1) Sending out love to everyone who needs it today. Sure, it’s National Hugging Day — I ask you — but over and above a Frivolous Internet Holiday, I’m seeing a lot of anger, sadness, and despair out there. You’re not alone, dahlings. I’m here for you — shout out by DM if you need me.
1a) Because, in the the words of the late Mae West, “I’m a lion tamer, not a mind reader.”
2) Etiquetteer turns 21 — 21! — at the end of the month, and I have finally — finally! — started going through the big box of email that Daddy printed out for Mother to read, because it includes a lot of my early columns to which I no longer have access. All that, and the baby books and photo albums she created (much of which Laura has) — what a valuable record of my life she prepared and preserved for me. Fitting to think of it since her birthday was yesterday.
2a) Some of that early material makes me cringe now, but some of it has stood up rather well, “with a bit of trussing here and there,” as Auntie Mame said of Agnes Gooch’s figure.
3) This morning, while I was absolutely not thinking about my former life as a reunion planner, I got an email from an old volunteer looking for advice. Thankfully my network has remained vigorous enough that I could refer him to volunteers from another class who already do very well what this person was asking about.
3a) I have actually been invited back to speak at a class reunion event in May for one of my old classes of which I’m an honorary member. This has resulted in several honorary classmates subscribing to my notify list.