Nostalgic Reflections—Demure Edition

Last week’s post on nostalgic reflections was—how shall I put it?—a tad risqué. I’m following up this week with more demure reflections. My husband scored just 45 (out of 90) last week; my sister knew only two items. This week’s quiz gives everyone a chance to redeem themselves. The questions are multiple choice and there may be more than one correct answer for each one. Every correct reply (including lucky guesses) nets you 10 points. Hint: maximum is 120. Answers are again at the end.

By now, you all should know that I played alto sax in school. What other musical instrument(s) did I play in the high school band?

1.     Clarinet

2.     Flute

3.     Glockenspiel

4.     Oboe

5.     Tenor Sax

What foreign language(s) did I study in high school?

1.     French

2.     German

3.     Italian

4.     Latin

5.     Spanish

What bone(s) did I break when I was in school?

1.     Arm

2.     Finger

3.     Foot

4.     Nose

5.     Rib

My Freshmen dorm mates in college called me The Lady in Red. Why?

1.     I wore red sneakers.

2.     I had a red raincoat.

3.     I wore red Dr. Denton-type footed pajamas.

4.     I had a red bedspread and curtains in my room.

5.     I frequently wore a red scarf around my neck.

What sport(s) did I compete in during college?

1.     Archery

2.     Fencing

3.     Field Hockey

4.     Sailing

5.     Skiing

What skill(s) was I never able to master?

1.     Bowling

2.     Knitting

3.     Ping Pong

4.     Touch Typing

5.     Whistling

Answers and Explanations

Other musical instrument(s)? Oboe.

My classmate was a fabulous alto sax player, so there was no way I’d ever get to first chair. I decided to try oboe since the oboist was two years ahead of me. I couldn’t master the double reed, so I settled in as second chair alto sax.

Foreign language(s)? French (2 years), German (1 year) and Latin (3 years).

My brother and I studied Spanish one evening a week in New York City in the seventies. Learning Italian is on my to-do list.

Broken bone(s)? Arm and nose.

I broke my arm twice. Once was by falling off a swing around age 6 and once was ice skating during high school. I also broke my nose water skiing during high school. I broke my foot twice, and my rib once, all after age forty.

Why The Lady in Red? Red bedspread and curtains, which my mother made for me as a birthday present my first year in college.

I did have red sneakers, but those were during high school. I was wearing them in my too-large ice skates when I fell and broke my arm. I had a cute raincoat with mushrooms printed on it, but never a red one. The red Doctor Denton-type pajamas were purchased after college. My trademark neck scarves (in a multitude of colors and prints) also came much later.

Sport(s) Competed In College? Archery, Fencing and Sailing

This was tricky. I competed in archery just once, as a favor to the phys ed teacher. One of the other students was an excellent archer and had a chance for an individual medal. They were short one person to field a team, so I participated to help out. Fencing was also sketchy. I was the only female student fencer. I practiced with that same phys ed teacher and went to just one meet each of my first two years. Sailing was a team sport and I competed throughout the season my freshman year.

I was excused from field hockey my senior year in high school because of my broken nose; I never went back to it in college. And skiing? LOL.

Skill(s) That Escaped Me? Bowling and whistling

I bowled once in grammar school. We were an odd number of kids, so my best friend and I bowled every other frame. I managed five gutter balls and one pin before my friend finished the match for both of us. Try as I might, I’ve never been able to whistle.

I taught myself knitting and made sweaters for two boy friends. I had trophies for ping pong, which is amazing considering I later learned that I have no depth perception. My father made me take typing in high school. He said there was no way he was going to pay to have my term papers typed in college.

Give yourself 10 points for each correct answer. Remember: the maximum score this week is 120. If you scored seventy or above, good job. Ninety or above, congratulations! You’ve qualified as an expert. Now go celebrate with a nice glass of wine.