Making conversation with family and strangers

Killian Kring, my oldest nephew,
graduated from UIC this month.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

~ Ferris Bueller

A new friend of mine just said “May is crazier than Christmas”. I’m feeling that too: Graduations, weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, Mother’s Day, birthdays, oy.

If you have trouble making conversation at family events, here’s some conversation starters. Consider putting them in a handy place on your mobile device to consult with when you get stuck. These are meant to be light questions, but can get heavy in a hurry, so if you’re not in the mood to get to deep, choose wisely.

Who would you invite to your ultimate dinner party, living or not?

What do you do for fun?

What was the happiest moment of your life?

What are some of the best lessons you’re ever learned?

What kind of a student were you?

Who was your favorite teacher?
Favorite topics?

Who has been the kindest to you?

What is your earliest memory?

Do you believe in love at first sight?

What are you proudest of?

Who are your best friends?

Who are your favorite relatives?

Have you ever experienced a miracles?

How would you like to be remembered?

If you weren't doing what you're doing now for a living, what else might you be doing?

When you meet God, what do you want to say to Him/Her?

The above questions are inspired by StoryCorps’ Great Questions.

The following are all mine. Two of my go-to “cocktail party” questions are these: 1) Have you ever been arrest? 2) Imagine that you’ve just spent the night with someone special, exchanged all kinds of bodily fluids, would you use their toothbrush in the morning?

Got any of your own questions you like asking? I'd love to hear them.

Thank you, Misters Bono and Pavarotti.

Ave Maria is not just for Catholics.

I love listening to Ave Maria sung, no matter what the lyrics are.
Composed by an Austrian guy, Franz Schubert -- who'd have definitely made the 30 under 30 list in his century -- the song is based on a poem composed a Scottish guy, Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake.

Bono and Luciano Pavarotti performed a lovely version of it in 2009
with lyrics relating to social justice and politics.



If you enjoy it, you'll not be able to say you don't like opera again.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

Bono:

Ave Maria
Where is the justice in this world?
The wicked make so much noise, mother
The righteous stay oddly still
With no wisdom
All of the riches in the world
Leaves us poor tonight

And strength is not without humility
It's weakness, an untreatable disease
And war is always the choice
Of the chosen
Who will not have to fight
Ave Maria

Pavarotti:

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Maria gratia plena
Maria gratia plena
Ave ave Dominus
Te cum

Bono:

And strength is not without humility
It's weakness, an untreatable disease
And war is always the choice
Of the chosen
Who will not have to fight

Bono and Pavarotti:

Ave Maria

Lyrics courtesy of the interwebs.

Odd Wo(man) In

From Live From Skokie

Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver and the other gold

That song from my childhood comes to mind when I see this picture. I'm pretty sure it was not ever meant as a comment on hair color, but I think I'm the silver one in this picture.

Last month a few of us from the class of 1980 from Niles North congregated in Devonshire Park thanks to the efforts of Fran Horvath (nee Ruskin) and Mark Holtzman. We shared stories, passed around a yearbook and got acquainted and reacquainted...and made some pictures.

I'm in touch with many of the friends I had in high school. None of them were there. That's okay. My new friend Fran Horvath, who my husband only recently introduced me to, and her other friends were there. Fran and I were not friends in high school. This was not by deliberate decision, just the nature of things. We hung out in different circles. I was at least aware of her; she admits to having no awareness of me. I was aware of Toby Fisher too, as she was a Vikette, NN's poms squad, but we were not friends either. Linda, I didn't remember knowing, but evidently she was taking beauty school classes and was off campus a lot.

Are we friends now? We'll see. Crystal ball sees a visit to Linda's to discussed the silver in the near future.

Note to Niles North Class of '80: Maybe we'll have a 30th reunion, maybe not. There's no clear organizer(s) this year. Word is that at least Fran and Mark, who'd been involved in planning the 10th and 20th, can't do it this year. So, hope to see y'all next year, or maybe in '11, but surely in cyberspace.