By Barbara Falconer Newhall
Full disclosure. Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and I are sorority sisters. We lived in the same house across from the Bus Ad building in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during the ’60s. And we were both English majors. I never met Cathy, too bad for me; she joined our sorority at the University of Michigan a few years after I did. But I’ve always taken a bit of pride, a lot of pride, in claiming this talented humorist and cultural commentator as my sister.
Even without our shared history, Cathy would be a kindred spirit. She was the nationally syndicated author of the “Cathy” comic strip for decades, and she sees the funny side of life — no, strike that: she sees life straight on and manages to find the humor and the grace in it. That’s what I try to do in my writing.
Her new book, “Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault: Essays From the Grown-Up Years,” was released April 2 by Putnam, and it has already arrived in my mailbox. Can’t wait to find out what Cathy has to say about “the grown-up years.”
I’ll let you know . . . .
More of my favorite authors:”Ann Patchett” and “John Donne.”
Hi Barbara,
I have a question about your blue dresses from Bloomingdales
How did you find their size to be?
I’m a 12P and will be ordering my dress online but I’m not sure if their sizes run accurately.
Also, are you rating the dresses or selling them?
I just enjoy writing about my shopping adventures. I’m not trying to persuade anyone to buy at a particular store. But since I am showing photos of myself in various dresses, I include the store and maker and price just in case someone wants to know. Most of the brands I’ve mentioned in this story ran fairly true to size. When I’m shopping on line, I feel free to order a dress in more than one size then return the one that doesn’t fit. On line retailers seem to be OK with this, and many stores let you buy something on line and return it to the store, which I find convenient. Thanks for asking. Good luck with your search!
Ah, love Cathy Guisewite! And, yes, she is a kindred spirit! Love the writing that both of you do.
Cheers!
Thank you, Cheryl. Couldn’t do this on-line stuff without you.