Saturday 9: River of No Return

It is going to be a hot one with the temperature hovering right around 90 and lots of work waiting to be done out in the yard. So, what better way to begin the day than with the coolest meme around, the Saturday 9? Thanks, as always, to Sam for the music and questions!

Saturday 9: River of No Return (1954)

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

1) Marilyn Monroe performed this song in the 1954 western, River of No Return. In the movie (and at the beginning of this clip) she wears jeans. The wardrobe mistress bought the jeans off the rack at JC Penney's. Yet because of their connection to Marilyn, they are valuable memorabilia. Designer Tommy Hilfiger bought them for a reported $75,000 and today they hang in the closet of Britney Spears. Do you ever shop at thrift stores or websites for second-hand or vintage clothes?  I look at thrift stores and estate sales and have limited luck. Not sure why, but this area doesn't seem to have the same high quality items I see others online finding in thrift stores.  

2) In this song, she sounds melancholy as she recalls a lover who has gone. We hope this morning you're feeling more chipper than Marilyn. In one word, describe your mood.  Motivated!

3) In real life, Marilyn's love life was sailing along. During the filming of this movie, her famous boyfriend, Joe DiMaggio, visited her on location in Canada and they were married by the time the movie was released. Joltin' Joe was of course one of baseball's greats. How is your baseball team doing this season?  I have no idea, I don't follow baseball.

4) It was during her romance with Joe that Marilyn learned to cook. She enjoyed preparing Thanksgiving stuffing from scratch. Do you have a favorite recipe to share?  Sure! Here's my favorite zucchini bread recipe.

Pineapple-Blueberry-Zucchini Bread

3 eggs. 

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar. 

1.5 tsp. Baking soda

1 cup oil. 

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla. 

1 tsp. Baking powder

1 cup drained, crushed pineapple 

2 cups grated zucchini 

1-2 cups blueberries (to your liking)

Mix all ingredients. 

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves. Freezes well also.

5) Over her lifetime, Marilyn had 43 different addresses. She was always a renter until February 1962, when she bought her final home in Brentwood. If you're a renter, do you ever wish you owned? If you're an owner, do you ever think you'd be happier as a renter?  Most of the time I'm glad we own our home, but there are times when I think it would be a lot less hassle to rent...like tax time, when something breaks, or there's storm damage. Then I see the astronomical rents being charged for places that aren't that great...and I'm glad to be where I am again.

 

6) Marilyn tended to her famous alabaster complexion with Nivea, which is still available at drugstores today. What's the last thing you purchased at a drugstore? Was it medication? Food or snacks? Health and beauty? Something else?  Cold medicine for the grandchildren.

 

7) Her signature scent was Chanel No. 5. What fragrance do you wear most often?  I can't handle perfumes. They give me a sinus headache...especially if they are florals. I can't handle anything floral. Most of the time I wear a fruity scented body spray. It's lighter and the fruit scent doesn't bother me. My favorite is Calgon's Tropical Pineapple, but it's hard to find these days. I also buy from Bath & Body Works and I recently discovered a line of scents at Walmart called "Choose Your Happy" and has different scents that are supposed to smell like the weekend, the beach, etc. I like a couple of those.

8) The year Marilyn's recording was released, John Travolta was born. What's your favorite John Travolta movie?  So many good ones to choose from, but it's the musicals for the win with me. It's a pretty close call between Grease and Hairspray.

9) Random question: What happened to your first car? (Sold Traded in? Still in your garage?)  My first car was the first car Tim and I bought together. We traded it for a pickup truck back in the 80's.