Happy Picture of the Week: The Marvelous M'DLee

Lee as Annie Hall!

As you, loyal readers, know by now, I'm a bit of a theme-driven celebration maniac! I've been promoting "Carpe Diem Day" quite heavily, with contests, blog posts, podcasts, and on social media.

Though I haven't garnered many more followers to my little tribe," I've added one new friend who is so creative and wonderfully participatory that she is worth more than a million uninvolved followers.  Her name is Lee MacIvor.

Lee, invited by the ever-supportive Becky Burns,  I discovered was nicknamed "The Duchess" and shares my penchant for costumes and word-play. I quickly rebranded her M'DLee (M'Duchess Lee rather than M'Lady) and I am "CarpeDita" (another Becky nickname!)

M'DLee immediately joined my February contests with creative zest for both Wear Red Day and Umbrella Day.  Hooray!

Lee mysteriously peeks out from her beautiful red cape on Wear Red Day

Pure delight in this umbrella-laden photo!

But that's just the beginning!

Lee didn't need any prompts or contests to creatively celebrate Valentine's Day, "Lady and Tramp"-style (the famous spaghetti-eating scene) with her long-distance boyfriend. She writes:

Like many, my Valentine and I weren’t able to celebrate the day in person due to COVID. So, I invited him to a 'Lady and the Tramp’ dinner via phone. We both cooked a spaghetti dinner and ate together while talking, laughing, and toasting ourselves and to COVID-free days. I dressed as Annie Hall since that was one of the first movies we saw together.

Lee celebrated Mardi Gras in style as well. No pandemic is going to stop this woman from seizing the day!

Lee's thoughts:

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, plus about 40 other celebration days, including Do a Grouch a Favor Day (love it!). I share a saying with you - everyday is an adventure. It was my standard answer to whatever fresh chaos was challenging me at work. Mae West said that everyday was a holiday - apparently she had a better grip on things than me.  For the holiday, I prepare Cajun food, listen to Doug Kershaw’s ‘Bully of the Bayou’ and Hank Williams’ Jambalaya (On the Bayou), and toast the day with a Sazerac (or two).  This year I’m making etoufee and having some King Cake I had sent up from New Orleans.

My final February Contest is for the first official Carpe Diem Day, on Friday, February 26, 2021.  (By the way, it was very exciting that Carpe Diem Day was added by DaysoftheYear.com this week!)

Lee told me what she's planning for this occasion via a Zoom "bed-in" interview. Leave it to Lee to even find a way to make a party out of a Zoom interview!

Lee, re-enacting John and Yoko Ono "Bed-in" for Peace Interview

I will hold off on revealing her special celebration for now, but let me just say it captures the spirit of what I envisioned for Carpe Diem Day celebrations so perfectly..  showing resilience, love, generosity, and the preservation of legacy.

I don't know how well-known Carpe Diem Day will ever be.. whether it will be celebrated much further than my little circle of friends (or even by my circle of friends!)  But it will be celebrated this year by one very special lady in one very special way.