LETTER FROM ITALY

FRANKEE, ENTERING THE BACKSTAGE AREA WAS patting he SWEAT ON HER NECK. 

"Why a I here tonight--its too hot--flowers  every where, buds on the bushes--its overwhelming me .\tjeremust be twenty thouand peoplel fstill in theirseats , 

entering the  area, the star of the show was k, pattimg with  patting himself with awashcloth  grinned at her. " I must haesigned 1000 autograph books beofre I could get outof my dressing room    "my oh my that's a pretty yelow dreass your wearing.." 

He pointed to his eheek.ng? isitbleeding  I think I cut myself when I was shaving . 

frankee moved closer to him to see the cut, while Mark surrounded bythe eight extra daners asked  tithe kissed cheeks andsked " Is anybody hungry fir dinner no?'

theydiscussed food --an error someopne made, one o the extra and teh opeing number that Mark ha been fiing. Onof the exxtras had suggested that she  and 3 others could do mo32 fouettes--a giggle creative chit chat esued , whie frankee ,standing ext tothestar tilteded her head studying the wound on hi cheek....

Pronoucing her diagnosis frankee said "it will heal"   fans were beginnng to arrive fill the stars dressing room 

mR.CHUCK  declared loudly, rankee wee  you siting on pillows. You loked  ik a aazoj queen wenyou parked the statio wagon. TOLD FRANEE YOU WERE ITTING SOTALL WHE YIU RRIVE ITHAAT STATIONWAGOE 

pupupupipi     pupupupipi   pupupupipi

i"It's not a wagon , Marksaid, It's was A HALF TON TRUCK Ttil they installed HAT RACK ON THE ROOF WERE COSTUMESTRUNKS AD A RAIATR INTHE CENTER..fRNKENODDED ,,iTS JSUT A FORD..VERY CONVENIENT--THE OTHER CARE ISA SECODN HAND PLYMOUTH--

EVER DRIVE THE pLYMOUTH 

FRANKIE NODDED UT SHE COULDN STOP THINKING ABOUT HIS SKIN AND THE WAY HE TILTE HIS HEADS TI SHIW  HER THE SALLCUT,,,TO HERSEF THINKG SURELY THIS STAR HAS A GRLFREND ,,OES SHE KNOW iM HERE, i WONDER IF TEHRE;SSOMENE WAIING FR HI t the to of the him..

with the oerfume un teh air D GREENTHINGS GROWINGAL AROUND THEM FRANKEE FOUND ERSKF THINING THIS ACTOR KLIKES E.."

THE BOX OFCE MANAGER BARGED IN waving a whie eelop

THE BOX OFFICE EMANGER SAID "MR. RYDER, THIS LETTER ARRIVED YESTERDAY ADDRESSED YOUR WIFE."  

THE THICK LINEN EXPENSIVE ENVELOPE TOLD FRANKEE AND MARK IT WAS IMPORTANT.

FRANKEE CAREFULLY OPENED THE ENVELOPE, SKIMMED THE TWO PAGE ENCLOSURE. 

 'Mark, i read read the first page, tand the secodn --you read them hen read the second. We've received a very prestigious invitation--the Annual Arts Festival 'du  Spoleto has asked me to perform--they sent me a script. It's a famous quote from writer James Agee. I'll read you my script. (Frankee ennunciated the words like an actress.) "We are talking now of  summer evenings in Knoxville Teneessee, 1915, the time I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child."

"Sounds like a big break for you, Mrs. Ryder," the Star said, as heRE ENTEED  entered the backstage area. 

Frankee flattered that Mr. Chucky knew she was married. "Yep!  My first acting credit. It's a little scary--I stand up on the arms an old Rocking Chair  and reach up, up--up to the Gods above...when the chair arrives maybe you'll see me rehearsing it."

I will. And You'll  be watching  me do cartwheels in the show tonight--that's scary--your husband's certainly made the opening number more spectactular!" successive cartwheels  with a stage fille with 8 extra dancers ??

Mark Ryder said, "W\hen the outdrama closes end of the summer, maybe you can see Frankee acting and dancing in in Spoleto."  (if we can getthe management to get us tickets  for the travel and front row seasts for the show. got tickets for the show. ere

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WHAT DO YOU FRET ABOUT-- YOUR AGE OR YOUR WEIGHT?

 JOHN SAID HE TELLS PEOPLE "I don't know my wife's age.  

C'MON, I KNOW HIS AGE, AND HIS HEIGHT, WEIGHT,  SHOE SIZE, PAN'T SIZE, HAT  SIZE, --ALSO WHAT SIZE UNDERWEAR TO PURCHASE. ALSO, WHAT SIZE SPORTS JACKET FITS HIM.

Wrist size?  Of course I know what wrist-watch he'd like, though he wears a digital timex. He loves rings. especially our  tall (below the knuckle) 18 karat solid gold wedding rings that we rarely wear because they are ucomfortable. He likes cufflinks, including the 3/4 inch fancy pair that has a floral pattern.  

I used to shop for his sweaters at the 17th street Barney' before it  closed--greens, browns, never purple--purple clashes with his skin tone. Now there's two Brooks Brothers within walking distance but the dresser where we keep his sweaters is jammed and has to be left open for at least 4 days till the moth ball smell fades into tolerable.

Currently he buys exercise outfits for me in Greewich Village, last Xmas--an extra warm, extra large,  flannel Salmon-colored exercise outfit that makes me feel like a big something or other who escaped from a tank.  I gave it to his oldest, wisest sister, Lee Gunter who brags--"the moment my brother saw this outfit, he bought it for ME!  Lee Gunter wore it with the 6 turquoise necklaces brother John gave her for her 50th birthday last year. 

 HE BUYS THINGS FOR ME LIKE THAT, SO  LEE GUINTER  CAN WEAR THEM.  I WONDER IF I CAN  BORROW THE NECKLACES? THEY'D LOOK GREAT ON ME IN ONE OF MY JOGGING SUITS.  I WEAR  DIFFERENT STYLE SUIT EVERY DAY.  COULD THAT BE WHY MY HUSBAND  DOESN'T KNOW MY AGE?  YES! Every time I look different, we have to figure out who I really am again. It's quite titilating for someone who's been married for 8, going on 9 years. 

TITILATING?  HEY, ITS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

GRABBING THE DAY

 GO FOR IT.  BE SURPRISED, BEWILDERED, SHOCKED,  OR AMUSED  BY WHAT'S AHEAD, LOOKING BEYOND WHOMEVER IS WAITING IN LINE, STANDING ON TIPPY TIP-TOES AS  YOU STRETCH LONG, REACH HIGH OR PALM THE FLOOR, SMILING YOUR MOST CONFIDENT SMILE,  WHILE EATING A CHOCOLATE BAR OR TWO. 

CONCENTRATE     

 

                       SNAG 

DON'T  JUST  HANG AROUND   

Be your REALLY TRULY REAL  GRABBER SELF

BOLDNESS

 

 BRAVERY 

FEARLESSNESS

SAYING GOODNIGHT TO PEOPLE I LOVE

Who? 

WELL OF COURSE JOHN CULLUM. 

If I count how many years we've been together it tells a private tale of when and how we got together --revealing enough about how old we are, so that I need to behave like a sensible, contented older woman, but ....but I shared the whole day with you--you brew the coffee and make sure there's extra packets of sweetner cause you know I want it extra sweet but won't use sugar ever since my dancing days when I watched my weight scrupulously. Did most things scrupulously. Yes, everything that's sweet is made sweeter with artifical sweetner and you always make sure it's on the table ----the sugar packets--cause I Iike  it sweet, and I shared this day with you--the steak you cooked for my supper that YOU didnt really want to eat, but ate smothered with kethup. Anyway, you know me so well I don't bother to pretend to be sensible, and can don my silliness or kiss your hands when you figure it's time for me to have an "activia" strawberry yogurt.  Yes, you watchover me; I decided to pull togther the book I am writing on line with the help of WHO--well  of course it's Shareen. Brilliant, creative sister daughter dearest truly best friend who married and divorced our son JD who lives way way out west and puts photos of sunsets on his facebook posts--she loves him, I love him and who and what he really is now a days, well I can only sort of imagine. Not ask 'tho I think he is inside and outside a idea man, a deeply philosophical man-man. So therefore, also  ignoring typos I want to say goodnight to Jd  and Shareen  and John my husband and say grab tomorrow -- with all the confusing woeful things that are heating up--covid, Trump, open or don't open schools  etcetera -- you don't need a list---just grab tomorrow and live. I am with you and love you hugely.