Patsy and the Pope!

Everyone loved Pope John Paul. He was charismatic and kind in every situation. He loved to reach out to his flock and made several major trips to America. It was just one of these trips that brings me to my memories of Patsy and the Pope.

Patsy and I were working in First Class on a transcontinental flight to JFK. Who might be among our passengers but the two biggest honchos with the airline our CEO and CFO. And yes they were very nice gentlemen.

The talk among all of our airline's employees was about having snagged the biggest celebrity of the time, none other than the Pope, to take our airline for his tour! To say this was a major coup would be putting it mildly. All of the carriers had wanted this charter!

Anyway, Patsy and I had been discussing the Pope's upcoming American trip and we had wondered how to get our names in as CREW for the Pope's trip. Clearly this was a long shot, but I quickly decided that now was the time to take advantage of having the big shots on board! I pulled Patsy into the galley and whispered, "Now is our chance to pitch ourselves as crew members for the Special Pope Charter. Are you in?" Patsy was not shy and immediately replied, "Let's do it."

As you all know from following the Pan Am TV series, there was a period in flying history when flight attendants were not only young, but perfectly groomed and always ready to strike up a conversation when it was appropriate. And boy did we feel like it was appropriate now! So Pasty and I got ready for the kill. We casually engaged the Airline execs in conversation. Quickly, I zeroed in on the upcoming Charter in question.

Moi: "We understand that the Pope will be using our Airline to travel to and around America. We are so thrilled for the company to have this publicity!"

CEO: "Yes, that's correct. We are going to provide the Vatican with three jets for his trip."

CFO: "Each jet will be refigured to take care of the Pope, traveling clergy and press. And we will be serving food that has been expressly ordered for the Pope."

Patsy: Smiling ever so sweetly says. "How are you selecting Crew for these charters? Are you only going to use Catholic crew members?"

Moi: I immediately chime in with, "That's a great idea, Patsy, as Catholics, they would understand the ins and outs of protocol in dealing with the Pope, Cardinals, and Priests."

Patsy: "And it would mean so much to a Catholic. Really a dream of a lifetime!"

CFO: "I'm a Catholic and I can tell you I was thrilled to meet him in the Vatican when we were planning this trip."

Patsy and I are smiling now! Maybe this was going to work?

Patsy: "We are both Catholic and would love to be on the Pope's charter."

The CEO who had been sitting there quietly now chimes in, "Well, I am not Catholic. But my wife and I also were thrilled to meet with the Pope."

Ouch! Awkward moment now, as we feel our Catholic faith "hook" slipping away. But it was still worth a try.

Moi: "Well, we would be honored to be chosen. Please keep us in mind and here are our names and domiciles. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Back in the Galley by ourselves we both agreed that we gave it our best shot!

Fast forward to the Pope's Charter one month later-

Patsy: "So did you see who they announced would be working the Pope's charter? Our Supervisors!!" Yes, the management took the opportunity to don brand new uniforms and work the Chartered Planes for the Pope's visit.

Moi: "How could we be so naïve to think that they would chose real flight attendants to work the Pope's flight? And guess what, not one of them is Catholic!"

Well, the Press did not miss this little faux pas. They noted that the Flight Attendants were not regular working Crew Members, but their managers. The Pilots however, were only selected out of a Catholic pool of Pilots and brought their family Bibles for the Pope's blessing. Can you see this scenario happening today?

In a follow-up on another trip to America, a good friend Maureen, who has now passed away, was able to fly with Pope John Paul and this time the press published beautiful photos of the Pope and Maureen on the specially configured 767.

It was only fitting that the Pope, Traveled With Angels.

Xoxo,

Cate

The Bloom is Off the Rose?

I recently got together for lunch with some of my posse; you know the Flaunt Fab Forty group. The conversation seemed to be revolving around the many uses for Coconut oil. Some were using it because they had dry hair and claimed it made a fantastic conditioner, others were frying their eggs in it and lastly some of us were just smearing it on our hands and face at night before we went to bed because it is suppose to be great for your skin.

But then the question of age came up. Gawd it always has to rear its ugly little head! The Grand Dame brought it up. She said, she had been in Neiman's recently and a very young clerk came up to her and was trying to get her to come over to her counter where she was selling skin care products.

Well, this is not how to sell products!

Clerk: "Hello, I represent Blah, Blah, Blah skin care products." Meanwhile she is staring at the Grand Dame and then says, "You have the most beautiful skin for a woman your age. What products do you use?"

I can see the Grand Dame now as she slightly smiles and replied, "My dear that was a very left handed compliment. You need to Google that term, left handed. Oh and by the way, I use only soap and water plus a little coconut oil."

Well, we all started to laugh because we could see her now dismissing this little 20 something with just that comment and going over to look at St. John's knits.

But this got us all on the topic of when did you realize that you might be getting a little older. Yes, we know the new 30 is 20, 40 is 30, or the new 50 is 40 etc., but there are those moments when you all get a reality check!

For example, I was sitting on the jumpseat with another flight attendant while we waited in a long line for take-off. I was looking through my Vogue magazine and there was a picture of a model in a gorgeous pair of wide legged slacks, white blouse and a cable knit sweater. You know the picture where they are standing on a rock by the ocean, wind whipping their hair back, looking skyward.

So I casually say, "Oh that look just never goes out of style. I remember when I was wearing a cable knit sweater in high school." At which point I glance over at her. Well, she was sitting there looking like a dear in headlights! Obviously, white slacks and cable knit sweaters had never been on her radar!

After we got airborne the conversation turned to seniority and she said she had just started flying and how she loved it. I asked her what she had been doing before she started this job and she said she had just gotten out of college. Well, students do the math! I did! My little deer in headlights was probably still riding her tricycle when I was wearing my first cable knit sweater. Geesh, my first dose of reality with aging!

Then LB came out with this story. She was outside in her yard when the neighbor's daughter appeared. The child was around 10 years old. LB said she didn't much care for her because she was totally spoiled. For example, she had her "new" tennis racket and kept smacking it on their metal flag pole. But anyway, one day the little urchin comes over to LB and says, "You know you look older than my Mother." Now in some cases one would say out of the mouths of babes but in this case it is Daughter like Mother. Probably the Mother had said to her husband, "Do you think I look older than LB?" The guy wasn't an idiot and most assuredly replied, "Of course not." The brat daughter probably over heard this and could hardly wait to repeat it! But LB said it was her first reality check that she was getting a little older.

But the best story was from one of our group who had her first child at 40 and the second one at 42! No she really did. Brave woman! But here is her story; she started taking her children to Montessori school and realized that she was surrounded by 20 something's with their little ones. After looking in the mirror once too often she told her husband that she was having her eyes done. He was stunned and said, "Why?"

"I'm surrounded by twenty something's and I realized that my lids are starting to sag. This is not up for discussion. I'm getting my eyes done!" Yes another reality check!

Time does go by and all of the coconut oil in the world can't stop gravity but we still will cover ourselves in it at night and pray! Plus we have one another and laugh about this aging thing too.

And there is still some bloom left on our roses!

Alexandra

She Slept With Him

Or

Pan Am gave me a Flash back!

My darling friend and former flying partner, CeCe, was never one to disappoint. She always has a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye! So let me tell you a great story about this lovely Lady!

Years ago, I was not married, but CeCe was a newlywed and her husband was a handsome airline "exec" who everyone loved. CeCe and I flew all over the world together and always had so much fun. We could be in Paris or London but it was truly nonstop laughter, really.

It was in London when we had landed in Heathrow that I finally asked her, how did she know everyone, particularly male airline employees? Seriously, we would land in SFO or JFK and everyone was "Hi CeCe! Kisses and hugs! Great to see you CeCe!"

Now, I put this popularity to the fact that she was married to a "Big Honcho" and everyone knew him but I would find out that this was a big NO! Or maybe not? And yes, I was a little miffed that no one was welcoming me with HI CATEs!

But continuing on CeCe said, "Oh, that's simple, I slept with him!" Well, I nearly fell over, students, I mean, my friend CeCe is a lovely lady, not some tramp! I ran after her down the airport concourse and she had a sly little wicked smile on her lips. Was she trying to pull something over on me?

"OH, YES," said CeCe, "I slept with men all over the world and that's how they all know me!" At that point she started laughing and she had to confess this untruth, but it did not end there.

NO, now everytime we landed, CeCe would give me the look, hug the male agent while giving me a thumbs up which meant, Yep, slept with him. Gawwd this was so funny and continued for years and years. So much so, that last week when we were in New Orleans, CeCe claimed to have slept with two waiters and four other attractive males at the Four Seasons! Well, the gales of laughter never stopped and won't till we die. But she is still popular! Nooo, she couldn't have?

Cate

Homemade Valentine's Pop Tarts

by Susie Grimes McAuley

1 package of refrigerated pie crust

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sugar sprinkles for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F

2. Transfer the pie crusts to a lightly floured surface and cut it into 2x3 rectangles. It is easiest to measure the pieces with a ruler, score the crust with a knife and cut it with a pizza cutter.

3. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam onto one of the rectangles, leaving about 1/4 inch of space before the edge. Use a cookie cutter or paring knife to cut heart shapes out of the second rectangle. Then place the heart rectangle over the jam and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork. Baking on a cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, then allow to cool.

4. To make the glaze mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl and add food coloring if desired. Drizzle the glaze over the warm pop tarts and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

10 button comment box Homemade Valentines Pop Tarts for Your Sweetheart! Might be a little too Martha? But delicious!

Pamatini

2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

1 oz. Vodka

1/4 oz. Orange Flavored Liqueur (or 1-1/4 oz Absolute Mandarin Vodka which is what I'm doing)

What's also good is shot of Pama and the rest champagne in a tall glass. Yum.

From Scott Tjaden