I keep buying things. In Florida in January, I bought clothes and a few gifts for people. Since i came back, I’ve bought DVD’s from The Great Courses, CD’s and Charlie Chan movies. Just this morning, I order two books and another Sinatra CD of songs I didn’t yet have.

I want the old favorites; I mean what they call The Great Amarican Song Book. Composers like Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and others like them.

Why have I come to be a fan of Sinatra so late in life? When he was the swooning singer of the bobby-soxers in the 40’s, it was my sister, six years older than me, who liked him. I think. I know I never identified myself with those silly girls.

Vic Damone was my favorite. Even Sinatra said that Damone had the “best pipes” of all of them. I guess that includes Tony Bennett, Dick Haynes, Tony Martin and Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis’ partner.

But Vic Damone couldn’t do what Sinatra did: be creative with each song he sang. The older Sinatra got, the better he sang. He told someone that before he recorded any song, he wrote the lyrics out and studied them until he understood exactly how he was going to sing them.

I’ve also bought Vic Damone CD’s and they disappoint. That beautiful voice–dull.

So I’ll never mind spending money on music. And while I’m ordering CD’s, I might as well buy “Command: Sticky Nails”! You can stick your pictures to the wall. Later the sticky stuff pulls right. Now that’s a sound investment.