Saturday 9- Bonanza

Saturday 9: Bonanza (1959)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Bonanza ran on NBC for 14 seasons. Today it's rerun on Me-TV and TVLand. Were/are you a fan?  I was a little young too fully enjoy this show, but I do like it.

2) The show centers on The Cartwrights, who lived on a massive ranch in Nevada. License plates in Nevada read, "The Silver State." What's on your license plate?  The Show-Me State

3) Ben Cartwright made his fortune as a cattle rancher. What's the last beef dish you ate?  I am going to say a cheeseburger.  I cannot remember the last dish with beef. 

4) Patriarch Ben had his eldest son, Adam, with his refined, bookish first wife, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died in childbirth. Still Adam inherited her love of the written word. What's the last book you finished?  The Smell of Sweet Magnolias and Memories by Celeste Fletcher McHale.  I am almost finished with Still Life by Louise Penny though.

5) Ben's second son, Hoss, was born to his second wife, Inger, who was killed as the family traveled West by wagon train. Hoss inherited her open, friendly manner and her way with animals. Are there pets in your home?  Yes, we have 3 dogs...Mandy a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Molly a part corgi an part blue heeler... she is a sister to Mandy....same mom different litter.  Then we have Meisha.  She showed up at our house and we have had her ever since.  She is part black lab and not sure what else.

 
6) Ben's youngest, Joe, arrived after Ben married a third time to the passionate Marie, who died in a riding accident when her son was only five years old. Little Joe inherited her impetuosity. Do you consider yourself more spontaneous or predictable?  I am mostly predictable, but every now and then I will do something spontaneous.  Usually in the form of a road trip.
 
7) Samuel Clemons was a reporter in Virginia City at the time when the Cartwrights would have been there, and a fictionalized version of Mr. Clemons appeared in an episode of Bonanza. Without looking it up, do you know Samuel Clemons' famous pen name?  yes, but only because I live in Missouri.  My roommate would always say...she was meeting her family in Hannibal...home of Mark Twain.  We learned about Mark Twain in middle school.

8) Hair was a big deal in the Bonanza dressing room. Three of the original four stars -- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker -- all wore hairpieces. (The fourth, Michael Landon, began dying his hair while still in his 20s because he was going prematurely gray.) Have you ever worn a wig or a hairpiece?  no
 
9) Random question -- Tell us the story behind one of your scars.  There is a really ugly scar on my right arm.  It is starting to fade, but it was so gross at first.  It seriously looks like I cut myself or something, but it is a scar from my curling iron.  My co-workers do not understand why I would have a burn like that since I have naturally curly hair.  They have a point. ...different curl pattern is the reason.

 

Wednesday Medley- NATIONAL CLERIHEW DAY

NATIONAL CLERIHEW DAY – July 10

1.  Try your hand at one of these Clerihew poems, or two or three!  

I have a dog named Mandy.

She really is quite a dandy.

She loves to eat, 

and smell my feet.

That is Mandy over on the right.

 

2.  Tell us something about your week so far.

I have been reading.  I finished The Secret to Hummingbird Cake and it was wonderful  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.  Then I followed that up with the author's other book called The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories....it wasn't as good, but it was ok.  The author is Celeste Fletcher McHale.  I am now reading Still Life by Louis Penny and I checked out another book too.  Here they are.  Josh has been volunteering at the library still and is doing great.  I may be late making visits today, but I will be there.  I may be taking my mom shopping.

Tuesday 4 Meme- Time Tells All

Time Tells All (Fill In The Blanks)
1.   It's 9:00 AM Sunday and I'm usually just waking up.

2.   It's 12:00 PM/Noon On Monday and I'm usually at lunch when I am working, reading or watching tv during the summer.

3 .   It's 8:00 PM Wednesday and I'm usually watching tv.

4.   It's 5:30 PM Friday and I'm usually visiting my mom.

Sunday Stealing- I love questions

1. Are you satisfied with the way your life is right now?  Yes, it seems I am always wanting something else, but it is just dreaming.  I am happy with the way things are.
2. Do you drink enough water?  no, and I really need to change that.
3. When was the last time you ate at Burger King?  I can't remember...it was this summer though.
4. Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?  I love both, sorry I cannot pick
5. How do you usually feel when you wake up on a morning?  like I want to go back to sleep
6. Would you rather take someone on a date, or be taken on a date?  be taken on a date
7. When was the last time you wore high heeled shoes? I do not remember, but I got some high heel shoes for the wedding I am going to this Friday.  I hope I do not fall down.  I can always go barefoot.
8. Vodka or wine?  wine...it was vodka when I was in college.  I do not drink now, however...I was at a baby shower a couple of weeks ago and I had a small glass of wine.  I should probably do that more often, I was so calm.
9. How often do you cry?  oh geez, I cry at silly things, so a lot.  I am not sure.
10. Ever had a crush on a teacher?  I do not think so.
11. Can you wire a plug?  I am going to say no.
12. Do you wear socks to bed?  I start with socks and when my feet get warm they must come off.  I cannot sleep with cold feet.
13. What is currently bugging you?  How am I going to find time to read when school starts....hahahaha...I am enjoying reading books so much this summer.
15. Can you change a car tire?  no...don't laugh at me.
16. Have you met more than ten celebrities?  no
17. Do you sleep naked?  Lord no
18. What was the best music gig you’ve ever attended?  I liked The Beach Boys concerts I went to.
19. Have you ever had sexual feelings for anyone you follow on line?  no
20. Who is someone who has changed your life positively.  My co-worker Lori
21. Favourite city? St. Louis, MO
22. Can you drive?  yes, of course...I live in the country, I wouldn't be able to get anywhere if I didn't drive.
22. Cigarettes or alcohol?  no, neither...alcohol over cigarettes though.
23. Favourite and least favourite accents?  Favorite would be Southern (USA) and Australian and English.  Least favorite, I will say northern USA (Boston area)
24. Did you play Red Rover when you were a child?  YES!!!
25. Do you like 1980s fashion? Yes, I am from that time.

Saturday 9- America, the Beautiful

America, the Beautiful

America, the Beautiful  

Unfamiliar with Frank Sinatra's 1945 version of this song? Hear it here.

1) In 2016, a group recommended that this week's song replace "The Star Spangled Banner" as our national anthem. They maintain it's just as beautiful but easier to sing. How do you feel about this?   I am against changing it.   Truth is, I do not want a national anthem that talks about how pretty our county is, I want one that talks about how we became independent and that is from our veterans that fought for us.  It should reflect such.  There is so much history in that song.  The people that died so we could be free, they were real.  We can't forget them and this song is a reminder of that.

2) Katharine L. Bates said her lyrics were inspired by a trip to Pike's Peak. What's the most beautiful American spot you've ever visited?  The first time I saw the Rocky Mountains, I actually cried I thought they were so beautiful.  I know that is weird, but I take in nature that way.

3) The music was written by organist Samuel Augustus Ward. Both Bates and Ward were very formal when signing their names professionally -- she including her middle initial and he with his full middle name. How about you? When you sign checks or documents, do you use your middle name or initial?  Mostly just initial, but there have been times when I have signed my whole middle name too.

4) In 1945, when this version of the song was recorded, America lost Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Frank Sinatra said, "I lost a hero." What late, great American hero from our past would you like to honor today?  JFK

5) Also in 1945, a 19-year-old "hoofer" waited outside the Los Angeles radio station where Sinatra was being interviewed. That was the beginning of the friendship between Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. Tell us about your oldest friend.  I really do not like to give long answers on these, but my oldest friend would be Barb.  We went to school together.  We had so much fun together.  We drove around as teenagers, we worked at the same place.  Just good times.  She does not live far from me now and we get together every now and then,  but we need to get together again soon.

6) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen?  YES!  Especially to my face, I apply a stronger SPF to my face.

7) Mosquito bites can be a major summer annoyance. Are you scratching any itches right now?  Yes, and I hate them.

8) Emergency rooms report an increase in wrist injuries in summer, with people falling off bikes and skateboards and jamming their wrists catching hard-hit softballs. Have you  been to the ER or Urgent Care during 2019?  I went at the end of 2018 in December...I had a sinus infection.  I haven't been back since in 2019.

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?  I had some Nathan's hotdogs on the 4th of July.  We had hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and dip and chips and salsa, watermelon and ice cream.  We watched the fireworks in our gazebo in our yard.  Fun day!

Wednesday Medley- INDEPENDENCE DAY – July 4

INDEPENDENCE DAY

1.  Please share a favorite July 4th memory with us.  Our church used to hold an annual fireworks display and our church choir would sing patriotic songs...my husband and I were in the choir.  It was a huge event and got bigger and bigger every year.  They even had a stealth fly over one year.  There were games for the kids and food stands, but it was totally free to get in and you could bring coolers with food and drinks, just no alcohol.  The symphony played along with the choir and the fireworks were orchestrated with the music.  It must have been too much work, after about 10 years of doing it, the church stopped.  I do not think it was because of the cost because a lot of things were donated.  It sure was fun though and I miss going to it.  It was a huge community outreach.

2.  How do you plan to spend tomorrow?  If you are working, will you celebrate later?  I am off all summer (teacher), but we usually stay at our house so our dogs are not completely freaked out by the noise.  There are several fireworks displays happening, but I doubt we go...we shall see.

3.  Is there a favorite food always reserved for your 4th of July celebration?  We grill hotdogs and hamburgers.

4.  In Florida, you can buy all kinds of fireworks, including some that fly high and burst into pretty cascades.  Are fireworks legal in your state/community and does anyone you know put on a display for your neighborhood?  I live in a small community, so fireworks are legal here and you can set them off anytime, but not in the city.  There are some displays near us.

5.  Do you have a favorite movie that you always watch sometime during the 4th of July?  not really, but I am hoping to read about some, maybe I will get some inspiration.

6.  Share something from your week, please.  Next Friday my nephew Dalton is getting married, so yesterday I went shopping and got my outfit I will wear and new shoes and jewelry.  I went to Dress Barn and they helped me find something cute for my body type...it isn't easy.  I also got some cute shirts for work or anytime.  I finished my Fannie Flagg book and I have started reading The Secret To Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale.  I have not read for enjoyment in many years and I am loving it.  I am about half way through this book and it is fantastic!  It is about 3 best friends from Louisiana.  It is about their friendship, trials in relationships and life.  It is a good one, I will read this one fast.  I am always looking for a good read if you want to share one!  This one was recommended by one of my blogging pals!

Tuesday 4 Meme- If You Could Only... You Would

If You Could Only... You Would
1.   If you could only choose any place on earth to live.....you would?  I would live near the ocean.  Maybe Florida or Alabama.

2.   If you could only buy anything you ever wanted.....you would?  I would buy a new house and a new car.

3.   If you could only do whatever your heart desires.....you would?  quit my job and travel

4.   If you could only write a great novel about (any genre).....you would?  I have been reading Fannie Flagg this summer and her books are so funny and yet they have some mystery along with a good life lesson.  They are easy to read, yet packed with a great story.  I would want to be able to write something like that.

Ahhh, if only I could...I would.