Thanksgiving With the Family

Began the morning with the Thanksgiving material in the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The long piece for Thanksgiving is a story about a Pilgrim grandmother relating her memories of the first Thanksgiving to her family. There's also several hymns and poems, including "Over the River and Through the Woods."

The original book version of Molly's Pilgrim is pretty close to the half-hour special that debuted in 1985. The biggest difference is it's likely set in what I suspect to be the early 1900's. Elizabeth, the girl who bullies Molly, has long black ringlets rather than straight blonde hair, they go a little more into Molly and her family being Jewish, and Molly doesn't get extra help for English after school. It's still a sweet and charming story, though, a reminder that "pilgrims" continue to search for religious freedom even today.

There's a short story in the Disney Storybookland anthology called "Pilgrim's Party." Mickey takes Minnie, Donald, and Pluto to Plymouth, Massachusetts for a real old-fashioned Thanksgiving dinner. It's all fun and Pilgrim cosplay, until Pluto steals the turkey!

Changed and had breakfast while watching the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. They've gone through a couple of different sponsors through the years. The current sponsors are ABC and Dunkin' Donuts, the latter of whom had an extremely pink donut float in the parade. The only balloon I saw in the air was Clifford the Big Red Dog. There was a modern Netflix Strawberry Shortcake, but I think she had deflated by the time they showed her on the broadcast, because she seemed to be laying down. I saw an Acme float, too, appropriately based around a cornucopia bursting with harvest produce. 

Thank heavens this was broadcast for free on WPVI 6's website. The Macy's Parade is the exclusive domain of Peacock online, but it was more fun to see what Philly did for Thanksgiving anyway. A huge tap group did an enormous number with dozens of kids all tapping together. We had songs from the stage Beauty and the Beast and Here's Love (under the title Meredith Wilson's Miracle On 34th Street: The Musical). The Four Tops, Jordan Sparks, and a group called Cameo performed their hits. There were marching bands from as far away as Indiana. Unlike Macy's parade, which ends with the arrival of Santa, the Philly parade ended with a huge number that included the tap dancers, the All-American Cheerleaders, Santa, and piles of confetti.

Called Mom while the parade was on. We weren't able to chat for very long. She was making pies for my brother's Thanksgiving dinner. Keefe insisted on making the rest of the dinner, including the turkey (though his wife Julia was apparently in charge of the sweet potatoes). There had been a few problems when Elijah came out, but he's as healthy as any darling baby ever born now.

Switched to two delightful Thanksgiving specials from the 1980's after the parade ended. I go further into the charming Paul Fusco puppet show A Thanksgiving Tale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Thanksgiving Short Subject Special - A Thanksgiving Tale

The 1985 Molly's Pilgrim won an Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Subject that year...and richly deserved it. The story is now reset in the mid-80's. Molly is a young Jewish girl from Russia whose family came to a small Midwestern town in search of religious freedom. Molly is still bullied by children who envy her gymnastics abilities and don't understand her accent or her Borscht lunches. She's upset and feels out of place, especially after her mother makes a clothes pin Pilgrim that looks more like a traditional Russian peasant than the usual Pilgrim. Molly's teacher finally explains to the class that Molly's mother is right - pilgrims still exist today, and they come to America for the same reason the ones at Plymouth Rock did. As her classmate Arthur said, it does take all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving.

Since I had food to carry and I wasn't sure how late I was going to be at Rose's, I walked to her house. It was a gorgeous day for it. Yesterday's off-and-on clouds had given way to a beautiful, sunny, if chilly afternoon. It was in the 40's, cold, but really more in line with what it should be during late November.

I was greeted at the door by Rose's two dogs Cider and Oreo barking their hellos. Jessa had already arrived (in fact, she texted me earlier to ask which house was Rose's) as the Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game began. It was just Rose, Craig, 8-year-old Finley, 15-year-old Khai, and Jessa this year. Craig's mother apparently went up to New England to visit his brother. 

Jessa played Dinosaur Bingo with Finley and Khai while Craig and I watched the game and we all had appetizers from three huge trays. One tray had sliced vegetables and dip. One had sweet goodies - donut holes, my pumpkin bread, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranates (Finley ate most of those - she apparently loves them), Danish butter cookies. There were also bowls of chips and pretzels and a yummy shrimp cocktail.

(Oh, and the Packers did very well against the Lions, who are no slouches themselves. The Packers would run and get a touchdown, then the Lions would get one. In the end, the Packers finally outran them 31-24.)

It was well into the Kansas City Chiefs-Dallas Cowboys game before dinner was ready. Rose apparently forgot to put the turkey in early! Jessa left before dinner, but the rest of us sat down to turkey, ham, green beans with bacon and crispy onions, mashed potatoes. cubed orange and purple sweet potatoes, canned cranberry sauce, tossed salad, and rolls. Oh, yum! The two meats looked like they belonged on the cover of a food magazine or the main page of a food website. The turkey was so juicy, I saw Rose cleaning up turkey juice she'd spilled (with the help of the dogs). Even the white meat was moist and tender. The ham was almost as good.

(The Chiefs-Cowboys game didn't go nearly as well. Their game was also close and well-played, but the Cowboys just managed to push ahead at the end 31-28.)

While Khai disappeared into his "office" (a tiny storage area where he plays computer games) and Craig and Rose prepared dinner, Finley and I played something called Zingo. You get a board containing small words, like what, the, she, if, and or (along with the numbers two and three). Someone pushes a lever that makes two yellow chips with words on them slide out of a slot. You have to grab the word before the other person does to fill your card. I did win a few games, but not only was Finley faster, I was tired and couldn't really focus on where the words were.

It wasn't until almost 7 when Rose and Craig brought the sweets tray back out, along with pumpkin pie, apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and home-made whipped cream. Finley and I both went for pumpkin pie with whipped cream. (In fact, I think Finley mainly had whipped cream. There might have been pumpkin somewhere under the enormous mounds of white fluff on her plate.) Khai insisted that he wasn't a fan of pies, so he had a root beer float instead. 

Finley and Craig brought drove me and a huge bag of leftovers home around 8. I went straight online and into the annual Match Game Productions Thanksgiving marathon. This year's theme was "personal favorite episodes of the channel's owner." The marathon started much earlier, but I did get to see two classic syndicated episodes that were also personal favorites of mine. 

In a 1979 syndicated episode, Joyce Bulifant wears a crazy red fright wig that made her look like a demented Little Orphan Annie to keep from being mistaken for the other blonde on the show that week, Elaine Joyce. A later contestant was almost as weird, giving a very strange answer to what a jock centipede bought along with 100 pairs of shoes. 

Betty White turned up in a much later syndicated episode from 1981 wearing a short, flaming red and gold dress made by a friend of Sharon Farrell's. Sharon was no slouch either in her pink pants outfit. She and Richard Paul inadvertently demonstrated mud wrestling when she landed on him during McLean Stevenson's answer for what form of "wrassling" should be an Olympic event. Later on, a contestant's laugh that he supposedly used to wake up in the morning was so terrifying, it sent McLean hurrying for Gene's entrance doors.

At any rate, enjoy your own feast of favorites with this bountiful showcase!

Match Game Thanksgiving 2025 Countdown Marathon

Discovering a Beautiful Day

Started off Columbus Day morning with a biographical essay and poems from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. Considering the material here was written in the 40's and 50's, they were surprisingly and refreshingly honest about what Columbus did and didn't do. The essay went into his terrible treatment of the natives in the Caribbean and South America and how he never did find Asia and died a broken man. The poems are funnier, but they still discuss his lack of sailing abilities and his crew nearly starting a mutiny. 

Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while eating breakfast. Minnie's upset when she loses Mickey's lucky coin in deep Mickey Lake. Professor Ludvig Von Drake lends his new mini-submarine to Mickey and the gang so they can find it. The gang says "Aye Aye, Captain Mickey!" as they follow a map and discover the mysteries of the deep lake.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. I wanted to run a few errands on a beautiful holiday. Started off at Dollar General. Lauren's birthday is Saturday, but I want to send her card early. Grabbed a card for her here, along with makeup crayons for my black cat costume on Halloween. Picked up facial wash at CVS. I've been breaking out. I guess it's stress. 

Strolled through Oaklyn next and down to West Clinton. Had a drink and a treat at Common Grounds. They were the busiest I've ever seen them, probably due to it being a holiday. School is closed, and a lot of local stores aren't open normally on Mondays anyway. I finally got a spot on the long bench near the counter. Tried their pumpkin chai and caramel apple crumb cake. Both were a bit too sweet, and neither especially tasted of pumpkin or apple (though the chai did taste of spices). They were still cool and filling.

I was passing Rose and Craig's house when I noticed that their door was open, and Rose's car was turning in the driveway. I caught them at the perfect time. Rose just took Finley to get her ears pierced. She checked her cute cherry earrings to make sure they're locked in while I came in to say "hi" and pat Oreo and Cider on the head. Craig was doing the dishes; Khai had sequestered himself in his room with video games. I wasn't there for too long, just long enough to see her ears. Finley apparently needed a nap.

It was a gorgeous day for a walk. I got to see all the cool Halloween and fall decorations in Oaklyn. People get so creative around here! They ranged from big pots of mums and pumpkins on stoops to yards made up to look like cemeteries with cardboard headstones and realistic skeletons. Rose was among those who had inflatables, including Frankenstein and a red-eyed dragon. Saw kids out riding their bikes and parents working in their gardens or on their own walks.

Stopped at WaWa briefly on the way back. I was thirsty again. Grabbed one of those tasty Oreo Coke Zeros, paid for it, and got back out. 

After I got home, I took my laundry downstairs and watched The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween. The Cat takes Nick and Sally through a spooky forest and a corn maze in search of Bubbles Biederbaum and her Ooky-Makooky Closet that holds every possible costume in the world. Nick is scared of the thunder storm they encounter on the way, and Bubbles' creaky old house freaks out Sally, but the Cat teaches them to confront their fears and if possible, fix the problem. Mr. Fish spends the special trying to give the Cat a scare. The Cat claims he doesn't get scared, but he does seem awfully edgy about the pumpkin patch they fly over...

Switched to Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein next. Baggage clerks Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Gray (Lou Costello) find themselves up to their ears in Universal's finest when they deliver a package containing Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and his coffin to a local wax museum. Turns out this Dracula is no dummy. He revives Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange) and hypnotizes Wilbur to do his dirty work. 

Wilbur's thrilled when he has two attractive women come onto him, but they're not interested in him. Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert) thinks he has the perfect docile brain for the monster, while insurance agent Joan Raymond (Jane Randolph) thinks he's knows more than he's telling about the missing monsters. Meanwhile, Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr) has been hounding the guys to help him find those monsters - literally, given he can turn into a werewolf by the full moon. There's also Professor Stevens (Charles Bradstreet), who is beginning to wonder just where all this strange equipment came from...and why his new boss Dr. Lejos is so interested in Wilbur...

Hilarious comedy is probably Abbott and Costello's best and best-known movie. Lugosi and especially Chaney have a great time sending up their reputations as Universal's top monster men. I also love that both the mad scientist and the agent are female. That's not something you're likely to see in current horror movies, let alone one made in 1948. If you're a big Abbott and Costello or classic monster fan or are like me and prefer your horror comedies with more comedy than horror, 

Put my laundry in the dryer after the movie ended, then worked on the inventory for a while. Finished The Drowsy Chaperone and the F CD titles - the original 1971 and 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse casts of Follies, the 2001 revival of 42nd Street, and the original cast of A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum. Most of these go so far back, I only remember finding Drowsy Chaperone (it came from the long-gone FYE at the Gallery Mall in Philly) and the 1971 Follies (picked it up at the Northshire Bookstore in 2008 when they still carried CDs). 

Broke to put my laundry away, then had dinner at quarter after 7. Match Game '77 is on the delightful week with Dick Smothers and comedienne Minnie Pearl of Hee Haw. Minnie was cute, funny, and a darn good player, and I really wish they'd gotten her away from Tennessee again. Minnie sported her trademark flowered hat and lacy dresses in two episodes. Brett wore her own flowered hat in tribute in another.

Made the bed while waiting for a neighbor to come and take the air conditioner out for the season, then took a shower. Finished the night with versions of Lingo, which originally debuted on September 28th, 1987. This started as one of the many syndicated game shows that debuted after the wild success of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune in the mid-80's. Two teams have to guess a five-letter word on a bingo card. If they guess the right words, they can pick numbers and get bingo. The bonus round is the same, but here, if they don't make Lingo, they can win prizes.

Though the show was fun to watch, it didn't last a year. Host Michael Reagan was dull as a rock, and the game play wasn't unique enough to stand out in a glut of syndicated game shows . Game Show Network saw something in it and revived it in 2002, with the far more charismatic Chuck Woolery hosting. The game play remains largely the same, with a different end game. This time, the teams had two minutes to guess as many words on the Lingo boards as possible. The team drew Lingo balls for each word they got right. If they formed a Lingo, they could win a prize package. 

Unlike in the 80's, Lingo was in the right place at the right time. It was a breath of lighthearted fresh air amid the tension-filled quiz shows of the early 2000's, with Woolery having a blast hosting. The show ran from 2002 to 2007 and saw frequent re-runs. It was so popular, many kids who grew up in the early-mid 2000's still have fond memories of it. 

GSN tried again with Lingo in 2011. Once again, the game play remained largely the same. Bonus Lingo is also more-or-less the same, this time with no Lingo balls involved. William Baldwin was an ok host, but the show never found its audience and was gone within two months.

The success of Lingo continued well into the 21st century, so much that CBS revived it again last year in its first outing in prime-time and on a major network. RuPaul is the charming and flamboyant host. The game play remains the same, but it's now expanded to an hour, with four couples playing. The two winning couples from each half-hour play each other in the end. The bingo mechanics have been cut down to RuPaul picking letter balls to start off each round. The second round plays more like Now You See It, with each couple trying to figure out a word on one line from the letters he chose. 

Not bad. I do miss the bingo balls, but it moves faster, and RuPaul does seem to enjoy hosting. It just completed its second season on CBS; I hope it returns next year. 

Guess words and see if you can avoid the infamous black and red balls in these fast-paced episodes! (Oh, and the only place you can find the current version of Lingo besides CBS is Paramount Plus; you will need a subscription to access the most recent episode.) 

Lingo Syndicated Pilot (1986)

Lingo Syndicated Premiere (1987)

Lingo (2002)

Lingo (2004)

Lingo (2011)

Lingo (2024) 

Cool Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and PAW Patrol. "The Pups Save Puplantis" when they travel underwater with mer-pups and witness a kid pirate and his puppy sidekick steal the shell that gives Puplantis its magic. Without the shell and its pearls, Puplantis is falling to bits! Rocky and Rubble try to keep it from getting worse, while Chase keeps an eye on them from above and the others go after the pirates.

Caught the second half of Press Your Luck as I prepared to go out. One of the two guys Whammied out almost immediately. The lead and the turns kept going between the one lady and the remaining guy. The guy finally hit a Whammy and couldn't make more money, leaving the lady to win with a ton of money and three vacations to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. 

Headed out after the episode ended. I wanted to give the ride up to Barrington and Haddon Heights a second shot after my first attempt at the beginning of the month got rained out. It was cloudy, but this time, the dark clouds were just clouds. They kept it cool and windy, but I never felt so much as a raindrop the entire day. Made a brief stop at WaWa in Audubon for a watermelon Propel, but otherwise made it up the White Horse Pike to Barrington by noon without incident.

The Barrington Antique Center is huge warren of cozy little rooms jammed to the rafters with every vaguely collectible item you can imagine, from genuine antique glassware and furniture to DVDs and Barbies from a few years ago. I wish their records were cheaper. I have come up with good records there on occasion, but $10 for a rock title I could get out of the dollar bin at Innergroove is too much. I did find the Santana album Inner Secrets for $5 and Shirley Temple's Storybook, a collection of fairy tales and two Washington Irving stories inspired by her TV show of the same name. The book has gorgeous color and pen illustrations redolent of the early 60's when the show was out and even features a story I never heard of before, "The Land of Green Ginger."

Dodged the traffic on Clements Bridge Road and made my way down Atlantic to the industrial park on the other side of town. The House of Fun is next-door to the park in its own building. This store focuses on pop culture collectibles, toys, horror and cult DVDs and blu-rays, and stuffed animals. I was going to get a DVD, but it was too expensive. I just dug an older Beanie Baby ghost, Spooky, out for Halloween.

Next stop was what's now known as Doc's Finds, formerly Station Avenue Antiques in Haddon Heights. There's now fewer antiques and more locally made clothing and food, and the dollar record bins are gone. I still came up with some good finds of my own:

Maureen McGovern - Maureen McGovern

The Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream

The Rolling Stones - Between the Buttons (the US version with "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday") and Beggar's Banquet

The Haddon Heights Library is next-door, so I stopped there next. I only fished a cozy mystery, The Cider Shop Rules, out of the row of books on that 50 cent sale, but I did have a nice chat with the young librarian when she complimented me on my Pokemon backpack. The owner of Doc's Finds complimented me, too. 

Rode down Atlantic Avenue, mainly so I could pull in at the Legacy Diner in Audubon for lunch. I was definitely feeling like breakfast, so I got coconut-pineapple pancakes. Yum. Tons of coconut and fresh pineapple pieces in three pancakes that were so huge, I couldn't finish them. By 3 PM they weren't all that busy, so I got to enjoy my meal in peace.

Went straight into working on the inventory when I got home. Along with adding the titles I just bought to the rock inventory, I did Kismet, Les Miserables, A Little Night Music, Lost In the Stars, and The Magic Show. Lost In the Stars, which I picked up at a yard sale two years ago, is the only album from this batch that didn't come from one of the record stores in the last decade or so...I think, anyway. I'm not sure where Kismet came from anymore. 

Had a very quick dinner while watching Match Game Syndicated. The late Peter Marshall turned up for what would be his first of two weeks. Gene sat in his seat in the opening, and he came out with Gene's microphone. They kept talking about how much they resembled each other. Personally, I don't see it.

Headed out for a treat after the show. It remained cool, cloudy, and humid, perfect weather for a walk to West Clinton for Oaklyn's Final Friday block party. Every last Friday of the month from June through October, there's a big street fair on the last two blocks of West Clinton near the school, with food trucks, craft books, face painting, and a live band. 

I ran into Rose, Finley, and Craig on the parking lot across from the school where the bean bag game and craft booths were. Rose had their two dogs Cider and Oreo and took them home after a few minutes. (Khai apparently had opted to go home early.) Finley insisted on her father buying her a second lobster roll from the lobster food truck and ran into Phillies Phatties to greet friends of hers. She had these cute pink, lavender, and turquoise streaks in her hair that I suspect were the result of combs or clips. After they left, I bought myself a banana donut from Common Grounds' booth. Alas, despite the sugary icing, it was rather bland.

Finished the night at home with Big Trouble In Little China at Tubi. Trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) finds himself caught up in a very weird adventure in San Francisco's Chinatown when the fiancee (Suzee Pai) of a friend (Dennis Dun) who is kidnapped by a street gang. After they get between two warring mystical societies, she's kidnapped by an ancient Chinese sorcerer who thinks sacrificing her will break a long-standing curse. Her friend Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) is also kidnapped when Lo Pan realizes she also has green eyes. He'll kill her and marry the other girl. Jack eventually aids an old friend who is also a warrior in solving the secrets of Chinatown and the mystical elemental warriors.

Supremely weird action flick wasn't a hit at the time, but I think it's worn much better than the other action film revolving around Asian mysticism that came out in the mid-80's, The Golden Child. Russell's clearly having a ball as the normal guy caught up in this oddly magical adventure. Not all of the Chinese stereotypes have dated that well, Cattrall has little to do in a boring love interest role, and some of the scarier monsters put this out of reach of the very young, but by and large this wild action fantasy is still a hoot for teens and adults who are into 80's adventures. 

Hot In Springtime

Began a sunny, hot morning with being startled away by the phone. It was Karen. The only day she can get together this week is Friday, and that's my day in the floral department. I'm not going to miss that. We're going to attempt getting together next week instead.

Jessa also texted me. Turns out she wanted to get together today after all. Could I meet her somewhere we could eat outside? She originally suggested Sonic, but that would be too far to walk. I mentioned Collingswood. Many of the restaurants and cafes there have outdoor seating. 

Read Death by Dumpling, then hurried out. At least it was a nice day for a walk. Almost too nice for mid-April. It was hot, windy, and sunny, already in the upper 70's at 11:30. I'm surprised there weren't more people in the park, but they might have all been at work or on their way to lunch.

Jessa met me near the PATCO station with her fluffy little black dog Midnight. Turns out she'd ridden her bike all the way from Deptford, with Midnight in the back. It took her over an hour to get there on the back roads. She hadn't mentioned that when she texted me. No wonder she wanted to meet by a place with bike racks and eat outside. 

I suggested Collingswood because it's closer to me, but the truth is, most stores in town are closed on Monday. Haddon Culinary is one of the few that's open all week. In addition to selling overpriced gourmet food and produce, they also have small meals, sandwiches and salads and soup and the like. Jessa had soup and a chicken sandwich. I had the Haddon Sunrise egg sandwich, with bacon, melted cheddar, tomato, scrambled eggs, and spicy aioli on multi-grain bread. I was still a bit full from yesterday, so all I had with it was a bottle of unsweetened iced tea. 

There's wooden benches all along Haddon Avenue next to the market and their next-door neighbor, a juice shop. Midnight curled up in the shade under the table while we had our sandwiches. Yum! Mine was really good, a nice blend of flavors. Jessa seemed to enjoy her sandwich and especially her Italian Wedding Soup, too. Midnight came out from under the table when a man came by with a young black lab and a couple passed walking their little king's spaniel.

We talked for a long time after we ate, probably for almost an hour. She told me about her job at a warehouse and running the Broad Street marathon in Philly. I told her about my vacation days and my enjoyable weekend off. 

I originally suggested taking Midnight to Knight Park, but we talked for so long, she ended up walking me home across Collingswood. We walked down Lees Avenue until we saw the park, then turned on that. They were even more busy than Collingswood with people and their dogs and children out enjoying the warm, sunny day. When we got to my house, I filled her water bottle, so she and Midnight could wet their whistles before they started back on their long ride home.

After I got in, I did job hunting while watching Match Game PM. I enjoyed the episodes I saw last night so much, I decided to keep my usual birthday Match Game marathon going another day. Brett is delighted when an older man with a twinkle in his eye is sweet on her. She's nervous when he chooses her for the Head-to-Head, but everyone's delighted when things work out - most of all him!

The first season of the nighttime shows ended with an episode where Gene demonstrated his ability to do push-ups. Brett then showed off hers, which weren't bad, either. Soap star Janice Lynde managed to steal the spotlight from both of them by doing "push ups" on her stomach!

At that point, I was tired and not really having much luck with job hunting. I went down for a nap instead. Fell asleep at 4:30 and was so out of it, I didn't get up until almost 6:30.

To my annoyance, I realized after I wrote in my journal that I forgot to take my laundry downstairs earlier. I did that, then put on Match Game '73 while eating dinner. Ran straight into the infamous episode where Gene turns up in a red and green plaid suit that was so butt-ugly, even for the early 70's, the panel wouldn't look at him when he came out. Comedian Jack Carter even said he looked like "a station break in Poland." Near the end of the episode, everyone is so excited when the contestant wins, Bert, Jack, and Fannie Flagg ran into the audience and gave random people hugs and kisses.

Brought my last birthday present to myself up after I ran the laundry downstairs. Make Believe Ballroom Time was among the records and videos the Stockton Media Center received from a donor when I worked there around 2000. I enjoyed listening to the charming 20's songs so much, I actually recorded the two-disc set onto a cassette. I still have it, but alas, it's in storage, and I'm trying to replace my cassettes with other formats as much as possible anyway. I finally found it again on eBay. (There's a 30's collection under the same title I may eventually pick up as well.)

Put my laundry in the dryer, then brought it up again as I finished the night with more Match Game PM. Gene wasn't happy in one Season 2 episode when he had to open his own door because the stagehand forgot to do it. Another classic episode had Richard pretending to be Brett and Betty White playing Charles when they already matched the contestant and had to sit out a round. Brett brought her elegant fan to a long-lost episode that Buzzr restored to the line-up in 2021. Gene's comments to an Asian man who was in World War II may have had something to do with its disappearance.

Gene wasn't the only one who said things he probably regretted on the nighttime show. Marcia Wallace's answer to a question about where a guy lost a few inches got censored in a 1977 episode. Another infamous episode from a year later featured a bored Richard and two of the most hapless people to ever play the game. They just could not match anyone. The only reason the guy made it to the Audience Match was Charles matched each of them once, then matched him in a tiebreaker.

Some of the later episodes after Richard left were pretty fun, too. I wish Buzzr still showed them. Gene brought his daughter Lynn's sweet old dog Trotter to the show in one 1979 episode, to Betty White's delight. Charles was a lot more skeptical and teased Gene about his furry friend throughout the show. Debralee Scott flashed her bare leg in heels and stockings in another show. Bill Daily quickly covered it with his coat! A few weeks later, Charles kindly gave his toupee to a balding but personable young man who frankly looked a lot better with it.

Betty White and Allen Ludden made one of their last appearances together in a 1981 syndicated week, and the only time Allen sat in the "smart guy" seat next to Betty. Alas, the full week is currently unavailable, but the nighttime version survives. Jimmie Walker and Jonnelle Allen join in to see how much Betty and Allen clearly loved sitting next to each other, happily teasing and helping one another.

Here's all of the episodes I watched today (including today's YouTube "premiere" chat episode and the one I watched on Buzzr), so you can enjoy lots more Match Game after dark too!

Match Game '73 80- Gene's Wild Suit

Match Game '76 651 - Joey Bishop's First Show

PM 33 - Hose Down Brett

PM 39 - Brett and Gene's Dueling Push-Ups

PM 51 - Gene Opens His Own Door

PM 66 - Richard Plays Brett and Betty Plays Charles

PM 74 - Gene and the Japanese Contestant (Formerly Skipped Episode)

PM 91 - Marcia Gets Censored

PM 119 - Worst Contestants Ever?

PM 201 - Meet Trotter the Dog

PM 207 - Debralee's Leg Flash

PM 210 - Betty and Allen Together

PM 215 - Charles Rips Off His Toupee

Matching For Christmas

Started off a cold, clear Christmas morning with breakfast and stories from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. My favorite was "Flora McFlimsy's Christmas." Flora is a doll who was left in the attic by her previous owner. She manages to climb downstairs on Christmas Eve and see the tree. Santa gives her to one of the children who currently lives in the house as a gift. The newer dolls make fun of her, until the angel gives her things from her trunk that make her the hit of the holidays. There was also 'Barney's Wee Red Cap," about an Irishman who uses the cap to take him to places where he won't have to hear about charity...and everywhere he goes, he sees the Christmas spirit in action. "A Star For Hansi" has a grandmother telling the story of how she had an applewood box and would leave one coin in it.

Unwrapped my gifts from Linda and James Young soon as I finished reading and writing. Linda gave me the Han-Leia story The Princess and the Scoundrel, the Star Wars history Secrets of the Force, and a nice journal. My "stocking stuffers" were You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros Story and a new set of Rich Steves Europe episodes. 

Had a quick breakfast while watching A Pink Christmas. The homeless Pink Panther is having a difficult Christmas in this retelling of the O Henry short story "The Cop and the Anthem." He tries everything he can to get a good meal, from shoveling the sidewalk to posing as a Santa to trying to get himself arrested, but nothing works. After he gives his only bit of food to a hungry dog, the duo end up with a big Christmas surprise.

As I got organized, I switched to a Rankin-Bass double feature. Aaron The Little Drummer Boy lives with his animals in the desert and hates all humans after thieves killed his parents. He's kidnapped by the wily head of a traveling troupe who thinks he'll be perfect to lure the heavily-taxed crowds, but he's so angry, he drives them away instead. They sell the boy's camel to three kings who follow a star. Aaron follows them, and finds a certain child in a manger who is the only one that can help when his lamb is hurt.

Aaron, his animals, and his drum are recruited again, this time to help one of the Kings in The Little Drummer Boy Book II. A bell-maker wants to ring his silver bells to announce the birth of the Baby Jesus, but they were stolen by Greek soldiers who took them for taxes. Aaron helps distract the soldiers, so they can rescue the bells before they're melted down. The price, however, is high for Aaron...

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus won an Emmy in 1974, but it's rarely seen nowadays. That's a real shame. This is a charming retelling of the little girl in late 19th century New York who wrote to the New York Sun's editorial department, asking them about the existence of Santa, and the editor's kindly answer. It was obviously done by the same people who did the Peanuts specials. There's a similar animation style and some of the same voices.

A friend called me to join her Christmas celebration. I had gifts for her and her daughter and son and girlfriend. I even had treats for their cat. They gave me a reading light, a huge tin of three different kinds of popcorn, and a 25 dollar Fandango gift card. (The last-named will come in handy when I go to see Wonka tomorrow.) There was a huge brunch with scrambled eggs and cheese, waffles, scrapple, sauteed asparagus, toasted bagels, and bacon. 

After I ate, I walked to Rose's house and straight into a crisis. Poor Oreo the dog had gotten a bad cut on the bottom of his paw. Rose and Craig were wrapping up his paw just as I arrived. I played with my niece Finley in her toy room for a while before we came out to plates of cheese, grapes, berries, pineapple-coconut balls, sugar cookies with tie-dyed frosting, Reeces cup cookies, chocolate chip bars, and cherry-topped cheesecakes. I went home with far more. Craig brought home eggplant Parmesan, green beans, and a beet salad from Anthony's in Haddon Heights, where he works. Rose gave me some of it. She gave me cherry cheesecakes and pineapple-coconut balls, too, and sugared nuts. along with a beautiful holiday tin of tea. 

The kids loved their things, too. Finley is learning to read, and she was delighted with her Dr. Seuss book and activity book. Khai was happy to get an Eagles blanket of his very own that he didn't have to share with his parents. Khai is getting so tall! His hair is really dark, too. I have to agree, he does kind of look like our father Bruce, with his broad shoulders and dark hair. I got to admire their beautiful real tree with ornaments Rose got from Mom as a kid or that Jodie gave to her after she cleared out Dad's holiday decorations. 

Finley and I settled down in the living room to watch her play animal games on her iPad and to make sure Oreo didn't try to get his bandages off. Craig had the big Eagles-Giants game on. The Eagles started strong and fast. They were up 20-3 by the time Craig and Finley drove me home. (Apparently, they faltered in the second half, but not enough to lose. They still ended up winning 33-25.

Finished the night at YouTube with an extremely long Match Game marathon. The owner of the Match Game Productions channel gathered all the episodes beloved by his mother, who introduced him to Match Game. I came in just as everyone was trying to help a sweet French contestant. There was the episode where Fannie flirted with a handsome high school teacher, and the one I saw on Buzzr last week where Betty White did something like a stripping routine. In a later episode, Gene came in carrying what proved to be Patti Deusch's toddler son Max and Gary Burgoff's adorable little girl Gina. 

One night time episode featured Charles and Richard sporting wide-brimmed straw hats as "Your Basic Big Picture Hat Society." Another had two of the most hapless contestants to ever play the game. The only reason one even made it to the bonus round was Charles matched each of them once, and then matched one in a tie breaker. There was also the one where Richard and Betty pretended to be Brett and Charles, and even wore their hat and glasses. At the end of an episode, when Richard was kissing a contestant, Gene tried to pull her back, only for Richard to hang on! Poor lady joked that her arms were longer when Gene finally got her away.

Enjoy the holidays matching with your mom on this very long marathon! 

Match Game Christmas Day Marathon

Better Shop Around

We started off a somewhat earlier morning with breakfast and more Hogan's Heroes. Hogan finds himself "Up In Klink's Room" when he fakes a rare disease to join Klink in the hospital. He and Newkirk are really interested in getting information from a wounded informant. 

I wanted to get an earlier start because we were going further afield. Called Uber around 10 AM to take us to Marlton. They arrived in seven minutes. Thankfully, there was no traffic anywhere on the road, not even on the highway. The driver pulled up at the Cottage Resale Shop within a half-hour.

I'd wanted to check out this American Girl resale store again since I first explored it last summer. It's a tiny little shop embedded in the side of an otherwise ordinary 20's-era cottage. The owner's two energetic Springer Spaniels charged in when they heard our voices. They were only used to their papa, and they wanted to play! Lauren laughed at their antics, while I found Kit's original red Christmas dress and a second Molly's Underwear set for Kit on the historical outfit shelves, along with a random petticoat in a bag of damaged or stray outfit pieces. (I don't think Kit ever had an underwear set of her own. Molly's time period is so close to hers, I figure she can get away with it. And the petticoat will go to Felicity or Josefina.) 

Our next stop was a couple of blocks down and across Marlton's historic Main Street. I loved Sal's Pizzaworks when I was there last July and wanted to introduce Lauren to it. It's a hole-in-the-wall nestled in a small shopping center between larger, older buildings. For all their small size, they not only have outdoor seating, but an up-to-date Coke Freestyle machine. Lauren had a pepperoni slice, a broccoli slice, and extra-lemony Sprite. I had a mushroom slice, a broccoli slice, and Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla. Our meals only cost us about 5 dollars each. We enjoyed it on their patio, letting the strong wind blow over us.

Our next stop, Among Other Things thrift shop, was only a block away on the end of Main Street. This long building filled with everything from vintage 50's prom gowns to 80's and 90's children's books isn't as big as the Barrington Antique Center, but it still has several rooms to explore. Lauren didn't get anything here, but I found a vintage book of prince and princess fairy tales and a genuine 80's off-brand Cabbage Patch Kids outfit, a red checked blouse with a sail boat print and bow-trimmed jean shorts. It'll be perfect for my girlier Cabbie Dulcie. 

Made our way down the street, past two large shopping centers. We did check out Chico's, but found nothing of interest. I wanted to stop at Trader Joe's for those yummy peanut butter and chocolate and chocolate and almond butter cereal bars I like. They didn't have the sugared orange slices I've loved every time I went there, so I went with dried, sugared coconut strips and mandarin orange pieces instead.

It was a less than ten-minute walk down to the Promenade at Sagemore. At least, unlike when I visited there in July, the weather was perfect for a long walk. Sunshine and blazing blue skies, with a strong wind that kept everything nice and cool. I'm not sure it even got out of the 60's. We passed a gas station, an elementary school with a huge playing field and playground, and two pharmacies before we arrived at Virtua Health. Cutting across their parking lot took us to the street between it and the Promenade.

The Promenade turned out to be a bust. They're a lovely, modern brick-and-glass shopping center with lots of fancy name brand stores like Talbots, Anthropologie, Ann Taylor, and The Loft that we can't afford, and other than Talbots, don't really carry my size anyway. Didn't do any better at L.L Bean this time. I'm not going camping anytime soon, don't need more tote bags or backpacks, and their clothing prices aren't great. 

The only thing we did there was go to the bathroom. The Promenade cleverly made their own bathrooms by partitioning off the bathrooms of an unused restaurant. It definitely had been a restaurant once. The "seating area" was booths without the tables, and the orange, green, and blue-striped partition looked like the walls of a chain eatery.

By 3:30, we were tired of looking at fancy stores that were beyond our budgets and finally settled down on a bench to rest and figure out what to do next. I looked up area shopping centers on my phone to see if there was anything more to our liking. I'd wanted to check out the big mall with the TJ Maxx across from the turn off to Main Street, but didn't want to cross the busy highway to get there. Circumvented that problem by calling Uber. The driver arrived in fifteen minutes and got us there in less than five.

The sprawling Marlton Crossings Shopping Center was really more to our taste and budgets anyway. I saw everything there from Michaels to an Arthur Murray dance studio. We didn't find anything at TJ Maxx, but we did see a Rocket Fizz on the other side of the mall. So that's where they ended up after the Westmont store shut down! Rocket Fizz is an eclectic candy store focusing on penny candy, rare candy imported from England, hard-to-find older candy and chocolate, toys, and novelty sodas. Lauren bought a container of gummy root beer bottles, a Flake chocolate bar from England, a fruit soda, and a Beanie Baby giraffe. I filled a bag with my favorite sugared fruit slices, grabbed an English mint Aero "aerated chocolate" bar, and a small bottle of New York Seltzer in French Vanilla. Hadn't seen those since I was a kid. 

We decided to try something different and had dinner at Joe's Peking Duck House. It was small but elegant, with red patterned tables and yellow lanterns giving off a soft glow on the ceiling. We shared a pot of tasty hot tea and a bowl of sticky white rice. Lauren had jumbo shrimp with walnuts and broccoli. I had sweet and sour chicken (something else I haven't had in years). She shared her broccoli with me. For once, the plates weren't too full. We finished everything but the bowl of rice and two sweet and sour chicken nuggets.

It took 7 minutes to get a ride home, not bad considering it was still rush hour. Everything was smooth sailing until we got into Westmont. The lady driving hit traffic on Cuthbert, which meant that a one-minute drive became fifteen. It was fine once we got past the corner of Haddon and Cuthbert. 

Once we got in, I texted Jessa to tell her when we wanted to meet tomorrow while Lauren put on more Hogan's Heroes. Given our lunch today, "The Pizza Parlor" was rather appropriate. Italian stalag manager Major Bonicelli (Hans Conried) is at Stalag 13 supposedly to learn how Klink runs a model camp. What he really wants to do is get out of Germany. He's a loyal Italian, but isn't a fan of war or the Germans. Hogan convinces London to call the Newark pizza parlor owned by the father of one of the prisoners in order to get his pizza recipe, then uses said pizza to win Bonicelli over to their side.

Finished out the night online after a much-needed shower with You're Never Too Young. I go further into this remake of the 1942 comedy The Major and the Minor featuring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

You're Never Too Young

Tomorrow, we're going to hit Barrington and the Deptford Mall with Jessa. And next year, I think we'll forgo the Promenade and just figure out how to get across the street to Marlton Crossings.

Muppet Tales On a Gloomy Day

Slept in this morning, then spent the next few hours finishing The Girls In the Picture. When I did get up, I watched more Muppet Babies during breakfast. The kids are tired of waiting "Six to Eight Weeks" for the package with their new playhouse to arrive. They spend that time imagining what it might be, turning it into spoofs of everything from Beetlejuice to the original Mickey Mouse Club. 

(And yeah, this episode definitely makes me appreciate that most people don't have to wait almost two months for their orders to arrive anymore. Nowadays, the kids' package would probably arrive two days to two weeks at the most.) 

Headed out after that to run a few errands. I realized just yesterday that I forgot my nephew Khai's birthday was almost two weeks ago. I first stopped at Dollar General to get him a card and money. Since I was there, I picked up a Mother's Day card too, before I forget that. 

Strolled across Oaklyn to Rose's house to drop it off. I was glad to see her husband Craig putting metal pieces out on the curb. Seems their old gazebo was getting old and starting to fall apart. I got to say hi to him, and went inside to see Rose, too. Not only have she and her family been busy, they've also been sick a lot, which doesn't surprise me. Rose and her family are constantly sick. They went over to Craig's parents house for an Easter egg hunt and dinner, but otherwise rested that day. 

The kids weren't home from school yet, but I got to talk to Rose and pet Oreo and Cider, who immediately sniffed me and gave me good welcoming licks. Rose also gave me a lot of tea she didn't want - she apparently collects it and had way too many. (She also likes her peppermint tea stronger than I do.)

Made my way back down to West Clinton for a small lunch. I wasn't really up to more than a quiche and frozen hot chocolate at Common Grounds Coffee House, and I hadn't eaten there in ages. It was the perfect time to eat there, too. There was only a pair of older ladies chatting and two college kids doing schoolwork.

It had been cloudy, windy, and chilly all day, but the clouds grew darker as I made my way to Rose's. By the time I bought pretzels at the soft pretzel shop on the White Horse Pike, it was starting to spit a little. It never rained like it did on Sunday, but it was still time to go home. Made a brief stop at the pretzel shop for a soft pretzel; the sweet lady ended up giving me four more, since it was almost closing time.

Did more Muppet Babies while vacuuming and Swiftering the floor. "Eight Flags Over the Nursery" is the series finale, and the last of three episodes in which the Babies build their own amusement park. Here, they're so disappointed that the big new theme park in their area won't open for five years, they claim they could make one faster. Piggy's movie studio is not only a spoof of the then-new Disney Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida, it incorporates the animated segments "Kermit the Frog, Private Eye" and "Pigs In Space" that were created for the short-lived Little Muppet Monsters.

Dusted while listening to my latest K-Tel acquisition, Music Magic. It kicks off strong, with three hits in a row - Andy Gibb's "Love Is Thicker Than Water," Player's "Baby Come Back," and the country smash "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gale. Many of these songs, like the ballad "Emotion" by Samantha Sang, take me way back to my early childhood, when I felt safe in my mother's house, playing on my grandmother's orange, brown, and black zig zag comforter. Other favorites here include Santa Esmerelda's remake of "Misunderstood," the disco hit "Dance, Dance, Dance" by Chic, and "Peg," my favorite Steely Dan song. 

Printed out everything I'll need for counseling with Karen tomorrow, then worked on writing. Gene already intends to bring the Wild Rider Gang out of hiding and ambush them. Brett isn't crazy about that scheme. What if they're the ones who get ambushed? Gene thinks the rest of the town will help, but Brett's not so sure about that...

Broke for dinner at quarter after 7. Continued with the Muppets while I ate. The babies learn about rules and regulations after a bathtub boat race ends with them quarreling because Piggy made up her own rules. Piggy wants to be queen and have everyone do what she wants, and then Gonzo declares there to be no rules at all. That just leads them to crash into Nanny, who insists they're out of control and gives them a time out on the couch, which makes them feel like they're in jail. She finally brings a book to teach them about government and democracy. "Kermit Goes to Washington" when he's elected...but he still has to deal with Piggy's bossiness. 

I've enjoyed seeing the Muppets again so much, I continued with episodes that can be found on YouTube for the rest of the night. They spread a wide net over pop culture in this show, sometimes coming up with surprising subjects for a Saturday morning cartoon. My first encounter with old-time radio wasn't Remember WENN. The Babies beat WENN to the punch almost a decade before with "The Muppet Broadcasting Company." After the power goes out, Nanny brings the kids some radio shows on a battery-powered cassette player to listen to. They have so much fun with Captain Midnight and Sherlock Holmes, they decide to make their own show...which turns into a dead-on spoof of The Shadow, with Gonzo as Lamont Cranston. (This also has one of my favorite songs from the series, the hilarious big band number "Three Cheers for Your Ears.")

"Fun Park Fantasies" was the first episode where the kids visit an amusement park in their imagination. Here, they're so excited about Nanny taking them to the fun park the next day, they can't sleep. They pass the night telling each other what they think the park will be like instead.

"Raiders of the Lost Muppet" is the first time they go looking for Animal, and the first of many Indiana Jones spoofs. Animal vanishes after playing hide and seek, so the kids search for him all over their house. Piggy, Fozzie, and Kermit's adventure turns their basement into the Temple of Doom. Gonzo, Rolf, and the twins have less dire fun in an imaginary jungle, doing a numberwith the native animals, "Best Friends." 

Piggy's the one causing trouble in "The Muppet Museum of Art." Skeeter accidentally trips on her skate and twists her ankle, but Piggy blames Gonzo. Nanny insists she has to stay home with Skeeter instead of taking them to the art museum, so the kids decide to make their own art museum. Piggy's so desperate to hide her secret, she keeps destroying or hiding Gonzo's art depicting the incident. But Gonzo has one last surprise in store... 

Frankly, Piggy doesn't come off terribly well in these episodes, especially to poor Gonzo. Her insecurity tends to make her into a bossy little brat at times. I always wondered what Gonzo saw in her. Apparently, so did the show's writers. They finally addressed Piggy's rough treatment of Gonzo in a very sweet season five episode, "Beauty and the Schnoz." Piggy doesn't think Gonzo's beautiful. She only likes beautiful things, like birds and butterflies and ballerinas. Gonzo first tries to dress like her favorite things, then gets help from  fellow long-nosed lovers Cyrano De Bergerac (Jose Ferrer) and Steve Martin in Roxanne to finally tell her how he feels. 

Piggy wasn't always treated the best, either. She's the one who gets into trouble in "Pigerella." She tries to put the cupcakes away that the twins snitched for the others and gets caught. Nanny thinks she did it and makes her clean up the kitchen. As she imagines herself to be Cinderella who has to do chores and can't dance with the frog of her dreams, the others eventually feel guilty and help her out.

That was far from the last time Piggy imagined herself in a fairy tale. "The Pig Who Would Be Queen" is a more general fantasy spoof, with Piggy as a peasant girl who has to do many tasks - including turning a mushroom into a handsome frog knight - to become queen and get Skeeter to give up her castle. This is one of the funnier later episodes - look for a lot of references to Monty Python and the Holy Grail here. 

"The Great Muppet Cartoon Show" is sort of a cross between "Muppet Museum of Art" and "Gonzo's Video Show." The kids start by drawing pictures, then note that when they flip them, the pictures move. That leads Nanny to suggest they make their own cartoons with her 8 millimeter camera. Things get downright metaphysical when they start creating their own versions of "Pinocchio," Skeeter creates her own stop-motion clay short, and Gonzo finds himself chasing Koko the Clown from the silent "Out of the Inkwell" series. 

"By the Book" is a three-for-one spoof of famous children's literature. They're bored when their toys are in storage after the nursery is painted, so Nanny gives them books to look at. Skeeter is the only one who thinks they're boring. She ignores their takes on Robin Hood and The Wizard of Oz, but finally decides to help Scooter and Piggy out with Peter Pan...and decides that maybe these old-fashioned stories aren't so bad after all. 

Finished out with "From a Galaxy Far, Far Away," a tribute to ET and other movies about benevolent aliens. The kids are pretending to be aliens when they see a flashing light and hear something in their closet. They think it's an alien and first tries to phone home, then create their own rocket ship to take the creature they dub "Irma" home. 

It's a Living

Began my Labor Day with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The big piece is a long but interesting biography of Samuel Gompers, who spearheaded the labor movement in the US and the creation of the American Federation of Labor. They also had several poems, including "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Had a quick breakfast while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Margaret Play School," but she's only about a year old, and she doesn't want to stay still for long. Mrs. Tiger tells Daniel that he's old enough to figure out how to keep her attention. Prince Wednesday wants to play dinosaur, but his older cousin Chrissie wants to have a "Treasure Hunt at the Castle." Queen Sarah encourages them to solve the problem themselves.

Rushed out after that. I walked. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, breezy, and though a bit warmer than it has been, it's neither as hot nor as humid as it was for most of last month. I should have left earlier. Even with rushing as fast as I could walk, I still came in ten minutes late.

Which was not a good thing. It wasn't horrible when I came in at 10, but within an hour, we were mobbed and remained that way for the entire afternoon. It's the beginning of the month, a major holiday, most kids go back to school tomorrow or Wednesday, and we're coming up on the big fall Jewish holidays. Everything just got so crazy. Thankfully, though there were some nasty people towards the end of the night, most customers were in good moods. 

My relief was right on time, allowing me to hurry out after a bathroom break. Walked home, enjoying those fresh breezes and the beautiful greenery waving around me. Sunflowers, phlox, and black-eyed Susans blossom in profusion; marigolds are just beginning to appear in pots on porches.

I did see people by the pool when I got in, but I wanted to change and have a snack quick first. Got to see the last few minutes of the first regular showing of Whew! on Buzzr. An old man ran The Gauntlet through cardboard cut-outs of cartoon villains. Alas, he didn't do any better than the young woman yesterday, only making it through five villains before he got stuck and his time ran out.

Got outside just in time for dinner. Jodie, Rose, and Craig brought food from around the neighborhood. I sampled pasta salad, ribs, grilled chicken, and baked asparagus. They also had steak, potato salad, and Caesar salad. More kids than usual were in the pool, the children of Jodie's friends along with kids from the neighborhood and Khai and Finley. Finley was the last one out; she loves swimming so much, she never wants to leave the pool. Jessa was there, so we had Midnight and Cider chasing and playing with each other, too.

I chatted with Jess, Craig, and his parents about shows we like. Jessa's especially fond of weird comedies and sci-fi; Craig's folks like dramas and are looking for a good comedy to lighten things up a bit. Everyone else played Apples to Oranges on a long card table. Finley, her brother, and his best friend goofed off in a camping tent someone set up in the back of the pool area. 

Jodie mentioned that, first of all, she intends for the sale of the house to finance a move to outside of Ocean City, New Jersey. I wish her luck, but I'm not sure she knows all the realities of living at the Shore. We're still in New Jersey. Property taxes and utilities are just as high down there, if not higher. Doesn't sound like she intends to get a job, either. Oh, and she'll be with friends in Ventnor from Monday the 12th until she puts the house on the Market the 16th, which means she won't be around for the first few days of Lauren's visit. I asked Jessa to help me get Lauren to my place after she arrives.

Went inside around 7 to make Norsk Apple Muffins and watch Match Game PM. Fannie Flagg took Brett Somers' seat while she did a play during the last PM episode of 1977. (And no, she was not in jail, contrary to Fannie's joke in the opening.) She was the one who got to help a gentleman win 5,000 with "Onward __." Meanwhile, Gene strips off his jacket again to pose for the female contestant.

Slid the muffins in the oven during Sale of the Century. This one was closer than it's been in weeks. The one lady kept pushing the champ all night; the other guy got two money cards on the Fame Game. In the end, she won on a tie after the Speed Round. Picked up a Norman Rockwell print on the Match the Prize board.

I was so tired after my long day, I was barely up to The Love Boat after I settled online for the night. A woman who is obsessed with getting married by her 40th birthday (Jo Ann Worley) discovers that "Life Begins at 40," and she can have fun at any age. A college professor (Dick Martin) is hoping to chart "The Stimulation of Stephanie," but doesn't realize that Stephanie (Char Fontaine) is really stimulated by him. Issac tries to help an NFL player cut by his team (Rosy Grier) with "The Next Step" and figure out what he and his wife (Melba Moore) want to do with their lives.

Jo Ann's hardly the only person celebrating a birthday today. It's "Oscar's Birthday" on The Odd Couple. He's adamant that Felix not throw a surprise party for him. Felix being Felix, not only does he throw that party, but he invites so many old friends of Oscar's in a looking back theme that Oscar gets embarrassed. 

Dolls and Sisters

Started off a cloudy morning with scrambled eggs and tomatoes for breakfast and Blockbusters. A sweet teacher beat all comers, easily defeating a sister pair in the first half and holding her own against two sisters-in-law in the second. In between, she only missed one question on the Gold Run and won the money in record time. 

Dressed the dolls for September and back to school after I did the dishes. Molly wear's the original blue and white Kit's School Outfit and oxfords. I love Samantha in her current meet outfit, the pink Swiss-dotted dress with the big lace collar, burgundy velvet sash, and black strap shoes. Added the straw boater from her Hair-Styling Kit to complete the look. Ariel wears the pale blue Swiss lace mini-dress she came in with the crocheted vest and Springfield Collection espadrilles. Whitney is the picture of a nifty 50's girl in the purple and pink gingham Sweet Memories Our Generation Retro dress and magenta shrug. Felicity's in her lavender Traveling Gown (also known as her second meet outfit). Jessa's a lot simpler in a pair of jean shorts from a craft show, the magenta t-shirt from an early AG modern meet outfit, and striped socks and turquoise and white sneakers from a later "meet" outfit. Josefina wears her orange and red-striped Summer Dress with the ruffles on the bottom. 

Switched to Match Game '75 while having a quick Banana-Coffee Smoothie for lunch. Host Gene Rayburn jumped off the pedestal he enters in the opening, making it look like he would be making a far less smooth landing! Bond girl Lana Wood and goofy comic Avery Schreiber had a far less scary time helping a lovely contestant with "Mel ___" in the Audience Match. This is another one where everyone got really into celebrating a win, too, as Gene grabbed Lana for a smooch! Loved Joyce Bulifant's answer to who could fill a hot air balloon, too.

Headed out to run errands even before the show ended. First stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library; I had a book overdue. Went with the next Maisie Dobbs book after the one Linda Young gave me for Christmas, The American Agent. 

Strolled down the White Horse Pike, enjoying weather that was cloudy and humid, but also much cooler than it has been, barely in the 80's. Wanted cheaper chocolate chips at Dollar General. Grabbed lemon extract and trash bags, too. 

I put everything away when I got home, then made the bed while Hogan's Heroes went on in the background. Carter creates "The Purchasing Plan" when London demands that Hogan and his guys keep ammunition crucial to the German underground at the camp. Seems Stalag 13 is low on funds...and Carter's ideas may make Klink and Hogan happy.

Jessa arrived with her fluffy black dog Midnight in tow at 2:30. We had no idea where we wanted to go for lunch. After spending ten minutes driving around the area, trying to figure out what to do, we ended up at Sonic to eat in the car. And of course, it turns out they're only doing drive-in at the moment. We ordered a chili dog for her and a burger for me and ate them on the porch at home instead.

Turns out there's a reason I haven't seen much of Jessa recently. She apparently took a second job (though she wouldn't say what). Jodie apparently told her she'd already put the house on the market, which is why she called me. No, it isn't going up until the 14th.

There was a crowd in the pool when we finished eating. Jessa chatted with Rose, while I joined Reilly, Chloe, Finley, and Khai in the pool. Cider, Rose's big pup, chased Midnight for a while before he and Jessa headed out. I enjoyed floating on the warm water, while the kids pretended to be cats and dogs and splashed each other. 

When they got bored with swimming, they dashed down the block to see what our neighbors were up to. Sandy and her kids and some kids in the neighborhood were having mini-races on bikes and motorized scooters. One of the dads helped a little girl riding a tricycle attempt to keep up with the other two. We cheered them on briefly before I went back inside to dry off.

Worked on writing for a while after I changed into dry clothes. The Mock Turtle (Avery Schreiber) is a weepy creature who sobs about taking classes under the sea and being a real turtle. Brett's amused that he's so into it; her sons would rather play on the beach.

Did laundry between paragraphs. Rose and the next-door neighbors confirmed that Jodie is out of town again, likely until at least Friday. I took advantage of this to not only get my regular load done, but wash blankets as well. She didn't tell me she was leaving, let alone not to go on her side of the house.

Finished the night making a Rosemary-Lemon Cake while watching Three Little Girls In Blue. I go further into this tale of three sisters looking to catch wealthy husbands in turn of the 20th century Atlantic City at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Three Little Girls In Blue

We are Family

Started off the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. My family loved this movie so much in the 80's, it was the first feature-length movie we rented on video after Dad bought a VCR. My favorite song's always been "I've Got a Golden Ticket," Charlie and Grandpa Joe's number when they celebrate finding the all-important gold paper.

Hurried out to work after that. Work was very busy and very tiring. Cashiering takes a lot out of me. I never know what to say to people, even when they say I'm doing fine. My register suddenly stopped ringing items two hours before I finished, too. It wouldn't even weigh produce. I moved to another register after I finished one order. Thank heavens it died by 3:30, allowing me to hurry off with no relief.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. The weather was too beautiful not to. Sun warmed my back as I made my way around the traffic near the opening of the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center, but the air wasn't smothering, nor was it burning hot. It was the right kind of hot for mid-August. Recent storms really helped the plant life here. Gardens abound with late summer flowers; emerald green leaves waved in the breezes.

Arrived home to a full driveway and a fuller pool. Our cousin Amber - the daughter of Uncle Ken's son Mark - and her pre-teen daughters Ella and Lilly and toddler son Timmy joined Jodie and Rose and her tribe. My next-door neighbor brought around her new Great Dane puppy later, to the delight of the kids who ran out of the pool to pet him. I changed into my bathing suit, then played "mama and baby dolphin" with Finley for a while. By the time I got out, the older kids jumped in. I relaxed on lawn chairs and laughed at their antics.

Tried writing when I got in, but I was too tired. Opted for another cast album while I ate leftovers for dinner and made Cinnamon Roll Cake instead. Carnival! is the full musical stage version of the sweetly whimsical semi-musical film Lili. The story remains the same - a waif (Anna Maria Albergheti) is taken in by the circus when she interacts with the puppet show, thinking they're real. The bitter puppeteer Paul (Jerry Orbach) loves her but doesn't know how to say it, but Lili has a crush on the handsome magician Marco (James Mitchell). Charming and gentle, and a huge favorite of mine. I'm especially fond of Lili's "Beautiful Candy" and "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" with the puppets and Paul's ballads, "She's My Love" and "I've Got to Find a Reason."

Finished the night on YouTube, watching flop game shows in honor of Whew! debuting on Buzzr next month. I've featured Whew! a few times on this blog. It's about as peculiar of a game show as you can get, and probably one of the most complicated games out there. One player has to figure out what's the wrong word in a statement. If they get it right, they charge on to the next level. The other player can place blocks on a question to hold them back for a few seconds. If they win, they run "The Gauntlet," answering more questions listed on 10 "villain" figures designed by Hanna-Barbara. It's as strange as it sounds, but a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

I discussed the 1983 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour when the owner of the Match Game Productions channel started posting the episodes two weeks ago. The show was a surprise hit for Buzzr despite its hour run time and notorious reputation. The celebrities are frequently from NBC shows of the early 80's no one heard of then, let alone now. Jon Bauman is a hilarious panelist, but he has neither the drive nor the authority to keep the celebrities in line during Hollywood Squares. And truth be told, the shows are two entirely different beasts and really don't work together. That said, the Match Game half is still funny, and we do get a showcase for comedians like Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, and Howie Mandel who appeared on no other version of either show.

Hollywood Connection from 1977 has similar problems. It's a pretty obvious Match Game clone, right down to the orange set and drunk celebrities answering innuendo-laden questions. Amiable Jim Lange is a fine host, but he lacks Gene Rayburn's charisma and hammy acting ability. 

Most short-lived game shows from the 50's and 60's were erased...but we do have an episode of Missing Links. A distinguished person reads a story with a blank at the end. Three celebrities have to guess the blank. No wonder it didn't last. It's deadly dull. Dick Clark tries to jazz up the proceedings. 

Couch Potatoes is a syndicated variation on Remote Control from 1989. Same idea - people guess TV trivia in someone's basement - but this time, it's male vs female teams rather than three separate contestants. We also occasionally get a guest who explains a question. Marc Summers handles the far less messy proceedings.

The most recent show I covered is 1 Vs 100. Bob Saget hosted the original 2008 network version of this Who Wants to Be a Millionaire clone. In this case, the contestant isn't going up against just tough questions. They also have to deal with 100 experts answering the same question. If they can stump so many experts, they win money. Slow-moving but suspenseful, I can understand why Game Show Network attempted a short-lived revival a few years later. 

While you wait for the arrival of Whew!, check out more of the most unusual flop games to ever grace the small screen. (Missing Links comes with its original commercials; Hollywood Connection has the commercials from its Game Show Network run. And warning about Missing Links - the copy is in terrible shape, complete with numbers running on the bottom. Considering the show's age, we're lucky to have it at all.)

Missing Links (1964)

Hollywood Connection (1977)

Whew! (1979)

Whew! (1979)

The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983)

Couch Potatoes (1989)

1 Vs 100 (2008)

One Family Summer

I'm so tired, I didn't get up until past 10:30. Watched Hogan's Heroes when I did finally get going. While leading a group of German underground members through a tunnel, Kinch discovers one of the pipes burst. Unfortunately, Klink and the Germans find out when hey try to repair it. Hogan convinces them they have "Hogan Springs," the purest mineral spring in Germany. Klink starts a mineral spa while the others figure out how to get the underground members out.

Switched to Match Game '79 while making Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast. Paul Williams endures a couple of short jokes while Debralee Scott helps a contestant with "Very ___" in the Head-to-Head and the others try to figure out what a Texan puts in his drink instead of a cherry. Debralee gets to help out again, this time with "__ Talks," in the next episode.

Went out to the pool for a swim around 1. Picked up a new bathing suit in that Lands End order a few days ago, bright yellow with a very pretty green and pink hibiscus print, and wanted to test it. To my surprise, I wasn't the only one there. Rose, Finley, and Khai happily splashed each other as I strolled in. They helped me climb on their new rainbow-colored raft, and I curled up and relaxed while Finley and Rose played sea monster. 

I stayed in the pool and worked on a few laps even after Rose took the kids home for lunch. It was much too nice to go inside right away. While it was warm and breezy, it wasn't nearly as hot as last week. The humidity dropped considerably overnight, too. 

Changed when I got inside, then put on One Crazy Summer while making popcorn and a Banana-Peach Smoothie for lunch. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) hopes to learn about love on vacation at Nantucket Island in order to write an animated love story for his entry into art school. He gets a lesson in a hurry when he and his buddies George (Joel Murphy), unalike twins Egg (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Clay (Tom Villard), and Ack Ack (Curtis Armstrong) help Cassandra Eldridge (Demi Moore) earn enough money to buy her grandfather's home from nasty rich restaurateur Aguilla Beckersteade (Mark Metcalf). Vindictive Beckersteade buys it anyway, forcing the kids to join the Nantucket Regatta in the hope of winning the trophy from Beckersteade's spoiled son Teddy (Matt Mulhern). 

Wacky comedy shows off some very strange gags in its cliched story, from Hoops' increasingly depressing cartoons to Egg getting stuck in a Godzilla costume and what engine they use to upgrade their boat. Weird but fun if you love Cusack, "Savage" Steve Holland's other movie, or the slobs-vs-snobs comedies of the 1980's.

Switched to Tattletales while cleaning the bathroom. Songwriter Sammy Cahn and his wife Tita were the big winners today, just barely over Gary and Barbara Crosby and comedian Milt Kamen and his wife Margot. Vacuumed, Swiftered, and did the windows during Press Your Luck. It started out the same as Friday, with everyone winning something and no Whammies in the first round. They came out a lot more in the second; one of the guys just barely beat the lady with a pool table, among other things. 

Started writing as I heard voices outside. Rose and her family returned; this time, her husband Craig swam with the kids while she chatted with Jodie and Jessa. Jessa's dog Midnight and Rose and Craig's puppy Cider chased each other and played together. Jodie invited me out to dinner at Benihana, a popular Japanese restaurant in Cherry Hill, after work on Wednesday in honor of Dad's birthday. Apparently, Daddy loved Benihana. 

Chatted with Jessa after Rose and her tribe went home to have tacos for dinner. Jessa suggested turning my blog reviews and reviews on my other blog into actual books. It's a legitimately good idea, and something I may consider. 

Finally got some writing in after she and Midnight left. Brett grows increasingly frustrated as the game continues. Betty keeps sending everyone to the dungeon or to have their heads chopped off. It's finally down to Betty, Allen, Brett, her boys, Richard, and his boys, and Richard's more interested in trying to get the Queen and King to listen to him than in the game.

Broke for dinner at 7. Made chicken stir fry while watching Match Game PM. The show opens with Gene deciding to take a nap before he enters. Later, he scolds Brett for stopping him while trying to figure out what cows give at the North Pole. Marcia Wallace has to help a very pretty contestant figure out "Gas & __" in the end.

The champ started strong in Sale of the Century, picking up two out of three Instant Bargains. They proved to be her undoing. The one man jumped ahead of her in the Speed Round. He claimed to love traveling and was thrilled to get the cruise on the Mexican Riviera he really wanted on the Match the Prizes board.

Finished the night online with the second film version of one of my favorite books The Prisoner of Zenda at TCM's on demand website. Stewart Granger is Rudolf Rassendyl, the ordinary British man who takes over for the King of Ruritania (Granger) when he's kidnapped by his dastardly brother Michael (Robert Douglas). As pretty as the Technicolor is, this version is mostly overshadowed by the 1922 silent and 1937 sound versions...except for Deborah Kerr as a ravishing Princess Flavia and James Mason as a perfectly roguish Rupert of Hentzau. See the 1937 version first...or better yet, buy the book or read it online. 

All Gummed Up

Kicked off a cloudy, gray morning with breakfast and Body Language. Mindy Cahn of The Facts of Life and Tom Villard of One Crazy Summer lead two teen girls through the last week of Teen Month. Though Cahn and her girl got all the guesses in one puzzle and earned the kid a Commodore computer, Tom's girl answered the final tie-breaker puzzle. They didn't have as much luck with the bonus round, though.

The solo lady did better on Blockbusters. She only missed two questions on the Gold Run. The episode ended half-way through her first round with a pair of brothers.

Despite a soft shower, I had to head out. I had that dental appointment in Westmont at 11:30; made it with five minutes to spare. This time, I was seeing the gum doctor, or periodontist. No needles, filling, or drilling necessary. They just took more x-rays and the doctor poked around in my mouth a bit. 

Verdict...yeah, I have some gum disease. It's likely at least partially inherited; Mom and Rose have both complained about gum problems, losing teeth, and needing root canals. He said that, ironically, they may not be able to save the tooth that's in the midst of that root canal, but may be able to fix the bad one behind it...and are going to do everything they can to make sure no other teeth need to be pulled. He said I need to come back for a scaling next month, after my root canal. 

Since the rain still came down at that point, I went next-door after my appointment to Dollar Tree. Bought regular sponges and softer ones I use for my dry erase board. It was a bit busy there, but then, it was also noon, and a lot of people stop at Westmont Plaza to do shopping going to or from the offices on Cuthbert Road and Cherry Hill. That could explain why I had trouble crossing Cuthbert on my way home as well.

Went inside for a quick smoothie lunch when I got in. It took me so long to decide on a TV show, I just went with an episode of Cheers from the third season. "Sam Turns the Other Cheek" when he accidentally shoots himself in the rear after calming a customer's jealous husband. Embarrassed, he lies and tells everyone he foiled a robbery. Diane knows better than to believe him, though...and so does the husband. Meanwhile, Cliff is more than a little surprised when Norm accepts his low offer for a house.

It continued to shower lightly as I went outside to wait for Jessa. She and her Yorkie-Shizu-tizu mix puppy Midnight arrived for me around quarter of 3. Between Midnight's presence and the bad weather, we finally decided we were better off eating at my place. I ordered her a grilled chicken hoagie and me a chicken gyro and Wild Cherry Pepsi at Phillies Phatties.

Super Password ended as I put on Buzzr and we had our lunches, me at the kitchen table, Jessa at the futon. Gene Rayburn and his beloved wife Helen were the big winners on Tattletales, over Bill Macy and his then-girlfriend Samantha and Patty Duke and John Astin. Press Your Luck started off quiet, but really picked up in the second half when everyone but the eventual champ got slammed with Whammies. (Midnight spent the hour sniffing around the table for crumbs, trying to paw himself a little nest on the futon, and cuddling into his mommy.)

Went into writing after they left. Richard and his sons Gary and Mark further explain their situation. Richard's wife fled over the sea, leaving their sons in his care. He's teaching them the ins and outs of being knights. Brett explains about her sons running off and that she's not overly happy with their father right now, or that Richard and his men couldn't help the animals at the Caucus Race. Richard explains the Red Knight, his rival, detained them.

Broke at 6:30 to make Chocolate Chip Cookies. Watched Match Game '76 as I looked for recipes. Anitra Ford ended her run on the show with Gene happily showing off her brief top and tight star-spangled pants. The contestant continues her winning run, but runs into a few bumps with Richard "Dickie Do" Dawson and the Head-to-Head.

Started the cookies by the time Match Game PM began. Charles answers the Audience Match "Code __" with "Code of Arms"...which does turn out to be in the 100 dollar spot. Charles is so annoyed with it being there, he tears his name off the Star Wheel! Meanwhile, Joyce Bulifant tries to help the very blue-clad contestant with "Mill ___" in the Head-to-Head.

Slid the perfectly chewy cookies out of the oven during Sale of the Century. We had another close game this time, at least in the beginning. The champ started pulling ahead around the time he bought the Instant Cash. He won decisively in the Speed Round, but had more trouble with the Bonus Round this time.

Ended the night online with two Love Boat episodes. "The Captain's Ne'er-Do-Well Brother" is Marshall (Gavin McLeod in a double role), who romances rich women to in order to finance his upscale lifestyle. He's floored when his most recent conquest, a wealthy oil field owner (Diane Ladd), actually falls for him. A woman (Connie Stevens) who found out a handsome young man (Kent McCord) is her "Perfect Match" via a computer dating service wants him to be the father of her baby, but he wants a real relationship. Julie's recently widowed aunt (Florence Henderson) is shocked when a passenger (James Broderick) is her deceased husband's double, then doesn't know how to act when he turns out to be less like "The Remake" than she thought.

Gopher's shocked when his widowed mother (Ethel Merman) turns up on the Pacific Princess with a handsome man (Gene Rayburn) in tow and spends the cruise having wild parties and doing crazy activities with him. She says "Not So Fast, Gopher" when he tries to break up her fun, thinking that she's not honoring the memory of his father. A beautiful British socialite (Haley Mills) asks a handsome young man "Haven't We Met Before?" He nervously tells her he's a banker when he was really a waiter. A Korean reporter (Momo Yashima) who is proud of her heritage is upset when a comic (Johnny Yune) makes jokes about Korea that she finds offensive in a "Foreign Exchange." It takes Gopher's mother to explain why others consider him to be funny. 

A Beautiful Easter In the Neighborhood

Kicked off a cloudy morning with Easter and April Fool's Day stories from the early 60's Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. The one April Fool's Day story involved two boys who chase a runaway giraffe around their backyard and eventually end up getting it leaves from a tree. The Easter short stories are some of my favorites in the entire book. "Nino's Easter" is a look at spring festivities in rural Italy through the eyes of one excited young boy. "The Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes" has a mother bunny being made an official Easter bunny and getting a very special assignment...and the magical footwear to carry it out.

Watched The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town while making tasty Lemon Confetti Pancakes for breakfast. I go further into this classic Rankin-Bass springtime special at this Musical Dreams Movie Reviews entry from 2019. 

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

Messed around online for a little while after I cleaned up, then packed up the bread in a bag and the bubbles for the kids in an Easter basket and headed out...and then headed out again when I realized I forgot the cards for Rose's birthday and to thank her for having me over. It was an absolutely glorious day for a walk. Tiny violets and sun-yellow dandelions peek among carpets of emerald green grass. Gardens are awash in ruffled daffodils and spicy-scented hyacinths. At quarter of 1, most people were probably in their backyards, starting lunch or setting up egg hunts for their kids, except the boisterous crowd enjoying the lovely weather at Tonewood Brewery on West Clinton.

Everyone else already arrived by then. Along with Rose, her husband Craig, and their three-year-old daughter Finley and almost eleven-year-old son Khai, Jodie and Craig's mother and father chatted under a small event tent in their backyard. Cider the puppy and Kelsey the elderly mini-pincher chased each other as Finley played with her Bluey dollhouse on a fuzzy tiger blanket. Platters of shrimp, cocktail sauce, and crabmeat and crackers, cheese, sausage, golden raisins, nuts, blackberries, and raspberries sat on the table. Rose said she'd slice up my bread to go with the dessert trays later.

After we all had our fill and the dogs were taken beyond the gate around the main yard and to the area bordering the steps to the back door, Rose declared it time for the egg hunt. I volunteered to hide the eggs. I helped Mom hide eggs for Anny and Keefe in the 80's and 90's. Rose came out to help too, but she said I did such a good job hiding them, there wasn't much for her to do!

When the kids came out with their plastic Easter buckets, they roamed around the yard. They did very well, with Khai mostly helping his sister find her share. Each of them found a gold egg that contained two five dollar bills. Four long, thin eggs were filled with Silly Putty. The others all had candy. The kids traded candy for what they liked while the rest of us finished up the appetizers.

Finley and I played on the blanket in the sun while Craig worked on the ham. Rose brought out Finley's Little People Elsa's castle and her bucket of Little People toys, including a train and a platoon of Disney princesses. Cider, however, just had to see what we were doing and wouldn't leave me alone. I scratched her belly, but she still tried to climb all over me and even use my arm for teething! I had to shove her off at least three times before Rose banished her to beyond the small gate.

For a while, the older adults chatted while I messed with my phone. Mom texted at this point, wishing me a Happy Easter. I did the same. Apparently, she opted to spend a quiet Easter at home alone. 

Dinner came out around 3:30. Rose and Craig opted for ham sliders with snowflake rolls from Shop-Rite and real spiral glazed ham. They had macaroni salad, spinach salad, roasted vegetables, and potato salad to go with it. I opted for a ham sandwich with spinach salad and roasted asparagus and yellow squash. I ate a lot off the appetizer trays and wanted to save room for dessert. 

Jodie left before the dessert trays came out, saying she wanted to visit her son Jesse and his wife Dana for a few hours. That left the rest of us to enjoy the bread, a pineapple and strawberry fruit tray, and a tray of mini-tarts and eclairs from Desserts by Design in Audubon. I had pineapple (I have plenty of strawberries at home), two tarts, and two slices of bread. (By the way, the bread came out perfectly, sweet and moist. I'll do that recipe again for Easter next year if I have the time.)

Strolled home minutes after I finished my treats. It was past 4:30, and I wanted to get some writing in. Went right on the computer when I got home. The other bandits take advantage of the remaining smoke from the explosion to duck out the door, but their leader's hand is bleeding too heavily. Gene arrests him while Bill comforts Patti Deustch the frightened bank teller and Richard and Gary go after the thieves.

Jodie knocked on the door to the main house as I worked. She's going away with her friends again for a few days and once again cleared out her fridge. This time, I got a complete steak dinner, including baked potato, in aluminum containers. 

Broke for a very quick dinner at 7. Watched The First Easter Rabbit while I drank a strawberry-banana smoothie. Stuffy the Bunny was once the favorite toy of a little girl named Glinda, until she came down with scarlet fever. Calliope the fairy rescued him from being burned by making him the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring for all children. With the help of three con-bunnies he meets in the woods, he tries to get back to Glinda and avoid Zero, who wants to make April Valley snowy all year round.

The Peanuts have their own holiday preparations going on in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie how to color eggs, but Marcie can't figure out that you have to boil them first. Charlie Brown takes Sally shopping for spring shoes, while Snoopy looks for a new birdhouse for Woodstock. Lucy just wants to color and find her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical after the no-show with the Great Pumpkin on Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise to the gang.

Finished out the night watching Easter Parade on TCM. I go into this classic 1948 confection with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland at the 2019 Easter entry for my Musical Dreams blog.

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

The Next Right Thing

Began a bright and sunny morning with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel's excited because "The Baby Is Here!" He stays with Grandpere while his parents go to Doctor Anna to have his new sibling. They read a board book called "Margaret's Music" that eventually inspires the name of his new little sister. Daniel can't wait to show the newest member of the household off to his friends! Even as he introduces her to the neighborhood, he learns how important his role as a big brother is when he's the only one who can quiet her.

Switched to Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures while doing the dishes and making the bed. "There Goes Our Fun!" wails Millie and Melody when an evil mad scientist steals all the rides at the local amusement park. Mickey and the others make their own rides, proving that you don't need a lot of stuff to have a great time. Minnie and Daisy also learn how to take care of a little one when they babysit the Matisses' new baby boy Ollie, and Cucko-Loca has to remind them "Don't Wake the Baby!"

It was so warm when I went outside, I switched my heavy winter coat for my jean jacket...and of course, five minutes later, the clouds came out and it became much colder. Good thing I was just strolling to Dollar General. I was able to buy peanut butter, dust cleaner, the Mountain Dew Merry Mix-Up soda, and cooking spray, among other things...but not the new calendar I was looking for. 

Headed straight home after that, shivering in the half-clouds. As soon as I got home, I immediately pulled out the container for the Christmas bears. On one hand, my holidays were pretty decent, given everything that's going on. However, I have way too much going on right now to let them linger for long. Put on my favorite Aerosmith album Permanent Vacation to keep me moving as I undressed the bears and returned the ones that belonged on my bed, then put the holidays-only stuffed toys away. 

Was working on taking the ornaments off the tree when I heard a knock on the door into the main house. Jodie was finally home, and she carried two small packages. I went ahead and ordered the final two Varese Sarabande musical collection CDs I didn't have, Unsung Musicals III and The Musical Adventures of Peter Pan, off eBay. 

Unsung Musicals III is in the same vein as the first two CDs in the series, a collection of songs cut from flops or from flop musicals that were in one way or another never recorded. Favorites here include the sweet title song from a stage musical version of It's a Wonderful Life and "At the Same Time" from a musical retelling of Freaky Friday. The unqualified winner from Peter Pan was the gorgeous "Once Upon a Bedtime Story," from an otherwise poorly-received 1976 TV version with Mia Farrow and Danny Kaye. I also rather liked the touching ballad "When You're Alone," the lone survivor from an attempt to make the 1993 action movie Hook into a film musical. 

Returned to the living room after the tree and its ornaments were all back in their boxes for a quick Bananas-Orange Smoothie lunch and Match Game '75. Did one episode I missed early in the week. The show began with Fannie joked about the new film she appeared in about an amateur theatrical troupe "not unlike this panel," while the others tried to figure out an answer to "Horace ___" in the audience match and what Fannie did to her training bra as a child. 

Finished out the Peter Pan CD while taking down the knick-knack decorations. By the time I'd gotten to the garlands, I'd switched to DC Super Hero Girls on the Cartoon Network app. Diana Prince is thrilled with the baby griffin she got from her mother in Themyscura. Her friend Jessica reminds her that wild animals shouldn't be pets, but Diana is so happy with her new buddy, she insists on handling him herself. Trouble is, he grows at a rapid rate, eating all the ice cream in sight and getting into nothing but trouble until a hydra appears in the city. Diana and the griffin have to work together to figure out where this menace came from...and then get him to a place where he can live with his own kind.

As I began writing, I heard familiar voices outside. Rose and her kids were next-door, introducing Cider to my next-door neighbors and the kids in the neighborhood. While the kids ran up and down the street and Rose and the mothers chatted, big fluffy Onyx sniffed around little Cider and probably wondered how this squirt got here...and Cider probably wondered what a bear was doing living in the neighborhood!  

Talked to one of the moms as Rose took the kids and animals in back of the house next-door. I have no idea what to do next. There's so much I need. I need a new cell phone. I need a new bike. I need a printer. I really need to find an apartment. While it'll likely take Jodie a lot longer to sell the house than she thinks, she will eventually. The main house is too big for her, and the apartment is too small for me. I have no idea what I'll do. I don't want to return to Cape May County, and I have no friends around here I can crash with. My neighbor insisted I ask around about local apartments, including at work, and that I not give up hope.

Got to writing when I went back in. Brett flirts shamelessly with Goodson, insisting that she's glad to be away from those barbaric pirates. Gene can tell she's lying, though, and Goodson is about to get a big surprise when he makes his move on her...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Watched an episode of Fantasy Island on Crackle while making Cincinatti Chili for dinner. Went with "Reprisal/High Off the Hog" from the fourth season. Meek orphaned gymnast Trudy Brown (Maureen McCormick) is tired of letting her Aunt Mabel (Janis Page) and cousin Janet (Holly Gagnier) ignore her. Roarke gives her the power to see herself as beautiful and confident, to make things happen...but she misuses the power and ends up seeing herself as ugly. Meanwhile, a young man (Stephan Sturbridge) whose Ozark family sacrificed heavily for him to attend college wishes for them to be rich. His father and sister enjoy it, but his mother would rather do things for herself, and they're preyed on by a con-man who sells his father a worthless island in Florida.

Finished the night online with Frozen II. I go further into the follow-up to Disney's most popular animated movie to date at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Frozen II