You Are Getting Very Relaxed

When Annabelle's sleepover birthday party was finally over, and the last kid had been picked up, I crawled upstairs to the attic, brushed the smashed-up popcorn off the bedspread covering the mattress, lay my head down on a couple of fluffy heart-shaped pillows, and watched old episodes of "That Girl," with Marlo Thomas. It was just so incredibly relaxing, I cannot tell you. I felt all of the tension draining out of my body.


In "That Girl," Marlo Thomas lives in an attractive apartment in New York City and wears mod dresses. She's an aspiring actress, so she goes on a lot of auditions and cattle calls. Her boyfriend is cute and smart and hangs out in her apartment a lot, much to the chagrin of her father. In fact her biggest problem seems to be her overbearing father, who, in an attempt to preserve her chastity, somehow always finds time to barge in on her, even though he's a busy restaurant owner in Brewster.

Yes, the plots are light-hearted and undemanding, but the clothing changes are riveting, which is why this may be the most relaxing 60's sitcom ever. A week after Annabelle's sleepover birthday party, Lilah had hers, and once again, after the last kid left, I went up to my sanctuary and turned on "That Girl" and happily decompressed.

By the way, I have no idea why Marlo Thomas has a turkey on the leash.