"And a Child Shall Lead Them" + Rita Moreno!

Friends, if you really want to make a six-year-old's day, let her walk your chihuahua.

I hung out with my friend Suzanne (of Beau Baby blog fame) and her charming daughter, Lucy, this afternoon and really had fun.



I don't spend much time with children, but I always enjoy it when I do.  They're cute and they just adore animals.

I know from nearly every daily dog walk that there's something about chihuahuas that enthralls kids -- especially girls.  I guess it's the breed's small size and big ears or something.  Plus that chihuahua movie...



While Willy (the white one) is OK with pretty much any human he meets, Freddy does not cotton readily to children (or skateboards, or garbage trucks, or men in uniforms...the list goes on).  He gave Lucy a bit of a fright at first (and second), but he finally calmed down in the apartment when we gave him his beloved Lambchop doll to suckle.

He's still barking at Lucy below:



Before the dog walk, Suzanne, Lucy, and I visited the latest show at the FIT museum, "Dance & Fashion."  I enjoyed it, though I was disappointed that none of Ginger Rogers' gowns were included; it's more about how dance costumes influenced fashion and vice versa.  It's open through January 3rd and the museum is free.





In other news, I just finished reading Rita Moreno's autobiography.  Actually, I borrowed the book-on-tape, read by Rita herself, and highly recommend experiencing it that way.  She's had quite the life and, unlike many celebrities who grow old in a bubble, has a lot of self-awareness.





Moreno is probably best known for playing Anita in the 1961 film version of West Side Story, but she had already been around a while by then (she even had a small role in Singin' in the Rain) and is still active today.  She's also one of the few performers to have won an Emmy, a Tony, an Oscar, and a Grammy.  Marlon Brando is a big presence in the book, as he played a huge role in her life; in fact she came close to killing herself over him, but you'll have to read to book (or watch one of her many YouTube interviews) to find out why.  I read a lot of celebrity autobiographies, and this is truly one of the best.

Moreno is also a fabulous performer.  This Emmy-winning performance is a favorite (the fun begins at 0:11 sec):



Moving on, I bought a book for a penny today!  It's Sewing Activewear" from the Singer Sewing Reference Library series.  (Of course, shipping is $3.99, but it's still a good deal).  I read Miss Celie's review, and it sounds worthwhile, especially since I'm planning on stitching up some running gear in the months ahead.

And that's it.

Any Rita Moreno fans out there?

Have a great day, everybody!