Cast of Thousands (or Sixteen)

Well, I think it is about time to let you know about the Players in this little Drama. Or, to put it in a plebeian sort of way, to Make Up Fake Names For Everybody.

I have them listed on the sidebar, so that when I refer to them henceforth, you can keep up. It is your "program," if you will.

First of all is my dear husband Charming. Did you ever see the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of Cinderella (1964)? It starred Leslie Ann Warren and Stuart Damon (who went on to fame as Dr. Alan Quartermain on General Hospital). There is a scene at the ball when Everything Stops because Cinderella is entering the room. Prince Charming looks up, and...the look on his face--mmm, mmm, when I was nine years old, baby, that is how I wanted my Prince to look at me. When I got one.

I had been married for 15 years or so when the video version came out. I hadn't seen the movie for at least 20 years. When that scene came up, my heart stopped. I realized that my dream had come true--I had my Prince Charming.

All my daughters, and my dear daughter-in-law, are named for flowers. My eldest picked Violet. I chose Forget-me-not for dd#2--she is my only blue-eyed daughter, and her name means Princess. She took this seriously from her birth, and Forget-me-not kinda sums up her personality. Ddil chose Lily--she carried them at her wedding. I chose Black-eyed Susan for my youngest daughter, because her eyes are the same color as her grandmother, who had the same nickname.

My dear sons and son-in-law have character names, either from books or tv or movies. My oldest ds is Don Quixote, which describes him perfectly. He Dreams the Impossible Dream daily. Ds#2 is Joe Hardy, a character he played in his childhood with his cousin, who was Frank Hardy. Ds#3 is Johnny Tremain, a book that he somehow missed in his childhood, but fell in love with in college while studying Children's Lit for El. Ed. majors. I have bought him three or four copies at book sales--enough, already, ma.

Dear Son-in-law is Rocky Balboa. He is a "Rocky" fanatic, and frankly, couldn't think of a book character he liked better. Ds#4 is MacGuyver--he is a Renaissance kind of guy, who fixes things with rubber bands and paper clips. Ds#5 is Alvin Fernald (Alvin's Secret Code, Alvin's Swap Shop, The Many Inventions of Alvin Fernald)--he likes the series :)

Finally, the grandbabies: Johnny and Lily have three--the first two are Veggie fans, so they are Junior Asparagus and Laura Carrot. The baby, 2 months old, is named Sweet Pea. Rocky and Forget-me-not's son will be Blueberry--the name he carried through her pregnancy. He is almost 6 months old.

So, there you have it. I thought it was bad, choosing names for all my offspring. One at a time. This sixteen-at-once has tuckered me out.