Let's look at mothers!

Happy Mother's day to all the mothers out there, whether your children are human or furry! I thought we'd have a little fun today and take a look at some mothers throughout history. You know all mothers are not created equal, right? Some are better than others.

1) Ma Barker - Also known as Kate Baker, aka Arizona Donnie Barker. Born in Missouri in 1873,  she achieved notoriety as the mother of several criminals. However, rumors that she was the head of this gang of miscreants has been greatly exaggerated, and at best, she might have been an accomplice. The spin on her as the leader was probably to assuage the guilt of the FBI at gunning down an old lady during the final shoot-out with the Barkers in Florida in 1935.

In 1970, Roger Corman made a film about Ma Barker and her brood - Bloody Mama - starring St. Louisan Shelley Winters, in which he depicted them as vicious, bloodthirsty and depraved, not to mention homosexual and incestuous. I'm not sure there is any evidence to support any of this. Typical Hollywood drama.





2. Mother Goose - the mythical author of a number of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, which are still

told to children even today. She is usually depicted as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, similar to the peasant costume worn in Wales in the early 20th century, but she is also depicted as a goose. There are many theories as to who was the real Mother Goose, but no proof to support any of them.






3. Mary, mother of Jesus - One of the most well-known and most revered mothers of all time,

because of the fame of her son. The story goes that Mary was approached by a messenger from God and hailed with the news that she was chosen to carry God's son. This translates to the first - and only, as far as I know - immaculate conception. Seems odd this only happened once. My theory is that before she got married to Joseph, she became pregnant by another man, maybe even a Roman soldier, and Jesus' historians changed the facts to suit themselves. She has been touted as a very virtuous woman, throughout history. She had other children, after marrying Joseph, and lived to bury her first-born upon his death at the hands of the Romans.








4. Magda Goebbels - wife of Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels, she was a devout follower of

Adolf Hitler, and so hated the idea of surviving his death that she and her husband arranged to commit suicide, and they took their six children with them. It's the children I feel sorry for, not the parents.

5. Paula Sims - This story took place in nearby Illinois. Paula and her husband Robert had three children, two daughters and a son. The daughters were kidnapped on separate occasions, from two different homes, and ended up murdered, while the son survived. It later turned out that Paula had killed the girls, because they were not the sons she and her husband wanted. I believe she's still serving time for that. What a horrible mother.

6. Carol Brady - This widowed mother of three daughters met the widowed father of three sons - and

the rest is history. She took on the role of stepmother to the sons, and that's how they became a family. Florence Henderson played Carol, while Robert Reed played the part of her loving husband, Mike. Ironically, Robert Reed was gay. Also, while the series was filming, I understand that Florence had a thing with the young actor who played her stepson, Greg Brady, played by Barry Williams. The Brady Bunch was the epitome of the wholesome family, and Carol was a shining beacon for mothers everywhere, especially those faced with the challenge of the blended family.

7. Mother Teresa - She was a Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary. She lived most of her life in India, although she was born in Macedonia, of Albanian descent. She was a controversial figure both before and after her death, and received numerous honors for the work she did with poor people. She has been criticized for her anti-contraception stance, as well as for the substandard conditions of the hospices for which she was responsible. In 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified, which earned her the title of "blessed", but before she can be canonized, another miracle needs to occur, according to the guidelines set down by the Church.







Now for some famous mothers and their children.

1. Judy Garland and Liza Minelli

2. Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I 

3. Princess Diana and her sons, William and Harry 

4. Morticia Addams with Wednesday and Puggsley  

These are just a few mothers, of course, and there are many many more - you know who you are. I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Does wholesome have to be a dirty word?

As some of you may know, I write. Mostly fiction. Mostly, but not entirely, in the M/M genre. Often of the romantic variety.

I don't feel limited to that genre, though. Also, I don't feel obligated to include sex scenes in every story. Sure, a lot of my writing has explicit sex. But not all, because that's not all I can do. At least I hope I'm more than the sum of my heroes' body parts, if you know what I mean.

But this is more than just a discussion of how much sex is too much, how little is enough. No, this is about someone who recently died, someone who could be considered the epitome of wholesome. And is that such a bad thing?

That's a picture of Shirley Temple from 2013, looking pretty damn good. If you look, you can see the little girl she was, the one that stole the hearts of the world.

I've been a fan since I was a girl, so a long time. I've seen most of her films, many of them multiple times. She was just such an adorable little girl, how couldn't you love her? Here are some of my faves, in no particular order:

The Little Princess (1939)

Shirley plays Sara Crewe, whose father is a military officer who goes off to fight in the Boer War and leaves that Arthur Treacher who used to have fish & chip restaurants here) persuades her not to. But the mean woman makes Sarah into a servant, and the snobby girls treat her abysmally and life is hard. Still, she never gives up believing her daddy is alive and will come home to her. This makes me cry even now. Love this movie (look for the Mad Movie version which makes her doll evil and possessed lol). Also look for a small role played by a very handsome Cesar Romero, who was quite good looking back in the day and might be best remembered as the Joker, on the Batman TV show (hard to tell what he looks like beneath that garish makeup lol)

Sara in a girls' boarding school. Life is good, despite some of the snobby girls who look down on her, until word is received that her father has been killed in action. Sara has no place to go. The headmistress wants to throw her on the street, but her nice brother (played by Arthur Treacher, yes





Bright Eyes (1934)

Shirley plays a little girl named Shirley, whose mother works as a maid for a rich, snobbish family, the Smythes. They have a very spoiled brat child named Joy (played by Jane Withers, who is probably best known for her portrayal in later years as Josephine the Plumber) and a wealthy wheelchair bound uncle Ned, whom they bend over backward to please (can anyone say inheritance?) Shirley's late father was a pilot, and she is a favorite among his aviator friends, especially Loop. When Shirley's mother is killed in an accident, Loop wants to raise Shirley, but he's a single man. And Uncle Ned has taken a shine to her (unlike the horrible spoiled Joy) and wants her himself. The story is complicated by the appearance of Loop's ex, who is helping Ned gain custody of Shirley (despite the Smythe's wishing Shirley would just go away). One of the highlights of this film is Shirley on the plane, singing Good Ship Lollipop.

 Curly Top (1935)

Shirley plays Elizabeth Blair. She and her older sister Mary live in an orphanage. The head of the orphanage

is not very  nice to the little girls, and neither is one of the directors. Neither appreciates Elizabeth's high spirits and playfulness and try to quell them. Mary works at the orphanage, being over the legal age, and she does what she can, but she's afraid to be separated from her sister. A new benefactor arrives, is enchanged by Elizabeth and wants to adopt her, but he learns that there is an older sister, who won't let her go. And he is enchanted by the older sister. So he spins a tale about a rich man who wishes to remain anonymous who adopts the two and takes them to live with him. Look for Arthur Treacher as the butler, and listen  for Shirley to sing Animal Crackers. A delightful film!

The Littlest Rebel (1935)

Shirley plays Virgie Cary, and this time for once she isn't poor, but lives on a Southern plantation during the Civil War. Her daddy (John Boles, who was also in Curly Top) is a Confederate. Sneaking back to see his family, he gets caught and they plan to shoot him as a spy. Virgie has to save her daddy. Look for Bill "Bojangles" Robinson as Uncle Billy. Love their dance numbers! Look for the scene at the beginning where she's having a birthday party and they're having ice cream when the little fat boy wants more but there is no more, and Shirley gives up her own to him lol Also, look for the scene at the end with Abe Lincoln.


There are so many more. Heidi, the classic story of a girl who goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps, and wins his heart. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which has being used by her guardians because she is talented, but they don't really love her. The Little Colonel, another Civil War tale involving a hardhearted grandfather. The Stowaway, with costar Robert Young (best known for Father Knows Best and Marcus Welby, M.D.), which takes place in China. Susannah of the Mounties, which costars Randolph Scott as her guardian.

Shirley's popularity didn't survive her growing up, as is often the case with child stars. She married John Agar, who was in a few John Wayne films, as well as the Sci Fi "classic" Tarantula. Later on, she served as embassador to both Ghana and Czechoslovakia. What a full life!

Shirley Temple had a very sweet and charming nature. I'm not sure how well this generation has embraced her, but I hope they do. These are films for people of all ages, every generation.

Yes, I do enjoy writing and reading about sex. But it isn't everything, and it shouldn't be. There's room for stories that don't have it too. Diversity, after all. It's the spice of life.

If you don't know Shirley Temple, check her out. I can't say enough good things about her.

Rest in peace, Shirley.

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Remembering Goober

One of the hard parts about getting older is that with time you start to lose the people you grew up with, whether actual friends and relatives, or those we knew because of the parts they played in the television shows or movies we watched. When you can turn on TV Land or TBS or any one of a number of stations that show re-runs from your youth and see them as they were then, it's hard to accept that everyone grows older, and that people die.


I just found out that we recently lost George Lindsey. George was best known for playing Goober Pyle, Gomer's not-so-bright cousin, in the Andy Griffith series. Goober was always a hoot. You never knew what he was going to do or say, but you could usually count on it being rather dumb.

Although perhaps not a great intellect, Goober had great mechanical ability, and worked as a mechanic down at the filling station. He was known to wear high water pants, a wide belt, and a trademark cap that resembled that of Jughead Jones from the Archie comics. He generally had a smile and a Hey for everyone he met.



It was always fun to see Goober and his cousin Gomer get together. Jim Nabors played Gomer, who ended up enlisting in the Marine Corps, and we all know what happened there, don't we? That's a whole other show in itself.

Goober was a staple character in Mayberry, even if he had less sense than the sheriff's son, Opie (played by cute little Ron Howard, now big-time director). His ability to impress the opposite sex was less than stellar, and he could ruffle people's fur real easy sometimes. If I remember correctly, he didn't get along very well with Malcolm, the Englishman who visited Mayberry for a bit (Bernard Fox, also of Hogan's Heroes and Bewitched fame). I think he hung out with people like Floyd the barber (ever catch Eugene Levy's portrayal of him on SCTV? Priceless!), and later Emmett the Fix It guy. He and Howard Sprague were at odds, probably because Howard was a smart guy and they were just polar opposites.

Besides Andy Griffith, George was on Mayberry, RFD (the less than stellar sequel to Andy Griffith, despite starring Ken Berry of F Troop fame), and also spent many years on Hee Haw.

Although he did not attend the service, Andy Griffith sent a statement. Ray Stevens sang "Everything is Beautiful" and longtime friend Ernest Borgnine sent a video tribute. George had a lot of friends and fans, and he'll be remembered fondly.

Rest in peace, George.

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Saying good-bye to Barnabas

A few days ago, we were rocked by the sudden demise of Jonathan Frid, our beloved Barnabas Collins. He did live a long and amazing life, and he'll be sorely missed by us, his fans. I fell in love with him when I was about twelve, when I discovered the world of Dark Shadows. I began my love affair with vampires upon reading Bram Stoker's novel, one that continues to this day. I cut pictures of Barnabas from the fan magazines and taped them to my wall. Every night, before I went to bed, I kissed him good night. There is a place in my heart where he'll always live. We are blessed to have had him. I'm introducing him to my daughter Sarah, and she too is saddened at his loss.

Today I'm going to post pictures of him, in his memory. Rest in peace, dear friend, and thank you for all that you gave to us.

This is the portrait of Barnabas that hangs in the foyer of Collinwood. Or, rather, of his "ancestor".  Funny how they look exactly alike, isn't it? And that when the present day Barnabas shows up, he has both the ring and the cane.

Suspicious much?

At times, Dark Shadows could be a bit hokey and campy, but it was well loved. Look in early episodes and you'll see the shadow of the boom mic.

Barnabas with Dr. Julia Hoffman, the psychiatrist that became his staunchest ally and best friend. She had a huge crush on Barnabas, but it could never be because of his obsession with his lost Josette.

The show liked to take forays into the past at times, and the cast would sometimes play other versions of themselves, or different characters. In one incarnation, Julia was Magda the gypsy. Barnabas was always himself.

And now Tim Burton is set to release the remake of Dark Shadows on May 4th. At first I thought it might be good, that Johnny Depp might do justice to the role. Until I saw the pre-release photos, and then I saw the trailer and I thought I was going to be ill. This movie is a mockery and a travesty. I hope it fails; it deserves to. It takes Dark Shadows and makes a huge joke out of it. Dark Shadows was Gothic camp, not humorous camp, like Lost in Space. I just lost my respect for Tim Burton as a filmmaker. And Johnny? Really? Didn't you find it to be over the top in the wrong way?

Rest in peace, dear friend, you will be greatly missed. Thank you for everything you gave us.




Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

No More One More Question - a Farewell to Peter Falk

I suspect most of you will remember Peter Falk primarily as the detective Columbo, in his infamous wrinkled trenchcoat, and his ever present cigar.  I remember when the show first came out, many years ago - and yes, I know I'm dating myself. It was part of a group of series that was presented on NBC and rotated one per week. The others were MacMillan and wife (with Rock Hudson and Susan St. James), McCloud (with Dennis Weaver), and I believe the fourth was The Psychiatrist, maybe with Lloyd Bridge, but my memory fails me  there. Columbo was an awesome series. He always solved his cases, and he was quite the character. He was particularly known for what became a trademark line - he'd be just about to leave the suspect, lulled into thinking they'd gotten away with the crime, when he'd pause in the doorway, using his cigar to punctuate his words, and he'd begin. "One more question. There's something that's been bothering me...." And then he'd proceed to solve the crime, based on that tickle in the back of his head.

Peter has left us, as I'm sure you know by know. He was 83, and is survived by his longtime wife Shera Danese, whom he met during the shooting of Columbo, and who has the distinction of being a primary character in more episodes than anyone else. I was surprised to learn that she is only 7 years older than I am, which puts a good 20 years between them. From everything I've ever read, it was a happy marriage.

You might also remember Peter, for those a little younger, from The Princess Bride, as the grandfather who reads the story to a young Fred Savage. My memory goes back farther though - he was the baker in Castle Keep, with Burt Lancaster and Patrick O'Neal - keeping the bakery and the baker's wife safe from German occupation. And he was in some damn funny comedies.  He was the psychiatirst in Penelope, with Natalie Wood.

One of my favorite of his roles was as Jack Lemmon's bumbling sidekick in The Great Race.  That movie is so hilarious, it never fails to make me laugh. Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon (as Professor Fate), Peter, Natalie Wood, Keenan Wynn and more. The relationship between Jack and Peter always reminded me of the old Dastardly and Muttley cartoons - a sort of Mutt and Jeff duo.

I also remember Peter with Alan Arkin in the great comedy The In-laws. I believe it was remade, but I haven't seen that. I saw the original at the theater with my little brother Doug, and loved it.  It's zany and off-beat and full of twists and surprises. I'll never forget the scene where Peter teaches Alan to zigzag across an area, in order not to be shot. A classic.


I'll always remember Peter fondly. I can't help but smile when I think of him. He was a truly fine actor, and a warm person. He will be missed.  Rest in peace, Peter.