Let It Be Balanced

Started out a sunny morning with yoga class. We emphasized twisting and back bends today. I did what I could, but I still can't catch my ankles or balance as well as most people. Karin came to me after class and told me that she did appreciate that I continued to practice yoga despite my difficulties with some of the moves. I'm glad she did. They don't have any beginners' or easy half-price classes, so I do what I can with the regular ones.

Headed down the street to volunteer at the Collingswood Library and drop some book donations. Not a whole lot going on there. I mostly just shelved and organized DVDs. I left around noon and returned to the apartment.

There was a small package waiting for me in the mail box when I arrived. It was from my friend Jen Waters in the Navy. She sent me a book of beautiful paper dolls, Great Costumes from Classic Movies. I used to have a fancy paper doll set like this for Victorian gowns when I was a pre-teen, but I finally cut them out and haven't seen them in years. The costumes are organized by designer. Some of the most famous film costumes ever are here, from Walter Plunkett's famous green velvet "curtain rod" gown for Vivian Leigh in Gone With the Wind to Jean Louis' "Put the Blame On Mame" black gown for Rita Hayworth in Gilda, and yes, even Orry-Kelly's pastel Florida dress for Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. I ran March of the Toy Soldiers, had scrambled eggs with onions and mushrooms for lunch, and watched March of the Toy Soldiers. This is the Laurel and Hardy version of Babes In Toyland from 1934. This time, Stan and Ollie are the ones who help Little Bo Peep and Tom Piper flee the evil Barnaby, with help from the toys of the title. It's one of the few old black-and-white movies I recommend seeing in its colorized version. This fantasy really does need the color, and the pastel shades on my public domain copy do it justice.

Work was a bit of a pain. It was busy during rush hour, barely steady otherwise, with several annoying customers. Thankfully, it had slowed down enough by the time I left that I got out without a relief. It had clouded over even as I rode home from Collingswood, and was actually showering lightly when I went to work. The rain was long gone when I left, though.