Saturday 9: There'll Be Some Changes Made

 

There'll Be Some Changes Made

Saturday 9: There'll Be Some Changes Made (1962)

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

1) In this song, Ann-Margret sings that she's going to change her way of living. If you could simply snap your fingers and change something in your life, what would it be?  I would have us living by the lake where I am from.  I just want a lake view.

2) She tells us she's going to change her name. Have you ever changed your name, or asked people to refer to you differently? (Example: "Don't call me Betty anymore. I want to be Elizabeth.")  no, I did not like my name when I was younger, but I like it now.  I am not sure what people would call me.

3) Ann-Margret was born Ann-Margret Olsson in Sweden and when was 5, her family moved to Winnetka, Illinois. She is fluent in both Swedish and English. When did you last converse in a language other than English?  I don't really know enough of another language to have a conversation, but I have had Spanish speaking students I have said some words to and I had Ukrainian students that I learned some of their language to talk with them.

4) Olivia Newton-John was a big Ann-Margret fan. When she was cast in the movie Grease, Olivia asked that her character's name be changed from "Sandy Dumbrowski" to "Sandy Olsson" in tribute. Grease is one of the most profitable movies ever made. Have you seen it more than once?  Oh for sure.  I have seen it several times.  I love that movie.

5) Ann-Margret celebrated her 85th birthday earlier this year. Back in 2024, Ann-Margret told a reporter that she planned to celebrate her 83rd birthday with a spin on her motorcycle, a lavender Harley-Davidson. "I love speed," she explained. Do you always observe the speed limit? Or have you been known to zip along a little faster?  I typically go 2-3 mph faster than the speed limit.

6) This week's song was written in 1921 and over the last 100+ years it's been recorded more than 400 times. Before today, had you heard it?  no, I had never heard any of the versions.

7) The lyrics were written by William Weldon Higgins, who was better known as vaudeville comic Billy Higgins. When did you most recently laugh out loud?  I just watched The Four Seasons with Tina Fey and the others and I laughed so hard all the way through it.  It is hilarious and Alan Alda made cameos.

8) The music was composed by William Overstreet. In addition to writing music, he was a respected director at Chicago's Grand Theater. When did you last see a live performance (concert, play, etc.)?  It has been a while.  I think it was The Nutcracker ballet a few years ago.

9) Random question: Do you have more or less than $20 cash in your wallet right now?  more

Tuesday 4 Meme- What Do You Call It?

 

What Do You Call It?

Welcome to Tuesday 4 which was started by our friend Toni Taddeo and kept up in memory of her.
Different sections of the USA have different words and customs they use. Let's talk about
them.


                                        

1. In New Jersey you put your groceries in a paper bag or plastic bag. In Athens, Ohio where I went to
university, you put them in a paper sack.
Is it bag , sack or something else where you live?  I worked at a grocery store when I was in college and we would ask "paper or plastic" meaning bags.  Same as New Jersey.

2. Though no one seems to wear them anymore, NJ says Stockings.
Athens, Ohio used to call them "hose" and in Britain they are tights.
What about where you live?  hose

3.Soda, Pop, Coke?  I have said pop and soda.  I think I do not call it a coke, because I drink Pepsi.
Hero, sub, grinder, hoagie?  sub

4. Shopping cart or trolley. buggy?
What do you call it?  I call it a shopping cart, I have heard my mom call it a buggy.

Sunday Stealing Is Artificial

 

Sunday Stealing Is Artificial



                                     
 


Since it's the 4th of July weekend, we're going to keep this simple. On us all! The first question came courtesy of AI.

4th of July Questions

1) If you could attend a 4th of July fireworks display anywhere in the United States, where would you choose? Washington D.C.

2) What book are you currently reading?  I just finished The Calamity Club and highly recommend it.  My next read will be The Bright Years.

3) What have you been listening to?  YouTube channels and I have been watching the Elevate conference online for school.  I have been doing that all of June.  I have one session left.  It is for professional development. It is 39 hours.

4) What shows or movies have you been watching?  I just watched Enola Holmes on Netflix.

SATURDAY 9: God Bless America

 

SATURDAY 9: God Bless America 

Unfamiliar with Connie Francis' version of this song? Hear it here.

1) Irving Berlin's lyrics celebrate our mountains, prairies, and oceans. Which of these geographical features is nearest your home?  It is hilly where I live, but they call the hills the Ozark Mountains.  They do not look like the real mountains.  The prairie is not far either.  The ocean is nowhere near me.  It is definitely not flat here though.  Here is a picture of what it looks like here.

2) Berlin donated his royalties from "God Bless America" to the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. Were you ever a Scout?  I was a girl scout in elementary school

 
3) While this week's song has been recorded many times, we're concentrating on Connie Francis' 1959 version. It was never intended to be a hit, released as the B-side to her popular "Among My Souvenirs." But it took off when it was played at school rallies and patriotic events. Do you know all the lyrics to "God Bless America?" Could you sing along with Connie?  I was in choir all of my school years, 1 year in college and church choir, so yes, I learned and performed it while in choirs over the years.

4) After she wrote her autobiography, Connie said she wanted Valerie Bertinelli to play her in the movie. Even though Valerie isn't known for her singing, Connie liked that they were both Italian-American and 5'5". If we made a movie of your life, who should play you?  I always thought Sandra Bullock, just because she is so silly.

 

5) Connie had a passionate romance with Bobby Darin, and their relationship is included in the Broadway show about Bobby's life, Just In Time. While Connie expressed her support for the production, she never saw the show because hip problems made flying difficult. How about you? Are you dealing with any aches or pains today?  My hips always hurt and my back.

6) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen? yes, if I am going to be out in the sun, I apply it generously.

7) More beer is purchased for the 4th of July than any other holiday. What beverage will be served with your July 4th meal?  Probably tea, soda or water.

 

8) Emergency rooms expect an increase over the July 4th holiday. The most common causes are sports injuries (like jammed wrists and wrenched knees) and the unwise use of home fireworks. Have you  been to the ER or Urgent Care during 2026?  I took my husband early in the year for migraines, but I haven't been for myself.

9) New York is home to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest every year on the 4th. Will hot dogs be consumed in your household this weekend? Probably hotdogs and hamburgers.

The 4th on Tuesday 4

 

The 4th on Tuesday 4

                                                           
It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 and this week our friend Susan suggested the topic of decorating our homes for the holidays, especially for the 4th of July as it is the USA's 250th birthday. So, lets do that.

On July 4, 1776 we declared our independence from the British Empire and King George III when the First Continental Congress set forth the Declaration of Independence.
We became a free and sovereign, independent nation on September 3, 1783

 
1. Will or have you decorated for the holiday? If you don't reside in the USA, do you have a special holiday you decorate for on the outside of your home?  I put flags outside, we have a big flag we have on our house and I have some smaller flags that I will put in our plant pots.  I tried to decorate with red, white and blue flowers.  The rain has messed up my red flowers though.  The rain has stopped and I looked at them today and it looks like they are trying to grow back.

2. What special little touches do you add to the outside of your home? Do you enjoy puttering around in your yard?  I have flowers in my yard.  Our house is white, so the plain white needs some color.  I have a wreath on our door too for some color.  We have several yard lights too.

3. Are plants and shrubs an important part of your house decor?  We used to have shrubs, but they died several years ago.  We have mostly plants and flowers now.  We have a lot of trees.

4. On which holidays do you spend time decorating either inside, outside or both?  I decorate with flowers in the Spring/Summer.  The extra flags come out on the 4th of July.  I switch to mums in the Fall and I have some fall yard decorations too.  I used to decorate for Halloween, with lights around our door and an arch in our year that was black with lights.  I don't anymore though.  That was mostly when Josh was little and we had a lot of trick-or-treaters.  We decorate inside and out for Christmas.  I used to decorate inside for Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween, but my decorations are outside in the shed and I have seen snakes in there, so I do not go out there anymore.  Karl would get them, but he works so hard, I hate to ask.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!!!  Happy 250th birthday America!

Saturday 9: Cadillac Ranch

Saturday 9: Cadillac Ranch (1981)

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

1) In this song, Bruce Springsteen sings about taking his father and his aunt to see The Cadillac Ranch. Have you recently taken a road trip? If yes, where did you go?  I haven't been anywhere different.  I go to my mom's house on Fridays to pick up her mail and I go visit her at the assisted living facility.  The summer isn't over though.  We will see. 

2) The Cadillac Ranch is real. It's an outdoor art installation in Amarillo, TX. Tell us about a statue, mural, or other piece of outdoor art in your community.   I live in a small town.  There are none.  Springfield and Branson would be the closest to find these things.

3) Not only is Bruce singing about a real place, he mentions three real people. The first is "James Dean in his Mercury 49." That refers to the 1949 Mercury driven by James Dean in his first starring role, Rebel Without a Cause. Though he remains a legendary star, Dean made only three movies before his death at age 24. Have you seen any of his films?   I saw Rebel Without a Cause.

4) The second is "Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline." Junior Johnson was a folk hero, famous as a NASCAR driver and notorious for running moonshine through North Carolina. He was the inspiration for "Midnite Moon," an animated old Ford in the 2017 Disney movie Cars 3. What Disney movie did you enjoy when you were growing up?  Beauty and the Beast...Cars was mentioned above.  We live close to Route 66 (Springfield) and we drove that to Joplin one day with Josh.  That was fun.  I would do it again, but go more north toward St. Louis.

5) The third man Bruce sings about is "Burt Reynolds and his black Trans Am." This is a reference to Burt's biggest hit, 1977's Smokey and the Bandit. Burt also had success as a restaurateur. He co-owned Burt and Jack's, a popular steakhouse at Port Everglades, right on the water. Tell us about a restaurant that offered both good food and a memorable view. We do not travel much, but when we visited Orange Beach, AL, we ate at Lulu's in Gulf Shores, which had a nice Gulf view and served seafood.  This is about where we sat, so by the water.

6) For decades, Cadillac was the gold standard of luxury. For example, an eatery referred to as "the Cadillac of restaurants" would be best or most prestigious. Think about your neighborhood. Tell us about a restaurant, hotel or business that is "the Cadillac" of your community.  Not much here, but I will say Dollar General for me.  We have a restaurant just down the road from us called the Double E (we live off a road called EE HWY and we live near a bar called Wacky Jacks.  There are some other things here, but those are probably the most visited besides the gas station.  There is not a big item here.  If you travel to Springfield, you will find the original Bass Pro Shop and if you go toward Branson you will find Silver Dollar City, the lakes and music shows.  It is quiet where I live.  Here is a picture of Wacky Jacks.  I do not drink, but they have good food.

7) Since he's been singing about America and cars for decades, it should come as no surprise that Bruce Springsteen has a collection of classic American cars. For the cover of his autobiography he chose a photo of himself leaning on his favorite, a 1960 Corvette convertible. Think about your favorite photo of yourself. What are you doing?  My favorite pictures are from Orange Beach, one of Josh and I on the dolphin tour and some at Lulu's.  There is another one taken at the top of the Pensacola Lighthouse. This picture is Josh and I on the dolphin tour.

8) In 1981, when Bruce released this recording, Dolly Parton had a hit with "9 to 5." What's your favorite Dolly Parton song?  I love most of her songs, but I will say I Will Always Love you and her version.

9) Random question: When did you last DIY and fix something around your home or yard?  It has been a while, Karl typically fixes things, but every now and then I fix something.

Tuesday 4 Meme- So Tell Me....

 

So Tell Me....

This week's questions come from Sparky! I hope you enjoy doing them.

Let's talk about you .....

1. Music. What kind of music do you enjoy? Are you musical?  I like a lot of different kinds of music, but I tend to listen to 70's, 80's and 90's music and early 2000's.  I listened to contemporary for a long time, but when I turned about 50, I didn't like the contemporary music anymore.


2. Travel. Where have we been? What's your favorite destination(s)?  We have been to Florida a few times, Orange Beach Alabama and San Antonio, TX.  Of these destinations, Alabama was my favorite.  We stayed on the beach and watched the dolphins every morning.  It was relaxing to be at the beach.

3. Occupations. Did you end up working at what you wanted to be? Do you wish you'd done something else, if so, what? etc.  I originally wanted to go into medical technology, but I changed my major to Sociology.  I started doing internships for that and hated it.  I went to school for teaching and I love that.

4. How do you keep from being bored?  I am an only child, so I am never bored.  I learned how to entertain myself a long time ago.  If I am bored, I will typically read, watch YouTube videos or Netflix.  When I was younger, I would talk on the phone a lot or go out with my friends.