Blackberry Summer

Started a gorgeous late summer morning with this week's American Top 40 re-run. We skipped back two years to 1982, as pop, New Wave, country, and hard rock reigned supreme. Hits from late August included "Hurts So Good" by John Cougar (Melloncamp), "Abracadabra" by The Steve Miller Band, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago, "Wasted on the Way" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, "Vacation" by The Go-Gos, "Love Is In Control" by Donna Summer, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" by Melissa Manchester, "Love Will Turn You Around" by Kenny Rogers, and "Only the Lonely" by The Motels. The big hit that week also corresponded with that summer's big hit movie - "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor from Rocky III.

I couldn't believe how nice it was outside. It was the nicest day I'd ever seen in late August, breezy, sunny, and mild, probably no more than the upper 70s-lower 80s, and not humid at all. It was a perfect day for running my Saturday morning errands. I started with a peek at a yard sale on the corner of Bryant Avenue and Kendall Boulevard not far from me in Oaklyn. I found a crocheting set for a dollar and three records for a dollar each:

The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, and Jones, LTD (in the original Colgems release, not the Rhino re-release)

Hall & Oates - Bigger Than Both Of Us

Johnny Mathis - Give Me Your Love This Christmas

Went straight to the Farm Market next. Given the glorious weather, you probably won't be surprised to hear that it was very crowded there today. Blueberries seem to be done for the season, replaced by acorn squash and more varieties of apples, plums, and grapes. I mostly needed fruit. Ended up with peaches, plums, tiny gala apples (the last quart the orchard booth had), blackberries, a tomato, one of those mini-cantaloupes, and a small lavender eggplant and zucchini to make ratatouille later this week.

I took a quick look at two yard sales on Oaklawn Avenue on my way home, but didn't get anything from either. When I got in, I put my Farm Market finds away, then gathered up the rest of my donations. The Logan Presbyterian Church Thrift Shop was open for the first time in two months, and I had a ton of stuff I wanted to bring there.

Considering it was quarter after 11 when I left, it was probably a good thing I ran into my landpeople Andrew and Linda at their house as I was walking down the street with the cart. Andrew offered to drive me to the church. I appreciated the lift. I really had a big load - two bags of stuffed animals, one bag of clothes, a box of Effanbee dolls I was clearing out, the popcorn popper I broke last year, a couple of records and DVDs that didn't make it to Haddon Township on Monday, and that electronic panda bear that moves his arms and makes noise when you squeeze his back I found at the Collingswood thrift shop about five or so years ago. I wound up buying two more records, these from Capitol's 50s and 60s series of holiday music from other lands, Christmas In Italy and Christmas In Poland.

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon baking Blackberry Muffins with my sugar-free baking book, using pomegranate juice to sweeten them. Ran more Get Smart episodes as I baked. Max and 99 go on "The Impossible Mission" to keep a musician from smuggling a formula out of the country. When the two of them are trapped, Max admits that he really does love his partner...giving her a new reason to escape. It's a battle of cartoon spoofs and aviation gags as Max tries to stop KAOS from destroying Idaho's potato crop and meets 99's mother in "Snoopy Smart Vs. The Red Baron." Max accidentally runs across a KAOS smuggling ring when he's shopping for 99 in "Diamonds are A Spy's Best Friend." "The Secret of Sam Vittorio" pokes fun at the then-blockbuster Bonnie and Clyde. Max and 99 use their resemblance of a pair of famous bank robbers to convince the robbers' mentor to reveal where his famous money stash is hidden.

Work wasn't nearly as much fun. Actually, it was quiet for most of the night, not surprising given the gorgeous weather and it being a little bit more than a week before the beginning of the month and a major holiday. Most people are probably on vacation. I was able to shut down quickly with no relief and was in and out with no problems.