This isn't exactly breaking news, but I've been out of the loop for a few days and now that I'm back in the saddle, I just had to dedicate a post to one of the great southern belles of our time. I'm mourning the loss of Ms. Rue McClanahan a' la Blanche Devereaux of The Golden Girls fame. The funny thing is that when I watched this show as a kid (obviously missing most of the jokes and references), I thought the ladies were approximately 90 years old. Little did I know they were actually quite young at that time. Blanche was always my favorite 'girl' because of her sweet southern drawl and her tales of Big Daddy and adventures growing up on the plantation. She was so confident and while some folks might classify her as being of ill-repute and say she wouldn't be a very good role model for a girl, I always looked up to her.
The real Rue was born in Oklahoma, the daughter of a beautician and a contractor. She went on to become a sorority co-ed before starting her long and successful acting career. Rue looked great up to the very end and it seems awfully sad that Betty White is now the last remaining ‘girl.’ I’m planning on having a slice of cheesecake in your honor Ms. McClanahan!
