Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe (1946)

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

 

1) In this song, Judy Garland sings about the train whistle and wheels. What sounds make you happy? There's a ton of pleasure and comfort to be derived from a cat's purr.

 

2) She tells us that, since she loves dreaming of train travel, she must have "a little gypsy in her heart." How about you? Do you often dream of visiting faraway places? Yes. If I had unlimited funds (I don't) there are vacation spots I'd love to return to. Especially Colonial Williamsburg. I loved spending half my visit immersing myself in history, the other half "in pursuit of wellness" at the resort spa. Bliss!

 

The courtyard of the Col. Williamsburg Spa

3) Judy sings about a future when she's "old and gray and settled down." At what age do you consider a person is old? I am now 65 and consider myself old. Insurance companies predict I'll live another 15 years. I am grateful I still feel as good as I do. It's funny, but whenever I think about the passage of time and aging, this same moment pops into my head. I'm 9 years old, stretched out on the grass in the backyard, reading this book. I have no idea why this book or that moment are so indelible, but they are.

4) This song is from the movie, The Harvey Girls. Filming was a time of stress for Judy. She was appearing before the cameras by day (she sprained her ankle in a scene where slips down a hill), recording the soundtrack by night, and dealing with lawyers regarding her divorce from composer David Rose. Yet watching the movie, none of the tension shows. Do you work well under pressure? Yes. I have been known to fall apart a little in private afterward, but in the moment I handle pressure well.

5) Judy relaxed on the set by knitting and would make blankets and caps for the children of crew members. Do you knit? Nope.

 

6) Judy admitted she had a problem with tardiness. Do you strive to be prompt? Pretty much. It's the result of a life spent on public transportation, which runs (or attempts to run) on schedule.

 

7) In 1946, when this song was on the radio, cigarette cases were very popular. Since these metal cases were standard issue in the Army during WWII, many soldiers got into the habit of using them and continued to after the war ended. Women often carried fabric or leather cigarette cases that closed with a clasp like a coin purse. In the 1940s, elegant cigarette cases were a fashionable gift but today, they are largely forgotten. Did you ever carry one? Do you know anyone who did? My mom's mom had one that like this. It must have been real leather because she took good care of it, often wiping it with a napkin. I remember thinking she was trying to make a dirty habit pretty.

8) Also in 1946, bikinis appeared for the first time on runways in Paris. How often did you don swimwear during 2022? Not once.

9) Random question: Thinking of your past romantic involvements, were you truly in love with one of them, some of them, or all of them? I think I've been truly in love three times, which means my answer would be, "some of them."