Bears, Cabbies, and the Single Girl

The weather here was gorgeous today. It was a bit cloudy this morning and got a little cloudy this afternoon, but it was mostly windy and cooler. I'm guessing it was in the upper 70s-lower 80s. The humidity that had plagued the Camden County area all weekend was gone as well.

I spent most of the morning at Dad's. He had a package coming today and wanted someone to be around while he ran errands. I had a full load of laundry to do, including towels, and plenty of time to do it in. I read a book on nutrition and health care for women and worked on crocheting Samantha's scarf. No, the package never appeared, at least not while I was there. Dad came home shortly after my laundry was done, anyway.

I brought the laundry home, put it away, and went right back out again. About two or three weeks ago, the Westmont Plaza gated off the back area around what was the Halloween Adventure store. My first thought was that they were going to tear it down. It hadn't been used for anything but a seasonal store since I saw a swing set store there when I first moved here in 2006. Then I saw wood on the roof and wondered if they were only repairing the roof and another store was going to move in.

As it turned out, my first thought was right. The side of the store facing Cuthbert Road was now missing it's wall, exposing what remained of the inside. They appear to be tearing it down. I'm a little disappointed (now this means the closest Halloween store will probably be in Deptford), but I'm honestly not surprised. The store never seemed to be in all that great of shape even when it was shilling plastic ghosts and witch costumes, and it looks like it was never remodeled with the rest of the mall. It's still 70s dark and boxy, compared to the lighter colors and angles used for the remainder of the Westmont Plaza. Maybe this is for the best. They can use this spot for something better...or even widen their parking lot.

I made quick stops at Dollar Tree and JoAnn's. I bought a Mother's Day card, a bubble wrap package, and a baby sundress, t-shirt, and shorts that I hoped to use for my Cabbage Patch Kids Carrie and Dulcie. I picked up pins (I realized in March that I have none) and velcro at JoAnn's.

The Haddon Township Library was busy, and there was plenty to do and stacks of DVDs to return, both adult and kids. I took out the Disney animated action film Brother Bear and the film noir Affair in Trinidad, which I've taken out before but didn't have the chance to watch. I also took out one of the newest American Girls mysteries, 70s girl Julie's second, The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter, the next Beatrix Potter Cottage Tales mystery The Tale of Holly How, and an updated version of a 60s cookbook for single women, Saucepots and the Single Girl.

My next stop was a brief appearance at the Dollar General next to the Westmont Acme. Neither they nor the neighboring CVS had anything of interest, so I just headed home. At this point, it had become cloudier, windier, and quite a bit cooler. I thought it might rain, but the clouds eventually vanished, and it was sunny again when I arrived home.

Spent the rest of the evening making steak with plum wine sauce, steamed carrots, and an orange and escarole salad for dinner and watching Brother Bear. I'm surprised this one doesn't heard about more. On paper, it sounds like The Lion King cross-bred with the Disney Tarzan. Three brothers of an ancient Canadian tribe live together, but when the eldest is killed by a bear, Kenai the youngest seeks revenge on the animal. In punishment for what he did, the spirits of the tribe's ancestors turn him into a bear. He's angry, disoriented, and frustrated at first, but things improve when he meets a chatty little cub named Koda. Koda offers to take him to the local bears' salmon run, where he hopes his mother is. Kenai may regard Koda as an annoying kid, but he has many things to teach the older boy...including the meaning of siblinghood.

This may be one of my favorite "unsung" Disney movies. As someone who loves bears and has three younger siblings, I can relate to the theme of understanding those who are different, learning to live with our siblings even when they drive us nuts, and accepting newcomers into the family, whether they're genetic family or not. The animation was gorgeous, and the Phil Collins music is sensational. "Take a Look Through My Eyes" got a lot of radio airplay when the movie first came out, and I'm fond of "Welcome" and "On My Way," too.

Oh, and the Cabbies look very nice in their new clothes. Carrie's t-shirt and shorts really are too big for her. I rolled up the shorts and pulled up the t-shirt. Dulcie's sundress was easier to fix. I cut the spaghetti straps in half and tied them, pulling them up enough to look right.