Saturday 9: I've Written a Letter to Daddy

Saturday 9: I've Written a Letter to Daddy

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

 

1) This song is from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, which was released on Halloween Day, 1962. Do you like scary movies?

A. I used to like scary movies, but I don't care for them much anymore. Even Game of Thrones was a little gory for me at times. Now we're watching Reacher on Amazon Prime, and I have to tell my husband to "tell me when the gore is gone."

 

2) The "Baby Jane" of the title is Baby Jane Hudson. Jane was a child star, singing and dancing in vaudeville. She was so popular that Baby Jane dolls sold well at her shows. Tell us about one of your favorite childhood toys.

A. I was never a big fan of baby dolls. I preferred to play with action figures. GI Joe was mostly for boys, but I loved the Johnny West figures. My young uncles and I had lots of those - Johnny and Jane West and their children, along with Geronimo, Chief Cherokee, General Custer, and others. We also had horses and a covered wagon. We lost most of those in a flood at my grandmother's house.

 

3) Baby Jane's career hit the skids when she hit her teens and audiences no longer found her cute. Adolescence can be a tough time for many of us. Did you ever go through an awkward phase? 

A. My whole life has been an awkward phase.

 

4) Meanwhile, Jane's older sister Blanche blossomed into a beauty and became a major movie actress. Her career was cut short when, at the height of her popularity, her back is broken in a car accident involving a drunken Jane. Most of the movie takes place in the mansion Blanche bought back when she was a star. Blanche is confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on Jane, who is bitter, jealous, and well, bonkers. Very bad things happen. Can you think of another movie where scary things happen in a big old house?

A. The Amityville Horror was a movie that involved a big old house. I saw it when I was a teenager. It opened in the summer of 1979, when I was 16. I don't recall who I saw it with, but I do remember that I wasn't alone.

5) As a (crazy) older woman, Jane convinces herself she can relaunch her career and recapture the love of the public. She dresses like she did as a little girl and makes up her face to look like those Baby Jane dolls that were sold long ago at her childhood performances. Then she rehearses this week's song. The result is so memorable that now, more than 60 years later, you can still find "Baby Jane" Halloween costumes online. Tell us about a Halloween costume you really enjoyed wearing.

A. I usually dressed up like a hobo. I remember having some of those awful costumes with the plastic masks that were held on with pieces of something that always broke, but I can't say I enjoyed any of them. The only time I really enjoyed a Halloween costume was one year when I dressed up like a witch and went into town with bags of candy. I stood on the corner and handed it out. We never have trick or treaters at my house. We're too rural and too far off the road. (I went alone because my husband was at work, putting out dumpster fires as is the tradition on Halloween night in the city.)

 

6) Which kind of spooky movie villain do you find scarier: supernatural monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, ghosts, etc.) or human monsters (Baby Jane, Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise, etc.)? 

A. I prefer the supernatural monsters, as the human kind of monsters actually exist and I find that to be the scariest thing of all.

Questions inspired by Halloween . . . 

7) Orange and black are the traditional Halloween colors, with orange representing the autumn harvest and black symbolizing all things scary and mysterious. Are you wearing either color as you answer these questions?

A. I am wearing purple, which is a lovely color, but it is not associated with Halloween.

8) Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland, though instead of pumpkins, they carved gourds. When Irish immigrants arrived in the US, they used pumpkins because they were more readily available. Did you decorate your home with a jack-o-lantern, or anything else, for Halloween?

A. I did not decorate for Halloween. There isn't much point when no one sees it but you.

9) Think back to your trick-or-treating days. Which candy were you happiest to find your bag?

A. I always liked Smarties, M&Ms, and Hershey bars.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Small things that make a day better:

1. I enjoy watching the deer outside. They move like shadows, quick yet unhurried. One minute, I'm looking at an empty yard and the next, there are three does standing there munching on acorns. They are like ghosts that come in daylight.

2. I really like to hear a good song from the 1970s. Alexa knows this, and when she plays "songs you like," they frequently start out with something from Fleetwood Mac. But there are many others that I don't hear so much that can stop me in my tracks. Band on the Run by Paul McCartney & Wings, for example. Or American Pie, by Don McLean. Those are great songs.

3. Another thing that brings me pleasure is finding a book that makes me forget to look at the clock. This doesn't happen as often as I'd like anymore, because I seem to always be worried about making sure I get the laundry out of the dryer while it's hot or whatever, but I do enjoy a good read.

4. One of my guilty pleasures is having a little chocolate. I like the taste and texture of chocolate, especially milk chocolate. I know I'm probably one good Hershey bar from a heart attack, but that's a risk I'll have to take.

5. Another way to make my day better is to pick up my guitar. Sometimes I don't even have to get through a whole song. I sit and play scales, or make runs, or just fiddle with chord progressions, and something in my back eases.

6. This is good for a quick pick-me-up: drinking a good glass of ice-cold water. I mostly only drink water these days, but I like it cold and straight out of the fridge.

7. Turning on my little heater in my office often helps me feel better. I tend to be cold and while I know the heater isn't great for the electric bill, it sure does make it easier to type if my fingers are not freezing.

8. I also appreciate the change of seasons. We're near peak time for the leaves, I think, and while this year isn't looking very bright because of the drought, there are some oranges and yellows peeking through. 

9. I also like to find an interesting animal on the game camera, like a bear, fox, or coyote. The other week when there was a bear on the camera, I squealed with delight.

10. That reminds me that taking a great photo of the moon or a spider's web with that certain slant of light one only finds in October is another way to brighten up an otherwise mundane day.

11. I like it when I have nothing on my calendar for the day. That means I can stay home, or go out, do laundry (or not). It's never downtime, I don't have much of that, but it's nice not to be on a schedule.

12. When the phone rings and it's a friend, my whole face lights up. I enjoy talking to the people who know me best, hearing from them, learning what's going on in their world. 

13. Last, but not least, occasionally I level up in a video game. This is almost always unexpected because I don't watch for it, especially in my city-building game, so when it suddenly goes "Ta Da" and gives me a reward, it's always a joyful little moment. I accomplished nothing of importance, but then again, I did move forward. Yay me!

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 982nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Signatures of Greatness

One thing I've always loved about my community is its history. Botetourt County is not the oldest in Virginia; it was formed in 1769 and there are others towards the east that are older. But it still has a lot of history.

At its founding, Botetourt went all the way to the Mississippi and took in parts of Wisconsin. Many historic documents are in our courthouse.

This is fortunate, because the courthouse burned in the early 1970s. Fortunately, forward-thinking persons had put the old documents in a fireproof vault, and they were saved.

The documents seldom make an appearance in public, but recently the county circuit clerk had them out to show off during the Fincastle Festival.

This document, dated 1782, has the signature of Benjamin Harrison on it. He was a governor of Virginia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

This document has the signature of James Monroe on it. He was the fifth president of the United States, and he proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that European powers should not interfere in the Americas.

The last photo shows the signature of General William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark expedition) as he married Judith Hancock of Fincastle.

As a citizen of this county, and someone who can trace her heritage here back to before the American Revolution, I find the history of my community to be a rock upon which I can stand even when the antics of today make me wonder if there will be a tomorrow.

Seeing these signatures, I am reminded that great men once existed, and they can once again take the reins of this great nation and send her upwards.

We do not always have to be ruled by lesser men. Greatness exists in every generation.

Sometimes we simply don't find it.

Sunday Stealing

The Grown-Up Meme 

1. Do you have a college degree?

A. I have three college degrees. I have an associate's degree from Virginia Western Community College, a bachelor's degree from Hollins College, and a master's degree from Hollins University.

2. What was the amount of your last electric bill?

A. My last electric bill was about $350.00, give or take a $50. 

3. Do you have life insurance?

A. I have life insurance. All responsible people should have life insurance of some kind, if only enough to pay for a funeral.

4. Do you check your cholesterol on (at least) an annual basis?

A. My doctor checks my cholesterol at least once a year, sometimes twice a year. It is always high and I always politely decline the medication that would bring it down.

5. Have you ever attended a high school reunion?

A. I have attended one high school reunion. I went to my high school reunion in 2011, which incidentally was also the last one we had, as far as I know. My class lacked a bit of cohesiveness and never really got into the reunion thing. Maybe now that we're all in our 60s we'll think about it more, but I doubt it.

6. Do you have a will or estate plan?

A. All responsible adults should have proper wills and estate planning in place, especially if they have children or wish for their assets to be disposed of in a particular way. Otherwise, you risk having the state raise your children if you die before they've reached majority, and you risk having your assets farmed out amongst relatives who hated you anyway.

7. Do you remember when MTV played music videos?

A. I remember when MTV and VH1 both played music videos. I preferred VH1 to MTV. VH1 felt like it was more for folks with a bit of age and savvy about them while MTV played to the younger folks.

8. Is there a bottle of wine in your refrigerator?

A. There is an unopened bottle of wine in my refrigerator. It has been there for approximately 15 years. I imagine it is fairly cold by now.

9. Have you been divorced? 

A. I have not been divorced. I will soon be celebrating 43 years of marriage.

10. When you were 16, did you play music on vinyl, cassette, or CDs?

A. When I was 16, nobody knew what a CD was and we were still using 8-track players. I had vinyl, cassette, and a radio when I was 16. I don't think the Walkman had been invented when I was 16, but maybe it had and I'm too sorry to look it up.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Smoke Rings

Saturday 9: Smoke Rings (1933)

   

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

   

1) In this song, Donald Mills of the Mills Brothers encourages us to "puff, puff, puff" our cares away. When did you most recently smoke a cigarette?

A. I tried them in high school but could not stand to smoke, so it wasn't a habit I involved myself with. I'm not sure "trying to smoke" counts as actually "smoking" a cigarette.

 

2) In the 1930s, when this week's song was recorded, an estimated 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes. By the early 1960s, that number reached a high of 42%. According to the CDC, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to 11%. Do many of your friends and relatives smoke or vape?

A. If any of my friends or relatives smoke or vape, they don't do it around me.

 

3) Donald was the youngest of the singing Mills Brothers, and he's the one who most often sang lead. That squares with popular birth order theory, which proposes that the youngest tends to enjoy being the center of attention, the middle child is the diplomat, and the oldest is the high achiever. Think of your own family and the families of your friends. Do you think this theory holds true?

A. The theory probably holds true to some extent. Some of it depends upon definitions. And generations. On second thought, no. That theory is just a theory.

 

4) The Mills Brothers were one of the first famous singing brother acts. The Williams Brothers – which featured future TV star Andy Williams – followed in their footsteps. Can you think of another group of singing brothers?

A. The Jackson 5, obviously. Also, the Bee Gees, The Everly Brothers (I guess they were brothers), and the Osmonds.

 

5) In addition to recording hit records, The Mills Brothers were a staple on radio in the 1930s. They were among the first African American artists to host their own radio show and sang jingles for Standard Oil and Crisco. What commercial do you recall having seen, or heard, recently?

A. It's election season, so most of the commercials I see are election commercials right now. There's this one: 

 

6) In 1933, when this week's song was popular, actor Robert Montgomery and his wife had a daughter they named Elizabeth. That little girl would become famous in the 1960s for her own TV show. Without looking it up, do you know what show Elizabeth Montgomery starred in?

A. Bewitched. I always wished I could twitch my nose and have a clean house. Wouldn't that be something?

 

7) Johnny Cash was also born in 1933. Do you have a favorite Johnny Cash song?

A. I like Ring of Fire and Folsom Prison. There was also one he sang with June Carter Cash, Jackson, that I recall from childhood.

 

8) In 1933, five French airlines merged to form Air France. Think of the last time you were at an airport. Were you taking a flight or meeting a flight?

A. The last time I was at an airport I was meeting a flight.

 

9) Random question: Your best friend just received a certificate for completing a car maintenance course at your community college. Would you let them work on your vehicle?

A. I would let them work on my vehicle, yes. Why not?

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Quotes by famous female characters, with a little commentary by yours truly after each one.

1. “Only love can truly save the world. So I stay, I fight, and I give, for the world I know can be.” - Diana (Wonder Woman). And CD says: Oh, to be so innocent of the world, to think one can truly have only love.

2. “Even miracles take a little time.” - Fairy Godmother (Cinderella). And CD says: The miracles I've seen take a lifetime.

3. “Some walks you have to take alone.” - Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay). And CD says: All of my walks are alone. Most people's are, I think.

4. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! - Friendship! And Bravery!"  Hermione Granger (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). And CD says: But Hermione, a book can also be a friend, and sometimes one is brave when one reads.

5. “When the raindrops come tumbling, remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” - Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). And CD says: A noble notion, is it not? To think that one can walk merrily through the day and bring about the light?

6. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” - Lady Galadriel (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). And CD says: This also holds true for mice, toads, and other minute creatures, the sight of which, depending upon location, could indeed change the course of at least a day for many people.

7. “After all, tomorrow is another day!” - Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind). And CD says: And so is the day after that one. One is to be grateful for that experience, I suppose.

8. “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.” - Dory (Finding Nemo). And CD says: And if you don't know how to swim, try not to drown and at least keep your head above water.

9. “I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.” - Jo March (Little Women). And CD says: Go Jo!

10. “I do not think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.” - Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre). And CD says: Go Jane!

11. “I am the plan.” Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And CD says: A girl should always be her own plan. Always. Even if that plan involves a dime and a no-longer-existent telephone booth.

12. “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” - Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables). And CD says: The "firmly" part is key to this quote. Just making up my mind is seldom enough.

13. “Once you tell your story, it can be empowering.” - Olivia Benson (Law and Order). And CD says: It can also be overwhelming, joyful, sad, entrancing, entertaining, and ephemeral. Just remember, it's YOUR story. Let it be what it must.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 981st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The Aliens in the Night

When I downloaded photos from my game camera the other day, I was surprised by some night captures:

What are these creatures?!?*

(Ignore the date on the Stealth Cam. I never learned how to change it and make it current.)

*I'm pretty sure it's a spider.

Whistle Pig

We have groundhogs living under the outbuilding not far from the house.

Sometimes they come up to the patio.

I am not supposed to like them, because the holes they leave behind are dangerous to cattle and such, but I think they're kind of cute. 

Look at those little, tiny ears.

They may be small, but they must hear very well. Groundhogs take off fast when they get the slightest notion of danger. I have watched them zoom away on countless occasions.

This one must have been very involved in eating the clover around the patio because I was able to get these shots without it running off.

My husband calls them whistle pigs sometimes. I don't know why, exactly, except that if you can do a loud whistle, they will stand up and look at you.

I can whistle, but not as well as I used to, so I haven't tried to whistle at a groundhog in a long time.

My National Audubon Southeastern Field Guide says that groundhogs are formally called "woodchucks," although we've never called them that. We've always called them groundhogs.

The book also says they are in the squirrel family, and while I've seen one grab hold of a tree trunk and cling there, I've never seen one actually up in a tree. 

These animals are vegetarian and usually I see them eat grass and clover during the warmer months. They stay mostly in their burrows from November through March.

I guess the best-known groundhog is the one in Pennsylvania that's supposed to tell the weather.

Mine, I think, are just quiet, sweet pests and they don't have much to say about the forecast.

Sunday Stealing

 

Getting to Know You 

1) Describe yourself in three words.

A. Loyal, trusting, and intelligent

2) What's your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant? 

A. My favorite dish is sweet and sour chicken at Szechuan, a restaurant about 35 minutes away.

3) Did you set goals for 2026? If yes, how are you proceeding toward them?

A. I did not set goals for 2026, so I'm not doing very well at reaching them. I have set other goals this year, though, and I am slowly whittling away at them.

4) What's something you have learned the hard way?

A. That the people you love the most will be the people who hurt you the most.

 

5) If you could skip one item on today's to-do list, what would it be?

A. The same one that's always on the list but which I skip or leave for last: doing the bookkeeping.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Somewhere Over Laredo

Saturday 9: Somewhere Over Laredo (2025)

   

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

   

1) In this song, Laney Wilson namechecks Tito's Vodka. Is there a product you are very brand loyal to? (It doesn't have to be liquor. Maybe you always reach for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, even if another soap is on sale.)

A. I used to be dedicated to Cheer Free detergent, but they quit making it, so now I use All Free and Clear. I also use Dove sensitive soap. Because of my asthma, fragrances make me ill.

 

2) The lyrics start with her in a window seat on a flight out of Houston. Do you prefer the window or the aisle?

A. My husband always wants an aisle seat. I don't really care.

 

3) She's dreaming of rodeo nights with the guy she loves. If you could spend this evening with anyone at all, anywhere at all, where would you go and who would be with you?

A. I would be with my husband, and we'd be in Paris, because, you know, why not?

 

4) Lainey is from Baskin, LA, population 200. Do you prefer big cities or small towns?

A. I have always preferred rural areas.

 

5) There's a Netflix documentary about Lainey called Keepin' Country Cool. What show have you recently streamed?

A. We just finished Season 3 of Reacher on Amazon Prime.

 

6) This week's song borrows liberally from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," so much so that "Rainbow" songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg receive credit. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the most beloved song from The Wizard of Oz. Can you name another?

A. "Ding dong, the witch is dead." Also "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."

 

7) In 2025, when this song was popular, more patients took advantage of telehealth than ever before. Have you ever had a virtual doctor visit?

A. I have had many virtual doctor visits. I find it a great way to deal with certain health concerns.

 

8) Also in 2025, smart home technology was integrated into more new home construction. Do you use smart devices to automate your lights, thermostat, or doorbell?

A. We do not use smart home devices. It's bad enough we have Alexa playing our music. I don't need my refrigerator, washing machine, or other appliances to talk to me, nor do I need to be able to change the thermostat in the house from 1500 miles away. And the day I am too sorry to get up and turn a light switch off or on, is the day that somebody comes and takes me away.

 

9) Random question – On which day are you happier: a) the day you take off on vacation or b) the day you return home from your trip?

A. It is always nice to get away, but it's also very nice to come home and put everything down. They are different kinds of happy.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.