Summertime Harvest

Began a bright, sunny morning with breakfast and most of Split Second. I came in as the second round was beginning. By the time of the Countdown Round. the dishes were in the sink, and I was ready to head out and run errands.

Started off at the Collingswood Farm Market. This is the first time I've been able to get here in at least three weeks. I've been too busy moving to run out to Collingswood every Saturday. I didn't have much money, but I wanted to buy at least a few things. Cherries and spinach are gone, replaced by abundant tomatoes, potatoes, yellow apples, and melons. Picked up a yellow squash, a zucchini, and a small cantaloupe on my first round before heading off.

Willa originally gave me the check for the interest on the security deposit - all $2.17 of it - back in March, but I didn't have the chance to cash it before the virus hit. I didn't realize that some ATM machines could cash checks. Strolled to the PNC a few blocks from the farm market in Collingswood, fed it into the machine, got 2 dollars (the 17 went into my account), and was on my way.

As I was walking across the parking lot where the farm market is, I spied a flash of green on the blacktop. To my surprise, someone dropped a 10 dollar bill. There was no one around me, and it was so late by then, most officials were starting to clear out. It could have been lost at any time since they opened at 8 AM. I added Chinese green beans, small golden apples, and blueberries to my shopping bag.

Made a quick stop at WaWa next for a much-needed drink. They were the busiest I'd seen them since last Christmas. I got my Frozen Lemonade and Apple Pie Kit Kat as quickly as I possibly could, trying to dodge the crowds around the coffee machines (they're having a dollar sale on coffee) and in the lines.

Opted to sip my lemonade at Knight Park and listen to kids play baseball and softball in the fields after I left WaWa. It felt great, after all the insanity of the last few months, to just sit at a bench, drink a frozen lemonade, and listen to children play ball while the few parents allowed to attend cheered them on. For the first time in weeks, it was really summer.

Newton Lake Park was absolutely gorgeous today, too. Though it was humid, it was much cooler, in the upper 80's, and breezy. The sunlight glistened over the bottle-green lake, and colorful purple and yellow wildflowers and tall green trees with leaves big as dinner plates waved over the slightly dry grass. No wonder there were almost as many people strolling or biking on the paths there today.

Stopped briefly at CVS on my way home to get more drinks. Everyone must have been at the shore or socially-distanced summer activities like the farm market, because they were dead. I had no problems picking up a couple of bottles of sparkling water.

Jodie was watering the tomato plants growing in boxes on the porch when I got in. I was able to give her my first rent for this apartment, then put everything away while watching Match Game. In the first one from 1974, Jimmy Walker of Good Times joined Gene, the regulars, goofy blonde Joyce Bulifant, and sarcastic blonde Loretta Swit. Caught two from 1977 I saw earlier in the week, including the one where several jokes are made about Orson Bean's bushman-like beard.

Had a quick lunch while switching to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel's Fish Dies" was something I needed to see right now. Daniel is devastated when he discovers his favorite blue fish not moving on the bottom of the aquarium. His parents encourage him to discuss his grief with them, draw a picture of his pet, and laugh with his little sister to make him feel better. "Daniel's Strawberry Seeds" have also died. He and Katarina are upset that they won't have fruit for Queen Sarah's fruit salad. Mrs. Tiger gets them to plant more strawberry seeds, then reminds them that there's other fruit that will work just as well in a salad.

Molly of Denali is feeling a little more cheerful. She and her friend Tooey find his old book on Balto, the famous sled dog who helped take a desperately needed shipment of medicine from Nenara to Nome, Alaska in 1925. Molly insists that there should be a statue of Balto in Alaska and convinces her Aunt Midge to get a friend to build one, then gets her father and her guy friend Tooey to take her and the statue there by dog sled despite a huge blizzard. Molly and her friends on the local basketball team get into a "Snow Jam" when they're running a snowshoe race to earn money for a trip to a basketball tournament and have to figure out how to run and dribble basketballs on snow. Good thing Grandpa Nat taught Molly about the different types of snow in Alaska.

The last major thing I have to do to get this place organized is hang pictures and other items that go on walls. Rose gave me a set of Velcro strips yesterday that are supposed to allow things to stay on the walls without damaging the walls. I originally hung my heavy college TV station plaque over my desk, but it fell off and put a few dings in the walls. Moved it to a lower spot next to my desk after wiping the wall down with rubbing alcohol. That seems to have worked better. It hasn't fallen since.

Ran The Cat In the Hat Knows A Lot About That on the Roku Channel while I worked. Sally and Nick need "Night Lights" to make shadow puppets after their flashlight goes out. The Cat takes the kids to meet the fireflies in their own yards and learn how they communicate by flashing their lights. The kids are saying "Go Snails Go!" when they learn about snail shells and how they're used.

Started another batch of Coconut-Lemon No-Bake Cookies while watching Pinkalicious. Pink and her buddies go on a "Treasure Hunt" with a very particular pink pirate who wants his special treasure. She and her friend Lila try to "Cheer Up Archie," Lila's pet fish, who seems unusually listless. A trip to the aquarium to visit friends perks him up, but Lila misses him too much for him to want to stay.

Finished out the cookies while watching Arthur. I haven't checked out the regular episodes of this since I got out of college. Everyone in Elwood City seeks "Shelter from the Storm" when the town is hit by a massive hurricane. Arthur and his family ride it out just fine, but he's concerned about people who lost their pets in the flood. Muffy and her parents end up in a shelter when their mansion is flooded, where she makes friends with another girl who had been there longer. Arthur's neighbor Ladonna is upset that her Army engineer father may be too busy handling flooding to come home for her birthday. Poor Brain prepares and prepares for the storm, only for his family's ice cream parlor to be destroyed by a falling tree. He's so terrified of another tree coming down on him, he has to see a therapist (Idina Menzel) to help him get over his fear.

Did some writing for a while after Arthur ended. Richard manages to fight his way to Fannie and reveal that he has her crystal slipper. She appreciates getting it back, but there's no romantic feelings when he slides it on her foot. She understands that they both have other people they're interested in now...but she does appreciate his friendship.

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Ran two episodes of the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake on the Roku Channel while having leftovers for dinner and making Cucumber-Grape Salad. Strawberry says "Everybody Dance" when she and her friends take dancing lessons. The teacher is really Sour Grapes, who is trying to distract them long enough for the Purple Pie Man to pilfer their berry crop...but she becomes too fond of her students to let her brother swindle them.

"Let's Dance" has Strawberry and the girls putting on a big ice dancing show for their friends. Newcomer Apricot brags about her skating prowess and her carpentry abilities, but Custard and Pupcake suspect she's not as skilled as she claims. Strawberry is more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, and eventually reminds her that she doesn't have to impress anyone to be a good friend.

Finished the night online with Teen Beach 2. I go further into the sequel to Teen Beach Movie at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Teen Beach 2