“Are you going to do a post?” Todd asks after I show him a picture I came across this morning.

“Look at that. Could I have been more depressed?”

“But you kept going.”

“Maybe I could post it and say I’m writing a novel about those days.”

“No, don’t do that,” he says as he’s strumming his guitar at the kitchen table.

“Why not?”

“Because they might want to read it and you may never finish. Two days ago you said it was a disaster.”

“But yesterday I said it was going great. So that’s the story, morning glory.” It’s up down, up down.

You should write: “I auditioned for the role of Maria, but got…” (I was thinking I’d not say that and maybe it would look like I got the role of Maria…) “Who did you play instead?”

“Teresita.”

“You wanted to sing, “Tonight,” but,”

I start singing, “I feel pretty…”

“That’s not from West Side Story.”

“Yes it is,” I keep singing.

“No, it’s from My Fair Lady.”

“No, it’s not,” I say, but suddenly think he might be right and switch songs. “I could have danced all night…”

“That’s from The King and I,” he says, sounding so sure of himself.

“No, it’s not!”

Now he’s on his phone, Googling. “I stand corrected,” he says. “You were right. “I Feel Pretty” is from West Side Story.

“I know. “

“Who sang it?”

“Whoever sang for Natalie Wood.”

And so it goes…

The photo says it all. I always had great friends in the theatre. They were my second family. Like Laurel Bern (in photo on the left) and Carol Herbstreit, beside her. ❤️❤️

A little historical addendum:

I’m pretty sure Myron Nadel directed the show. (Right?) We performed at the old J. Pellman Theatre on Oakland Avenue in Milwaukee, next door to Kalt’s Restaurant where we went for family fish fries every Friday. Seriously. Every Friday, with its red and white checked tablecloths, awesome onion rings and caricature drawings of the famous actors and singers who performed at the Pellman. I had friends when I was in New York who came to perform there. It was sad when it closed.

But! When my parents’ church outgrew Hartford Avenue Elementary School, they rented the Riverside High School Auditorium just down the street from the theatre on Sunday mornings. They also moved into the Pellman where my mom had an office and worked with artists, integrating their work into the services. Or maybe it was the Pellman first, then Riverside? I should know, it’s in Marc and Nancy’s book. And guess what? Now they’re also my second family!

“So how’s the writing going today…” Todd asks when he sees me typing after lunch.

“I’m working on a post.”

“Oh, honey! Rabbit hole!”

“No, it’s not.”

“You’re always doing this. That’s why you’re never going to finish the book.”

“You’re always telling me to take a break.”

“I want you to finish the book.”

Fine, back to work. But it was fun hanging out a little. Thanks for reading. ❤️