Saturday 9: I Learned from You

Good morning...I think. It's been kind of a long (short...rough?) night. Our grandson is spending the night because his mommy and daddy have been at the ER. Mommy has been having some problems with her pregnancy lately and the last call we had from them, Mommy was having contractions and was 1 cm dilated. Not good. It's about a month and a half before little Leah Rose is due to make her appearance. They gave Mom something to try to stop the contractions. We haven't heard anything since then. If you have ever shared a bed with a 2 year old then you know why I'm up before the butt crack of dawn on my day off.

Since I am up, let's do this thing.

Saturday 9: I Learned from You (2007)
... Because it's Father's Day weekend.

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

1) This song is a duet by the father/daughter team, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus. Is your family musically inclined?  Good grief, NO! The one exception is my son. He has taught himself to play drums, bass, and a little bit of a few other instruments by ear.

2) This song is about life lessons. Who has been a major influence on your life? Hmm, wow...that's a pretty long list with both good and bad influences. Off the top of my head: Dad, Mom, Nana, Pappy, my husband, my kids, several teachers, my aunt, a couple of friends, a couple of pastors, the churches we've belonged to, and Jesus Christ.

3) Miley's given name is "Destiny." Her nickname as a baby was "Smiley," which is where Miley came from. What's something that can always be depended upon to make you smile?  The 2 year old currently hogging my bed. 

4) Miley's father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, has 5 children in addition to Miley (6 in all). Are you the oldest, the middle or the youngest sibling? Or are you an only child?  I'm an only child, which I thought I hated growing up. My husband, on the other hand, was the middle of seven kids! When we got married and I suddenly had 5 sisters-in-law who treated me exactly like one of them (and by that I mean what was mine was suddenly theirs, they'd tell me how to run my life, and get just as ugly with me as they'd sometimes get with each other), it was a serious shock and took a lot of patience and time for me to adjust to the intrusions and what seemed to me to be chaos.

5) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always remembered to bring her the little complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. Tell us about an inexpensive but treasured souvenir from a trip you've taken.  In 2013 I finally got to see the famous Pony Swim in Chincoteague, Virginia. I first read Misty of Chincoteague when I was 10. It was a required book at school and that same year, the school brought in a speaker who showed us a documentary he'd made about the wild ponies. Before that I'd assumed it was just a story. After that, going to Chincoteague became sort of a holy grail type of thing for me. I got to go for the first time in my 20's and have been back several times, but 2013 was the first time I finally got to see the saltwater cowboys swim the herd across the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. I bought myself a copy of that year's carnival/festival poster for $5 and it's now framed and hanging over my desk.

6) Back when Sam was in high school, it was her father who gave her driving lessons. Are you patient when teaching someone something new?  I'm ashamed to say that it kind of depends on the attitude of the one I'm teaching.

7) Sam's father is easy to buy for: every year he wants a new pair of loafers, so every year for Father's Day she gives him a DSW gift card. Is there anyone on your gift list that you find it easy to buy for?  No. Absolutely everyone on my shopping list is super difficult to shop for. Except the kids. Kids are fairly easy.

8) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you cooked on the grill?  I did a pork tenderloin seasoned with garlic and cracked black pepper just the other day.

9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. When you crave a snack, do you usually reach for something sweet or salty?  If I can only have one thing I will always choose the salty, crunchy, carby snack. But if you aren't aware, sweet and salty compliment each other very well. (A pox on the friend who pointed that out to me.) So, something salty followed by a little bit of chocolate is the way to go.