Oxford English Dictionary

Quite elated!  I was browsing my library's online catalog recently and noticed that they had purchased a subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary.

I thought that I could use it instantaneously but no.  Had to call the helpful reference librarian to obtain the secret passwords.  Besides being so nice, this gentleman shared that I was the first one to inquire. 

 "Use in good health for excellent words," he said before he hung up.  He could not have stated it any better.  A delightful man.

 

Bachelor Father: Hysterical Date Lines

There are certain days when I get to work at home.  This is great because I recently made a tremendous and addicting discovery:  Bachelor Father!

This television show from the late 1950s is on Antenna TV at noon.  One golden day, I was making my lunch and turned on the TV.  There Bachelor Father (fondly referred to as BF for the remainder of this entry) was in all its undisputed innocence and glory.

The show stars John Forsythe.  I remember him only as the voice of Charlie from the Charlie's Angels repeats.  In BF, he plays the handsome and constantly dating, Beverly Hills living, lawyer Bentley Gregg. 

The premise of the show is that Bentley's relative  - not sure if it was his brother or his sister - and spouse died tragically in a car accident.  As a result, his teen niece, Kelly, has come to live with him.

One ponders:

• Why no one is upset or remembers the deceased relatives - especially teen Kelly.  I suppose that would have simply ruined the premise of the show.

• Kelly's front teeth.  One does not want to be cruel, but one is often distracted by the left front tooth that appears to be snaggled.  Not sure why. Perhaps it is the black and white.

Then there is Peter.  He manages the household and is a wizened gem.  He tells it like it is and often saves the day.

Bentley goes on many, many dates with of steady stream of apparently everyday 1950s glamorous women - the likes of which are never seen anymore.  I believe that they are extinct.

Women like this no longer walk the earth.
Perhaps the foundation garments required for these dresses had something to do with it.

 

Now for the hysterical date lines - this is why I love the show.   Bentley has uttered:

• "Now that you are here, I can start breathing again."

• "The candlelight on your face gives the room the aura of a cathedral."

• "Your loveliness reminds me of  the sun setting."

I can't top any of the above so just have to stop typing.


 

Bad Habit: "My Stuff"

I have the bad habit of reading those interviews in magazines where some celebrity divulges what personal items they use or have. This feature is often called My Stuff or My Favorite Things.

Horrors, Great Aunts Pen and June would literally give birth to cows over the thought of sharing this information publicly.

Anyway, the list typically runs something like the following with these popular brands:

• Fragrance (Women):  Fracas De Robert Piguet -  Several celebrities have stated, "I was given it on my 18th birthday."

 

• Fragrance (Men):  Women - Really?  Please keep that to yourself.

• Lingerie:  La Perla

• Journal:  Smythson - almost always

• Stationery:  Mrs. John L. Strong

• Linens:  Frette - for some reason almost every celebrity sleeps on these sheets

• Watch:  Cartier Tank with Patek Philippe Twenty-4 as second.  This last one can "wear with a suit or at the pool!"

• Luggage:  Louis Vuitton with runner up T. Anthony

 Why do so many celebrities have the same things?  Is it because they all want to appear important and popular?  Or does the same PR person provide this information?  Sharing it is just vulgar - yet it feeds my bad habit of reading.  I have no excuse except to make fun.

Like my Greats, I would never think to share this information publicly - except for the following:

Favorite Summer Fragrance:

Ticks being the operative word here -
We are already inundated.

 

Finally Educated!

Last night I volunteered at a local college for their Munchie Mania night.  This is an event during finals week that is designated to relieve stress.

What a blast!  I cannot remember the last night that I got home after midnight with my ears ringing from loud music.

Potential hearing loss aside, I was assigned to serve ice cream at the sundae station.   If I lifted weights, there would be no need  to do so today since my arm muscles are now fully developed after scooping frozen ice cream for hours.

I thought this job an exulted one since the president of the college was behind a fry-o-later serving up chicken fingers and getting pitted with grease.

The night served to educate me.  Most appropriate since I was on a college campus.  Here is what I learned:

1.  The Wobble

My only experiences in line dancing had been the electric slide or chicken dance.  Dare I also mention the Hokey Pokey?  But that was in grammar school.

Anyway, I learned this dance last night. 

 

2.  Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese

How could I not have heard about this delicacy?
Why is it not in my cookbooks?
Now under consideration for my next open house!

 

No Words, No Pictures

Just prayers for Boston.

 

Virtual Italy versus Brown

Everything outside is brown and there is a frigid, bully wind that has been torturing our area for days.  Each morning I enter a brown building and sit in a beige, brown office.  Where is spring?  Where is color?  Where is warm?

Like the characters in the book, Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim, and the subsequent movie - I long to be in Italy.  This year is was not possible...

For several years, I was fortunate to go to Italy in April.  Besides having sublime weather and flowers, one could drink lots of wine at lunch and feel nothing and luxuriate in multiple course meals and loose weight.  One could also shed the wool that one had been wearing since the end of September - 7 months ago.

Here are a few favorite places.  Note that there are no humans in these photographs by order of relatives  who are strangely not fond of this blog and for some odd reason do not want to be associated with it.

Bagno Vinoni
Hot water springs to put winter frozen feet in and purple irises

San Marino
Oh, to walk along those beautiful hills with the idyllic views
- and purchase handbags, absinthe, and brass
knuckles along the way.

Lava Cafe, Venice
Now don't laugh - but when I was sitting at one of these tables
and waiting for family members, a very lovely gentleman asked me to dance.
  The cafe band was playing Besame Mucho. 
Could it be any more intoxicating or splendid?
- except I did step on the gentleman's toes.

Verona Market



April Flowers in Pienza

Poor but available substitutes for Italy this April?

Listening to Andrea sing
Besame Mucho
and imagining that one is still
stepping on toes in Venice

Eating lots of  biscotti from a favorite Italian food shop.

Pouring red wine and drinking in a  patch of window sun
- when available.
Note the brown outside.



Club of Old Volumes

It is fun to skulk around bookshops, houses, museums, and, yes, even restaurants or hotels that want to appear scholarly to see what books are on the shelves.    In my opinion, these places all belong to the mythical Club of Old Volumes - a play on words of that more oddly famous club.

Anyway, I love these old titles.

Boys Having Fun!

Polly certainly got around



Did the Starrs ever run into Polly since these
books are by the same author?

Today this would be called
"Tom, The Smart Phone Boy"

Go Helen!

 

Horatio Alger

 

 

Who knew that Ginger Rogers, Jane Withers, John Payne
and other old movie stars were also detectives!