Just back fr DC from the PCORI PEAP med conference. While Tom recovered fr flight, I lunched w childhood pals & sisters of my now deceased childhood bestie Mary Evelyn White. Ann W Foxen & Emily W Pleasant met me at Murphys Grill on Catholic U campus after which we toured the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. So magnificent & faith enriching. That night Tom & I met for pre conference dinner at Kramers w fellow PEAP members. Great ice breaker to all day closed conference. I sat in on opening presentation then returned for lunch & caregiver presentation. PCORI funds medical research & Tom is on their 3yr PEAP board to bring the Patient With Lived Experience voice to PCORI which includes me, his Care Partner. Their facility is spectacular & I look forward to our return trips in the coming years❤️.
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#painresearch
#caregivers
#clinicaltrials
#patientengagement
#patientsincluded
Was at the Edwin Forest Society member event for the Entertainment Comminity Fund aka The Actor’s Fund when I ran into Eben Ham from my LIFE WITH BONNIE days! Loved seeing him again & catching up. I was asked to give a brief speech abt why I named them in our will. When I got to the part where I was broke in NYC & turned to them to cover my phone & utilities, I burst into tears. Took me right back to my early struggle in this biz. I can’t tell you how many in the room came up to me afterwards…because they’d been there too! Please support the arts & those struggling to make a living in entertainment. Last pic of me w friend Fr Juan Ochoa as I took him to the AMPAS screening of MICHAEL. We both enjoyed it. And Motown will always be the “beat” for me❤️ .
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#behindthescenes #showbiz
#supportthearts
#actorlife
#entertainment
Another quick 48hrs in NYC, saw pals @jeffhayenga Brion Gorman, #timlandfield, grabbed a gorgeous mass at Church of Our Savior, then off to the engagement party of @ajmckinless & Matt Malone, met Zac Davis’ daughter Madeleine & his wife Amanda Roden, wrapped up w drummers in Time’s Square. Best 48 ever❤️ .
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#wanderlust
#adventuresawaits
#seetheworld
#exploremore
Wrapping up wk in StL: hibachi dinner, pal Laura Geiser, popcorn gift for Oliver, pal Mary Engelbreit, KV, Oliver & Allie at MADE for Kids, BEAUTIFUL SHADES OF BROWN book, after dinner games, Incarnate Word Catholic Church for Mass, dinner at home, Kid Strong Saturday morning, relay race, Tom builds a tower, The London Tea Room, wee tea includes hot chocolate, Tom & Oliver wait for KV pick up, Mike Tueth, SJ, 2 of the 3 cats, and Bye bye sweet Oliver.❤️.
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#familyfirst
#familytime
#lovemyfamily
#familylife
#familymatters
Just a quick post as Tom & I saw a fabulous play tonight. Eighty minutes of brilliance , heart, wit, family, humanity. Please, if you live in or near Los Angeles, get tickets to see KIM’S CONVENIENCE at the Ahmanson Theatre. #feedyoursoull #supportthearts #livetheater #entertainment #inschoi
Wrapping up my glorious wk of Broadway theatre going.MAYBE HAPPY ENDING is so charming, clever, truthful. Met pal multi-hyphenate #carmenvienhage for a catch-up, JOE TURNER COME & GONE , another brilliant play by August Wilson, very moving, then Noel Coward”s FALLEN ANGELS, I went to see if Rose Byrne is as gifted at comedy as she is at drama. The answer is YES. Flawless as is the whole cast, long time friend George McCulloch drove in from CT to join me in seeing the matinees#of OPERATION MINCEMEAT. This musical as redefined the genre, done by Brits, natch. Impossible to adequately describe, must be experienced. Then he whisked me to one of his fav haunts, PARM where we gobbled up great Italian food, reminisced over our almost 50 yrs of friendship, and laughed away the evening. Until next time….
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#friends
#travel
#supportthearts
actorlife
Here’s why I come to NYC every year : saw John Lithgow be brilliant /hateful in GIANT, in Times Sq surprised/thrilled to see Jesus I trust in you/ Divine Mercy, toured magnificent Merchant House, a must see/ recently verified it was part of the Underground Railroad, No Kings at Columbus Circle/Trump Tower adjacent, met pal Lauren DiGiovanni, Palm Sunday vigil mass at St. Paul the Apostle where 1 of their 3 choirs sang The Passion backed by 8 Musicians, wrapped Saturday w TWO STRANGERS carry a cake across New York. Audience could not get enough of this funny, touching , quirky musical. I ❤️ NYC!
#theatre #traveling #justdoit #nyc #onlychristtheking
Excellent USASP conference ends, did Hop on Hop off tour: great architecture, Betsy Ross home, Rocky statue outside Art Museum, Declaration of Independence, Rodin Museum, Liberty Bell, great history of banking, hospitals, railroads, so much more , I need more time in Philadelphia! Ended w quiet dinner w Cindy Steinberg at Melagraso, an upscale Italian eatery. We talked travel for the disabled. Tom & I had a lot to say❤️ #chronicpainwarrior #chronicpainawareness #keepmoving #bekind #loveoneanother
In Philly for USASP med conference, Tom recovering fr flights while I meet old friend’s Linda & Terry Carpenter for my first cheesesteak, Uncle Gus’s, then uber to see Copley Ricca Read, now w husband David, has 4 kids, w youngest Lochlan, eager to be included, got to the 5:15 vigill mass at St John the Evangelist, conference started Sunday where I was able to suggest a mock “shark tank” like research project pitched to a panel of funders, followed by a panel & floor questions, then rebutted. Here with Samantha McKetchnie, PhD, MSW, one of the actual researchers at my table of researchers. I presented the problem we care partners & chronic pain suffers have…we don’t get the results of medical research until 10 or 15 yrs after it is published in med journals. She presented our project on how we are going to truncate that process using the skills & assets at our table of researchers. We asked for 100K to fund it & walked away with 250K of play money, coming in as the most funded for the 7 presenting teams. Great fun & a marvelous exercise in team building, trust & collaboration. ❤️ #chronicpain #suffering #usasp #medicalresearch #hope
Here’s our newest 18y/o great nephew at his the family birthday celebration. What a mash up of fun, food, great weather, story telling, kid energy, and kick-back energy for those of us in the 70+ category. I even stopped taking photos due to 6 hr slow down. I missed getting pic of my sister in law of 64yrs, Sue, and 2 more great nephews and some long time family friends. Happy birthday, Cayden!❤️.
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#familyfirst
#familytime
#lovemyfamily
#familylife
#familymatters
Grabbed great catch-up time w pals Peggy & John at one of Tom’s fav eateries…DuPar’s at 3rd St Market Place, LA❤️ .
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#loveroflife
#choosejoy
#greatefulheart
#positivevibsonly
#simplejoys
lovethelittlethings
happinessishere
livewithpassion
goodvibesonly
celebratelife
