Lara Prescott's Novel Also Includes A Travel Light Instruction Kit! Pay Attentiion!

                                   Honestly, girls, I picked up so much information from her novel I could not resist passing it on to you!  Especially since so many of us are girls on the go, and simply have to travel lightly.

                                   Obviously, think pink!  Doubly obvious, one cannot travel without the proper traveling bag, and this one, by Cole Haan, is absolutely perfect!  What a breathtaking effect you will create, whenever you walk into a room, whatever said room may turn out to be.

                                      Of course, no bag is complete without some needed accessories on the road.  Designer underwear is unmentionable, but your decision, as perhaps no one will see it.

                         Personally, I would go with this bra and panties combo, by TCG Designers.  It will look great on all of us, dolls, whether we get to show it off or not.  The important thing is, WE will know we are wearing it, and walk with extra confidence and bravado!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   The next essential for us girls is a black pencil skirt.  This is an all purpose outfit. guaranteed to suit any occasion.  
                                    And, to go with the pencil skirt, how about this lovely A.L. Carrera pink grapefruit blouse to set it off?  No girl can afford to travel without it, no matter how much it costs.  

                                     Hang on, darlings, we are almost ready!

                          And here we come!  The outfit is completed with these pink heels by Stuart Weitzman.  Just think what a sensation you will create, and how you will feel!  I want to go shopping right away.

                             Meanwhile--

                                                     WHAT ABOUT ACCESSORIES?????????????????????????

                                 Girls, before you don that outfit, you have to start with your face!  After a facial, and a moisturizer, it is time for your pink compact by Olivela, which will complete your own natural glow.  Hell, it will enhance it, darling!  This is a MUST if you want to make an impression.  If you forget everything else, do NOT forget this!  It is your best ally!

                                  And where would any of us be, without our lipstick, girls?  I recommend Revlon Pink!  Of course, I am prejudiced, growing up just miles away from a Revlon headquarters near Edison, New Jersey, where I felt I would someday end up working.  As things turned out, I went to New York, but I still have my loyalty to Revlon.  That is why--

                                            The lips are not complete, without a pink Revlon lipstick liner!  The last detail your face needs to make it  perfect.   Just two more things before you go out the door--

 

                          Make sure your hair has been done by none other than Sally Hershberger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          Then, before stepping out the door--

         

                                           Run a Sally Hershberger hair brush through that hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Now, we are all ready to travel lightly, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Bon Voyage, my darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                          

One Aspect Of The Sixties I Hope Never Returns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           I was thirteen years old, when Victor Lundberg came out with this drivel.  It set my teeth on edge.  For, while I sympathized with the anti-Viet Nam war protesters of the day, I did not feel the need to bash those who went to go voluntarily, or in obedience to their country's call.  That was a decision made by each individual, and each had a right to make it.  As did those, who protested.

                             Lundberg's polarizing is perfect for the Trump era, which makes me fearful such sentiments will return.  Set to the background music of "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic," Lundberg, as the father, ostensibly reads a letter written to his presumed teenage son, which is chauvanistic, sexist, misogynistic, and openly disregards the child's right to make a decision apart from what a parent may think.

                                  I can hear the music, and Mr. Lundberg's voice in my head.  But two phrases stand out.  One half-way through, where he says, "And your mother will always love you....because she is a woman."  That pause is there.  Oh, really?  Is this to mean that, being a woman, she is less than?  I believe so.  But the worst is saved for last.  The father ends the letter stating that if his son decides to burn his draft card--which many, at the time were doing; hell, it is a component of the musical, "HAIR"--- he "should burn his birth certificate, at the same time.  From that moment on.....another pause, "I have no son."

                                   Oh, really now; come on!  This set my teeth on edge in 1967, and it does so, now.  To renounce someone you conceived and raised over political expediency?  Or because you are too Right Wing to love a child who is not a carbon copy of yourself?  That's what it sounds like to me; the father's entire relationship to his own son is built on conditional love, so how genuine has it been up till now, anyway?   And it is not like the son is a domestic terrorist or serial killer!  Even some of those have parents or family members who visit them!  Not all; but some.

                                    I have great respect for those serving in our Armed Forces, and applaud them for doing so.  But if this type of drivel re-emerges it will set back not only the good they are doing, but the family structure they are fighting for.

                                        Where love depends not on politicization, but open acceptance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          I could put the recorded letter on here, but can't bare to have such heinous crap on here!  Those who are curious--and I don't blame you-- can go on You Tube.

                                           Keep such propaganda far away from us, today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine, Darlings, If Mary McCarthy Had Written This Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        I kept thinking this all through my reading of Lara Prescott's debut novel, because the girls in the typing pool here reminded me of "The Group;" it had that feminine tinge to the story, but unfortunately, Prescott is not as good a stylist as McCarthy.  Which doesn't mean it is not worth reading, because what is lacking in style, she makes up for in narrative.

                          Being named Lara herself, it is not surprising she wanted to write a novel, dealing with the social and political machinations of getting Boris Pasternak's 1957 masterwork, "Doctor Zhivago," out of Russia, into other countries, into the United States, and even, finally, onto the Hollywood screen.

                          This is fiction, but the author obviously researched Pasternak's life, and the history of this novel.  Those who know this story only from the movie will recognize details of it in some of the characters and incidents depicted, surrounding Pasternak's own life.  If it was never clear before, it is now that, while Omar Sharif portrayed Yuri Zhivago on screen, the character is clearly Boris Pasternak himself.  Which is why it is such an emotionally resonant story.

                           I was glad the movie was referenced in this novel as well.  It is an iconic classic, proven by the test of time.  The music...my God!!!!!!!!!!!   Everyone I knew growing up had the Original Soundtrack Album, and went to see the movie because of it!

                            And, girls, how many of us wanted to look, and dress, like Julie Christie, as Lara?  Hell, I still do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             What is also fascinating to me is how, in 1957, more diverse segments of the American populace, then, were reading the novel.  Secretaries, office workers, all were talking about it, in much the same way they talked about "Gone With The Wind," 21 years before.

                                Today, only the highly literate and literary among us would read and admire Pasternak's novel.  I first read it in high school; I cannot imagine a reader of that age now being able to handle the novel's scope and breadth.  As for the average adult reader, Pasternak is beyond those nursed on a diet of Danielle Steel, or even David Baldacci.

                                   Prescott's novel is an intriguing blend of literary and social (the issue of lesbianism, and covert homosexuality is also dealt with) commentary, and, while not as literary as it might have been, does merit a reading.

                                     And, possibly, it will inspire others to read, or re-read, "Doctor Zhivago."

                                     Or, at least, see the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                   Was there ever a more enigmatic twentieth century literary heroine, than Lara, in "Doctor Zhivago?"  And who, but Julie Christie could have been better to embody her?

                                                     No wonder Miss Prescott had to write this novel!

                                                    Read it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who Are These Two Delightful Actors, In This Humira Commercial????????????????????

                    Now, girls, if it is one things us gays cannot stand, it is flagrant heterosexuality.   Not that I am heterophobic; far from it, unless some straight, male or female, makes an issue of my being homosexual.  Which does not happen too often.

                     When this commercial started airing, I was ambivalent about it.  Why can't they show a young man bringing a young man home, to meet the parents?  But, as time went on, I really admired the blouse the actress is wearing in this photo, and I came to see her boy friend, as an open minded Jonathan Safran Foer type.  There are lots of them out there.

                        Now, I find the commercial absolutely charming.  I would love to know who these two are, because the chemistry in the ad is so well acted, they should be given other, more dramatic assignments.  And maybe be teamed.

                         They make a better representation of heterosexuality than the White Trash,  Christian hypocrite portion of the nation's population that would lock us back in the closet or eliminate us altogether.  

                            So, congrats to Humira, the casting department, and the actors.  Give these two lots of credit, for what they are doing, and give them more work.

                               It's not that gays and straights cannot appreciate one another.  Gays just cannot stand those not objective enough to judge us on our own merits.

                                 Which I am sure, does not extend to these two.  If you follow the script, they will marry, he will work for a corporation, because he can, and if one of the kids is gay, they will be fine with it.

                                      It's all in the subtext, darlings.  And acting takes a lot of subtext!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Am Determined This Blog Will Not Become "The Bell Jar," But, Girls, I Have To Be Honest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                            "And they left behind a legacy, vested in their children, that put the odds against survival ineluctably high."--Brooke Hayward, "Haywire," 1977

                                              Lately, girls, I have to wonder whether Brooke Hayward's statement is equally applicable to me.  While David's working from home has caused me not to be on here so much, the other side of the coin is I am facing some health issues, which are cardiac related.

                                              Apparently, I am prone to arrhythmia, which makes my heart beat irregularly.  Two weeks ago, as reported, it went out of whack to the point of my being hospitalized.  Medication and such has helped, but my cardiologist is pushing for this procedure, to be performed by an electronic physiologist, to put it plainly.  I do not see him until the 9th of September, so whether I have this done, or when, is still to be determined.

                                                  But it explains why I have not been on here lately, as I don't want this blog to be a downer, and I have been grappling with all kinds of fear.  Sometimes I feel euphoric, and feel everything will be all right; other times I am so scared I do not know what decision to make.  Until last night, I just lost the feeling for writing, but it has mysteriously returned, so I feel I must take advantage of it, while I can.  Because I could go into another funk again.

                                                       There was a minor scare this week, when the pulse reader I purchased was giving sky high numbers.  Over time, I am convinced--my reading this morning was 74--that something was wrong about the way I was using it.  I do a reading in the morning and afternoon, so I am accepting 74 as the normal reading.

                                                         The irony is my weight has never been lower in years, the diabetes seems in control.  Everything seemed to be going right--then this.

                                                            So, if I vanish again, there will be an explanation.  Just like I do with the dentist, if I come through the procedure, it will post it on here vigorously.

                                                              What helps is I keep visualizing the look of determination on Vivien Leigh's face in "Gone With The Wind," as she ascends the stairs, about to do something she never expected--deliver someone else's child.

                                                                 I, too feel I am venturing into unchartered territory.

                                                                  Keep your fingers crossed, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            

                                             

Girls, I Loved It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                        It took me long enough to discover Sullivan's "Saints For All Occasions,"  which just warmed the cockles of my Catholic heart.  So, when I saw she had a new novel, "Friends And Strangers," out, I instantly snapped it up.

                         This is a beautifully nuanced character study of two women at different points in their lives.  What is interesting is that Sullivan injects variations into them one would not expect.

                             Sam, the younger, is a senior student at a woman's college, who dreams of a career in an art gallery.  But she is also more traditionally thinking than some of her friends, like Isabella, who comes from a life style and world of wealth Sam cannot begin to imagine.  And when a handsome Britisher, named Clive, enters Sam's life, her world is turned topsy turvy.

                              Elisabeth is sort of what Sam wants to be a decade or so later.   She is married, had a promising writing career with The New York Times, and enjoyed affluent life in Brooklyn.  For her husband, Andrew's, sake, she moves to a suburban enclave, where she does not seem to fit in, despite everyone being as nice as they can be to her.  However, she is more forward thinking, almost Bohemian, than most in her age group.

                                When Elisabeth hires Sam to babysit/nanny for her toddler, Gil, their worlds clash, revealing cracks in Elisabeth's marriage, disparity in she and Andrew's backgrounds, and a tendency to get over involved in Sam's life, which succeeds in driving them apart.

                                   Do things work out?  Are the right decisions made?

                                   Sullivan tackles the issues and answers questions with her compelling gift for character study that made 'Saints' so memorable.

                                     But, if you want to find out more, darlings, you are going to have to read the book.

                                       Which I urge you to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Story Of The Good Samaritan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                   You all know it, darlings!  But, after the week or so I endured, it will be refreshing for you to read this tale of hope, and myself to chronicle it for you.

                      On Wednesday, I was headed for an appointment with my neurologist.  Everything is fine, there.  This had nothing to do with the events of last week; it had been scheduled, months before, to go over some tests I had in June.

                       Everything medical was fine on this front.  But--

                        I rode in on the R train from 77th Street, to Lex.  Because of all the weight I have lost, my shorts hang on me, and the pockets widened.  So, in the office, when I went to reach for my cell phone, I found it was gone.  I looked under my chair, around the office room, in the bathroom, the hallway outside, the lobby downstairs, and traced my steps all the way back to the station I emerged from.  Nothing.  So, it was gone, either falling in the street, or lost on the R train.  Who knew where it was headed, or who had it now?

                        Of course, as soon as I discovered the loss, a nice, young female patient, loaned me her cell phone to contact David.  He stopped my number at once.

                         However--

                          When I arrived home from this routine appointment, David told me had good news.  Before stopping my phone, he called the number, and a man answered, saying he found it on the R train, and was taking it to the post office, and would mail it back.  It turned out he was right; because later that day I received an email, picturing the receipt the post office gave him, and the amount paid.

                              The man was Mr. Jacinto Cruz, of Elmhurst, Queens.  I am eternally grateful to him; and it was such a comfort after all I had been through, which he could not possibly have known about.  But God, or Jacinta (of Fatima, and the female counterpart of his name) were keeping an eye on me.

                                Mr. Cruz is a hero, and a Good Samaritan.  So nice to know there are people still out there.  I would like to think I am one, because, had I found a cell phone, I would try and get it back to the person.  We are now all so dependent on them!

                                God bless you, Mr. Cruz, and use the token mailed to you however you choose.

                                 There is still hope and goodness out there, dolls!

                                   As well as Good Samaritans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"It Was NOT A Nut House!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

                     Time for the big reveal, girls, as to what has been going on, at this end.

                       I was in the hospital, this week.

                       It started with a routine visit, on Thursday, to my endocrinologist, for a diabetes follow up.  All was fine there, but a sudden discovery was made, of which I had been unaware.  My heart was beating at a sky high rate.  Fortunately, my cardiologist, was in the same building, and he ordered me transported to NYU, Tisch, at the ER, where my David met me.

                           The team there--Dr. Kyle Pasternak was a real cutie, girls, so if you have to go here, ask for him--worked amazingly.  Everyone did a first rate job of poking me, injecting me with meds to bring down my heart rate.  These were done on an IV, and they would work for a second or two, then go back up.  Eventually, some oral doses of cardizem did the trick.  It was decided, however, to keep me overnight for observation.  This was a good idea.  I was sent home on Friday, and have been recovering nicely, though I may be on cardizem or some  other heart med it my cardiologist determines it, and my thyroid med will have to changed, as it seems the too high dosage triggered the heart issue.

                              All the nurses and staff there were nice, and especially encouraging.  They got that I was scared, and there were no alarmist tactics to apply.  Kudos to everyone I came into contact with, especially my assigned nurses, Amanda and Jenna, who took such good care of me.

                                The book, as stated, got me through it.

                                 But let me assure you, dolls, there is no toilet seat like one's very own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Book, In A Manner Of Speaking, Saved My Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                            How that was accomplished will be revealed in the post after this.

                             But for now, let me say that Wayetu Moore's debut novel, "She Would Be King," gave me something to focus upon when I desperately needed to.  And the reason I was able is because Moore's writing was so detailed and gorgeous, and the narrative drive just soared.

                              The "She" of the title is Gbesssa, and her story, combined with characters such as Norman Aragon, June Dey, and a host of others, chronicles the slavery experience in the United States, England, Jamaica and Haiti.  Gbessa emerges triumphant at the end, but all she and everyone else in this epic novel (which is only 294 pages) goes through will stay with the reader.  I still hold in my head the nightmarish vision of the village with heap upon heap of dead children's bodies piled atop one another.

                                Moore also interjects a little of "magical realism" into the novel.  This is a literary device too many writers are currently making use of, and I do not like it, but Moore's is an exception; it is used for a constructive purpose, and I had no problem with it here.  It acted as an integration into the story, and not just a trendy literary device.

                                   And all this in an historical panorama, chronicling the formation of Liberia!  Impressive on any level, but, as a debut, it is stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Girls, you have got to read this!  Had it come out this year, it could have made my Ten Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two Other "Cold Cases" I Would Like To See Updated--"Wishing," and "Offender!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

                       "Wishing," to refresh you, was the heartbreaking redo of Steinbeck's "Of Mice And Men," with an Emmy calibre performance by Damien Midkiff as Colin Miller, and a no win situation that only spiraled downward.  Colin was a special needs adolescent, whose father abandoned he and his mother once the handicap was discovered.  He is eventually befriended by Nathan Hicks, played by Charlie Bodin in 1993, and Bryce Lenon, in 2005.  His mother, Sarah Miller, played by Jackie Swanson, is in the final stages of breast cancer.  In fact, it is Leah, a classmate who first accused Colin of harassment, but later retracted, who finds Sarah's body.  Nathan, meanwhile, wants to adopt Colin and care for him--but he is not old enough.  Sarah knows the world will eat Colin alive, and incarceration in a mental institution, as shown, would permanently render him into a vegetative state.  So--now, while I have seen this episode several times, I am unsure about this, as this is so ambiguous--a tacit understanding is made between Nathan and Sarah that he will kill Colin, and save him from this world, where there is no one to care for him.  This he does by having Colin "wish" his mother back to health, while standing on a train track, where he is eventually struck down.  The scene, where Lily sees Colin's ghost, smiling down on her, holding his beloved pet stuffed rabbit, Mr. Wilson, had me sobbing.

                              So, I would like to know what became of Nathan--he is arrested for murder--but how much time did he get--and if released, what he did with his life afterward, and how he lived with what he did to Colin?  And I would like to know the same about Leah, whom, it turned out was genuinely nice, and whether Richard Miller, Colin's father, played by James Macdonald, who must have been notified of his ex-wife and son's death, felt any grief or remorse for their loss.

                               For those having never seen this episode, it is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                           

The other is "Offender."  In this one a young boy named  Clayton Hathaway goes missing in his suburban neighborhood, back in 1987.  Things point to his father Mitch, because the child's body was found at a construction site where Mitch works.  

Two decades later, Mitch is released on the grounds of tainted evidence.  He vows to kill every known sex  offender in Philadelphia, thinking he will eventually eliminate his son's killer, if the police don't catch him first.  Once he makes good on his threat, with a couple of murders, Lily and Company go into action.

The killer turns out to be their then suburban neighbor, Cliff Burrell.  The distraught father is apprehended atop a building, just as he is about to kill Burrell--which I wish he had.  His wife, Tara, played in the present by Jordan Baker,  offers profuse apologies, and they hold hands and see Clay's ghost smiling at them.

But--

Do Tara and Mitch actually get back together?  How long a sentence did he get?  And will they now stay together?

What of the Burrells?  Will he be killed in prison, because inmates notoriously hate child killers?  Shows even these folk have a degree of humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!   And what about Cliff's wife, Linda?  I always said, in the funeral scene, I had the impression Linda was covering, that she knew what her husband was, and that, when Clay turned up killed, she knew her husband was responsible.  He framed Mitch by planting evidence in the Hathaway household, which Tara eventually found.  But I think Linda knew more than she told, and I would like to see this revealed, with her maybe getting some time for complicity.

It's just a thought, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one more episode to ponder, but it is time to move on to other things.

Cheers, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Bunch Of Sick Bitches Did This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                      Remember the 1993 movie "The Good Son?"  Early in the film, Richard, played by Macaulay Culkin, brings out a life sized dummy, presumably made by him, whom he dubs "Mr. Highway."  He invites his cousin in residence, played by a still child like Elijah Wood, to accompany him.  They end up at an overpass, where he drops the dummy off, onto the highway.  An accident or killing is avoided.  But this is when Richard's true psychosis is indicated; he is more than just a mischievous kid, and cousin Mark is horrified.

                        Well, darlings, life has imitated art.  On October 18, 2017, a group of teens, led by Kyle Anger, threw rocks from, presumably an overpass.  This took place in Vienna Township, in Michigan, and the other teens were Mikadyn Payne, Trevor Gray, Alexzander Miller, and Mark Sekelsky.  Anger was the ringleader, and it was he who delivered the fatal blow--a six pound rock that he threw off, which struck the windshield of Kenneth White, 32, who had a wife and a number of children--I heard 5.

                            Having not done a "Bitch Of The Week" posting recently, because a lot has been going on at my end, which you will eventually know about, when I heard this, I thought, what could be better than a quintet of male bitches???????????  As to the aforementioned film, Richard's youth did not excuse him, but these guys were like between 15 and 17!!!!!  Is this all they can think of to do with time on their hands, and their lives?????????  If they want to drink and drug and hurt themselves, that is their choice, but to pull off a stunt like this is either immaturity,  psychopathy, or perhaps a combination of both.

                              All these bitches were apprehended, and Anger, in 2019, was sentenced up to 20 years in prison.  I hope he stays the whole 20.  He should have received LWOP.

                               The other four were tried as adults and sentenced on an accusation of manslaughter.  Take the key, and lock them up!

                                 Oh, and get this--What they were doing was playing a game they called "Overpassing," where the object is to make contact with a car, yelling "Dinger!" when the car is hit.

                                  Sick fucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    What ever happened to Parker Brothers or Milton Bradley??????????????

                                                                         

How To Deal With A "Karen"--Smack Her Across The Face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                          Wouldn't it be worth it, darlings?  Because that is what these entitled bitches need-- a good belt in the mouth!

                             Let me tell you, not all "Karens" are as put together as the one pictured.  Most that I have seen, on video, whether young, middle aged, or senior, are fat and ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's like "The Picture Of Dorian Gray"-- their nastiness alters their looks!

                               To date, I have never had a personal encounter with a "Karen."  But,  several years ago, while visiting my sister, and shopping for shoes at the world famous King Of Prussia Shopping Mall in Pennsylvania, we encountered one before the term was coined.  We were dissatisfied with the service, and made it known.  This fat, White Trash type, made it her point to butt in, and when she said to David and I, "That's the problem with you faggots...." I saw red, and a verbal free for all ensued.  In more graphic terms I suggested, she go back to her husband at their trailer park, and submit to him!

                                These "Karens" need to be put in their place.  If any of them attack me on here, well, they have the right, but be forewarned, darlings--

                                  I will feed them to the sharks!

Is It Just Possible (Oh, Please!) That "Cold Case" Will Return??????????????????

 

                                    I thought I read something about "Cold Case" coming back for an eighth season, starting right with where it ended where Lily and Scotty are bringing Kris (Lily's addicted sister, and now a mother) home, because I just know Lily is going to raise her sister's baby.

                                      Almost a TV station counterpart to Olivia Benson and Noah.

                                     With so many series being updated, or redone, why not "Cold Case?"  I want to see what Kathryn Morris is doing with her hair, these days!  And Danny Pino was always better as Scotty than Nick Amaro on 'SVU'.

                                     Now, some of you long time readers may recall that, about three years ago, I sat down and watched all 156 episodes of "Cold Case," writing about the ones that stood out for me.  and had me wonder what became of certain characters, after the story ended.  Let us examine a few.

                                       "Churchgoing People"--I would like to know how Ryan and Tina Baynes, played by the adults, Jimmi Simpson and Daisy McCrackin, turned out. Have they moved on?  Do they even visit their hateful mother?  And did Charlotte finally pass away, or is she still alive.  If the latter, bring back Isabella Hoffman, in the role that, originally, should have won her an Emmy!

                                        "The Sleepover"--Probably my favorite because of how it matches up with my junior-senior high school life, when I was as unpopular as Rita.  To update it, what became of Ariel in prison--and for how long?  If she did not get LWO, what did she do when she got out?  She could not be a doctor, anymore?  And how about Brandi and Tiffany?  Of course, all the adult actors--Virginia Williams, as Brandi,  Emma Bates, as the adult Ariel, and Dawn Stahlak, as the adult Tiffany--should return, to recreate their roles.  Also, how about the adult Neil Beaudry, played by Frederick Koehler, and his parents, played once again by Nicholas Guest, and Mary Chris Wall?  Did they ever own up?  Did they die?  Did the children forever abandon them?  Was Neil permanently institutionalized?  And did Brandi ever kick her habit?  Or Tiffany find a better way of life?  How about Rita's mother, Kelly Baxter, played by Judy Prescott?  Many were taken emotionally by this episode.  Inquiring minds want to know!

                                       "A Dollar, A Dream"--Perhaps the most heartbreaking episode of all.  Did Abby and Natalie Bradford renew their sibling relationship?  Bring back Jennifer Lawrence and Melinda Dahl to see how things turned out.  And how about perp Vincent Hopper, played by Holmes Osborne?  What he did to Marlene, the sisters' mother, was unforgivable.  But he had once had a family, who were still out there somewhere.  He is mentally ill, having been on the streets for years, and still thinks it is still when his son was young enough to want a special baseball glove.  Marlene tried to talk sense to him, then realized she could not.  When they split a lottery ticket and won, he mistakenly thought it was half a million dollars, and could not understand it was only twenty five.  He thought Marlene was holding out on him, and killed her.  What drove him to the streets?  Was he ill before hitting the streets?  Why didn't his family step in, and try and do something to help him?   Marlene had no one but the girls, but he had a family out there.

                                         Any episodes you would like follow-ups to?  Let me know!

'

I Wonder If Ann Napolitano Has Read Ernest K. Gann????????????????

                         

                                            I put off reading "Dear Edward" for a long time, because I thought the subject matter of the book would be so depressing.  In the 1950's, and for years after, Gann's novel, "The High And The Mighty" was the definitive plane crash novel.  And though we had it in my house, growing up, I never could bring myself to read it.

                                             Then, in the midst of a pandemic, and craving contemporary fiction, I decided to risk reading "Dear Edward."  You may think me crazy, darlings, but it brought to mind, of all things, "The Song Of Bernadette," and here is why.  Both stories are about children thrown into situations they cannot control.  Bernadette was granted a visitation by the Blessed Virgin Mary, while Edward Adler is the sole survivor of a plane crash that takes his entire family.  He is raised by an aunt and uncle, with issues of their own, but both he and Bernadette are so regarded by the populace of their times as "miracle children" that everyone wants things from them, to reach out, and touch them, in hopes of obtaining some of their divinity.

                                                That's as far as the novel goes, in relation to Bernadette.  It does follow Edward into adulthood, his relationship with his aunt and uncle, which grows over time, the same with next door neighbor, Shay, and an old friend from his NYC neighborhood, named Mahira

                                                   His story is played out against looking back on the crash, which, harrowing though it be, I was not afraid to face.  Maybe because I already knew the outcome.

                                                    I cannot imagine what it must be like to be someone like Edward, or even Bernadette.  Ann Napolitano, who looks familiar to me, as I also live in Brooklyn, has written an emotionally resonant novel that got even I beyond my squeamishness.

                                                     Congratulations, Ann!  This could be one of my books of the year!

See The Guy In The Lower Right Hand Corner? I Cannot Stand Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                           This is the Goli diet chew candy ad.  Now, I am OK with the actor; after all, I am happy he has a gig, and he is just playing the character given.  But that character, Jim, is annoying.  Yes, he is cutting cravings, but you can just tell, darlings, with his ersatz disco moves and weird hand gestures, that he is just an overaged closet case.  Someone should tell him, before coming out, first get rid of those moves, because, hon, they are SO dated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              I cringe every time this airs, because his presence is so off putting, it would not make me buy the product, even if I thought to, and which I have no plans of doing.

                               Whomever thought this segment up does an injustice to the character and the product.  Jim is as annoying as Jamie on "Progressive."  Get rid of him.

                                  The others are fine, though!

                                   But does the gummy quality do a job on one's teeth?????????????????

                               

Wednesdays Are Just Not The Same, Without Amy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                          Amy Sedaris recently wrapped up her third season--and we learned so much--about travel, inspiration, a non-sports party, babies, (for those having or expecting to be a father!) and it was such fun it helped, for the time, the mood of anxiety prevailing over all of us during these times.  Like the way Busby Berkley musicals or Shirley Temple pics calmed filmgoers in the Thirties.

                           Now, with Wednesdays, David and I--and even little Baby Gojira--do not know what to do--because, once 10PM rolls around, we still crave Amy.  Sure, we can laugh at Judge Judy, and hope she throws some White Trash wacko out, but it is not the same as Amu.

                              She had some great guests on--Jane Krakowski, Michael Cera, and Ana Gasteyer, among others.  What with the times, and all, she must have had a slightly lower budget to work with, so, even though there was plenty of Patty Hogg and Chassie Tucker, the show allowed only two appearances by Ruth (The Lady Who Lives In The Woods!) and her partner, Esther!  I LOVE Esther!

                                Hopefully, Amy will be back with us next season, so we are looking forward to that!

                                But, Amy, for now, you are dearly missed!

                                 And please tell me--who is your hair stylist??????????????????

Guess Who Is Back In Town, Everyone? Cujo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                               

David says we have not seen Cujo, since before the pandemic!  I do believe it!

To bring all up to date, Cujo is the lovable boxer who lives on 77th Street, in our Brooklyn neighborhood.  His owners a Greek family, call him Ares.  When we moved to the neighborhood, and saw him, David said, "That dog is like Cujo."  So, I started calling him that--my pet name, for him--and now he answers.  Seeing Cujo on his terrace brightens my day, though we have had some outdoor encounters, with plenty of hugs and kisses.  He is so loving!

And I love him.  So, when David suggested we take an after dinner walk last night, I was up for it. And while passing 77th Street on Third Avenue, I heard a dog bark.  At first, I let it go, but when I heard it again, I was positive it was Cujo!  And I was right!  He was out on his terrace, and calling for me; his eyes are better than mine!   So, we had a lovely Cujo reunion!

So glad to see you, Cujo!  Perhaps the storm drove you inland, because I think you were at the Jersey Shore!

Love you SO MUCH. Cujo, and I know you mask and socially distance!

He just made my day!

Girls, We All Need To Get Some Rebecca Taylor Into Our Closets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, darlings, if there is no Rebecca Taylor in your closet, how can you expect to outlast the Summer?  The season is still going, and the summer wear at RT, like this gorgeous piece, will make you feel comfy and as lovely as a Summer Breeze.  Especially if you hold one in your hand, and drink it.  Right now, dolls, I could use a pitcher!

I mean, Caroline Herrera, has some lovely Summer creations, but I think the focus now should be on Rebecca.  Though, girls, I cannot WAIT and see what Caroline has in store for us this Fall!!!!!!!

Especially when no one has any how this Fall will look or be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Replenish those closets, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, I Am Telling You, This Is The Bitchfest Beach Read Of The Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before going on, I do have a question.  Does Beyonce have a book club yet?  Some say she hasn't learned to read,  but I have seen her do pretty well navigating the menu at Burger King!

Seems like everyone has a book club these days.  I mean, this selection comes from Reese Witherspoon--one, I think, who has made some good choices.  There is also "Read With Jenna," and I have read a couple of those.  That is Jenna Bush--of THE Bushes--on the "Today Show."

Hell, one could make a book club out of my selections, which sometimes just come from literary instinct.  Book Of The Month Club, which I used to belong to, is still out there on line somewhere, but we have come a long way from the days when Clifford Fadiman ran things, and books like "Anthony Adverse," "Gone With The Wind," and, of course, "The Song Of Bernadette," were feature selections!

Those days, and types of novels, are gone forever!  Unfortunately!

But Reese made a great choice.  Not only are all the characters in her novel such bitches--the kind you can just love!!!!!!!--the men, especially the company CEO, are such pigs they should be kicked where it hurts--and I know you get my drift, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the women are smart lawyers.  A CEO dies--was it suicide, or something else?  I was confused, right up to the end, which is a good thing.  And to add ballast, Baker begins each chapter with 

a "Rebecca" type narrator, who puts the chapter's issues into some context, before moving on with the narrative!  I almost thought Joyce Maynard was writing these passages.  But Joyce, as I have learned, has her own writing to do!

The odds are Reese has already optioned this for herself.  It should be as much fun as "Big Little Lies," especially, as in that case. if imaginatively well cast!

This is one book I can recommend, but cannot reveal too much about.  It would rob one a a "reader's high."

This much I can say--Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Bi, or Trans, watch out for the Harvey Weinsteins out there!

No one is immune to being sexually harassed.  Or excused from doing it.

It is an Equal Opportunity Offense!

Time To Welcome A New Reader, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, girls, the follower indicator is at 110, which means it is time to welcome a new reader.  Her name id Saraswati,  and I am so overjoyed you found your way onto here.  Welcome.

Navigating this blog has gotten a little tricky since Eblogger made some changes I did not

particularly want, so we shall see how that goes.  But I hope you enjoy the wild and often wacky adventures put on here.  With the pandemic, I cannot share movies and plays, as I have in the past,

since there are none to go to, at the present time.

So, congratulations, welcome, Saraswati, and enjoy!  Remember this blog goes  great with coffee.

As always, new readers are initiated in with this blog's unofficial theme song.

Enjoy!

Cucumbo Sends Everyone His Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so do Gojira, and Baby Gojira!

Happy August, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why Is This Woman Getting So Worked Up????????????????

  Is she being approached by a Karen?  Is she upset her 50's designer skirt is being ruined.

             No, darlings, it is just a metaphor for how this whole year, thanks to COVID-19, has torn us apart. And we have not even reached the horror show the November election is sure to be!

Yes, even I have days when I feel this way.  Though I would never wear such a designer skirt in what is a distinctly middle class car!!!!!!!!!!!!

COVID, begone, I shall have no more of thee!

We can hope, can't we???????????????

This Sister Saga Could Well Be A Contender For My Year's Best List!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I have to say, girls, I am going to have to read the other novel Brit Bennett is known for, "The Mothers," because her current work, chronicling and contrasting the lives of two sisters who each go their own way--despite being  twins.--is so gorgeously written I could not stop reading.  Desiree and Stella are twins, light skinned enough to pass for white.  Desiree chooses to remain in the South, caring for those she loves, while Stella, the other sister, takes the Jeanne Crain "Pinky" route, and goes north, passing herself off as White, and marrying rich.  This is a novel where the reader is asked to question for themselves choices made.

While Stella leads the more glamorous life, I have to say I admired Desiree for not denying her own family, and her identity.

As things usually do, the past has a way of making the present clash with it, and when one of Stella's daughters goes off to college, does it ever!

There is a sister reunion, but it is not maudlin, but realistic.  Each stands proud by the choices

made.

But Brit Bennett's prose style will grab you and compel you to keep going.  I am telling you, it has GOT to be read, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great story and strong sense of literary style, adds up here, to a great work of fiction!

Darlings, It Is The End Of An Era!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                         

 Honestly, I never really thought she would die!  But on July 26, just 25 days after celebrating her 104th birthday, Miss Olivia De Havilland, who will always be Melanie in "Gone With The Wind," passed away.  It seems impossible that the Hollywood I grew to love is officially dead.

As the actress said herself, in a 2009 interview, "I feel I am a survivor from a world that no one today quite understands."  Olivia, you SAID it!  I feel that way too, myself, and I am a mere 65, compared to the 93 you were when you made that statement.

Now, don't start on me with "Gone With The Wind."  It is a beautifully made and acted film , and will always be.  Those of us who love it will always revere it.

As for you BLM's, get off my back!  The film gave more Black actors work than any project in Hollywood of that time, and one of those actors, Hattie McDaniel, broke the color barrier at the Oscars, and received a medal from the NAACP!

Just take a look at Hattie and Olivia going up the stairs, in the scene just after Bonnie's death.  Two actresses at their best, and it is easy to see here how Hattie beat out Olivia!!!!!!!!!!!!

But Olivia was so much more than Melanie!  I still say the feud between she and sister Joan Fontaine, inspired writer Henry Farrell to write "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?," where would we be, if he hadn't?  As sweet as Melanie was, she played a marvelous bitch in the follow up to 'Jane,' "Hush....Hush Sweet Charlotte with Bette Davis!

There was also "To Each His Own," which won her her first Oscar, and is a film I have always wanted to see.  Then there is her chilling performance in 1949's "The Heiress," which netted her Oscar number two.

And who could forget "Lady In A Cage?"

From the age of 19, when she appeared in Warner Bros. 1935 "A Midsummer Night's Dream," until taking her final breath on July 26, this actress commanded attention  for 85 years on earth.  And, once she became the sole survivor of "GWTW," she became its ambassador.  Now, I guess that job

will go to me.

Farewell, Olivia De Havilland.  It still pains me to write those words.  Your screen work--and yes, "Gone With The Wind"--will outlive us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now you and sister Joan can slug it out, for all Eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!