Lately I’ve been thinking about my Aunt Mary Lou who was my grandmother’s sister and one of my idols growing up. Mainly because she led kind of a glamorous, charmed and artistic life but remained a very sweet and classy lady through it all. I've always been fascinated with the 1940's and that whole era too.

Even though we didn’t spend much time together I always felt close to her in a special way. Both of my parents and mostly everyone else on both sides of my family have dark hair and eyes. But I ended up with blonde hair and green eyes like my special aunt. We're both the same height and weight and I even ended up the nickname Lou Lou, which comes from her as well.

Aunt Mary Lou was a professional figure skater in the forties and fifties, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and as a regular cast member at Radio City Music Hall for close to two decades performing in various ice shows.

During that time she lived alone in an apartment in Manhattan with her beloved cocker spaniel named Dreamboat. She didn’t settle down and marry until she was well into her forties. Something that was unheard of for a woman of that era. When she did finally retire from the ice show scene she married an older gentleman who treated her like a queen.

So I’m probably past the point where I could pack it all up, move to NYC and become a fancy show girl [besides the fact that I have no natural dancing abilities without being at least 4 drinks deep]. But I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to chase a dream like that and live the lifestyle. Also I think it’s important to remember those who’ve gone before you and the different paths they blazed.