The Fourth of July with 'Her Ladyship'

July 4th. Oh, how Miss D always loved the holidays. She was a true New England Yankee. She loved dressing up and celebrating all occasions - full tilt, like only Miss D could. In 1982, she rented a house on Long Island. We had so much fun getting the beach house ready for her family reunion. We pruned, painted the swing sets, set up the croquet course, and got clams and lobsters to bake. There was never a dull moment with her - and we disturbed many little critters when we pruned the bushes! You can see how happy she was, waving the American Flag to welcome her family home. Harold Schiff was Miss D’s attorney and friend. He was called “His Lordship” and Miss D was “Her Ladyship.” I had two t-shirts printed with their nicknames just for fun. And they both had so much fun wearing them.

The Miss D I knew, could be so much fun and truly loved life.

In MISS D & ME: Life with the Invincible Bette Davis, I tell the complicated story of that 1982 Fourth of July family reunion. Despite the meticulous planning, the weekend went awry. I detail the story in the book, available for sale here.