Friday, March 25, 2022

Spring Into Good Health

Started off the morning with reading and writing upstairs. Just started Mercedes Lackey's Firebird, which is fairly long. I love explorations of fairy tales, and it's rare that I find one based on Russian stories. The tale of a young prince who is banished after he manages to see the Firebird who steals his father's cherries. He gains magic, but his squabbling brothers aren't too happy and try to get rid of him. I've read the original version of this story many times, and I'm looking forward to this retelling as well. 

Had a quick breakfast, then dashed out around 10:55. Got to Collingswood right on time for my doctor's appointment. After they weighed me, a nurse took my heart rate, and the doctor did it again when she came in. She asked me a lot of questions about my health and my family, then checked my eyes, ears, nose, and throat. I turned on my back and front so she could listen to my heart. 

Basically, she said I need a multitude of testing done. I know I need to see the gynecologist again, and another eye exam wouldn't hurt, especially since I can now afford glasses. Evidently, my thyroid is swollen, and she wants me to call the local radiology office. Having lab work done for a multitude of deficiencies is crucial, too. She suggested the Walgreens in Westmont to check it all out. 

Cut through Collingswood after I left, making my way down to Newton Lake Park. It was too nice of a day for rushing. At that point, it remained sunny and fairly warm. It was probably in the lower-mid 60's, which may be why even Cuthbert wasn't that busy. I got across the street with no trouble, for once.

Next stop was the Haddon Township Library. Looked up several books on managing money and job-hunting, but I ultimately just grabbed the next two books in the Tea Shop Mysteries series. My worn out card wouldn't work with the self-checkout, but there was no line at the regular check-out, either. 

Rode across the street to Target after I left the library. Dr. Jessica was totally adamant that I need a bike helmet. She really sort of went on about it. I finally bought the most decent one I could get for a half-way decent price, along with one of their 50-cent composition books. Had a tomato-basil panini, vanilla bean scones, and rather tasty unsweetened black tea lemonade at the small Starbucks in the Target. By that point, it was nearly rush-hour, and there were busy. I was lucky one of the self-checkout terminals opened quickly. 

I was hoping to get my schedule today and make the calls, but as of this second, they still haven't posted them. I don't know what's taking so long. The schedules are supposed to debut Friday. I ended up writing instead. Yes, that is the Red King riding the enormous raven and bringing monstrous birds known as the jub-jub to attack them. Patti and Donald start to flee - the others follow in a hurry. Richard,  however is too busy fighting them to follow quickly...

Broke at 6:30 for Match Game '77. This was the second of two times tough gal Roz "Pinky Tuscadero" Kelly appeared on the show. Gene gives her a kiss anyway...and she's just as happy with it the second time around. The others get more creative with the Audience Match "Loaded __" with a broad-shouldered contestant whom, as Gene pointed out, could probably take on the entire audience and the panel in a pinch. 

Went downstairs to make dinner after the show. Quickly threw together salmon with leftover zucchini and tomatoes, along with my home-made chicken stock. It might have been a little bland, but I left half for others anyway. 

Finished the night on YouTube reliving some wonderful childhood memories. One of the forgotten aspects of spring from the early 80's through the early 90's was the debut of many syndicated animated specials. Most of them were advertising for either new toys that were just on the market, a new playset or doll for an already-existing line, or more rarely, a comic strip or popular children's book . 

Kid video lines like Family Home Entertainment (F.H.E) and Children's Video Library put out many of them for rental (and even a few made-for-video specials later), often packaging them with random vintage shorts and/or advertisements for other specials and they released. Sometimes, as in the second and last Rose Petal Place special "Real Friends," they'd even include characters based after toys that were planned, but never made it to market. 

We used to spend whole afternoons in the mid and late 80's watching those children's video collections. You never knew what would pop up after the main program. Sometimes, you might get vintage Looney Tunes or Terrytoons or Hanna Barbara or Gumby. There might be ads for other specials they released in the same genre - Strawberry Shortcake commercials included with the Care Bears, for instance, or Transformers ads on the end of a Thundercats video. Or you might get a short picture book retelling featuring the characters, with voices, sound effects, and slight camera tricks to simulate movement. 

Fairies from 1981 is a bit more unique. It began life as a hit picture book and didn't expand into merchandise until much later. And if the Care Bears episode included here looks a lot different from the later Care Bears Family, the first two specials and the first series were animated by a different company. Nelvana didn't start doing them until they put out The Care Bears Movie

If you also remember those specials or the toys that inspired them, you'll want to take a trip down a song-filled memory lane of happy childhood memories!

No comments: