Saturday 9: Along Comes a Friend

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

"Along Comes A Friend"
Theme from KATE & ALLIE (1984)

Listen to it HERE.

1. This week's song is the theme from Kate and Allie, a sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1989. Were you a fan?

I was. Watched it every week. I've always been a fan of Jane Curtin, and I like Susan St. James, too.

2. The show was about two divorced women who live and raise their children together. Were you ever a single parent? Were you raised by a single parent?

I was never any kind of parent (no kids -- just pets). I guess my mother was technically a single parent after my father died when I was ten. But we moved in with my grandparents, so she didn't have to go it alone. Of course, I was a perfect angel, so I didn't need a lot of tending. 

3. Allie is proud that she can make a perfect cup of coffee: "Just the essence of the bean. No acidity." Kate is proud that she can belch the alphabet. What are you proud of?

Well, I've never been in jail. That's a feather in my cap, right?

4. Kate and Allie share half of a duplex in Greenwich Village. Many episodes had them doing laundry in the basement. Where are your washer and dryer?

In this house, we have a dedicated laundry room which is absolutely wonderful. Before this place, we lived in an apartment with the washer/dryer in the kitchen and that was absolutely awful. But it was certainly much better than having them in the basement (been there, too). 

5. Kate was played by Susan St. James. She was familiar to viewers as the "wife" in McMillan and Wife. Without looking it up, do you know who played McMillan?

Rock Hudson. Another one of my favorite shows back then.

6. Allie was played by Jane Curtin. She was one of three women in the original Saturday Night Live cast. Without looking it up, can you name the other two?

Gilda Radner and Laraine Newman. Another favorite show. But I sort of lost interest in it after that original cast started leaving. 

7. On the set, Jane Curtin ran a poker game for the cast and crew. Do you think winning at poker takes more luck or skill?

Probably a mix of both, but I think skill is definitely involved. I've never been able to play poker -- can't remember all the different categories ( or hands?). I used to play a mean game of gin rummy, but I haven't played in years. 

8. The Kate & Allie theme was cowritten and sung by John Lefler. Years later, Mr. Lefler wrote the theme for the Pokemon show. Is anyone in your life into Pokemon?

No. Well, not that I know of, anyway. I never really understood exactly what Pokemon was. Still don't.

9. Random question: What's the last thing you whispered?

I honestly can't remember. I mumble a lot, but I don't do much whispering.

Happy Saturday, everyone!
Have a great weekend.

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

National Coloring Book Day

Today, August 2nd, is National Coloring Book Day! Or so the Dover Publications people tell me. I know it's really just an advertising gimmick, but I love coloring books, so I'm definitely in favor of a national holiday to celebrate them.

I've always loved to color, and kept a stash of coloring books long before the hobby became a national craze. Over the years I've collected quite a pile of them, so I thought I'd show off a few.

I think probably the oldest book in my collection is this Children's Hour Painting Book for Little Folks, published by M.A. Donohue & Co.

It's from 1913 and was a Christmas gift to "Wm-Cecil Walker" from his Aunt Nellie.

I believe it's actually meant for watercolor painting, but would also be perfect for crayons. It has some very sweet nursery rhyme type illustrations.

And many of the pictures include duplicate colored images, to serve as examples.

Most of these pages are untouched, so I guess this wasn't very popular with Wm-Cecil. But as you can see, he (or someone) did attempt a few of these.

One of my favorites in the collection is this Super Market Coloring Contest book from the early 1950s. Don't you love the way the original owner "decorated" the cover image?

The pictures in these books usually were tie-ins with products the stores sold, and this one is no exception.

Inside they always had the rules and some sort of entry form to fill out:

This entry was started by Mario Lewis, but apparently Mario didn't end up entering the contest after all. I used to love these things, but like Mario I never entered any of the contests. And that was a shame because look at all the cool prizes I could have won!

Saturday 9: Love Is All Around

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

"Love Is All Around" (1970)
Theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Listen to it HERE.

1. This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan?

Yes. Watched it every week. 

2. The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose?

Do ears count? I've always hated my ears — they're too big and they stick out. I usually try to keep them covered by my hair. Other than that, I think my facial features are mostly sort of OK.

3. We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?"

Hmmm. Probably what I'm doing right now — sitting around, staring at a computer screen. Why am I not out and about, doing something wildly entertaining? I am so boring.

4. Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side?

Definitely leaning toward sloppy, I'm afraid. I do try to be neat and I do admire neatness, but it's hard to achieve.

5. Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy?

Ah yes, Rhoda! I really liked her more than Mary, even though Mary was probably more like me, personality-wise. Actually, my favorite character on the show was Sue Ann Nivens (played by Betty White) — she was such a delightfully nasty piece of work. 

But I digress. 

So, back to the question. Like so many of us, these days I do most of my shopping online. So it's kind of hard for me to remember the last time I was actually in a department store. And when you say department store, are you talking about the classic, traditional sort of department store like Macy's? Or do discount and "big box" stores count? I guess the last brick-and-mortar store I shopped in (aside from grocery stores) was probably Walmart or Target. Or maybe Kohl's. Can't remember exactly what I bought — most likely cosmetics, toiletries and housewares. 

6. Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now?

Austin is the biggest city near us. There are a few smaller towns, too.

7. Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed?

Married. Although a couple have also been divorced.

8. The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat — or dog or hamster or rabbit — that you petted?

The last animal I actually petted was a cat named Billie. She belongs to a neighbor and has wandered onto our property a time or two. 

9. Random question — Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet?

I would rather not have a job. I'm very happy being retired, thank you very much. But, if I really had to choose, I guess I'd prefer seated rather than standing. I'm not sure my arthritic knees would make it through a whole workday of standing up.

Happy Saturday, everyone!
Have a great weekend.

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

Sunday Stealing: Food, Glorious Food!

Time for a little Sunday Stealing (hosted by Bev Sykes)  -- questions lifted from all over the blogosphere. This week's list was stolen from Swap Bot.

1.  Do you like pie?

I love it. There are some kinds I can't eat, but I love those too.

2.  Italian or Mexican?

Italian, although Mexican runs a close second.

3.  Can you bake? If so, what are your favorite things to bake?

I'm actually a pretty good baker even though I'm a terrible cook in general. Haven't really done any baking in quite a while because the hubby is diabetic and doesn't eat sweets. When I did bake, I liked baking Bundt cakes and brownies best.

4.  Do you use cook books or do you try to find recipes online?

Both. Lately I mostly look for online recipes and I've found a few that are very good and work even for those of us who are not champs in the kitchen.

5.  Do you own a kitchen aid mixer?

No. At the moment I don't own any kind of mixer. My old Sunbeam Mixmaster died a number of years ago and I just never replaced it.

6.  Ever cooked a meal for more than 15 people at one time? 

Hmmm. Not that I remember. Not a WHOLE meal, anyway.

7.  Do you like hospital food?

I don't like anything about hospitals.

8.  Favorite fast food restaurant?

Does Panera count? We don't really go to fast food restaurants anymore.

9.  Any picky eaters in your family?

Yeah. Me.

10.  Soda or Tea?

Tea.

11.  Hot chocolate?

I love any form of chocolate. Don't really drink much hot chocolate, though.

12.  Favorite holiday dish?

Depends on the holiday. And whether I'm just eating, or doing the cooking.

13.  What is the most tasteful strangest looking thing you have ever tasted? 

I don't eat strange looking things.

14.  Fries or tater tots?

Fries.

15.  Do you like cheese? If so what kind?

Love it. All kinds. Have to be careful about my fat and lactose intake, though. Used to love doing baked Brie as an appetizer, but that would probably kill me now.

16.  Home made or can soup?

I like either, if it's tasty. I don't make much soup from scratch anymore — we eat a lot of Amy's soups, especially the minestrone and the vegetable-barley and the lentil.

17.  Do you like to eat out?

I do. We don't do it as much as we used to.

18.  What kind of food is popular where you are? (Like in Alaska it is seafood)

Texas? Barbecue and Tex-Mex. Also, German food in my hometown of San Antonio.

19.  Do you like cotton candy?

Not really. I liked it when I was a child. But even then, I thought it never tasted as good as it looked like it should.

20.  Turkey or Chicken?

Not crazy about turkey. I like chicken, but get tired of it very quickly.

21.  Hamburger or tuna helper?

Neither. I never used any of the "helper" mixes. And we're almost completely vegetarian now.

22.  Raw or cooked veggies?

Well, I like a nice green salad. Otherwise, I prefer my veggies cooked.

23.  Do you like salad? If so, what is your favorite kind of salad?

Love salad. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, pasta salads, tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken. Just about any kind really. (Why am I getting so hungry all of a sudden?)

24.  Favorite pizza topping?

Cheese, mushrooms, olives, peppers. (Okay — time for a little snack.)

25.  Do you like meat loaf?

I do. And I make a great meat loaf. Actually, I make several different kinds of great meat loaf. It's one of the few things I can really cook. Unfortunately, we haven't eaten meat loaf in at least 30 years.

😸