Saturday 9: Mama Can't Buy You Love

Mama Can't Buy You Love (1979)

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

1) This week's artist, Elton John, was made an Office of Arts and Letters -- one of France's highest honors for people who have contributed significantly to the arts. What's the most recent compliment you received?

A. I was told the scarf I knitted (my second ever) looked nice. You can see a photo of it here. I still haven't learned how to purl.

2) In 2013, Elton had to cancel an international concert tour because he had an appendectomy. Do you still have your appendix?

A. Yes, damn it. They were supposed to take it out during one of my surgeries in the 1990s but for some reason did not. I thought it was gone until it showed up on a CT scan. I don't have much left in there but I still have that thing. And if it goes, I will too, because I am not going to have my belly slit open again.

3) In 1979, Elton John was the first Western rock star to tour the Soviet Union. Would you like to visit Russia?

A. It would be interesting, I am sure. I would go if I could be certain that I could get back into the U.S. The way things are going, I would worry about that no matter what country I visited. Incidentally, earlier this week I was looking at my blog stats, which I seldom check, and noticed that my second-largest readership (page views) comes from Russia. I have no idea why.

4) Elton and his mother hadn't spoken in years but he reached out to her and healed their beach in honor of her 90th birthday in 2015. Who is the oldest person you know?

A. My 97-year-old grandmother passed away just a few weeks ago. Now the oldest person I know would be in her late 80s, I think. No, wait, my former doctor is over 90 and still going to physical therapy. I see him there occasionally and he always gives me a big hug.

5) Flowers and plants are popular on Mother's Day. How is your yard or garden? Is it green and/or blooming?

A. We've been having flooding rains, so it is green and a bit overgrown. The only good thing about the rain is it is keeping the pollen at an acceptable level.

6) Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and St. Patrick's Day. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought?

A. I sent my nephew a congratulations card for his college graduation.

7) Sam's mother is very careful when she unwraps presents because she likes to save money by to reusing wrapping paper and gift bags. Tell us one way that you economize.

A. I take paper that has been printed on one side only and which otherwise would be recycled, cut it into squares, then staple the little pages together to use the clean side for scratch paper. It still finds its way into the recycling bin, just in smaller pieces and with writing on both sides.

8) Mother Winters used to scold Crazy Sam for leaving her dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as a grown up, she still leaves dirty dishes in the sink. How about you? Is your sink or dishwasher empty?

A. My sink is empty; the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher and it will run tonight after dinner. With only two of us we do not dirty up many dishes. I run the dishwasher at night, and then sometimes only on the rinse cycle so the dishes occasionally stay in the dishwasher for several days, particularly if we have been eating out for some reason.

9) RANDOM QUESTION: What size mattress do you sleep on -- twin, full, queen or king?

A. Queen. My husband is too long for a full-sized mattress; his feet hang over. The room isn't big enough for a king-sized bed.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. (#180)