Welcome to Mrs. Roper Summer

Loose dresses, loose pants, lovely gossip, unannounced visits

There’s a lot of talk right now about how to Nonna-max your summer (how to live like an Italian grandma). I’ve got thoughts on that. Much more to come on the nonna. But right now I am entering my Mrs. Roper summer.

But what is a Mrs. Roper summer you may ask? As I write this I’m lounging on a terrace in my caftan sipping a white wine. I might even put some ice in it.

Here’s my Mrs. Roper summer checklist:

• All the caftans

• Only soft pants

• Unannounced visits to friends

• Collecting juicy gossip.

• Sharpen your retorts. Some of my fave Helen lines: Stanley: “what’s for dinner,” Helen: “reservations”, “I’d argue with you, Stanley, but I see you’ve come unarmed,” “That’s all right, Stanley. Don’t strain yourself thinking,” “You keep talking. Sooner or later you’ll accidentally say something interesting.”

So put on your most colorful caftan and knock on a friends door without telling them you’re coming over. Spy on that neighbor you’re curious might have a body in their basement. Be nosy but lovable. Be silly yet rebellious and push back against antiquated social norms.

One of the many things I love about Helen Roper is how young she actually was. Audra Lindley was 58 when Three's Company premiered in 1977, an age that barely registers as "old" to me (It’s six years older than my husband). Yet Helen was portrayed as a matronly lady whose best years were supposedly behind her. The joke was that Helen refused to accept that. Beneath the caftans and wisecracks was a woman who desired romance, excitement, adventure, and attention.

Same girl, same.

Looking back now as a 45 year old woman approaching my very best years, Helen feels less like a punchline and more like an early challenge to the notion that women become invisible after a certain age.

In a world of Stanleys be a Helen.

Join me for our Mrs. Roper summer.