Saturday 9

Saturday 9: My Favorite Things (2018)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.


1) This week's artist, Jennie Abrahamson, is very happy living in Stockholm, but she refers to Paris as "a flirt." She enjoys her time there so much she always wants to return. Is there a place you've visited that tugs at your heart and imagination, tempting you to return? Instead of being adventuresome and contemplating new destinations, I find myself daydreaming about returning to previous vacation spots: Colonial Williamsburg, Hot Springs, Boston ...

2) Jennie has said her music has been heavily influenced by 80s pop, which was popular in her early teen years. Are your favorite songs the ones you listened to when you were growing up? I guess it depends on how long you think it took me to grow up, because my favorite songs are from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

3) "My Favorite Things" is from The Sound of Music. Crazy Sam's high school claim to fame was playing Sister Margaretta in the senior class production. Though not a big part, her performance lives on because relatives love embarrassing her with pictures of her in an especially unflattering nun's habit. Who took an embarrassing photo of you? What were you doing? When I was a little girl, my uncle had a talent for catching me with my eyes closed or mouth open. He kept them to himself and didn't put them in albums or distribute them among the family. Toward the end of his life, he sent me an envelope of these embarrassing pix with playful notations on the back. I thought it was very funny, and so very him. Sensitive to the feelings of the younger Gal, but irreverent to the end.

4) The lyrics celebrate "brown paper packages tied up in

strings." What was in the last box you received in the mail? A full-sized umbrella. The box was more than 4' tall. I try to reuse packaging, but since I'm not sending anyone curtain rods any time soon, I had to regretfully toss this box away.

5) It mentions doorbells and sleighbells. What's the most recent bell or alarm that you heard? The elevator. DING!

 
6) This song has nice things to say about cold weather, specifically snowflakes and mittens. What do you like about winter? People are nicer when it's cold. The hotter the weather, the shorter the tempers.

7) Dog bites and bee stings are singled out as things that

can leave us feeling sad. What's most recently given you the blues? I'm feeling a little dauncy right now. According to that bard and philosopher, Lucy Riccardo, "dauncy" is the feeling you get when you aren't really sick but somehow still feel lousy. I'm dauncy because my whole life seems to be in a holding pattern right now. Henry is no longer in danger but he's not yet well. I don't know if I'm moving this year or not. I have a job, but not a career, and I'm just hanging on until I can retire ... Blah, blah, blah. Dauncy.

8) In 2018, when this song was released, Roger Federer won the Australian Open. Are you good with a racket? Ha! No!

9) Random question -- Your local zoo announced the hatching of three snowy owlets. All males. You won the honor of naming them. Go ahead. The biggest one would be Hoss, the wisest baby owl would be Adam and the cutest would be Joe.

I've missed her!

My oldest friend and I had a long phone conversation last night. Early this morning, actually. I happened to be up -- believe it or not, the dry skin on my back was so itchy it actually awakened me! -- when she sent a text about her computer being down.

Just the text meant a lot to me. When she goes to her dark place, she's completely incommunicado. I try to respect her need for space, but it worries me when she withdraws.

But the call! Bliss! I brought her up to date on my both my glamorous chiropractor and possible 2019 move. She told me about her extensive dental work -- root canal, two extractions and a partial plate -- all paid for by MediCal. I am so happy to hear about this. I've been worried about her teeth for over a year now. With her money woes and more pressing health problems, she just hasn't had the resources to attend to them, till now.

Then we talked about Tom Selleck. Yeah, it seems like a non sequitur. But the original Magnum as always been one of the loves of her life.

We laughed. It made me so happy. I told her the truth, which is that I think of her easily a dozen times a day. "You, too, dear," she said. Then we each said, "I love you," and I went to sleep.

Color me happy.