Nice surprises in September

I had some nice surprises and also joined a new group in September. One nice surprise occurred as I was standing in line to buy two tickets to a local Follies show when a lady walked up and handed me two free tickets. How cool is that! I have attended the yearly Follies song and dance show for five years or so and it was founded 50 years ago.
Two of my friends sing and dance in it so that makes it extra fun. The auditions and rehearsals are very thorough. The song and dance numbers included "Pretty Woman", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Don't Be Cruel", "What Now My Love", "Love Me Tender", "Inka Dinka", "I Gotta Be Me" and many more for a total of forty songs.
All that and we had free seats.
I went to a fund raiser tea on Saturday, Sept. 22 and it was very lively. Some of us, including me, wore hats and one lady looked like a regal Victorian lady in her hat and clothes. Here are some photos of the food tables. There were about 8 tables of food including the traditional cucumber sandwiches and scones and in the first table you can see the delicious home made lemon curd.

The above two photos show friendship and companionship. The fundraiser is for a group that takes home bound seniors out for afternoons of fun and lunch. It allows care givers to have 5 or 6 hours off from their work of caring.
The new group I joined is one for widows that just formed at our church and was created by two widows. We had our first meeting on Sunday which featured a delicious free lunch in the church coffee house and eleven ladies got to know each other a bit. The theme for the group will be that we need not do this life alone. Amen to that. The ages ranged from 60 to 85. I didn't know any of the gals beforehand so I pushed myself to go and am glad I did.
We are looking for a name for the group, do you have any ideas? I suggested "Wild wacky widows" and another gal suggested "Wild wonderful widows." We want to convey widows and upbeat fun times. Ideas for a name welcome.

Cheering Meself Up

Yes, me, myself and I, otherwise known as "meself" can use some lighthearted moments. As I take slow steps in my widowhood journey, one treat I enjoy is to read upbeat memoirs. Celebrity memoirs can be fun diversions. I just ordered Betty White's book and it hasn't arrived yet, but I am guessing it will be a fun book to read.

I did buy and read Carol Burnett's book.

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

I laughed out loud at quite a few things she shared. Some favorites: the two times she did her Tarzan yell at full volume (once to stop a mugging and once in a store to prove who she was so she could make a purchase). Burnett shares stories about spending time as a friend of Cary Grant and how she embarrassed herself when they met. She was also overwhelmed when she met Jimmy Stewart on the set where he was filming the FBI Story, and she promptly stepped off the set into a bucket of whitewash. She walked away with the bucket stuck on her foot, and refused to look back. They later became friends too. Each chapter is short so you can read it in a few minutes, but if you are like me, you will read just one more and one more, etc. A little bit of genuine heart break is included, but most of the book is fun fun funny. Of course, humor is a very individual matter, so I can't tell what might appeal to you, LOL. 

I am reading Rue McClanahan's memoir and it is upbeat as she often laughs at herself and her choices, especially regarding men. Typically when a man in her life asked her to marry him, even when alarm bells were going off, she said yes. All the while trying and failing to say "let me think about it." Rue enjoys sex and writes about it here. This book will go nicely with Betty White's memoir, since all 4 Golden Girls became close while working together for many seasons. Rue never gave up her acting, even when living on a teeny income as a single mom and I cheered for her when the Golden Girls rescued her pocket book :)

Any tips on other upbeat memoirs?