and not enough action. Also, two of the main characters were shitty pet parents. I can't go into my gripes in detail without giving away too much of the plot, but I just didn't like two corners of the love triangle. The third? Him I found fascinating, even though I suspect I wasn't supposed to. He had some dimension and his character had an arc.

 

Am I sorry I picked this book up? Maybe. Ballis has a good reputation for chick-lit, and maybe this was just one of her weaker efforts. Someday I may give her another shot.

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

 

  

 

 

Gratitude Challenge: Day 3

I first took this challenge in November 2014 and I think now is a good time to revisit it. Click here for a list of the Gratitude Challenge prompts.

Day 3: Something I see every day I am grateful that, with cable and streaming, I have the opportunity to check in with Lucy Ricardo every day. She's on as I compose this post. To borrow a phrase, I love Lucy.

 

 

Nevertheless I'm happy

During the TCM Classic Film Festival, we wear our passes on lanyards around our necks. It's become custom to add pins of our favorite movies and stars to the lanyard. In April, while Will from my movie group and I were waiting in line for another movie, we compared notes about our movie going the day before, I rather enthusiastically described Suddenly, Last Summer, starring Elizabeth Taylor and directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. One of the people in line near us, a stranger, enjoyed my retelling so much she leaned across the rope to give me another pin for my lanyard: Elizabeth as Cleopatra. 1963's Cleopatra was also directed by Mankiewicz. I was happy to get the pin, Will was amused that I had entertained our fellow movie fans.

Fast forward from April to August. Cleopatra is having a moment. TCM has made it the subject of this season's The Plot Thickens podcast and tonight, Chicago's Music Box Theater just showed all 245 epic minutes on the big screen.

I was in the stylist's chair this morning when Will reached out to me, inviting me to go with him tonight. His initial invitation consisted of this photo. Every movie fan, every baby boomer, knows it:

 

I declined his invite because I woke up this morning with a disrupted gut. I was worried about making it through a 4 hour movie and then dinner and a train ride home, and stress only makes the situation worse. Yet I feel good about the whole thing. Will fondly remembered that moment in line at the film festival and wants to hang with me. That's important to me. 

I know "diversity" is suddenly a dirty word, but I like it in my life. While I hang with lots of classic movie fans, they're all women. Will is a closeted gay Republican.* He's also a regular church goer.† I truly don't have anyone else like him in my life. Knowing him makes me stronger and makes life better.

I hope he'll continue to reach out to socialize. I want all kinds of people, all kinds of energy in my life.

  

 *Here in Cook County, Republican raises more eyebrows than gay.

†We've talked religion on occasion but steer clear of politics. 

Thursday Thirteen #421

 Thirteen Jackies. Next week, on July 28, we'll see the 96th anniversary of Jacqueline Bouvier's birth. No other First Lady has had her pop culture impact. 31 years after her death, she's still fascinates. Producer Ryan Murphy recently made news by announcing his Jackie, the actress who will play John Kennedy, Jr.'s mother, in his upcoming mini-series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

Murphy decided on Oscar and Emmy nominee Naomi Watts. Here are 13 other actresses who have also portrayed the former First Lady.

1. Jaclyn Smith. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981).

2. Blair Brown. Kennedy (1983).

3. Roma Downey. A Woman Named Jackie (1991). This mini-series got tepid reviews at the time, but I was pleasantly surprised by Downey's performance (if not the series' Lifetime/Hallmark tone).

4. Joanne Whalley. Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000).

5. Stephanie Romanov. 13 days (2000).

6. Jill Hennessey. Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot (2001).

7. Jeanne Tripplehorn, Grey Garden (2009).

8. Katie Holmes. The Kennedys (2011). If you're watching for iconic hair and clothes, this is a good choice.

9. Minka Kelly. The Butler (2013).

10. Kat Steffens. Parkland (2013).

11. Ginnifer Goodwin. Killing Kennedy (2013).

12. Natalie Portman. Jackie (2016). I believe she did the best job. She also had the best script and the most innovative director.

 13. Jodi Balfour. The Crown. (2017).

I close with the genuine article.

 

 

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