Mary Tyler Moore died last week at the age of 80. Along with her dies a big part of my childhood. When I was young, I couldn’t wait to grow up and get my own apartment, just like Mary’s.  She was the first single woman on TV, unapologetically living her life. Not afraid to be picky about her suitors, only afraid to settle for less. My admiration for Mary goes a lot farther back than the Mary Tyler Moore show. Mary was taking a stand for feminism well before that. in the 60s, the Dick Van Dyke show gave us the perfect married couple with Rob and Laura Petrie .

Mary was 25 years old when the show first aired and parts of her were already famous. Her stint on the John Forsyth show, Richard Diamond private detective  as Sam had made her voice and her dancer’s  legs famous .

The Richard Diamond days.

But it was for covering her legs that she began her feminist journey. As Laura Petrie, Mary fought for and was finally allowed to wear Capri pants in one scene per episode . This was a controversial act in that women on TV wore skirts and dresses exclusively. But Mary said nuts to that ,walnuts that is:D

But it wasn’t until she got her own show that Mary took the feminist mantle into her personal life when she created Enterprises along with husband Grant Tinker, a production company that, not only produced the Mary Tyler Moore show, but many others including the Bob Newhart show, Lou Grant, Remington Steele and WKRP in Cincinnati.

Her talent behind the scenes was only bested by her talent on camera. Warm,funny, engaging and sexy, that was Mary.

I’d like to conclude this by sharing some of my favorite of Mary’s scenes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Whoever thought that walnuts could be so sexy?

Imagination what imagination?

Chuckling for Chuckles

Opening tribute

Curtain call

We miss you, Mary!

Orange is the new black is a show about women in prison, a drama, a comedy at times and a tear jerker. It gives us a look into the lives of the female prison population from a very personal perspective. All the lesbian sex and boob shots one would expect from Hollywood but we actually get to know each of the women attached to those boobs, from how they each ended up in prison, to their hopes for the future With the added bonus of being a true story, Orange is the new black has become the hallmark for incredibly well written female characters,in all shapes, ages, colours and sizes. As you’d expect from a show produced in the USA, the lesbian aspect is treated,either as shocking , or as funny,I  guess to make the less enlightened viewer more comfortable. In one of the best roles of the show, Lea Delaria as Big Boo is as vulnerable as she is intimidating, and is a joy to watch. 

Orange is the new black is a progressive character driven show of high quality. 

If you’re looking for a show like Orange is the new black, but without all the American hang ups about female sexuality, out of Australia comes Wentworth, in my opinion, far superior to Orange is the new black . The characters seem more realistic even though this show was based on another hit show called Prisoner and not a real life experience. Each show begins with the star OITNB Taylor Chapman, W Bea Smith entering prison and follows them through their stay. Taylor seems more naive at first than Bea, but she’s younger. While the women of Wentworth make the girls of Orange look like babies, the plot line of Wentworth is more sophisticated, the male characters are better looking and less douchey than those of OITNB. and lesbianism is presented as a normal thing that happens. 

Then,there’s Pamela Rabe, an actress in her late 50s who has become the surprise sex symbol of the show. Her character, Joan Ferguson goes from governor  (or warden ) to psych patient ,playing the transition perfectly, Pamela has the unique ability to make the smallest muscles in her face tell a story . I can’t wait to see more of her. 

I was recently turned onto Wentworth by a friend, after seeing the first episode, my craving for a new season of Orange went away. Wentworth season 5 will air this year.  It’s easy to see why actresses are clamoring to be locked up, if they get roles like these 

So, if you haven’t already enjoyed all 4 seasons of Wentworth before Orange is the new black returns in June. 

Ironically, after saying that I would greet 2017 with a turned  cheek, I awoke yesterday morning to my bottom spewing poop,the consistency of thin oatmeal like an upside down volcano,  through my underwear, then 3 more times later on in the day after changing into a diaper, which is no better with liquid poop than the underwear, the diarrhea is from taking antibiotics for my ruptured appendix. It would’ve been difficult to clean up with 2 working hands, with only one, it was near impossible. Had to call hubby home from work.with what he came home to, I’m sure he’d rather be working  Huge thanks to the coworker who stepped in to cover hubby’s shift.

If yesterday morning was any indication of how this year is going to be for me, it doesn’t look,or smell too good

.  Optimistic hubby thinks that the shit has hit the fan now so nothing to worry about, but I disagree, knowing that I still have surgery looming this year. 

Just NO MORE SURPRISES