Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Don't Take Your Love from Me (1956)

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

1) In this song, Doris Day sings about what happens when you take a petal from a rose. When did you last get or give flowers as a gift? Years ago. Though I am thinking of doing it over the holidays. My niece's in-laws may be hosting both sides of the family on Christmas Day and that's a lot of people! Maybe I'll send something that arrives a few days early so they won't bother with a centerpiece. Or maybe not. They have a cat, and a cat will look at a floral arrangement and say, "Salad bar!"

 

2) This song is about a woman who fears losing her love. What's the most recent thing you lost? (Hopefully it's not as consequential as a great love. It could be as small or unimportant as the back of one of your pierced earrings.) My most frequent request to Alexa is, "Call my phone." I'm always sure I left it either in purse or on the kitchen counter. You'd be surprised how often it gets up and moves itself.

 

3) Doris was known as The All-American Girl Next Door. Who lives next door to you? Across the hall is Zoraida. She works for Chase Bank (and has the most glorious eyelashes you have ever seen). Next door is Mark. Like me, he's on the condo board. I wish he was friendlier – then unitowners would knock on his door and not mine.

 

4) As a young girl, Doris Day was passionate about dance. She recalled that concentrating on her lessons helped distract her from the pain and embarrassment of her parents' divorce. When you want to escape from what's troubling you, what do you do? I read. I fart around on the internet. I cuddle a cat.

5) The maitre d' at one of Doris' favorite restaurants wanted to ask her out. Knowing how she loved her dogs, he impressed her by handing her a bag of meat scraps and bones to take home. They began dating and, in 1976, he became her last husband. What's the best way to your heart? I think I'm with Doris on this one. If I know you adopted a shelter pet, you automatically have a gold star from me.

 

6) Over her long career, Doris received Golden Globe and Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, honored for being one of the most celebrated women to have been born there. Name a famous person born in your home state. Illinois can claim four presidents: Reagan, Grant, Obama and, of course, our greatest President, Mr. Lincoln himself. Of those four, only one was born here – Ronald Reagan. He lived here through college and then went off to California to become an actor. 

 

He was born in Tampico, IL, but grew up in Dixon (about a half hour away)

7) She was frank about her financial difficulties, yet some people are uncomfortable discussing money. Are you one of those people? No. I've learned to be more circumspect because I know other people are kinda weird about money, but it doesn't bother me. Here's a true story: I was waiting in line at the bank. Two women were talking and one was wondering aloud if the dental hygienist could tell that she had recently performed oral sex. She was discussing her penchant for blow jobs but kept her thumb over the dollar amount of her cash deposit, lest I learn that about her. Go figure.

8) In 1956, when Doris released this song, The Wizard of Oz was shown on network TV for the first time. What movie have you seen multiple times? I've seen this at least a dozen times. Albert Finney is my Poirot. I love the idea of a luxury train. I love the costumes. I'd rather have just the cuisine and the clothes, but if I have to ride along with a dead body to get them, so be it.

 

9) Random question: Would you rather have a chef or a chauffeur? Oh, a chauffeur! 100%. I don't drive and it would be such a relief to never wonder how I'm getting from hither to yon.