Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Autumn in New York (1947)

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

1) In this song, Frank Sinatra sings that autumn in New York is inviting. How are you enjoying fall where you are? This is my favorite time of year! Today may reach 70º and the trees are showing some color.

2) He tells us the "canyons of steel" (aka skyscrapers) make him feel like he's home. What's something you love about your neighborhood? It's so walkable. There's a corner I pass several times a week -- seems it's en route to everywhere I'm headed -- that has a church on either side of the street. There's something uplifting about looking up between the steeples and seeing the clear blue sky.

3) Frank Sinatra was self-conscious about the scar on his cheek. The doctor used forceps to deliver him and left a mark. Tell us about one of your scars. I have a long scar that begins just beneath my belly button and runs south as far as it will go. It's from my hysterectomy. (Damn! There goes my Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover!)

4) Frank was a creature of habit. Every time he visited Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York he ordered the same dessert: lemon ricotta torte. Do you enjoy trying new dishes, or do you prefer to stick with your old favorites? I'm like Frank. My tummy can be awfully sensitive and so I tend to stick with what I know is safe.

5) "Autumn in New York" was written by New Yorker Vernon Duke during a hot summer vacation in Westport, CT. Have you ever been homesick? I'm homesick every time I go away. I miss my cats. I miss The Cubs. I enjoy vacations, but I always want to come home.

6) In 1947, when this recording made the Top 30, Daniel and Patricia were the most popular baby names. Are there any Daniels or Patricias in your life? There have been, but not right now.

7) Elton John was born in 1947. When you think of Elton John, what's the first song that comes to mind? Buh-buh-buh-buh Bennie and the Jets.

8) Radio was America's most accessible form of entertainment in 1947 and a mystery, The Adventures of Ellery Queen, was one of the most popular shows. Do you enjoy mysteries? Yes. I just finished one of the Andy Carpenter mysteries by David Rosenfelt and enjoyed it thoroughly.

9) Random question: What were you most excited about when you woke up this morning? Game 5 of the Yankees and Guardians. My favorite-most ball player is one game away from the World Series! Anthony Rizzo may have two fractured fingers, but he's going for another ring. Love him, love him, love him!

The teal glove helps accommodate his painful fingers