I was sad to hear about the death of Robert Goulet. It was in the early 1980s, soon after I started in newspapers and he was appearing at the old Downingtown Inn. The Downingtown Inn was the place to go in its time, all the celebrities would go there and he was one of them.

I was assigned to interview him after his performance. Sure, he was an actor and trained to put on a good appearance for the public, but he was really charming. And his voice!! He wasn’t bad looking either.

After I finished asking him what I’m sure were some stupid questions, he told me it was the best interview he had ever given. Then he reached down, grabbed my hand and kissed it. I was speechless.

What a line, but I didn’t care.

Unfortunately, my husband was there with me, taking photographs (including the one above). Again unfortunately, he didn’t get a shot of the kiss. But I know it happened.

Over the years, his name would pop up in conversations -- usually making fun of him. But I stood up for my man.

He holds a special spot in my heart -- and on my hand.

I recently got back from visiting my sister-in-law and her husband in Florida. While most people in Florida don’t speak with a heavy Southern accent, they live in Pensacola, less than 30 minutes from Alabama.
While there, we went to what could be my and my husband’s favorite bar in the U.S. -- the Florabama, an establishment which straddles the Florida/Alabama line. Before Ivan came through and ripped apart the building, there was a line painted down the middle of the floor showing where the state line passed. It was amazing, you could drink in two states at the same time.
In the Florabama you hear a lot of Southern. On a recent Saturday night, the band was playing -- loudly. A woman came up to me and said, “Scuse me, do y’all have a ‘pin’?” Thinking she had broken a strap or lost a button, I had to say “Sorry, no.”
She went down to my sister-in-law, who has lived in the South for more than 30 years, and asked her the same question. She reached into her purse and handed the woman the PEN she had been seeking. Turns out she wanted to write down her phone number for a guy she met that evening at the bar. Now, if she had just asked for paper and a “pin,” I might have been able to figure it out.
It’s interesting all the differences in a common language. When my husband and I were in Mexico a few years ago, we met a couple from the British Isles. He asked my husband if he wanted to play golf the next day and my husband, not sure of the skill level of the other man, told him that he would love to, but he wasn’t that good. The other man replied, “Don’t worry, we just play for the ‘crack.’”
Our eyebrows went up a bit on that comment, but it turns out that crack just means friendship, fun. Boy were we relieved.
I’m sure people down South and in England have some comments about the way we talk, too.

If you ask me, it’s a little early to start Christmas shopping, but I’m sure some people are almost done.
If there’s still room in your shopping cart for a few select items, the recently released Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog might be a good place to look.
-- For only $35,000 you can have a dragon topiary in your yard.
-- A cell phone studded with pink and white diamonds will cost $73,000.
-- A portrait of you and your favorite person made from chocolate syrup will run $110,000.
-- A two-person submarine capable of diving to 1,000 feet costs $1,440,000. By the way, it comes with a “comprehensive” two-day training program (I sure would feel safe 1,000 feet below the water after two days of training!)
-- For $1,590,000, the Kirov Orchestra will perform three pieces for you and 499 of your closest friends. You even get to keep the autographed piano.
-- And, on top of the price list, you can get 10 acres of land in Montana for a mere $2.3 million. Quite a bargain when you consider it includes part of a nature preserve and a private dinner and entertainment.
So, dig deep into your pockets and under the cushions of the couch for that loose change. You’re going to need it.