Monday, July 28, 2008

Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee!




One of the things I've discovered about Blogging & Me is the ever-presence of My Past.  It's not really The Elephant in the Room, but in fact, the Room itself. Everything that happens seems have some hugely evocative connection to some memory from long ago, usually some awfully traumatic event or a movie or movie star or TV series. 
Like most Only Children, I had nothing to do & no one to talk to, so  from an early age,I spent heaps of time in front of the TV. My father sold TVs & neither of my parents seemed to have ever heard of the idea that it was bad for children. So the TV was sort of the fourth member of our family, always ready to fill in the gaps & make us feel that there was company around.
I remember the Saturday night when I first saw 'A Summer Place'. It starred Sandra Dee, who went on to play another favourite of mine, 'Gidget' . But in 'A Summer Place' poor Sandra ends up being impregnated by the gorgeous Troy Donohue, whose real name was Merle Johnson, which doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?
Their sizzling teenage romance played out with the haunting theme music in the background, was a Revelation to Me.  I had no difficulty imagining that I would definitely grow into looking very much like Sandra  & considered that it wouldn't be terribly hard to find someone who looked like Troy. 
Of course, I grew up looking nothing like her & I was sadly unable to find My Troy. 
 These photos taken this past weekend on the beach near our weekend house are just an excuse for me to bang on about the movie, which I'm sure if I saw now, I'd think it was a Turgid Stinker.
   My daughter & I are frolicking around with our Pretend Chanel Quilted Handbags flying in the air. I'm so glad neither of us grew up looking as stitched up as Sandra looks. 
Mr. Middleaged doesn't quite look the Flawless Heartthrob, but at least he hasn't spent time being homeless on the streets of New York, which is what happened to Troy.

2 comments:

Darla said...

I love beaches and get away houses. Is that your house in the background? Can we have some pics of your house... with you in your latest wardrobe creation of course?

Darla

Della Street Dreaming said...

I wish it was my house, Darla. One of those houses on the beach sold last year for $17 million! Ours is about half a kilometre up a hill from the beach. We have little views of the ocean between the trees.