DAY 1 – Vivian Vance Boat Cruse (a.k.a. Cruising with “Steamboat Bessie’s” Sister!)

For some reason, I can’t remember one Lucy-Desi Days where rain hasn’t been on the agenda somewhere – please correct me if I’m wrong – so I was hoping that this year’s boat cruise wasn’t a wash-out. My first cruise on Lake Chautauqua was last August with Frank Gorey and Elisabeth Edwards. I was below deck, so the weather wasn’t really an issue for those of us in steerage (just kidding! It’s a great place!) but I was determined to be upstairs this year. Thankfully we got dealt a good hand in the weather stakes and the mostly grey skies of the morning broke way for sun in the afternoon just in time!

It was fantastic to be in the presence of Viv’s sister Lou Ann Graham. Listening to someone who was so close to Viv on a personal level – not based on any previous professional relationship – was so fascinating. Lou Ann shared her memories with us of growing up with her big sister Viv, and how their relationship evolved yet stayed the same as Viv blossomed into a star just as Lou Ann was growing up, starting her own family, and forging her own way professionally.

Lou Ann shared with us memories related to many of the mementos (How many more Ms can I fit into this sentence? Three.) she donated to the auction to be held the following day. These included postcards written by Viv from all over the U.S. to their mother back home in Albuquerque (“I should have known you were from Albuquerque, you’re so warm and friendly!”). She also showed various pieces of Viv’s clothing that were given to her from her big sister like a gold beaded belt, a multi-coloured Don Loper ($500 original?) “scarf blouse”, and a groovy dragon fly brooch…but Lou Ann never mentioned if Viv pinned this brooch to her…well, if she pinned it.

(Lou Ann displaying a post card sent by Viv to her mother in November 1956)

Lou Ann’s time was divided in half between decks. Those of us upstairs got her first, and after she moved downstairs, it gave us time to just watch beautiful lake Chautauqua pass by. Before and after the show, limited edition autographed posters for the event were sold, as were specially made prints of a candid photo of Viv from Lou Ann. Also available was a really cool spiral-bound scrap book of candid photos of the Jones family, including all of Viv and Lou Ann’s sisters and their brother, clippings from Viv’s career, and copies of the post cards that she showed us during the cruise. This book – dubbed by Lou Ann herself as an “OfficeMax Production” – is priceless!

(The "OfficeMax Production")

(Viv also sent her mother this postcard depicting Lucy and Desi's Palm Springs home)

The word "priceless" can also be used to describe Lou Ann. Her memories of Viv are incomparable. She is warm and friendly. Not only does Lou Ann look and sound very similar to her sister, she is also an actress in her own right, and hilarious to boot! She was entertaining us all even before the "show" had begun. In this vein, she remined me quite a bit of Marilyn Borden.

After the boat cruise, many of us headed from the dock at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park to the Fan Reunion which was being held a few blocks away.