Dreaming of Jeannie-Saturday 9

I Dream of Jeannie Theme (1965)... Because Harriet requested it. If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.   

1) Jeannie was memorably discovered on the beach in an ornate bottle. Have you ever brought a souvenir home from the beach? (It doesn't have to be a genie. A shell or a stone will do.) 
When Mr BC and I were first married we lived in Key West Florida.  My family came to visit that first Christmas and we had a great time doing winter stuff, in Fl, like swimming in the Gulf on Christmas day.
My brother wanted a conch shell that he could 'play' so we found one where they had cut the end off for a mouth piece. It was packed away for the flight home.  I guess there was still some conch meat left in the shell that couldn't be seen but certainly could be smelled......for months.

2) Major Anthony Nelson, the man who released Jeannie from her bottle, was an astronaut. When you were a kid, did you dream of being an astronaut when you grew up? I grew up in the 50's and 60's and girls weren't encouraged to think about such careers. But it was also the days of Star Trek TOS.  I thought that space of the future might be a place I would like to go. 

3) Upon discovering Jeannie, Major Nelson's first wish was that she could speak/understand English so they could communicate. If you found a genie, what would your first wish be? That Donald Trump was not running for president and doesn't win.  And that Elizabeth Warren was running. as the first woman candidate, instead of Hillary.

4) Major Nelson's best friend was fellow astronaut Major Healey. Where did you meet your best friend? In high school gym, Modern Dance Class, I think. I am sure we thought we would grow up to be Martha Graham. Those were the days you took Gym all the way through your senior year, and Modern Dance was for Juniors and Seniors.

5) This theme song was written by Hugo Montenegro, who is better known for the music he wrote for a pair of Clint Eastwood movies (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars). Do you have a favorite Clint Eastwood movie? I am not a big fan of Clint Eastwood as an actor, Every Which Way but Loose, with the orangutan, would be my speed.  I think as a director, he does a great job and, of all of those movies, I think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. is one of his best. 

6) The last episode of the series was titled, "My Master, The Chili King." What ingredients make up your favorite chili recipe? 
I make a Weight Watchers version of chili, that is mostly beans and vegetables, that Mr BC loves.

7) Jeannie was played by Barbara Eden, who was born in Tuscon, Arizona. Summer in Tuscon can get very hot, with the mercury often reaching 100º. What's your favorite season? 
Not summer in Southwest Missouri, too humid and hot. Probably Autumn is my favorite season.

8) Anthony Nelson was played by Larry Hagman, who went on to play the villainous JR on the popular Dallas. Can you think of anything else Dallas is known for? 
The JFK assassination, is what comes to mind for me.  I was a sophomore in high school when that happened. 

9) In the autumn of 1965, just weeks after I Dream of Jeannie premiered, St. Louis' famous Gateway Arch was completed. An estimated 4 million tourists visit the Arch every year. Do you have any summer vacation plans? 
Well we will be going to the blue grass festival over July 4th. We had our vacation in May. When we went to see the grandsons in Santa Barbara, and a very nice vacation that was. I have seen the Gateway Arch, driving through St Louis, but we have never stopped.

Confession is Good! Tuesday Coffee Chat

Join me and Rory at Time Out for Mom, for a Tuesday Coffee Chat. Today, she asks us about a Random Confession, as it is good for the soul.

I have confessed some things in other posts and they range from being a Star Trek fan, having a crush on Justin Timberlake (I am 60+) to naming my cars. I have spoken about my change of heart with Fundamental Christianity and move to more universal humanism.  I am no longer a Republican, but not a full fledged Liberal in my politics. So in saying all this I must search for a new confession to share here and it probably won't be too earth shattering.

Some things I found while looking around for something to confess to, and that are true about me:

Oh, I  got it! I got an e-mail about my  50th HS reunion, I don't want to go, and not because I will be on a trip that week, not because it is in CA and I am in Missouri, but because I went to the 40th and everyone who showed up were the campus big wigs back in the day. They hadn't changed much except they still thought they were important.  Most of the folks I wanted to see didn't come and I was bored to tears. I am hoping by liking the FaceBook page, I will be able to friend some folks, I would like to catch up with. 

Memory Monday-My School Years

I am joining Retired Not Tired for Memory Monday

I went to the same schools all through my early years. My elementary school was right at the end of my street.  In those days the buildings housed K to 8th grade and I started in the first Kindergarten, the first year the school had opened.  The school was renamed and re-purposed to a middle school in the 90's.  

James Madison Elementary School

Since it was so close to home, it seemed we were always on the playground. I still have friends from school, as we all graduated and went on to the same high school.  As I worked on this post yesterday I found a few more on Facebook.

My mom was very active with the school and was often on campus when a room mother was needed. Which was somewhat problematic, if we wanted to fly under the radar.

We were the first graduating class that went through all the grades at the school.  That week of graduation, many of us got sick with the measles (no immunization in those days).  I had come in second in the graduation speech competition and had to be ready to step in, I was so scared that I would have to get up in front of everyone and speak, but I dutifully practiced, just in case.  Thankfully, Tommy H. was well enough to give the speech and I was reprieved.  We were both sick with the measles the next morning, so our summer vacation started by feeling poorly.   

The teachers through the years, were good but I the one I had that year, was truly dreadful, many of my insecurities began here.  I wrote about it before, that it was a defining moment in my life.

"However, if one counts the teachers who had a negative impact on me, it would be my 8th grade teacher, Mr. Ginsberg, I even remember his name after all these years.  I was on the chubby side when I was 12 or 13, I also was developing my breasts and was self conscious.  I tended to stand around with my arms crossed over my chest.  He called me Buddha, all the time,  and I was hugely embarrassed.  I guess I could have objected now, but at the time, the late 50's, there was no political correctness or anti harassment. It was bullying pure and simple. I guess he thought he was being funny....Not!  He was a terrible person and should not have been a teacher." 

When we moved back to California from Michigan, the kids were still in elementary school. We stayed with my folks for many months while we looked for a house, so DD1, went to 4th grade at the school. It was a few years after that, when the rebuilding and re-naming happened.  Mom and Dad had nothing but traffic and parking problems as the school grew. More memories of these years here and here.

I went to High School at SGHS and have written about it several times. They were not my best years, only OK.  I wouldn't go back to high school again for a million dollars.

Saturday 9 in the Potterverse

1) This song refers to the summer breezes and winds of mid-July. Now that July is almost over, how would you describe this month's weather where you are?  The first two weeks were lovely so cool and dry, more like Spring than July, now it is just hot and sticky.

2) The lyrics mention the "perfect plans." Do you have plans for today? Or will you just let this summer Saturday unfold? We will walk the dogs and then decide, I would like to go out to dinner for my birthday.  
3) This week's artist, k. d. lang, attended Red Deer Community College in Alberta. Red Deer's school colors are green, black and silver. What were your school colors?  Blue, white and red....we are the Matadors.

4) She had a bit part in the 2006 murder mystery The Black Dahlia. Do you enjoy murder mysteries? I like them on television, especially British mystery.  We enjoy the whole Inspector Morse genre on PBS and we just subscribed to Acorn which is entirely British TV. We are picking up the rest of the Midsomer Murders there, with the new guy.  It has many other shows that we can explore this summer.
  

5) Ms. lang is a vegetarian. What's the last beef, chicken, pork or fish you ate? A hamburger several evenings ago, with real beef, rather than vegie or turkey burger.  
6) In 2000, when this song was released, California suffered a series of blackouts. Has your power gone out this summer?  Yes, this spring, it has gone out with some of our thunderstorms.  It is not usually out for more than an hour.

7) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire also came out in 2000. Did you read it?  I haven't read them, but I have seen and enjoyed the movies.  I usually watch one of the movies again during a marathon on tv to pick up more of the plot.  I was usually confused by some of the minutia of the Potterverse.

These are some of the things I miss, in every Harry Potter Movie

8) Which would you rather have on your hot dog: sauerkraut, ketchup/mustard/relish or chili? Ketchup or Chili.  I don't eat too many hot dogs except when we go camping.
9) If you had your choice, which would you prefer: new shoes or a new wallet?  New shoes.  I have to go shopping for a pair soon, that my orthotic will fit into. They work with my sport shoe but I need some new shoes for every day, as I wear the orthotic all the time. It has worked wonders for my feet.

Utterly Obsessed.... With Nothing at All

http://mlkshk.com/

My current obsession are games.  I have been a bad blogger, Usually when I can't write I at least do my rounds and comment. But I mostly Lurk.  I have been seriously hooked on games.  I have been mindlessly playing at Nick Mom, Yahoo, and Facebook.  I use to play a few word games every morning first thing to get the mind warmed up, but lately it has moved more toward obsession.  We started turning the TV off at 9am, but now I think I have to turn the computer off as well.

We have had rain for over a week, with lots of storms that have been very scary, Think Moore OK, those storms went moved on to MO and while we suffered no damage they had potential.  Mr BC follows the weather on his laptop during the storms and I wring my hands.

This is Mr BC's high school reunion weekend.  We went to a dinner last night and it was a very small crowd for an all school reunion, There was a bigger crowd at the picnic.  I got to meet some more of the guys and gals Mr BC has talked about, lo these many years.  Mostly I was a little bored because Maggie and Jiggs weren't there.  We came home, and after a weekend of not taking the dogs with us when we went out, we took them for a walk in the park. They were so happy!

Greased Lightening....Saturday 9

1) Greased Lightnin' was the name of a car. Have you ever given your car a name? 
Yes, we currently drive Miss Tiffany and Rosie.  In the garage is Becca's Bee and the Duchess. We even named our RV, Cozette. I posted about it in 2007, here.

Who Are you? Part 2–The Grown Up Meme

Sunday Stealing Part 2: Growing Up

15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
Very typical for the 50's.  We could go anywhere and our folks did not worry about us. We played all day from sun up to sun down. We went to the movies alot at an early age we had a theater practically around the corner.
16. What is your earliest memory?
I think I remember a time when my mom was upset that a peeping tom was looking at us through the window. I also remember going to Grandma's house for Sunday Dinner and I could not understand why my Mom complained about having to go every time

17. How much schooling have you had? 
I am about 15 units away from a degree, but I don't think I will ever go back to get it although, I love to take classes.
18. Did you enjoy school?
I enjoyed school but High School was a challenge. Too cliquish. I still enjoy learning.

19. Stop and count, Since you were born until today; how many homes have you lived in?
Fourteen or fifteen,  all across the country.  Key West, Fla, to Ohio, Michigan, to California, to Missouri. I lived in California the longest, until I married Mr BC and then we moved all the time.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models?
My Mom and Dad.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
We got along well, with only a little rebellion in my teens.  My brother and I got along well because there was a 7 year age difference.  I was the eldest.
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The jobs that were considered appropriate for girls in the 50s.  Nurse or Teacher and eventually a wife.  If a girl went to college it was to get her MRS degree.  Then the Feminist Movement happened.
23. What were your favorite activities 3 years ago?
Spending time with my brand new grandson.
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display
Obedient, easygoing, quiet and friendly.

25. As a child, were you popular?
I wasn't unpopular, I had many friends, but I didn't hang with the really popular kids. In high school I was on the chubby side so I was self-conscious
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
Mike Moline, behind the baseball backstop in the school yard. I was in the 6th grade.
27. Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
My high school best friend got me a job at Union Bank when I first got back from Key West and we both stayed in banking after that. 
28. What’s next?
Mr BC and I are both retired, we want to travel and enjoy our family.

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
No Body's Sweeter,
Than R**** M****!

"Dad, we're JUST friends!"..... Eyeroll.

R and I met at church when I was about 15.  He was cute, had a Texas accent, 16, and was taller and skinnier than me.  I will admit to a crush on him, at the first of our friendship. I will also share that he gave me my first hickey, an experiment that did not involve any kissing, but caused no end of giggling and much speculation by my dad and mom.

We would talk on the phone for hours almost every night, he made me laugh, as he was funny and ironic but some times sad and angry. We shared lots of secrets but this was 1964 an innocent time for me. I got my drivers licence and I got a car when I was 16.5, we would go to the movies, church, youth meetings, etc. His parents loved me, they may have thought we were an item too. However, it was clear to me when I graduated High School, that he was one of my best friends.

My parents finally accepted, probably with relief,  we were just friends, as I started dating others, met Mr BC and got engaged. R and I drifted as we got older and I got wiser.  I actually never saw him again after my wedding. Which saddens me.

Mama Kat's prompt is: Think about your closest male friend in high school…if you had married him (or her) how would your life be different right now? Since this was a relationship, that would not have ended in marriage, it is not hard to speculate that we would be miserable. I do know that R was not always the happy individual, he seemed to be and as I would later discover.

At my 20 year High School Reunion, L, a guy that I had known since 4th grade, was proudly announcing to everyone he spoke to, that he was gay.  This did not come as a surprise to anyone, but in 1985, it was becoming the thing to do. Later in the evening, he sidled up to me, and shared conspiratorially, did I know that he and R had been Lovers for several years before, but were no longer a couple?  He seemed to be expecting shock value from his little announcement; from me. He also indicated , oddly, during the conversation that R was always, talking about me. I was surprised at this, a little, but, I certainly did not give him the reaction for which he seemed to be hoping.

I asked him what R was doing now and told him that if he spoke to him, would he give him my phone number and gave L my business card.,  With the information  L gave me, I did try to find him, but to no avail.  I never heard from either of them again.  This was the 80's and I certainly hope the reason I was unable to locate him was not because of HIV.  I tried looking for him again as I contemplated this prompt, but came up blind alleys again. I certainly hope he has found happiness and contentment in his life. I am greatful for the fun and games he brought to our misspent youth!