Category Archives: pop culture

Mensch

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Are you lucky enough to know Lou Magor? Superb musician, Northwestern graduate, Camp Ojibwa counselor and music director, music teacher, organist, twenty-five year Seattle transplant and co-choir director for the Wilson Sisters of Heart. And guiding light and compère at … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, pop culture, Seattle, Travel | 14 Comments

Just My Type

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Ellen Ross

HERE I GO AGAIN. Dear Loyal Readers and New Subscribers, Forgive me. I’ll soon be off on another trip, and the exigencies of the blog can not be optimally-managed long distance. Letter From Elba will be back in your email box on … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, New Trier High School, Nostalgia, pop culture | 27 Comments

Hair

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Quick Quiz: Have you ever logged any time under the apparatus pictured above? Have you ever used any of these? Are empty frozen orange juice cans merely containers for the beverage from Florida to you? Or when you see them, do … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Memoir, Nostalgia, pop culture | 10 Comments

The Kindness of Strangers

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Today’s post is dedicated to George Barany. A stranger once. Now a friend and co-conspirator in crossword puzzle crime. Happy Birthday, Doctor. CONGRATULATIONS. 15 Recently in “The Getaway” column of the Sunday New York Times, writer Stephanie Rosenbloom discussed the … Continue reading →

Posted in pop culture, Travel | 7 Comments

Granny Redux by Sam Tofias

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Good morning Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the ships at sea. Let’s go to press. This is Sam Tofias, cub reporter age seven months, reporting in from Boston. And I want to tell you all about … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Boston, Grandparents, Memoir, pop culture, Restaurants, Travel | 20 Comments

The Pursuit of Happiness

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Ellen Ross

IMPORTANT LETTER FROM ELBA ANNOUNCEMENT: I am taking a winter hiatus, folks. A short break to break up the gray gloomy doldrums. I’m going to travel and chill out. Hence my next blog will be in your email boxes on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Memoir, New Trier High School, pop culture, Winnetka | 14 Comments

I Can’t Tell You Why

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Ellen Ross

Juno Shout Out: I just want to start today’s post by wishing all of my East Coast readers my very best wishes. Hope you’re staying safe and warm- and still have your Internet connections. And Boston, good luck with all … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Music, pop culture | 10 Comments

The Last Supper

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Ellen Ross

My heroine, the late great Nora Ephron once spoke about the importance of one’s last meal. She humorously – and rightly- pointed out that chances are one wouldn’t know that it was going to be the last meal, and it … Continue reading →

Posted in food, Memoir, pop culture, Restaurants | 27 Comments

Rainman

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Ellen Ross

This is a photograph of my brother Kenny and me. We’re in my mother’s Chevy Impala with our Standard Poodle puppy, Caesar. The year is 1959, and so that makes me almost ten and Kenny almost six. Fred and Adele … Continue reading →

Posted in baseball, Memoir, pop culture | 16 Comments

Unreal Estate

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Ellen Ross

ICYMI, the Academy Award nominations came out this past Thursday. So first of all, I have to make some predictions. As I had forecasted, my ex boyfriend Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for Best Actor in The Imitation Game. However it … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Interior Design, Memoir, Movies, pop culture | 12 Comments