The Saturday 9 on July 5th...

 Crazy Sam brings us the questions!  Thanks, Sam!  You can join in HERE!

The Star Spangled Banner

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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: The Star Spangled Banner (1991)
... because Thursday was the 4th of July and we're still celebrating!

Unfamiliar with this Whitney's rendition? Hear it here.

1) Whitney Houston originally performed this in front of over 73,000 at the 1991 Super Bowl. What's the biggest crowd you have ever been in?  I've been to hockey games and to a football (NFL) game so those stadiums were probably the biggest. I have no idea what the numbers were.

2) Whitney's version of The National Anthem was released 10 years later, after 9/11, and the proceeds went to support New York's first responders. It was her last Top Ten single. What's your favorite Whitney Houston song?  She had an amazingly beautiful voice. The song that first comes to mind is 'I Will Always Love You'.

3) Whitney's friends recall she loved lavender -- both the color and the scent. What's your favorite color?  I like jewel tones, especially green, red, and purple.  What's your favorite scent?  Bread baking.  Vanilla. Chocolate.  No flowers.  Heavy florals give me headaches.

4) Whitney had a sweet tooth and loved Fruity Pebbles. If you reached for a snack right now, would it be sweet or salty?  Salty.

5) Whitney's grave marker bears the words, "I Will Always Love You," so clearly her family is proud of her best-selling recording. How would you like to be remembered?  As a kind woman who loved her people and who loved Jesus.

6) Going back to 1991, when this recording was first popular, consumers who had cell phones, likely had flip phones. Technology has come a long way, hasn't it? What did you most recently use your cell phone for? (Calling, texting, looking something up, taking a photo, posting on your blog or social media ...)  Texting, but i use it in all of those ways.

7) In 1777, Colonists celebrated July 4 with the firing of cannons and muskets, followed by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. What did your neighborhood do to celebrate the 4th of July?  We had a community cookout with hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, coleslaw, salad, chips, and cake.  There were big booms going off all around and my town had a big fireworks show on the 3rd.

8) The Revolutionary War still raged during the summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of run on July 4. Do you know anyone who is serving in the military this 4th of July?  My cousin (2nd twice removed) just graduated from high school, studied to be an EMT and joined the Army.  I believe she is to be a medic.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will/did you dine on to celebrate the 4th of July?  See my answer above. Yum!

Peace and Hugs!

 Crown him the Lord of love;

behold his hands and side,

rich wounds, yet visible above,

in beauty glorified;

no angels in the sky

can fully bear that sight,

but downward bends their burning eye

at mysteries so bright.