Saturday 9

 

I Wouldn't Trade Christmas

 

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions!

Saturday 9: I Wouldn't Trade Christmas (1968)

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

  

1) In addition to Christmas, this song name-checks many major holidays, including Mother's and Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween and Valentine's Day. Which holiday is your favorite?

I’m going to name one that you didn’t list: Passover.  It’s the quintessential Jewish holiday, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, which is at the core of Jewish identity.  It’s also the source of the quip:  “ Definition of a Jewish holiday: they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat.”

I love the traditional foods.   We have a Seder plate my grandfather bought in the 1920’s, a family heirloom that is nearly identical to a museum piece.  We have Haggadahs that were printed in the 1960’s, full of wine stains and matzoh crumbs collected over decades of use.

And so many of my memories involve Passover.  My father singing the Kiddush prayer over the wine, my grandmother singing Yiddish folk songs…

 

2) The Sinatra family posed in all-white for this album cover in August 1968. Are there any pictures of you and your siblings in matching outfits?

No. The two youngest are twins, and they often dressed alike, but there’s no photo of all four of us dressed alike, 

3) Nancy is the oldest of the Sinatra children. She's also the one who performed most often on TV and film with her famous father. She played his daughter (of course!) in a movie and appeared in two of his TV specials while he appeared in one of hers. In 1967, she and Frank scored a #1 single with a duet of "Somethin' Stupid." Have you ever worked with a family member or spouse? 

The closest I came to working with a family member was one summer during college, my sister and I were both hired to work at Estee Lauder’s packaging plant.  We worked at the same location but didn’t work together.

 

4) Frank, Jr., was the middle child and only son. A dedicated musician, he labored in his father's long shadow and joked that he would have had an easier time if he'd chosen real estate instead of music. Tell us about your path not taken. (Examples: A career you wish you'd pursued but didn't; a person you could have married but didn't; a city you almost moved to, but changed your mind.) 

I got engaged in college but broke it off when I was in law school.  He would not have been happy married to a lawyer, and I would not have been happy married to him.

 

5) Unlike her father and siblings, Tina Sinatra never wanted to be a singer. She found success as a theatrical agent and, at her father's request, became involved with his business affairs. Today she helps manage the rights to Frank Sinatra's movies and music. Do you have a good head for business?

I hope so. 

6) Nancy and Frank, Jr., were born in Jersey City. By the time Tina was born, the family had relocated to Los Angeles. Did your family move around a lot when you were young?

We moved once, when I was 8 years old.  We moved from one Long Island town to another Long Island town. 

And now, in the spirit of the season ...

 

7) Do you consider snow globes a holiday decoration, or do think they should be displayed all year around?

Depends on what scene is displayed in the snow globe.

8) Which of Dickens' Christmas ghosts would you most enjoy spending time with: past, present or future?

Feeling a bit nostalgic right now, so Christmas Past would be a good companion.

9) Have you crafted, cooked, or baked any gifts this holiday season?

No.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!