March Madness and Other Spring Stories

We opened on an absolutely gorgeous, sunny spring day with this week's American Top 40 re-run. Late March 1984 would have been a rather exciting time for my family. That was when Mom announced that she was pregnant with a third daughter, who would become my youngest sister Anna. The hits that eventful early spring included "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins, "Hello" by Lionel Richie, "Miss Me Blind" by Culture Club, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, "Automatic" by the Pointer Sisters, "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, and the German smash "99 Luftballons" by Nena. That week's #1 song was the title tune from the year's blockbuster movie musical, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins.

After the American Top 40 ended, I quickly changed two of my dolls into Easter outfits. Samantha and Felicity were fine in what they were wearing. Molly now sports her cute aqua Polka-Dot Outfit, with navy ribbons in her pigtails. Jessa is more eclectic; she wears Kit's floral skirt from her "meet" outfit with a magenta t-shirt, white socks, and Samantha's black plastic Mary-Janes.

Started out for a few errands in the Oaklyn area after I finished with the dolls. First on my list was a quick stop at CVS. I forgot one Easter card last week for my landlord and his wife Andrew and Linda. Tried Reese's White Chocolate Egg there - I'd never seen the single pack at the Acme. Not bad, but lacking the sweet/salty taste of the milk chocolate version.

I walked by Dad's on my way to CVS, but there was no car in the driveway. There still wasn't when I went by there again, but I decided to see if anyone was around anyway. Yes, Dad was home, preparing to work in the yard and the pool area. He's having the pool completely remodeled this spring. It needs new concrete around the perimeter of the pool, and it's starting to leak. He says the firm he hired will start next week. Jodie was doing some last-minute shopping at the Acme; she arrived shortly before I left.

Dad and Jodie are having Easter dinner at their house this year. It sounds like the same deal as their Christmas Eve party. The guest list includes Rose and her boys, Mark and Vanessa, several neighbors, Jessa and her boyfriend Bobby, Jodie's sons Jesse and TJ, Jesse's girlfriend Dana, and a few members of Jodie's family. As it turns out, they're not having dinner until 4 - no one is up to a lot of holiday traveling this year.

Headed to the Oaklyn Library after leaving Dad's. This time, I mainly concentrated on the children's books. The Library was almost completely empty. There were only two women working on computers and the librarian. The day was too nice for hanging around inside. I wasn't there long, either. I was out again around 12:30.

Made several quick stops next. WaWa didn't have heavy cream. Family Dollar did have trash bags and dry-erase bags...but the store was so busy, and the line was so long, I decided it wasn't worth the effort of waiting for them. I'll buy them from Acme or Rite Aid later in the week. I checked out my first yard sale of the season on the end of West Oakland Avenue. There wasn't much left by 1, but I did buy two cookies from a pair of enterprising little girls.

Since it was two blocks down anyway, I tried Aunt Berta's Kitchen as a special Easter treat. Aunt Berta's is a popular soul food restaurant and catering service on the White Horse Pike, a block from Capitol Pizza and the laundromat. No wonder they've gotten good reviews from everyone I've talked to who tried them. The salmon cakes and stewed collard greens I ordered were delicious. The salmon cake had a perfectly soft center and dark, crunchy fried shell. The greens were the right amount of salty/sweet. There were thick slabs of cornbread, too. The salmon cakes were so big, I took one and a slice of cornbread home for lunch later this week.

I do wish the service had been a little faster, but it is the day before Easter. The catering part of the business is probably swamped with orders. I watched Ohio State beat Wisconsin in a game from earlier in the March Madness tournament - Ohio State was playing later today. (They eventually lost to Wichita State, 70-66.)

Though it was still a pretty nice day when I finished lunch, my legs were getting tired from all the walking, and I had things I wanted to do at home. When I got in, I ran cartoons and started cupcakes. I've made an Orange Coconut Mousse Pie for Easter dinner for the last few years. While that was tasty, this year, I wanted something that was easier to transport and better for kids and young adults who would have been eating sugar all day by 4PM. I used that Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix I bought yesterday, added buttermilk, sliced strawberries, applesauce, and mashed bananas, and made Strawberry-Banana Cupcakes.

As soon as the cupcakes were out of the oven, I was in the bath. I needed a bath. This was a fairly busy week. I've really come to enjoy my baths. I read Simple Abundance and just enjoyed the (relative) peace and quiet of a busy spring day.

After my bath, I made a lamb chop with steamed asparagus and Spinach and Greens Salad for dinner while watching various Easter and spring specials. Uniqua becomes a plant-based superhero who fights the dark Gloom Meister (Austin) in The Backyardigans episode "Flower Power." "Spring In Acme Acres" brings thoughts of love with the wrong species, avoiding spring cleaning at Elmyra's, and competing in crazy game shows to the Tiny Toons. Ruby finds all the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid, but her little brother is the one who gets the prize in "Max's Chocolate Chicken." Bugs and Granny try to find an Easter Bunny replacement among the Looney Tunes in Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. Daffy doesn't do much better with a paint brush with a wicked sense of humor in Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement. Yogi is determined to bring the Easter Bunny to Jellystone Park's Easter Jamboree - and save his and Ranger Smith's necks in the process - in Yogi the Easter Bear. And in Here Comes Peter Cottontail, the title character has to travel through a year's worth of holidays in order to deliver enough eggs to become the new head Easter Bunny.

I did two more Easter programs on YouTube. Brother Bear learns about the miracle of spring...and other kinds of miracles...in the early 80s special The Bernstein Bears' Easter Surprise.

Part 1
Part 2

This Silly Symphony from the mid-30s is one of Disney's few attempts at a springtime short. It's cutsey, but it has a catchy theme song, and the color is gorgeous.

Funny Little Bunnies

For those of you who won't be around tomorrow, I hope you all have a great Easter (and Passover, too)!