Thanks for the Memories

Oprah ran her last "Favorite Things" show today,

giving away lots of fabulous gifts to her audience.

At the end, Johnny Mathis appeared and sang.

That was one of my favorite things in the show.

He's old, I know. It seemed like he was pretty old

even when I was young, but that may be the

addled perspective of youth.

All I know is that the Johnny Mathis concert

I went to in the 90s with "the-love-of-my-life"

(at that point, anyway)

was one of the most romantic, sublime concerts

I've ever attended.

We took another couple with us

and everyone glammed up --

the guys in tuxedos and the ladies

in glitzy dresses or jeweled tops

and handkerchief hem skirts.

You know the look I mean --

though I'm not sure whether I was in a

I-think-I'll-be-a-redhead phase

like in this picture

or going for the God-given

dark ash blonde jacked up with

pale blonde streaks so carefully painted on

so I'd have hair that looked sun kissed.

But enough about me.

Johnny delivered.

Both today and back then.

He didn't deliver shiny red

still hush-hush Volkswagen Beetles,*

totally redesigned for 2012, like Oprah --

but he delivered.

Thanks for the memories, Oprah!

And Happy Silver Anniversary.

I, for one, will miss you.

And here's a little blast from the past

with Johnny Mathis.

* Oprah didn't give us a sneak peek -

well, just a tease perhaps --

the one on the stage was a 2011 version.

Except for the picture of me and the former Mr.,

all pictures are digitally altered screen shots

from the Oprah show today.