Bronxgirl48

SansFin, please accept my deepest sympathies and prayers for your mom's passing. Two of the hardest things in life -- holding on and letting go. I will shed many tears for my mother in private in the coming days, weeks, months and years, but will not break down in front of relatives and friends at Mom's funeral next week. I refuse to be reduced to a blubbery heap anywhere but in the privacy of my own space, and believe me, I am a world class blubberer. Thanks so much, my friend, for your comfort and support.

Rich, it's wonderful to see you -- thank you so much. I'm very grateful you enjoyed Mom here on her very own thread. I have to tell you that after taking care of necessary paperwork and planning my mother's final resting place (i.e., being the adult) I treated myself to FROM HELL IT CAME. It was even more deliciously awful than I remembered.

Matey, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your own mother. Thank you so much for your kind and generous words about Mom. She really was a Gracie Allen character when it came to movie critiques. Mom knew what she liked and what she didn't, and never hesitated to let us know, even if plots and actors were occasionally (or should I say often) mixed up. Over the course of about four years her dementia was progressive as it always is, and she had to move from her apartment to assisted living, then a nursing home. Her hospice care was a blessing -- Mom did not suffer at the end.

Marianne, you already sound like an old friend! How wonderful and fun that our two moms enjoyed similiar movie memories. Thank you so much for sharing this with me, and for your kind thoughts. I'm not sure how far back I can go on this thread but I'm hoping I can retrieve some of Mom's best bits.

Molo my dear friend, you are a very special and loving person and I'm so grateful to know you. We had two very wonderful, strong mothers. They will live in our hearts forever. Blessings.

Kathy, I am so blessed to know you. You are an angel here on Earth, bringing me your compassion, wisdom, and spiritual comfort. Thanks, twinnie.

Chris, your generous and kind words touch me so much. Thank you my friend. Mom loved you all.

SansFin, thank you so much for your words of comfort. It is still rather surreal for me. Things haven't really sunk in yet, even though I'm coordinating and attending to all the arrangements with a clear head and a deceptively calm exterior.

Dear TCM Friends, My mom, aka Bronxgirl's Mother, passed away peacefully this afternoon at a hospice center here in Boca Raton. She was 96 years old. Her heart just gave out. Mom was famous for her incisive and unintentionally hilarious film reviews, a few of which I'll track down and re-post. Her favorite actresses were Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. She adored Clark Gable and William Holden, not necessarily for their talent. Ronald Colman caused a few flutters as well. Mom was very fond of LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING, NOW VOYAGER, MILDRED PIERCE and GONE WITH THE WIND. She never cared for the original KING KONG. Told it was a classic, Mom would reply: "A giant gorilla is silly" Mom would ask me if Cary Grant and John Garfield were still alive, but I put that down to her increasing dementia. I would like her thread to continue.

Thanks so much, Scottie. Mom and I are hanging in there. THIS IS THE NIGHT -- Thelma Todd cheating on Cary Grant with Roland Young and Charlie Ruggles?? Sounds like a science fiction film, lol. I don't remember LITTLE GIANT too well and should revisit it, but for me the most unique A&C teaming is THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. Bud and Lou both play double roles in different centuries. Marjorie Reynolds is charming as "Mistress Melody" and there are a lot of picturesque moments but then, I'm a sucker for Early American history and ghost stories. HARD, FAST AND BEAUTIFUL reminds me of another Ida Lupino movie, but not as a director -- THE HARD WAY, where Ida plays a frustrated housewife who tries to realize her ambitions through a younger sister. Same "stage mother" plot in both, but I find HARD, FAST AND BEAUTIFUL pretty trite I've never seen Claire Trevor give a bad performance but here she's none too subtle and, if I remember correctly, actually arches her eyebrows before every new ruthless machination. I haven't seen the 1935 SHE, but its Hammer remake is very dull. Christopher Lee is relegated to a rather muted supporting role. Peter Cushing just seems to be going through the motions. Ursula Andress is appropriately icy and seductive, but can't act.

Hi, matey! First of all, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you and all my TCM family! Can't tell you how much I LOVED this train ride! Oh my gosh, it went through all the South of France cities I'd love to visit -- Ville-Franche, Menton, Eze, and what a surprise when they arrived in Monte Carlo! That was totally unexpected, seeing the stylish station and those casually chic people with lots of shopping bags. Yes, the tunnels were scary! Every time I saw one coming I cringed, lol. Thanks so much, my friend! Here is my Valentine's Day video for everyone: !

Hope to be back here soon! Love you all.

Happy New Year, molo! Hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday. I'm enjoying the Hitchcock and Twilight Zone marathons on TCM and the Syfy Channel. I laid in a tasty supply of snacks -- lox, cream cheese, bagels, fresh squeezed orange juice, Stella D'Oro Breakfast Treats, Cape Cod smoked gouda potato chips (a limited flavor), and Pepperidge Farm German Chocolate cake. Watched THE MUMMY'S GHOST last night on Svengoolie. It must be the dullest of the Mummy sequels. Ramsey Ames makes an attractive reincarnated Princess Ananka but her acting skills are limited. Ditto for Robert Lowery. They're a snooze-worthy couple. (the Toto dog is cute, though, and more animated than anyone else in this movie)

Ha! I think I know what you mean about Dudley -- Cary puts an uneasy spin of mystery and sexual allure into his angel. You never know if he's about to plant a kiss or let loose the demons of Hell to teach us a lesson, lol. Don't get me wrong -- I do love Clarence but wouldn't want to spend New Year's Eve with him, if you get my drift. (oooh, I'm bad)

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Happy holidays to you! Roast chicken is one of my very favorite foods; I think I actually prefer it to turkey during Thanksgiving. I usually avoid the cooking process entirely by purchasing a fully cooked one (plain, no seasonings) and then dress it up with my own spices and rubs. I'm woefully low on basic kitchen equipment -- need to upgrade -- and have decided to purchase a set of cookware from the QVC shopping channel. They have some good bargains!

Wishing you a New Year filled with all good things, my friend.

Thank you so much, my twinnie! Mom sends her love. Blessings back to you and the family. Peace, love, all the "shining gifts" as David Niven says in his THE BISHOP'S WIFE sermon. (and who wouldn't want Cary Grant as an angel, lol? Better than Clarence)

That is our Santa Gator. He can often be found slithering around back yards wishing everyone comfort and joy.

Holiday blessings to you, Larry! Thank you, my friend. I still miss the snow this time of year in Florida. !

Matey, may the heavens smile down on you all the days of your life, and thanks so much for the kind sweet words about Mom. Rich, what a pleasure and an honor to see you here! Wishing a happy holiday season to you and Inspector Clay. Yes, my friend, future events will effect us all in the future. We must punish the guilty and reward the innocent!

To my dear TCM friends, I wish you a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, and health. Blessings to you all. !

No "belated" necessary, dear TWINNIE! Mom enjoyed her turkey and pumpkin pie but told me she would have rather made it herself, lol. I reminded her that she didn't have to do dishes and that perked her up! My friend always overcooks during this season so she made me take home lots of leftovers, which included her homemade macaroni-and-cheese plus from scratch apple pie. It was a blessed day overall and I hope it was the same for you and your family. SANSFIN, I had to look up "spatchcock"! Didn't know this means "butterflied" which gives the meat when it's laid out like that a much juicier and intense flavor. I'm sure you and your sweetie had a delicious meal. Sometimes simple is best. As for my bathroom scale, I have a rule never to jump on it until the day after New Year's, lol. No use crying during the winter holidays.

Hi, matey! Hope your turkey day was blissful, my friend. Yes, Mom has her own television but sometimes has problems remembering which channel is TCM. When that happens, she inadvertently turns on CNN and has to listen to Wolf Blitzer. That she cannot stand, lol.