Saturday 9: Your Mother Should Know

Sam’s Saturday 9: Your Mother Should Know (1967)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

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

1) This week's featured artists, The Beatles, invite us to get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born. Do you enjoy the oldies? How old must a song be before you consider it "old?"

If is was popular before I was born.

2) Paul McCartney knew bandmate John Lennon's mom, Julia, and credits her with introducing him to the ukulele. Do you recall any of your childhood friends' mothers with fondness?

Yes. We had a great neighborhood.

The kids in the neighborhood (about 6 kids) would fly down on our bicycles and descend on one of our homes to play. Rainy days would find us in one of our basements, sunny days would find us playing hide and seek. 

3) Paul's own mother, Mary, tried to instill in her son a sense of pride in his appearance and saw to it he always left the house in a clean, ironed shirt. Paul says that, to this day, when he smells fresh laundry, he thinks of his mum. Is there a scent or sound that reminds you of someone you love who is no longer with us?

Lilacs. We had a lilac bush in our year it smelled so nicely in the spring, that is why I planted one under my bedroom window… and it is starting to blossom.

4) George Harrison was the only member of the band to have any formal musical training. His mother, Louise, supported her son's musical ambitions and made sure he got guitar lessons. Did you take music classes as a child?

I did but I dropped out because I can carry a beat.

5) Ringo Starr was a sickly and often hospitalized little boy. His mother, Elsie, took a job as a barmaid so she could work at night, leaving her days free during visiting hours. When were you most recently in a hospital? Were you an admitted patient, there for an outpatient procedure, or visiting someone?

Outpatient for the most fun medical test… a colonoscopy (NOT!)

6) Mother Winters always gave our own Crazy Sam peppermint tea to calm her stomach. Do you have any tried-and-true home remedies to share?

For a sore throat, a shot of brandy mixed with honey.

7) Sam's mother always tips 15% in restaurants. Sam has worked in food service and is more judgmental, tipping between 10% and 25%, depending on the quality of the service. What's your tipping policy?

20% I like it when they put the amount on the check so I don’t have to stand there to figured it out.

8) Sam's mother still gets the Sunday paper because of the sales fliers. She makes separate lists for each store, picking up grocery and household items where she knows they are on sale. Sam thinks her mother's strategy is a waste of time and gas and prefers one-stop shopping (even better, online one-stop shopping). Are you more like mother or daughter?

I remember one time my sister-in-law said to my brother and me… “Good grief! You two are Lu and Ellie!” (Our parents)

9) Sam is celebrating Mother's Day with her mother's favorite, Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or chocolate with almonds?

Yes. I’ll take them all!

A little known face dark chocolate has almost as much caffeine as coffee, a dark chocolate candy bar is enough to start my heart to pitter patter and skip beats.