Saturday 9: Sentimental Journey

I'm linking up with Sam and the gang at the Saturday 9 on this cold, snowy Friday evening...because I hope to be up and cleaning and putting away the fall decorations first thing tomorrow. Because I hope to start my Christmas decorating in the afternoon. I usually decorate Thanksgiving weekend, but I will be working this year for the first time ever. If I don't do it this weekend I don't know when I will get it done.

Saturday is also our wedding anniversary. We're marking 34 years this year! Tim is working, though, so I don't imagine we will go out to dinner until Sunday.

Saturday 9: Sentimental Journey (1945)

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

1) Doris sings that she has her bag packed. Tell us about your luggage. Is your bag easy to spot on the luggage carousel?  I was going to say it's pretty nondescript, but I forgot we got a new suitcase last year and it is red so I guess it's fairly easy to spot. I also tend to put a distinctive tag on my bags or tie something to them that's unique.

2) The release of this song coincided with VE Day, and so it meant a great deal to troops returning home from Europe. What song has sentimental value for you? Why?  Actually, this one means a lot to me. My dad loved big band music and that included this song. We danced to it at my wedding.

3) As a young girl, Doris was passionate about dance. Concentrating in the studio and performing on stage helped distract her from heartache and embarrassment over her parents' divorce. When you want to escape from what's troubling you, what do you do?  Either what I'm doing now (blogging, Facebooking, Pinteresting, etc.) or I grab a book and get lost in it.


4) Her dancing days came to an end when, at age 15, she was in a car accident and damaged her leg. During her recovery, she discovered how much she enjoyed singing with the radio, and was delighted to find others enjoyed hearing her. Tell us about a time you unexpectedly found happiness or success.  Is it horrible that I can't think of anything "unexpected" right now? I've been up since 2:30 this morning (couldn't sleep) and now at 9:00 my brain isn't running on all cylinders.

5) She moved from singer to actress in the late 1940s and was a major movie star for 25 years. She was paired with the most popular leading men of her time -- everyone from Clark Gable to Frank Sinatra to Rock Hudson. If you could share a kiss with any actor or actress, who would you choose?  Oh my, I've always had a thing for:

Kyle Chandler's Cary Grant-like handsomeness,

and for Oded Fehr's dark, Israeli good looks,

particularly during his years as the Magi in the Mummy movies. Everybody was fawning over Brendan Frazier in those and I only had eyes for....

and I can't forget my favorite silver fox, Sam Elliot.

Mercy, how's a girl supposed to choose???

(To be honest, as a married lass, I can only imagine.)


6) 1968 was a terrible year for Doris. First, she suddenly became a widow. Then she discovered that her late husband and his business partner had squandered her money and she had to file for bankruptcy. Oh, wait! There's more! She also found that, in his role as her manager, her late husband had, without her knowledge, committed her to a weekly TV series. Do you have a 1968? What year you can point to and say, "Wow, I'm glad that's over"?  2002 and 2010, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

7) After retiring from show business, she became an advocate for animal welfare. She has said we should be more sensitive to the loneliness, sadness and guilt people feel when they lose a pet. Think of a time you were grieving. What words or gestures helped you through? Conversely, what's something no one should ever say to someone who is hurting?  Usually, any kind word, if it's from the heart is comforting. The only thing I can think of that sets my teeth on edge and that I've heard a lot of others complain about, too, is saying you know just how someone feels. No, you don't. Everyone experiences grief in their own way. While sharing experiences can be helpful eventually, I don't find it to be a good thing when someone goes on and on about their experience and makes it all about them.

8) Doris' only child was her son, record producer Terry Melcher. Terry had a successful, years-long collaboration with The Beach Boys. Do you have a favorite Beach Boys song?  Either Fun, Fun, Fun or Kokomo.

9) Random question: What's one thing you've never done, but have always wanted to try?  There are lots of things, but for simplicity's sake I'll say ride in a hot air balloon.