Rain In Toyland

I awoke to a cloudy, gloomy day and rain on the roof. I had grits and a half of a grapefruit for breakfast while watching more Bowery Boys. Angels In Disguise is one of my favorites of the comedy-dramas the Boys did from 1946 to about 1951. Slip and Sach are devastated when their friend Gabe Moreno is hurt by a local gang in a police shoot-out and another cop is killed. The two take it on themselves to flush out the gang...eventually bringing in Louie and the other Boys when they realize just how tough this gang is.

It was down to just being cloudy and damp when I rode across Newton River Park to the Haddon Township Library. The only rain I saw on the path were showers of red, gold, brown, and copper-colored leaves that swirled around my bike as I passed by. Needless to say, the park was quiet today except for one or two joggers.

The Library was hopping when I arrived. Their Children's Hour was just ending, and quite a few kids wanted DVDs. One mother was looking for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for her little girl. The library doesn't have it, though, so she settled on some Backyardigans. Another little girl wanted Disney Princesses. The mother of a boy requested Teletubbies; the library only has one Teletubbies DVD, though, and it was out. She and her son settled on Thomas the Tank Engine.

I returned a few DVDs and CDs, but I spent most of the time shelving the Easy Readers. There was a huge pile today! It took me a while to get them all together. By the time I finished them, it was getting late. I wanted lunch and to run some errands, and I didn't trust the weather. I didn't take anything out today...but I did buy what looks like a vintage 50s-60s copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book from the Library's book sale for a dollar. It's in a ring binder and very much resembles my reprint of The Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book.

(I later discovered the cookbook was an even better find than I had originally thought. Someone left their hand-written cooking notes in the binder, along with a folder filled with Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day recipes cut from what appears to be 60s copies of Better Homes and Gardens! There was even a vintage Safeway ad for flour tucked in. This is the second time in less than a week I made an awesome vintage find.)

My next stop was Super Fresh. My brother Keefe's birthday is Thursday. I had no idea what to buy an 18-year-old boy; Mom suggested an iTunes card, so I got him that. Also picked up cooking spray on sale and turkey cutlets for dinner.

I didn't really feel like eating out today, so I went straight home after that. I had a chicken leg, a plum, and a cranberry-orange muffin for lunch. Went for a walk when lunch was done. I forgot to buy a card for Keefe when I was out, so I did get one for him at CVS. Bought a Fat Free French Vanilla Cappuchino for myself at WaWa to ward off the damp chill.

Stopped at Doria's Deli on my way home for lunch meat and discovered I had a reason to celebrate, even between holidays. I had totally forgotten that the big Eagles-Redskins game was last night. It seems to have gone quite well. ROADKILL! the Philadelphia Daily News screamed - Eagles quarterback Michael Vick had apparently flattened the Redskins and former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb at the 'Skins' home stadium, 59-28. Had a nice chat with Mr. Doria about the game.

With the weather remaining iffy, I spent the rest of the evening at home. I paid my Nelnet bill online and got my Verizon bill together. I prepared Keefe's card and gift card to send tomorrow. I made this year's Christmas card, purchased presents, and baked goods presents list. I worked on a crocheted blanket for my dolls and made turkey cutlets with stewed apples for dinner while watching the Disney Babes In Toyland.

Released in 1961, Babes In Toyland is Disney's first live-action musical. I figure it's about as close to an English pantomime as I'm going to get without flying to England in December. Mother Goose Land residents Tom Piper (Tom Sands) and Mary Contrary (Annette Funicello) are going to be married...but wicked Barnaby (Ray Bolger) will do anything to get her money, including stealing her sheep and having him kidnapped by a Laurel-and-Hardy-like comic duo. Mary's siblings go after the sheep, and Tom and Mary eventually go after them. They all end up in Toyland, where the befuddled Toymaker and his nerdy assistant are trying to make the Christmas toy deadline. Can Tom, Mary, and the kids help...and is Barnaby far behind?

If you like old-fashioned operetta and fantasy, you'll probably get a kick out of this. Most people tend to compare this unfavorably with the Laurel and Hardy version. I think both are equally enjoyable. Some of the numbers here are really cute, including Funciello's imaginative version of "I Can't Do The Sum," Bolger's showy "Castle In Spain" dance, and the villains' hilarious "And We Won't Be Happy 'Til We Get It."