Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            For us, girls, the fun started almost as soon as we got up.  After listening to Sister Camille, I went and filled out my very elegant card to my beloved, which I knew would make him happy.  I signed, sealed it, and handed it to him.  When he saw the envelope, he burst out laughing.  I could not understand it.  Then, I looked over at my night table, where rested a similar looking envelope!

                            Yes, inconceivable as it may sound, we had each given  the other the exact same Valentine's Day card.  What does that about us?  I guess we are on the same page,and true love reigns, of course!

                              But, what to do with the rest of the day, being  so cold outside.  Only Chloe would venture out in this, and that was early this morning, you can bet!  Now, she is in her house, to stay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                So, I don't how Valentine's Day will turn out here.  Besides, we have a luncheon date tomorrow, with Uncle Ernest, now 85, as of yesterday, which should be good for several stories.

                                 Whatever you do today, darlings, have a Happy Valentine's Day!  Even if you just play the Original Cast album of "She Loves Me!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   Meanwhile, here is a classic Valentine moment from The Little Rascals.  I am sure many of us remember it!  Forgive the color; I had no choice!  These should remain in black-and-white!!!!!!!!!!!

                       

The Winter Of Our Discontent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          Now, darlings, it does not look as nearly as pretty as Varykino, outside, but it sure as hell feels like it!!!!!!!!!!  What am I supposed to do???????????   Tea at The Palm Court??????????  Who the hell wants to go into the city on a day like this, endangering everyone's respiratory system.  And mine!  My God, what if I am needed to sing Fantine??????????

                           So, I think I am just going to curl up, and read.  What could be better than the bitchiness of "Answered Prayers;" and who knows what kind of an influence it might have, on future posting, so watch out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             To think that tomorrow is Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you believe it??????????

                              The winter will pass.  So, keep you cool, darlings, in this freezing cold!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What Has Happened To Anna Deavere Smith???????????????

                           Now, darlings, I know we all cannot be Blythe Danner--and more's the pity, and I should know--but I have to confess, when I saw Anna Deavere Smith, an artist whose work I revere, but have not seen in a long time, guest starring as the warden on 'SVU,' I was initially shocked by her appearance.

                           I mean have you seen that annoying Weight Watchers commercial, where a still, shall we say not petite Oprah, extols its joy, and that she loves bread, and eats it every day??????????  Oh, my God, give it a break, Oprah!!!!!!!!!  And what about your blood sugar levels???????????

                             Not only was I shocked, when I saw Anna, I was concerned.  I was also shocked to discover she is 65; she is till a good looking woman, and she sure does not look it.  But, she sure as hell cannot wear Balenciaga!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Oprah and Anna need to switch places.  The former needs to shut up, and the latter needs help--get Kiristie Alley; look what she accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                You stuff that bread, all you want Oprah, if it makes you happy!  But I don't see Anna Wintour knocking on your door!

                                  Please Miss Smith, take care of yourself.  You are of too much value to a rapidly dwindling artistic community!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  And, Oprah, you keep eatin' that bread, honey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               

It's Just The Joosts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Ever since November 9, 1971, when scumbag John List shot his entire family--wife, mother and three children--in Westfield, New Jersey--and went on the lam, the gold standard was set for Family Annihilators, and a crime that may have been around for longer than known was forced out into the  open.  And still it takes place.

                                 The latest manifestation of this sickness was perpetrated by David Joost, who strangled his wife, Margaret O'Leary Joost, aged 55, and their  18-year-old son, Daniel, who was said to be autistic.  Then David Joost, the patriarch, hanged himself.

                                 This took place Monday evening, February 8.  It was not discovered till the following morning, when Margaret failed to show up for work, at Advocate Christ Medical Center, where, ironically enough, she was a crisis worker. But she could not stop the growing crisis in her own home.

                                  The Joosts had another daughter, Kathryn Joost, aged 20, who was attending Milikin University.  What I do not understand is that family annihilators generally spare no one. Why do this when Kathryn was away. Why not wait till she was home?

                                    Not that I am not glad she survived, but at what cost? She will have to live with this, the rest of her life.  I pray she gets all the help she needs.

                                      Like List, David Joost, 54, had lost his job, back in October. There was financial trouble, and mental health issues, with him. Though he eventually hanged himself, it was found he tried to slit his wrists, then carbon monoxide himself in the car, before succeeding by hanging.

                                      And succeeding in giving Oak Forest an importance it would rather not have, one that will stay with it, for years to come.  Decades later, I still remember John List, and Westfield.

                                       If these guys want to end their lives, that is their decision, But why must they take others with them?

                                         Because they are too egocentric to believe the family can get on without them.

                                           Now, it is the Joosts.  Peace for Mary, Daniel and Kathryn, but David will fry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Roast him good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Set Out To Write One Post, And End Up Writing Another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  "Melanie Hamilton, that goody goody; who wants
                                                     to hear a secret about her?"
                                                   --Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, in "Gone With
                                                     The Wind" (1939).



                             We all have our "Answered Prayers," buried somewhere in our heads, darlings!!!!!! Truman Capote wrote his, and I intend to write mine.  In fact, I intended this post to be an "Answered Prayers" of sorts, with me bitching out Melanie Benjamin for writing the book.  Not that it is lacking in quality; far from it.  It was that how dare a straight woman, with no connection to New York, or this society, and who, foolishly chose, in my none too humble opinion, to remain in the Midwest--why would anyone do that?????--write this book?????????????????

                                Until I read her Afterword.

                                What I discovered was that Melanie and I turn out to be kindred souls, not unlike Truman Capote, and Babe Paley, as in her novel. Which would , of course, make me Truman and Melanie Babe.

                                   Seriously, both of us felt displaced by our small town milieu, and both cut our teeth on Capote's work, as well as "The Sisters:Babe Mortimer Paley, Betsy Roosevelt Whitney, Minnie Astor Fosburgh: The Lives And Times Of The Fabulous Cushing Sisters," by David Grafton; not to mention "Party Of The Century: The Fabulous Story Of Truman Capote And His Black And White Ball," by Deborah Davis, and Slim Keith's memoir, "Slim--Memories Of A Rich And Perfect Life."  For me, there was also "Haywire,"by Brooke Hayward, "The Power Of Style," by Annette Tapert, and of course, the autobiography of Diana Vreeland, "D.V."  Not to mention "Valley Of The Dolls," by Jacqueline Susann, which turns 50 this year!!!!!!!!  Unlike Melanie, I came to New York, dined at all the famous places mentioned therein; certainly La Cote Basque, darlings, and have become a doyenne of sorts, the gay community's answer to Truman Capote, whether they want it or not. The fact is, they need it, and they need me.

                                   So, I can't bitch a kindred spirit. And what Melanie gets is right; the loneliness of Babe Paley is stunning beyond belief, and the account of her death so moving I found myself in tears.  And, like my mother, both she and Slim died of lung cancer.  I never took up smoking; I failed to see the glamour in it they did, or were able to pull it off. What mess, and I do not like mess.

                                     My only caveat with the book is the homophobic slang, which I could not decide was being true to the times, or, more disturbingly something else, something ingrained in Melanie Benjamin and her staunch Midwestern-ess. But how could anyone homophobic have enough understanding to write a book like this?

                                         Hey, Melanie, what about Babe's accident, surgery, and false teeth?????  Was that actually true, darling, or were you just cribbing Grace Coddington??????????

                                          You do know Anna Wintour runs this town, now, don't you , Mel????
Anyway, loved your book, darling; it pressed all MY buttons. Do give me a call when in town, so we can have lunch at La Grenouille.

                                            You won't believe the stories I have to  tell!

                                              Ta-ta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Want To Go To The Pink Palace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              This is not code for some fag resort, darlings, it is actually in Greece, and with this awful February weather we are getting, wouldn't it be nice to get away from here??????

                               It sure would; between the transit delay this morning that screwed up every single Manhattan bound train from Brooklyn--the R, N, D, F, and B--plus the freezing temperatures, who wouldn't want to jump into this picture, right this second!!!!!!!!!!!  Just the way Mary Poppins, Bert, and the Banks children did.

                                I mean, I could be right there, feeling and looking like Amanda Seyfried, in that bathing suit she wore as Sophie, in "Mama Mia!" singing, "Lay All Your Love On Me!"  Now, THAT would be a vacation, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Just wanted to give my girls something to look at, and aspire to, on this cold, Friday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Think Pink, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           

                               

Here's How I Plan To Spend My Retirement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Well, maybe not with the poodle, because no one can replace Baby Mouse!!!!!!!

                                      But, really, darlings, from the time I was, oh, in Kindergarten or First Grade, and was old enough to distinguish the North Side from Goat Alley in my hometown, I knew I was born to be a socialite.  Exactly what kind of socialite I had no idea; now it looks like I will be the doyenne of the Manhattan gay community, since I am already the demi-monde of it, after all.

                                      When I saw this photo, it just exuded me in retirement!!!!!!!!!  Oh, but I don't think I will take up smoking. Drinking maybe--a nice Veuve Clicquot--but not smoking.

                                         To think, Babe Paley and my mother died of similar causes. Too bad my mother's closet did not match Babe's.  No wonder I was not one of these gay children, who tried on my mother's clothes. I was too discriminating, and she was, poor thing, too provincial.

                                           Where did I come from, after all?  My sister still wonders about that!!!!!!!

                                            But this represents my plans for retirement!  I just hope La Grenouille is still in business by then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!