Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Papa, Can You Hear Me? (1984)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.



1) The song begins with a prayer to "God, our Heavenly Father." Do you often pray? Every day, all the time. I don't do it in a conventional way, though. I talk to God during those moments when my mind is otherwise quiet: folding laundry, doing the dishes, washing my hair ...

2) This song is from the movie Yentl. Set in the early 1900s, it tells the story of a Polish girl determined to receive a religious education, even though the custom of the day banned girls from studying the Talmud. What subject do you wish you knew more about? Sabermetrics. My nephew knows this stuff inside and out, and I love talking baseball with him. He's 21 now, but when he was a little boy, we used to read the Sunday sports page together. I taught him about batting averages and ERAs. Now the student has far surpassed the master when he talks about OPS and WAR.

No more squinting for Connie!

3) It took Streisand more than 15 years to get Yentl made. Studios initially rejected the project, telling her that audiences no longer want to see musicals. Then, because it centered on Judaism, she was told it was "too ethnic." But Yentl was a success at the box office, becoming one of the most profitable movies of the year -- and since Barbra was producer, director and star, she enjoyed those profits. Tell us about a time you're glad you stuck with something. This is Connie. When I first adopted her, I was told that she was "special needs." She came to the shelter from a hoarder who was unable to give her proper care, so she was a mess. She arrived there pregnant with a litter of dead kittens, most likely because the diet she'd been on was so inadequate. By the time I brought her home, the shelter's vet had taken care of that problem, but her eyes were cloudy, her gums were mushy and her breath was terrible.

I wasn't deterred. It took months of medication, and she'll be on a special diet and a supplement for life, but she's fine now. Her eyes are clear and her teeth are good. She's such a snuggle bug. I am grateful she's here every day. 

If you're presented with the opportunity to save the life of a shelter animal with special needs, consider it. You may find, like I did, that you really are up to the challenge.

4) The movie, and this song, were so popular that they earned a parody on The Simpsons. (See it here.)  That video has had more than 250,000 views. Before the Yentl parody, what's the last YouTube video you watched? Liza Minnelli singing "I Gotcha." After seeing Krysta Rodriguez perform it in Netflix' Halston, I wanted to see the real thing again. I hate the song but I love the dancing. This is how I move in my head. Not with my legs in real life, but in my dreams.

5) Barbra Streisand's father died suddenly, the result of complications after an epileptic seizure, just after her first birthday. He held degrees in both English Literature and Education and was a school superintendent. Do you know anyone who made a career in education? My Cousin Rose was a junior-high geography teacher for more than a decade, but when she married and moved New Mexico, she embarked on a different career path. Today, our blogging buddy Kwizgiver is the only teacher I know.

6) Sam's own father wasn't an educator, but he is crazy about the local library. He's there so much the librarians greet him by name. Do you have a library card? Yes! I've given it quite a workout since Covid19 began. I hope this is a good habit I'll maintain.

7) For family barbecues, Sam's dad proudly dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you cooked on the grill? I prepared a hotdog on my handy George Foreman grill.

8) He takes his grilling very seriously and jealously guards his marinade recipe. Do you have a recipe you're willing to share this morning? Not a recipe, really, but a tip. I recently learned that honey mustard salad dressing can make a decent marinade and will give a cheaper cut of meat a flavor kick. (Did everyone know this already? It was new to me!)

9) Sam's father hates it when his daughter swears. What's the latest curse word you used? (It's OK, we don't blush easily.) "Hell." When I couldn't remember where I left my water bottle, I said, "What the ever-loving hell did I do with it?"