Saturday, August 29, 2026

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Animal Crackers in My Soup (1935)

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

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Do you eat soup all year round, or do you consider it a seasonal dish? I seldom eat soup when it's hot outside.

2) Gazpacho is a popular cold soup. Made with water-rich tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, it's considered a good choice for hot weather because it's hydrating. What are your favorite summertime foods? This summer I've had a lot of smoothies.

3) This week, Shirley Temple sings of the delights of having crackers in her soup. How often do you add crackers to your soup: always, sometimes, never? Always.

4) "Animal Crackers in My Soup" was the big musical number in the 1935 movie Curly Top. Shirley played Elizabeth, who helps her older sister find love with a handsome millionaire. Have you ever played matchmaker? If yes, were your efforts successful? I don't think I've ever fixed anyone up.

5) Gertrude Temple, Shirley's mother, was her daughter's onset hairstylist, creating the famous "curly top" with pin curls. What's your hair care regimen? Shampoo, condition, blow dray, spray. Every five weeks I get it cut/colored.

6) Bartenders are still called upon to create the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple, made with ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, and grenadine. What's the most recent alcoholic beverage you drank? Cranberry juice and vodka.

7) In 1935, when this song was popular, Amelia Earhart flew from Honolulu to Oakland, California. Are you a nervous flyer? Nervous doesn't even begin to describe it. I would describe myself as scared pissless.

8) Also in 1935, The Hoover Dam was dedicated. Today it's a popular tourist attraction, with more than 7 million visitors each year. Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Several times. For three or four days, it's great fun.

9) Random question: You get a spur-of-the-moment invitation to a meal with your best friend. Could you go wearing what you have on right now? No. I'm doing this first thing in the morning and I'm still in one of the long t-shirts I sleep in. I may be casual in my dress, but I always wear pants when I leave the house.

 


 


August Happiness Challenge – Day 28

My 2026 Happiness Icon


Today's Happiness: Late burst of energy. Yesterday I didn't accomplish much and I was OK with that. But today was shaping up the same way. I got home from my shift at the store and saw the Cubs getting creamed. So I took a nap. Then I played Farmville. Then I spent time with Scott and Zelda. Then the evening was over and I was filled with self loathing.
 
But who decides when an evening is over at my house? I do. It was 9:30 when I started cleaning the tub and the caulk surrounding it. This made me so happy – knowing that Friday wasn't wasted, and I would climb into a clean tub come Saturday morning.


Happy August Happiness Challenge!
 
Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.