Enchanted Holidays

I spent the morning baking bread for my sister Anny and her sons and watching Christmas movies and cartoons. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is one of the few worthwhile direct-to-home-video Disney animated films that didn't come from the Pooh or Tinkerbell series. Instead of a genuine sequel (even Disney figured out that probably wouldn't be very interesting), they did a "midquel" set during the time Belle was staying at the Beast's castle. The Beast has forbidden celebrating Christmas, but Belle thinks it'll help cheer up the Enchanted Objects, and maybe even make their master smile. One of the Enchanted Objects, however, would prefer his master stay a Beast, so he can retain his importance in the castle, and would do anything to stop their Christmas cheer...including turning the Beast against Belle and the others.

While not quite in the class of the original movie, this is a fun and touching tale in its own right, with some rather nice music. Listen for Bernadette Peters as the castle's interior decorator (an angel ornament) and Tim Curry as the nasty organ and castle songwriter who wants to keep the Beast listening to his depressing concertos forever.

Since I had some spare time while the bread baked, and then while it cooled, I set up a few more doll photos in the apartment. One had Samantha holding up mistletoe for a romantic Serena and Darrien. Another had Lita surrounded by "The Riverside Rest Cookie-Baking Committee" - Molly and several WebKinz and Care Bears - while checking out the recipes in my Betty Crocker Cooky Book.

Went out for this week's Oaklyn Library run when the bread was finally out and ready to go. It was a lovely morning, sunny and windy, but once again, not too cold. The Oaklyn Library was quiet except for the librarian and one woman and her toddler daughter, who read picture books. I just organized DVDs and most of the children's section.

Decided to try Dad and Uncle Ken's house again, since I was in the area. This time, he and Jodie were home. I ate hot dogs and baked beans with them and sampled my stepsister Jessa's delicious cookies. Dad said we're going to do exactly what we did last year on Christmas Day - meet around 11AM-noon and head first to our cousins Sam and David's house, then to Jodie's aunt's house for dinner. Fine by me. I had a good time last year.

I had enough time when I got home to run movies and some Disney holiday and winter-themed short subjects. Donald only did one theatrical Christmas short, the violent but funny Toy Tinkers with Chip and Dale. The two mischievous chipmunks were also involved in a pair of cartoons from the late 40s and early 50s that pitted them against Donald and the weather - their starring debut Chip and Dale, and Corn Chips, where the trio do battle over a bowl of popcorn.

Work was on-and-off busy until around 6, after which it died very quickly. There was enough food left in the back room that I had dinner on the store again. It was so quiet at the end of the night, I was able to leave without a relief.