Cherry Hill Matches

Got a really quick start this morning with a small breakfast and Bluey. Bandit takes the girls for a "Wagon Ride" to the park, but he keeps stopping to talk to neighbors. Bluey is impatient to get there, until Bandit points out Bingo playing along the way. She discovers that getting there is half the fun, and she and Bingo can wait and find enjoyable things to do.

Headed to Collingswood for the Farm Market after I finished eating. They were busy, but not to the degree that they often are, even by 11:30. I missed the strawberries again, but they still had a ton of everything else. Asparagus is gone, but peas and radishes are in season. I didn't see cherries, but to my surprise, I saw peaches. Someone had North Carolina blueberries, too. I got the peaches and the blueberries, along with a Bubba's Creamery coconut bar. 

Went to lunch after I left the farm market. I'd been wanting to try breakfast at Jersey Kabobs ever since Jessa and I ate there in Janaury. They were even busier during the day than at night! I went with an egg, cheese, tomato, and green pepper dish called menemen. It came in a huge flat pan with toasted buttered bread and was absolutely delicious. I'm glad I went with feta cheese. It added the right traditional flavors without getting as stringy and messy as mozzarella would have. 

As I left Jersey Kabobs and returned to the parking lots behind the Collingswood Senior Center where the bike rack is, I saw a sign for an estate sale at 403 Haddon Avenue. Turns out it's much further down Haddon Avenue, in the largely residential area around the new fire hall and the just-closing Garfield School. The 1910's-era house was huge, three stories of fine china, casserole dishes and small appliances from the 60's, records, books, and board games from the 60's and 70's, and clothes going back to the 1940's. I wanted the casserole dishes, but the heavy vintage glass measuring cup I ended up with was enough to carry home. I also bought a 60's-era Arabian Nights picture book and the 2-disc record set Jo Anne Castle and Her Ragtime Piano. 

(I'm glad I got the records and book out of there when I did. The first floor was air conditioned and heavily carpeted. The upper floors were not. The attic looked like it had been remade into rooms, but the window fans up there did nothing but move musty air around and distribute dust. I was sweating bullets when I finally came downstairs with my finds.)

After I got home, I put everything upstairs, got a drink, then called Uber. The one going to Cherry Hill cost me a bundle, but he did arrive in 8 minutes. I went through two going home. The first driver canceled at the very last minute. The second, thankfully, took the same 10 minutes to arrive. Surprisingly for a Saturday in Cherry Hill, no traffic either way.

I had the lady drop me off at the Sussex House, across from the Cherry Hill Library on King's Highway. It's a basic tan brick 60's apartment building, but it apparently does have condos for sale. There's not much else there, though. Though a few of the balconies had patio furniture, most seemed to be storage areas for bikes and outside gear and looked rather messy. At least the outside, while dull and dusty, was also clean and neat. An older gentleman taking a rest from custodian work in the shade of the building waved to me as I passed him.

Briefly strolled in the area behind the Sussex House, but while the streets had far better signage than the meandering Barclay cul-de-sacs and the houses were slightly older (probably dating to the 50's-60's), it was the same winding roads and suburban bric-a-brac. I did hear several families playing in backyards and in their air conditioning, including a father adorably playing games with what I suspect was his toddler daughter. Not wanting to get lost like I did two weeks ago, I made my way back up to King's Highway. At least it was a gorgeous day for all the walking, sunny, bright, and hot, but not nearly as humid as earlier in the week. 

The Sussex House side of King's Highway isn't much to look at, either. It's mainly a sea of dried front lawns, law and health offices, smoke shops, and car washes. The one shopping center is a slightly newer brick building directly across the street from the Ellisburg Center. TKO Fitness and Metro by TMobile hold little interest for me, but I did explore Mom's Organic Market. This is basically a smaller version of Sprouts, with the same bulk items and a lot of the same brands. I don't know how they do well with the similar and much larger Whole Foods across the street, but I did get organic strawberries, dried sweetened pineapple rings, orange marmalade, and Roar strawberry lemonade drink.

Finished the night after I got home with dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. Patty Duke, then Patty Duke Astin, may have been one of the biggest stars at the time to be a semi-regular on Match Game. When she began in 1976, she was mainly doing TV movies and appearances on shows, and was still likely best-known for her early 60's sitcom The Patty Duke Show that had her playing identical cousins. 

When Patty was in a good mood, she could be a lot of fun. Gene once led her read a question. Her obvious relish and enjoyment of playing host makes it surprising that she never tried something like that again. She watched Richard and Gene argue over a contestant on a nighttime episode, tugging her arms back and forth until Gene finally pulled her away. When he asked her if she was all right, she responded "well, my arms are longer than when I came here!" She saw a pregnant contestant who looked a bit like her win big money on another nighttime episode.

Patty appeared on the series from 1976 through the end of the syndicated run in 1982, and in fact, probably did her best work in the syndicated episodes. She happily encouraged Robert Walden to strip off his sweater and jacket, then used his sweater as a wrap to play Little Match Girl. She protested Charlene Tilton's revealing clothing, then joined the equally small Bill and Charlene in complaining about a question that joked about short people. The Valerie Bertanelli week was already off the rails, what with Ed Asner and Gene lusting after the barely 19-year-old Valerie, and Patty clearly being at a low point didn't help matters. She did better on a week later in the syndicated run where she sat in for Brett Somers, who was out doing a play. Charles would often joke when someone went into ham mode that "Patty Duke should see that fine acting," even when Patty was there to witness their scenery-chewing.

It's double your pleasure, double your laughs with both sides of this Oscar and Emmy-winning TV favorite!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Patty Duke Astin Best Shows on Match Game

A Walk In Cherry Hill

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. "The Game Players of Undaar" capture the Wraith and the Maelstrom, forcing Ren and Bloth to work together in order to defeat their warriors and win their twisted game. Meanwhile, Ioz and Tula try to rescue them, while Bloth's men are more interested in betting with the Game Players on the outcome.

Rushed to the Acme after the cartoon ended...and thanks to the traffic surrounding Oaklyn's Town-Wide Yard Sale, I was still late. Fortunately, that was the worst thing that happened all day. The Acme was really busy, to the point where I had a hard time keeping up with the carts early-on. I did have to put a few cold returns away and help mop up a flower spill in the floral department. I only just got caught up with the carts when I finally finished and headed out.

Since the Town-Wide Yard Sale had an hour to go when I got out, I thought I'd ride around and see what was left. Other than a bottle of water on Newton and lemonade on Kendall, the only things I found were three records from a sale on Eden. Most of it was classical (and one Huey Lewis album I already had), but I did find these:

The Bee Gees - Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live (2-Disc set) 

Astrud Gilberto and Stanley Turrentine - Gilberto With Turrentine

The Johnny Smith Quartet and Stan Getz - Moonlight In Vermont

Soon as I got home, I put the records away, changed, and called Uber to get me to Cherry Hill. No problems here, rather surprising for a Saturday afternoon. The one going to Cherry Hill came in 10 minutes. The one that picked me up at the Cherry Hill Library arrived in 8. 

Started off at Honeygrow. I figured a nice, sensible lunch would counter all the junk and fast food I've been eating lately. I made my own noodle bowl, with spinach, shrimp, whole wheat noodles, sesame seeds, 

spring peas, tomatoes, and a little bit of garlic butter sauce. Yum! It came out nicely, and the bowl was even just big enough for a good, solid lunch.

Headed down King's Highway to the Cherry Hill Library next. I just wanted to walk around in there a bit and see what their adult books and media collections look like. They look huge. They have three times as many CDs and mysteries as anyone else in the area, and they're the first library I've seen rent records since I was about 10. They were wonderfully quiet at 3:30, with it mainly being old people and working folks doing research. The families were all upstairs in the kids' area. 

After I left the library, I strolled two blocks down to a near-by shopping center to get a white grape Powerade at CVS, then went for a stroll. I saw two large buildings in the area behind the Library and I wanted to check them out. Turns out they were The Premiere, formerly (and still listed on signage as) the Windsor Towers. Alas, they were rental apartments, not condos. There was another building across from the library, the Sussex House. That one is mainly apartments but apparently does occasionally have condos for sale. I might check out around that side of the street next week. 

I learned my lesson getting lost in Barclay last week. I always kept landmarks like the Premiere in sight, and I didn't wander too far from King's Highway. Passed townhouses on my way back to the library, but they were "luxury" and too expensive. I picked up Uber at the library, just as it was closing. Watched a family tumble around the realistic statues of two kids reading before the driver arrived.

When I got home, I took a shower and had dinner while watching Sudan. Queen Nailia of the Egyptian kingdom of Khemis (Maria Montez) loves to walk among her people, but she has more purpose than just seeing how the other side lives when her father is killed by a rebel arrow. She is told to seek the rebel leader Herua (Turhan Bey), but is captured by slavers. She's rescued by two roguish horse sellers (Jon Hall and Andy Devine), who help her get home. There was a reason for her capture, though. Her vizier Horadef (George Zucco) will do anything to get the throne for himself. She falls for Herua, but he walks out when he realizes she's a queen. Horadef tosses them all in the dungeon...but it'll take the combined work of rebels and royalty to save her.

Finished off with tonight's YouTube marathon. Family Feud was so wildly popular in the late 70's and early 80's, ABC had a series of all-star specials that pit casts from the biggest hit shows of the time against one another. Love Boat and Eight Is Enough were on almost every one...and I think they won maybe three times between them. Susan Richardson was so happy when she finally won Fast Money, she scooted across the floor! Fred Grandy couldn't keep his eyes off Loni Anderson's, um, assets when they faced off against one another. John Ritter was adorably nervous even on a game show. 

The specials were even funnier when ABC invited shows from the other networks to compete, too. Quinn Cummings of Family was totally shocked when her quickly tossed-off answer turned up on the board. Charlene Tilton protested playing against adorable Missy Gold and her "big blue eyes." (Not that Charlene was one to talk. She wasn't much taller than Missy!) Debralee Scott of Angie was pretty shocked herself when, despite being even more nervous than John, she became only the fourth person in the history of the show to win a Fast Money all on her own. The cast of Dallas won for funniest opening when they showed up behind the cameo oval holding Larry Hagman (J.R Ewing)...and then unceremoniously dropped him.

See what the networks had to offer in prime time in the late 70's and early 80's with these hilarious prime time Feuds!

Saturday Classics - All-Star Family Feud Specials (1978-1981)

On the Way to Cape May

We started off a gloomy morning with breakfast and Garfield and Friends. "China Cat" brings Garfield and Jon out to dinner on Chinese New Year. The owners of the Chinese restaurant they go to for dinner freak out at Garfield on sight, leading them to explain the legend of how a very similar orange cat out-ate a dragon and got chased away by it. Roy wants to be a "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy," but a tired bear keeps attacking him when he plays the morning wake-up bugle. Bo and Orson find a way to put the bear to sleep. Garfield is a "Beach Blanket Bonzo" when he falls for a lovely lady cat during a trip to the beach and have to deal with her well-muscled boyfriend.

Since Jessa texted last night and said she wouldn't be able to take us to the Shore until later, we decided to take advantage of the downtime and check out the Oaklyn Town-Wide Yard Sale. Considering it was starting to shower lightly even as we got out the door, there were quite a few sales around. Lauren found a really nice purple long-sleeved shirt. I bought tasty tart lemonade in pouches with straws for Lauren and me from an enterprising young lady.

We strolled into Collingswood for the Saturday farm market. They were surprisingly busy, even with the ongoing showers. Cherries, peas, radishes, and cucumbers debuted this week. Lauren didn't get anything, but I couldn't resist the first cherries of the season.

My original thought for lunch was Sabrina's Cafe, but they had a long line when we arrived. There was no line - or anyone else - at Paloma Restaurant, the new Mexican place across the street. She had fried potatoes and an omelette with farm-fresh veggies. I had the churro French toast with strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. It was much better than the soggy French toast I had here on Easter. They didn't overdo the syrup this time. 

Since we already explored Collingswood, we headed back towards Oaklyn after lunch, cutting through Newton Lake Park. I was glad to see that the playground equipment is done there, too, even if today was hardly the right weather for using it. The rest of the park is looking pretty good, too. Vibrant emerald green leaves shaded us from the worst of the weather. The mulberry trees are bearing fruit now, too. We passed by several laden with berries as we headed down to the White Horse Pike.

I wanted to go that way because I needed to stop at Dollar General. I got a larger pack of batteries, so I don't run out again, and more of that limeade drink mix. Lauren got an energy drink. Other than a long line, we were in and out.

Jessa texted and said she'd pick us up at 1:30. We had time before we left for the Shore to relax and watch Remember WENN. Hilary is "The Diva Who Wouldn't Die" when Dusty Foxx (Rue McClanahan) drops her character from The Hands of Time in favor of Hilary doing a gossip show, From Hilary's Booth. The show is a failure when all of Hilary's gossip is about her, prompting her to do whatever she can from being killed off on her favorite soap opera!

It was closer to 2 when Jess finally arrived. We were originally going to the Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Court House before heading to Cape May, but first of all, Jess missed the turn-off. Second, even if she hadn't, the zoo closes at 4:30. By the time we made it down there, we would have had a half-hour to walk around a sprawling complex. We ended up going straight to Cape May instead.

Jessa drove us briefly down to Cape May Point to see the lighthouse and World War II watch tower before returning to the Washington Street Mall. She couldn't find anywhere to park in that mess but a spot on West Perry, a block from Swain's Hardware and the big mini-golf course. Every single parking lot was full to capacity, even the ones next to Collier's Liquor Store.

I led the duo past Wilbraham Park, the sliver of greenery where the Gazebo is and the Halloween Parade starts to the Washington Street Mall. Since we were on the Mall, I thought we could eat at the Ugly Mug. This local watering hole is so named for the many, many mugs hanging over its ancient bar. It's narrow and dark in there, with heavy wood paneling and low lighting. Mom worked here as a chef in the mid-80's, and Dad hung out at the bar until we moved to North Cape May in 1994.

There's a reason the place is so popular. The food is genuinely good, and the portions are huge. Jess had a bratwurst and sauerkraut sandwich. I had a massive local fried flounder on a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and house-made tartar sauce. Lauren had an enormous Caesar Salad. Lauren's salad was too big to finish, but the rest of us ate all of ours. 

I wasn't going to let us leave the Washington Street Mall without hitting up the Fudge Kitchen for treats. Though the people giving out free fudge samples weren't around today, there were plenty of goodies lined up inside. It's exactly the same as it was when I was a kid, rows and rows of chocolates, coconut macaroons, salt water taffy, Irish potatoes, many different types of fudge, and novelty candies lined up on shelves and a long counter in a narrow room. We even got to see a guy start to make fudge in a big copper kettle in the front window. I ended up with small containers of two favorites, mini coconut macaroons and mini fruit slices. 

We were in and out of stores for the next hour. None of us bought anything at the humor-related store. I mostly just wanted to show the girls the Toy Company and the Zoo Company, where many of my childhood toys came from. I looked over the Cape Atlantic Book Store at the mini-mall, but didn't get anything. I don't know if the girls got anything at Dellas 5 & 10, but I picked up a Cape May t-shirt. We jumped into the bathrooms behind the lingerie shop before heading back. 

At least the weather had suddenly started to cooperate. It showered off and on during the ride down to the Shore. By the time we hit Court House, the sun had started to come out. It fully emerged when we hit Cape May, and stayed out for the rest of the evening. 

It was past 7 when we returned to Jess' car. Wildwood is best at night, anyway. We took the Garden State Parkway up to the turn-off to Wildwood, passing the Snow clams cannery and the marshes where many local families (including mine) go crabbing, before heading over the George Washington Bridge to Rio Grande Avenue. I got to point out the massive pink and turquoise WaWa where I used to meet visitors when I lived in Wildwood. My apartment was behind a building on a one-way street, and it was just easier to meet people who were unfamiliar with the area at a giant pink and turquoise 50's-themed convenience store.

Jess had an even harder time finding a place to park in Wildwood. She drove up and down Atlantic Avenue (allowing me to briefly point out where I used to live on Montgomery in the early 2000's) before finally settling on the lot behind the Gateway 26 Arcade in North Wildwood. I even gave her the money for it. 

There are tons of arcades on the Wildwood Boardwalk, but Gateway 26 is the cheapest, and one of the largest. They're the only arcade left on the boardwalk - and maybe in New Jersey - that still have 25 cent cranes. In addition to the usual array of stuffed animals representing Stitch, Spongebob, Squishmallows, and whatever else is cool this summer, there were a lot of cranes with stuffed seagulls holding fries in their beaks. Someone who makes the stuffies around here has a sense of humor. I kept trying for one, and didn't get a keychain version until I did the five dollar "play until you win" crane. (And eventually gave the keychain seagull to Lauren, who came away with nothing.) I naturally had to play ski ball, too, and they still have the old wooden machines in the back where you roll the blue rubber ball into holes and light up card suites.

Jessa wanted Kohr's Ice Cream back at Cape May, but I pointed out that there's a Kohr's on every block in Wildwood. Lauren didn't want any, but Jess had a vanilla cone with sprinkles, and I ended up with a chocolate-peanut butter swirl with chocolate peanut butter. I thought it would be less messy to have it in a cup...but they gave me so much, it still overflowed and ended up on my hands. Good thing I always bring wet wipes with me. 

Though it was past 9 and we really didn't have the time for rides, we did explore a couple of stores. I found a really nice yellow "Endless Summer" Wildwood t-shirt on the clearance rack at one store for $4. I kept trying to talk the girls into playing water gun games, but they get expensive at night, and I don't think anyone wanted to compete with one another. 

I finally won a larger stuffed seagull at Mariner's Arcade near the entrance to Mariner's Landing. This was a really unique one, a pizza-delivery seagull with a box representing real-life boardwalk pizza parlor Sam's Pizza who was eating his own wares. I did get him, but the box got stuck on the claw! Jess had to go get one of the guys to retrieve him.

We left shortly after that. Jess meant well, but to tell the truth, it was past 10 when we left, and neither Lauren nor I were up to singing Brittany Spears and Christmas carols when the signal for her cell phone (and her music) gave out as we passed through the Pine Barrens. I wasn't really up to arguing over why I don't drive with her, either. (I can't focus well enough to drive. I don't trust myself on the road behind an enormous vehicle that could potentially hurt someone if misused.)

Took a shower when we got in, then finished the night with the last hour or so of tonight's Match Game marathon. The theme tonight was episodes that were either filmed right before or right after the end of a season or a hiatus. I did get to see two nighttime shows that were done as season finales, one of the last with Richard before he left in 1978, and the one with Pat Moriata in 1976. (The latter is apparently set to premiere on Buzzr soon.)

Find out how Match Game went on its own vacation in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - The Hiatus Returns & Back from Summer Break

Oh, and here's tonight's Musical Dreams Movie Reviews review!

Animation Celebration Saturday - Cinderella (1994) 

Beautiful Day for a Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora is shocked in "The Sword, Part II" when she can read the language of the Ancients after she, Glimmer, and Bow flee from the spider in an old temple. Glimmer is afraid to trust Adora and won't let her have the sword again, but Adora may be the only one who can save them and a small town when they're attacked by the Horde.

Headed out to the farm market after the cartoon ended. They were packed elbow-to-elbow with people buying produce for Mother's Day brunches and barbecues. I could barely get around! The spring harvest has finally debuted, including asparagus, strawberries, radishes, and spinach. I picked up strawberries and more apples.

Spent the next three hours riding around in Westmont, looking for yard sales. Today was their town-wide yard sale, and I don't think I did too badly. Maybe it's just as well that I got a late start. I had a hard enough time dodging cars riding around looking for sales and people strolling on the sidewalks, hauling bags and pushing strollers. I wet my whistle with lemonade from two sets of young entrepreneurs. The kids in the Bluebird neighborhood had fresh-squeezed lemonade that wasn't too sweet or tart and brought in customers with their adorable, fluffy black pug. The little miss at the stand in the neighborhood behind Samaritan Thrift had sweet-tart strawberry lemonade made with what looked like real strawberry pulp.

Thank heavens after the off-and-on weather we've had this week, it was the perfect day for checking out yard sales. The skies were perfectly robin's egg blue, without a hint of clouds. Strong, cool breezes kept it from getting too hot. 

I rode all over for three hours, until almost 2 PM. The yard sales were all over, from the Bluebird neighborhood bordering Collingswood to the Haddon Township streets next-door to Oaklyn. My final haul included 3 DVDs, one a set:

3 Movie Lord of the Rings set (3-Disc set)

The original 1933 King Kong

The Blues Brothers

Three records:

The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys In Concert (2-Disc set)

The original cast of New Faces of 1952

Four CDs: 

The original cast of The Book of Mormon

James Ingram - Forever More (Love Songs, Hits, and Duets)

The Pointer Sisters - Greatest Hits

The Killers - Sawdust

And four books: 

The Serpent On the Crown by Elizabeth Peters

The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

Amelia Peabody's Egypt by Elizabeth Peters and Kristin Whitbread (The very first yard sale I hit just two blocks down was selling most of the Amelia Peabody series. Apparently, the owner's mother had been a fan, but he was not. These were the ones I didn't already have.) 

The Secret of Madam Doll by Frances Cavanah

Had lunch at Capitol Pizza after I picked up the DVDs and big stuffed pink Peep, the latter for free. There was only one other person around besides me, and they were just picking up a pizza. I ate my slice of broccoli and slice of pepperoni in blissful quiet other than the talk show in the background.

Went straight home and into Young People after lunch. I go further into Shirley Temple's last vehicle as a child star at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy Mother's Day! - Young People

Spent the next hour trying to figure out how to take the online courses I need to be certified. The NJCCIS website said there was supposed to be a "registry" button that would allow you to take the classes. No matter how much I erased my cache or refreshed the site, that registry button just would not appear. I checked all over the site. It wasn't there. I'll have to call them on Monday and do the classes before my first day of work.

Listened to Judy at Carnegie Hall while trying to find those classes. Wow. No wonder this was a such a huge success in 1961, it made Judy the first woman to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. She sounds better than ever, and the audience is eating up her performances of signature numbers like "You Made Me Love You" and "Over the Rainbow" and lesser-known songs like "If Love Were All" and "Just You, Just Me." If you love Judy or want to hear a really dynamic live album, this is a must-have.

Finished out the first season of Remember WENN while editing my fantasy fanfic Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN. "Popping the Question" has Scott fixing game shows long before Barry and Enright ever dreamed of doing so. He wants to tilt it in favor of the sponsor's son in order to drum up publicity. Hilary, Jeff, and Betty have no intention of letting him get away with this chicanery. Meanwhile, sweet lawyer Doug Thompson waits (and waits) for Betty to remember their date.

"World of Tomorrow" takes Jeff to war-torn London to broadcast with Victor as the rest of the cast prepares to perform Betty's big fantasy show over the air at the 1939 World's Fair. Hilary misses Jeff horribly, and everyone else is worried about them being caught in the London Blitz. It's none other than Scott Sherwood who finds a way for Jeff to still be a part of the show and end things on a stirring note. The entirety of WENN is riveted to the radio now...until the bomb literally drops, and Jeff and Victor are cut off...

Though I think the second and third seasons are the strongest overall, there are some good episodes to be found during the show's first year on the air. "Armchair Detectives" is probably the best of the episodes from before Victor leaves. Scott's arrival injects much-needed energy into the proceedings, with "A Capitol Idea" and "World of Tomorrow" being highlights. 

Ended the night at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. Former 1955 Miss America Lee Merriweather was no stranger to TV or game shows when she first appeared in late 1973. She was one of the better players in the fourth ingenue seat, lending her dry wit, charm, and feline elegance to the show through late 1981. A contestant showed off her sequined T-shirt with "Match Game CBS" on it during her very first episode. She was indeed there when Mike Douglas turned up in a cameo in 1976 and when Charles claimed he was a taxi service later that year. 

Her best episode was also one of her last. On her last week in 1981, she and Fannie Flagg did a kick line for a contestant to illustrate what the Rockettes were. Their impromptu song and dance routine was definitely the hit of the show!

Match wits with this purrfect detective and Catwoman in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Lee Merriweather Special Episodes On Match Game

First Harvest of the Season

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the Silly Symphony "Elmer Elephant." Elmer is a sweet little fellow with a crush on Tillie Tiger. She appreciates the flowers he brings for her birthday, but the other animal kids make fun of his long nose. His trunk proves to be more useful than they think when it's the only thing that can save Tillie from her burning treehouse!

Made a quick run to Collingswood next for their first farm market of the season. Between the farm market, the holiday weekend, and this being the day of Collingswood's Town-Wide Yard Sale, the farm market was packed elbow-to-elbow. Disappointingly, they didn't really have much in the way of produce. It was mostly leftovers from the winter. I just ended up with some Fuji apples from the orchard booth. Peeked at a few yard sales on the way home, but saw nothing of interest.

Put on Alice's Wonderland Bakery while I put the apples away and got ready for work. Alice and her friends hear a unique voice singing in some part of the garden and try to find it to perform a solo with the flowers. It turns out to be in the last place anyone would look...but it provides the right ingredient for "A Special Blend" that can sing in harmony. Rosa wants the March Hare to help fix her mother's cape after it tears on a windy day. "The Princess and the Hare" incorporate all the things she loves into the design. After it gets caught in the wind again, Alice encourages Rosa to do something different with it. 

Hurried off to work after the cartoon ended. No trouble there. We were busy when I arrived, but by the time I finished, it had only just started picking up again. The weather held, too. It was supposed to have rained later in the day, but we barely had clouds in the evening. It was hot and humid, in the upper 80's, but we never got anything like rain. I even got a free donut and bag of Herr's Mexican Street Corn popcorn with online coupons. (Oh, and I did get both letters for the interview on Monday, too.)

Finished the night back at YouTube with another music-based show. Country singers and country-based stars turned up quite often on Match Game. The most frequently appearing country star was charming "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson, who was a semi-regular in his own right between 1976 and 1982. He was an enjoyable presence and not a bad player who got in on several famous weeks, including the week Jack and Brett were on the same panel after their divorce/separation.

There were other country stars who did fewer weeks on the show. Mel Tillis turned up in 1977 and even got to sing a bit of his best-known hit, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." Also on in 1977 was a delightful Minnie Pearl. I wish they'd gotten her from the Grand Ol' Opry again. She was warm, funny, and not a bad player. Connie Stevens recorded a few country albums during her long career. She too started late in '77 and would appear through 1981. Irlene Mandrell was adorable with Fannie Flagg in one of the last weeks of the syndicated run in 1982. Guich Kotch provided eye candy and quite a bit of charm (even though he didn't seem to quite get the  humor) in 1978 and 1979.

Bring your twangy gi-tar and join in the sing along with some of the most beloved country stars of the 70's and 80's!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Country Music Showcase

And here's that review of Fiesta with Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban from yesterday!

Celebrating Cinco Del Mayo - Fiesta (1947) 

A Bumper Book Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Minnie and Daisy become "The Friendship Team" when the hats for their friendship party disappear. Minnie goes into detective mode and Daisy into spy mode in order to figure out who took off with them.

Rushed out after that. I didn't want to miss the Collingswood Farm Market! They were swarming with people today, too. Peaches and plums are gone, but I saw the first winter squash and pumpkins of the season. Bought small Honeycrisp apples, grapes, and my annual pumpkin. I always get a medium pumpkin in late September or early October to use as a centerpiece on the table in the main room. I never carve my pumpkin. I'm afraid I'd end up carving me! I keep it on the table until after Thanksgiving or it goes bad, whichever comes first. 

Started towards the Collingswood Book Festival next...but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fix the hair clip that came loose. I ended up going a block in the opposite direction to Rite Aid instead and buying headbands. Since I was there, I bought an Apple Pie Smoothie for a treat (and it did really taste like chilled apple pie). 

The Collingswood Book Festival is held every year on the first Saturday of October. Thank goodness the weather was gorgeous today, sunny and warm. This is the first time since 2021 the weather's been nice enough for them to hold it on Haddon Avenue instead of the high school. Most of the tents are local authors selling their wares. I watched my friend Sarah O'Brien play music on her guitar and encourage kids to dance in front of the Old Zane School building. 

The children's area was on the street between the Old Zane School and the block with Innergroove Records. This was mostly activity areas and play spots, but I did see the Collingswood Library selling books for a dollar. I ended up with two Dear America titles I hadn't read, A Light In the Storm - The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin, and A Journey to the New World - The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple. (The latter will be for Thanksgiving.)

My main interest was in the last couple of blocks...but I was disappointed to see that the used book sellers, which used to cover two or more blocks, was now limited to a block. Two specialized in sci-fi, one was more general, and one sold new and old books. I didn't do as well here as I hoped, but I did end up with: 

The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

Jinx High and Burning Water, by Mercedes Lackey 

I did better a few blocks back down Haddon Avenue at a church yard sale. It was so big, they had books for sale outside and downstairs in their basement. The lady who made those nice doll dresses in the spring was back, too. In addition to buying a pink flowered dress and a purple gingham, both with embroidered roses, for Molly and Whitney and picking up two country CDs for Lauren, I dug out of the bins downstairs:

Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy Coco

Draw and Order by Cheryl Hallon

Grandmother's Wisdom by Lee Farber, a kitchen tips and recipe book

Christmas Around the World, a vintage Ideals book for kids

Had lunch at Sabrina's Cafe next. They were really busy even an hour before closing. I had to wait for ten minutes. When I did get a table, I tried the Jack Skellington PB&J French Toast. Oh boy. Turned out to be four thick French Toast slices welded together with strawberry syrup and peanut butter and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I didn't close to finish it.

Thought I'd visit the record stores next, since I was in Collingswood and it was too nice to run home. Ducked into Collingswood Music 15 minutes before they closed. I had just enough time to pick up: 

Elton John - Caribou and Tumbleweed Connection

The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones LTD

Innergroove Records was much busier. There wasn't enough room for me to check the dollar bins, but I did just as well with the two dollar ones. I came up with:

The Dave Clark Five - The Dave Clark Five's Greatest Hits

Jefferson Starship - Red October

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Further Out

Pete Townsend - Empty Glass

Herb Alpert - Rise

The soundtrack from The Broadway Melody of 1940

With the Book Festival shutting down by quarter of 4, I figured it was time to head home. Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood when I got in. It's Dress-Up Day! Daniel is excited to put together his Tigey the Adventure Tiger costume, while Miss Elania makes her robot costume. "Katerina's Costume" might be a superhero, or a fire fighter, or a ballerina! She can't decide. Lady Elaine assures her that "Katerina's Costume" can be anything she imagines. All of the kids are excited about trick-or-treating for stickers on "Dress-Up Day." O loves being a traffic light, but when he rips his costume, he has to figure out what else he wants to be. 

Switched to The Fox and the Hound while working on adding my new record finds to the inventory. I go further into this bittersweet Disney animal tale from the early 80's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Fox and the Hound

Moved to the musical version of Little Women after the movie ended. On one hand, this charming retelling of the beloved novel has sterling performances by Sutton Foster as Jo, Maureen McGovern as Marmee, and Janet Carroll as grumpy Aunt March. Some of the songs aren't bad and suit the characters, like Jo's "Amazing"...but it does seem like there's one too many belted anthems in a score that should be quieter and more intimate. In fact, I suspect the story as a whole may have been too intimate for a huge Broadway theater. It's actually a pretty accurate retelling, even using episodes from the book like Beth at the seaside after she gets sick that don't turn up in other adaptations. 

I have the feeling this show would work better on smaller regional or high school stages, where its sweeter qualities and familiar story could be better-appreciated. At any rate, the score is still worth a look if you're a fan of McGovern, Foster, or Louisa May Alcott's work.

Finished the night with the Match Game Saturday Night Classics marathon. Some of the most memorable panelists on Match Game were guys named Joe. Amiable Joe Santos, for instance, was playing a cop on The Rockford Files when he made his first appearance on Match Game late in 1978. Joe turned up fairly frequently through the syndicated era, ending on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. Truth be told, he probably kept getting booked because he was a good-natured guy who contrasted nicely with some of the crustier panelists than for his terrible playing. It was a cause for celebration when he actually did get one right. Once, he even called his son onstage to help him with an answer.

Former Rat Pack member Joey Bishop, on the other hand, was a decent player, but a grouch whose notorious sourpuss personality carried over to the show. He could be a real jerk...but he occasionally had a point, like when he called Ira out on his inconsistent matching or pointed out that the audience was acting unruly even by the show's standards. His grumpiness and obnoxiousness is likely the reason he only appeared in 1976 and early '77. 

Voice actor Joe Alasky was a semi-regular on Match Game '90. He's best known to kids who grew up at the time like me as the original voice of Plucky Duck from Tiny Toon Adventures, but he would continue doing voices for Looney Tunes and other franchises up through his death in 2016. His voices and cheerful nature added a lot to the show, and he was a darn good player, too, winning people big money at least twice.

There were other men named Joe on the 70's show who appeared less frequently. Character actor Joe Flynn turned up early in 1974 in what would be one of his last performances before his untimely death later that year. Bass-voiced comedian Joe Silver appeared on a memorable week later in 1974. Game show host and former baseball player Joe Gargiola got to witness a new camera angle and Richard's continuing frustration early in 1978. 

Get to know a bunch of guys named Joe in this funny and unique marathon!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - What About Joe? Marathon

Harvests and Yard Sales

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Charlie and Lola. Lola insists "I Like My Hair Completely the Way It Is" and refuses to get it cut. Charlie keeps reminding her that she can have many different styles and it'll keep it from getting in her eyes, but she still won't do it. It isn't until he finds out what she's really afraid of that he manages to convince her it won't be so bad.

Stopped to pump my tires really fast, then headed out to enjoy the Haddon Township Town-Wide Yard Sale. Though we're technically in Oaklyn, the first sale I found was less than a block from where I am. The man had boxes of records in the back of his driveway, many of them new or nearly-new. I ended up buying five for $10 before moving on.

Found nothing else in my immediate area, so I moved on to the Collingswood Farm Market. It opened last weekend, but I worked early and couldn't get there. They were mobbed with people looking for produce for their Mother's Day dinners and food gifts for Mom. I was surprised to encounter apples at the apple orchard seller. I don't usually see apples until late summer. Otherwise, it was mainly strawberries, green beans, radishes, and asparagus. I bought a pint of early strawberries and a soft whole wheat pretzel ring for a treat and moved on.

Spent the next two hours roaming around Westmont and the Bluebird neighborhood between Collingswood and Cuthbert Road looking for yard sales. And oh boy, did I find yard sales! There were yard sales on every street, sometimes three or four on a block. I had an easier time getting around in Westmont than in the Bluebird neighborhood, which was crawling with cars and kids on bikes looking for bargains. And no wonder everyone was out and about. It was a gorgeous day for riding around, sunny, blustery, and blue, probably in the mid-60's. 

The only place I had no luck was a booth in the Bluebird neighborhood. A grandmother was selling off her CD collection, but someone told her CDs were making a comeback. She wanted way too much money for used copies of Fosse and The Book of Mormon. For the price she asked, I could buy them new, or at least get them in better shape at one of the used record stores. I passed. 

Otherwise, I really hit the jackpot. This was the best I've done with a yard sale run in at least five or six years, maybe longer. Now I'm glad I asked for today off so I could enjoy at least one town-wide-yard-sale day. I came up with nine records, four CDs, and three books. The records are:

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra - All Time Greatest Hits (2-disc set)

Frank Sinatra - A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra

Stan Kenton - Back to Balboa

Ray Conniff and His Orchestra - S'Marvelous

 The soundtrack from the wacky 1983 rock spoof Get Crazy

Blues, a collection of songs from blues artists of the 1950's and 60's

Modern New Orleans Masters, a more recent blues collection from 1988.

Count Basie and His Orchestra - The Best of Basie Vol. 2

The Modern Jazz Quartet - The Modern Jazz Quartet Plays for Lovers

(Incidentally, those last five are the ones that came from the house on the next block over from me.) 

The CDs are: 

Live at the World Cafe - Volume 25: Quarter Notes (Found this one still sealed in a pile of free items on a sheet in front of a house!) 

Dean Martin - Dino: The Essential Dean Martin

Two Time-Life classic rock collections from the same estate sale as the Dean Martin CD, both sealed: 

AM Gold -  The 60's Generation

AM Gold - 1968

The books are: 

Stuart Little, by E.B White

Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle

Treasure Island, by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Had lunch at Reunion Hall, a recently-opened bar in Westmont. It calls itself a "multi-concept restaurant/bar," but it looks like your average upscale bar to me, with a lot of heavy wooden tables and skinny metal chairs. I don't know how long they're going to last in bar-laden Westmont. I ended up at the bar with a Diet Coke and water. Their skin-on fries weren't bad, but the cheeseburger was terrible. It was plainly a puck with basic American cheese added. They didn't even have any lettuce or tomatoes. I guess those are extra. It definitely should have at least come with the fries for the price I paid. 

Primo's Water Ice further down Haddon Avenue was much better. This local ice cream chain carries unique ice cream and water ice flavors and is wildly popular with Westmont kids on their way home from school or sports. In fact, I passed a girl in a Little League softball uniform and her mother enjoying their treats as I went in to get mine. I ended up with a kids' sized cup of Churro water ice. Yum. Sweet and creamy, with just a hint of cinnamon.

I didn't have much cash left after I had my water ice, so I headed for home. Cuthbert Road was busy even for them on a Saturday. I couldn't figure out why as I dodged traffic until I passed the Haddon Township High School. From what I could see, they were having a huge track meet with the Cherry Hill High Schools. The high school grounds were packed. I actually took Haddon Avenue and the back roads home, since I figured the kids would be practicing and running in the park.

After I got home, I changed and went straight into the 1993 Bette Midler Gypsy on Amazon Prime for Mother's Day. I go further into this TV retelling of the beloved Broadway show at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1993)

Took an early shower, then worked on writing for a while. Kathleen is surprised to to see how green and beautiful everything is in the tree. She's even more surprised to encounter a lovely older woman who calls herself Mother Nature and seems to know the rabbit intimately...

Finished the night with dinner and tonight's Match Game Classics marathon. Oscar-winner Patty Duke was possibly the most famous star to appear on Match Game during its 70's-early 80's heyday. She began in early 1975 and would continue as a semi-regular through the end of the syndicated run in 1982. Though she could sometimes seem a little lethargic, due to her ongoing battle with bipolar disorder, she generally seemed to have a lot of fun and was one of the more enjoyable ladies to sit in the fourth seat. 

She really loved the time Gene let her read a question in 1977. She got so into it, I'm surprised Gene never let her do something like that again. She saw Charles be the only one to get the Audience Match "Kris __" right in 1976 and was around for the PM episode where Richard gave the winner a huge kiss, only for Gene to try to yank her back. Rich pulled at her arm, and it ended up in a tug of war until she pulled away, claiming that her arms were now longer than they were when she came! 

Patty was one of the few women to sit in all three seats. Though she was usually in the fourth "ingenue" seat in the 70's, by 1979, she'd graduated to the sixth "comedienne" seat. She was on that goofy week in '79 with Bert Convy, Robert Walden, and Audrey Landers. She encouraged Charlene Tilton to show off her barely-there dress in 1980 and protested short jokes when she, Bill Daily, and Charlene weren't exactly tall. She got a brief chance to sit in Brett's seat when she was out doing a play in 1981. A man struck out with "The Royal ___" in the Audience Match later that year by taking his own answer that made a lot less sense than the panelists'.

It's double your pleasure, double your comedy with both sides of this much-loved award winner!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Patty Duke Astin Top Episodes

It's Fun to Be a Human

Started off the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Aviator Rudolph Von Flugle takes Huckle and Lowly up in his plane. The boys learn to become "High Flyers" in a hurry when he forgets his seatbelt and falls out. Dudley and Sam solve "The Steamboat Mystery" when a wealthy lady pig's pearl necklace is stolen during a masquerade party. Louie the French restaurant owner hopes the Hoboes are "The Best Waiters Ever" when he invites Mayor Fox and another mayor to his establishment.

Messed around online a bit before heading out. There was a lot going on today, starting with Audubon Day at the Audubon Recreational Center. Not hard to tell there was something going on over there! The traffic got bad as I rounded the school. People dodged the cars as they pushed strollers down to the park.

I had no idea Audubon Day was this huge. I expected a few craft tables and games for the kids. It was noisy and sprawling, almost on a par with some of the bigger events in Collingswood. There were thousands of kids running around in the playgrounds alone. I did manage to make my way through the throngs long enough to pick up free copies of Strangers On a Train and The Color Purple on DVD from the Audubon Library's booth and a rock painted like a cute ladybug from their environmental center. (And I think I inadvertently gave them my $20 for their donation can. I meant to give them $1. At least it went to a good cause. The young woman in charge said they were raising money to plant trees.)

Frankly, that mess got to be too much for me. I was there for less than 20 minutes before I hurried off again. This time, I made my way across King's Highway and through Haddon Lake Park to Haddon Heights. I read last night that they were having their Town-Wide Yard Sale today. 

Alas, they proved to be disappointing. There weren't that many yard sales out there, and the few I did run into mostly sold junk. I wonder if the weather scared some folks off. It was gloomy, cloudy, windy, and much cooler, barely in the 60's. It didn't make it less busy. Even as I kept going in circles and getting turned around, I had to dodge people in cars looking for good bargains. All I found was The Best of the Flamingos on CD and Rose's Christmas Cookies, a collection of holiday cookie recipes. Tried to hit the Haddon Heights Library, but they were closing as I arrived.

Had lunch when I got tired of going in circles. I've wanted to try the Market Links Cafe for years. They were a small storefront on the first block of Station Avenue that sold smoothies, salads, tacos, burritos, and basic sandwiches. I had a huge burrito at a blocky wooden table, along with a big bottle of water. The burrito was very filling, with lots of cheese, black beans, chicken, and vegetables. The chipotle mayo also made it a bit spicy. I downed quite a bit of that water.

Since I had no luck at the yard sales, I thought I'd check out Station Avenue Antiques. I did slightly better here. Found a Raggedy Andy hanging on the wall who would go perfectly with the Raggedy Ann I picked up from a yard sale five or so years ago. I also grabbed three records: 

The original Broadway cast of The Robber Bridegroom (Would you believe this one was only a dollar? And the show was a flop on Broadway. This album is pretty rare.)

Two episodes of the radio show The Shadow with Orson Welles (This was the five dollar splurge, but my Orson Welles Shadow episodes are in storage.) 

The George Shearing Orchestra - When the Lights are Low (Also a dollar.) 

Headed back towards Oaklyn after I got out, and made two quick stops on the way home. I was hoping to hit the bathroom at the Pine Street WaWa in Audubon, but they're not big enough to have a public bathroom. I did get two bottles of Dr. Pepper Zero and Coke Spiced Zero. Treated myself to a Neapolitan Cookie (banana, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) from Las Amigos Bakery.

After I got in, I had my giant cookie while watching The Lorax and The Hoober-Bloob Highway. I go further into these Seuss specials from the 70's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Seuss Short Subject Special - The Lorax (1972) & The Hoober-Bloob Highway

Spent the next few hours working on the reviews and writing. Took a shower, then had dinner and finished the night with today's Match Game marathon. I suspect we got an encore of the Happy Days marathon from a while back in honor of its 50th anniversary this year. 

Anson Williams would be the first cast member to turn up on the show. He appeared in 1974, in 1977, and during a week of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983. Brett heavily drooled over him both weeks he was on in the 70's. Tom Bosley celebrated Easter on the show early in 1975 by wearing Brett's pink flowered bonnet. Pat Moriata endured a lot of Japanese jokes during his only week later in '75. Williams' then-wife Laurie McCafferty appeared in 1979 and during syndication, while Erin Moran and Lori Goodhead turned up on a later Match Game-Hollywood Squares episode. 

Actually, the Happy Days cast member who got the most out of Match Game was the one who appeared the least on Happy Days. Roz Kelly only did a few episodes as Fonzie's girlfriend Pinky Tuskedero, but that didn't stop Goodson-Todman from announcing her as being from the show. She got really into Gene's "New Kid on the Block" kiss, and would grab him for another one later that week when an overly excited contestant smooched Richard. When she came back in 1977, Gene brought a guy out of the audience to kiss her. She declared him to be even better than Henry Winkler, and Gene called him "the new Fonz."

Rock around the clock with all your favorite Happy Days cast members in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Featuring the Cast of Happy Days On the Panel

(Oh, and after it being dark and cloudy all day, it did finally rain...and hard...around 1 AM. Doesn't sound like it's doing anything now.)

Farm Markets and Yard Sales

I overslept this morning and got moving later than I'd hoped. There was a lot going on today, and I didn't want to miss it. I changed, ate breakfast quickly, grabbed my bags, and hurried out.

Started off at the Collingswood Bike Share next to the Farm Market. This fenced-in area is filled with bikes for rental or selling to Collingswood residents...but it's also where volunteer bike mechanics fix everyone's bike problems. I was very tired of my loose chain coming off. It happened three times in two weeks. I left the mechanic there to tighten it as I went across the street.

The Farm Market was mobbed with people shopping for barbecues, birthday parties, and family get-togethers, or taking time-out from the Collingswood Town-Wide Yard Sale. Saw zucchini, yellow squash, scallions, and cucumbers for the first time this season. I bought those amazing ruby-red strawberries and beautiful cherry tomatoes in many different colors.

Rode around Collingswood for a while after I retrieved my bike. It was cool, cloudy, and damp, all of which were welcome after the dry heat we've had lately. My ride ended up being rather pleasant. Found the children's book version of Christmas Eve On Sesame Street at one house across from Knight Park, along with a hot dog bought from a boy cooking them on an indoor grill. Another sale a few blocks down had four books for a dollar. I bought The Swiss Family Robinson, a collection of adventure stores, a cookbook with recipes for one or two people, and The Taste of Home Baking Book, along with a two-disc CD collection of music by the Mamas and the Papas and "Mama" Cass Elliot solo. 

Made my best finds riding back to Oaklyn down Collings Avenue. One house on Collings near the high school had several lovely 60's and 70's-style home made doll outfits on a blanket. I picked up two long-sleeved coats or dresses for Barbara Jean, one in red corduroy trimmed with lace and ribbon, the other in woolen green plaid. There was also a flowered sundress that will go to Ariel or Whitney. A house on a side street yielded Timeless Tales Volume 3, a collection of Disney shorts. Four of them - Ben & Me, Morris the Midge Moose, Casey at the Bat, and Little Hiawatha - aren't currently on Disney Plus. (In fact, I bought the disc to have Ben & Me for the 4th of July.) 

Didn't have as much luck in Oaklyn. For one thing, it was past 12:30 by that point. I briefly rode down Hillcrest, then across West Clinton and down to Kendall. I didn't see Rose and her family around, but I did buy a lemonade from a family who was earning money to help another family's beloved dog have surgery and got a free water and soft pretzel from the new tae kwon do studio that moved in next to the soft pretzel shop.

Went home and changed quickly while watching What's My Line on Buzzr. I arrived just in time for this black and white episode's charming Mystery Guest. It was a very young and adorable bespectacled Sammy Davis Jr. Arlene Francis guessed him right. She'd seen his nightclub act. Francis carried over to the early Password episode with Sandy Bergman that was on as I was leaving for work.

Made a brief stop at Common Grounds Coffee House before I went to the Acme. I wanted lunch, but ended up buying a French Vanilla Chip muffin for later, along with a Vitamin Water lemonade. It was too busy to sit down or wait around in a long line.

Work was busy for most of the night. In addition to all those barbecues and get-togethers I mentioned, it's the beginning of the month and the end of baseball and softball season for local Little League teams. If people weren't buying barbecue fixings or huge beginning of the month orders, they were stocking Little League concession stands. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 6 that I was able to leave with no relief and no need for one.

Had dinner while watching Journey Back to Oz on YouTube. I go further into this Filmation adaptation of the Wizard of Oz sequel The Marvelous Land of Oz on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Journey Back to Oz

Finished the night on YouTube with the Match Game Classics Saturday Marathon. Tonight's was a tribute to MASH actors who appeared on the show. Energetic Gary Burghoff (who replaced Charles Nelson Reilly in the third seat from late 1974 to mid-1975), wacky McLean Stevenson, and sarcastic Loretta Swit were the most commonly seen MASH stars on the 1970's and syndicated version of the show. Stevenson, in fact, took over Richard Dawson's "smart guy" seat late in the Syndicated run. Stevenson and Burghoff also appeared on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983 and '83, along with William Christopher and Larry Linville. 

See your favorite members of the 4077th have a crazy good time, whether they're in Korea or Burbank!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Salute Stars of MASH On Panel

Farm Market Time

Got a really quick start this morning with breakfast before hurrying out the door. I couldn't have rushed out into a nicer day. The perpetual clouds and rain of the past week were replaced by sunshine, fresh breezes, and upper 60 degree temperatures at quarter of 11. 

Good thing the weather was gorgeous, because there was a lot going on this week. I dodged crowds pushing strollers and walking dogs as I headed down to Collingswood for the first farm market of the year. Boy, were they a mess. Even at 11 AM, they were teeming with people looking for fresh vegetables, meat, herbs, and cheese for their barbecues and Kentucky Derby and coronation parties. I bought a block of 2-year-aged cheddar that was on sale due to it being a broken piece for a snack. The strawberries are already out; I picked up a container, despite it being 8 dollars. 

Rode around Audubon for a little while after that, looking for yard sales. Their town-wide yard sale defaulted to this week after the terrible weather we had last Saturday. Didn't do nearly as well as I did at the Mount Laurel book sale, but I did manage to find a few things. I rarely run across clothing my size at yard sales, but someone had a whole rack of plus sized shirts, track suits, and good trousers. I ended up with a white polo shirt, like the yellow and blue one I bought in February and on my birthday. Most of the toys were in bad shape or more recent characters who didn't interest me, but I did find a handsome curly-furred teddy bear in a faded blue moire ribbon sitting on the top of a pile of stuffed animals. 

There were tons of CDs all over the place. Most of them were rap, country, or pop artists leftover from the heyday of CDs in the late 90's and 2000's. I just ended up with:

Super Hits of the 70's: Have a Nice Day Vol. 6 (I have at least four later discs in the series. I think this is the earliest one I've found.) 

Tina Turner - Break Every Rule

Rode home around 12:30, dodging traffic on Cuthbert. Had lunch, then went right back out again. Was surprised to see a lot of people heading down West Clinton in Oaklyn. Turns out they were having a fair of their own. Closer inspection revealed lots of tables and tents in the municipal parking lot selling beer and food. Tonewood, the brewery on West Clinton, must have been showing off its wares. Not being a drinker, I just moved on.

Audubon Park, the smaller development on the other side of Peter Creek from Oaklyn, also had their town wide yard sale today. Unfortunately, that proved to be a bust. By the time I got there, only a few sales were left. Most of them apparently ended at one. I ended up going behind the Acme to Sonic for a mini-strawberry cheesecake milkshake instead.

Wish I'd stayed at Sonic. Work was a mess today. It's not only the beginning of the month, but this is one of the busiest weekends of the year. The Kentucky Derby and King Charles' coronation were today, and Cinco De Mayo was yesterday. This is also the first really nice day we've had in over a week. Many folks were probably happy to barbecue and get their kids outside again. It's prom season, too. If local high schools didn't have their prom this weekend, they'll probably have them next weekend. 

Didn't help that I got stuck in express again. I kept getting anxious and frustrated. We still have no help. For a lot of the afternoon, there would be one register open and lines down the aisles. Several people complained about prices not coming up right when they were fine. I was going to buy some pads I found with a half-price sticker after work, but the line was long again. I got so tired of listening to a woman whine to her husband about the lines, I ended up ditching the pads and just bought a Diet Dr. Pepper.

Went straight into the shower after I got home. Had dinner while watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Chat regulars have joked for years with the channel's owner MGP about doing a marathon revolving around panelists who are divisive, whom many viewers aren't crazy about, or whom for one reason or another, didn't work out on the show. He finally did that tonight, calling it his "misfit" marathon. 

Some of those "misfits," like Dear Abby, seemed to enjoy themselves well enough, but weren't very good at the game. Others, like austere Raymond Burr and everyman Larry Blyden, played well but didn't get the comedy vibe. Lynn Redgrave didn't appreciate host Gene Rayburn throwing himself at her all week. Kaye Stevens was a good player, but her constant grating laugh and habit of inserting herself into every frame annoys panelists and viewers alike. Don Adams behaved like a jerk for the entire week he was on, demanding special treatment, including Richard's seat, and really not playing all that well either. Then-football player Alex Karras just looked bored, but he did end up in a memorable episode anyway when Gene pitted him against Lola Kiss, the woman wrestler from Transylvania. Belgian author Monique Van Voorten neither played well during her one week in syndication, nor added much to the show besides her odd accent. 

Comedy isn't as easy as it looks...and it's even harder to do comedy and try to answer weird questions. See who worked out and who didn't in this unique marathon!

Match Game Weekend Marathon - Celebrity Misfits On Match Game Panel

Finished the night on Tubi with Dot and the Bunny. I go further into the third Australian animation-live action hybrid about a little girl and her animal friends in the outback at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Dot and the Bunny

Windy Harvest

Got a quick start this morning heading off to the Farm Market. You'd never know it's three days before summer's supposed to begin. It was cloudy, wildly windy, and very cool, barely in the 70's. I nearly got blown away just riding to Collingswood! Stopped at WaWa first to get money and a creamy strawberry-banana smoothie before going across the street.

Despite the windy weather and the late hour, the Farm Market was still very busy. It being nearly 11:30 meant the sellers were willing to negotiate. I picked up two tomatoes for four dollars. They were originally listed as $3.75. I was surprised to see peaches at the orchard booth already. They said they were as surprised as I was that peaches debuted so early in the season. Also grabbed out-of-state blueberries and saw the first patty-pan squash and zucchini of the season. 

Needed to use the bathroom, so I rushed two blocks down and across Haddon Avenue to the Collingswood Library. Dug through their books for sale and came up with a Fannie Flagg title, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, for a dollar.

After briefly looking for an estate sale on Cuthbert, I made a stop at the Haddon Township Library. I was hoping to find the last book of the Caraval trilogy or more of Fannie's books, but no luck. The only Caraval book they had was Legendary, the second, which I just finished, and I read everything they had of Fannie's. 

Did better at a very busy Target. Bought apple pie Target and blueberry Larabars date bars and a diet ginger ale. Stopped at Dollar General on my way home for more electrolyte tube drink mixes. They were also busy, though not quite as bad as Target. I was in and out of both places. 

Found a nifty yard sale on Cuthbert, about two blocks from Westmont Plaza. They sold a wide variety of clothes, shoes, hats, and collectibles, many of them vintage. Alas, I didn't have much left in the way of actual cash at that point. I took a look around and moved on. 

Watched some Match Game '74 when I got in and had lunch. Arrived in time to see everyone give their answers to "Moonlight __" on the Audience Match, including Charles teasing Brett about hers. Richard and Brett exchange insults during the "__ Watch" Head-to-Head. 

Switched to Poor Little Rich Girl on YouTube about half-way through the next episode as I laid down on my game chair to relax. I go further into this classic Shirley Temple film about a rich little girl who runs away from her neglectful father and joins a vaudeville couple at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy Father's Day! - Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)

Wrote my review, then worked on writing for a while. Yes, the Jabberwock can fly easily between worlds. After a few minutes, Brett sees green land under them. She recalls to Charles that Red Queen Fannie (Flagg) told her that the next square is the home of Humpty Dumpty. Richard was supposed to help them through the square after that, but after the Red King threw him out the window at White Castle, Brett has no idea if he's even alive.

Finally broke for dinner at 7:30. Watched two more Family Feud episodes. This one came from a special week of the daytime run featuring heroes and heroines of famous action shows playing for charity. The heroes - among them Greg Morris of Vega$ and Mission: Impossible, Lyle Waggoner of Wonder Woman, and Adam West of Batman - beat the heroines (including Beverly Garland of The Scarecrow and Mrs. King and West's fellow Batman alumni Yvonne Craig) in both episodes and picked up the Fast Money both times. (I'd love to see the rest of the week and find out if the ladies ever caught up with the guys.)

Returned to YouTube for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir after I ate. Poor Claymore wants to be a "Ladies Man" in the second season, but he's shy and hopeless with women, not to mention a cheapskate. Captain Clegg despairs of him ever becoming as suave as the rest of the family. Mrs. Muir convinces friends of hers to come on to him at a cafe...which makes him thinks Mrs. Muir is interested in him!

Finished the night with The Lawrence Welk Show. Dug way back in the show's history for a Father's Day episode. This show from 1960 is one of the earliest I've found on YouTube. It's really more of a celebration of Welk's first five years on the air than a Father's Day show, including representatives of Dodge coming on to praise Welk for helping them sell more cars than ever. We do get the Lennon Sisters singing with their father, though, revealing where they got their talent.

Father's Day - 1960

Tired Eyes

Got a really quick and early start today. We were out by 9:30 after I had breakfast to check out not one, but two town-wide yard sales. To tell the truth, we didn't really have much luck. Lauren wanted clothes for work; I wanted DVDs, records, and books. She found nothing. I bought the original cast album for Lost In the Stars in Collingswood and a packet of lemonade from an enterprising young lady in Oaklyn. (The lemonade was too sweet, but it did come in a neat clear plastic pouch that was kind of like an easier-to-open version of Capri Sun.)

At least it was a gorgeous day for a walk. Hot and sunny, under a brilliant blue sky, but there was a wonderful breeze and it wasn't humid at all. We finally made it to the Collingswood Farm Market by 10:30. She sat under a tree in the shade while I had a look around. 

They were already packed to the gills with people seeking food for their weekend barbecues and birthday parties. I could barely move around in some places. Snap peas are out, along with green beans. I picked up the former, along with more blueberries. (Even if I had seen strawberries, I learned the hard way last week that they don't travel well or last long upstairs.)

Tortilla Press is two blocks from the Farm Market on Haddon Avenue. They open at 11; we arrived 10 minutes early and sat under the shade on a bench while we waited. When they were ready, we were the first ones in. They even gave us the best table in the house, right in front of the wide picture window that opens all the way, allowing for soft breezes and excellent views of the people strolling up and down Haddon. We waved to the cutest two-year-old girl who stared up at us with wide eyes and a big smile before her daddy chased her to the steps next to the window. 

Tortilla Press is a Mexican fusion place that makes one of the best brunches in town. Lauren had shrimp tacos with spicy sauce. I had pan perdita, Mexican French toast, with fresh berry topping. Yum. The berries were nice and tart and not too sweet, making a nice compliment to the cinnamon-y bread. Lauren said her tacos were excellent, too - that spicy sauce cleared her sinuses!

I wanted to show Lauren a new store a block down Haddon from Tortilla Press. Time Lapse apparently opened last November. I tried to check it out during May Fair, but it was mobbed then. There was no one inside when we went in. It's basically a mini-version of The House of Fun that has records along with vintage toys, DVDs, videos, comics, kids' books, and knick-knacks. There's even old arcade games and working pinball machines. We both did well here. I found the soundtrack for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Lauren picked up a nifty keychain and a Roddy Piper stretch toy she didn't have. 

Strolled down Haddon next to check out that comic book store I found the day I got my new glasses. Like Time Lapse, they were empty when we got in. We both flipped through boxes and racks of books, but found nothing and headed out.

As it turned out, Lauren wasn't feeling well. She's had a cold and has been sniffling and sneezing for days. She settled under a tree next to the comics shop until she felt better. We tried to walk a few blocks to Westmont, but got no further than a bench in front of Say It With Clay, two blocks from Krispy Kreme. She was just too tired to go any further. I ended up calling an Uber to take us home.

We rested over cold drinks and episodes of Match Game '74...but, truth be told, I wasn't much more awake than Lauren. By the time Classic Concentration had Alex Trebek dressed as the late 80's idea of a hippie, we were both in bed and taking long naps. 

It was nearly 5 when we both felt up to dinner. Had it upstairs while watching more Price Is Right: The Barker Era. Some of the Showcase Showdowns in this era could get so strange. There was the one where Johnny Olsen played a gypsy with a passel of model daughters who were tired of his old-fashioned, stereotypical ways and wanted something new, represented by the prizes. There's also those time capsule episodes, with prizes hidden in a trip location. Or Johnny the Reporter's on-the-spot interviews with the models dressed as quirky 80's types like punk rocker and yuppie, whose wishes for what they want in life are represented by the prizes. 

Mom called shortly after I rolled out of bed. She's doing fine. She's still packing to move in with Keefe and Julia. They just moved into a larger apartment today. Apparently, Rose is going to take her brood down to Cape May County to see Lilah's dance recital...but she refuses to sit next to Mom. Anny finally scolded her, and she apparently said "oh, well, I can be civil to her."

That's it. I've had just about enough of Rose's childish, selfish behavior. Our mother is 66 years old. She's in good shape for her age, but how much longer does Rose think she has on this Earth? We're already down two parents (three, if you count Dad-Bruce's first wife Kaye), and one basically isn't speaking to us. She'd better be a lot more than civil. She'd better start apologizing for the way she's acted, because I've had it up to here with her. She's ragged at me about behaving like a child for years, and now who's the one who's acting like a baby? The one who is getting things done, or the one who's shutting everyone out because they won't do what she wants? 

Finished the night online. Watched The Last Unicorn on Tubi. I go further into this dreamy, dark 80's Rankin-Bass fantasy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Last Unicorn 

Even Lawrence Welk and his musical family enjoyed the occasional vacation. Despite being labeled "vacation songs," the 1967 episode was a trip of a different kind, with Jo Anne Castle dressed as "Minnie the Mermaid" playing her piano lying down while Larry Hooper attempted to dance with her in an old-fashioned diving suit. (Jo Anne later reported that neither costume was especially comfortable.) Cissy King also made her first appearance with Bobby Burgess, performing a lively Charleston to "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me." 

Later vacation shows had Tanya Falen Welk bring her baby son on to visit his grandpa during a salute to vacation resorts. Bobby and Cissy this time went Mexican, dancing to "In Acapulco," while everyone wore old-fashioned bathing suits while singing about "On the Boardwalk In Atlantic City" and start off singing about "Fabulous Faraway Places." In 1980, Kathie Sullivan wonders "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?" while Tom Netherton is joined by a bevy wahinis for "This Is the Moment" in Hawaiian shirts and leis and hobo Ken Delo declares he's "King of the Road."

Let The Lawrence Welk Show take you on wonderful vacations without leaving home!

1967 - Vacation Songs

1972 - Vacation Resorts

1980 - A Vacation Show

(Oh, and Lauren is feeling a lot better and says she's up to checking out the Gloucester Outlet Mall tomorrow.)

Hot Spring Harvest

Badly needed to sleep in this morning, but that also meant I got a late breakfast, and a late start to the Collingswood Farm Market. Not a good thing, as I had to stop at WaWa for money and a bottle of water, too. They were busy, but at least the line moved fast, and I already had my own bags and didn't need to buy one.

Headed back across the street for my first trip to the Farm Market of the year. It's still pretty early in the season, too early for them to be selling much besides asparagus and greens. Not to mention, it was already in the 80's at 11:30. They were still busy with people looking for vegetables to grill for barbecues and birthday parties. Grabbed bananas and asparagus, along with feta from the dairy farm tables for a snack.

Spent the next two hours riding around Haddon Township and Audubon, checking out yard sales despite the upper 90's-degree heat. There were a few leftover from the previously rained-out two weeks. The first in Westmont yielded nothing, but I did get two records from an estate sale a few streets down from the first one. It took me so long to find the third, I gave up and bought a too-sweet key lime water ice from Rita's in Westmont to cool off instead. Found two fantasy novels, Carval and Legendary, along with a pretty pink and gold swirl file holder, at a big yard sale in Audubon, a couple of streets down from the Westmont Plaza. 

Finally went home for luncharound 2 PM. Ate and then rested for a while in my darkened room while watching Buzzr's big Family Fun Day marathon. They've been advertising this one for weeks. The first two hours featured a week of Classic Concentration from the fall of 1989 (if the pumpkins and corn stalks scattered around the set are any indication) featuring sets of identical twins playing each other. They proved that two heads really are better than one. Of the four I saw play, only one set of twins failed to get the car in the end.

In 1993, Family Feud did a special week of syndicated episodes filmed at what was then Opryland USA. The Mandrel Sisters and their parents played the Statler Brothers and their "special guest" Brenda Lee in a battle of the country music stars. The Statlers won the first episode, but despite coming off as more than a little flaky, the Mandrels wiped the floor with them in the remaining three episodes, winning two Fast Money rounds. 

Worked on writing while the episodes were on. Charles tells Brett about the legendary Vorpal Sword, and how it was lost years before and is now in the possession of the Jabberwock. Defeating the creature may be their only way out of Limbo...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. By that point, Buzzr was on Password Plus. This was the week from 1981 with Jack Narz playing while his younger brother Tom Kennedy hosted. And yes, they did include the hilarious episode where Jack, who was upset after doing badly on the Alphabetics round, traded places with Tom to prove just how hard playing the game was. 

Finished the night online after a shower and the last episode with The Daydreamer at the Kanopy library site. I go further into this Rankin-Bass live-action/animated retelling of several Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Daydreamer

Exploring the World Around Us

Began a cloudy morning after breakfast with a ride down to Collingswood for my first yard sale run of the year. I saw a listing for a yard sale on Park Avenue, near the Krispy Kreme, on Craigslist last night. I arrived around 11:30...to find it was a mess of junk piled here, there, and everywhere. Most of it was rusting, tattered, broken, or otherwise in terrible shape. Managed to dig out a couple of CDs and two records that weren't soaked or covered in mold:

The original cast album for Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope

Great Memories from Old Time Radio, aka songs sung by radio stars and a few comedy routines

Greatest hits CDs for John Cougar Melloncamp and Alice Cooper

Blind Pig Records 20th Anniversary Collection - I never heard of most of the artists on this two-disc collection of blues and R&B performers who recorded for the independent Blind Pig label. Thought I'd try something different. 

The Big Band Era. Vol. 1

Had a whole bunch of errands to run. Since I was in the area, my first stop was the Westmont Acme. Wanted to restock Propel for the week. Grabbed salads for lunch at work this week, too. Stopped at Target to pick up more of those amazing date-nut bars. Target's generic brand is lower in fat and salt than most brands at half the price, and they taste amazing. Can't find my floss, so I bought more. Picked up two packs of Softsoap bars at Dollar Tree.

Went straight upstairs when I got home. It wasn't more than 20 minutes later when I got a text saying a package for me showed up on the porch at the house on Hillcrest. Oops. It was the 80's record of the Indian fairy tale The Fairy Princess and the Ivory City I ordered off eBay. I didn't realize until I already ordered it that I forgot to change my address. Rode over to Hillcrest, grabbed it, and rode home.

After a lovely lunch downstairs, I worked on writing for a while. Richard insists on all of them wearing armor to get them into the throne room. That works at least somewhat well...until they walk up to the throne expecting to see White King Gene and get quite a shock...

Broke for dinner at 7. Watched an episode of Doc McStuffins while I ate. "Huggable Hallie" is more than a little spooked when her foot starts talking. Doc finds out her voice chip fell into her foot and now has to be removed. Hallie's scared, then embarrassed. The others assure her that even the bravest people get scared every now and then. "Pop Up Pablo" is a pop-up frog on a spring whose constant jumping gets on everyone's nerves when  he interrupts their castle rescue game. He fakes injuries to get attention, but learns a lesson when he damages his spring for real and no one listens.

Finished the night online, starting with A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits at Tubi. I go further into this modern fairy tale for teens at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits 

The Lawrence Welk Show is probably the last program you'd think of to celebrate Earth Day, but concern for the environment was so prevalent in the 1970's that it reached even Welk's champagne bubble world. "The World Around Us" had everyone singing songs about plants, trees, and the Earth and its creatures. "Energy Crisis Salute" started off with everyone peddling little cars, but is mostly a tribute to various forms of transportation that use less gas than 70's muscle cars. "The Weather Show" is from later in 1982 as the focus switches to various forms of weather, from California sunshine to Ken Deleno telling sweet Kathie Sullivan that "Baby, It's Cold Outside." 

Here's three musical ways to celebrate our earth, its weather, and those who live under it. 

1973 - The World Around Us

1974 - Energy Crisis Salute

1982 - The Weather Show

Sunny Day Blues

Kicked off a bright, sunny morning with a quick breakfast and Muppet Babies on Disney Plus. "Summer the Great" wants to learn to do awesome stunts like Gonzo. He quickly shows her that the best way to do stunts is your own way. He takes the others to "Planet Gonzo" to find more beings like him, but quickly gets bored with doing the same things over and over. He finally realizes he likes his friends because of their differences.

Worked on writing for a bit after breakfast. Brett finally ducks into the peppery Victorian home of the Duchess Marcia (Wallace) and her pepper-obsessed cook (Mary Wickes). She opens the window to clear out the pepper, but can't get the cook to lay off it, or the Duchess to make her stop or quit shaking her odd little baby. 

Put on Match Game-Hollywood Squares briefly while I got dressed and ready for work. This week's episodes from 1984 apparently featured actors from NBC soaps of the time...which means I recognized absolutely no one but Gene Rayburn and Jon Bauman. At least some of them managed to have a few amusing answers as I dashed out the door.

I left a little early to check out Oaklyn's Town-Wide Yard Sale. You'd never know it poured yesterday. All that remained of the floods were a few deeper-than-usual puddles. The streets were now clogged with people searching for cheap treasures. I hope they did better than me. Disappointingly, I found absolutely nothing of interest besides bins of videos I hardly need. No CDs, DVDs, records, or even interesting books. Headed off to work a tiny bit early instead.

Work was a pain in the rear. We were off-and-on steady...and when we had customers, there weren't nearly enough people to deal with them. Several of the afternoon cashiers called out, and at least one more got sent home. I was frustrated and tired, of dealing with so many people and of people not understanding why I have problems with my job. I barely got through a long line in order to get out on time. At least my last customers were two very funny guys who were fast and quite helpful.

Hurried home as soon as I could get out. Had a quick leftovers dinner while watching Celebrity Name Game. Alas, this favorite from the mid-2010's is the only show from Buzzr's "Birthday Bash" marathon I had the chance to watch. In this variation on Body Language, celebrities and teams of two contestants each act out the name of a person, a place, or a thing. They get $100 for each correct guess on the first round, and $200 on the second. The bonus round has both contestants acting out ten consecutive names for the celebrities. If they both can get them, they'll win $20,000. Host Wayne Brady and announcer Johnathan Mangum of the current Let's Make a Deal help the two women make their way to the big prize. 

Jodie came in while the show was on. She's going away for five days, starting Monday, while the painters are here. I forgot to ask her exactly when she plans on repairing the driveway or putting the house on the market. And no, I can't do the laundry there while she's gone, either. She doesn't want anyone in the house while the painters are working. 

Finished out the night online after a shower with Care Bears Adventures In Wonderland. I go further into the third and final theatrical Care Bears film on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Care Bears Adventures In Wonderland

Sunshine Harvest

Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and the latest Muppet Babies episode. Gonzo wants Camilla to be the "Best In Chicken Show" and beat Rizzo and his ultra-cool pink chicken Patch. He tries to dress her up and teach her new moves, but Camilla would much rather do the dances she learned with Gonzo. In the end. he realizes that their moves harmonize best when Camila is herself. Piggy gives Fozzie's toddler sister Razzie her old bracelet, but has second thoughts when she sees all the fun things she's doing with it. Despite Nanny's "No Takesie Backsies" rule, she becomes determined to get it back anyway.

Switched to Tubi for Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo while cleaning up and getting organized. I know Scrappy isn't popular with most people, but he's never bothered me. He can be a useful pup taken in small doses, as in the first episode of the series, "The Scarab Lives!" Scooby and Scrappy join the rest of the gang to help a comic book artist figure out how his creation the Blue Scarab came to life and started committing crimes based after his next comic book.

Headed out shortly after Scooby left. It was a glorious day for my first Collingswood Farm Market trip of the year, sunny, breezy, and in the lower 70's. No wonder the Collingswood Farm Market was packed when I arrived. While they were allowing more people in and there were musicians performing "Ruby Tuesday" when I arrived, there's still no eating there allowed, and masks are still necessary. The mushroom seller was out of small portabellas and I wasn't going to wait in a long line for strawberries, but I was able to buy carrots, asparagus, and spinach. I also saw fresh green beans and the last of the hearty winter greens. 

Checked out two yard sales after I headed into Collingswood. Bought a lovely bright pink tray with pastel flowers for a dollar and picked up a children's book for free from the first one. Saw nothing of interest at the second.

Turned the bike around and rode up Haddon Avenue to check out Phildelity Records in Westmont. Been wanting to get up there, but haven't had the chance. Along with CDs, DVDs, and their own (better-organized) dollar record bins, they had crates filled with records in slightly better shape for two dollars. I eventually came up with:

The soundtrack for the 1971 Lost Horizon and a double soundtrack for the 20th Century Fox musicals Rose of Washington Square and Footlight Serenade

Broadway cast album for the 1946 Show Boat revival (in it's original plastic!)

Johnny Mathis - This Is Love

The Story of the Rescuers book and record (This one cost a bit more than the others, but The Rescuers is one of my favorite Disney movies.)

After quickly checking out one more yard sale, I rode down to Cuthbert. Stopped fast at the Westmont Acme to grab the mushrooms I couldn't find at the farm market, water, and a snack. They weren't any busier than the Audubon Acme's been these past few days, and I was able to get in and out. Took the long way down Cuthbert and through Haddon Township, but I found no more yard sales.

Jodie popped her head out when I pulled up to her driveway. She's apparently going away until Thursday while the wood floors in the main house are completely redone. I'm to call Rose if I need anything.

After I got home, I put everything aside, then had a Berry-Banana Smoothie with spinach for lunch while trying something different. Cleopatra In Space is one of the more popular cartoons on the Peacock streaming service. It's based after a series of graphic novels about a teen Cleopatra being thrown 30,000 years in the future and being named the one who will fulfill a prophecy as the savior of the Nile Galaxy. She's understandably freaked out by the two teen cyborgs and talking cat who greet her. Khensu, a professor at the PYRAMID Academy, convinces the cat council that Cleo is the one who can save them...but now he has to convince her.

Very strange and original premise, sort of an Egyptian-futuristic Sailor Moon. Cleo could occasionally be annoying and the story didn't always make the most sense, but I suspect both problems would be ironed out as the series goes on. 

Switched to writing after I cleaned up from lunch. Yeah, I started Blank In Wonderland. I do intend to eventually finish Superhero Blank as well, but first of all, this story is intended to be a relatively short one-off. Superhero is going to be a three-part epic. Might as well do Wonderland first and get that out of the way while I'm feeling the need for fantasy. 

Brett's holding a party at her house following taping in August 1976. She's trying to cheer herself up, but she's not feeling very much like partying. She and Jack Klugman are going through a messy divorce that's hurting their two sons Adam and David, especially the former. Adam's an older teen, and Brett has no idea how to deal with him. Charles tries to reassure her that she's doing fine. Richard Dawson, who brought his own sons over, tells her that he's been through his own messy divorce and wants to help keep her from getting as hurt as he did. Betty White and Allen Ludden admire her garden and ask for her secrets to keeping her red and white roses so lovely.

Broke at 6:30 for dinner. Had shrimp, carrots, and pasta with olive oil while watching Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. I go into the very faithful 1972 British version at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972)