So the new apartment is great. Like, great.
It’ll take months to get rid of all the dust. The linoleum in the kitchen is from the Pleistocene era. The paint is an inch thick in every room and is cracking so deep in certain places it looks like Chicago must have experienced a small earthquake at some point in the 1970s. I’ll remedy these things eventually; until then, I love my new home too much to care.
And, um, I live next door to a famous actress.
It’s so exciting! I’ve never lived next to a famous actress before. I couldn’t wait to tell you, but there’s good and bad news.
Bad news first: I can’t tell you the actress’s name. Peeps, I just can’t. It would be extremely uncool to move into this neighborhood and, in my public fan-girling of this epic, brilliant, hilariously funny, iconic actress, effectively share her address with the internet. Believe me, I desperately want to tell you. I wondered if I could just give you obvious hints so you could figure it out yourself, but then you’d guess right and her name would be all over the comments — which gives us the same problem. Any cluster or burst of internet activity about Famous Actress is going to alert Famous Actress’s team. They’ll check it out and see that there was all this chatter about her on some quilter-person’s blog and oh! Guess what, Famous Actress? Your neighbor is a creepy quilter-person and she telling a whole bunch of other creepy quilter-people where you live!
Sub-optimal.
The good news is that this actress is every bit as cool and awesome in real life as you want her to be. That has to be enough for now. Mind you, I haven’t talked to her, but my third-floor bedroom window looks out over the gorgeous courtyard patio at the back of her house and I have obtained data by peering through the trees and catching glimpses of her here and there. The data I have gathered proves her awesomeness and no, peering through the trees to spy on people is not creepy at all. Here are a few of my observations of Famous Actress:
- Famous Actress wears big, floppy straw hat while gardening
- Famous Actress wears t-shirt and flowy skirt and Birkenstocks; looks comfortable
- Famous Actress played the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House” twice this afternoon in the courtyard while she and her husband (?) were power-washing the patio and she was really rockin’ out
- Famous Actress rolled out a yoga mat and laid down on it but did not appear to practice yoga
- Famous Actress has a hummingbird feeder and tending to it makes her smile
I promise you I will try to meet this woman for real and become her best friend. Once we become best friends, then I can ask her if I can blog about her and she’ll say yes, of course, Mary, you can do anything you please because I love you so much and you’re such a good writer and and please write a movie for me to star in and please come over for breakfast lunch and dinner we’re all gathering in the courtyard patio and don’t you even think about bringing anything you silly girl but oh take this jacket I wore in that movie from the 1980s that you know by heart and also please take all of my old diamonds.
It’s good to be home.
Mary Julg
You made me smile snd laugh!
Kathleen
Don’t forget to wear lipstick!
Linda
That is so funny. Love the suspense. Now we have to wait for the big reveal, if in fact there will be one. Just tell her what a famous quilter you are & you can teach her tips & tricks in exchange for those old diamonds she no longer wears. Love your stories Mary
Sherri McKnight
She might geek out over being YOUR neighbor, you know!
Lynette
Maybe your neighbor secretly makes quilts or wants to learn how to make quilts? Hang a different one over your balcony each day till she begs to be YOUR friend.
Nancy Binder
And now we feel you smiling….how wonderful….
sharon
so my question is are dogs allowed in your new digs?
Tami M.
I believe that was the reason Mary moved into her new apartment. They do allow dogs.
Lesley G
Maybe she is blogging about you but can’t reveal your name for the same reasons 🙂
liz hinze
I’m glad your happy, puppy in the future?
Anita Brayton
So happy you like your new spot in the world. When does Phillip Larkin move in?
Heidi
Hopefully sooner than later!
Mandy Laseter
How much do I love seeing your blog as the first thing on my feed? Very! My mind is whirling, trying to think of who the famous actress is. I love a mystery! Congrats on your new home!
Jeanie L
Oh Mary, glad you like your new location so much! I would feel the same way if I moved & YOU were my new neighbor
Judith
That is soooooo cool – your blog always makes my day!
Janice
Reminder… Famous Actress lives next door to you, our famous artist. She is probably writing about it.
Patty
I’m sure she will want to be a sewing buddy!
Kathy Douglass
I do know of an 80s movie star who lives in Chicago. I’m going to assume it’s her. I will also assume she would love to know she’s living next to such a hard working girl as you.
Lucinda Miller
We’re thinking the same thing Kathy Douglass 😉 lol
Bob Collis
Happy for you!!
And yes, she’s probably star struck as well!
Paula
Mary–I’m so excited to hear about your new place, especially so you may now have a dog. Our animals are so important to us. Good luck getting it all fixed up your way! And I just know you are right about your neighbor wanting to be best friends. Happy Days! More than anything, I’m happy to hear the upbeat tone of your writing.
MK
I’m with Kathy ^^ — I bet your neighbor is a total doll.
Georgia
You sound so happy!! I’m happy for you!!
Kimberly
Maybe Famous Actress religiously watches Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting, and as others have said, wants to meet you too. That would be nice. Hope you’re redecorating goes well. You can always make lots of quilts to cover any cracks you don’t want to deal with too soon.
Linda
Finally a place for a dog, in a possibly older, very cool, building. And the icing on the cake is the Famous Actress as a neighbor! Things right now sound “Golden”!