she was the most beautiful and nicest of all cats. she died last tuesday, much too early, after a sudden aortic thrombus.

Photo courtesy of James Kukulka on July 30, 2001. This was an incense stick holder I made from clay; it was placed on our glass table in the living room. When the sun shone in, it threw the shadow of the holder along with the frame of the table on the carpet. Jim noticed it and, delighted by the way it looked, he took the picture. These are his feet.

Today is the 15th anniversary of his death.

Jim died suddenly and unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm.

In hindsight, he had all the symptoms of Marfan syndrome.

He was 36 years old.

Dear Jim,

I miss you as much as on the day you left. Some wounds just never heal. And yet, whenever I feel helpless or weak, it is the remembrance of you that gives me strength. Makes me think of the song by The Cure, "Where the birds always sing":

The world is neither fair nor unfair

The idea is just a way for us to understand

But the world is neither fair nor unfair

So one survives

The others die

And you always want a reason why

But the world is neither just nor unjust

It's just us trying to feel that there's some sense in it

No, the world is neither just nor unjust

And though going young

So much undone

Is a tragedy for everyone

It doesn't speak a plan or any secret thing

No unseen sign or untold truth in anything...

But living on in others, in memories and dreams

Is not enough

You want everything

Another world where the sun always shines

And the birds always sing

Always sing...

Please know that I am perfectly fine with you living on in my memories and dreams, for this is what makes the sun shine and the birds sing.

I'm so sorry if I'm late following all your lovely photos my friends. A few minutes after I took this image yesterday morning, my husband Trev phoned to say he was having another heart attack (which turned out to be an aortic aneurysm). I phoned for an ambulance for him immediately and the crew were at our home when Marnie and I arrived back. He's in hospital now and likely to be there for several days. He has multiple health issues and has had two blood transfusions.

Sorry if I'm not able to keep up with all your wonderful images... this is a traumatic time for us and our family members who naturally need to be kept up to date with any developments.

Fireworks are distressing Marnie too. Probably one of the worst times of the year for animals (and their human carers).

Look after yourselves please and thank you for all your support.

xx

Like lifeblood flowing, busy rush of aortic activity - as I stand taking this, I feel a certain calm in the hectic scene. The warm evening air is mellowing, the shutter opens and life slows, clears. Then click, it closes, and reality bites...

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera. M1011882

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter

M1012040 on camera.

Rock arch at Arnarstapi, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.M1012038

Questa è l'ultima foto che ho scattato prima di essere ricoverato d'urgenza in ospedale e di essere operato al cuore (cambio della valvola aortica). Ora sto uscendo dal tunnel e sono in un centro di riabilitazione. Mi scuso con tutti gli amici di Flickr se nei prossimi giorni sarò discontinuo. Non vedo l'ora di riprendere la mia vita normale e di tornare alla fotografia con più vigore di prima.

Sergio

IMG_8770_1_2_w

I saw this Vintage Murano Glass clown and bought it for my wife, she likes it.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.

M1012030

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have an Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.M1011860

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera. M1011911

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera. M1011921

My Dad, Robert, passed away at 8:10 p.m. on Sunday. Although he had Stage 4 Lung Cancer, what ended his life of 82 years was a known 9cm abdominal aortic aneurysm that ruptured Saturday evening. Luckily, the aneurysm was leaking slowly so my sister and I were able to spend all day comforting him at the Ottawa Civic Hospital on Sunday. When he finally passed, he was surrounded by the two of us as well as one of his grandsons. I will miss him and take comfort that he passed before he was incapacitated by the lung cancer.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera. M1011949

Well it feels good to be back posting some new photos. My first since last September. I'm still recovering from open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm in late September. It has been an up and down recovery with two additional weeks back in the hospital for two other relatively simple procedures to correct some issues that arose. But I'm getting back on some easier hikes and hope to be back to somewhat normal by the time spring arrives. I am so ready to get back out.

I packed up my gear and just headed out to see what I could find. I almost missed this old dilapidated bus off in a field and made a quick U-turn to take a look. For being the first shot in months, I barely remembered how to use my camera. Nonetheless, it was so nice holding my camera again. Shots like this are outside my comfort level. Given the words above the windshield I had an idea of how I wanted to process the final image.

Processing proved pretty difficult as I had to relearn my normal workflow. Given the writing on the bus, I wanted to convey we should all abandon prejudice and let it rot away like this bus is doing. I hope I've gotten a bit close to that message. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for viewing my photos. Comments are always welcome.

====================================

Copyright Reid Northrup, 2022. All Rights Reserved, Worldwide. Please don't use my photos in any way without my written permission.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have an Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera. M1011874

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter M1011925on camera.

Pentax K5 with no lens; LED LENSER P7qc light source playing on a champagne flute; single frame. (Ignore FL in EXIF, no lens was used).

Cardiac surgery operation room

Premiere of the new kind of operation called TAVI - aortic valve replacement without chest opening.

Tony and most of his family (his wife Cathlene; his son Steven and his husband Corey; his daughter Stefanie and her husband Kent) will all be visiting us in Green Valley in three weeks, just ahead of Andy's tentative aortic valve replacement. Two of Andy's other children (Maria and Tim) already live in Arizona, so it will be good to have a good portion of his large family here to support us.

The heart like muscle textures of Antelope Canyon

Biscuit has had a busy week.

We discovered the answer to some feeding, regurgitating (and underweight) issues he's been having since the beginning.

Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA) a genetic disorder that affects the passage of food through the esophagus to the stomach. Never heard of it before 'eh!

Surgery was Tuesday.

He's recovering well, but not entirely sure how he'll go long term, reports suggest 90% of cases are fully resolved, so that's what we're hoping for.

I got him out for a play early on the day of his surgery. Because he wasn't allowed any food, we tried rewarding some good behaviours with a throw of the tennis ball, he accepted that a couple of times but no more, he's a food motivated fella :-)

Take me to the healing sea by Brian Reed and Emma Tuck

Artists Brian and Emma have had a very personal relationship to Southampton General Hospital since late September 2023 when Brian underwent an emergency open heart surgical operation for a Type A Aortic Dissection. The visual language proposed for this project focuses on; the abstract connection of the hospital and water, the body and the sea, and the healing process of the two. Hospital décor has inspired and morphed into the ‘fish’ and ‘light’ elements on the top and bottom of the lighthouse. Housed in-between this is a text work developed and written by both Brian and Emma during his stay and her visits.

The lighthouses will then be displayed together for a Farewell event in September 2024 which will be a chance to see all lighthouses gathered in one place, a truly unique sight. The sculptures will then go into auction to raise vital funds for Southampton Children’s Hospital.

I’ve just heard I am going to Leeds this afternoon. The aortic valve replacement operation will be tomorrow. No idea when I’ll be back online. For those who do please pray for me.

2nd of 52

Theme: "New Year’s Resolution"

I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions, but I promised myself do bike at least 3000 km in the year 2017.

I had an Aortic valve replacement, because of a birth defect and the inability of the valve perform adequately, two and a halve years ago. I was lucky, but now I need to be in a “good” shape/form if I want to keep health. I’ve always liked biking both road and mountain so it kind of has become a new hobby but fortunately it really goes well with photography.

Handmade book and shadows.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have a Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.M1011971

On 30th January 2017 I collapsed in the street due to a suspected heart attack. Doctors found my Aortic valve so badly stenosed that they kept me in until they could operate to remove the valve and replace it with a mechanical valve.

Maggie Papakura, 1908

Gifted with intelligence and charm, Margaret Pattison Thom gained international renown as a New Zealand tourist guide and promoter of Māori culture. Popularly known as Mākereti (or Maggie) Papakura, she was born in 1873 at Matatā in the North Island’s Bay of Plenty. In 1926 she enrolled at the University of Oxford to study for a Bachelor of Science in anthropology, but on 16 April 1930, just two weeks before her thesis was due, she died suddenly from a ruptured aortic artery. Mākereti’s thesis, published eight years later, is the first extensive ethnographic work by a Māori scholar. This autographed photo was taken in 1908 on one of her many trips to Australia.

by unknown photographer

transferred from P1/Papakura, 2010

P1/1294

On display at State Library of NSW free photographic exhibition www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/shot

aortic arch

I love this most because the end of the baguette is missing. It is just so difficult not to eat the bread on the way home. However when I took a second look at this picture, when I got home, I realized my husband was sitting on the bench to the right of the frame. He is sitting there in exhaustion. We didn't realize when we were in Paris that his aortic valve was in terrible shape which caused him great fatigue ~ it has since been replaced! YAY!!

Thanks to my friends Abby and Sue, and this new game of TAG, you get to learn a little bit about me, so here we go…

16 Random Things About Me

1) The name “Yobs” comes from an abbreviation of my childhood nickname…Yobbie (I couldn’t pronounce the “R” in Robbie so it came out sounding that way).

2) I have two children who drive me crazy but I love them more than anything!

3) My favorite food is pizza.

4) I am a Southern California native, having spent most of my life in the Los Angeles area before moving 40 miles south to Huntington Beach.

5) I am addicted to Flickr!

6) My wife sometimes usually hates me because of #5.

7) I have learned so much about photography from all of you…I mean that for real!

8) I am proud to say that I work for a medical device company, helping to save lives every day (our devices treat abdominal aortic aneurysms or AAA for short).

9) I am generally a quiet person and would never stand before this many people in person.

10) Because of #5, I get up at 3am to Flickr with you all before going to work.

11) I have a brother and a niece who Flickr too!

12) My wonderful wife (I have to say that so I can stay on Flickr) is Italian and I reap the rewards of that most every night at dinner time!

13) I got into photography because I can’t draw AT ALL; it’s easier to take a picture of it and let that speak for itself.

14) I am known to be stubborn

15) I am an Aquarius.

16) I love taking nature pictures, more so than people pictures and get criticized sometimes for that…my answer to that is that the sun or flowers don’t run around making funny faces!

At the risk of losing some friends, I have been asked to tag three other people. So my victims are Kara, Kate, and my younger brother David. Sorry guys, I am only following the instructions.

| www.RobertSternPhotography.com | | Facebook |

A little about me.

Cancer survivor.(Leukemia)

Heart attacks yes attacks 5 in total survivor.

Open heart surgery

Double bypass

Aortic valve replacement

Sepsis infection

A genuine good person.

I am Supergirl.

I had to walk into town to the hospital to have an Aortic Aneurysm Screening so I took my camera with me. Yellow filter on camera.M1011896

Biscuit's stitches are out, he has a minor issue from surgery, a hematoma, swelling along his stitch-line that they aren't too worried about, otherwise he's fine

he's had a couple of little regurg's ... the main problem to look out for remains the possibility of aspiration pneumonia

we have about another month of a wet diet fed raised (we use a step ladder) before another check-up

outside of his feeding he's just like any other puppy and his training with a toy rather than the preferred-but-can't-use food treats has been going great :-)

just in case anyone wants to know more about his problem:

Persistent Right Aortic Arch

Home from the hospital today -- all seems to be going well

Misty Rose came to Golden Retriever Rescue when she was 11 weeks old because she had aortic stenosis - a serious condition which reduces blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Misty Rose had her heart rechecked when she was eight months old to see if it was going to affect the quality of her adult life. Fortunately the stenosis corrected itself and her heart is now close to normal. The specialist vet who did the tests said there is no reason why Misty Rose will not have a long, happy and healthy life. Misty Rose is now a much loved and happy girl who loves to play with her goldie brother and sister and she gives the best cuddles to everyone she meets. She also loves doing zoomies and rolling in stinky stuff.

I made this for my father who is about to undergo major heart surgery at 7:00a Pac time, to replace a failing Aortic heart valve and oversized Aorta. If you could spare a moment and send some warm thoughts and/or prayers to help give him some guiding lights to make it through as well I would forever be grateful to you...thank you all and giant hugs.

Prosthetic Porcine Aortic Valve Implantation.

Designed by Leonardo Bilalis

this is a 3D printed model heart with a congenital heart defect of Double Aortic Arch.

Dutch postcard by MPEA. Sent by mail in 1948. Photo: Clarence Sinclair Bull / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

American red-haired actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was well-known as the crazy, accident-prone, lovable Lucy Ricardo in the television series I Love Lucy (1951-1957). She appeared in numerous films in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s before becoming one of America's most popular television comedians in 1951. She was also a producer on I Love Lucy and subsequent television series featuring the character of "Lucy" with her company Desilu Productions, making her the first head of a major film studio in the American show business.

Lucille Désirée Ball was born in Jamestown, New York, in 1911. Her father was Henry Durrell Ball and her mother Desiree Eve Hunt. Her father died in 1915 before she was four. Lucille and her younger brother Fred were raised by their grandparents while their mother worked several jobs. Her grandfather was an avid supporter of the theatre and encouraged Lucy to participate in plays at school. Always willing to take responsibility for her brother and young cousins, she was a restless teenager who yearned to "make some noise". She enrolled in the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts. There, however, she had a tough competitor who trumped her, Bette Davis. The teachers said she was 'too shy' and had no future and Ball returned home. In 1932, she moved to New York to become an actress and had success there as a mannequin and revue dancer. But her acting career did not take off till she was chosen to be a "Goldwyn Girl" and appeared in the film Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933) starring Eddie Cantor. She was put under contract with RKO Radio Pictures and several bit roles, including one in Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935). She became friends with Ginger Rogers. In the 1930s she was under contract to RKO and Columbia Pictures and slowly worked her way up from small roles, unnamed in the credits, to more substantial parts. One of her first supporting roles was in Chatterbox (George Nichols Jr., 1936) in which she plays a temperamental actress. It was one of the first times her name was mentioned in the credits. She also got a good role in the A-picture Stage Door (Gregory La Cava, 1937) with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. She played more supporting roles, including in Room Service (William A. Seiter, 1938) with the Marx Brothers, but she rarely got leading roles in major films, however, and usually when all the major film stars at RKO had already turned down the part. In 1940, Lucille Ball met Cuban bandleader-actor, Desi Arnaz, while filming the musical Too Many Girls (George Abbott, 1940). Despite different personalities, lifestyles, religions and ages (he was six years younger), he fell hard, too, and after a passionate romance, they eloped and were married in November 1940. The couple received a lot of media attention. Two years later, Arnaz had to join the army and was unfaithful. A knee injury allowed him to leave the army. In 1944, Ball filed for divorce but later recanted.

In the 1940s Lucille Ball moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she got better roles in films such as Du Barry Was a Lady (Roy Del Ruth, 1943) with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly, Best Foot Forward (Edward Buzzell, 1943) and the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy vehicle Without Love (Harold S. Bucquet, 1945). She failed to achieve major film success there either and returned to Columbia. She was known in Hollywood circles as the "B-movie queen" with Macdonald Carey as her "king". In 1948, she got a role in the radio comedy 'My Favorite Husband', in which she played the scatterbrained wife of a Midwestern banker. The show became a success and CBS asked her to turn it into a television series. She only wanted to do this if she could work with her husband, and they had creative control over the series. Ball wanted to work with Arnaz to save her marriage. So 'I Love Lucy' was born, the most popular and universally beloved sitcom of all time. The couple had started their own production company: Desilu Productions. CBS, however, was not impressed with the TV pilot episode, but after Ball and Arnaz toured vaudeville theatre with great success, the series came to television. As a side effect, she practically invented the sitcom and was one of the first stars to film with a live audience. The show was shot directly to film stock, unlike most other television shows of the time, which used the low-quality kinescope process to film images from a television monitor. The better quality of the Lucy show allowed it to be repeated via syndication (on independent television stations not affiliated with one of the major television networks ABC, CBS or NBC). During the production of I Love Lucy, German-born cameraman Karl Freund invented the "3-camera setup", now standard in television. Another unusual technique used on the Lucy show was to paint over unwanted shadows and hide lighting defects with paint that was kept in the studio in various shades from white to medium grey for this purpose. In 1951 her first child was born, Lucie Arnaz, followed a year later by Desi Arnaz Jr. The pregnancy was also supposed to be televised but CBS was not in favour of that, eventually, they were allowed to do it but they were not allowed to use the word "pregnant" but had to say "expecting". In 1953, Ball had to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities because, at the insistence of her socialist grandfather, she had registered as a supporter of the Communist Party for the 1936 primaries. In 1956, Desilu bought the RKO lot and moved there. In 1957, the last episode of I Love Lucy was aired and was followed by its sequels The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960) and The Lucy Show (1962-1968), which was later renamed Here's Lucy (1968-1974).

In 1960, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage was divorced after problems Arnaz had with alcohol, drugs and other women. Lucille Ball bought his share in Desilu, making her the sole owner of the studio. In the following years, Desilu developed such popular television series as The Untouchables (1959-1963), Star Trek (1966-1969), Mission: Impossible (1966-1973) and Mannix (1967-1975). In 1967, Desilu was sold to Gulf and Western Industries, which merged Desilu with Paramount Studios, located on the property next door. Arnaz and Ball remained good friends until his death in 1986. In 1961, Ball married stand-up comedy actor Gary Morton who was 12 years younger. He had never seen her on television because he himself performed on primetime when Lucy was on TV. He got a job at Desilu. After The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Lucille got a series of her own, The Lucy Show (1962-1968) with Gale Gordon and Vivian Vance. It was again a success. Vivian Vance was given the name Viv, which she got because she was tired of being addressed as Ethel on the street. In 1968, after Lucille sold Desilu, she founded Lucille Ball Production. Lucille's third sitcom was Here's Lucy (1968-1974), played with her real children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Also in this series, Gale Gordon was her co-star. After I Love Lucy, Lucille starred in several more films including Yours, Mine, and Ours (Melville Shavelson, 1968) with Henry Fonda, the musical Mame (Gene Saks, 1974) and the TV movie Stone Pillow (George Schaefer, 1985). In 1986, she made a comeback with the series Life with Lucy, but it flopped with critics and viewers alike. After playing for less than two months, the series was cancelled by ABC. Ball was a guest on several shows. In 1989 at the 61st Academy Awards, she presented the Academy Awards with Bob Hope, she then received a standing ovation. A month later in 1989, Lucille Ball died of aortic dissection at the age of 77. She was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles but was later moved by her children, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, to Lake View Cemetery in her native Jamestown.

Source: Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1283. Photo: Radio.

American red-haired actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was well-known as the crazy, accident-prone, lovable Lucy Ricardo in the television series I Love Lucy (1951-1957). She appeared in numerous films in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s before becoming one of America's most popular television comedians in 1951. She was also a producer on I Love Lucy and subsequent television series featuring the character of "Lucy" with her company Desilu Productions, making her the first head of a major film studio in the American show business.

Lucille Désirée Ball was born in Jamestown, New York, in 1911. Her father was Henry Durrell Ball and her mother Desiree Eve Hunt. Her father died in 1915 before she was four. Lucille and her younger brother Fred were raised by their grandparents while their mother worked several jobs. Her grandfather was an avid supporter of the theatre and encouraged Lucy to participate in plays at school. Always willing to take responsibility for her brother and young cousins, she was a restless teenager who yearned to "make some noise". She enrolled in the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts. There, however, she had a tough competitor who trumped her, Bette Davis. The teachers said she was 'too shy' and had no future and Ball returned home. In 1932, she moved to New York to become an actress and had success there as a mannequin and revue dancer. But her acting career did not take off till she was chosen to be a "Goldwyn Girl" and appeared in the film Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933) starring Eddie Cantor. She was put under contract with RKO Radio Pictures and several bit roles, including one in Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935). She became friends with Ginger Rogers. In the 1930s she was under contract to RKO and Columbia Pictures and slowly worked her way up from small roles, unnamed in the credits, to more substantial parts. One of her first supporting roles was in Chatterbox (George Nichols Jr., 1936) in which she plays a temperamental actress. It was one of the first times her name was mentioned in the credits. She also got a good role in the A-picture Stage Door (Gregory La Cava, 1937) with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. She played more supporting roles, including in Room Service (William A. Seiter, 1938) with the Marx Brothers, but she rarely got leading roles in major films, however, and usually when all the major film stars at RKO had already turned down the part. In 1940, Lucille Ball met Cuban bandleader-actor, Desi Arnaz, while filming the musical Too Many Girls (George Abbott, 1940). Despite different personalities, lifestyles, religions and ages (he was six years younger), he fell hard, too, and after a passionate romance, they eloped and were married in November 1940. The couple received a lot of media attention. Two years later, Arnaz had to join the army and was unfaithful. A knee injury allowed him to leave the army. In 1944, Ball filed for divorce but later recanted.

In the 1940s Lucille Ball moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she got better roles in films such as Du Barry Was a Lady (Roy Del Ruth, 1943) with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly, Best Foot Forward (Edward Buzzell, 1943) and the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy vehicle Without Love (Harold S. Bucquet, 1945). She failed to achieve major film success there either and returned to Columbia. She was known in Hollywood circles as the "B-movie queen" with Macdonald Carey as her "king". In 1948, she got a role in the radio comedy 'My Favorite Husband', in which she played the scatterbrained wife of a Midwestern banker. The show became a success and CBS asked her to turn it into a television series. She only wanted to do this if she could work with her husband, and they had creative control over the series. Ball wanted to work with Arnaz to save her marriage. So 'I Love Lucy' was born, the most popular and universally beloved sitcom of all time. The couple had started their own production company: Desilu Productions. CBS, however, was not impressed with the TV pilot episode, but after Ball and Arnaz toured vaudeville theatre with great success, the series came to television. As a side effect, she practically invented the sitcom and was one of the first stars to film with a live audience. The show was shot directly to film stock, unlike most other television shows of the time, which used the low-quality kinescope process to film images from a television monitor. The better quality of the Lucy show allowed it to be repeated via syndication (on independent television stations not affiliated with one of the major television networks ABC, CBS or NBC). During the production of I Love Lucy, German-born cameraman Karl Freund invented the "3-camera setup", now standard in television. Another unusual technique used on the Lucy show was to paint over unwanted shadows and hide lighting defects with paint that was kept in the studio in various shades from white to medium grey for this purpose. In 1951 her first child was born, Lucie Arnaz, followed a year later by Desi Arnaz Jr. The pregnancy was also supposed to be televised but CBS was not in favour of that, eventually, they were allowed to do it but they were not allowed to use the word "pregnant" but had to say "expecting". In 1953, Ball had to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities because, at the insistence of her socialist grandfather, she had registered as a supporter of the Communist Party for the 1936 primaries. In 1956, Desilu bought the RKO lot and moved there. In 1957, the last episode of I Love Lucy was aired and was followed by its sequels The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960) and The Lucy Show (1962-1968), which was later renamed Here's Lucy (1968-1974).

In 1960, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage was divorced after problems Arnaz had with alcohol, drugs and other women. Lucille Ball bought his share in Desilu, making her the sole owner of the studio. In the following years, Desilu developed such popular television series as The Untouchables (1959-1963), Star Trek (1966-1969), Mission: Impossible (1966-1973) and Mannix (1967-1975). In 1967, Desilu was sold to Gulf and Western Industries, which merged Desilu with Paramount Studios, located on the property next door. Arnaz and Ball remained good friends until his death in 1986. In 1961, Ball married stand-up comedy actor Gary Morton who was 12 years younger. He had never seen her on television because he himself performed on primetime when Lucy was on TV. He got a job at Desilu. After The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Lucille got a series of her own, The Lucy Show (1962-1968) with Gale Gordon and Vivian Vance. It was again a success. Vivian Vance was given the name Viv, which she got because she was tired of being addressed as Ethel on the street. In 1968, after Lucille sold Desilu, she founded Lucille Ball Production. Lucille's third sitcom was Here's Lucy (1968-1974), played with her real children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Also in this series, Gale Gordon was her co-star. After I Love Lucy, Lucille starred in several more films including Yours, Mine, and Ours (Melville Shavelson, 1968) with Henry Fonda, the musical Mame (Gene Saks, 1974) and the TV movie Stone Pillow (George Schaefer, 1985). In 1986, she made a comeback with the series Life with Lucy, but it flopped with critics and viewers alike. After playing for less than two months, the series was cancelled by ABC. Ball was a guest on several shows. In 1989 at the 61st Academy Awards, she presented the Academy Awards with Bob Hope, she then received a standing ovation. A month later in 1989, Lucille Ball died of aortic dissection at the age of 77. She was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles but was later moved by her children, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, to Lake View Cemetery in her native Jamestown.

Source: Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

American postcard by The American Postcard Co. Inc., no. 781, 1983.

American red-haired actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was well-known as the crazy, accident-prone, lovable Lucy Ricardo in the television series I Love Lucy (1951-1957). She appeared in numerous films in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s before becoming one of America's most popular television comedians in 1951. She was also a producer on I Love Lucy and subsequent television series featuring the character of "Lucy" with her company Desilu Productions, making her the first head of a major film studio in the American show business.

Lucille Désirée Ball was born in Jamestown, New York, in 1911. Her father was Henry Durrell Ball and her mother Desiree Eve Hunt. Her father died in 1915 before she was four. Lucille and her younger brother Fred were raised by their grandparents while their mother worked several jobs. Her grandfather was an avid supporter of the theatre and encouraged Lucy to participate in plays at school. Always willing to take responsibility for her brother and young cousins, she was a restless teenager who yearned to "make some noise". She enrolled in the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts. There, however, she had a tough competitor who trumped her, Bette Davis. The teachers said she was 'too shy' and had no future and Ball returned home. In 1932, she moved to New York to become an actress and had success there as a mannequin and revue dancer. But her acting career did not take off till she was chosen to be a "Goldwyn Girl" and appeared in the film Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933) starring Eddie Cantor. She was put under contract with RKO Radio Pictures and several bit roles, including one in Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935). She became friends with Ginger Rogers. In the 1930s she was under contract to RKO and Columbia Pictures and slowly worked her way up from small roles, unnamed in the credits, to more substantial parts. One of her first supporting roles was in Chatterbox (George Nichols Jr., 1936) in which she plays a temperamental actress. It was one of the first times her name was mentioned in the credits. She also got a good role in the A-picture Stage Door (Gregory La Cava, 1937) with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. She played more supporting roles, including in Room Service (William A. Seiter, 1938) with the Marx Brothers, but she rarely got leading roles in major films, however, and usually when all the major film stars at RKO had already turned down the part. In 1940, Lucille Ball met Cuban bandleader-actor, Desi Arnaz, while filming the musical Too Many Girls (George Abbott, 1940). Despite different personalities, lifestyles, religions and ages (he was six years younger), he fell hard, too, and after a passionate romance, they eloped and were married in November 1940. The couple received a lot of media attention. Two years later, Arnaz had to join the army and was unfaithful. A knee injury allowed him to leave the army. In 1944, Ball filed for divorce but later recanted.

In the 1940s Lucille Ball moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she got better roles in films such as Du Barry Was a Lady (Roy Del Ruth, 1943) with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly, Best Foot Forward (Edward Buzzell, 1943) and the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy vehicle Without Love (Harold S. Bucquet, 1945). She failed to achieve major film success there either and returned to Columbia. She was known in Hollywood circles as the "B-movie queen" with Macdonald Carey as her "king". In 1948, she got a role in the radio comedy 'My Favorite Husband', in which she played the scatterbrained wife of a Midwestern banker. The show became a success and CBS asked her to turn it into a television series. She only wanted to do this if she could work with her husband, and they had creative control over the series. Ball wanted to work with Arnaz to save her marriage. So 'I Love Lucy' was born, the most popular and universally beloved sitcom of all time. The couple had started their own production company: Desilu Productions. CBS, however, was not impressed with the TV pilot episode, but after Ball and Arnaz toured vaudeville theatre with great success, the series came to television. As a side effect, she practically invented the sitcom and was one of the first stars to film with a live audience. The show was shot directly to film stock, unlike most other television shows of the time, which used the low-quality kinescope process to film images from a television monitor. The better quality of the Lucy show allowed it to be repeated via syndication (on independent television stations not affiliated with one of the major television networks ABC, CBS or NBC). During the production of I Love Lucy, German-born cameraman Karl Freund invented the "3-camera setup", now standard in television. Another unusual technique used on the Lucy show was to paint over unwanted shadows and hide lighting defects with paint that was kept in the studio in various shades from white to medium grey for this purpose. In 1951 her first child was born, Lucie Arnaz, followed a year later by Desi Arnaz Jr. The pregnancy was also supposed to be televised but CBS was not in favour of that, eventually, they were allowed to do it but they were not allowed to use the word "pregnant" but had to say "expecting". In 1953, Ball had to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities because, at the insistence of her socialist grandfather, she had registered as a supporter of the Communist Party for the 1936 primaries. In 1956, Desilu bought the RKO lot and moved there. In 1957, the last episode of I Love Lucy was aired and was followed by its sequels The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960) and The Lucy Show (1962-1968), which was later renamed Here's Lucy (1968-1974).

In 1960, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage was divorced after problems Arnaz had with alcohol, drugs and other women. Lucille Ball bought his share in Desilu, making her the sole owner of the studio. In the following years, Desilu developed such popular television series as The Untouchables (1959-1963), Star Trek (1966-1969), Mission: Impossible (1966-1973) and Mannix (1967-1975). In 1967, Desilu was sold to Gulf and Western Industries, which merged Desilu with Paramount Studios, located on the property next door. Arnaz and Ball remained good friends until his death in 1986. In 1961, Ball married stand-up comedy actor Gary Morton who was 12 years younger. He had never seen her on television because he himself performed on primetime when Lucy was on TV. He got a job at Desilu. After The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Lucille got a series of her own, The Lucy Show (1962-1968) with Gale Gordon and Vivian Vance. It was again a success. Vivian Vance was given the name Viv, which she got because she was tired of being addressed as Ethel on the street. In 1968, after Lucille sold Desilu, she founded Lucille Ball Production. Lucille's third sitcom was Here's Lucy (1968-1974), played with her real children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Also in this series, Gale Gordon was her co-star. After I Love Lucy, Lucille starred in several more films including Yours, Mine, and Ours (Melville Shavelson, 1968) with Henry Fonda, the musical Mame (Gene Saks, 1974) and the TV movie Stone Pillow (George Schaefer, 1985). In 1986, she made a comeback with the series Life with Lucy, but it flopped with critics and viewers alike. After playing for less than two months, the series was cancelled by ABC. Ball was a guest on several shows. In 1989 at the 61st Academy Awards, she presented the Academy Awards with Bob Hope, she then received a standing ovation. A month later in 1989, Lucille Ball died of aortic dissection at the age of 77. She was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles but was later moved by her children, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, to Lake View Cemetery in her native Jamestown.

Source: Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and IMDb.

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My dad passed away one year ago today at the age of 82. My sister and nephew (pictured on the right) and I were present with my dad at the hospital in his dying moments, holding on to him as he was slipping away from us after his abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptured. We thought it was fitting that the three of us would reunite after work today, on the first anniversary of his death, and visit his grave.

to my friends...last friday twyla rose went for 1st year check up with her cardiologist.....she got an excellent report !.....heres the report...

(((she was eXpLorEd ! ang 13 #232.