MelaniePenelope

Saturday 9: Kiss

Hello, people! I hope you are well.

Okay, I am excited, because "Kiss" by Prince is one of my all-time favorite songs and performances. I love it so much, so I'm thrilled to be doing this week's questionnaire on it.

Are you joining us? If not, you should, and link up here, too.  Let's go!

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Saturday 9: Kiss (1986)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this week's song, Prince insists there's no particular sign he's more compatible with. Do you take astrology seriously?

No, not at all. I mean, I am a virgo and fit a LOT of the virgo profile, but a lot not. I find it to be fluff, just for fun, and sometimes nonsense. No offense to anyone; my beliefs are often treated the same way and, well, that's life.

2) He tells his prospective lover there's no need to be flirty. Are you a good flirt?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes I'd be a complete dumbass and say the stupidest stuff.

3) He refers to the nighttime soap opera Dynasty. Were you a fan?

I didn't really watch Dynasty, but I did watch Falcon Crest sometimes. Mainly because Lorenzo Lamas was so damn cute.

4) "Kiss" was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. Built by Walt Disney Studio, it's the studio where the soundtracks to Mary Poppins and 101 Dalmatians were recorded. When you think of Disney movies, what's the first song that comes to mind?

I first thought of "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid. I love this song - and the video (and the movie)!

5) Prince said he was "obsessed" with Mozart and read everything he could find about the master. Do you often read biographies? If yes, who was the last one about?

I do not read a lot of them, actually. This one, by Ellen, is probably the last one I read - more than 20 years ago!

6) He loved snacking while watching a movie in the theater and would mix Goobers (chocolate-covered peanuts) with his popcorn. When you go to the movies, do you visit the concession counter?

Often, yes, if I've got the spare Ben Franklin. I usually get a giant Diet Coke, a gigantic tub of popcorn for the kids, and I really like to get Sno-Caps at the movies. 

7) In 1986, when this song was popular, Peewee's Playhouse premiered. While ostensibly for children, this show had many, many adult viewers. Do you ever watch kids' shows today?

Not currently, but I did a lot when my kids wer a lot younger. My favorite was (and still is) Disney's "Phineas and Ferb," which had so many clever lines and jokes in it.

8) Also in 1986, Sears shoppers were painting their interior walls with "Country Clover," a pale beige with a hint of pink. What color is the room you're in right now?

Like most of the house, it's white. White, white, white. Progress moves slowly.

9) Random question: Do you enjoy pressing the pedal to the metal and driving fast?

 I do, and the line of speeding tickets in my wake proves it. Autobahn, here I come!

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Well, folks, that's the end. Hope you all have a great week coming up. kisses

Fin.

Saturday 9: Hurting Each Other

Hello, guys and gals! It's Friday, the 13^th of January, which means we're doing a spooky, freaky, scary post. Or no, we're just doing "Hurting Each Other" by The Carpenters, siblings Karen and  - "hey guys? Does the brother have a name, too?" - Richard. I don't believe I'd heard this song before, but I'm listening to it and many other new-to-me Carpenters songs right now and loving them. Thanks, Samantha.

Hope y'all have had a great week. Mine's been interesting, but maybe I'll actually do some separate posts later. ::cough:: yeah,right ::cough::

So, link up here if you're joining us this weekend. Please do! And off we go.

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Saturday 9: Hurting Each Other (1972)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song was written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell, who also wrote 1962's "Sealed with a Kiss." What was in the last envelope you sealed?

It was a Paper Hug, of which team I am a member in the Mama Dragons. MDs is a wonderful organization that does so much good for mamas of LGBTQ+ youth, and I'm proud to do my part to help. You can learn more about them here, if you'd like.

2) In "Hurting Each Other," Karen Carpenter sings she wishes she and her lover could stop making each other cry. Have you most recently shed a tear in the last week, the last month, or longer ago than that?

It was today, actually. My 17-year-old youngest child and I went to Walgreens to get our flu and the latest COVID booster shots. Not too terribly long ago and yet it was also forever and two states of domicile ago, this child required half a dozen people to hold them down in order to get their routine vaccines that were due then, and I was ushered out of the room as I almost fainted while they screamed, "STOP! STOP! PLEASE, YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME! YOU'RE KILLING ME, STOP, YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!" over the varicella vax or whatever. Today, they didn't even need to hold my hand, and after I casually mentioned this and thought about it, I started welling up right away and had to look away. What a mom; I'm ridiculous!

3) One of the Carpenters' first records was a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride." Both Karen and Richard were huge fans and nervous about how the Beatles would react to their version. They were thrilled to learn that Paul McCartney responded by saying Karen had "one of the best female voices in the world." Tell us some news you received recently that brightened your day.

This may not seem like so much, but, I've been getting Rob a monthly subscription to Bespoke Post since November 2020, and I personally choose which box he gets and often select add-ons for it. Since we're in the cold months now, I thought I'd be cute - last October 2022, that is - and bring the heat. For Christmas, I gave him a silver candle try with matching silver tools: snuffer, wick trimmer, and wick dipper. I gave him a silver electric lighter, as well as a nice set of "masculine" candles. These items, above, were supposed to come for him in his October box, and I was going to steal them before he saw them, to add to the "heat" theme I was running. But it didn't come in October, or November, or December. There was some issue with my account and our bank, so it's not on them, but I finally got word at the end of December that this Bespoke Post package was on its way. Whew! The large gray cement-y looking thing is a personal, portable fireplace. The yellowish thing he set on top is a burner for incense cones, though they refunded me for the cones after I bought them because they were sold out, instead of substituting for one of the other brands they carry. And the hexagonal thing is a cup for wooden matches with a striker on the side. Heat. Get it?

4) Karen died in 1983, but her musical partner and big brother Richard is still with us. He has said he grew up a big fan Top 40 radio, listening every morning as he got ready for school and every afternoon while doing homework. When you were a kid, did you like to study with music or the TV on? Or would you prefer quiet?

Well I'll be, I'm just like Richard Carpenter. I would study with either the TV on, or the radio (and often it was Casey Kasem's Top 40, also!), and kick ass in school. So I don't want to see any naysaying amongst the lot of ya! Did you naysay? Go back and edit!

5) Karen and Richard spent their teen years in Downey, California. It has the distinction of being home to the nation's oldest, still-operating McDonald's. It's been on the same site on Lakewood Blvd. since 1953. Tell us about a business in your neighborhood that seems to have always been right there, in that spot.

I mean, we've only been right here, in this spot, for 16 months. So I don't rightly know. But there is this crab shack kind of place that looks like it might fit the bill. It isn't open year-round and is sort of an open-when-they-want sort of place, so we've never been in there, but we're extremely curious. Maybe next time they open we can have a stop in.

6) The siblings may have had a squeaky clean public image, but Richard did have a brush with the law while in Downey. The Carpenter family lived for a time in an apartment complex, and one of their neighbors -- a policeman -- objected to Richard "banging on the piano" at all hours. When did you most recently interact with an officer of the law?

It was in April 2021, when I was taking Noah, the afore-mentioned 17yo, out of town to the nearest Uno's for their first taste of that delicious deep dish pizza. I was getting eager - I mean, that CRUST is pure magic! - and, as usual, I have a lead foot. And so I got the blue and red lights behind me eventually, but I managed to talk my way out of it andstill  have a special birthday dinner with and for Noah.

7) In 1972, when this song was popular, Mark Spitz was America's premier Olympian, winning seven Gold Medals. A poster of Spitz wearing his red, white and blue swim trunks and all seven medals was a top seller. Can you recall a poster that decorated your bedroom wall when you were a kid?

Nooo, not a single one! I would never have been allowed to put up a poster! My dad would have KILLED me if I'd "ruined" the walls. I was lucky that I was allowed to hang up a calendar!

8) Also in 1972, Liza Minnelli was encouraging us to "come to the cabaret." Without looking it up, do you know who Liza's famous parents were?

Well, I know Mom was Judy Garland, of course, but I can't think who her dad was. Is? Did she even have a dad, or did Judy reproduce by budding, like a hydra? Shoot, now I've got to look it up:

All right, apparently he was Vincente Minnelli. Nope, I didn't know that, never would've known him. Liza looks a lot like him. She looks like both of them, though.

9) Random question: Are you a better student or teacher?

I think, in the right circumstances, I am a good teacher. But for the most part, I am a much better student. Sorry, kids.

~*~*~*~*~

That's it. That's the end. There's no more. I know. I'll miss you too. But it's okay. I'll be back and hopefully, so will you. I've got to go work on the budget some and dig myself out from under all these crazy receipts. Be good, be well, be kind.

Fin.

Saturday 9: The Christmas Song

Hi everyone! Y'all ready for Christmas? We're almost there. Just a few things left to get, a few ornaments left to put up. I'm not sure we'll have any food that day, but we'll survive. Ha!

This weekend's offering is all about "The Christmas Song" from Ricky Nelson - yes, he of "Ozzie & Harriet" fame. I love this song; it's one of my favorite Christmas carols. What about you?

Link up here if you're joining us this weekend.

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Saturday 9: The Christmas Song (1964)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 
1) While this song was published as "The Christmas Song," many people refer to it as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." Have you ever roasted chestnuts (in an open fire or in the oven)?

 

A few times, yeah. We did them in our fireplace when I was a kid. Pretty good!

2) Ricky Nelson sings that turkey helps make the season bright. Many of us just had turkey last month for Thanksgiving. Do you enjoy turkey all year around? Or do you consider it a seasonal dish?

 

I no longer eat the turkey, but I would definitely consider it a seasonal dish.

 

3) He wishes "Merry Christmas" to kids from 1 to 92. Who is the youngest person you will celebrate the holidays with? Who is the oldest?

 

Physically in our house with us? I think it'll be Rob (Hubs) as the oldest at 50, and Ashe's friend Charlie is supposed to come over at some point. He's 15. We've got prezzies for him.

 

4) "The Christmas Song" is a perennial favorite and gets lots of play this time of year. Is there a holiday song that you think is overplayed, and that you hope to not hear again (at least not until December 2023)?

 

No, but I haven't been in stores much and have only listened on demand, so I'm fine with the amounts I've heard.

 

5) This version of the song is from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the sitcom that ran from 1952 to 1966. There were 435 episodes in all. Is there a series whose every episode you've seen?

 

Probably several. Maybe Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, ummm... Phineas and Ferb. What? It's a brilliant show!

 

6) Life magazine coined the phrase "teen idol" to describe Ricky's popularity. In your younger days, did you have a crush on a teen idol?

 

 

 

I had a crush on Matt Dillon for the longest time after The Outsiders came out, even though I was teeny-tiny when that came out and shouldn't have seen it. I'm sure I had a torrent of crushes on "teen idols" after I saw an interview with Dillon and realized I didn't find him all that interesting. But another Matt D. - Damon, that is - is my enduring crush. He's so cute! Not to mention decent.

 

7) Do you have a funny/ugly holiday sweater?

 

No, I never did get on that trend.

 

8) Have you received many holiday cards this year? Did you send many?

 

We sent out about 65. We've gotten about 2. Which is okay; it's not about the numbers for me. (Which reminds me, would any of you like one? I still have plenty more supplies. DM me if so.)

 

9) If you were Santa, what cookie would you like kids to leave for you on Christmas Eve?

 

 

I can't stand snickerdoodles, I'm really and truly not a fan of sugar cookies, and I could do without red velvet. For me, the perfect cookies will always be chocolate chip. I love them. Even the bad ones are good. AMIRITE???

 

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Until next time, dear friends! And don't forget to drop me a line here or on FB if you'd like a Christmas card! I updated my list this year because I lost previous lists, so if you've gotten one in the past, that's why it's not automatic now. Love y'all.

 

Merry, merry!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Just Because

Howdy-ho, neighbors! This weekend's post focuses on this song, Just Because, by Elvis Presley.  This is significant to me because I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized the man (and, I'm sure, still does) and could do a mean impression of him as well. My dad could sing well, could do the moves, and even had some of the requisite attire to make the whole thing convincing. Of course, I've heard every Elvis song ever, 50,000 times over, backward and forward... right?

I had not ever heard this song before.

So, my friends, link up here if you want to join us this weekend. Read on for my answers. Thank you, Crazy Sam, for dusting this one off for me (okay, us)! Let's hit it:

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Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?

Yes, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas carols lately as we work through the activities in our Advent calendar. Santa features prominently in these, of course.

2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?

That's probably true for everyone, I'm guessing.

3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?

I've only ever driven through Memphis, and also Nashville, and also half a dozen times Chattanooga. I have stayed in Gatlinburg. Memphis would be an interesting trip, though.

4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?

I get a good deal on just about everything. Like the SodaStream I got for Chloë for Christmas, I paid nowhere near full price, nor did I pay full price for the flavors for it, nor will I ever! And she'll be so thrilled to have it, so win-win!

5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?

No way in hell!

6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?

No, but I certainly do wish! It's so beautiful.

7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?

Well not exactly pets, but we used to keep chickens when we lived in Idaho for the eggs, and the five of us each had "our" specific chickens that we felt we belonged to and were particularly attached to. I loved those chickens. Here, we're not allowed to have any because of our HOA rules, even though the town would allow three, which makes me want to be a scofflaw and keep ducks. They don't say anything about ducks.

8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?

I believe the nearest major airport is Baltimore International, although we have tons of regional ones between there and here.

9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12^th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?

Well, for stores and other commercial enterprises, yeah, I kinda think there is a limit for too-early/too-late. But for private families and people, I think, who gives a rat's behind? Let people do what makes them happy! So what if Joe Schmoe at the end of the block likes to keep his lights up until the end of March and put them up again after Halloween? What's it to me? I don't pay his light bill and it's honestly kind of pretty. I'm of more of a laissez-faire kind of mind about that for private citizens.

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Welp, that's all folks! Back to wrapping presents with Chloë, my eldest! Seems like the job will never be done, but that's not a complaint! I'm grateful for the abundance, always grateful.

Have a wonderful week on purpose, everybody! ♥

Fin.

Saturday 9: Two Black Cadillacs

Welcome, welcome one and all (or is it both?). I've been trying to log in to Typepad for HOURS, but something has stopped that connection. Here I am, finally, at 1513 on Saturday. What a relief.

I don't like much in the way of Country music, but I do like Ms. Underwood, so I'm glad to see this one. And I already knew this song!

Link up here if you're playing along this weekend. Let's go:

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Saturday 9: Two Black Cadillacs (2011)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song is about two women who share a very dark secret. Are you good at keeping secrets?

Not usually. I have zero filter, pretty much.

2) Carrie Underwood's favorite author is Stephen King. In fact, she credits King's Christine as an inspiration for this song. Have you read much Stephen King, or seen movies based on his books?

Some. I'd say I'm a fan, but not, like, a mega-fan.

3) Carrie first came to America's attention when she won on American Idol. Prior to competing on that show, she'd never been on an airplane. Crazy Sam takes at least one round-trip flight every year and pays using the miles she accumulated from credit card purchases throughout the year. Do you try to earn miles, points, or cash back when you make purchases?

Oh, yes. I'm always trying to play the game and earn points here to spend there.

4) Black is this week's signature color because November 25 was Black Friday, when retailers historically have slashed their prices and the holiday shopping season begins. Have you begun your gift shopping?

Yes. I'm welllll into my gift shopping - and wrapping!

5) Black Friday began as a local event initiated by store owners in Philadelphia back in the early 1960s. When you think of Philadelphia, what comes to mind?

Well nowadays, I think of my trip there with Chloë for her 21st birthday, just this past September. Fun times!

6) Black Friday always comes after Thanksgiving, a day of feasting. What was the best dish at your holiday table this year?

I think it was the pies (we had 5). For the first time in years, I was able to come downstairs and help guide the children to make my pie recipes, if I couldn't do it myself. They were wonderful and were devoured quickly. Good job, kids!

7) Thanksgiving is also a big day for watching football. Did you watch any games?

Nyet.

8) What are you thankful for this year?

Oh, I'm soooo thankful for being able to come downstairs, help make those pies, and just generally be with my family for the whole day of Thanksgiving. It was a treasure. And so much more than that, but it would be a very long list. I keep that list in my planner.

9) Random question: You're in a public restroom and have a choice between paper towels and a hot air hand dryer. Which do you choose?

I'd choose the hot air. Why would I use natural resources I don't need to use when there is an alternative right there? Go tree-free. Go more sustainable (because paper just isn't, really). Yes, there is the source of the electricity, but that's more negligible than the processes of getting the paper towel to that bathroom, and using it. No, for me, it's the hot air hand dryer. Good question, Sam.

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Now I'm listening to The National on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts - those are the best; I'm obsessed - which the Carrie Underwood tune moved to after the one by Andrew Bird on YouTube. Give them a listen, if you haven't already!

Happy holiday season, y'all!

fin.

Saturday 9: Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

Hey everyone! I was up late doing volunteer work that I do here at home, and I crashed and burned right in the middle of it. So it's after noon on Saturday, now, that I'm getting into S9. As a result, I'm sure I'll be getting dead last. No worries, though; I'll be glad to be getting in at all.

This week we have Lesley Gore teed up for you. I was surprised I know a number of her songs. I mean, I know her name, and I know these songs, but I didn't know these songs were hers. So now I've got YouTube doings its thing and hitting me in the eardrums with the vocal stylings of the late, great Lesley.

If you'd like to join us this weekend, be sure to link up here. Away we go:

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Saturday 9: Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows (1965)

 

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1. In this song, Lesley Gore sings that sunshine is wonderful. It's hard to argue with that. Is it sunny where you are today?

 

It's sunny as hell, but decidedly not warm.

 

2. Tootsie Roll is the world's #1 manufacturer of lollipops, and cherry is their most popular flavor. Do you have a sweet tooth? If yes, what's your favorite sweet treat?

 

 

I always have love for Ferrero Rocher chocolates - who doesn't? - and Lindt chocolate truffles. Recently, we were in Michaels for some supplies, and we discovered these Peppermint Cookie milk chocolate truffles, and they are so amazing. YUM. Big yum. Get yourself some.

 

3. According to myth, you'll find a leprechaun's pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you suddenly, unexpectedly came into $100,000, what is the first thing you would buy?

 

 

You mean I can't pay bills? Okay, I'd buy some travel plans for Hubs and me. Two of the kids are grown, and one is all-but. I'd schedule the travel for when they're all grown. There. No guilt. I'd love to go to Japan and then more of the Asian continent.

 

4. She feels brighter than a lucky penny. Abraham Lincoln was the first person to appear on a U.S. coin, when the 1909 penny was struck in honor of his 100th birthday. Thomas Jefferson is on the nickel, George Washington is on the quarter, and John F. Kennedy is on the half dollar. Without looking, do you know which President is on the dime?

 

I want to say Jackson? I'm going to have to go look now, b/c I feel like that's wrong. Going to look... Oh, wow. I was way off. Really, FDR? I completely forgot that information. Thanks for making me re-learn! Jackson must be on the tenner then, right? Please say yes. (Answer: No, that would be Hamilton; Jackson is the 20.)

5. Lesley Gore was very popular in the 1960s, with 11 Top Ten hits. Most people don't know that, while she was making records, she was also attending Sarah Lawrence College and graduated with her BA in 1968. What's something most Saturday 9ers would be surprised to know about you?

 

In 2oo4, after an infant loss the year prior, I established a modest non-profit. But the things is, I'm extremely frugal and didn't want to spend the money to have a CPA or a tax attorney do the paperwork for our 501(c)(3) (nontaxable) status with the IRS. So I looked and I learned and I read and I studied, and I did it all (pages and pages, y'all!) myself. We were awarded our 501(c)(3) status right from the beginning! I was so proud of that.

 
6. She performed "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" in the movie Ski Party. Do you plan to ski this season?

 

 

Ohhh nooooo. I used to be able to cross-country ski. Never downhill. Neither, anymore.

 

7. This song was written by Marvin Hamlisch, who would go on to win three Oscars, four Grammys, three Emmys, a Tony, and a Pulitzer Prize. That's quite an impressive list! But we believe our Sat 9-ers are impressive, too. So give yourself an award this morning. (For example, Crazy Sam is now Meme Mistress of the Year.)

 

MOST BREAKS TAKEN BY A BLOGGERESS: MELANIE PENELOPE

 

8. In 1965, when this song was on the charts, I Dream of Jeannie premiered. This supernatural sitcom, about an astronaut who finds a genie on a beach, competed for viewers with Bewitched, which was about an advertising executive who marries a witch. Do you prefer Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie?

 

 

I enjoyed them both, but I prefered Jeannie just because I always found Barbara Eden sooo beautiful.

9. Random question -- Which would you rather have, tacos or pizza?

 

 

Oh, that's an easy one. Nine times out of 10, I'm picking a (vegetarian) pizza.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

I finished within an hour! That's something of a miracle!

 

Y'all have yourselves a good week now, y'hear?

 

Fin.

 

 

Saturday 9: Potential New Boyfriend

Howdy, friends! Today, we've got a Dolly (do we really need last names?) Parton song for ya, and I can tell you, I've loved her since I was a fetus. So over 46 years. I think Dolly-Kenny Rogers-Willie Nelson as a trio came into my consciousness together at a very young age. But I was always very transfixed by Dolly, so I'm thrilled to see the focus on her this week. I don't know this week's song, though, so I've got to take a listen! How 'bout you - do you know it?

Make sure you link up here if you're playing along this week! Now I'm way behind, so let's jump right in:

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Saturday 9: Potential New Boyfriend (1983)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The lyrics tell us Dolly Parton has spotted a fella who twisted her ignition key and turned her motor on. That was in 1983. Keys are less common today, since many cars are equipped with with push button ignitions and more doors now open for those who know the key pad code or have the right swipe card. What's the last thing you used a key to start or unlock?

 

Oh gosh, I haven't used a real key in nearly four years. Here at the house for year we've lived in it, the door has the keypad, and my car is a push button starter. For the year we lived in hotels, of course, there was a key card entry - that is, when I couldn't just open our room door with my phone app. And for the year+ we lived in our Idaho house, I just had to tap on the garage door opener and drive in. No key necessary there, either. So it must have Boise, and then, I tell you what, I could not pinpoint an actual day. Hehe.

 

2) Her potential new boyfriend bought her a drink and she thanked him real sweet. Have you more recently said "thank you," or been thanked yourself?

 

 

I've more recently said, "thank you," which was probably to Hubs for bringing me a yogurt in bed. Or giving me the day's ration of meds (it's a lot!), or tapping up the heat, or any number of ways he's helped me in the last 10 minutes alone.

 

3) This is Dolly's first music video. "Potential New Boyfriend" was a top 20 country hit and made #13 Billboard's Dance chart, yet it's not well remembered today. Share a song from one of your favorite artists that the rest of us Sat 9-ers might not know.

 

 

I don't know about being one of my favorite artists, but this is one of my favorite one-hit wonders to come out of the '80s: "Let's Go All The Way" by Sly Fox. I've always loved the video for it as much as the song, too.

 

4) This is not Dolly's first song about a romantic rival. Her hit "Jolene" was inspired by a bank teller who regularly flirted with Dolly's real (not potential!) husband, Carl Dean. Have you recently fallen victim to the green-eyed monster of jealousy? If yes, what were you jealous of (someone's affections, possessions, success ...)?

 

Admittedly, yes. Someone I know seems to have the wealth enough to be constantly traveling both across the country and out of it, and the good health to do so. I'm happy to live vicariously through other peoples' adventures to a point, but then I get insanely restless!

 

5) Dolly enjoys telling interviewers she met Carl at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat in Nashville. Do you have a hamperful of dirty clothes awaiting you? Or are you all caught up with that particular household chore?

 

When I was living alone, I was always caught up on laundry. When it was just my husband me, and I had to walk, pregnant, about a mile each way to the nearest laundromat, I was always caught up on laundry. When we were in a house, and baby Chloë had joined us, I was always caught up. When Jack joined us, always caught up. Then we had our last baby, and everything went to hell in a handbasket. Laundry hasn't ever been caught up since!

 

6) Dolly Parton's Imagination Library makes free books available to children. It was begun in 1995, and by 2020, her charity had distributed 150,000,000 books! When you were a very young reader, what was your favorite book?

 

 

I'm not sure which book, or if it was just all his books that we had, but I've always loved the works by Richard Scarry. I loved how colorful and busy they are - I'm a dedicated and devout maximalist - and that there was all ways plenty to seek out and find. They were interesting, they were funny, and they kept being so after one read, after two, maybe after even five reads. I was a big fan as a little girl!

 

7) Andy Warhol was fascinated by Dolly. When he asked her what her perfect meal would include, she responded it would have to start with chicken and dumpling soup. How would you have answered Andy? What's your perfect dinner menu?

 

 

Well, of course, my perfect meal would have to include some kind of amazing pizza - NO meat on mine, please - and I'd love both a creative and delicious appetizer and dessert to share with my beloved. If you want to throw in a lime sherbet pallette cleanser and/or something for an Amuse-Bouche, I mean, that's okay, too!

 

8) Thinking of chicken ... In 1983, when this song was popular, McDonald's introduced McNuggets. Today, it's one of McDonald's most popular menu items. Are you a fan?

 

No. I sometimes have eaten nuggets over the years when I'm starving, my spoons are low, my protein is low, it's there, it's quick, it's cheap, etc. But in the last year or so, I've noticed the McNuggets (at least around here) have changed. Maybe it's the oil they use, but the taste and texture are so drastically different that it makes it not worth stepping over that vegetarian/omnivore line for me anymore.

 

9) Random question: Would you rather visit a desert or a jungle?

I would much rather go to the jungle. I'd rather die in the jungle than the desert, if that's the question of the day, too. So much lush, tropical foliage; more diverse species both plant an animal; always warm... that's pretty much my heaven on earth right there.

~*~*~*~*~

That was a fun one! Now I've got to check with Eldest Child to see if any of the little kiddo books we've amassed so far for her future progeny are Richard Scarry books. If not, time to add to the... amassment!

Y'all have a beautiful weekend!

fin.

Saturday 9: Blue Collar Man

Here we are, September now. Can you even?

September has historically always been my favorite month: August just ended, which means we just - just - celebrated my hubs' 50^th birthday(!!). Which means in four days, we're going to celebrate our eldest's 21^st(!!) birthday and school is restarting, which means we're going to celebrate my birthday the day after that. Then comes all the rest of the year and next thing you know it, the ball drops. Crazy.

I don't want to say too much more in case it ends up being the answer to a question! Haha... so let's get to it.

~*~*~*~*~

Blue Collar Man by the Styx (1978)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this week's song, we hear a job equated with security. Tell us something that gives you a sense of security.

This is going to sound anti-feminist, but it's really not, because I know what I need, and I'm holding onto it. My answer: my husband. My partner in life. I used to charge through life alone, gettin' it done, whatever "it" was that I wanted. I wanted that undergrad program? I went for it and I got it. That internship? Got it. That grad program? Got it. That job? Got. It. Then I eloped, and I can't imagine my life having turned out ANY other way. Especially now that I am so sick and often spend full days, sometimes several in a row, in bed. He hasn't ditched me, he's doubled-down to take care of me. In every way. Financially, with his time, with his energy. This now, to me, is security.

2) Lead singer Tommy Shaw hopes someone will make him an offer he can't refuse. That's a reference to a famous movie quote. Without looking it up, can you name the film?

Of course, that's The Godfather. I finally watched those movies when we lived on Guam, while I was pregnant with our twins and there wasn't much else to do. I went to the AFB library and rented whatever I could!

3) Shaw recalls that this song was inspired by a friend of his, a blue collar worker who had been laid off and was frustrated by the process of job hunting. His friend wanted to work, not fill out forms and job applications and wait days for a response! Do you quickly become impatient?

Oh, most definitely. That's my trademark personality flaw, I think.

4) The name "Styx" wasn't the top choice of anyone in the band. As founding member Denis DeYoung recalled, "It was the only name none of us hated." Tell us about a recent compromise you made (which TV show to watch, toppings on your pizza, etc.).

(Was this a recent question or did I vividly dream it, #1?)

For Hubs' birthday, I usually get him a bunch of scratch-off tickets. This year, I sent Chloë (the 20yo) out to get them, a lot of them, but she came back with instant lottery tickets. I know Hubs loves the literal scratching-off part of the tickets, so when she presented them to me on the way to dinner, at a stop when he was out of the car, and they were NOT what he likes, I actually gasped and needed "a minute to take a moment," as we say. I thought it through and decided for this year, we would just do something different for him. So I put Chloë's tickets in his card and he went through them at home later, after dinner. He seemed to enjoy himself, and he won $35. Phew.

5) Labor Day was introduced to celebrate the achievements of the American worker. How many different employers have you had?

Oh, I don't know. Over a dozen, many of which were various grocery stores. I have to say, with all my education in marine biology, working in grocery was still one of my favorite things to do. I loved interacting with the people, I loved the work... it really brought out a different persona for me that I enjoyed. Very different for this normally-introvert!

6) The first Waffle House was opened on Labor Day, 1955. What's your preference: waffles or pancakes?

(Was this a recent question or did I vividly dream it, #2?)

#TeamWaffles here.

7) Labor Day mattress sales are a big business. Experts tells us we can expect to spend $1,000 for a good-quality queen-sized mattress. Will you be buying a new one -- or perhaps making another big ticket purchase for your home -- before year end?

Probably not, we bought our mattresses last year, and I'm committed to putting as much pre-loved furniture in this house as possible if we can't use what we already have. (Moving a lot sure takes a beating on some pieces!) I'm going to try and get some trees in the ground this fall if possible, though. Anyone have some advice for that?

8) Will you be attending a Labor Day picnic or barbecue? 

I'd love to go to a picnic, but it's highligh unlikely as we don't really know anyone! Still Maryland orphans at this point. (The parents, that is. The kids all have friends.)

9) Labor Day is the unofficial start of fall. Have you had any pumpkin spice yet?

Nope. None of the madness for me. Yet. So far. No plans. Probably at Thanksgiving. Thanks for checking in. Hee!

~*~*~*~*~

Y'all have a great extended weekend, if you're getting one (hope so). Chloë and I are headed to Philly for a couple of days to celebrate our birthdays, lord willing. We tried once before and I had to cancel. This time I feel much more ready.

Same time, next week? Yes.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Livin' La Vida Loca

Hey, hey, ladies and gents! Happy Saturday! Thank you, Hostess Sam, for bringing us these questions.

I'm excited for this week. Ricky Martin and Livin' La Vida Loca were a huuuuge part of the space between my college years and the doctorate. I loved it and always blasted it in the car. I didn't know Enrique Martín Morales during his Menudo days, but I've loved him ever since La Vida. ♥

Let's go.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Livin' La Vida Loca (1999)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Ricky Martin sings that he and the girl dance in the rain. Do you feel like dancing this morning?

 

 

If dancing from the hips up counts, I already have while sitting here listening to Sting and Shaggy start off with "Englishman in New York" on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. So fun!

2) The lyrics tell us the girl prefers champagne. When did you last enjoy a glass of the bubbly?

 

 

Oh a verrrrry long time. I have three reasons for that: (1) I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and I kept having reactions to alcohol, even when I was down to maybe two drinks a year, so that was enough of that (and Sophia asked me to stop since the reactions freaked her out); (2) I take far too many medications that don't play well with medication; and (3) tomorrow, I'm starting disulfiram, aka antabuse, for my Lyme disease. Since it was intented for alcohol abuse, I will get a nasty set of reactions if I touch alcohol - including cough medicine or rubbing alcohol! - and that seals the deal for me.

 

3) When Ricky first heard "Livin' La Vida Loca," he imagined  the subject of the song was a "Bond girl," the glamorous love interest of James Bond in the movies. Since 1962, there have been more than 20 Bond films. Have you seen any/many of them? Do you have a favorite Bond?

 

 

I've seen 1983's Octopussy with Roger Moore (I was 7; interesting parenting choice) and 1995's Goldeneye with the sexy-as-hell Pierce Brosnan and his equally stunning co-star, Famke Janssen. I like them okay; I don't know why I haven't seen more of them. Just not a huge priority. I suppose.

 

4) Ricky tells interviewers that when he was very young, he'd sing in the family kitchen, pretending a wooden spoon was his microphone. Crazy Sam admits to lip synching into a black Magic Marker. When you gave imaginary concerts, what did you use as a microphone?

 

 

Whatever was available - usually a hairbrush

5) Ricky began working at the tender age of 9, performing in commercials. How old were you when you received your first paycheck?

 

 

I was 15 and working as a cashier at the Big M in "B'ville," in New York.

 

6) Ricky does yoga to stay in shape. Have you ever tried yoga?

 

 

Oh, sure. I had been practicing mostly "gentle" yoga - not these advanced asanas - from high schools until I got really sick, just before we moved to Boise in 2017. I still kept trying, but it became clear that my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobile Type, among other issues, was too much for that right now. Everything is dislocating because I can hyperextend everything. I don't stretch to sooth my aching bones and joints and muscles - I hyperextend and hold that for as long as I can. So yoga is now a different animal for me.

7) Ricky is of primarily Spanish descent, with a little French mixed in. When you think of French cuisine, what comes to mind?

 

 

Oh, lots and lots of things, but lately I have had soufflé on the brain. Yum, yum.

 

8) Ricky once had his own restaurant, Casa Salsa, in Miami Beach. Have you ever worked in food service?

 

 

I have, but not a lot. While I did my fisheries internship, my co-intern and I decided to moonlight in catering at the now-defunct The C0lony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida. That lasted 10 weeks, as long as our internship, and we had a blast. I loved it, and I loved the clients. We had a lot of fun! So when I later moved up to St. Petersburg, I secured a job at the expansive Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club there. Oh, my God, it was beautiful.

 

But on my first day of actual work after orientation, I was serving in a dining room full of businessmen wearing fancy suits. We were delivering bowls of soups to their table. and I approached one particular man. As I was about to set his bowl down, my hand gave out, and I dumped the soup ALL. OVER. HIM. Holy shit. It was mortifying, and that guy stood up, using his napkin, and dressed me up and down, up and down, and up and down once again. I was so embarrassed, my pride so wounded, I went across the hall and let my captain know what happened and promptly quit.

 

9) Random question: What is your best quality?

 

 

Empathy. I can say that with absolute certainty.

 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 

Have a swell day, y'all. Namaste. 🙏

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral

Hello, ladies and gents and maybe those of another bent! How's it going?

I have a bit of news:

The good news: after labs were run of my psych meds and levels were found to be low, things have been adjusted, and I'm already feeling way better.

The better news: after ~7 months of hotel living, this will be coming to an end, finally... in May. We've signed a contract on a yet-to-be-built house here in Salisbury, and we're super happy with the way things turned out (except that it didn't "turn out" in, say, October!)

So cheers to better moods and not being homeless much longer!

Link up here if you want to play along with the S-9ers this weekend.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral (1944)

Selected because this Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day. Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

   

1) Bing Crosby sings that he learned this song from his mother. Can you recall a song from your early childhood?

 

 

Well, it's not like a favorite song or anything, but I remember being very little while I sat in my mother's lap. She would sing this hymn, "O Gentle Presence" when I needed calming from a nightmare or some such.

 

2) Bing was NBC's first choice to play TV's Columbo. He turned down the role because, by that time, he was in his 60s and just didn't feel like working a full week anymore. Peter Falk eventually got the part and played Det. Columbo for 10 seasons. Do you enjoy detective stories, whether on TV, in movies or in books?

 

 

Heck yeah! All the iterations of Law & Order were made expressly for me, don'tcha know?

 

3) Bing could trace his family back to County Cork. While it's said that on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish, can you honestly claim Irish heritage?

 

Well, and this was news and kind of a complete shock to me, according to Ancestry DNA, I can claim about 8% Irish ancestry. Never knew!

 

4) Other than St. Patrick, what is Ireland famous for?

 

 

Castles! the Blarney Stone! the amazing coastline! Guiness! Corned beef and cabbage! all those pubs! Step dancing! ...and soo, so much more. I would love to go someday.

 

5) "The wearing o' the green" is one way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Will you wear something green in honor of the day?

 

 

Eh. Green isn't really my color, and the tradition isn't that important to me. Now, things might be different if I looked as amazing as these fine lassies...

6) Have you ever had green beer?

 

 

I have. ONCE. Once was enough. In 1998, when I was 21, my friends Shannon, Melisa, and I went out drinking with some friends from the marine lab where Melisa and I worked. Or maybe they were from the catering gig where we also worked; I forget. I wasn't going to go, because drinking beer and playing isn't really my thing, but I decided to go be a joiner. I'm not even sure I had one full beer, let alone more than one, but man, later I was soooo sick! And then next day, and into the next day, too. So sick. That was enough.

7) Have you ever ordered a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's?

 

 

I cannot say for sure, but I do not think so. Maybe once, ages upon ages ago.

8) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?

 

 

No. I don't really give much credence to these types of superstitions, although I do find it fun to play along and read the fortune cookie, pick up the penny, and stuff.

9) Speaking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious.  What brand of cereal is in your kitchen right now?

 

 

I think right now, all we have is Cream of Wheat. My son loves that stuff! No one else does, though. Guess I've gotta go shopping.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Okay, y'all have a lovely weekend and cross your fingers my body decides it's up to taking my daughters to Assateague & Chincoteague to try and spot some wild ponies this weekend, as promised!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Birthday

Hello, cyber friends of mine! I'm glad I 'made it' this week, because I adore this song, "Birthday," by Katy Perry. In fact, it made the short list of songs I played as a soundtrack for Hubs' birthday in...  must have been 2019?

And I love Katy. What's not to love?

So if you're ready to join us this week, you'll find the link here. Wouldn't it be fun if li'l ol me brought someone new into the mix? Sure it would! Go 'head, c'mon, join us!

~*~*~*~*~ 

BIRTHDAY (2014)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Katy Perry sings that she wants to give her lover something good to celebrate every day. What is making you happy this fine Saturday?

Well, the sun is shining, so that makes it a great start! I live for sunshine. It rained much of the last fortnight.

2) The video is all about baking a birthday cake. When did you most recently enjoy something home baked? Were you the baker?

I think it would have had to be the beginning of January, when one of the things I gifted Hubs for our 20^th wedding anniversary was a local favorite here: Smith Island Cake. I didn't bake it, of course, since we have entered our 7^th month of living in a hotel (GAH!), but it was a local baker who did, not some chain. If that counts.

3) Tell us a memory from one of your birthdays.

Hmm, well, let's see. For some reason I don't know, I wanted to be 25 before I had my first child. And then Hubs and I discovered we were gonna have a wedding night baby, according to my OB and her charts and calculations. She was due October 2nd. But she didn't want to be an October baby. She wanted to damn-near-share with Mom for her birthday. And so Chloë arrived by emergency C-section on September 7^th - the day before I turned 25. Little stinker! I'd wanted to go swimming that day - and I asked during the C-section, but the surgeon just laughed and said I couldn't. Wah!

4) This week's song shares nothing but the title with a Beatles song. (Here's a video of Paul McCartney performing it live.) Can you think of another title that's been used by more than one song?

How about "Jump" by both van Halen and Kriss Kross?

5) Similarly, this week's featured artist was born Kathryn Hudson and called Katy Hudson until she changed her name to Katy Perry to avoid confusion with the actress Kate Hudson. Have you ever met anyone else with your same name?

 

Just about, yes! Of course, I've run into my share of "Melanie"s over the years, but as a kid, one of my stepsisters had a friend (who is now also my friend), whose mother was Melanie Simons - exactly mine, minus a second "m" in the surname.

6) Katy and actor Orlando Bloom became parents to a baby girl in 2020. Bloom is best known for his work in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Are you a fan of either of those film series?

They're so cute together. I hope they make it. But no, I haven't seen any of the movies in either of those franchises.

7) In 2014, the year this song was popular, Prince William toured the United States and attended his first NBA game (Nets vs. Cavaliers). What's the most recent sporting event that you watched?

That would have to be the Super Bowl match-up between the Chiefs (again! Woot!) and the Buccaneers. That damn Brady, y'know?

This all kinda makes me wonder: when was the last time a brand-new team sport was invented?

8) Also in 2014, Joan Rivers died. While best-known for making us laugh, she was a very successful entrepreneur, selling jewelry on QVC. Have you ever ordered anything from TV?

Off the TV? No. But I did buy these earrings (just the ones in the lobes) from a website - which also hawks stuff on TV - as part of a mystery shop I did recently.

9) Random question -- Have you ever been told you talk too much?

Ohhhh, yes. I am definitely the loquacious one! Garrulous. A chatterbox. And I have absolutely gotten in trouble for it. I remember being in 11^th grade, in our AP Chemistry class, and our teacher gave us what basically amounted to busy work while he went to his office in a back room. He came out multiple times to shush us. And then he came out and demanded: "Miss Simmons, WHY is your voice the only one I ever hear???"

And that's not an isolated incident, by any means, just one I vividly remember.

Also, this little bambina, the same Chloë mentioned in my answer to #3, has gotten the gift of gab from her mother. The two of us can talk back and forth so fast sometimes, the others don't aways know what we've said. And since I now have neuro deficits from Lyme disease, Chloë now acts as my interpreter when I can't get my messages across! Love that kiddo. ♥

~*~*~*~*~

And now, I think I need a nap. Wow, I got this posted by noon! Look at me go.

Fin,

Saturday 9: Cry

Welcome back, S9 friends and the world beyond (since I have such a significant following)! Am I the only one who is shocked we're nearing the end of February already?!!

Link up here if you're joining us this week.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Cry (1952)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Johnnie Ray assures us we'll feel better if we cry. Do you agree?

 

 

 I totally agree! I take meds that usually inhibit my ability to cry, so when I feel like crying, and am not able to, I actually kinda feel worse. Oh, and the other day (Wednesday) would have been my mother's 70^th birthday. Since we lost her when she was 33 years old, my mom at 70 is almost unimaginable for me. I was looking at a picture of her:

 

 

... and just thinking thoughts, and the next thing I knew, I was sobbing my wee heart out. It was cathartic.

2) He also mentions waking from a dream, believing it was real. Has that ever happened to you?

 

 

YES! All.The.Time.

3) Because this record was such a massive hit, Johnnie Ray was nicknamed "The Prince of Wails." Without looking it up, do you know who is currently the Prince of Wales?

 

 

Oh, yes. No hesitation.

4) To cash in on the success of this single, 20th Century Fox cast Johnnie Ray in a big-budget musical, There's No Business Like Show Business. Today it's best remembered as a Marilyn Monroe movie. Have you seen many of Marilyn's films?

 

 

Nope. I don't think I have seen a single one. I might have to remedy that. Where should I start?

5) After graduating from high school, Johnnie worked at low-paying jobs, including bus boy and soda jerk. He found he made better tips when he began playing piano in restaurants. Have you ever worked for tips?

 

I was going to say no, but I did get a few now and then when I worked in high-end catering... and then I remembered I made MAD tips working at the ice cream shoppe on St. Pete Beach! How could I forget? By the way, José Canseco is an asshole and a non-tipper.

 

6) In 1969, Johnnie was in the news a lot again because he performed with Judy Garland during her European tour and was best man at her wedding to Mickey Deans. Tell us what you wore to the most recent wedding you attended.

 

I haven't been to a wedding since my BFF Lisa got married in 2002! I was in the wedding, and all of us girls wore different style but same maker silver bridesmaid dresses. I was still breastfeeding 9-month-old Chloë then, so I had to take that situation into account when I chose mine!

 

7) In 1952, when this song was a hit, Mr. Potato Head made his debut. It was the first toy advertised on television. What TV commercial have you seen recently?

 

 

I really had to think about this one, since I don't really watch much TV, but then I remembered the Cheetos commercial with Mila Kunis, Shaggy, & Ashton at the Super Bowl. I probably wouldn't have watched, except for the Chiefs. Hubs is from  Missouri, so two in a row?! He was lovin' it. (Except, you know, for them not winning this one, and Brady, and all that.)

 

8) Also in 1952, chlorophyll was all the rage for banishing bad breath. Colgate led the way by adding it to their toothpaste. Do you use gum, mints, mouthwash, or breath strips?

 

Very occasionally mints or mouthwash, but rarely even those. Chlorophyll?! I was not aware of that.

9) Random question -- Congratulations! You won a free three night/two day weekend for two in Las Vegas! The weather is predicted to be sunny and 65º each day you're there. It's 12:00 noon on your first day. Are we most likely to find you: a) gambling in the casino or b) having breakfast in bed or c) outside, enjoying the sun and the sights?

...or d. Taking in a show. I particularly love Cirque du Soleil - saw "O" once, years ago, there. I don't gamble and probably already did (b) by that point. I'll work on (c) after the show.

~*~*~*~*~

Okay, now that I did a thing, I think it's time for my first nap of the day. I hate these damn naps! Be well, y'all.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Heyyyyyy, everybody! Long time no... read? Type? Meme? Blog? You get the picture.

Happy 2021! Link up here if you aren't already meming along with Crazy Sam and the rest of the gang, and with that, I'm gonna dive right in:

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (1973)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) Bette Midler sings that the bugle boy wakes up Company B every morning by playing Reveille. What awakened you this morning (phone, alarm clock, sunrise, etc.)? Or did you wake up on your own?

 

 

I almost never wake up to an alarm, or on my own, or when the sun shines. It's ridiculous. I'd be Rip van Winkle if I didn't have Hubs here to rouse me. It's really a pain in the neck sometimes - but probably even more for him than for me!

2) This single was produced by Bette's arranger/piano player, who went on to have a successful singing career of his own. Do you have a favorite Barry Manilow song?

 

 

Hmm, I used to be mildly obsessed with "One Voice," that's for sure.

3) Bette was named after Bette Davis. Her sisters, Susan and Judy, were named for Susan Hayward and Judy Garland. So now we know who Mother Midler's favorite actresses were. Who are yours?

 

 

I have a lot of favorite actors, including these two: Winona Ryder and Parker Posey. Love! ♥

4) Bette has been married since 1984 to artist Martin von Haselberg. She was 39 years old, already a star, and had never married before. Yet within six weeks of meeting him, she was so sure Martin was "the one" that they tied the knot. Have you found that love takes time, or, like Bette, have you fallen in love quickly?

I suppose "quickly" is the answer to this question for me! Two months from the time Hubs and I met online until we eloped... and we just had our 20th anniversary, so it was definitely a case of "when you know, you know"!

 

5) When their daughter Sophie was growing up, it was Martin who taught her to cook. What was the last thing you prepared in your kitchen? Did you use the microwave, stovetop, convection oven, blender, coffee maker ...?

 

 

I haven't done any cooking in quite a while, myself, and I miss it like crazy. After five months of hotel-hopping, I just bought us one of these Hamilton Beach air fryer toaster ovens, which the kids broke in with a frozen pizza. Not sure what's next to be cooked. Maybe some Easy Mac? Real haut cuisine, you know?

 

6) Bette says that listening and compromise have been the key to their happy marriage but adds, "Compromise is hardest of all." On what have you compromised recently?

 

Seems like lately it's nothing but, so I'd be hard-pressed to tell you what the latest one was. And I'm in pain, so thinking is out. I'll tell ya later. ;)

 

7) Bette and Martin have a farmhouse in upstate New York. She enjoys feeding the chickens (whom she has jokingly named The Kardashians) and puttering in her garden. Do you have a green thumb?

I don't. I really wish I did, but I do not. I'm going to keep trying, though! Mostly with succulents... At least they took longer to die.

8) In 1973, the year this song was popular, actor Neil Patrick Harris was born. He's best known as Barney on How I Met Your Mother, which ran from 2005-2014. Were you a fan?

 

 

On and off - casual fan. I wasn't glued to it, and I never did learn how "he" met his mother. (I know "he" wasn't NPH.) But it was entertaining when nothing else was on. 

9) Random question -- How often do you put crackers in your soup: Always, often, seldom or never?

I would have said "sometimes," but I'll go with "often" as it's one of the choices. That, up there, is some vegan bean soup that Hubs has made for me a few times. Delicious - even better with Nooch It, which is like a vegan Parmesan cheese but made out of cashews. Delish!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, y'all have a great weekend, and hopefully I'll swing through and make the rounds. I have some studying up to do as I'll be lobbying with the Maryland Sierra Club next week, but I'll need downtime as well! 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Black

Hi, everyone. Haven't been feeling too well, so I had to take a bit of a sabbatical. I'm not going to do much of a prelude here today, either, lest I run out of steam and not complete this one!

So link up here if you want to join in, and thank you for visiting!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Black (2016)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song was chosen because yesterday was Black Friday, the traditional day of sales. Have you begun your Christmas shopping?

Yeah, I started back in about August, I guess. I usually start socking away things here and there that I know they'll love, when I see a good deal, but between Coronavirus, being sick and moving cross-country, it didn't really go as usual. I think I'm making up for it!

2)  Was there an adult beverage served with your Thanksgiving feast?

No feast for us in the hotel room, and none of us can even remember eating, let alone what it was. And no, no alcohol.
 
3) Did any pets enjoy scraps from your Thanksgiving table?

Well, no, but they got their own treats from Barkbox!

4) Are there any Thanksgiving leftovers in your refrigerator right now?

No... but, uh, I think there are a few chalupas and bean burritos in the mini-fridge?

5) Football is a popular Thanksgiving weekend pastime. Will you be watching any games over the next few days? If yes, which team(s) are you rooting for?

Nope. No football. Hurricanes aren't playing. Oh and, even though they've been doing fairly well, I haven't been watching too much.

6) This week's song is by Dierks Bentley. He wrote it for his wife, Cassidy Black, who appears in the video. They met in eighth grade, dated on and off, and then eloped when they were in their late 20s. Has anyone ever surprised you by going off and suddenly getting married?

Yeah! This girl did! Me! I met my husband online and eloped with him two months later. We'll be celebrating our 20th anniversary verrrrry soon. Sometimess these things work out!

7) 2016 was a good year for Bentley. This song was one of three hits he had that year, he co-hosted the CMAs and was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year. As 2020 winds to an end, do you feel it's been a successful year?

.

No. Not in any way.

8) In 2016, David Bowie died. Do you have a favorite Bowie song?

I think his duet with Mick Jagger for "Dancing in the Street" is my absolute favorite with Bowie.

9) Also in 2016, CBS telecast reran How the Grinch Stole Christmas for the 50th time. What's your favorite Dr. Seuss story?

I always loved the Sneetches. And the Lorax. You know, the ones with feel-good messages, even when I was very little. I've always been into warm fuzzies.

Well, I don't know if anything is going to show up in that space there, but the settings are all off now. Weird! I hope you all have a great weekend, stay safe, and stay healthy.

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Interesting Confusions...

Hey there, guys and dolls! Welcome back to SSA. I've missed you! I'm hoping that by the end of November, we'll finally be in our forever home here on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

And I'm hoping that it will finally feel like home, not just our house.

Ya dig?

Keep your fingers crossed for us, you fine folks, will you?

As I'm sending good vibes to all of you as we work through fires and storms and COVID-19 and head into winter... <sigh>

Link up here to play along this weekend!

~*~*~*~*~

Stolen from various web sites...

1) Can you cry under water?

I'm not sure I could. Underwater = my happiest happy place.

2) What is the fattest thing you’ve ever done?

Admittedly, I don't entirely understand the intent of this question, but...

Oh, I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I have had trouble cutting out the sweets since they became a big problem for me. The worst is when any of us have a birthday. Rob likes a plain, unfrosted chocolate cake for his birthdays, but most of the rest of us like Carvel ice cream cakes for ours. Since Chloë's birthday is the 7^th of September, and mine is the 8^th, we often have... kind of a lot of it. I get sick on it every time, but does it stop me??

3) If you’re going to be arrested, what do you want your crime to be?

I've never been arrested, but I admit, I've sort of half-jokingly put it on my Bucket List. If it happens, I want it to be for some kind of protest, whether it be political or, preferably, an environmental cause.

4) When they say dog food is “new and improved” who tastes it?

Well, first of all, I've always had issues with that phrase, "new and improved." If it's new, then what could have been improved upon if it didn't exist before? If it's improved, then it's something old they made better, so how could it be new? 

Anyway. I figure, if they're going to find out if dog food is better, they'd better ask the experts: dogs!

5) What’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen?

My stepmother was always sarcastic, always sneering, in this unique way that I've only ever seen one other person in my life do. Very much like Cinderella's evil stepmother, here. It was an awful expression that could drain the blood from my face in an instant, because I knew that whatever was coming next would be worse than whatever led up to that point. I don't miss that b**ch.

6.) Why doesn’t glue stick to its bottle?

So there you go!

7) What historical event do you wish you’d witnessed?

Oh my gosh, there are so many things I could have thought of, but the first one I thought of was the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta when Kerry Strug did her vault with a broken ankle. That whole Dream Team was amazing. I would love, love, love to attend the Olympics some day!

8) Who has had the best influence on your life?

I've thunk hard on it, and I keep returning to the one inevitable answer: my husband. No one else in this world has made me look inside myself and really try to be better for someone else and not just for my own sake.

9) Would you rather go into space or to Antarctica?

Space! Although I'd always accept a trip anywhere, almost anytime - pandemics excluded.

10) Would you rather sleep with no pillow or no blankets?

I'd rather live without the pillow. I don't care how hot I am, I need to have certain portions of me covered with a blanket - and I can always use part of it for a pillow!

11) What's your favorite rain memory?

Oh, whenever it rained in the summers in Virginia Beach, when Sophia was two, three, four, five years old... we would go out and jump in the puddles! That little bitty was so excited and happy when she was jumping up and down in those puddles. She was just the the picture of pure joy.

12) If you were elected president, what is the first thing you would do?

First thing I would do is declare a moratorium on fossil fuels. No more coal mines, fracking, oil drilling, none of that. Our reliance on fossil fuels has long overstayed its welcome, and it's killing all of us. That shit's got to end.

13) If you had $3 to spend in the dollar store, what would you buy?

If I have an occasion like a birthday, the supplies there can't be beat for a buck! Ribbons, tissue paper, gift bag? Done!

14) What’s the most annoying sound in the world?

I can't stand to hear other people chewing and smacking their lips while they're eating. I have to tell my son to stop doing it constantly. Drives me crazy!

15) What natural disaster scares you the most?

Fire. We had a fire in the house I grew up in, and I still have scars on my legs from that. I've lived through that, tropical storms and hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, a supertyphoon... but nothing scares me like fire. I don't want to die that way.

~*~*~*~*~

On that pleasant thought...! I've got some work to do for this nonprofit project I'm working on, and then make a list for some shopping. Maybe I'll even get some knitting accomplished. Not necessarily in that order.

Cheers to all of you and let's hope no one's in any natural disasters today!

Fin.

 

Hey there, guys and dolls. I'm still shacking up with my lady children (wait, that sounds wrong) in a fine hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, while our guys are still back in Idaho finishing up the packing and the minor repairs.

We have been suddenly hit with all the feels missing our menfolk and furfolk this week. Maybe it's because Chloë's 19th birthday was on Monday and my birthday was on Tuesday, but we really just needed those guys this week something awful. Rob is hoping to get on the road very soon and let the realtor handle things from there. Fingers are tightly crossed!

I have mad love for Whitney Houston, so I'm glad to see that she's the start of S9 this week. Link up here to join in the fray!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: So Emotional (1987)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Whitney sings that she keeps her lover's photo beside her bed. What's on your bedside table?

Well, it's kind of a mess right now, since Chloë and I are sharing the hotel night table. We've got the hotel phone, my ubiquitous Diet Coke can and a toothpick (I'm never without), some Tree Hut Sugarlips lip scrub, both my Versace prescription glasses and my toric contact lenses for some reason, my noise-cancelling headphones, our UV sanitation bag/box/thingy, facial cleansing wipes, travel-size deodorant, cocoa butter lotion from Alba Botanica... you get the picture, right?

2) She's getting frustrated, waiting for the phone to ring. If your phone were to ring right now, who would you expect to be on the other end?

At this stage of my life, it would probably be either a doctor's nurse or a doctor's billing department.

3) The video was filmed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, PA. It seats 6,200. As the nation reopens from Covid-19, would you feel comfortable sitting knee-to-knee with a stranger in an arena like this?

Not a snowball's chance in hell!

4) This week's featured artist, Whitney Houston, appeared on the daytime drama As The World Turns. She played herself, performing with Jermaine Jackson at the Miss Cinderella contest in the fictional town of Oakdale. Have you ever been hooked on a soap opera?

Yeah, back in my youth my older sisters watched plenty of soaps, so if I wanted to watch TV, that's what I watched, too. And when no one else was home, I was "required" to watch and then update them when they got home.

5) Whitney had a sweet tooth, and her favorite breakfast cereal was Fruity Pebbles. Do you often eat cereal for lunch or dinner?

I very rarely eat cereal at all anymore, even though I love it. My GI tract rejects it entirely. My favorite cereal is Frosted Mini Wheats, and I miss them!

6) At Whitney's wedding to Bobby Brown, her bridesmaids all wore lavender dresses and the groomsmen had custom made alligator shoes. Have you ever "stood up" for a friend or relative? If so, do you remember what you wore?

I wore a little pastel pink dress when my dad married my stepmother. I forget what I wore when my sister got married. (Sorry, Sis!!) and I wore a silver gown for my best friend Lisa's wedding. I remember the bosom area had to be let out, because I was breastfeeding 9-month-old Chloë at the time.

7) In 1987, the year this song was popular, Cher won the Oscar for Moonstruck. Her most famous line was, "Snap out of it!" When you think of Cher, do you first think of her movies, her TV show, or her music?

When I think of Cher, my first thoughts go immediately to her music in the 80s and 90s - and the costumes that went with it!

8) Michael Douglas won the Oscar that year for Wall Street. His most famous line was, "Greed is good." His character goes on to say that, "Greed in all its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of all mankind." Do you agree?

No, absolutely not.

9) Random question: When you woke up this morning, were you ready to get out of bed? Or do you wish you could have snoozed for a bit longer?

No, I was glad to finally wake up today. Chloë had been trying to wake me up for a while, and I was stuck in night terror the entire time. Guess I gotta up the PTSD meds tonight to keep that from happening again. #OverIt!

~*~*~*~*~

It's weird, because I haven't even been awake all that long, and yet I'm already exhausted. Really had wanted to go to the beach today! We'll see. Take care, folks.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Buttered Popcorn

Welcome back, my lovelies! This weekend finds us at a different hotel than where we were during my write-up of last week's Saturday 9; not only that, but we are in our third or fourth room in the current establishment! Things have gotten a little ridiculous with the room-jumping, and we are exhausted. So, we're not too terribly disappointed over the thunder and lightning going on for the past several days, keeping us from the beach. Maybe we'll go tomorrow?

This week, Crazy Sam brings us the Supremes! Little before my time, but I'm a fan nonetheless. Link up here if you're playing along this weekend!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Buttered Popcorn (1961)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This Saturday, the treat's on Sam. Will you have buttered popcorn, caramel corn or cheese popcorn?

I'm not a huge fan of popcorn, actually. Maybe I'll have some popcorn shrimp instead?

2) This record represents the Supremes as they are seldom heard. Florence Ballard is singing lead, with background vocals provided by Mary Wilson, Barbara Martin and Diane Ross. That's right, "Diane." Her parents meant for her to be named "Diane," and that's what old friends and family still call her, but the hospital mistakenly put her name down as "Diana." Motown execs thought "Diana Ross" had a better sound and the rest, as they say, is history. Do you often make typos? Or are you careful and precise at the keyboard?

I find myself making far more typos lately than I ever used to. My mind is just going faster than my fingers can keep up - always a problem, has just gotten worse.

3) Barbara Martin left the Supremes in 1962, before they reached stardom, because she was a new mom and wanted to stay home with her baby. Have you ever found yourself in the difficult position of having to choose between your personal and professional lives?

Certainly. I left the world of marine biology to be a wife and mom, with my husband and I having the fullest intent that I stay home to raise the kids and not miss many - or any - "firsts." It was a tremendous sacrifice for us in many ways, and I still feel the pull of the rip tide out to the sea, but I know we did the right thing for our children. It was worth it.

4) Florence Ballard's cousin, Hank, wrote the famous Chubby Checkers dance record, "The Twist." When did you last get on your feet and dance?

I'm not able to do too much of that these days, between balance issues with my left inner ear, and problems with POTS and low blood pressure. But I heard some merengue music in the store yesterday and very slightly moved to the rhythm. I learned to dance the merengue from my many Latinx friends during my college years. Hard to resist!

5) Mary Wilson stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1977. She has said that one of her most memorable moments came in 1968, when the group performed for Princess Margaret. Mary recalled that the Princess loudly asked if Mary's hair was real or a wig. Mary was shocked, expecting better behavior from a royal. Tell us a time when someone's behavior shocked you.

I'm a fully-active anti-racist and an ally accomplice to the movements supporting all marginalized and disenfranchised populations. So I've seen and heard a lot - as have we all over the course of this terrible year. Yet every highly-publicized police shooting of a Black person, such as Jake Blake most recently, shocks me again. And then the scumbag 17-year-old kid who crossed state lines with an AR-15 to hunt down peaceful protesters, then subsequently be let walk away by the police, took the cake. I keep thinking, "What else?" and then knocking the hell out of whatever wood is nearby.

6) In 1961, when this song was released, the TV show Hazel premiered and was a top 5 hit for NBC. Oscar winner Shirley Booth played the title character, a very capable and lovable maid. If Crazy Sam could have a maid for just a few hours today, she'd love to have her refrigerator cleaned and kitchen cabinets organized. If you could have a pair of helping hands around your house this afternoon, what would you ask the maid to do? 

Well, living in hotel rooms for the past 10 days with very few belongings, our room can only get so untidy. It feels like the above picture to me, a bit of a neat freak, but in reality looks nothing like that. Housekeeping staff are not allowed in guests' hotel rooms during their stays these days, so we're on our own with fresh towels, emptying garbage, and so on. It's not so bad. Honestly I'd rather say F- it and just take a long nap!

7) Also in 1961, President John F. Kennedy appeared on the cover of Time as their Man of the Year. Are there any magazines in your home right now? If so, who is on the cover?

I've got a few magazines in my laptop backpack, including this issue of People with Kelly Ripa and her family on the cover. I've always thought her husband, Mark Consuelos, was soooo hot since way back in the day when they first starred together on All My Children. And that hasn't changed!

8) Ernest Hemingway died in 1961. Have you read any of his works?

Certainly. I think The Old Man and the Sea was one of my favorite of his writings. I've toured Hemingway House in Key West two or three times, most recently so my feline-crazy kids could admire the six-toed cats.

9) Random question: How many pancakes are in the perfect stack?

Oh, I can only eat about two or three at a time these days, so not very many... but please make it with whatever kind of fruit(s) you've got!

~*~*~*~*~

Okay. I think I may actually take that nap right now. Enjoy your weekend!

Fin.

P.S. My grandfather adored the show Hazel. If it was on, he was watching it!

Sunday Stealing: Friday Five Theft

Hiya! Once again, I'm dodging my responsibilities and playing along with Sunday Stealing. Here's today's post, if you're inclined to join us.

Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World" is our lovely host. Welcome to the joint! Here, we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

~*~*~*~*~

1) What makes it easy to talk to someone?

If  they're interested in what you're saying, and vice-versa, that helps.

2) Have you ever had a great conversation with a complete stranger?

Sure. I remember this one mystery shop I was doing at a very high-end boutique restaurant in Miami. I ended up talking to the women's bathroom attendant for quite a long time. We really bonded. At the end, we hugged and maybe cried a little. I have no idea what we talked about, now, but that women isn't paid enough!

3) Do you like to argue?

If you mean like the angry, loud kind of conversation, then no, not really. I do like having a really good, constructive discussion about ethical and moral issues and such.

4) Some people like to talk about things, and some people like to do things. Which are you?

Pre-disabilities, I was both. Say what I was going to do, or wanted to do, and then go get it done. These days I'm more of a delegator.

5) Who is easier to talk to – men or women?

Historically, I've always had a lot more guy friends than girls. Now that I'm much older, most of my friends are women.

6) What is your favorite place?

♥ My favorite place isn't a geographical spot on any map but rather wherever this guy is, in his arms. ♥

7) What is your favorite place in your home?

Probably our master bath. It's so relaxing and luxurious there, and I've spent a lot of time in it. Hopefully our new house in Maryland - or wherever we land - will bring something competitive!

8) Would you most want to live in a city, a suburb or the country?

My favorite place is a city by the sea, like here in Split, Croatia. (I haven't been there. I have been to Dubrovnik, but not Split.)

9) What is special about the town you live in?

I can't think of anything. And that's why I've gotta leave.

10) How much time do you spend in nature?

Right now? Practically none. I used to spend all my time in nature. I've gotta remedy that.

11) Do you make up a dinner plan for the coming week?

I really tried to get into doing that, but I found it too restrictive. After we get settled into whatever new house we own, I'm going to try again.

12) Do you make up a grocery shopping list and stick to it when shopping?

Oh yes, most definitely. I am the queen of lists... as opposed to this, RuPaul's list of queens.

13) What is one thing that you always buy, but never write down on a list?

Milk. I'm forever buying milk. My kids drink a ton of it.

14) Is there anything that you always think you are out of and come home with it to discover you already have a year’s supply on hand?

Hmm, not really, because of those afore-mentioned lists. Probably one of the things I might be guilty of over-buying is rice. No idea why.

15) Do you get your groceries delivered?

Nope. I mean, we did that once or twice when we lived in Boise, but nothing delivers out here. Nothing.

~*~*~*~*~

All right, y'all, I've got more travel plans to make. Be well!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: League Of Extraordinary Penpals

Hey there, hi there, ho there, thieves! I'm watching the documentary series "Diagnosis" on Netflix right now - and of course, now my husband and I are going, "You need to get on that!" regarding all of my health issues - so forgive me if my answers become disjointed from distraction. I have a habit of going back later and finding I've done that!

I trust you are all well.

Link up here if you want to steal some shhhh--- today! Let's go:

~*~*~*~*~

1 What are your plans for August?

Well, August is kind of a big month. We bought this big, beautiful, modern house last June. It's in a very small town in nowheresville, Idaho. I love the house. I do. I love my freakin' house. But I hate where it is. I've tried for 14 months to just be okay here for the sake of everybody else, but I just cannot do it anymore. I've got to GTFO of this state.

So, four of us are moving into an extended-stay hotel in Boise on Monday. Chloë, who will be 19 next month, is moving out into a place of her own and staying here. (Not gonna lie, I'm having a very hard time with that.) Rob's hiring movers that will come in and pack us up, then we'll have a move-out cleaning, and then the realtor who sold us the house is going to put it back on the market for us.

The average time for a home in our area to be on the market is 9 days, so I'm crossing my fingers for good luck like that. (Please cross yours, too!)

As soon as that happens, we're paying off the remainder of our car loan and gifting the car to Chloë. Then we'll hop a plane to Maryland.

Watch for what happens next...

2 Review the first half of 2020:

🔼🔼 There you go. 🔼🔼

3 A place you’d go if money were no object:

Oh, I'd definitely go on a space flight and realize my childhood dreams.

4 Who was your childhood best friend?

Well, it seemed like in elementary school I had a different best friend every year. Victoria... Thea... Shannon.... Ellie... different Shannon...

But from 6^th grade on, I had a group of friends that pretty much stayed together. I count two of them (Lisa & Shana) as my best friends to this day. I'm lucky to have them. ♥

5 The city or town you love most?

Can I just say the entire Miami-Dade County? There are soooo many things there that I love, I couldn't pick just one municipality! Of course, I love my alma mater in Coral Gables. Then there's South Beach, of course. Then Coconut Grove... the quick drive to the Keys. I love everything about Miami!

6 How do you spend hot days?

That depends... am I still in Miami, or am I stuck in Idaho? Is it a COVID year, or just an El Niño year? Given my druthers, I'd be at the beach every day, all day.

7 Are you a skilled cook or baker?

Well, I'm no expert, but I do all right. I used to have a baking business when we lived in Virginia Beach, but after one exceedingly frustrating disappointment on an order I worked terribly hard on, I kinda just... stopped.

8 One thing you wish you could currently do:

Hmm... Speaking of Virginia Beach, I wish I could go to the Oceanfront there right NOW! Where's King Neptune when you need him?

9 A time when you learned your lesson:

Oh, I definitely learned my lesson from buying this house here in Mountain Home: no matter how much you love the house, if you hate the town, it's not the perfect house. There are some things you just can't compromise on. So now I have my eye on this house (center, foreground) in Maryland...

10 What consistently makes you laugh?

My husband, an old sailor, has an endless supply of filthy jokes. I try to act shocked, but he knows I'm amused.

11 Routines that bring you calm and peace:

Communing with nature

12 Who annoys you the most?

It's definitely this husband of mine - but I'm sure it's mutual!!

13 Describe some of your favorite household items.

Last September, we drove up to Washington to visit Great Wolf Lodge for Chloë's 18th birthday. Here are our three kids' wristbands from their first visit to Great Wolf Lodge - in Williamsburg, Virginia - over a decade earlier. ♥ (Our orally-fixated pup, Tapioca, has since eaten one of them.)

Here are all the pet tags from all the dogs and cats we've had who are no longer with us. ♥

Here is the tape of "Wonderful Tonight" that my friends from graduate school, Heather and Mason, rearranged and did on guitar and vocals. They gave it to us at our wedding reception. I have got to get it re-recorded digitally! ♥

And finally, here is just a small fraction of the pennies we've pressed over the years. We press pennies everywhere we go and have many books full of them! ♥

14 What have you gotten better at?

I mean, what was the starting line? I've gotten a whole lot better at walking and talking since I started about 43 years ago, I'll you that much!

15 Share a random memory.

When I was very young, probably under three years old, my family visited a zoo of some sort. We stopped at a kiosk somewhere, and my mother bought herself a drink. She was carrying me on her hip, so when she took a sip, I begged for a sip, too. It was delicious!!! Today I might describe it as sort of a virgin piña colada. When Mom got near the bottom of the cup, she said I could have the rest of her drink. I was so excited. Then, as soon as I had the cup in hand, Mom pivoted away from the camel pen we were standing right next to. I had the cup in my hand, and then suddenly it was snatched away from me! I looked back in shock to see the camel not only finishing my drink, but eating the cup to boot! Oh, how I sobbed. That is the only thing I remember from that day.

16 How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Oh, maybe about a dozen, give or take. I'm really not sure. I do know that more than half of those are Crocs, though!

(I need those green and turquoise pairs!)

17 Who do you go to for encouragement?

It depends on what I need encouragement for. I have a team!

18 References you make that others don’t get.

Well, if I told you about them, you would get it, and then they wouldn't really be inside jokes anymore, right?

19 What are 10 things you consider essential for you?

a Erin Condren Lifeplanner

b colorful Tul pens

c Versace prescription glasses

d Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

e Mint & Argan lip balm from Grove Collaborative (it's seriously the best)

f inhaler, definitely

g lotion, always gotta have lotion

h hairbrush, especially now that Sophia's making me grow it out long

i some kind of hard candy, because I go hypoglycemic fairly often

j jewelry - always have a necklace and hoops of some sort on at least!

20 Is there any accent you wish you had?

Australian. I tend to pick up accents and languages fairly easily, but I cannot for the life of me do an Australian accent. I just can't!

~*~*~*~*~

Okay, I'm posting this really late because I was at the ER all morning, so no one will probably read it. But if ya did, thank you and have a great week!

Fin.

 

Sunday Stealing: Thursday Thunks On Sonntag

Hey there, Thieves! Welcome back! I couldn't get my post up at all late Saturday afternoon or in the evening because the plague that are migraine headaches, but better late than never, right?

Link up here to play along this week!

~*~*~*~*~

1 If you could be a Muppet, which would you be?

I think Hubs and I jointly would be Statler and Waldorf, the two old guys who sit and make dumb jokes about everything around us, cracking ourselves up. I'd be whichever one was cuter!

2 Why is a chicken crossing the road in the first place??

Well, as anyone who has ever kept chickens, as we have, can tell you, these are not the most brilliant animals on the planet. Also as anyone who has been to Key West even once - let alone multiple times - as I have, can tell you, they will go wherever they want to go, often in a hurry, including the middle of the road. So as for why? Clearly, the answer is: because.

3 What's your favorite muscle?

Well, that depends. In babies? I like the glutes. In a guy? I like arms - big biceps!

4 Cheerios or Rice Krispies?

I love Rice Krispies. I do not enjoy Cheerios; they smell like baby diarrhea to me. Blechhhh!

5 Is summer ever going to get here?

I mean, between intense climate change and the coronavirus, what are we really going to do with it? I think Earth deserves to take its time on this one.

6 Have you ever had a utility turned off by mistake or some other reason besides weather or nonpayment?

No, and like this fortune, that is oddly specific.

7 What was your "last day" of something?

Hm, let's see. September 6^th, 2019, was my last day of not being a parent to an adult child! (This one, that is - I never told Chloë she could grow up!)

8 If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose?

I'd love to be stuck on The Big Bang Theory! At least I'd feel like I was where I belonged.

9 Did you have any type of class trip, band trip, etc., in high school? Where did you go, what did you do?

I know there were others, but my favorite class trip was our 9^th grade one to Darien Lake, in New York. We did a fundraiser, and I raised the second most, so I got a bonus from that, too!

10 Do your feet smell?

No; they do not have a nose.

11 Do you know how to french braid?

Yes, and I can both French-braid and Dutch-braid on my own hair, too. I really want to learn to do the fishtail braid, though!

12 Two guys are walking down the street. One drops his hat and reaches down to pick it up, the other kicks him in the ass. Do you laugh?

That depends; am I "the other"? If not, then hopefully involuntarily at least, but I'm sure I would snort!

13 You wake up one morning and dogs are meowing and cats are barking - what are fish, elephants and crocodiles doing?

Have we run out of "real" questions, then?

14 You are going to your high school reunion. What award are you going to win?

Hammiest family!

15 You find yourself stranded on a deserted island. Soon you find a laptop with a lifelong battery & internet connection, then you find a cave with an endless supply of food and a spring of fresh water. A cruise ship comes along to save you - do you get on it?

If I get to take that laptop with me and it's not during the days of COVID, then heck, yes!

16 How many shortcuts do you have on your desktop?

Five. But in my defense, it's a new laptop.

17 I offer you a pie... the most delicious pie you have ever seen. You either have to eat the entire thing in one sitting or allow me to slam it into your face, which do you choose?

I guess I'm getting a pie in the face, because I'm working with that gastric pouch on the right!

18 Are you a pen stealer?

Not usually! My pens are all the different colors of the rainbow. Everyone else? Blue or black. ::snooze::

19 A dude from China comes up and offers you German chocolate cake, French fries and a Boston cream pie... what color is your car?

Black, and her name is Phoenix. But a little birdie told me I might be getting a new car this year, so... I'm game!

20 Sometimes you just have to tap your foot to your favorite song - which TV series season finale are you watching?

Modern Family is still in the DVR, waiting for me!

~*~*~*~*~

All right, y'all. I've got to get ready for the week ahead. Have a good one!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Beautiful People

Howdy, folks. Here we are, another Saturday, another 9 questions thunk up by our gracious hostess with the mostess.

I've had a pretty tough week and am on my 11th day of an intractable migraine with everything under the sun thrown at it, but I'm plugging away. I had a televisit with my Lyme doctor yesterday, and I love him so much for being willing and able to help me. So there is hope.

As usual, I hope you all are still well and avoiding COVID-19.

Link up here to play along this weekend! I love the two artists highlighted, as well as this song.

And let us begin:

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Beautiful People (2019)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.


1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have?

Maybe not what people have, but I'm a bit jelly of what some can do.  I want to travel the world and see everything there is to see, but money (and children, of course) are an issue. I'm fortunate to have done some traveling, but not nearly enough. I'm hoping to get more stamps on my passport before this one expires - reckon it's still going to be accepted now that my dog has snagged it from my purse and used it for a chew toy?!

2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because they're "just ourselves." Who among your close friends do you find it easiest to be "just yourself?"

Well, aside from my husband and kids, probably my BFF Lisa. Unfortunately, she's clear across the country from me, so we don't get to visit in person too often. Fortunately, since we graduated high school in 1994, whenever we do manage to get together we manage to click right back into place. ♥

3) The lyrics refer to Hummers and Lamborghinis. What's your dream ride?

Well, it depends. Ideally, it would be an all-electric, zero-fossil fuels-consuming vehicle that can seat my whole family, plus some gear, and probably plus the dogs. Maybe the Volkswagen EV Microbus would fill that need?

However, now that the kids are pretty far grown, a Tesla Model X would do the trick?

Honestly, though, I've had a crush on the red Mazda Miata convertibles for a looooong-ass time. Decades, even.

4) Ed believes in giving back. One cause he supports is No Cold Homes, which helps ensure that everyone in the English city of Bristol has the fuel needed to keep their homes safe and comfortable. Here in the United States, he's raised funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Is there a cause that's near and dear to your heart?

As a marine biologist, I've known all about biological diversity and how critical it is to survival of our own race and the species within it that we care about the most. It's important to protect the species that humans don't care about, too, because by losing them we'd lose important parts of our climate, ecosystem, food chain... and things could easily collapse. So I've recently changed my Amazon Smile designation, which gives a percentage of every order you place through http://smile.amazon.com/ to the vetted non-profit of your choice, from Heifer International to the Center for Biological Diversity. If you head to that Smile link, you can pick something near and dear to your heart, too, and it won't even cost you anything extra.

5) Ed's arms are covered in tattoos, so clearly he doesn't suffer from trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. How about you? Do you look away when the doctor gives you a shot?

Oh, yes. See? Look at what a weeny I am: I've recently gotten my third round of the standard American childhood vaccines, because I didn't get them then. I also have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which causes me to have odd reactions to anything and everything all the time, so every two weeks, I get infusions of  Xolair to support my failing immune system. I have certain chronic vitamin deficiencies, so Hubs injects me with Vitamin B-12 every month. I have intractable migraines that don't respond to ... pretty much anything lately ... so Rob gives me Sumatriptan injections fairly frequently.

Additionally, I get frequent migraine cocktail infusions at my neurology office, and will get the new biologic migraine med Vyepti there on Wednesday. Cross your fingers for me! Plus, I suffer from hypoglycemia, so I get finger pricks all the time to check my blood sugar. I'm probably forgetting some things, which is crazy, but yes! I always HAVE to look away for shots and IVs. Total wuss here!

6) One of Ed's tattoos is a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. What condiments would we find if we peeked into your refrigerator this morning?

Here's what's currently taking up space in the doors, but I'm betting there would probably be more if you looked on shelves in the main compartment.

7) Ed is a natural redhead, a trait he shares with only 2% of the population. Does red hair run in your family?

My daughter Chloë and I have kind of dark brownish/auburn hair (hers is very curly, like her Dad's; mine is stick-straight). My younger kids Jack and Sophia are straight-haired blondes (well, except right now Sophie is more purple & blue).  Rob's hair is a curly medium-dark brown (well, and white; very, very white). But our niece Hanna, the younger of my sister's two soccer-playing daughters - this one's a goalie -  has naturally red hair from her daddy. So pretty! ♥

8)  In 2019, when this song was released, the FDA recommended the approval of a drug for treating peanut allergies in children. Do you suffer from any food allergies, or sensitivities?

Oh, yes, yes, yes. Like I said, I have a lot of reactions from my Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Sometimes they're mild, sometimes they're not. I had to use my Epi-Pen three times in the last three weeks, even with the Xolair (and so, so many others I can take at home) I'd mentioned. Having that many anaphylactic or near-ana events is pretty crazy. I learned in Miami that the trifecta of shellfish, any tomato-based foods, and wine is the perfect storm for me. That's how I later ended up getting the MCAS diagnosed finally, here in Idaho!

My allergy/asthma/immunology specialist wanted me to get blood tests in order to do that, but the key was, I had to go in the middle of a reaction. Two weeks went by (this was a couple of years ago) without a reaction, so I finally decided to "force" one with some wine and shrimp cocktail. Guess what? Nailed it.

9) Random question: What of these do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success -- hard work, luck or talent?

I would say lots of hard work combined with heavy doses of enthusiasm, and I know this for sure from personal experience and observation.

~*~*~*~*~

After I played this week's song on YouTube, I eventually was led to listen to more "Tiny Desk Concerts" from NPR on that platform, including one by Khalid. Do you guys ever watch/listen to these? They're fantastic. I just finished the one by Steve Martin and his Steep Canyon Rangers, and now I'm on the one by Natalie Merchant. I've love them all, even the acts I'd never heard of. Give them a listen, won't you?

Take care, my friends.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast

Hey, guys. I'm writing this on Friday, which is Juneteenth, so I'm mostly focused on some online events with the Movement for Black Lives. I decided to take a time out for fun to get my energy levels a little calmer for a spell.

This Saturday 9 (link up here) is about a song by Wayne Newton. When I first became aware of him, it was already the 80s and 90s. I'm not going to lie, his look has always been scary to me. I think it's that pompadour and excessive (bad) plastic surgery!

Let's do this.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (1972)
... Because it's Father's Day weekend.

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a little girl who runs after her daddy. When is the last time you ran? Were you trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or playing a sport?

 

Well, this is me two days ago. Uh, the back of me. Needless to say, not a lot of running around going on these days!

 

2) This song was a top ten hit for Wayne Newton. Mr. Newton is better known for his TV work, having made more than 150 appearances since 1963. Have you ever been on TV? Or in a YouTube video?

 

 

I was on a commercial for a new carpeting store when I was a kid, but I couldn't find that on YouTube. (Phew!) So instead, here is one of my daughter Chloë's commercials from when she was a kid.

3) The road leading to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport is named Wayne Newton Blvd. in his honor. When is the last time you were at an airport? Were you flying somewhere, picking someone up, or dropping them off?

 

I think it's been a while! The last trip I can think of is when Chloë and I flew to L.A. for her last audition before she decided to walk away from acting and modeling. I love flying and can't wait to go somewhere again!

 

4) Wayne says Elvis Presley haunts Las Vegas, and believes that The King of Rock and Roll has given him performing and parenting tips from beyond the grave. When did you last see Elvis? On TV, on a t-shirt, poster or magazine cover, or as a ghostly apparition?

 

 

Well, just yesterday I had a 50s music playlist on, and the first song was "Jailhouse Rock," which I love. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with Elvis. He died before I turned a year old, but I grew up with him. My father had Elvis... everything. He sings and dances like him. Therefore, I know almost all the words to almost all his songs. But I don't talk to my dad anymore now. But that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy the King, right?

 

5) When Sam walks with her own dad, the problem isn't that he walks fast. It's that he's always stopping to pick up litter he finds on the grass. Litterbugs are his pet peeve. What's your pet peeve?

Well, with having severe asthma, chronic respiratory disease, and pulmonary damage, I don't like to be around smokers - but the ones who stand in and around doors to medical establishments take the cake! However, I have a new pet peeve. Now that I use a walker and/or a wheelchair to get around, it really drives me crazy that at least all medical establishments don't have these blue buttons to hit so I can get in the door! It's the number one reason I can't go anywhere alone, and that doesn't seem too fair.

6) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always gave her the complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. When she went away to college, she used her collection of little bottles and was grateful for all the money they saved her. What's something you've done recently to economize?

 

 

Well, because of our situation, I have to be frugal in and out of every day. Since we have a lot of back-and-forth trips to Boise (about an hour's drive at 90mph most of the way), I try to stack appointments and errands out there so we can knock out multiple things at once. Otherwise it just takes up way too much time, gas, and wear and tear on the car. And it's exhausting! So for example, I had to go out there on Wednesday to get some vaccines. We've all had recent eye exams, and all of us but the baby have bad vision. (For Rob and Chloë, especially, I always pay for the highest vision coverage we can get. Same with dental.)

 

After my shots, we headed over to LensCrafters for Chloë, Jack, and me to pick out our new glasses. She picked out Prada, I picked out some Coach frames, and I have no idea what Jack picked because he wouldn't show me. Insurance paid for everything but the $20 for anti-reflective coating we each wanted. (I'm totally babbling, sorry.) And then, literally right across the strip mall was Ross, where I had a gift card. I took the girls over there to do some bathing suit shopping. 

 

And that was it! Oh, wait. We also don't have a Taco Bell in this itty-bitty town, so the five of us picked some up to eat on the way home. Okay so long story short: stacking trips out of town.

 

7) It was her father who taught Sam to drive. Are you a better student or teacher?

 

 

I'll be honest. I taught Biology to college freshmen, and I homeschooled my three kids for ten years. But... I think I am a far better student than I am a teacher. (And I don't think I'm done with my education yet!)

8) Sam's father also always asks if her car in "tip top" condition. Most recently he reminded her to test her headlights, tail lights and turn signals while the car is parked to make sure they're all working. Do you have a car maintenance tip to share?

 

 

Not really a maintenance tip. I've been a mom for almost 19 years, with two still under age 18. I keep wondering  when the ride I'm driving around is going to be CLEAN. The answer is: NEVER. As long as you have kids, your car will never be clean. Especially on road trips.

9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. Do you usually enjoy a between meal snack?

 

 

I have to admit, I am a huuuuuge chocoholic. And right now, Ferrero Rocher is in charge of that sweet tooth.

 

~*~*~*~*~

Man. With a million and one interruptions, I'm finishing this HOURS later than when I started.

 

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing today, whomever you're with... I hope you'll take some time today to reflect on the word "equality" and what it means for you and for everyone in the room.

 

✌️

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Uncle Albert/Uncle Halsey

Hello, hello! Happy Saturday. I cannot believe that the next time we meet, it will be June. This novel coronavirus situation has at once seemed to make time slow to a crawl, and simultaneously it has flown by. It is the same as being a parent.

I do not know this song at all, so I am looking forward to giving it a listen after I watch the NASA/Space-X launch today. Fingers are tightly crossed 🤞 that that goes well!

Link up here if you're joining us today!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The lyrics tell us Paul believes it's going to rain. How's the weather where you are today?

It's  actually quite lovely! The city pool is/was supposed to open today, which would have been nice, but I don't think Idaho is in that level of re-opening just yet.

2) Paul sings that he is sorry because he hasn't "done a bloody thing all day." What do you hope to accomplish this weekend?

Well, it's a payday/bill-paying weekend, so I've got to get that done. We're also finally starting to work on decorating this giant new house of ours, starting with our bedroom, so I'm interesting in doing more work and planning on that. I've bought the bedding (this "Ava" set from Fiesta), so that's my inspiration. And I am on the Paper Hugs team for the Mama Dragons, sending love and support to the "baby dragon" LGBTQ kids out there, and I'd like to put a lot of envelopes in the mail today! Aside from that, walking the dogs and maybe cooking something - anything - for my first time in this house is a goal.

3) He also references butter pie, which is made primarily with potatoes (with onions and, of course, butter). That dish is not popular on this side of the Atlantic. Last time you had potatoes, how were they prepared (baked, mashed, hash browned, french fried ...)?

I probably grabbed someone else's french fry from somewhere. I haven't been eating a lot of potatoes lately, but now I want to make these!

4) Linda McCartney is credited as co-writer and performer on this recording. Paul and Linda were partners in real life, too; married 29 years, they raised four children together. They often said they tried never to spend more than a few hours apart. Do you enjoy a lot of togetherness, or do you value your personal time? Has your experience with Covid-19 and quarantine changed how you feel about this?

I think we're a lot like Linda and Paul. We're a pretty tight family. Sometimes I think there must be this perception that we don't fight or our kids don't act up, which certainly isn't true, of course. But above all, there is love and togetherness and support. Now that Rob is retired and both of us are disabled, we spend a lot more time together than I thought we would at this stage - but that's not a problem! Ultimately, I think we're most comfortable being our authentic selves in front of each other, and I am thankful for that.

5) Paul and Linda came from very different backgrounds. His family was lower middle class, lived in Liverpool's public housing and received government aid. She grew up in affluent Scarsdale, the daughter of a wealthy theatrical attorney. Do you think it's more important for a couple to share a common background, or to share common interests?

From personal experience, I'd say you need to have some of both. Of course each should have their own interests and hobbies and will come from different backstories, but if you don't have any similar ground that brings you together,... then what will keep you together?

6) Paul is known for his work ethic. At age 78, he's still making music and performing live. What's your favorite Paul McCartney song?

Oh gosh, ask me to today and I'll tell you one thing; ask me tomorrow, and I'll tell you another! Five years ago, Paul wrote "FourFiveSeconds" with Kanye West, which they then performed with Rihanna. I really loved that collab.

7) In 1971, when this song was a hit, Bobby Fischer was the world's most famous and highest-rated chess player. Do you play chess?

You know, I have never learned. I've never been taught, I've never sat down in front of a chess board to teach myself, I don't know how. It is on my bucket list, though, so maybe I oughtta just get myself together and do it!

8) England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971. The occasion was commemorated by a formal portrait, taken by celebrated fashion photographer Norman Parkinson. Who took the most recent photo of you?

I guess I did! My girls and I were fooling around, playing with Facebook's new "Rooms" feature, and we were all making different silly faces with its filters. This one tickled me, so I snagged a screenshot. Hee!

9) Random question: Do you find it more satisfying to work with your hands, or your head?

I like both. I loved Big Bang Theory, of course, as so many of us did, and I could see myself in that environment. I often wondered whether I'd be happier being the theoretical physicist or the practical one. I like being the idea "guy," but I also like being the one to execute them. Maybe I'm a start-to-finish person, y'know? Here's a sweater I knitted for my all-grown-up-now son way back in the day. Lyme arthritis has waylaid my knitting hobby, but I've now ordered yarn and buttons and am determined to get back to work!

~*~*~*~*~

Happy weekend to you all. May you be safe and healthy.

Fin.

Saturday 9: Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Hey, guys. Welcome back! I hope you're all still healthy and semi-sane, at least. What more could you hope for?

I'm currently engrossed in the Netflix documentary "I Am A Killer," which has had me transfixed for several nights in a row, now. Have y'all seen it?

Link up here if you want to play along this week!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Battle Hymn of the Republic (1963)

Unfamiliar with Judy Garland's rendition of this week's tune? Hear it here.

Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle. 

1) On May 30, 1868, President Grant presided over the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery. Have you ever visited Arlington Cemetery?

Yes. We went in November of 2004, when I was pregnant with our youngest child. It was a moving experience through and through.

2) On Memorial Day, it is customary to fly the flag at half-staff until noon and then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset. Will you be flying the flag at your home this weekend?

Probably. My husband was in the Honor Guard in the Navy, and that is totally his domain. I defer to him.

3) Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, because flowers and ribbons were left on graves of soldiers.  Do you find solace in visiting cemeteries?

I don't, really. I feel deeply about death, and seeing and reading about all the names and dates of the folks buried there whom I haven't even met, alone, sometimes breaks me. This picture, here, is of George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. My mother and grandparents are buried there. I started visiting my mother there in 1984, when I was seven years old. It was definitely not a moment of solace.

4) The lyrics to this week's song were written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861. Her inspiration was a White House visit with Abraham Lincoln. In 2020, under normal circumstances, public tours of the White House are available but you must request your ticket in advance from your Member of Congress (House or Senate). When you travel, do you plan your trip weeks before you go? Or do you decide how your days will unfold once you reach your destination?

I'm definitely a whole lotta both!

5) Judy Garland performed this week's song before a live audience as a tribute to President Kennedy, who had been assassinated just weeks before. She knew Kennedy personally and considered this a farewell to a friend. While the performance was difficult for her -- at one point she flubs the lyrics -- she believed it was important, and could perhaps help the country heal. Tell us about a song that reminds you of someone you loved who is no longer with us.

This Josh Groban album came out in 2002 or so, before we moved to Guam or maybe while we were there, and I'm a big fan. So I played it a lot while I drove Chloë and me around the island to various errands and appointments, as my belly grew bigger and bigger with the twins. I continued playing it in Virginia when we had to move back. And then I had - and lost - one of the twins, and I was hospitalized along with them for a while. When I got out, I wanted to play it, but I couldn't. I was in grief therapy, which helped a great deal. But man... when I finally played this song again, I realized just how much I could cry during one song.

6) John F. Kennedy served in WWII and was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps medal and a Purple Heart. His brother Joe also served and was awarded the Navy Cross, but he received his citation posthumously, having died during a flying mission over East Suffolk, England. Here at Saturday 9, we consider everyone who serves a hero and want to hear about the veterans and active military members in your life.

 

My grandfather served in the Navy in WWII. Pictured here are my father-in-law and my husband in September 1976 - around when I was being born, incidentally. Rob's dad was a submariner in the Navy, and of course Rob did a full career in the Navy.

7) Memorial Day is considered the beginning of the summer season. Will you be enjoying warm weather this weekend?

I mean, it'll be okay... But not my idea of warm!

8) Berries are especially popular in summer. Which is your favorite: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries?

Oh, I'm like our youngest kiddo, Sophia, in that I'm a sucker for a strawberry! (I'll forgive you for not recognizing my hand from June 2014.)

9) If you could attend a Memorial Day picnic with any fictional character, which would you choose?

Oh, I'd love to sit down with Anne Shirley (of Green Gables). And I've wanted to visit Prince Edward Island my entire life!

~*~*~*~*~

Well, I'mma head back into another episode of "I Am a Killer" on Netflix again. It draws me in! And email. Back in with the forever emails...

Ta-ta.

Fin.

Saturday 9: I'll Always Love My Mama

Welcome back, y'all! It's a royal ball, with hip-hop clubs and concert halls! (Sorry. Every once in a while my mind belts out that old 90s rap lyric.)

Hope you guys are still hanging in there and not going absolutely stir-crazy. I'm gonna jump right in here and get going, so make sure you link up here if you're playing along with us this weekend - and we hope you do!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: I'll Always Love My Mama (1973)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's featured artists, The Intruders, sing that they don't know how their mama made it through the week without ever getting a good night's sleep. How did you sleep last night?

 

 

I had a few hours. My sleep schedule is so erratic, I never know whether I'll get any at all - or more than 12 at a time. It's ridonk.

2) The Intruders performed this song on Soul Train, a syndicated show that ran for more than 3 decades. What show do you try never to miss?

 

 

I don't watch much TV at all these days, now that The Big Bang Theory has ended its run. I have about a billion episodes of dozens of shows recorded on the DVR right now, but I never just sit down to watch!

 
3) On Soul Train, the Intruders wore solid black shirts beneath their brightly colored jackets. Black, white, khaki, navy and gray are considered neutral colors, because they go with everything. If we were to check your closet, which would we find you wear most often: black, white, khaki, navy or gray?

 

 

I probably wear equal parts black and navy as my neutrals. And now that I've just upgraded to a big, bold, bright red purse kinda like this one, I foresee even more neutrals in my future!

4) Especially for Mother's Day: Access Hollywood named Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch TV's #1 mom. Who is your favorite TV mom?

 

 

Ohhh, I think Sophia Petrillo of The Golden Girls could give Carol a run for her money!

5) Mother Winters always gave Sam peppermint tea to calm her stomach. Do you have any tried-and-true home remedies to share?

 

I'm pretty sure I shared this photo in January 2017, when I had badly burned my left hand and arm while cooking.  I had just recently learned that lavender oil would take the pain out of a burn injury, so I was grateful I had some on hand to put it to the test - and it worked! Once I doused this wound with liberal amounts of lavender oil, the entire thing was completely painless. It's something my family and I have since put to the test many times, always with excellent results.

6) Sam's mother always tips 15% in restaurants. Sam has worked in food service and is more judgmental, tipping between 10% and 25%, depending on the quality of the service. What's your tipping policy? Are you more like Sam or her mother? How do you handle tips for carry out or delivery during this Covid-19 crisis?

 

 

I'm definitely more like Sam in this regard. As for tipping during COVID-19, well, I guess it's pretty much been a non-issue. I don't think we've ordered food since it began.

7) When the tip of her shoelace becomes frayed, Sam's mother snips off the end and then paints the tip with clear nail polish. Good as new! Sam thinks that's crazy because you can just buy new laces for less than $2. Are you more frugal like mother or spendthrift like daughter?

 

 

I'm somewhere in the middle. I absolutely despise waste, but I also don't mind spending money for good, new things if they're worth it.

8) Mother Winters loves how french vanilla smells and burns her Yankee Candles all year around. Do you use scented candles or air fresheners?

 

I would rather burn candles - but only non-petroleum based ones. And never vanilla; it's a migraine trigger for me. My girls and I started an eco-conscious candle company about a year and a half ago, with only soy and beeswax candles, natural fragrances, organic cotton wicks, and so on - but it didn't catch on fast enough for the girls' liking, and so we folded altogether too quickly.

 

9) Sam is celebrating Mother's Day with her mother's favorite, Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or chocolate with almonds?

 

 

I'd eat any of it - just no white chocolate, please! That's too much of an oxymoron for me (and also, it's yucky). I prefer Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate with Almonds bars, but they don't seem to be sold anywhere here in our podunk little town, so I can only get them when we go into Boise - where I invariably forget about them. Sigh...

 

~*~*~*~*~

All righty. Now I'm off to see what chocolate we DO have in this house, and assuming I'll come up empty-handed, I think I shall take a nap. Have a great weekend, y'all!

 

Fin.