Saturday 9: Danny's Song

Saturday 9: Danny's Song (1972)

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

1) In this song, Anne Murray sings that she thinks she's going to have a son. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?  No one is coming to mind.

2) Back in the 1970s, when this song was popular, parents had to wait until their baby was born to know the gender. Today moms and dads can learn within the first few months whether they're expecting a son or daughter. Do you prefer it this way? Or would you rather not know in advance if you are welcoming a boy or girl into your family?  I wanted to know as soon as possible so I could start buying things for him.

 

3) Anne is so popular in her native Canada that her face graced commemorative postage stamps. What's the last piece of mail you affixed a stamp to and mailed?  It was a Christmas card.

4) She began taking voice lessons at 15. She was so serious about it she took a 50-minute bus ride each way to her classes. What extracurricular activities captured your attention when you were in high school?  choir and cheerleading.

 

5) She studied physical education at the University of New Brunswick and upon graduation taught PE for a year. Did you enjoy gym class?  no, we had to have one P.E. credit in high school.  I decided to take it my freshman year and get it over with.  It turned out that there were a lot of my friends in that class and we had fun playing the games with each other.  It turned out well.  I liked to do gymnastics, so that was my favorite thing in P.E.  I also enjoyed floor hockey.  I had way more fun than I thought I would.  I did enjoy it, but did not look forward to it at first.  Story of my life.

6) Every spring and summer, Anne's fans travel to Nova Scotia and The Anne Murray Centre. There they can see exhibits and memorabilia from her long career, including her Grammy Awards and gold records. If we were to display memorabilia reflecting the highlights of your life, what items should we include?  Maybe my diplomas with pictures of graduations.  Prom, some college pictures.  pictures of my wedding and later when Josh was born.  Pictures from my teaching jobs.  Me with my classes.  Then special pictures of me with my family.  I like pictures.

 

7) In 1972, the year this record was popular, Popeyes opened their first chicken restaurant. Today there are more than 3700 locations in 30 countries. Is chicken on the menu at your house this week?  I met an online friend this past week.  I have known her online for over 20 years.  I met her when Josh was first born.  She and her husband are traveling across the U.S. in a motor home.  They are from Idaho and they came into Missouri early this week and I was able to meet up with her and her husband for dinner one night.  Her name is Kat and I always wanted to meet her, I just never thought it would happen this side of heaven.  I am so glad it did.  Pictures of this would go in my highlights from #6.  This is us.  I am in the red on the right and Kat is in black and white on the left.  I had chicken at our dinner (so yes to the actual question).  Karl and Josh went also and her husband Steve.  They were the nicest people ever.

8) Also in 1972, latch hook rug kits were all the rage. With pre-cut yarn, a latch hook, and a printed pattern, "hookers" could make wall hangings, pillow covers, and throw rugs. Are you into arts and crafts?  I love them, but I have never learned to do them very well.

9) Random question: If you were offered the position of mayor of your town, would you take it?  no

Saturday 9: Easter Parade

Saturday 9: Easter Parade

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

1) This song is best known from the 1948 movie of the same name, but it was originally written for a 1933 Broadway play called As Thousands Cheer. In the play, a young man reads about the parade in a New York  newspaper and decides to go and show his lady love off to parade goers. What's the most recent parade you attended?  It was the Christmas parade at the town I live in.  It goes right by my house.

2) On Broadway, the song was performed by Clifton Webb. He'd had a busy stage career, appearing in musicals as well as plays by Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward, but when he was in his mid-50s, he was considered too old to be a leading man. Broadway offers stopped coming. He was unexpectedly cast by Otto Preminger for the film noir Laura and a new career was born. He worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years and earned three Oscar nominations. Tell us about a time you were grateful your life took an unanticipated turn.  I have told this story, but the time my old job wanted me to travel to a different school to teach at.  I ended up quitting.  I was not expecting that at the end of the year.  The best thing was that I changed jobs and I am so much happier.

3) Today he's fondly remembered by the students at UCLA who have benefited from The Clifton Webb Scholarship of the Arts. If you could give an endowment to a school or charity, what would you like it to be used for?  Ok, so we are currently under construction at work updating our school and adding new classrooms.  If I were to give an endowment, it would be to fund some pre-K classrooms so parents would not have to pay for preschool.  That way more kids would able to attend preschool and be ready for kindergarten.  I would also add some funding for half day options so parents could have the option to send their kids full or half day.

 

4) According to Forbes magazine, the average American household will spend upwards of $150 on Easter dinner, candy, and decorations this weekend. Do holidays strain your budget?  not really.  We do not go crazy.

5) The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you think it's possible to have too much chocolate?  Oh yes!  I love chocolate and have to be careful, or I will make myself sick.
  

6) After chocolate, the top-selling Easter candy is Peeps Marshmallow Chicks. They're so popular that they were once the subject of a Jeopardy clue. Do you often watch Jeopardy?  no

7) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. In a 2020 poll, jelly bean fans responded that cinnamon is their favorite flavor. Do you have a favorite?  I do not think I have a favorite.  I love Jelly Bellies and I enjoy most of the flavors including cinnamon.
 
8) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?  Halloween

 9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?  a nice long shower and a good night's sleep.

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

 

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

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

1) In this week's song, BJ Thomas sings that he knows it won't be long until he finds happiness. What are you looking forward to today? What's going to make you smile?  I am filling this out on Thursday night, but I am looking forward to seeing my mom tomorrow (Friday) and I am picking up Josh from work so she can see him too.  I am also looking forward to sleeping in a little this weekend.

2) BJ Thomas met his wife Gloria at a bar. She was there with his drummer, but BJ let his friend know he felt a connection to Gloria and was going to drive her home. BJ and Gloria were married for 50 years, until his death. Have you and a friend ever found yourselves attracted to the same person? If yes, how did you handle it?  no

 

3) This song is from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, which has been called "the most entertaining Western ever made." Do you enjoy Westerns?  I like them.

4) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most popular movies Paul Newman made, but he liked to say his "favorite role is philanthropist." He raised an amazing $500 million for children's charities through his Newman's Own brand. The most popular Newman's Own product is salad dressing. What flavor of salad dressing would we find in your kitchen right now? Ranch

 

5) Burt Bacharach won the first of his three Oscars for this song. Yet 20th Century Fox originally wanted to cut the song from the movie, maintaining that that song and the famous "bicycle sequence" between Paul Newman and Katharine Ross were anachronistic and made the movie too long. Burt and the movie's director George Roy Hill fought for it, insisting that it helped define the optimistic character of Butch. Tell us about a time you were glad you stood your ground.

6) Edith Head also won an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She said that Robert Redford, who played Sundance, presented a wardrobe problem. His jawline is too strong so she had to create special wider-brimmed hats to balance it. If you could magically change one of your physical features, which would you choose? And which feature would you never change?  I would want to be thin again...so get rid of my belly fat.  I would want to keep my eyes.  I like my smile too.  I had a student tell me this week that he liked it when I smiled at him.  My students are 5 years old.  Precious. :)

7) In 1969, when this song was a hit, The Beatles played their last concert on the roof of Abbey Road Studios. When did you last climb onto the roof?  I have never been on the roof of my house.  I think I have only been on part of one roof.  I went to visit a friend at college one time and you could climb out on their roof, so I did that.

8) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries sold at a brisk pace at Christmastime 1969. They're still popular today. Were you a fan?  I have never read those.

9) Random question: Do you consider yourself old fashioned?  maybe a little, but my son Josh is old fashioned. :)  I think that is so cool.

Tuesday 4 Meme- Spring

 

Spring

Hello and  welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

1. Spring cleaning is a very old tradition.  Some say it began with Passover and removing leaven from the home and the fact that windows begin to be thrown open.  What Spring cleaning do you do?  I do my deep cleaning when I get out of school in May, so the Spring cleaning is the same as always with exception to the lawn.  We start picking up sticks and rocks, sweep, run the leaf blower and start mowing.  Then once school is out, I start doing more cleaning where I am throwing things away.

2. Does daylight saving time make any difference in your life for good or bad?  This year it made me really tired.  It never has before.  I love having the longer days once the time changes.  I think the more sunlight I get, the happier I am.

3. Do you have a spring reading/watch list or perhaps a 'to do' list?  I read a lot during Spring Break.  I did have a list of books.  Now, I will start planning for summer, which will include more romance books...lighter reading.

4. The "peepers" are back here by the water. There are thousands of this itty bitty frogs(the size of a finger nail) peeping like loud birds.

What signs of spring are showing up in your neck of the woods and what Spring flower is your favorite to see blooming?  We have had daffodils and crocus bloom already and the trees are starting to get tiny leaf buds.  This is a nice time of Spring...the mosquitoes are not back yet.  They start showing up in May and that is when I have to stay inside.

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road to Dublin

 

 

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road to Dublin (2008)

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

1) This song is about a young man who leaves home to seek his fortune. How old were you when you first moved out on your own?  I was 17, just starting college.  I turned 18 in September, but school started in August.  I lived in the dorms that year.

2) He leaps onto a ship but the captain makes him sleep in the hold with pigs. Have you ever taken a cruise? (If so, we hope you had better accommodations.)  I have never been on a cruise.

 
3) This recording of the song is by The High Kings. Well established in Ireland, their career reached new heights in March 2012. Right after playing for the Lord Mayor of London's St. Patrick's Day celebration, they flew to Washington to perform for President Obama at the White House St. Patrick's Day concert. Tell us about a time when you were so happy, you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming.  When I became a mom, when I got my teaching job, when I got married, graduation from college.  The big moments in my life.

 

4) This song was chosen because Friday was St. Patrick's Day. Do you celebrate this holiday?  Not really.  If I am going to be out, I will try to wear green.

 

5) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you often wear gold?  Not really.

6) McDonald's has made Shamrock Shakes a St. Patrick's Day tradition. McDonald's began adding the drive-thru window to their restaurants in the 1970s. Would you rather order from the restaurant counter or the drive-thru?  I like the drive thru for fast food.

7) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?  I don't think so.

 

8) Thinking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious. What breakfast cereal is in your kitchen right now?  I don't think we have any cereal.

  
9) Random question: Think of your upcoming week. Which day will be the busiest?  It looks like Thursday may be my busy day.  We are meeting for Pre-K graduation.

Tuesday 4 Meme- Saint Patrick

 

Saint Patrick

 It's time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Since Saint Patrick's Day is March 17 it might be nice to talk about it.

1. Do you celebrate the day and is it more secular or religious for you?  I wear green, but that is about it.

2. Americans eat corned beef and cabbage but it's not traditional in Ireland at all.   In my  house its Colcannon and Beef Stew or Cottage pie (shepherds pie made with beef instead of lamb).. which is more realistic and far less salty.  Do you make special meals for holidays?  What will you make for St. Patrick's Day?  I make special meals for some holidays, but not St. Patrick's Day.

3.  Do you have much green in your wardrobe? Does the color look good on you?  Not really.  It was my favorite color in college and I had a lot of Hunter Green clothes/shoes/coats...but I do not have much green now at all.

4. In school we put up giant green shamrocks and Leprechauns. We made green paper chains to decorate our classrooms.  What do you do to decorate?  I do not decorate my house at all.  The kids made shamrocks at school and they are hanging in the hall.

Saturday 9: Wagon Wheel

 

Wagon Wheel

Saturday 9: Wagon Wheel (2013)

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

1) This week, Darius Rucker sings about hitching a ride to reach his lady love. Have you ever thumbed a ride?  no, that has always been scary to me.

 

2) Along the way, he loses his money in a poker game. Successful poker players are good at bluffing, or misleading others about about their cards. Are you good at bluffing, whether at cards or in life?  not at all.

 

3) Darius began has career as the lead singer of 90s soft-rock band Hootie and the Blowfish. Today he's a country singer. Let's say you're stuck in traffic and only one radio station comes in clearly. Would you prefer it play soft rock or country?  soft rock

  

4) Darius Rucker will be on tour throughout 2023, playing dates all over the country and making a couple stops in Cancun. Have you ever visited Mexico? If so, where did you go?  no

5) Darius has lent his talents to fundraising for The First Tee, a non-profit that teaches children "life lessons, self-confidence, and resilience through golf." Did you participate in organized sports as a youngster? If yes, what did you play?  I was in track and cheerleading

6) A big sports fan, he has six TVs in his home so he can watch several games at once. His largest set is 70". When it comes to TV screens, do you believe bigger is better? Or are you just as comfortable watching from your laptop or phone?  I like to watch on a big screen.  I will watch on my phone if I have to, but I do not like it.  My son is totally fine with watching shows on his phone.

 
7) In 2013, when "Wagon Wheel" was popular, fans were flocking to the movie theater to see Catching Fire, the second in the Hunger Games series. Are you a Hunger Games fan?  yes

8) Also in 2013, the word "selfie" was added to the Oxford Dictionary. Do you take a lot of selfies?  hardly ever

  
9) Random question: If we paid you $5,000, would you get Saturday 9 tattooed on your right forearm?  no, I have zero tattoos and I am good with that.

We got our classrooms moved over to the intermediate school (I am sharing a room with the other pre-K teacher).  The classroom is nice and the staff have been great there.  I have managed our schedule so we do not have recess at the same time.  That way we are able to get some real teaching in during those times.  It has worked out ok.  We have one week down.  Next week I have a teacher conference in Lake of the Ozarks called Young Years.  There will be children's authors there and sessions on a lot of different topics.  Then Spring Break.  I am looking forward to some rest.  I will not get home until late next Saturday (the conference is 4 days)...so I will see you all the following week.