So how did I get into all of this? It all starts with my mom, whose ashes we just scattered over the last couple of weeks. During the 1950s, Mom and her sister, Elva, collected autographs pretty seriously. They met a lot of cool people, but the ones I remember her telling me about were Guy Mitchell, (I'll write about him another day) and Marilyn Monroe.

     Marilyn was going to be shooting "The River of No Return" and the production hotel was the Banff Springs Hotel. The best way to get to the hotel was by train, so Marilyn flew into the Vancouver International Airport and transferred to a special train to get there.

     Mom and Aunt Elva found out where she was going to be and when. They waited in the train station in Vancouver for over an hour. Then one of the workers who had noticed them told them that Marilyn's flight was delayed. So they went for lunch. When they came back, Marilyn arrived and happily signed their autograph books.

During the movie shoot, Marilyn broke her ankle and ended up in a cast. After shooting was wrapped, she again flew from Vancouver International Airport, and Mom and Aunt Elva were there. During those days, passengers walked up the stairs into the plane, and the public was allowed onto the tarmack. So Mom and Aunt Elva took photos of Marilyn as she hobbled up the stairs on her crutches. Mom always said that as she went going up the stairs, Marilyn was saying, "I'm going to call Joe", her husband, Joe DiMaggio. Sadly, Mom's autograph book is no more, and I haven't yet discovered where the photos are. Sigh !

       Many years later, Mom was in charge of the props for the North Shore Light Opera Society. including the year they did "The Desert Song" and Mom put me and my brother in charge of a fully grown live donkey. LOL We fed him carrots to keep him quiet. When I was seven, she asked me if I wanted to ask the actors for their autographs; I said, "Yes !" and an over-forty-year passion began.

       Thanks for coming by,
                Hugs,
                Heather

Hello Friends,

       As some of you know, for forty years (EEP! It really has been that long !) I have had a major avocation in my life, one of many, that of collecting autographs. Tonight, a dear friend convinced me that I really need to get started on chronicling my collection and my journey. She also convinced me how easy it would be using a blog.
       Come along with me and we'll share stories of the people we've met (the good and the not-so-good), tips on the best way to get an autograph, and the philosophy behind collecting signatures. I look forward to your comments and questions, and to your tales. Grab a favourite beverage, a comfy chair, and let's chat. Hugs, Heather