Saturday 9: Son of a Preacher Man

Haven't done a Saturday 9 post in quite a while. Well, actually, I haven't done any blogging at all for weeks now. Where've I been? Hmmm. Good question. More on that later. But for now....

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield

Listen to it HERE.

1. This song was originally offered to Aretha Franklin, who turned it down. What's the most recent thing that you said "no" to?

This is interesting. I really can't remember saying no to much of anything lately. I must be going through a positive energy phase. I passed up a couple of samples offered at Costco today — does that count?

2. Two years later, Aretha recorded "Son of a Preacher Man." What's something you changed your mind about?

Hawaii. I always thought people exaggerated when they called it paradise. Then I went there and found out they were absolutely correct.

3. This song tells the tale of Billy Ray, a young man who could be very persuasive. If we wanted to change your mind about something, would you be more easily swayed by an emotional argument, or with verifiable facts?

I'm tempted to say "just the facts," but actually it would probably depend on what that "something" is, and who's doing the persuading. I can ignore emotional arguments from some folks, but not from others. 

4. If you ordered a "Son of a Preacher Man" in a bar, you'd get a cocktail made with peppermint schnapps, gin and lemonade. When did you last have lemonade? Was it just lemonade, or was it spiked with alcohol?

Can't remember the last time I had lemonade, spiked or otherwise. Never been a big fan of the stuff. I'm more likely to have iced tea or a soft drink. Or limeade. 

5. Dusty had a thing for maps. She admired them artistically and enjoyed using them to take long car trips. Do you use printed maps? Or do you rely on technology, like GPS or Google Maps?

Both, old school and techie. But I "have a thing" for maps too, and have a small collection of old ones that I just can't throw away. 

6. As a girl, she attended convent school. There, one of the nuns discouraged Dusty from performing, telling her that if she would do better to be a mother or a librarian. When you were growing up, did the adults in your world encourage your dreams?

No, not at all. Sad but true. 

7. That nun inspired Dusty's first major act of rebellion. In an attempt to make herself look less like a future librarian or housewife, she bleached her hair platinum blonde. In school, were you much of a rebel? Or did you conform to the expectations adults had of you?

I was always too much of a rule-follower to be a real rebel. But in high school I did have my own agenda and kept pretty focused on it, and that made me sort of non-conformist.

8. Early in her career, Dusty provided the entertainment at a family summer camp. She appeared on the bill with a clown, a fire-eater and a hypnotist. Have you ever been hypnotized?

Yes.

9. Random question: Have you ever played matchmaker to your friends? If yes, did your efforts lead to romance?

Yes, I've played matchmaker. The Hubs and I once tried to "fix up" a couple of our friends who we thought were perfect for each other. They met, and loathed each other on sight. Never gonna try that again!

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

For more Saturday 9 Q&A, just click on this button:

Saturday 9: Chattanooga Choo-Choo

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Chattanooga Choo-Choo" by Glenn Miller

Listen to it HERE.

Glenn Miller was my mother's favorite band leader when she was a young woman.

She always said that she and my father sort of considered Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" their song.

I don't recall her saying anything much about "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." 

1.  Chattanooga is Tennessee's fourth largest city. Have you ever visited Tennessee? If so, where did you go and what did you see?

I have been to Tennessee many times, although never as an actual destination. When we lived up on the East Coast and drove to Texas for visits, Tennessee was always a good stopping point. Camped out several times in one or another of their lovely state parks. (Natchez Trace has great facilities.) And we spent a very pleasant evening exploring Beale Street in Memphis on one trip — delicious gumbo and great music. Also went to see Graceland once, but we were on a tight schedule and only got as far as the gates. 

Graceland from the front gates, 2004

Didn't even have time to leave graffiti on the walls. Do they still allow that?

Graffiti on Graceland's wall

Since Glenn Miller's recording of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" was awarded the first-ever gold record, we're going to devote the next questions to your firsts.

2. What was the first award or accolade you ever won?

The earliest one I can remember is a spelling bee I won back in second or third grade. Actually, I might have come in second. But I got a little gold paper "medal" with a white ribbon attached. I was thrilled.

3. We know about your blog. But which was the first social media site that you posted to? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, MySpace ...)

I did have a MySpace account in the very early days — almost forgot about that. I got it because I heard Grace Slick had one and I wanted to see what she posted. But I never did anything with mine. (Gracie never really did anything with hers, either.) I've never been much of a social media person. Even now, I only have a Facebook account because so many of my family and friends are there. But I frequently forget about it for weeks at a time. Never got involved in any of the early things like chat rooms or bulletin boards, either. I did post a few questions on some of the old genealogy info-seeking websites in the '90s. But I think my first real internet presence was actually my book blog (just called Joy's Blog in those days, now A Little Reading).

4. Where did you go on your first plane ride?

Mexico City.

5. Tell us about your first cell phone.

We got our first cell phone back in the late '90s (1998 maybe?) and it was huge (and heavy) by today's standards. It didn't do much of anything, just made phone calls. No internet connection or camera. (This was probably before phones started getting "smart"?) It had a little carrying case that would clip onto your belt. We had it for years. One day the hubby left it in the men's room of an Olive Garden (or maybe Chili's) in Fall's Church, Virginia, and when he went back to look for it, the staff had it waiting for him and said they'd been pretty sure it was a phone but had never seen one that old. We knew it was time for an upgrade.

6. Tell us about your first tattoo: Where is it on your body? Where did you have it done? What does it depict?

A tattoo? Moi? Surely you jest. Actually, I've always sort of wanted to get a tattoo, but if I did I'm not sure the Hubs would let me back in the house. I suppose I could get one and not tell him, and just see how long it takes him to notice.

7. How old were you when you had your first piercing?

My first piercing? I'm assuming we're not talking vaccinations here, right? Only my ears are pierced, folks. And I was in my twenties when that happened. 

8. What had you been drinking the first time you suffered a hangover?

That's way too long ago to remember. Probably bourbon and Coke. 

9. Was your first ticket for parking or was it a moving violation?

I have never been ticketed. Never even had a warning. I am a very careful driver.

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

For more Saturday 9 Q&A, just click on this button:

SkyWatch Friday: Ghost Moon

I always love it when the moon comes up before the sky starts to darken in the evenings. It looks so pretty up there in the pale blue. A little ghostly, too — perfect for this time of year.

For more sky shots, click on the button above.

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 766

Haven't muttered in a while. These mutterings are for the week of October 8th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Stock :: cattle, supply
2. Village :: Voice (Do they still publish this paper? I once wrote a poem about sending a letter to the Village Voice. Long, long ago.)
3. Show :: Biz
4. Heartbreak :: Hotel (We miss you, Elvis. Oh, yes we do.)
5. Ding! :: Dong! 
6. Had to :: ...go to the dentist this week (Bummer.)
7. Henry :: Fonda, Ford, the 8th
8. Pasta :: YUM!!! (Lead me to it!)
9. Theft :: loss, robbery
10. River :: San Antonio
    

Photo for Wednesday: Great Horned Owl

Travis County TX

October 2017

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Linking up with:

Weekly Ramblings

Some odds and ends from the past week, in no particular order. Actually, from the past couple of weeks.

🌼 Well, M and I are back from the Hawaii trip, and pretty much adjusted to being home again. Honolulu is so gorgeous and I do love going there. But the trip from/to Austin is long and exhausting. Of course, when you get there, you get scenery like this.

... and this.

I'm sure I'll be posting more Hawaii photos in the days to come. I took hundreds!

🌼 I had a birthday! Went out for lunch, to celebrate. Just Olive Garden, but hey! — they're just about my favorite restaurant in this area. The Hubs took a photo to prove I was there (I'm usually the one doing the snapping, and therefore often not in the picture). Next time, must remember to remove the eyewear!

So now I'm over 70! Pretty scary. But Google tells me Susan Sarandon, Sally Field, Diane Keaton, Susan Lucci, and Cher were all born in 1946, too. So I'm in pretty good company.

🌼 I got a birthday card!

It's from my cuzzie MLB, and really perked me up. An actual card sent through the mail is a rarity these days, at least for me. No one I know sends "real" cards anymore, and e-cards are sort of going out of style too, what with the popularity of texting and Facebook and all the other social media sites. My husband's aunt usually sends cards — her birthday is in September, too. But she and her family live in the Houston area, and were a little preoccupied this year. (They were all fine, although they did have some flooding.)

🌼 The weather here has been really nice since we got home from the trip. Lots of sunshine, high temps in the 90s and not much rain, although it's been very humid. In fact, we've had so much moisture in the air, we got a very pretty rainbow the other day even though there was no actual rain anywhere around.

Guess that's it for now. More ramblings next week. Maybe.

Saturday 9: Don't Talk To Strangers

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Don't Talk To Strangers" by Rick Springfield

Listen to it HERE.

I didn't think I'd heard this song before, but when I went and took a look at the video on YouTube, it did seem a little familiar. I guess it just didn't make much of an impression back in 1982. Which is weird because I was sort of an MTV junkie back then. Never a Rick Springfield fan, though.

1. When did you recently have a conversation with a complete stranger? What did you two discuss?

Well, while we were on vacation recently, I talked to lots of strangers, but didn't have any real conversations with many of them. I think the closest we came was a short exchange we had with the lady who sold my husband a Hawaiian shirt. Turns out, she has a son who's moving to Austin to work for Dell — so she was interested in anything we could tell her. Mention Austin and you can usually get a conversation going. 

2. In the video for this song, a woman is having a "hot" conversation on a corded, rotary dial phone in her bedroom. Do you have a landline? If so, do you have an extension in your bedroom? 

We do have a landline. And yes, there is an extension in our bedroom even though we never use the phone there. 

3. This week's artist, Rick Springfield, says he wrote this song when he was worried that his girlfriend (now his wife) would cheat on him when he was touring. Would you describe yourself as suspicious or trusting?

Probably more trusting than I should be.

4. He became a daytime heartthrob as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. Do you think it would be cool to have a really attractive doctor? Or would it make you uncomfortable?

I do have a really attractive doctor. She's gorgeous. Also very sweet and a wonderful doctor. If she were a gorgeous male doctor, yes I think it might make me a little uncomfortable. Actually, it makes me a little uncomfortable that she's also my husband's doctor. 

5. He's discussed how sad he was when, as a boy, he had to leave his dog Elvis behind when the family left Australia. While you were growing up, did your family often move? 

Fortunately, no. From birth to age 10, I lived in only two different houses and really only remember one of them. Then after my father died, my mother moved us back in with her parents, and that's where I stayed until I got married and moved into my own place. (That's very sad about Rick's dog. A pet is a family member, and that must have been a very traumatic experience.)

6. In 1982, when this song was popular, Italy won the World Cup. Do you ever watch soccer?

Not often, although I have enjoyed the few games I've watched.

7. "Smiley," the first emoticon, was introduced in 1982. Do you use emoticons in your communication? Or do you avoid them?

I'm not an emoticon user or enthusiast. I don't actually avoid them, I just never think about using them. Probably just a generational thing.

8. The Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC, in 1982. Do you know any veterans of that conflict? If so, tell us about him or her.

I don't really like thinking about the Vietnam War. I don't know many people who served in the military during that period, but I know a lot of people who were affected by the war even though they weren't doing any actual fighting. Some made it through OK. Some didn't. Some of the memories are not happy ones.

9. Random Question:  Your friends are throwing a birthday "roast" in your honor. Which one quality of yours are you sure will be singled out for laughs?

This is a tough one to answer. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone I know throwing a "roast" in my honor. It just wouldn't happen. I don't know any "roaster" types, and I'm not a good candidate for being a "roastee."

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

For more Saturday 9 Q&A, just click on this button:

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 762

Haven't muttered in a while. These mutterings are for the week of September 10th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Virus :: flu shot, computers 
2. Checkbook :: balance
3. Cackle :: crows, witches, Little Lulu comics (Witch Hazel was always saying "Cackle, cackle!")
   
   
   
4. Tooth :: -ache (...not at the moment, but don't remind me.)
5. Uber :: new age taxicabs (Causing a major controversy, down the road in Austin.)
6. Breach :: security
7. 2020 :: good vision
8. Pod :: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
9. Website :: blah blah blah....
10. Suspicious :: doubtful, wary

Time for a Little Break....

Joysweb will be on vacation for the next few weeks. See ya in September.

Saturday 9: Sgt. Pepper

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
by The Beatles

...because I recommended it! Thanks so much!

1. The Beatles recorded this after they had taken a three-month hiatus from working together as a band. Do you find you're sharp after taking time off? Or does it take you a while to get back into the swing of things in your day-to-day life?

Well, I'm retired, so I suppose you could say all my time now is "time off." But I find that when we go on vacation or any other trip away from home, I do indeed need a day or two to sort of get back to normal. 

2. During those three months off, John Lennon made a movie called How I Won the War. What's the last movie you watched? Did you view it at a theater, on TV, or from a device like a computer or tablet?

The last movie I watched was The Dunwich Horror, an old Sandra Dee/Dean Stockwell screamer based (loosely, anyway) on several horror tales by H.P. Lovecraft. It was on TCM a few weeks back and I DVR'd it, then the hubby and I watched it the other night. I had seen it before many years ago and wanted to see if it was as bad as I remembered it being.... It was.

3. Paul McCartney and George Harrison both used their time off to make new and different music. Paul composed instrumentals for a movie soundtrack while George studied sitar with Ravi Shankar. Ringo Starr spent those three months with his wife and their two little boys. If you had three months to spend doing anything you wanted, and money was no object, would you try something new (like Paul and George) or just kick back and relax (like Ringo)?

Again, I'm retired. So I could take three months and do pretty much anything I wanted with them. And I'm not really a big spender, so I suppose you could say money really isn't too much of an object. As long as it doesn't require a Trump-level fortune, I can probably do whatever strikes my fancy. My fancy usually just wants to stay home.

4. Paul recalls what fun it was to dress up in Edwardian-era costumes for the album cover. When did you last attend a costume party? What did you wear?

Wow, it's been a really long time. Like decades. Back in the 1980s and '90s, we had a group of friends and colleagues who would get together from time to time to have dinner, and read plays aloud. And sometimes we'd dress up in costumes to go along with the plays. We were expected to improvise the outfits — no rentals. The last time I remember doing that, I think the play was Private Lives by Noel Coward, and we all dressed up in late 1920s/ early 1930s outfits (the play was first performed in 1930). Here's a shot of moi dressed for the occasion, complete with cigarette holder and cocktail:

5. Paul says he came up with the name "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" when Beatle friend Mal Evans told him about this great San Francisco band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. Paul hadn't heard their music yet, but he loved the sound of their six-word band name. Soon everyone would hear of Big Brother. Do you know who Big Brother's famous lead singer was?

If you're from Texas (I am) and lived in Austin during the 1960s (I did), you're most likely pretty familiar with Janis Joplin. 

6. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band appeared on the Billboard charts for 175 weeks. Is this album in your collection?

It is. I have the original vinyl version and I think I have a CD of it too. Also on the iPod. Possibly in our Sonos music library too.

7. The Beatles are among the top-selling artists of all time in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Would you like to visit Africa?

Hmmm. I suppose it would depend on where in Africa I might be visiting. I'm not really a jungle enthusiast. Bugs. Snakes. Humidity. Big hungry animals with gigantic teeth. Quicksand. Malaria.... Bugs.

8. 50 years ago, when Sgt. Pepper was first released, the average price for gas was 33¢/gallon. When did you last fill up your gas tank? Do you remember how much it cost?

I don't pump gas. We just have the one car at the moment, and I don't really drive it a lot so I let the Hubs do the honors when it needs a fill-up. But I don't think we've filled the tank in the last week or so. Haven't used the car much this month because we've been doing a lot of redecorating work around the house and mostly staying home. I have no idea how much the last fill-up cost. 

9. Random question: Are most of your married friends happily married?

Um. As far as I know? In general, I don't delve too deeply into my friends' marital relationships. I hope they're happy. 

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

For more Saturday 9 Q&A, just click on this button:

Willy Nilly Friday

This is my first Willy Nilly Friday post. Hope I'm doing it right. Five random things. I love random!

1. The weather has been truly gorgeous this week. Sunny and mostly clear (although VERY hot).

2. Looks like the garden is just about finished for this season. The heat really got to the tomatoes and dill this year, and the squash never even got started. About the only thing still going strong is the basil— it's parched, but keeps right on growing. I need to make some pesto.

3. What we've been spending all our time on lately. Finally getting bookshelves in the study! Nearly floor-to-ceiling, and white, white, white!

4. And some storage units in the craft/guest room. Also new carpet in both rooms. It's taken us five years (since we first moved into this house) to get it done, but now that we've made a start it seems to be going along pretty smoothly.

5. The Rotunda, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Designed by Thomas Jefferson, begun in 1822 and completed in 1826, shortly after his death. Charlottesville has been in my thoughts a lot this week. Naturally, I guess. The university campus is so lovely, and I hate to think of any violence taking place there. This shot was taken quite a while back, during a visit in the summer of 2003. I like to believe it still looks the same.

Also linking up with SkyWatch Friday.

For more sky shots, click on the button above.

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 758

Mutterings for the week of August 14th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Broken :: ...promise; ...bone; ...heart; ...spirit
2. Compromised :: came to an agreement; worked together (something our legislators used to do)
3. Delayed :: postponed, put off
4. Ligament :: tissue
5. Dramatic :: performance
6. Fanatic :: zealot
7. Exotic :: dancer
8. Weeks :: days
9. Walk it off :: Peyton Manning (from an old TV commercial he was in)
10. Bruised :: injured, hurt; fruit, ego

Saturday 9: Start Me Up

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones

Listen to it HERE.

1. That's a goat wearing a high heel. What's on your feet as you answer these questions?

A pair of light gray terry cloth Isotoner slip-ons, size Medium.

2. More fashion: In the video for this song, Mick is wearing white pants with an elastic waistband. Are you wearing a belt as you answer these questions?

No, I am not. Oddly enough, I am wearing white pants with an elastic waistband. Obviously channeling Mick. He is skinnier.

3. In this song, Mick pleads, "Don't make a grown man cry." When is the last time you shed a tear?

Seems I answer this question a lot, or versions of it. Same answer: can't really remember the last time I cried. I don't do a lot of weeping.

4. Keith Richard has said this is a song he could play "forever and ever." What in your life doesn't get old, no matter how often you do it?

Just sitting around, chatting about this and that with the hubby. Sounds boring, I know, but it's my favorite thing.

5. While The Rolling Stones enjoy performing songs, like this one, from Tattoo You, Mick Jagger has dismissed the songs from their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request as "rubbish." Do you have a favorite Rolling Stones song?

I love the Stones, and really it would be impossible to choose just one favorite among all their tunes. If I had to pick one? Maybe "Sympathy for the Devil"? Or "Gimme Shelter"? Or "Satisfaction"? Or "Let It Bleed"? Or "Wild Horses"? Or "You Can't Always Get What You Want"? Or ??? 

Strange that Mick would call the Satanic Majesties album rubbish — "She's a Rainbow" was always one of my favorites too, and it's from that album.

6. This recording of "Start Me Up" features a cowbell. Do you remember which Saturday Night Live host made, "More cowbell!" a catchphrase?

No. I stopped watching SNL after the early '80s. So if this was more recent, I probably wouldn't have seen it.

7. Bassist Bill Wyman once said he thought he should have been a archivist because he loved to make lists. Do you have a to-do list?

I have many lists, to-do and otherwise. Love making all kinds of lists. I've also always thought I should have been an archivist. Bill and I should get together sometime and compare lists.

8. Mick finds it hard to stand still when he sings, not only on stage but also in the studio. The engineer for this song reports that Mick would have to run across the room to get back to the microphone for his vocal. Are you more fidgety, or still?

Yes. Both. Sometimes active. Sometimes dormant. Hmmm. Does that make me sound a little too much like a volcano? Well, I do erupt sometimes.

9. Random question: Do you believe men are inherently more sensible than women?

Say WHAT????

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

For more Saturday 9 Q&A, just click on this button:

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 757

Mutterings for the week of August 7th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Headache :: migraine (Haven't had one in a while, fortunately.)
2. Leftover :: doggy bag 
3. Corrupt :: politicians (Sorry if I'm stepping on any toes here.)
4. Vent :: let off steam 
5. Equipment :: tools 
6. Jack :: Nicholson
7. Business :: commerce, employment, transaction (All the boring stuff.)
8. Joint :: getting stoned (Child of the '60s, y'know.) 
9. Internship :: learning period, apprenticeship 
10. Pain :: headache

Random Musings: Monday 8/07/2017

Thoughts for today:

● There should be a law against rain on Mondays. Storms overnight with some really vicious thunder and lightning; then, rain most of the morning. The sun peeked out later in the afternoon, but the early rain had already triggered my seasonal affective disorder blues. Mostly spent the day sitting around, hoping for better weather. And eventually, it showed up!

● Downloaded one of the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters (pseudonym of Edith Mary Pargeter, 1913-1955) to my Kindle today. It's set in 1139 and that got me thinking — if I'd been born in any earlier time, I would never have lived to be this old. In fact, I probably wouldn't have survived infancy — the whooping cough I had as a baby would have killed me. So thankful for modern science!

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 756

Mutterings for the week of July 31st. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Baby:: ...doll
2. Hoops :: basketball (Go, Spurs!)
3. Vulnerable :: at risk
4. Literally :: really, exactly, word-for-word; sort of the opposite of virtually (though they seem to be used interchangeably these days)
5. Relationship :: connection
6. Best :: ...friend, ...In Show, ...Western Hotel
7. Aggressive :: pushy, violent, unstoppable 
8. Comfort :: Texas (a very pretty little area, northwest of San Antonio)
9. Tunnel :: disappointing mini-series on PBS
10. Cancer :: too scary to mutter about

Saturday 9: Angel

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan

Listen to it HERE.

1. Sarah McLachlan wrote this song about someone she barely knew. She read the obit of Jonathan Melvoin, keyboard player for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of a heroin overdose. What's the most recent news story that touched you deeply?

Well, first of all, I'm very sorry to hear about Jonathan Melvoin, even though I had never heard of him before and don't really know anything about Smashing Pumpkins. And honestly, aside from political news, I don't actually pay a great deal of attention to all the current event stories going around. But the story of Charlie Gard, the English infant on life support, was one that caught my attention recently. Very sad. 

2. Ms. McLachlan performed this in tribute to Linda McCartney at the 1999 Concert for Linda. She was expressing her hope that, in death, Linda found relief and peace after a long and painful battle with cancer. What do you think happens to us when we die?

Wow. Well, I'm not religious, so I don't really believe in any sort of afterlife heaven or hell. I do, however, believe that energies can somehow linger on. OK, folks — I'll just go on and admit it — I've seen ghosts. And that's hard to square with the "no afterlife" theory. Guess I should just say "Not sure" and leave it at that.

3. Daytime dramas General Hospital and As the World Turns used this song on-air after a major character died. Do you follow any "soap operas?"

Just the ongoing Trump Family Saga — does that count? Seriously, I didn't even know there were any soaps left. Thought they'd been replaced by talk and game shows. For a while back in the '70s I watched All My Children pretty seriously, but never followed any of the others. But I'm old enough to remember the ones my mother used to listen to on radio — The Guiding Light, One Man's Family, Our Gal Sunday, Lorenzo Jones, Backstage Wife, Young Widder Brown.

4. In 2007, Sarah donated her recording of this song to the ASPCA. Do you have a pet? If yes, how did you get it (shelter, pet store, etc.)?

No pets at the moment. When I was a child, I had a parakeet that flew into our yard one day, and got captured by my father. We named him Tweety because he told us that was his name (yes, he really could talk). He used to imitate my mother calling my name in the mornings to wake me up. Also had a wonderful toy fox terrier given to me by a neighbor of my grandparents. And the hubby and I used to have cats that came from a grad school friend who had taken in a mamma cat with a bunch of kittens. 

5. She admits she can't watch those ASPCA commercials, where her recording of "Angel" plays over sad photos of animals. Is there a TV commercial that really gets to you (in either a good or a bad way)?

Yes, those ASPCA commercials. I feel the same way — just can't watch 'em, even though I'm an animal lover and an ASPCA supporter. I switch channels, or mute the sound, or leave the room when one comes on. Aside from that, there are many, many, many TV commercials that "get to" me — usually in a bad way. I do like funny commercials, though. Here in central Texas, we have a supermarket chain (HEB Stores) that makes commercials featuring players from the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, and they're always very funny and clever and fun to watch. 

6. In 1994, Sarah was stalked by an obsessed fan. Tell us about a time you were really frightened. In retrospect, was your fear commensurate with the threat?

I'm a very nervous person. Many things make me jumpy. I worry a lot. But I don't really frighten easily. (OK — tornadoes do sort of terrify me. And I definitely try to stay away from these giant hornets we've got around here.) Most of the time I can reason myself out of being afraid of things. I suppose the one time I can remember being really frightened was when my father died. I was ten years old, and pretty much scared out of my wits. Was the fear commensurate? I'd say yes. The world as I had known it up to then just changed overnight. Life reorganized itself. I got on with it, but nothing was ever the same.

7. Sarah was adopted by Jack and Dorice McLachlan. Though she has a friendly relationship with her birth mother, she always considered Dorice her mother and sees herself behaving with her son the way Dorice did with her. Is there anyone in your family that you feel you resemble, either physically or by behavior?

Definitely. In fact, the older I get, the more I seem to look and behave like many of my family members — my mother and father, both my grandmothers, several aunts, and especially one cousin. I guess whether we like it or not, heredity eventually catches up with us.

8. McLachlan is one of the founders of Lilith Fair, a summer concert series designed to showcase talented female performers. Do/did your summer plans include an outdoor concert?

No plans for any concerts, outdoors or in. Actually, I haven't been to any kind of concert in quite a while. And I don't do a lot of outdoor activities this time of year. Even at night, the heat in this part of Texas makes that kind of unappealing. 

9. Random question: Which of these men would you most like to be seated with at dinner -- Clint Eastwood, Prince William or Jimmy Fallon?

Definitely Jimmy!

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

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SkyWatch Friday

The Austin area had some scary-good rainstorms blow through recently. I caught a few photos of one of them a couple weeks back. Actually, the rain was probably happening somewhere between Austin and our place, maybe Lakeway? Whatever ... it produced some pretty dramatic skies.

For more sky shots, click on the button above.

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 755

Mutterings for the week of July 23th. Unconscious Mutterings is hosted by LunaNiña. And here we go....

1. Delete :: erase, remove, back-space
2. Late :: ...again! (But I'm usually on time. Honest.)
3. Rambling :: wandering, traveling; folk songs (All those '60s folk groups were always singing about ramblin' and roamin'.)
4. Popular :: trendy, in demand, the "in" crowd
5. Significant :: important, meaningful 
6. Slither :: snakes (Duh.)
7. Spicy :: hot, flavorful, sexy
8. Joyous :: happy, glad, upbeat
9. Detailed :: precise, bit-by-bit, inclusive
10. Rabbi :: Judaism, teacher, Seinfeld

Rabbi Glickman from "Seinfeld' - portrayed by Bruce Mahler

Saturday 9: Don't Stop

The Saturday 9  is hosted by Sam Winters. Nine questions posted every Saturday — sometimes random, sometimes with a theme. This week, the theme is...

"Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac

Listen to it HERE.

1. Since we're not supposed to stop thinking about tomorrow, let's talk about it: What are your plans for Sunday?

We'll probably try to finish clearing out the rooms we're redoing, since the carpet guys will be coming next week to install the new carpet. We've lived in this house for five years now, and have been meaning to get these two rooms re-carpeted for nearly that entire time. Put it off because it seemed like such a massive job — one of the rooms is home to all our books, and we figured moving them would be a real pain. It was.

2. Fleetwood Mac was formed 50 years ago in London. Fifty years is considered a "golden anniversary." Do you wear more silver or gold?

I don't wear a lot of jewelry — mostly just earrings. But I do prefer gold to silver. Gold doesn't tarnish or make my skin itch.

3. This song is from Rumours, which has sold 40 million copies. Is it in your collection?

Yes. It's in my old vinyl collection, and I think I have the CD, too. It's also probably on my iPod, but I don't really listen to that much anymore.

4. It was written by keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie. She was born Christine Perfect, a name that earned her a fair share of teasing when she was a school girl. Do you recall being teased in school? What about?

I'm sure I was, but it wasn't especially memorable. Just the normal stuff. Don't remember any bullying, or anything particularly nasty.

5. Before Fleetwood Mac, she was in a band called Chicken Shack. If you were to order out for a chicken dinner, which restaurant would you turn to?

Well now, that would be a problem. Where we live, there just aren't any restaurants near enough to have food delivered. If we went out for dinner, we probably wouldn't choose a place that specializes in chicken because the hubby has stopped eating chicken. 

6. Before she could pay all her bills with her music, she supported herself as a window dresser for a London department store. Do you enjoy walking along, just window shopping? Or do you consider "looking with no intention to buy" a waste of time?

I do like to window shop. Don't get to do much of it these days, since I do most of my shopping online. 

7. When she found herself making big money, one of the first things Christine bought was a pair of matching Mercedes for herself and then-husband, John McVie. If you were handed a check for $1 million, what's the first thing you would do with the money?

Well, I know this is a terribly un-feminist admission, but probably the first thing I'd do is hand the check over to the hubby. He handles all our financial doings, since he's much better at it than I am. Then I'd most likely start giving some of it away, and spending some of it on toys.

8. The other girl in Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, founded the Soldier's Angel Foundation. She believes in the healing power of music, and so she's proud to provide wounded soldiers with iPods already loaded with music. When you listen to music from your phone, MP3 player or iPod, do you use ear buds or headphones?

Actually, I never listen to music on my phone, and it's been quite a while since I used my iPod. We have a Sonos sound system in our house, and that's mainly what I use for listening to music. I've never really liked using headphones or earbuds. 

9. Random question: Let's pretend your high school reunion is coming up. Which classmate are you more curious about: the one who was your first date, or the one who was too cool to give you the time of day?

My first date happened long before I got to high school. And I've avoided all my high school reunions. Must admit, I'd be curious about both "first date" and "too cool," but probably not curious enough to get me to the reunion. 

Happy Saturday, everyone!
And have a great weekend.

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