Amy Returns Tomorrow Night, And It Might Really BE From Her Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Amy Sedaris is exactly who is needed to cheer us up, during this time.  But I wonder how her show will work.  I can see her doing all her familiar characters, including herself!
But what about guest stars?  And Chassie?  And Ruth and Esther, The Ladies Who Live In The Wood?

                                   It will certainly be entertaining to see how Amy surmounts these challenges, for I know she will.  You know who is really excited about Amy's return?  Our own Baby Gojira!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Who still wants to be on Amy's show!  And should be!

This Blog, And Its Readers, Would Like To Send Heartfelt Condolences To Neva Small, And Her Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Now, theater queens know Neva has been a Musical Theater Legend, since she was a child.  But the reason she is on here now, is because I just found out that, on April 16, of this year, her husband, top dermatologist Frederic C. Fenig, passed away, after a long battle with lymphoma.  He was 75 years old, and while I never met him, I have met Neva, (who signed my "Henry, Sweet Henry" album cover, several years back, at 54 Below) who could not have been more charming or gracious.  Which is why she is a Musical Theater Legend.

                                      Now, this might not mean much to Neva and family, but take it from me, who was raised Catholic.  He passed on a very blessed day, the Feast Day of St. Bernadette Soubirous, who was canonized on that day in 1933, and whose story was dramatized in the 1943 film, "The Song Of Bernadette," for which Jennifer Jones won the Best Actress Oscar.  So, I know that Bernadette saw he was taken good care of, and is, right now!

                                    But that is the least of it, having lost someone one loved and was with for 35 years.  And what years they must have been.  And he, thankfully, left behind two daughters, Arielle and Barbara.  When I last saw Neva, at an Actors Temple Event years back, she said one of them was getting married that next week!  Congrats to all, and may you serve as comfort to one another, during this very difficult time, not only for you, but for all of us!

                                       Neva, on behalf of the blog, we are truly sorry, as is my spouse, David.

                                       May you arrive at a point of peace and healing.

Something I Have Been Sitting On, For Awhile, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Diane Paulus, who with Julie Taymor (Julie, who????????) is set to direct a Spring 2021 production of "1776", for the Roundabout.  Diane is doing this herself; she has too much of an ego not to, and Julie is still exiled on the Island Of Misguided Directors, after her 'Spider Man' fiasco, back in 2011, and she cannot live on the laurels of her 2009 production of "HAIR," forever!

                                    As with all things Paulus, the show will first play the American Repertory Theatre, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from  May 22-June 28 of this year--good luck with that!!!!!--then a run at the Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre, in Los Angeles, and then Broadway, in the Spring of 2021.

                                     I am worried about this one, darlings.  I can take Diane being a bitch, as she did great work with "HAIR." Alison Casey, as Crissy, was the best to date, since Shelley Plimpton, in the original.  And that is ultimate praise, coming from me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      It is what I am hearing about this production, and how it is going to work that has me worried!

                                      First, I have heard the cast will be entirely female.

                                      What?  Why?  This is some game changer.

                                       Not only will it be strange seeing a stage full of women in colonial men's costumes, the score will have to be considerably transposed for their voices, and how are the really  lovely songs, like "Till Then," (Oh, my God, I can still hear William Daniels' and Virginia Vestoff's voices in my head, and the tears are flowing down my cheeks!!!!!!!!!!!!) let alone "He Plays The Violin!"  going to come off?  Remember Betty Buckley, in her Broadway debut, on the Original Cast Album?  Or Blythe Danner, in her movie debut?  Those were powerhouse ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Will these now become lesbian love songs, or what?

                                           Will the names of the characters be changed?

                                            Diane, what the hell are you doing?

                                             My final, underlying worry is that someone I have not yet mentioned will find a way to sneak themselves into this production.

                                              That person would be Lin Manuel Miranda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Book So Disappointing I Just Realized Today I Forgot To Do A Post On It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             I mean, it was not that bad.  It was just disappointing.

                                             Truthfully, girls, this morning I was all set to write a post on "March," by Geraldine Brooks, which I had been meaning to read for ages, which I had no idea had a connection to "Little Women," by Louisa Alcott, and, as that was the first book I read this year, I had a lot of connection with both.  Then I saw this in my pile, and searched for a post on it.  There was none, so I realized I had to do my due diligence.

                                               First, all the blurbs on the book jacket about how they were "blown away" by this debut novel, eluded me.  Oh, Brandon Taylor can write, in the sense of turning a phrase and putting a nice twist to language, but his book has no story, no worthwhile characters, and ends almost exactly like the Stephen Sondheim musical, "Merrily We Roll Along."  Except there, the characters, with those songs, are more engaging.

                                                 Wallace, the Black youth from Alabama, who comes to some nameless Midwestern university, in some nameless Midwestern town, to pursue a degree in bio-chemistry, is one of the most self-hating characters I have encountered in literature.  Who cares about him? OK, he is Black, from Alabama, and gay, but does he think he is the only one?  Others in the lab he works with have their own problems, and some of them are more pressing than Wallace's.  As for Mean Girls, if they terrified you just walking through the halls, wait till you see how they operate in a competitive graduate school laboratory.  And I thought show biz was cut throat!

                                                     The only character I found redeemable was Simone, the kindly, though austere, faculty advisor.  I agreed with her on her talk with Wallace; whatever he may think, this path is not for him, and he should find another to pursue.  But Wallace is too self-hating; he does not engage well with other people, and will pursue something he hates for the pure misery of it, and to wallow in his own self-hatred.  Some might call this a Pity Party, but it goes well beyond that.  He truly gets off on hating himself.  I see depression and possibly suicide in his future.

                                                     This is a lot to write on a book I did not like.  Brandon, honey, get with the program and don't try to be Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, or Joan Didion.  They got there first, dear.

                                                        I am not against reading another Brandon Taylor book, but he will have to prove to me, next time, that his book is actually worth reading.

                                                         And not with a bunch of faux rave blurbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Is Pretty Much How I Am Handling The Pandemic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   No, darlings, I am not sleeping my life away, though I do doze off occasionally. But, like the Sleepy Time Tea Bear, I have my favorite chair, some coffee beside it, and usually a book in my hand, when I read.

                                     What I don't have is a lot of mobility.  Oh, I can move, but, in an apartment, the moves are so repetitive.  Even before, if I was dashing to a bookstore or doctor appointment, it seems I flew down the stairs to make the subway train.

                                       Yesterday, we walked from Ridge, over to Fifth Avenue.  While David shopped, I took some time to sit.  When we got home I was actually tired.  I am certainly not up to speed to do "A Chorus Line."  I don't even think that, anymore.

                                          Still, I am grateful for my David, books, chair, Sleepy Time Bear, and the friends we did see yesterday--at a social distance:  Chloe, Nicholas and Deidre.

                                            All are well and accounted for, darlings!

                                           Stay safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Gothic Combination Of "Alice In Wonderland" And "Brigadoon!"

                                            This pandemic is clearing out my book pile, because I am getting to things I never expected I would touch.  And one of these was "Slade House," because I like the author, David Mitchell.

                                            It is supposedly a continuation of his 2014 novel, "The Bone Clocks," which I read and loved, at the time.  "Slade House" came out the following year, so you can see how long it took me to get to it.

                                            On a street in London, every nine years, ("Brigadoon" was every two hundred years) a small door appears.  Often it goes unnoticed, but those of a curious bent--and I would have been one--see it, and walk through, into an enchanted garden and residence, known as Slade House.  The two most fascinating, and evil characters are the Grayer twins, Norah, and her brother, Jonah.  Once someone goes through the door, they are trapped forever, and can never leave.

                                               The book is divided into five sections, each chronicling someone's experience with, or at, Slade House.  The two mid- sections, "Oink Oink," and "You Dark Horse, You"
are the most interesting, as, in Shirley Jackson fashion, a group of paranormal explorers, including Sally Timms, and her sister, Freya, come to investigate the place.  When Sally suddenly goes missing, Freya searches frantically, and the full evil of the Grayer twins is revealed.

                                                 Like I said, a little 'Alice,' a little "Brigadoon."  Followers of David Mitchell should appreciate "Slade House; I did, though not as much as "The Bone Clocks."  Maybe he wanted to pay homage to the works I have mentioned, but, believe me, darlings, you are better off reading those.

                                                   And stick to epic novels, David.  You paint better on a larger canvass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Declared Holiday For Theater Queens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Yes, darlings, today is BARBRA's birthday.  She is 78--can you believe it?  In just two years, Streisand will be 80?  She has practically been around from when I was a tot!

                                       This is she, singing "The Music That Makes Me Dance," in the original Broadway production of "Funny Girl," which opened at the Winter Garden on March 26, 1964!

                                         I was never the same!  I wanted to BE BARBRA, I had to sing like BARBRA, and yes, on occasion I actually have done "The Music That Makes Me Dance."

                                          As for BARBRA, she gets what she wants today!  James Brolin has to do ANYTHING she tells him, while she is scarfing down an entire manufacturer's tub of coffee ice cream!

                                            Happy Birthday, BARBRA!

                                             People who grew up with you are the luckiest in the world!

Is This Woman Brigitte Bardot's Younger Sister????????????????????????

                                    I just LOVE this woman.  This is Dr. Oxiris Barbot, and she is the New York City Commissioner Of Health.  She does these series of commercials about how one should stay home during this time, and she is the most straight shooting woman I have heard since Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sister Camille D'Arienzo.  Even Kate McKinnon, when she does Ruth!

                                     I love her, because she is truthful, and she gets it.  As she says, "We are New Yorkers.  And we all like going about our city."  I mean, it is what we are used to, and what the young have been doing, ever since they came here, to escape their suburban roots.

                                      But, as she says, that all has to change!

                                       Keep it up, Dr. Barbot.  You may become as famous as Brigitte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Is This Dream Telling Me? To Risk A Sugar Binge, Just For The Sake Of Tastes I Vividly Remember?????????????

                                 It is said addicts, no matter how recovered, never forget what it was like to use.  This is a photo of a Black And White Milk Shake; they have been floating through space in my dreams along with Vanilla and Butterscotch Shakes.

                                 They used to be part of my Summer, where there was a Dairy Queen at the top of the next street over, from me.  Some of you have heard the Hot Fudge Brownie Delight story, where I could not finish it, but what I did make sure I ordered during the season, was a Black And White Milk Shake, a Vanilla Milk Shake, and a Butterscotch Milk Shake.

                                   I think about how good these taste.  And they are really present in my thoughts, as they float through my consciousness in dream imagery, suggesting Georges Melies movies.

                                   Now, Vanilla and Black And White are pretty standard.  But I have looked on line, and cannot find a Butterscotch Milk Shake.  Have they stopped?  I mean, all they seemed to be were milk with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch syrup swirled together.

                                   Even if it was safe for me to do this, would the experience hold up?  Childhood memories often never do.  That is why they live on in your head.

                                    But, how I would love to try!

Now, here is a Vanilla Milk Shake!

And here is the Butterscotch Milk Shake!

Since Summers then, were three months--well, almost--long--what I would do is start in June, with a Black And White, then July for Vanilla, and August for Butterscotch? 

What would you do if you were I, girls?

Hell, what would I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Fascinating Chronicle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          From about 1894, until 1929, Orphan Trains, transporting homeless youth to people in the Midwest, who either really wanted children for their own sake, or for slave labor, was in operation. And some of the displays were conducted like slave auctions.

                                            I have had this book sitting in my pile for years.  I never thought I would get around to reading it, though I kept it, but, then, I never anticipated a pandemic which would keep me housebound, either.

                                              Several of the characters are chronicled as children, and later find each other, in life. But the real story is between 91-year-old Vivian, a wealthy matriarch, and Goth teen Molly, who could not be more from the wrong side of the tracks.  This unlikely pairing, and the bond these two form, made "Orphan Train," coupled with the historic detail a definitive fictional chronicling of this sad period in history.

                                                 I recommend it to YA readers, and on up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Was Recently Attacked By One Of These, In One Of My Crazy Dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Along with the appetite and sense of taste, I knew I was recovering from my illness, when the crazy dreams returned.  Remember, for me, crazy dreams are normal.

                                   In the dream this, thing--and it is NOT Rocket J. Squirrel, darlings--attacked me.  I can still feel it clinging to my chest, digging its claws into me OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Luckily, this being my dream, I had two friends to help me!

One of these was my good friend, Seamus, pictured above, who is so sweet, even if he has ambivalent feelings about his new store locale.  Seamus and I have a pretty good understanding, so when he growls quietly, I know he is simply acknowledging me.

Well, in the dream, when he saw I was being attacked, Seamus suddenly turned into Jack London's "White Fang."  And he talked, too.  He warned the squirrel, "You lay off him," and made a lunge, and boy did that squirrel take off!!!!!!!!!!!!

But not before my other good friend, Nicholas, who works at the Apple Tree store, got in his two cents.  Sitting above us in a tree, his fur went up, and he hissed at the squirrel, in an Edward G. Robinson type voice, "I'm a nice cat.  But don't push me."

You can bet that squirrel won't bother me again.

In the dream, Seamus grabbed onto my shirt collar, and Nicholas pushed me forward at the other end, and they managed to get me to the nearest Urgent Care Center, where they saw to it I got proper treatment.  Because of that rotten squirrel, I had to get rabies shots--it was, after all, only a dream--but with Seamus and Nicholas beside me, I was not a bit afraid.

Until this dream, I thought all squirrels were cute and adorable, like Walt Disney's "Perri," in the 1957 movie.

Not so, girls, not so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But thanks, and love to Seamus and Nicholas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Bunch Of Bitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 No, girls, I did not forget, but David was working from home, yesterday, which is why I only have access to the computer on certain weekdays.

                                   So, this is the Bitch Of The Week Column, which is usually Thursday.

                                   I have to be honest and say I cannot vouch for the full accuracy of what I am about to relate, as I was only told this by someone yesterday.

                                    According to what I heard, recently--and I do not know how recently--a woman did jump from the Brooklyn Bridge; I do not know if she survived.  I have nothing but heartache for the poor woman who was driven to do this, and her family, but the Bitches Of The Week are all those who stood around, did not really try and stop her--though some did--but instead put it on their smart phones, and, I am told, got the actual suicide on YouTube.

                                     Needless to say,  I am appalled.  What kind of sickos are these?  In the midst of a pandemic, a woman is distraught, and all one can think about is imaging her despair for the world to see???????????????  They should all be ashamed of themselves.

                                      And it just goes to show how truthful Shirley Jackson was when she wrote her classic short story, "The Lottery," 62 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine! A New Reader During This Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Yes, girls, I looked at the indicator the other day, and it did say 104.  And still does.  Now, I am not sure who this new reader is, or how he/she found this blog, but I bid them a warm and gracious welcome.  My God, if it wasn't for social distancing, we'd all go into the yard, and have tea and dainties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Of course, coffee is the beverage of choice, when it comes to this blog.  There is always a cup nearby, when I am writing.  And, for a reader, it goes great with the material.

                                         You will find all kinds of tidbits and info on here--some you may not have wanted to know.  But that is the fun of the blog.  Sometimes, even I don't know what will be on it, till it is up!

                                            So, welcome, New Reader, and enjoy!  And here is the blog's unofficial theme song!

                                             Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking Fabulous, Patti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Today, as Theater Queens should know, is Patti LuPone's birthday.  So, first, Happy Birthday, Patti!  Were these normal times, she would probably be on stage tonight, as Joanne in the "COMPANY" revival, but forget that!

                                         So, tonight, darlings, get out all you LuPone recordings, and listen to them in career order!  You can even pretend to be Patti, though I would skip "Sunset Boulevard."

                                           For the more academically inclined, go on Patti's website, and take a look at some of the books she recommends.  I have, and have been enriched, immensely.

                                             Patti sings, but she is also an actress, and she reads!

                                             A true artist!  Many  more, Patti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Thought We Needed Something Cheerful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                How is everyone out there, coping with the stay at home thing?  Not since we were pre-schoolers have we been at home for so long a period of time.  So, how are we all getting through it?

                                 Well, as you can see I write this blog, and I do an awful lot of reading.  Especially things I have had piled high for years, which I never thought I would get to.  Well, now's the time!

                                   A little bit of TV, but not much.  It gets old, real soon.

                                   Remember my parlor theater post, awhile back? Do that with your shows or pop albums.  Who cares if you can sing or not, but it is a plus, if you can.

                                     Remember when Julia Powell cooked her way through Julia Child's cook book?  The time could not be better for a similar type of project--for those so inclined.

                                       Check in on your elderly and alone neighbors.  If they need something, buy it for them, ring their bell, and leave it outside the door.

                                         Offer up prayers of gratitude for the wellness we have, as well as those on the front lines!  I can't imagine!

                                            Sorry!  No being Connie Francis or Paula Prentiss on the beach in "Where The Boys Are," this season!

                                              It just ain't gonna happen, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Important Anniversary Coming Up, Soon!

                                        Just an important publicity note, darlings, indicating that on May 8, David and I will be celebrating a milestone--the Tenth Anniversary, since we met.

                                          Boy, has life changed...and in ways none of us could have imagined.

                                           But, I am so grateful we have each other.

                                           As for a celebration, it is anybody's guess, this year!

                                           But, for sure, Baby Gojira will be included!

Meet Giganta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Girls, I am telling you, the Golden Age Of Comics was the best.  Art and lesbianism, all in panels.  Meet Giganta, whom I suppose was one of Wonder Woman's rivals.  She was worse than Mala, who was only the fastest Amazon swimmer.

                                   But Giganta was a nasty piece of work.  She had no fashion sense, dressing like Fred Flintstone, and with her name, she might have been perfect for Monster Island, but the creatures there all rejected her,  because she had no class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Still, the art work today does not compare to then!

                                     And too damn bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ruthie, You Are Getting Better, But There Is Still Room For Improvement!

                                     A girls' private school on the British sea coast, a cottage, a group of girls in teenage and adulthood, "The Lying Game" has scandals of all sorts, for girls of all types.  I simply loved it, darlings, but I have to say, Ruthie, for all that I love her writing, does not know what to do with her books.  In "The Woman In Cabin 10," everything after the big reveal was a disappointment.  Here, there is one revelation after another, which is fast and furious, and keeps the story going, except I had not realized that Ruthie had no idea how to end the book.  I kept seeing points where it could have ended, but did not.  The ending, when it came was satisfying, but it could have arrived sooner.

                                     The girls/women--Kate, Fatima, Thea, and Isa--are interesting characters; it is amazing how much, in this novel, they nosh on fish n' chips, and retain their figures.  And I have never read a novel where a baby, Isa's daughter, Freya, is used as an accessory, and placed in all sorts of jeopardy.

                                        Every human vice, save lesbianism, is explored, but when all is said and done, I was left a bit disappointed.  The book is fun while being read, but does not stay with one.

                                           I will have to try "In A Dark, Dark Wood," next.

Belated Bitch? Why Not?

                               As I am just getting back on my feet, girls, I have lost all track of schedule.  I still recall Thursday as "Bitch Of The Week Day," but had no ideas--till recently.  When I heard about the following, I knew it would be perfect!

                                Who could hate Lewis Carroll?  He was a mathematician, and he wrote one of the greatest books in the English language, which interrelates to math, if I could only understand the latter, better.

                                  On April 9 of this year, a 30-year-old nut named Kevin Fallon was arrested, because he sent out notice that he intended to blow up the Alice In Wonderland Statue in Central Park!

                                    What????????????   This is literary terrorism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     He actually sent out to love ones--like his father, and an ex- (and note that EX) girlfriend, photos of pipe bombs and clocking devices police later found, when searching his Upper West Side apartment.

                                      Send this boob down the rabbit hole, and make him a permanent resident of the Pool Of Tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        What a nut!  Why, next to him the Mad Hatter is sane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     

Forget Toilet Paper And Paper Towels! How Am I To Get My Hands On Easy, Breezy, Cover Girl????????????

                                             That is right, darlings, as I and others slowly recuperate, we need our Cover Girl and skin care products, if we are to look good, even masked, going outside.

                                                This is the real deficit that no one has touched upon.  But when woman upon woman is seen outside looking like the Bride Of Frankenstein, who actually had better make-up than we, during this crisis, finally men will take notice, and something will be done.  Straight men, especially, do not like ugly.  Only because they feel it reflects badly on them.

                                                 Guess I am back to my bitchy self!  So, make haste and get that Easy, Breezy Cover Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Your face and hydration will thank you for it!

What Is It With These Debut Novelsts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      As Carole King wrote, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

                                     Tiffany McDaniel's debut novel "The Summer That Melted Everything " is a loser, because she is so obviously one of these writers who wants to be Harper Lee, Carson McCullers, even Shirley Jackson.  Forget it, Tiff!  They got there, first!

                                       The story takes place in Breathed., Ohio, in the Summer of 1984, which can stand in for any hick burg south of the Mason Dixon line.  The Bliss family is the center of the story,
with Fielding the whirlwind of the center.  The father, clearly the Atticus Finch type, invites the Devil, who comes to town--and suddenly appears a thirteen-year-old Afro American boy, named Sal.  Now, it starts out literally, with him saying he is the Devil, but as the story progresses, I got the idea I was morphing into racial metaphor.  Make up your mind, Tiff!  What do you want to do with this?

                                         She never really finds her way.  When she feels ready, the story comes to a grinding halt, after a near race riot, and the Blisses move on.  And how about that for a metaphorical name, Bliss?

                                          One thing McDaniel does well is write in the voice of a boy.  The relationship between Fielding and his older brother, Grand, was so real, I completely forgot a female was writing this.  So, there is evidence of some talent here.

                                           The author just needs to find herself a good, narrative device.

Something Important I Forgot Yesterday, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              With all the chronicling of my travails, Hayley Mills' 74th birthday, and BARBRA's upcoming 78th, there was one item I forgot.

                                On April 7 of this year, this blog celebrated its 13th Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 That is right, darlings, The Raving Queen has turned 13, meaning I have been at it, for that long.  I never thought, when I began, I would be here, 13 years later.

                                   But there is a lot out there to write about, and you, my beloved readers, keep me going.  Even when you disagree with me.

                                     So, a Happy Anniversary to this blog, and all who read it!

                                     Ready?  Let's raise our cups for a sip of coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who Would Have Thought A Culture Club Song Would Have Gotten Me Through This, Thus Far????????????

                                       As Mrs. Lovett says, darlings, "Bright ideas just pop into my head."  Certainly none as grim as hers, but, along with ideas, songs pop into my head, and sometimes an unusual song will make an appearance and drive away bad times.

                                        For me, this time around it was "Karma Chameleon."

                                        Am I losing it?  A song by Boy George?  And Culture Club?

                                       Darlings, when this song was first hot, I barely knew about either.  All I knew was it had a catchy, comforting melody, and a gentle voice singing it.

                                         Maybe that was what I needed during my convalescence--comfort and gentleness.

                                          In any case, it seemed to do the trick!

                                          Here is the official video!  I hope it offers you comfort!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kate, Kate, What Did You Do To Me????????????????

                                        This is a cautionary tale about reading, darlings.  Sometimes, a book is not ready for us, and vice versa.

                                         Now, save the above, I have read just about all Kate Atkinson's books, and have always derived great pleasure from them.  Her first novel, "Behind The Scenes At The Museum," which I had never read, was next in the order of my pile.  I picked it up in earnest, but could only get to page 70.  And I knew I did want to go farther.

                                         I was genuinely shocked.  This is not like me at all.  I had to face the truth, I just did not have the strength to read Kate Atkinson's book.  Maybe in another time, another place.  After all, I love Kate.

                                          So, here is what I read instead!---

"The Archive Of Lost Endings," by Lindsey Drager--At 154 pages, a quickie, with retellings of "Hansel And Gretel" and the actual Brothers Grimm.  A fictionalized compilation of what Bruno Bettelheim did, which resulted in Sondheim creating the 1987 classic, "Into The Woods."

Maybe that is it.  Maybe I had had too much of my own reality, and Kate was adding on to it.  So, a dose of fantasy did the trick.

Anyway, with no social life to speak of, this blog may become a book column for awhile.  But I promise to throw in human, and humorous, anecdotes, when I can.

And if the social scene ever starts up again--no matter what form it takes--I will be there!

OK, Girls, Where Have I Been????????????????

                                        The short answer is, like everyone else, I have been in my house, in quaretnine.

                                        The long answer is after my March 24 post, and for the next two weeks, I came down with such a massive sinus infection.  Everything hurt, and I could not read, eat, do anything but hydrate.  The doctor gave me massive doses of antibiotics, and Musinex, which helped. But I was bored just laying in front of the junk that passes for TV today.

                                         One day, I found I could do "Frank Mills" letter perfect, and I knew then I was on my way back.  But I went two weeks without reading, which is like a street addict going without their stash, so you can imagine how bored I was of daytime and nighttime television.  Still, I am on the mend now.

                                         And I want to thank all those who asked, and maybe wondered, for your concern.  And an apology to some of the events we missed in April.

                                          1.The anniversary of my mother's death--April 2.

                                          2. Hayley Mills' 74th birthday on April 9!  Girls, can you believe it?

                                          3. No annual screening of "The Song Of Bernadette" on Easter Sunday, April 12.  I just was not up to it.

                                            But there is still BARBRA's birthday coming up, on the 24th, and maybe by then I will be ready to do "My Man."  Full Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Thanks once more for looking in on me.  For all  intents and purposes I am back, and I have seldom been happier!

                                             Stay tuned!  There is more coming!