Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral (1944)

Selected because this Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day. Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

   

1) Bing Crosby sings that he learned this song from his mother. Can you recall a song from your early childhood? My favorite song from music class was about spring. I still remember the lyrics: "Water from mountain flows, melted from winter snows, turning it gaily goes, circling the maple tree. Water from mountain flows, melted from winter snows, turning it gaily goes, calling to me, HEY!" I loved when we yelled, "HEY!" I googled the lyrics and found it's from a Czech folk song called "Ah Lovely Meadows." Apparently primary school teachers are still sharing it with their young students.

 

2) Bing was NBC's first choice to play TV's Columbo. He turned down the role because, by that time, he was in his 60s and just didn't feel like working a full week anymore. Peter Falk eventually got the part and played Det. Columbo for 10 seasons. Do you enjoy detective stories, whether on TV, in movies or in books? Oh, yes! Kinsey Milhone of Sue Grafton's alphabet series Robert Parker's Spenser are my favorite book-ish private investigators. On TV, my all-time fave police detective is Lennie Briscoe from Law and Order.

3) Bing could trace his family back to County Cork. While it's said that on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish, can you honestly claim Irish heritage? I'm 1/8 Irish. I haven't done an ancestry kit, so I'm going by what I've been told. My dad's mom was 1/2 Irish, which made my dad 1/4 Irish, and me 1/8.

 

4) Other than St. Patrick, what is Ireland famous for? My uncle loved visiting Ireland and raved about the crystal glassware. He said it was manufactured to be used and enjoyed, not left on the shelf and admired.

5) "The wearing o' the green" is one way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Will you wear something green in honor of the day? If I remember. Now that I'm working from home, I give my attire way less consideration.

6) Have you ever had green beer? I don't believe I ever have. And you know what? I'm OK with that.

7) Have you ever ordered a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's? Yes. I miss McDonald's. During covid I've kept a pretty small footprint, but I could use a Big Mac.

Imagine this in silver

8) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm? Yes. It's really quite silly, but it makes me feel better. I was at the airport, sitting in one of those awful chairs outside the gate, and I saw something shiny on the floor. It was a charm that had obviously fallen off a child's bracelet. The charm shows Joseph holding Mary who is holding Jesus. I am frightened of flying, so I took spotting that charm on that dirty airport carpet as a sign and I slipped it in my jeans pocket. It's on my dresser right now, waiting to join me on my next flight.

9) Speaking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious.  What brand of cereal is in your kitchen right now? Honey Bunches of Oats.