Saturday 9: 1959 Bonanza!

I am again joining in the Saturday 9 blog sharing this Saturday morning.

Saturday 9: Bonanza (1959)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Bonanza ran on NBC for 14 seasons. Today it's rerun on Me-TV and TVLand. Were/are you a fan? 

Oh yes, my whole family were fans of the Cartwrights back in the day.  I would have been 14 years old in 1959.  Gracious!  I have never watched a re-run that I know of though.

2) The show centers on The Cartwrights, who lived on a massive ranch in Nevada. License plates in Nevada read, "The Silver State." What's on your license plate?

"Louisiana Sportsman's Paradise"

3) Ben Cartwright made his fortune as a cattle rancher. What's the last beef dish you ate?

I made a most delicious meat loaf a few weeks ago.

Interesting side point:  The recipe came from the "Mountain Mama" cookbook compiled by the Creede, CO Baptist Church.  It was published in 1978 and given to us in 1988 by Herb and Betty Willis in whom's home we stayed when visiting Creede.  (See 4th of July pics from previous post)  The meatloaf recipe is also Herb's, and the best I've ever tasted.

4) Patriarch Ben had his eldest son, Adam, with his refined, bookish first wife, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died in childbirth. Still Adam inherited her love of the written word. What's the last book you finished?

5) Ben's second son, Hoss, was born to his second wife, Inger, who was killed as the family traveled West by wagon train. Hoss inherited her open, friendly manner and her way with animals. Are there pets in your home?

None from the animal kingdom.

6) Ben's youngest, Joe, arrived after Ben married a third time to the passionate Marie, who died in a riding accident when her son was only five years old. Little Joe inherited her impetuosity. Do you consider yourself more spontaneous or predictable?

I'm probably a combination of both.  I crave and thrive on routine and predictability.  I also enjoy some spontaneity as well.  I like to call my comfort zone, "Planned Spontaneity!"

7) Samuel Clemons was a reporter in Virginia City at the time when the Cartwrights would have been there, and a fictionalized version of Mr. Clemons appeared in an episode of Bonanza. Without looking it up, do you know Samuel Clemons' famous pen name?

The famous Mark Twain

8) Hair was a big deal in the Bonanza dressing room. Three of the original four stars -- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker -- all wore hairpieces. (The fourth, Michael Landon, began dying his hair while still in his 20's because he was going prematurely gray.) Have you ever worn a wig or a hairpiece?

Yes, I have.  The above picture was taken in the early 70's when our children were quite small and I had very long hair.  This was in the day of sitting under hair dryers and my thick hair took FOREVER.  I didn't wear the wig often because it was so hot and I had to wear a stocking under it to keep all my hair inside, but it did come in handy a time or two.

I now occasionally wear a wig especially while vacationing for those times my now short hair isn't up for public display.

9) Random question -- Tell us the story behind one of your scars.

A picture is worth a 1,000 words.

In 2014, I had extensive foot surgery.  Thankfully, the scars are almost gone, but for a long time, this foot was not very pretty.  Because I love not having a bunion, hammer toes and pain, I would do it again in a heart beat.