DANGER DIVA!

I was a nervous child, so I often obsessed over the worries I'd face once I became a free-range adult. Lest you think I was prodigious enough to be concerned about things like jobs, mortgages, taxes, or even health insurance, I was not. My world-view was shaped by Saturday-morning cartoons and black-and-white movies. Based on the information I gleaned from those two sources, I created a list of prevalent dangers I would encounter in the future. I vowed to always avoid these potential catastrophe makers. Today, I present my list to you, my dear readers, so that you, too, can practice SAFETY FIRST!

Danger, Invisible Diva!

YANKEE DOODLE DIVA

On this day, in the year of our lord COVID-19, the 4th of July is more bust than boom. As I social distance with my wine and lone sparkler, I am drawn to reminisce about the greatest 4th of Julys of them all - the ones of my childhood! These were the celebrations my family held in my hometown in eastern Ohio, a small town in the Steel Valley. Every year of my childhood, we gathered in the local park, as a clan, for the sole purpose of being together. It was the purest of celebrations because it wasn't about gifts or cards, getting the turkey in the oven at 5 a.m., or worrying over seating arrangements. In fact, it wasn't even about patriotic zealotry. For us, it was just about family.

"We are family!....

WHO IS THAT MASKED DIVA? (Featuring Twinkles the Intern)

Hi! I'm Twinkles the Intern! The Invisible Diva has asked me to write this blog post for her. She said to tell you that she's at a spiritual retreat detoxing her soul after being in quarantine for three months. My new boyfriend, Quentin "Just Call Me Q" O'Nonne, thinks she's detoxing her liver based on the number of wine bottles we found in her recycling bin.

Twinkles: Intern

PANDEMIC PLANNER

Hello, world! I report to you from The Land of Social Distancing, where time is meaningless. While it would be easy to slip back into our bad habits from college, when we stayed up playing cards until 4:00 a.m. then slept through all of our morning classes, this is an era in history when we must use our time as wisely as we use our toilet paper. For this reason, I offer you my quarantine schedule. Follow it, and you will be an efficient, multi-tasking Gallant:

Rather than a time-hoarding Goofus:

SISTER PALOOZA!

Since we're deep into Fall, it's probably time to write my annual "What I Did During My Summer Vacation" post. Based on my Instagram, I spent the season with my feet propped up on various coffee tables while drinking wine. Facebook, on the other hand, tells the story of a woman struggling to overcome home renovations and an ungrateful grand-cat. Though accurate, neither of these platforms fully embraced the most important event of the Summer of 2019: Sister-Palooza: Florida Edition.

The Plan

BOOK 'EM DIVA: DATING BY THE BOOK

*I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the latest Mary Ann Marlowe novel, Dating By the Book, in exchange for an honest review. Enjoy!*

Publisher: Kensington Books
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

To read a Mary Ann Marlowe novel is to fall in love. From her smart female protagonists to her charming male love interests, each new book introduces us to characters we want to know in real life. That's why it's always hard to say goodbye when it's time to turn to the final page. This is particularly  problematic with Dating By The Book, the latest from the award-winning author, as Marlowe infuses the story with mystery, making it a true page-turner. Thus, the end arrives all too soon.

I just didn't want it to end!!!

GRUMPY OLD DIVA - FACEBOOK EDITION

I'm old enough to remember when Facebook was fun. Ten years ago, when everyone was still in a fairly decent mood, you could log onto your page and discover a wealth of information about family, friends, former high-school classmates, your dentist, and that strange couple who live around the corner. Those were the glory days when we all simultaneously changed our profile pictures to giraffes and debated whether that dress was blue or gold. But, times, I'm afraid, have changed. Ladies and gentlemen, Facebook has lost its mojo, and I'm here to announce it is the fault of one generation, and one generation, only. I refer, dear readers, to the Baby Boomers. Now, you all might ask: