AUNTIE MAME LIVES

GOOD MORNING WORLD

To anyone that has read this blog right along all year, you are aware that “Auntie Mame” is one of my favorite movies.  To those who are just reading now, “Auntie Mame” IS one of my favorite movies!

This is a movie made from the book, “Auntie Mame” written by Patrick Dennis.  It is the story of his life after his parents died and he went to live with his socialite Aunt on Beekman Place in New York city.  Mame Dennis is an wonderfully eccentric lady of means though I have no idea from where her money came.  She was rich.  She was so rich she changed the decor of her apartment on a whim.  That was the fun of it to see all the changes over the course of the movie.  She also had a wonderful group of eclectic friends that kept her entertained and she them!  Until the crash of 1929!  Then she still made it back when she married a wealthy man.

For those of you that require more information Wikipedia has this:

Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up a ward with the sister of his deceased father. The book is inspired by the author’s eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook mirrored those of Mame. The novel was a runaway best seller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than two million copies in print during its initial publication. In 1958, Patrick Dennis wrote a sequel, Around the World with Auntie Mame.

Patrick came to her when he was 10 or so and lived with her for all the rest of his growing up years.  She took him on fantastic vacations and then when he was in college would ship wild gifts to him at school.  Patrick married and Auntie Mame wanted to entertain his son.  Patrick and his wife finally said yes that Auntie Mame could take their son Patrick Jr. on vacation.  Mame had very little respect for time or punctuality or schedules.  After they had given Mame permission to take Patrick with her for summer vacation they reminded her that he had to be back when school started after Labor Day.   I quote:

Auntie Mame replied, “Yes, Labor Day: Isn’t that sometime in November?

I give you all that information to assure you that I have finally arrived and “Auntie Mame” LIVES on in me!  This is a status to which I have aspired since our grandchildren were born.

Before this holiday I mentioned to our daughter that we might come over for a visit.  I realized that the spring break for those two grandchildren was the week after Easter.  Our other grandchild had spring break the week before.  This was not planned well as far as I was concerned.  Then I thought that we could get the one grandson for his week and take him to visit his cousins.  We would then return him after the holiday and have the other two for the rest of the week.  Each getting time with each other as well as alone time with the grandparents.  Sounded good to me.

I spoke to our daughter and a plan was formed that we would go to her house and then bring the children back with us for the rest of the week.  We would meet them halfway the following Saturday.  Halfway is still a 7 hour trip and doable for both of us as we can still do 14 hr days driving.  Or if worse came to worse we could go spend the night at a motel Friday night and then Sat is only a 7 hr trip for us back to our home.  We had choices.  It was decided this would work.

So our conversation went like this…..

Me: “When do the kids have to be back at school.”

Our daughter replied, “They have to be back in school for the 8th of April.”

To which I replied, not thinking, “That is sometime after Labor Day right?”

It was a totally Auntie Mame moment.  I rejoiced in laughter.  I had arrived!  AUNTIE MAME LIVES!!!

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…

OPEN A NEW WINDOW OPEN A NEW DOOR

GOOD MORNING WORLD

From MAME the musical:

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That’s never been tried before;
Before you find you’re a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you’re slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show ’em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn’t fizz too long.
There’s only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev’ry day!

I have mentioned once or twice that I love the movie and book ‘Auntie Mame’.  The musical is good as well.  I believe it is her resilience that I love.  That is what America has – resilience.

I am stymied to the vote that was cast in our country yesterday.  I could not believe the results.  I still cannot as I type this.  It is my belief, along with a little less than half of the other people here that we are going the wrong direction.  What happened yesterday was no mandate for anyone.  We have voted more stagnation.  Well perhaps with the exception of the House of Representatives who reinforced their numbers against  pseudo hope and change.

The saddest thing for me is that negative advertising won.  President Obama advertised that Mitt Romney would take away birth control and abortion.  The facts are that no President can do that.  There are laws on the books protecting both of these issues – Griswold vs. Connecticut and Roe vs. Wade.  It would take congressional action to over come these.  That will not happen.  The Senate we have today has not passed a budget in over three years.

I also do not understand why 52/53% of our country that believe we are on the wrong track did not vote that opinion.  I do not understand how 41% of Catholics could vote  when Obamacare is making Catholic Institutions sue the government of our country.  I do not understand the 10% that gave the win to Obama that said the current President had more empathy for the middle class.  I do not understand why if Florida’s Cuban-Americans went for Romney that Florida voters gave the win to Obama.

Some other stats are that:

52% of men voted for Mitt Romney.

55% of women voted for Obama

60% of the youth vote went to Obama – down from 68% of 2008

45% of people polled said Obama’s response to Sandy was important

15% of voters said the response to Sandy was most important

25% ONLY said they were better off today than yesterday

50/50 split of military vote

I was asked what I was going to write after the election and Mitt Romney won?  No reason to worry now.  I have much fodder.  I can follow up on the Benghazi issue where the President lied to the country.  Not opinion as this is fact as proved by CBS.

I will bone up on Obamacare which is going to cost this country much.  We are going to go more into debt with the taxes associated with Obamacare.  While we are hoping house sales will increase to help the housing market each sale that goes to someone with an accumulated wealth over $250,000 will now pay a 3.8% tax on the profits to pay for Obamacare.

Our manufacturing will go to other countries as businesses are not going to pay the taxed here.  Unemployment will increase.  The Republican congress will still be blamed for the lack of leadership coming from the White House.  Sadly I will have much of which to write.  Our country has voted for stagnation.  Who is Obama  going to blame the mess of the last four years?

While I will not trust this President anymore today than I did yesterday I will move forward.  I will keep my pantry stocked.  I will not spend and become a better saver.  I will get up each morning and look forward to the day with enthusiasm and vigor.  I will enjoy our family.  I will revel in the accomplishments of our grandchildren.  I will move forward with plans for our retirement.   I will continue to go to church, help my neighbor and try to change the world.  I will continue to pray for our country.

The song continues:

If you follow your Auntie Mame
I’ll make this vow, my little love,
That on the last day of your life
You’ll be smiling the same young smile
You’re smiling now, my little love,
If you wake up ev’ry mornin’
And you pull aside the shutter,
And you promise me that these’ll be
The first words that you utter
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That’s never been tried before…..

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…

GOOD MORNING WORLD

GOOD MORNING WORLD

It occurred to me that no one knows why I start my posts with these three words.  It all goes back to a movie I saw a long time ago.  Movies are my favorite thing to do when asked what I would like to do.  I love the anticipation of sitting in a dark theater waiting for the show to start.  Actually that could be a play as well.  Listen the next time you go to a theater.  That few minutes before the curtain opens it is absolutely quiet. 

As a kid we all went to the movies on Friday night – if there was no basketball game.  Those happened between Dec and Feb so the majority of the year if you had the $.25 you were at the movies.  I know the cost of the movie ages me.  It did go to $.35 before I graduated.  There really was no problem with seeing whatever came to town as most movies of the time were unrated and okay for all ages.  There were some that we were not allowed to go to see by our parents guidelines.  I was not allowed to see ‘The Man with the Golden Arm”.  The other one few kids were allowed to see was ‘Peyton Place’ and it was filmed up the coast in Maine.  My girlfriend, Judy’s, dad is in it.   I love to catch it on TV and there as real as ever is Bill Carney on the curb!!!  These were about drugs and sex, topics that were not discussed!

I can tell you much about old movies and rarely watch them today.  My husband can spend hours with black and white westerns.  I want to see the new movies.  There are those favorites that I will not pass up though.  My all time favorite has to be Auntie Mame.  I saw it on my girlfriend Liz’s thirteenth birthday.  I think I mentioned this before on the post on her birthday.  I loved Rosalind Russell.  I think her looks reminded me much of my mother who had just passed away.  The movie itself was terrific as well.  Every scene was something new and I adored the way she kept changing her apartment around.  Now that I think about it I wonder if that is why I keep changing our decor.  I think that is one of the first times I read a book after seeing the movie.

Another favorite movie of mine is “A Thousand Clowns”.  It was adapted from a play of the same name, has six characters and stars Jason Robards.  He plays Murray Burns who is out of work and an uncle to a 12 yr old boy who lives with him in New York City having been dumped their by Murray’s sister.  The play/movie takes place in a one room apartment and over the course of two days.  Murray is being visited by the State of New York regarding the welfare of his nephew and the upbringing he is providing.  It is obvious that Murray is eccentric and the young boy the more mature of the two at times.  Murray starts every morning by yelling out his window to wake up his neighbors.  I loved the freedom of that.  One of the things I taught our grandchildren early was to open the door and yell out Good Morning World to start the day.  We do not do it much anymore and yet when we do what a rush! 

Try it – open your door and yell out Good Morning World and see how you feel.  It is freeing. 

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…

PS – I recently bought the DVD of 1000 Clowns as well as the play to read.  My husband fell asleep as I watched with relish this old black and white from the 60’s