January 24, 2021 HIGH MAINTENANCE WOMAN

 Celebrated my birthday last week.  YUP--Another year--Another wrinkle. I'm not complaining --It's great

to be alive but with age comes certain consequences. I've NEVER been ONE OF THOSE high maintenance  women UNTIL NOW. Age demands it. I used to color and high lite my hair for fun-NOW I HAVE TO COLOR AND HIGH LITE MY HAIR OR GO GRAY. And I have to do it every 5-6 weeks. And what happened to my eyebrows?? They've thinned out-- I EVEN HAVE A FEW GRAY ONES in the mix. Don't want to pluck them though or I'll have GIANT GAPS and that would look really weird. So I've had to invest in eyebrow PENCILS or look like a freak without eyebrows. Something strange has also happened to my GUMS. Age Recession is what I'm calling it. Can't eat a thing without food getting stuck everywhere. It's so embarrassing. I almost hate to eat in public--but when I do-- I have to mumble without moving my lips until I can get to a mirror to examine the damage--USUALLY A giant piece of spinach WEDGED between my front teeth.  UGH. Didn't know I had nose hair until recently either. I've actually had to start trimming it or risk swallowing it. SO WEIRD. I'm just putting it out there RIGHT NOW--I draw the line at electric face shavers and ear trimmers. Even I know when to call it a day. I'm sure the main character, Grace Bradley, of Kate Morton's lovely novel The House at Riverton can definitely relate to my problems. As the novel begins, It's 1999 and Grace Bradley is a 98 year old woman living in a nursing home in  England who has kept a secret for 75 years. While working as a servant for an aristocrat family named the Hartfords at Riverton in 1924,  she witnessed the death of a famous poet. Grace's devotion to the Hartford family kept her silent on the matter, but the event changed her life forever. One day a young director visits Grace at the nursing home asking questions about Riverton. She is interested in making a film about Riverton and the events of 1924 and knows that Grace once lived on the property.  She questions Grace about the Hartford family and offers to take Grace back to Riverton which is now a museum. After the director's visit, Grace finds herself thinking back on her life and the events that shaped it. The reader is taken back in time then as the story is told in flashbacks. Grace as a young servant and later as a lady in waiting for Hannah after she marries. This historical novel encompasses World War I, including the devastation and sacrifices made because of the war. It is also about aristocratic privilege, and the Edwardian values of the time period. This is an unforgettable story about sacrifice, passion, love and suspense with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the bitter end. Morton is a lovely writer  whose book has been compared to Downton Abbey. It's about 475 pages or a 6 mile run that you will never forget.