Saturday 9 Meme!

 

I used to love listening to Ricky Nelson on the "oldies" station and every once in a while I'll still hear one of his tunes. My mom and dad were married in 1952 and I was born in the very last month of 1959, so by the time I was a teenager in 1973, I rarely heard his music but I think my parents had one of his albums if I remember correctly. Since I like Ricky Nelson, I'm playing along with the Saturday 9 meme.  Head over here to join in! 

Saturday 9: For You (1963)

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

1) In this song, Rick Nelson tells us he'd give his girl the stars from sky or a string of pearls. Have you more recently given or received a gift? What was it?

I gave my niece a birthday gift as she turns 18 today!  I bought her a gift card for Ulta.  

2) By the time this record was released, Rick was already a show business veteran. He had been a regular on his family's sitcom, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, since it began airing on radio when he was just 8. Most of us weren't child performers but many of us had chores around the house. When you were young, did your parents give you an allowance?

Yes. We didn't get an allowance for doing homework, practicing the piano for our weekly lessons, or for making our beds. We were given $3.00 from about 4th grade-9th grade each week for doing things like unloading the dishwasher or drying the dishes (we didn't get a dishwasher until I was 12), helping to fold towels and our own laundry, dusting our own bedrooms and helping to cook dinner or clear the table. My mom was a working mom so.....we all learned to pitch in. Once I got to high school, my dad gave me $5.00 a week.  And I began to babysit for church families and would sometimes make between 40-60$ a weekend for this one couple who were involved in community theater. I babysit for them until I graduated from high school! When my baby sister was born, I was 15, Joy was 13, and Hope was 11.  She (baby Jill)was a September baby and that next summer, when I was 16, Mom gave me $30.00 a week to babysit her from 8:45 AM-5 PM M-F as Mom went back to work in the insurance agency where she was a secretary. I loved having my own money! I bought my self my first 10 speed bike. 

3) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet moved to TV, where fans saw Rick grow into a teen who drove a 1932 Roadster. The car really belonged to Tony La Masa, who collected classic cars and rented them out to TV and movie producers. Have you ever earned or raised money with your hobby?

my hobbies were reading, hiking, biking, playing piano so no I never earned money doing those things. 

4) Paul McCartney has called Rick Nelson an "underrated singer who could really carry a song" and said Rick was one of his influences. Who do you believe you have influenced, professionally or personally?

I know (because they've told me) that I've influenced both of my daughters and a friend who is a part of my book group.  I can't go into details on that. Professionally speaking, I know I've influenced some of the parents I worked with and their preK student with special needs because they've told me that.  It's a good feeling to influence someone for good. I'm thankful I've had opportunities to do so.  

However, in junior high school I was probably a bad influence on a couple of friends as we were always skipping classes or doing things we knew we probably shouldn't be doing! And I just remembered!  I influenced a student teacher I had once to become a Special Needs PreK teacher instead of a public school teacher and she was so thankful when I ran into her a few years later!!  (Special Ed Preks here in NYS are  private center- based programs, not the public schools). I also influenced my church friend Mindy from years ago (as in 1992!) to go for the fellowship I had done at U Albany and get her MS in Ed Psych/Special Ed. She went for it, made it, and taught special education to HS students for years before retiring and moving to Texas.  

5)  This week's song was already an oldie by the time Rick performed it. "For You" was recorded the first time by Casa Loma Orchestra in 1933. In those days, most records were 78 rpm discs, thick and usually only able to hold 3 to 5 minutes of sound per side. Most record companies stopped producing them in the 1950s. Have you ever seen a "78?" 

Not only have I ever seen one, I've owned one!  My  mom and dad gave me a 78 when I was a child and for the life of me I cannot remember what the music was! 

6) The lyrics to "For You" were written by Al Dubin. After Al left college he supported himself as a singing waiter. That's really two jobs in one. Which would you do better at: singer or server?

You're not gonna believe this but I was also a singing waiter in college!  It was for some dinner conference with all of the Board of Directors and those of us in the music department signed up to sing during it as well as wait tables. I was given a $50 tip from  a man who was the dad of a childhood friend's husband.  The childhood friend was the 2nd oldest daughter (so about 7 years older than me) of my childhood pastor. She had married into a wealthy famiy from Florida and the man was on the board (her father in law).  But nowadays? i'd be better ar singing. Waiting/serving tables is hard work! I did it as a job one summer after college to make extra money and it's so tiring. I was a waitress at Ponderosa steakhouse out in western NY.  I've always said a person should be a waitress at least once in her/his lifetime as well as work retail or fast food. You'll appreciate these people and see them in a different light! 

7) The music was written by Joe Burke, whose last hit song was "Rambling Rose," recorded in 1948 by Perry Como. Have you ever heard of Perry Como?

oh ugh, yes. I've heard of him because my mom would play his music on her stereo on the weekends. I'm not a fan. 

8) In 1963, when Ricky's recording was on the charts, the Zip Code was introduced. How many different Zips have you lived in?

What a fun question!

Let's see: Herkimer, Mohawk, North Chili, Hamlin, Kansas City (for a short time), Albany, Clifton Park, Menands, Latham, North Colonie. So:  ten. 

9) Random question: When you were in high school, were you taller or shorter than your classmates? Or were you the average height?

I was shorter than all the boys except one.  I had one girl friend who was definitely much taller than me, and the rest?  we were all around the same height! So average I guess. I had 6 close friends I hung out with in HS.  My boyfriend when I was 17  was only about 1 inch taller than me! 

Have a happy Saturday!! I'm actually traveling today so I wrote this on Friday afternoon waiting for laundry to finish up.