Actually, I started off a rainy morning in a bit of a rush. I forgot Willa left a letter saying that there would be an inspector coming around between 8 and 11. I made the bed and ate breakfast as quick as I could. I was just finishing breakfast when Charlie and the inspector - electrical inspector - knocked on my door. I don't know much about outlets and electricity, so I have no idea what Charlie was saying. Something about the heat, I think. I could have sworn we had gas heat, but whatever. It's been working fine up here. Maybe he's had problems downstairs.
Ran I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown while I ate and got organized. Re-run, Linus and Lucy's little brother, desperately wants a dog, or at least someone who'll play with him. Snoopy is too busy being a street-corner Santa to really have time to play. They finally persuade Snoopy's lanky brother Spike to come down from the desert and give the little boy a taste of what it's like to have a pet...and find out how hard it can be to take care of them.
The cartoon ended around 10, in time for me to head out and finally finish my Christmas shopping. I went out in a steady shower that would continue all day. I didn't really have a choice. I still had to buy things for most of the kids and finish Lauren's box.
As I was riding across Haddon Township, I saw a series of neon signs indicating an estate sale. I wasn't in any hurry, and I figured it would be nice to get out of the rain, at any rate. Two lovely older ladies were running a sale in a small house for an older woman who apparently was moving in with her daughter. She had lots of wonderful vintage items from the 30's, 40's, and 50's, including Christmas things...but most of those were too expensive or fragile for me to buy, especially on a bike. I eventually ended up with a charming 40's-era white enamel colander with a cute strawberry design that was only three dollars.
Made it to the Westmont Plaza around quarter of 11. My first stop of the day was Tuesday Morning. Along with some great Christmas stuff, they also carry many toy lines that have been discontinued or don't turn up elsewhere. Rose mentioned that she's been having a hard time finding the baby-oriented My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic toys that Finley loves. I found a pack featuring an adorable Fluttershy and her bunny Angel made by Playskool. They were rounded and reminded me a bit of Little People. They were perfect. I enthusiastically brought them up to the counter. The cashier must have caught on my good vibes - he seemed pretty happy, too.
After a brief stop at AC Moore to look at gloves and see if they had any Christmas boxes for cakes and cookies, I moved on to Target. I was easily able to pick up Jurassic World mini-dinosaurs for Khai and a much-needed pack of underwear for me, along with cranberries and maraschino cherries for baking and a box of tea. It took me much longer to figure out what to buy Skylar. Teenagers, especially boys, are very hard to shop for! (Keefe was at his age, too.) I eventually bought him an XBox One game. I was hoping to find gloves here, but they only had big, heavy ones for men. The clerks complained that they'd never gotten any women's gloves in at all.
In between buying the underwear and dinosaurs and picking up the XBox game, I had a quick lunch at Starbucks in a corner of Target. Sipped a hot chocolate and enjoyed their yummy (if slightly messy) turkey and pesto sandwich while texting Mom. She said she was sending out a gift to me and asked if I wanted an Amazon or a Target gift card. I said either would be fine.
My remaining stops were much faster. I bought bags for the bread and tins for the cookies at Dollar Tree, along with one last item for Lauren. Picked up a pair of soft knit gloves for the family gift exchange and a new sprig of mistletoe at AC Moore. My mistletoe is almost a decade old - I bought it the first or second year I moved here - and it was falling apart. Realized I'd forgotten to get orange juice for the cranberry bread, so I pulled into Rite Aid on the way home and got it there.
The rain wasn't stopping, or even slowing down. It wasn't very heavy, but it wasn't going anywhere, either. It was time to go home and wrap the presents. I listened to Christmas albums from Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole while I worked. Finally finished out that huge roll of teddy bear paper I've had for at least a decade on the little girls' gifts and one of Lauren's. Fortunately, I bought another, less cutesy roll last year, with a pine cone and bright red berries and old-fashioned "Noel" in gold against an odd olive-green background. I used this one to wrap the boys' gifts and the remaining ones for Lauren and her parents.
Got Lauren's things into a box and taped it in preparation to be sent out on Monday. The gifts for Anny's kids also went in a box, but they won't be sent out until next week. They're waiting on cookies. The remaining presents went in my Last Jedi bag.
Worked on some writing after that. First posted three original short Christmas stories I wrote around 2012-2013, as well as a holiday-themed essay on my fondness for Christmas lights. After that, I started my next long Star Wars project, The Snow Queen. The group is going to the planet of Norweden to try to persuade their mysterious queen to join the Alliance. Like Hoth, this is mostly a planet of snow and ice, but it doesn't get quite so cold that it can't support human habitation. Leia has high hopes that Queen Frostra will change her mind. Han's not so sure. Luke's just excited to see snow for the first time.
At any rate, here's those short Christmas items I posted at my writing blog today. May they fill you with as much joy as they did me when I wrote them!
Christmas Lights (essay)
A Letter to My Grandma (short story)
Christmas Shopping (short story)
A Rainy Christmas (short story)
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ran The Muppet Christmas Carol while making baked coconut-crusted tilapia and roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner. I go into more detail on this much-loved holiday family favorite at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Finished off the night making cranberry bread for my landlords Willa and Richard next-door while watching the 1955 TV version of Babes In Toyland. The 1986 retelling reminded me a bit of a Christmas oriented version of The Princess Bride. A department store Santa (Dave Garroway) tells a little lost girl the story of Tommy Tucker (Dennis Day) and Jane Piper, who are persecuted by the wicked Barnaby. Barnaby lures Jane's siblings into the woods, and they go after them, only to land in Barnaby's clutches. It's up to his beleaguered assistant Grumio (Wally Cox) and his marionettes (the Bill Baird Puppets) to rescue them. Still fairly charming if you're a fan of Day or Cook or you love the musicals of this era.
Oh, and the cranberry bread came out perfectly, much better than the recipe I used for Dad and Jodie at Thanksgiving. I'll see if I can give it to my landlords tomorrow...if I can avoid the rain. It's really coming down now, and has been for hours.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Friday, December 14, 2018
A Very Green Christmas
Began a cloudy, damp day with breakfast and a couple of slightly holiday-themed TV show episodes. The closest thing Get Smart had to a Christmas episode was the first season show "Our Man In Toyland." Max investigates a department store that he suspects to be a front for CHAOS. Someone has been passing information about a major government project. Max, 99, and Fang the dog have to figure out how to dodge the sinister Herr Bunny and find out how they're getting the information out, then escape themselves.
Ran some quick Good Eats while I got organized. Though the show did have several Christmas episodes, I'm afraid I don't own any of them. Alton Brown did do an episode on cranberries, a fruit frequently consumed during the holidays, in his original series. They were just being recognized as a "super food" and a nutritional powerhouse when this episode debuted. Alton discusses this as he makes cranberry sauce, cranberry granita, and cosmopolitans.
First thing on a busy agenda today was the laundry. I didn't have a huge load, but I want to focus on other things this weekend. I couldn't have picked a better time to do it. The laundromat was empty when I arrived. I think I saw maybe two or three other people the entire time I was there. I didn't have a huge load, anyway. I half-listened to the news and the last half-hour or so of Today and worked on story notes.
Went straight home and put everything away, then went right back out. Now that I had a little bit of money, there were things I wanted to do, starting with lunch at Sonic. It was gloomy and breezy, but nothing resembling as cold as it has been, probably in the lower-mid 50's. I enjoyed a nice, hot burger and tater tots with a cherry limeade on the patio. Despite it being 12:30 and the height of lunch hour, I got my food in less than five minutes.
Walked around in the shopping center after lunch. The Goodwill was crowded with lunch-hour shoppers. They'd moved the media shelves further in the back. I had to lean over a record collector looking for good finds to check out the DVDs. I made several good finds of my own. They had several out-of-print Disney DVDs. I grabbed Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. Once the guy left, I was free to go through the pile of records on the bottom shelves myself. Came up with:
Bette Midler - Broken Blossoms
Al Goodman and His Orchestra - New Moon (studio cast recording)
Explored the rest of the store to see what their Christmas offerings were like. While there were Christmas items mixed in on the shelves with other holiday decorations and every other knick-knack on the planet, there were tables in the front of the store that were just devoted to Christmas decorations. I picked up a box of really pretty Hallmark Christmas cards featuring a tree with metallic balls on the front. I have maybe three cards left after doing them earlier in the week.
My next few stops were faster. I just picked up a card for my nephew Collyn's birthday (which was on Wednesday) at Five Below. (There was a Star Wars calendar there that I may go back for next week.) Wal Mart surprisingly wasn't that busy, maybe because lunch hour was over by then. Grabbed cheaper cooking spray and coconut here, along with something that Lauren had requested a while back.
Strolled back to the Acme to do this week's grocery shopping. The Acme's Christmas Employee Luncheon is a week from today, and I needed to buy things to make cookies along with regular restocking. Found more of those breaded tilapia fillets with manager's coupons, this time Parmesan-crusted. Restocked apples, bananas, Mandarin oranges, cereal (went with Acme's generic Honey Nut Cheerios), skim milk, cheese (there was a good sale on Cracker Barrel), parchment paper, yogurt, butter, batteries, cake mix, brown and white sugar, and peanut butter (buy one-get one Skippy). Got free eggs from their new grocery rewards program.
Picked up my schedule for next week while I was there. It's the best schedule I've had in a while. All afternoon and early evening work this time, nothing earlier than 10 or later than 5:15. Three days off on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday will give me plenty of time to get cracking on everything I need to do for the holidays. (Good thing the Eagles play Sunday night this week. I work in the afternoon that day.)
Went straight home and put everything away when I got home. Watched A Pink Christmas while I organized things. In this special inspired by the O.Henry short story The Cop and the Anthem, the Pink Panther is desperate for any work that will allow him to earn money for food. He tries shoveling walks, but eats the carrot nose off a kid's snowman. He's chased out of his Santa job after trying to take a child's snack. His attempt to get a hot meal in jail only ends up with him foiling a robbery. Even when he does find food, he gives it to a hungry dog. Someone out there has seen Pink's good deed, though...and gives him and his new canine friend a wonderful surprise.
Spent the rest of the afternoon finishing my current story. Hank and Rey go into the wilderness a third time to find a tree, but Leia deems this one too short and dry. She's finally pleased with the last one they bring back to Skywalker Manor. Hank and Rey agree that she never has to know that the last tree came from a lot in the city.
This was based after a similar incident in 1985 with my stepfather and my (much younger) sister. I remember playing among the rejected trees on the porch for the rest of that December. This story is my second one that's dedicated to Dad. I hope wherever he is, he's finally found the perfect Christmas tree.
At any rate, if you need a good laugh, here's The Resistance Kids and the Christmas Tree Caper.
Archive of Our Own
My Writing Blog
Fanfiction. net
Went onto to the next Pink Panther special on the disc as I made a quick Chocolate Mocha Banana Smoothie for dinner. (The coffee yogurt cup got a hole in it and made a mess in my backpack. I had to use it.) He competes in the Winter Olym-pinks as a skiier at Lake Placid. Pink keeps besting his long-nosed rival at every turn, to the little fellow's consternation...except for when he's being chased half-way across Lake Placid by a piano!
Finished the night with the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas from 2000. All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot...too much, if you ask Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen). She wishes her father Lou Who (Bill Irwin) would pay more attention to her and less to all the gift-buying and tree-decorating. She's especially fascinated by the stories of the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a nasty green creature who has lived at the top of Mount Crumpet since he was bullied out of town as a child. The Grinch does occasionally come down to the town to play tricks, and actually saves Cindy from the shredders at the post office on one occasion. She tries to invite him to the Who's big Christmas celebration, but the pompous Mayor Augustus May Who (Jeffrey Tambor) just ends up humiliating him and scolding Cindy. Angry and fed up with the Whos and their holiday noise, the Grinch dresses as Santa and decides to steal their Christmas goodies. It's the Whos, however, who finally teach the Grinch that "Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
I think they tried to do way too much with this movie. On one hand, the design is spot-on, a near-perfect recreation of the original artwork from the Seuss book and the special. The incredible makeup work on the Grinch and the Whos won a deserved Oscar. Jim Carrey actually gives one of his best performances as the infamously mean Grinch, especially when things pick up in the second half. Irwin, Tambor, and Christine Baranski have fun as the residents of Whoville, too. I also have a soft spot for Cindy's touching song "Where are You Christmas?"
The problem is that first half. Like Willy Wonka, the Grinch did not need the full tragic backstory. The entire sequence with the "Whobilation" is more mean-spirited, even for the Grinch, than funny. Pretty much everything in the first half is filler, and it drags like crazy. The commentary on the commercialization of Christmas and how caught up people (and Whos) get during the holidays has been done before and dates the film rather badly.
This is another one that I enjoyed enough that I didn't mind the rental, but not enough to make it a permanent part of my own holiday celebrations. If you're a huge fan of Carrey or director Ron Howard or have fond memories of growing up with it on cable, it runs constantly on many channels during December, including as part of Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas marathon.
Ran some quick Good Eats while I got organized. Though the show did have several Christmas episodes, I'm afraid I don't own any of them. Alton Brown did do an episode on cranberries, a fruit frequently consumed during the holidays, in his original series. They were just being recognized as a "super food" and a nutritional powerhouse when this episode debuted. Alton discusses this as he makes cranberry sauce, cranberry granita, and cosmopolitans.
First thing on a busy agenda today was the laundry. I didn't have a huge load, but I want to focus on other things this weekend. I couldn't have picked a better time to do it. The laundromat was empty when I arrived. I think I saw maybe two or three other people the entire time I was there. I didn't have a huge load, anyway. I half-listened to the news and the last half-hour or so of Today and worked on story notes.
Went straight home and put everything away, then went right back out. Now that I had a little bit of money, there were things I wanted to do, starting with lunch at Sonic. It was gloomy and breezy, but nothing resembling as cold as it has been, probably in the lower-mid 50's. I enjoyed a nice, hot burger and tater tots with a cherry limeade on the patio. Despite it being 12:30 and the height of lunch hour, I got my food in less than five minutes.
Walked around in the shopping center after lunch. The Goodwill was crowded with lunch-hour shoppers. They'd moved the media shelves further in the back. I had to lean over a record collector looking for good finds to check out the DVDs. I made several good finds of my own. They had several out-of-print Disney DVDs. I grabbed Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. Once the guy left, I was free to go through the pile of records on the bottom shelves myself. Came up with:
Bette Midler - Broken Blossoms
Al Goodman and His Orchestra - New Moon (studio cast recording)
Explored the rest of the store to see what their Christmas offerings were like. While there were Christmas items mixed in on the shelves with other holiday decorations and every other knick-knack on the planet, there were tables in the front of the store that were just devoted to Christmas decorations. I picked up a box of really pretty Hallmark Christmas cards featuring a tree with metallic balls on the front. I have maybe three cards left after doing them earlier in the week.
My next few stops were faster. I just picked up a card for my nephew Collyn's birthday (which was on Wednesday) at Five Below. (There was a Star Wars calendar there that I may go back for next week.) Wal Mart surprisingly wasn't that busy, maybe because lunch hour was over by then. Grabbed cheaper cooking spray and coconut here, along with something that Lauren had requested a while back.
Strolled back to the Acme to do this week's grocery shopping. The Acme's Christmas Employee Luncheon is a week from today, and I needed to buy things to make cookies along with regular restocking. Found more of those breaded tilapia fillets with manager's coupons, this time Parmesan-crusted. Restocked apples, bananas, Mandarin oranges, cereal (went with Acme's generic Honey Nut Cheerios), skim milk, cheese (there was a good sale on Cracker Barrel), parchment paper, yogurt, butter, batteries, cake mix, brown and white sugar, and peanut butter (buy one-get one Skippy). Got free eggs from their new grocery rewards program.
Picked up my schedule for next week while I was there. It's the best schedule I've had in a while. All afternoon and early evening work this time, nothing earlier than 10 or later than 5:15. Three days off on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday will give me plenty of time to get cracking on everything I need to do for the holidays. (Good thing the Eagles play Sunday night this week. I work in the afternoon that day.)
Went straight home and put everything away when I got home. Watched A Pink Christmas while I organized things. In this special inspired by the O.Henry short story The Cop and the Anthem, the Pink Panther is desperate for any work that will allow him to earn money for food. He tries shoveling walks, but eats the carrot nose off a kid's snowman. He's chased out of his Santa job after trying to take a child's snack. His attempt to get a hot meal in jail only ends up with him foiling a robbery. Even when he does find food, he gives it to a hungry dog. Someone out there has seen Pink's good deed, though...and gives him and his new canine friend a wonderful surprise.
Spent the rest of the afternoon finishing my current story. Hank and Rey go into the wilderness a third time to find a tree, but Leia deems this one too short and dry. She's finally pleased with the last one they bring back to Skywalker Manor. Hank and Rey agree that she never has to know that the last tree came from a lot in the city.
This was based after a similar incident in 1985 with my stepfather and my (much younger) sister. I remember playing among the rejected trees on the porch for the rest of that December. This story is my second one that's dedicated to Dad. I hope wherever he is, he's finally found the perfect Christmas tree.
At any rate, if you need a good laugh, here's The Resistance Kids and the Christmas Tree Caper.
Archive of Our Own
My Writing Blog
Fanfiction. net
Went onto to the next Pink Panther special on the disc as I made a quick Chocolate Mocha Banana Smoothie for dinner. (The coffee yogurt cup got a hole in it and made a mess in my backpack. I had to use it.) He competes in the Winter Olym-pinks as a skiier at Lake Placid. Pink keeps besting his long-nosed rival at every turn, to the little fellow's consternation...except for when he's being chased half-way across Lake Placid by a piano!
Finished the night with the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas from 2000. All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot...too much, if you ask Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen). She wishes her father Lou Who (Bill Irwin) would pay more attention to her and less to all the gift-buying and tree-decorating. She's especially fascinated by the stories of the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a nasty green creature who has lived at the top of Mount Crumpet since he was bullied out of town as a child. The Grinch does occasionally come down to the town to play tricks, and actually saves Cindy from the shredders at the post office on one occasion. She tries to invite him to the Who's big Christmas celebration, but the pompous Mayor Augustus May Who (Jeffrey Tambor) just ends up humiliating him and scolding Cindy. Angry and fed up with the Whos and their holiday noise, the Grinch dresses as Santa and decides to steal their Christmas goodies. It's the Whos, however, who finally teach the Grinch that "Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
I think they tried to do way too much with this movie. On one hand, the design is spot-on, a near-perfect recreation of the original artwork from the Seuss book and the special. The incredible makeup work on the Grinch and the Whos won a deserved Oscar. Jim Carrey actually gives one of his best performances as the infamously mean Grinch, especially when things pick up in the second half. Irwin, Tambor, and Christine Baranski have fun as the residents of Whoville, too. I also have a soft spot for Cindy's touching song "Where are You Christmas?"
The problem is that first half. Like Willy Wonka, the Grinch did not need the full tragic backstory. The entire sequence with the "Whobilation" is more mean-spirited, even for the Grinch, than funny. Pretty much everything in the first half is filler, and it drags like crazy. The commentary on the commercialization of Christmas and how caught up people (and Whos) get during the holidays has been done before and dates the film rather badly.
This is another one that I enjoyed enough that I didn't mind the rental, but not enough to make it a permanent part of my own holiday celebrations. If you're a huge fan of Carrey or director Ron Howard or have fond memories of growing up with it on cable, it runs constantly on many channels during December, including as part of Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas marathon.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
I Believe In Father Christmas
It was still sunny outside when I woke up this morning. Made Cranberry Flummery to go with my breakfast while watching a mildly holiday-themed episode of Wonder Woman. In "The Deadly Toys" from the second season, two scientists have vanished into thin air after being replaced by androids. The scientists were working on a huge weapons project, but canceled it at the last moment when they became concerned about the damage it would do. Diana has to protect the last remaining scientist while figuring out what an eccentric toy maker and his clockwork charges have to do with the case.
Changed Ariel into the "Cat's Meow" outfit Lauren gave me after breakfast. It comes with a purple cat sweater, knitted neck wrap, gold sparkly skirt, lavender tights, and cheap turquoise shoes. I replaced the shoes with the much nicer metallic purple strap shoes that were also a gift from Lauren a few years ago. To be honest, the gold skirt is a little too formal and glittery to work with the simple cat-print sweater and homey neck wrap. I probably won't use these pieces together too often. The colors do look cute on Ariel, though.
Worked on writing for a little while after I finished with Ariel. Leia rejects the first tree they bring home. It has too many gaps and looks like a comb with teeth missing. Rey and Hank go out again to the country, but the second tree they bring back is way too big for the house. They're hoping that the third time will be the charm...
Broke for lunch at 1. Had Banana Honey Muffins while watching Kung Fu Panda Holiday. Po is really gearing up to celebrate their town's big winter holiday with his noodle-making crane dad Mr. Ling. His plans change when Master Shifu tells him that, as the Dragon Warrior, he must hold a huge formal banquet for all the major kung fu masters. Po's excited at first, but he has no idea about formal etiquette and accidentally shames a bunny cook, and then gets overwhelmed trying to do everything himself. Not to mention, the dinner is at the same time as his father's big family get-together at his restaurant. Po's conflicted about which to attend at first...until he realizes just how important food is for bringing everyone together, especially during a holiday.
Work was once again no trouble at all. I spent almost the entire evening outside, doing carts, sweeping the patio, or gathering trash and recycling. Clouds had moved in by then, but I still got to witness a glorious pink-and-gold sunset out in the parking lot.
There were two packages waiting for me when I got home. I brought the one from Linda Young up before I left. She and her husband James always send me a few gifts for Christmas. This year, there was one to open now, and three to leave for Christmas Day. Alas, the one to open now was something they gave me last year, The Curious Stories of Christmas, an anthology of unique or unusual holiday customs, history, and real-life stories. I think I'll give the second copy to Lauren, who is also a big fan of Christmas.
The other package was my final gift from Lauren. She and her parents have some stock in Kimberly-Clark, and they always send me a box when they get one. I kept the paper towel roll and tissues, along with two coupons for pads. Everything else in the box - the wipes and car cleaning towels and coupons for diapers - will be spit between Rose and Anny's families.
Put on the 1986 Babes In Toyland as I made leftovers for dinner. I go further into this guilty pleasure TV musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Babes In Toyland (1986)
Since it was next on the disc, I moved on to Here Comes Santa Claus while making Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for Lauren and her parents. Babes In Toyland wasn't the only bizarre holiday fantasy musical to debut in 1986. This is the dubbed version of a French musical about a little boy named Simon who takes his best gal friend Elody to Lapland to find Santa. His parents have gone missing in Africa, and he thinks Santa can help find them. While Santa and his fairy assistant head to Senegal to fulfill the boy's request, the children end up in the hands of a nasty ogre who wants to eat both of them for supper!
Hoo boy, is this a weird one. There's plot holes galore. How did the kids take a plane trip to Lapland with no one noticing? Why didn't the teacher see that they were gone? What do the extra scenes in Africa with Santa and the monkeys and the crocodile have to do with anything? Why didn't the kids realize that their teacher and the mean school janitor close resembled (and were played by the same people as) the fairy and ogre? The special effects, especially in the end, are only a cut above Babes In Toyland.
On the other hand, there are some things I like here. I've never heard of a fairy helping Santa Claus. That's a actually a rather creative touch. Some of the synthesizer score isn't bad. I always have "I Believe In Father Christmas" stuck in my head for days after I watch this. As a resident of the US, I like the look at holiday customs in France, including kids putting out shoes instead of stockings and covering the presents with tinsel garland instead of wrapping them. Not to mention, you don't see many Christmas films made on location. That's the real Senegal and Lapland they're walking around in; real African natives were used as extras.
It looks like this one was finally released on DVD in the US under the title I Believe In Father Christmas, and it's been parodied by the MS3K-style group Rifftrax. It's still not the most necessary movie in the world, but if you like your musicals campy like me, it's worth digging around for.
Changed Ariel into the "Cat's Meow" outfit Lauren gave me after breakfast. It comes with a purple cat sweater, knitted neck wrap, gold sparkly skirt, lavender tights, and cheap turquoise shoes. I replaced the shoes with the much nicer metallic purple strap shoes that were also a gift from Lauren a few years ago. To be honest, the gold skirt is a little too formal and glittery to work with the simple cat-print sweater and homey neck wrap. I probably won't use these pieces together too often. The colors do look cute on Ariel, though.
Worked on writing for a little while after I finished with Ariel. Leia rejects the first tree they bring home. It has too many gaps and looks like a comb with teeth missing. Rey and Hank go out again to the country, but the second tree they bring back is way too big for the house. They're hoping that the third time will be the charm...
Broke for lunch at 1. Had Banana Honey Muffins while watching Kung Fu Panda Holiday. Po is really gearing up to celebrate their town's big winter holiday with his noodle-making crane dad Mr. Ling. His plans change when Master Shifu tells him that, as the Dragon Warrior, he must hold a huge formal banquet for all the major kung fu masters. Po's excited at first, but he has no idea about formal etiquette and accidentally shames a bunny cook, and then gets overwhelmed trying to do everything himself. Not to mention, the dinner is at the same time as his father's big family get-together at his restaurant. Po's conflicted about which to attend at first...until he realizes just how important food is for bringing everyone together, especially during a holiday.
Work was once again no trouble at all. I spent almost the entire evening outside, doing carts, sweeping the patio, or gathering trash and recycling. Clouds had moved in by then, but I still got to witness a glorious pink-and-gold sunset out in the parking lot.
There were two packages waiting for me when I got home. I brought the one from Linda Young up before I left. She and her husband James always send me a few gifts for Christmas. This year, there was one to open now, and three to leave for Christmas Day. Alas, the one to open now was something they gave me last year, The Curious Stories of Christmas, an anthology of unique or unusual holiday customs, history, and real-life stories. I think I'll give the second copy to Lauren, who is also a big fan of Christmas.
The other package was my final gift from Lauren. She and her parents have some stock in Kimberly-Clark, and they always send me a box when they get one. I kept the paper towel roll and tissues, along with two coupons for pads. Everything else in the box - the wipes and car cleaning towels and coupons for diapers - will be spit between Rose and Anny's families.
Put on the 1986 Babes In Toyland as I made leftovers for dinner. I go further into this guilty pleasure TV musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Babes In Toyland (1986)
Since it was next on the disc, I moved on to Here Comes Santa Claus while making Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for Lauren and her parents. Babes In Toyland wasn't the only bizarre holiday fantasy musical to debut in 1986. This is the dubbed version of a French musical about a little boy named Simon who takes his best gal friend Elody to Lapland to find Santa. His parents have gone missing in Africa, and he thinks Santa can help find them. While Santa and his fairy assistant head to Senegal to fulfill the boy's request, the children end up in the hands of a nasty ogre who wants to eat both of them for supper!
Hoo boy, is this a weird one. There's plot holes galore. How did the kids take a plane trip to Lapland with no one noticing? Why didn't the teacher see that they were gone? What do the extra scenes in Africa with Santa and the monkeys and the crocodile have to do with anything? Why didn't the kids realize that their teacher and the mean school janitor close resembled (and were played by the same people as) the fairy and ogre? The special effects, especially in the end, are only a cut above Babes In Toyland.
On the other hand, there are some things I like here. I've never heard of a fairy helping Santa Claus. That's a actually a rather creative touch. Some of the synthesizer score isn't bad. I always have "I Believe In Father Christmas" stuck in my head for days after I watch this. As a resident of the US, I like the look at holiday customs in France, including kids putting out shoes instead of stockings and covering the presents with tinsel garland instead of wrapping them. Not to mention, you don't see many Christmas films made on location. That's the real Senegal and Lapland they're walking around in; real African natives were used as extras.
It looks like this one was finally released on DVD in the US under the title I Believe In Father Christmas, and it's been parodied by the MS3K-style group Rifftrax. It's still not the most necessary movie in the world, but if you like your musicals campy like me, it's worth digging around for.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Put a Little Love In Your Heart
Noisy pounding on the roof woke me up around 8:30. I have no idea what Charlie and his men were doing up there. Replacing old shingles, I guess. He didn't mention anything about fixing the roof to me. I wish he had. I might have been more prepared for the racket. The hammering was so hard, it shook two ornaments off the tree (thankfully, they didn't break) and a picture off the wall.
I ate a quick breakfast while running The Little Drummer Boy to drown out the noise. Aaron is an orphan who plays his drum for the animals out in the desert. He hates other people after bandits killed his parents. He's captured by a cunning show master (Jose Ferrer) who wants him to perform for him, first in Jerusalem, then for three kings following a star. The showman sells Aaron's camel to them. Aaron goes after them...and learns the importance of faith and kindness when his beloved lamb is hurt, and only a certain babe in a manger can help him.
Worked on writing for an hour. Started a short Christmas addition to my "Resistance Kids" series about the Sequel crew in the late 40's-early 50's. It's actually inspired by a real-life incident with my late stepdad in the mid-80's. Hank Solo takes Rey and Finn out to the wilds of the Adirondacks to get a real live Christmas tree. It's cold and snowy, and the kids aren't too sure this is a good idea...
Broke for an early lunch at 11. Since I did The Little Drummer Boy earlier, I went right into its sequel, The Little Drummer Boy Book II. One of the Three Kings asks Aaron for his aid in retrieving three silver bells that are to be rung in the honor of the birth of Jesus. The bells end up in the hands of a Roman legion, lead by a greedy soldier (Zero Mostel) who wants to melt them into bricks. Aaron stops his plans, but the price is high for him...
Work was a little busier than it has been the past few days, but still nothing overwhelming. I have the feeling most people will probably start coming out of the malls over the weekend. Not to mention, the weather's still beautiful, sunny, windless, and slightly warmer. I got stuck in the register twice, once for almost an hour, but that had less to do with crowds and more to do with a lot of morning people calling out sick. Otherwise, I did the outside recycling and the inside trash, gathered baskets and carts, and bagged.
Had scrambled eggs with mushrooms and the last of Jodie's Italian salad when I got home. Watched one of the two Christmas episodes of Moonlighting as I ate. "''Twas the Episode Before Christmas," and all through the Blue Moon Agency, we hear Maddie yelling at David over his most recent brainstorm, a Santa hotline. Their secretary Agnes DiPesto has more pressing matters. She found a baby in her laundry basket. Her bosses try to find the mother while arguing over the idea of children and parenthood.
Switched to Scrooged after a shower. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) may be the head of a major network, but he's really a huge jerk. He fires one of his employees (Bobcat Goldthwait) for saying his commercial for their live Christmas Carol show is too dark, forces his secretary Grace (Alfre Woodard) to work late on Christmas Eve, and refuses to come to his brother's (Joel Murray) Christmas party. He's also dealing with a new assistant (Julian Glover) who really wants his job. He changes his tune when four ghosts, including that of his first boss (John Forsythe), along with his encounters with his ex-girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen), prove to him that Christmas is a time for giving...and for forgiving.
We used to watch this one a lot in the late 80's-early 90's. Critics didn't know what to make of it at the time and called it too mean-spirited. Nowadays, I've seen a lot worse - and actually, the ending is really rather sweet. The special effects still hold up pretty well; the makeup and hair got an Oscar nod. Murray especially is firing on all cylinders as the TV executive whose sour attitude hides a boatload of insecurity and frustration. If you're looking for a modern take on A Christmas Carol or are a fan of Murray's, this one is highly recommended.
There was a package waiting for me by the mailbox when I arrived home. It was my annual Christmas box from Lauren. I waited until she came online to open it. Her parents gave me 50 dollars, two crossword books, and boxes of maple Cookie Buttons and fruit slices from the Vermont Country Store. (They visited in October, about a month after Lauren and I went up there.)
Lauren gave me a cute Our Generation outfit with a gold skirt and a cat sweater. I might let Ariel wear it as her Christmas outfit - the gold skirt is sparkly enough. They also gave me lovely cards (apparently purchased by Mrs. Miller). One is a snowman hugging a deer; the other shows packages in a mailbox with a festive scene behind it. They're all so good to me! I thank all three of them. (And Lauren says there's another package coming tomorrow.) :)
Finished up the night with Perry Como's Early American Christmas on YouTube. From the late 60's through the mid-80's, Perry Como did a long series of holiday specials that usually had him visiting some exotic foreign locale, like Hawaii or Austria. For this 1978 show, he stuck closer to home and went to Williamsburg, VA. I loved seeing the shopkeepers at work and a ball with dancers doing minuets. There were even two girls in red and blue cloaks who reminded me of Felicity and Elizabeth in the American Girl books.
If nothing else, this is notable as the final appearance of John Wayne, who died six months after it was filmed. I have no idea how the Duke ended up here, but he did get to speak with the shopkeepers and join Como and a group of other revelers singing carols and drinking grog in the tavern.
Perry Como's Early American Christmas
I ate a quick breakfast while running The Little Drummer Boy to drown out the noise. Aaron is an orphan who plays his drum for the animals out in the desert. He hates other people after bandits killed his parents. He's captured by a cunning show master (Jose Ferrer) who wants him to perform for him, first in Jerusalem, then for three kings following a star. The showman sells Aaron's camel to them. Aaron goes after them...and learns the importance of faith and kindness when his beloved lamb is hurt, and only a certain babe in a manger can help him.
Worked on writing for an hour. Started a short Christmas addition to my "Resistance Kids" series about the Sequel crew in the late 40's-early 50's. It's actually inspired by a real-life incident with my late stepdad in the mid-80's. Hank Solo takes Rey and Finn out to the wilds of the Adirondacks to get a real live Christmas tree. It's cold and snowy, and the kids aren't too sure this is a good idea...
Broke for an early lunch at 11. Since I did The Little Drummer Boy earlier, I went right into its sequel, The Little Drummer Boy Book II. One of the Three Kings asks Aaron for his aid in retrieving three silver bells that are to be rung in the honor of the birth of Jesus. The bells end up in the hands of a Roman legion, lead by a greedy soldier (Zero Mostel) who wants to melt them into bricks. Aaron stops his plans, but the price is high for him...
Work was a little busier than it has been the past few days, but still nothing overwhelming. I have the feeling most people will probably start coming out of the malls over the weekend. Not to mention, the weather's still beautiful, sunny, windless, and slightly warmer. I got stuck in the register twice, once for almost an hour, but that had less to do with crowds and more to do with a lot of morning people calling out sick. Otherwise, I did the outside recycling and the inside trash, gathered baskets and carts, and bagged.
Had scrambled eggs with mushrooms and the last of Jodie's Italian salad when I got home. Watched one of the two Christmas episodes of Moonlighting as I ate. "''Twas the Episode Before Christmas," and all through the Blue Moon Agency, we hear Maddie yelling at David over his most recent brainstorm, a Santa hotline. Their secretary Agnes DiPesto has more pressing matters. She found a baby in her laundry basket. Her bosses try to find the mother while arguing over the idea of children and parenthood.
Switched to Scrooged after a shower. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) may be the head of a major network, but he's really a huge jerk. He fires one of his employees (Bobcat Goldthwait) for saying his commercial for their live Christmas Carol show is too dark, forces his secretary Grace (Alfre Woodard) to work late on Christmas Eve, and refuses to come to his brother's (Joel Murray) Christmas party. He's also dealing with a new assistant (Julian Glover) who really wants his job. He changes his tune when four ghosts, including that of his first boss (John Forsythe), along with his encounters with his ex-girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen), prove to him that Christmas is a time for giving...and for forgiving.
We used to watch this one a lot in the late 80's-early 90's. Critics didn't know what to make of it at the time and called it too mean-spirited. Nowadays, I've seen a lot worse - and actually, the ending is really rather sweet. The special effects still hold up pretty well; the makeup and hair got an Oscar nod. Murray especially is firing on all cylinders as the TV executive whose sour attitude hides a boatload of insecurity and frustration. If you're looking for a modern take on A Christmas Carol or are a fan of Murray's, this one is highly recommended.
There was a package waiting for me by the mailbox when I arrived home. It was my annual Christmas box from Lauren. I waited until she came online to open it. Her parents gave me 50 dollars, two crossword books, and boxes of maple Cookie Buttons and fruit slices from the Vermont Country Store. (They visited in October, about a month after Lauren and I went up there.)
Lauren gave me a cute Our Generation outfit with a gold skirt and a cat sweater. I might let Ariel wear it as her Christmas outfit - the gold skirt is sparkly enough. They also gave me lovely cards (apparently purchased by Mrs. Miller). One is a snowman hugging a deer; the other shows packages in a mailbox with a festive scene behind it. They're all so good to me! I thank all three of them. (And Lauren says there's another package coming tomorrow.) :)
Finished up the night with Perry Como's Early American Christmas on YouTube. From the late 60's through the mid-80's, Perry Como did a long series of holiday specials that usually had him visiting some exotic foreign locale, like Hawaii or Austria. For this 1978 show, he stuck closer to home and went to Williamsburg, VA. I loved seeing the shopkeepers at work and a ball with dancers doing minuets. There were even two girls in red and blue cloaks who reminded me of Felicity and Elizabeth in the American Girl books.
If nothing else, this is notable as the final appearance of John Wayne, who died six months after it was filmed. I have no idea how the Duke ended up here, but he did get to speak with the shopkeepers and join Como and a group of other revelers singing carols and drinking grog in the tavern.
Perry Como's Early American Christmas
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Sunny Holidays
Started off another sunny, gorgeous day with early work. We were just as quiet as yesterday when I came in, but it did pick up a bit later. I got stuck in the registers for about 20 minutes when we were busy, including dealing with a grouchy old man who was in such a hurry, he couldn't wait for us to find the soda he requested. Otherwise, I was mostly doing carts, gathering baskets, doing returns, or sweeping the outside patio.
I got off with enough time to change and have a quick lunch before going back out. Ran A Very Merry Cricket while I made myself a thick, rich Chocolate-Banana Smoothie. Harry the Cat and Tucker the Mouse are tired of all the holiday noise in Times Square. It seems people are so caught up with all the fuss around them, they've forgotten the spirit of the season. They head to Connecticut to pick up Chester to play them a concert to remind them. Even that doesn't seem to work...until a blackout finally makes most of Manhattan hear Chester and remember that Christmas is about the little things, too.
Headed out to run errands at 2. First stop was the Haddon Township Library. Like the Acme, they were a bit busier than they have been the past few weeks, probably due to the colder weather. I mostly shelved adult DVDs - they said someone would handle the kids' titles later. Took out the holiday movies Scrooged and the live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, plus the special Kung Fu Panda Holiday. (I also took out another Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood collection, Big Brother Daniel, but it was so badly scratched, it wouldn't run in my DVD player after trying it four times.)
Made a quick stop at Target next. I wanted to start my Christmas shopping for the kids. All I could afford was a cute pink and blue poodle for my sister Anny's daughter Lilah and cranberries for my landlords' cranberry bread.
Went straight home after leaving Target. I wanted to finish A Star Wars Christmas Carol. Scrooge attends Han and Leia's party later that day. Leia's shocked to see him, but Han's happier. He and Scrooge talk business, and Scrooge makes up with the elder Ben Kenobi. Scrooge also offers Ben Solo a job, telling him that there's going to be an opening for a new clerk in his office soon, and he'll double his current salary with Snoke. His grandson says he'll think of it.
He's there bright and early the next morning to catch Luke being late. Luke is sure he'll be sacked, but as it turns out, he's being promoted. Scrooge makes him his partner, replacing that "Scrooge and Marley" sign with "Scrooge and Scrooge." And yes, Ben does join them, and Rey too. Scrooge does indeed help out his children and grandchildren, and becomes "as good a man and as good a master as the good old city ever knew."
I honestly think this is one of the best chapter stories I've done in a long time, and certainly one of the quickest! It probably helps that it's based after one of the most adapted pieces of literature in the western world. (That, and I started it almost a month earlier than I did last year's Christmas chapter story.) If you're in the mood for a different version of A Christmas Carol, mine is now online for viewing.
Archive of Our Own
My Writing Blog
Fanfiction.net
I'll probably do some short Christmas stories before moving on to my next long Star Wars project - a version of The Snow Queen set in the actual Star Wars universe, shortly before The Empire Strikes Back begins. After that, it'll be "Robin Hood" with Han as the famous outlaw. (I was going to do that one earlier this year, but I wanted to separate it from the medieval fantasy I did last spring.)
Put on A Christmas Carol: The Musical with Kelsey Grammer while eating leftovers for dinner. I go into more detail on that one at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical
Finished out the night with The Year Without a Santa Claus, my favorite Rankin-Bass special. Scrooge isn't the only one who doesn't feel the holiday cheer. Santa (Mickey Rooney) feels sick and thinks no one cares about him anymore. Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth) sends two elves to scout out some Christmas cheer down below. The weather-controlling Miser Brothers accidentally land them in Southtown, where it never snows. Mrs. Claus, the elves, and a little boy named Ignatious become determined to prove to everyone - Santa and the Miser Brothers included - that there is always peace and goodwill in the hearts of everyone at this time of year.
I got off with enough time to change and have a quick lunch before going back out. Ran A Very Merry Cricket while I made myself a thick, rich Chocolate-Banana Smoothie. Harry the Cat and Tucker the Mouse are tired of all the holiday noise in Times Square. It seems people are so caught up with all the fuss around them, they've forgotten the spirit of the season. They head to Connecticut to pick up Chester to play them a concert to remind them. Even that doesn't seem to work...until a blackout finally makes most of Manhattan hear Chester and remember that Christmas is about the little things, too.
Headed out to run errands at 2. First stop was the Haddon Township Library. Like the Acme, they were a bit busier than they have been the past few weeks, probably due to the colder weather. I mostly shelved adult DVDs - they said someone would handle the kids' titles later. Took out the holiday movies Scrooged and the live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, plus the special Kung Fu Panda Holiday. (I also took out another Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood collection, Big Brother Daniel, but it was so badly scratched, it wouldn't run in my DVD player after trying it four times.)
Made a quick stop at Target next. I wanted to start my Christmas shopping for the kids. All I could afford was a cute pink and blue poodle for my sister Anny's daughter Lilah and cranberries for my landlords' cranberry bread.
Went straight home after leaving Target. I wanted to finish A Star Wars Christmas Carol. Scrooge attends Han and Leia's party later that day. Leia's shocked to see him, but Han's happier. He and Scrooge talk business, and Scrooge makes up with the elder Ben Kenobi. Scrooge also offers Ben Solo a job, telling him that there's going to be an opening for a new clerk in his office soon, and he'll double his current salary with Snoke. His grandson says he'll think of it.
He's there bright and early the next morning to catch Luke being late. Luke is sure he'll be sacked, but as it turns out, he's being promoted. Scrooge makes him his partner, replacing that "Scrooge and Marley" sign with "Scrooge and Scrooge." And yes, Ben does join them, and Rey too. Scrooge does indeed help out his children and grandchildren, and becomes "as good a man and as good a master as the good old city ever knew."
I honestly think this is one of the best chapter stories I've done in a long time, and certainly one of the quickest! It probably helps that it's based after one of the most adapted pieces of literature in the western world. (That, and I started it almost a month earlier than I did last year's Christmas chapter story.) If you're in the mood for a different version of A Christmas Carol, mine is now online for viewing.
Archive of Our Own
My Writing Blog
Fanfiction.net
I'll probably do some short Christmas stories before moving on to my next long Star Wars project - a version of The Snow Queen set in the actual Star Wars universe, shortly before The Empire Strikes Back begins. After that, it'll be "Robin Hood" with Han as the famous outlaw. (I was going to do that one earlier this year, but I wanted to separate it from the medieval fantasy I did last spring.)
Put on A Christmas Carol: The Musical with Kelsey Grammer while eating leftovers for dinner. I go into more detail on that one at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical
Finished out the night with The Year Without a Santa Claus, my favorite Rankin-Bass special. Scrooge isn't the only one who doesn't feel the holiday cheer. Santa (Mickey Rooney) feels sick and thinks no one cares about him anymore. Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth) sends two elves to scout out some Christmas cheer down below. The weather-controlling Miser Brothers accidentally land them in Southtown, where it never snows. Mrs. Claus, the elves, and a little boy named Ignatious become determined to prove to everyone - Santa and the Miser Brothers included - that there is always peace and goodwill in the hearts of everyone at this time of year.
Monday, December 10, 2018
We Need a Little Christmas
Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Muppet Family Christmas. Fozzie invites the entire Muppet crew over to his mother's farm for the holidays. His mother would be happier about it if she hadn't originally planned on going away. She'd even rented the farm to Doc from Fraggle Rock and his dog Sprocket for the holidays. While Gonzo tries to stop the turkey from hitting on Camilla and the Sesame Street characters put on their Christmas pageant, Kermit awaits Miss Piggy (who is stranded in a snowstorm) and takes his nephew Robin to meet the Fraggles.
Moved on to Laverne and Shirley after the Muppets. "Oh Hear the Angel Voices" from the second season has the girls and their friends performing for the patients of a mental hospital on Christmas Eve. Shirley's scared to death. She's heard too many family stories about the people who end up in mental hospitals. Laverne's too busy flirting with the patients to care much.
Spent most of the morning working on my Christmas cards. I may not be able to afford much of anything else, but I had just enough cards left to cover my list. I sent out most of the cards that went in the mail but the ones that go in packages and my brother Keefe's. (I need to get his address in Virginia.)
Headed to work shortly after the show ended. Between the beautiful weather and most people focusing on their gift shopping right now, we were dead the entire day. While I did do the outside trash and recycling early-on and swept up the patio, I mostly alternated between rounding up carts and baskets and shelving items. The only exciting thing that happened the whole day was we were visited by three classes of kindergartners this morning. One adorable little boy with curly hair even waved to me as they walked past the carts to their bus.
Worked on writing when I got home. Scrooge is overjoyed when he discovers that he's back in his own room, and is hugging his own bed curtains. He starts dancing aroun and singing loudly. When Jyn Andor and her husband Cassian come to see what the noise is, he gives them gifts. They're so grateful, they invite him to attend church with them and meet their Chinese friends Baze and Chirruit.
Scrooge also buys the biggest turkey he can and has Ezra Bridger deliver it to Luke and Mara's home. He intends for it to be a surprise. It'll feed all of Luke's family easily. He has his own plans for his son and his family...
Broke for dinner at 6. Had leftover pizza really quick, then made Banana-Oatmeal Muffins (they were supposed to be bran, but I didn't have bran) while watching the remaining episodes on the Disney Junior Holiday set. Vampirina is the tale of a vampire girl and her family who have moved from Transylvania to Pennsylvania to start a bed and breakfast. It's a major culture shock for a kid who is used to things being a lot scarier. Her human friend Poppy helps her navigate the non-horror world.
"Nanpire and Granpop the Greats" are visiting Vampirina's family for Blood Moon, which seems to be their version of Christmas. Vampirina insists on serving all human foods, despite her grandfather's protests. While they introduce Vampirina's friend Poppy and her family to their holiday customs, their skeleton cook has to get control of the meal after he accidentally douses it with a potion of Grandpop's. Vampirina is feeling a bit homesick in "There's Snow Place Like Home." The family ghost Demi casts a snow spell to make her feel better...but it only works on their house.
Nanpire returns in "Nanpire the Great" as she offers to make Goulash Stew for Vampirina's school program. Vampira doesn't want to tell her grandmother that she no longer remembers how to make it. When she doesn't cook it enough, she accidentally freezes all the students! Good thing Nanpire can help. Vampirina thinks "Two Heads are Better Than One" when she invites her friends and a two-headed monster from Transylvania to celebrate the Friendship Festival with her. The monster's two heads are totally different and don't get along at all. Vampirina and her friends have to prove that you can be friends with very different people (and monsters).
Puppy Dog Pals is something of an imitation Paw Patrol, revolving as it does around dogs helping their neighbors with the gadgets their owner made them. Here though, there's only two super-pups, a pair of pugs named Rolly and Bingo. They're totally devoted to their human Bob, his cat Hissy, and their robot dog companion A.R.F. Whenever Bob says he'd like to do or see something, the pups will go on a "mission" to retrieve the item or try to make it so he can see what he's interested in.
It's "A Very Pug Christmas" when the pup duo have to help Santa find Bob's present, which fell out of his sleigh. "The Latke Kerfuffle" happens when A.R.F accidentally mashes the potatoes Bob was going to use to make potato pancakes for the their Jewish neighbors' Hanukkah party. The pugs and A.R.F get the eggs and potatoes from a farm, but they lose them and have to chase them.
When Bob says he wishes he could see something he made at an Italian art museum, the pups somehow think his pajama pants would make a perfect work of art in "Art for Pug's Sake." "Winter Wonderpug" has them helping various animals who weren't prepared for colder weather as they search for the first snowflake of the season for Bob.
And...yeah, these were ok. I give Puppy Dog Pals extra points for the Hanukkah show; it's rare to see a TV cartoon episode that revolves around that holiday. The "Art" episode was pretty funny, too. Otherwise, that show was rather bland. Vampirina is a little more creative, with it's riff on immigration and trying new things while retaining parts of your original home, but I feel like it's trying a little too hard with the message. Both of these shows will likely go over far more with their intended audiences than with me.
Moved on to Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol after a shower. The most famous old codger in animation headlined the very first animated TV Christmas special in 1962, playing none other than Scrooge himself. Gorgeous music by real-life Broadway tunesmiths Jules Styne and Robert Merrill is the real selling point, including the haunting "Winter Was Warm" for Scrooge's fiancee and "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas" for the Cratchit family.
Ended the night with The Nutcracker Ballet on YouTube. I'm especially fond of the San Francisco Ballet's version from 2007 that sets the story right in San Francisco around 1915. There's an opening prologue before the party starts that's wonderfully evocative of the era, with a flower seller, a nurse pushing a pram, a cop, and two boys carrying a tree.
The Nutcracker - The San Francisco Ballet
Moved on to Laverne and Shirley after the Muppets. "Oh Hear the Angel Voices" from the second season has the girls and their friends performing for the patients of a mental hospital on Christmas Eve. Shirley's scared to death. She's heard too many family stories about the people who end up in mental hospitals. Laverne's too busy flirting with the patients to care much.
Spent most of the morning working on my Christmas cards. I may not be able to afford much of anything else, but I had just enough cards left to cover my list. I sent out most of the cards that went in the mail but the ones that go in packages and my brother Keefe's. (I need to get his address in Virginia.)
Headed to work shortly after the show ended. Between the beautiful weather and most people focusing on their gift shopping right now, we were dead the entire day. While I did do the outside trash and recycling early-on and swept up the patio, I mostly alternated between rounding up carts and baskets and shelving items. The only exciting thing that happened the whole day was we were visited by three classes of kindergartners this morning. One adorable little boy with curly hair even waved to me as they walked past the carts to their bus.
Worked on writing when I got home. Scrooge is overjoyed when he discovers that he's back in his own room, and is hugging his own bed curtains. He starts dancing aroun and singing loudly. When Jyn Andor and her husband Cassian come to see what the noise is, he gives them gifts. They're so grateful, they invite him to attend church with them and meet their Chinese friends Baze and Chirruit.
Scrooge also buys the biggest turkey he can and has Ezra Bridger deliver it to Luke and Mara's home. He intends for it to be a surprise. It'll feed all of Luke's family easily. He has his own plans for his son and his family...
Broke for dinner at 6. Had leftover pizza really quick, then made Banana-Oatmeal Muffins (they were supposed to be bran, but I didn't have bran) while watching the remaining episodes on the Disney Junior Holiday set. Vampirina is the tale of a vampire girl and her family who have moved from Transylvania to Pennsylvania to start a bed and breakfast. It's a major culture shock for a kid who is used to things being a lot scarier. Her human friend Poppy helps her navigate the non-horror world.
"Nanpire and Granpop the Greats" are visiting Vampirina's family for Blood Moon, which seems to be their version of Christmas. Vampirina insists on serving all human foods, despite her grandfather's protests. While they introduce Vampirina's friend Poppy and her family to their holiday customs, their skeleton cook has to get control of the meal after he accidentally douses it with a potion of Grandpop's. Vampirina is feeling a bit homesick in "There's Snow Place Like Home." The family ghost Demi casts a snow spell to make her feel better...but it only works on their house.
Nanpire returns in "Nanpire the Great" as she offers to make Goulash Stew for Vampirina's school program. Vampira doesn't want to tell her grandmother that she no longer remembers how to make it. When she doesn't cook it enough, she accidentally freezes all the students! Good thing Nanpire can help. Vampirina thinks "Two Heads are Better Than One" when she invites her friends and a two-headed monster from Transylvania to celebrate the Friendship Festival with her. The monster's two heads are totally different and don't get along at all. Vampirina and her friends have to prove that you can be friends with very different people (and monsters).
Puppy Dog Pals is something of an imitation Paw Patrol, revolving as it does around dogs helping their neighbors with the gadgets their owner made them. Here though, there's only two super-pups, a pair of pugs named Rolly and Bingo. They're totally devoted to their human Bob, his cat Hissy, and their robot dog companion A.R.F. Whenever Bob says he'd like to do or see something, the pups will go on a "mission" to retrieve the item or try to make it so he can see what he's interested in.
It's "A Very Pug Christmas" when the pup duo have to help Santa find Bob's present, which fell out of his sleigh. "The Latke Kerfuffle" happens when A.R.F accidentally mashes the potatoes Bob was going to use to make potato pancakes for the their Jewish neighbors' Hanukkah party. The pugs and A.R.F get the eggs and potatoes from a farm, but they lose them and have to chase them.
When Bob says he wishes he could see something he made at an Italian art museum, the pups somehow think his pajama pants would make a perfect work of art in "Art for Pug's Sake." "Winter Wonderpug" has them helping various animals who weren't prepared for colder weather as they search for the first snowflake of the season for Bob.
And...yeah, these were ok. I give Puppy Dog Pals extra points for the Hanukkah show; it's rare to see a TV cartoon episode that revolves around that holiday. The "Art" episode was pretty funny, too. Otherwise, that show was rather bland. Vampirina is a little more creative, with it's riff on immigration and trying new things while retaining parts of your original home, but I feel like it's trying a little too hard with the message. Both of these shows will likely go over far more with their intended audiences than with me.
Moved on to Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol after a shower. The most famous old codger in animation headlined the very first animated TV Christmas special in 1962, playing none other than Scrooge himself. Gorgeous music by real-life Broadway tunesmiths Jules Styne and Robert Merrill is the real selling point, including the haunting "Winter Was Warm" for Scrooge's fiancee and "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas" for the Cratchit family.
Ended the night with The Nutcracker Ballet on YouTube. I'm especially fond of the San Francisco Ballet's version from 2007 that sets the story right in San Francisco around 1915. There's an opening prologue before the party starts that's wonderfully evocative of the era, with a flower seller, a nurse pushing a pram, a cop, and two boys carrying a tree.
The Nutcracker - The San Francisco Ballet
Sunday, December 09, 2018
Christmas With Toons, Crooners, and Muppets
It was cloudy and cold when I rolled out of bed this morning. I was so glad to be off! I had plenty of time to slice apples for Apples and Cinnamon Pancakes and really savor my chai tea.
Listened to one of my two Looney Tunes Christmas albums while I ate. Holli-Daze is a record collection of four holiday stories, all starring Bugs. He, Speedy Gonzales, and Porky head to the North Pole to take over for a sick Rudolph in "Bugs the Red-Nosed Bunny." Millionaire Elmer Fudd will give his fortune to anyone who can cure him of his "Santa Claus-trophobia" - he thinks he is the big guy in red. Bugs and Daffy pose as a psychiatrist and his nurse to get the money. After quite a few antics, they finally give Elmer an idea that'll make all three of them happy. Bugs and Granny are in a "Holli-Daze" when they're stranded in an Arizona town during Christmas. Yosemite Sam arrests them, but they help him catch the real thieves. Bugs' nephew Clyde insists he no longer believes in Santa in "'Twas a Sight Before Christmas." Bugs interviews various Toons on the street to prove that Santa is very real.
Spent the rest of the afternoon on the computer. I first added a short sequence before Hux goes into the First Order offices. He encounters two more fellow bank workers (First Order officers Canardy and Mititaka) on the street. They discuss Scrooge's death and how they go to his cheap funeral if a lunch is provided...but they never say his name, and Scrooge has no idea who they're talking about.
At the Cratchits' house, a now out-of-work Luke arrives home with Rey. His children and wife note that he's walked much slower since Temiri died. He tells them that, despite the loss of her headquarters, Leia may have a position open for young Anakin. The little ones don't want their brother to go, but Luke sadly tells them that all things must go sometime...including those they love.
The Ghost finally drags Scrooge to that final graveyard, where he sees his name etched in the stone. He tells the Ghost that he's ready to change...and discovers, to his horror, that he's begging a wrinkled and aged Snoke. Snoke basically tells him that he made his bed, and he has to lie in it. Anakin tries to grab at his cloak...only to discover that they're his blankets, and he's back in his own room.
(And no fire-and-brimstone. I'm surprised Disney got away with that. I want to go slightly lighter here.)
I also signed up for several online writing companies and took my photo with my ID for one. I'm hoping to get a bite from at least one...and if I don't, some research this afternoon and this evening turned up dozens of sites specializing in online writing gigs.
Broke for a quick lunch of fried eggs and Cranberry Flummery around 3:30. Listened to more Looney Tunes while I ate fast. I picked up my Christmas With the Looney Tunes cassette from the CVS in Wildwood around 2002. This one is a collection of songs featuring the various Toons (or at least, their voice actors in the early 2000's). Daffy gets a hilarious "All I Want for Christmas Is More, More, More"; he also attempts "Good King Wenceslas" in "The Halle-Looney Chorus," but he gets the words completely wrong. Other good numbers include Bugs and Taz performing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and Pepe Le Pew's "Christmas In Paree."
Walked to Dad and Jodie's around quarter after 4. Not only did I figure I'd be there too late for bike rides, but heavy clouds were gathering. I didn't trust the weather. Rose and her kids were on their way out as I came in. Rose brought Finley over during the early afternoon games. Khai had spent the day with his grandparents and was tired out, and she wanted to feed both of them.
Mark and his new girlfriend Joya were still there. Jodie ordered pepperoni, mushroom, and cheese pizza from Phillies Phatties during the second quarter. She also had an "Italian Salad" - bologna, capricola, sliced provolone, hot pickled peppers, kosher deli pickle chips, greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced hard boiled eggs. I picked out the hot peppers, but the rest of it was delicious. Jodie gave me some salad and two remaining slices of pizza to take home.
The game started out very badly on both sides. Neither the Cowgirls nor the Eagles played well. The Cowboys were barely ahead 9-0 at halftime. Things picked up in a big way after the second half, even as Mark and Joya drove me home. I worked on crocheting a new dish rag while I listened to the rest. One team would make a touchdown, and the other would run right back and get another one. It went into overtime, but in the end, the Cowboys got the final score, 29-23.
(Oh, and Mark and Joya invited me for an open house at their new home next Sunday. We'll see what - or if - I'm working next Sunday.)
Finished the night online, listening to more Christmas CDs. John Denver and the Muppets: Christmas Together pairs two of the most beloved icons of the late 70's in one of my favorite holiday albums. Denver gets the lovely "Noel: Christmas Eve 1913," while the Muppets have a blast with the opening "Twelve Days of Christmas" and "Christmas Is Coming."
Christmas With the Chipmunks is the first of the two original Alvin and the Chipmunks holiday albums. Along with the famous "Please Christmas Don't Be Late," I like Alvin hilariously overacting on "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus." They also have fun introducing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
The Judy Garland Christmas Album is actually the soundtrack from the Christmas episode of her short-lived 1963-1964 variety show. While we do get Judy singing her beloved "Over the Rainbow" in the finale and her doing "Consider Yourself" with her children Lorna and Joey, there's quite a few oddities. Vocalist Jack Jones gets "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "Lollipops and Roses," and Lorna talks him into doing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" with her. Judy's "Little Drops of Rain" from the animated film Gay Purr-ee is actually quite touching. Liza Minnelli has fun doing "Steam Heat" with one of the dancers and tells her mother about her "Alice Blue Gown."
Finished the night quietly with An Early American Christmas. This was released by the same company that put out my Dixieland Christmas CD, Green Hill. Though a few of the songs, like "Joy to the World," were familiar to me, most of these were much older songs that I'm guessing would have been popular at the holidays during the 1700's and early 1800's. I'd never heard of such lovely numbers as "The Cherry Tree Carol," "Sweet Slumbers," or "The Parting Glass."
Listened to one of my two Looney Tunes Christmas albums while I ate. Holli-Daze is a record collection of four holiday stories, all starring Bugs. He, Speedy Gonzales, and Porky head to the North Pole to take over for a sick Rudolph in "Bugs the Red-Nosed Bunny." Millionaire Elmer Fudd will give his fortune to anyone who can cure him of his "Santa Claus-trophobia" - he thinks he is the big guy in red. Bugs and Daffy pose as a psychiatrist and his nurse to get the money. After quite a few antics, they finally give Elmer an idea that'll make all three of them happy. Bugs and Granny are in a "Holli-Daze" when they're stranded in an Arizona town during Christmas. Yosemite Sam arrests them, but they help him catch the real thieves. Bugs' nephew Clyde insists he no longer believes in Santa in "'Twas a Sight Before Christmas." Bugs interviews various Toons on the street to prove that Santa is very real.
Spent the rest of the afternoon on the computer. I first added a short sequence before Hux goes into the First Order offices. He encounters two more fellow bank workers (First Order officers Canardy and Mititaka) on the street. They discuss Scrooge's death and how they go to his cheap funeral if a lunch is provided...but they never say his name, and Scrooge has no idea who they're talking about.
At the Cratchits' house, a now out-of-work Luke arrives home with Rey. His children and wife note that he's walked much slower since Temiri died. He tells them that, despite the loss of her headquarters, Leia may have a position open for young Anakin. The little ones don't want their brother to go, but Luke sadly tells them that all things must go sometime...including those they love.
The Ghost finally drags Scrooge to that final graveyard, where he sees his name etched in the stone. He tells the Ghost that he's ready to change...and discovers, to his horror, that he's begging a wrinkled and aged Snoke. Snoke basically tells him that he made his bed, and he has to lie in it. Anakin tries to grab at his cloak...only to discover that they're his blankets, and he's back in his own room.
(And no fire-and-brimstone. I'm surprised Disney got away with that. I want to go slightly lighter here.)
I also signed up for several online writing companies and took my photo with my ID for one. I'm hoping to get a bite from at least one...and if I don't, some research this afternoon and this evening turned up dozens of sites specializing in online writing gigs.
Broke for a quick lunch of fried eggs and Cranberry Flummery around 3:30. Listened to more Looney Tunes while I ate fast. I picked up my Christmas With the Looney Tunes cassette from the CVS in Wildwood around 2002. This one is a collection of songs featuring the various Toons (or at least, their voice actors in the early 2000's). Daffy gets a hilarious "All I Want for Christmas Is More, More, More"; he also attempts "Good King Wenceslas" in "The Halle-Looney Chorus," but he gets the words completely wrong. Other good numbers include Bugs and Taz performing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and Pepe Le Pew's "Christmas In Paree."
Walked to Dad and Jodie's around quarter after 4. Not only did I figure I'd be there too late for bike rides, but heavy clouds were gathering. I didn't trust the weather. Rose and her kids were on their way out as I came in. Rose brought Finley over during the early afternoon games. Khai had spent the day with his grandparents and was tired out, and she wanted to feed both of them.
Mark and his new girlfriend Joya were still there. Jodie ordered pepperoni, mushroom, and cheese pizza from Phillies Phatties during the second quarter. She also had an "Italian Salad" - bologna, capricola, sliced provolone, hot pickled peppers, kosher deli pickle chips, greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced hard boiled eggs. I picked out the hot peppers, but the rest of it was delicious. Jodie gave me some salad and two remaining slices of pizza to take home.
The game started out very badly on both sides. Neither the Cowgirls nor the Eagles played well. The Cowboys were barely ahead 9-0 at halftime. Things picked up in a big way after the second half, even as Mark and Joya drove me home. I worked on crocheting a new dish rag while I listened to the rest. One team would make a touchdown, and the other would run right back and get another one. It went into overtime, but in the end, the Cowboys got the final score, 29-23.
(Oh, and Mark and Joya invited me for an open house at their new home next Sunday. We'll see what - or if - I'm working next Sunday.)
Finished the night online, listening to more Christmas CDs. John Denver and the Muppets: Christmas Together pairs two of the most beloved icons of the late 70's in one of my favorite holiday albums. Denver gets the lovely "Noel: Christmas Eve 1913," while the Muppets have a blast with the opening "Twelve Days of Christmas" and "Christmas Is Coming."
Christmas With the Chipmunks is the first of the two original Alvin and the Chipmunks holiday albums. Along with the famous "Please Christmas Don't Be Late," I like Alvin hilariously overacting on "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus." They also have fun introducing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
The Judy Garland Christmas Album is actually the soundtrack from the Christmas episode of her short-lived 1963-1964 variety show. While we do get Judy singing her beloved "Over the Rainbow" in the finale and her doing "Consider Yourself" with her children Lorna and Joey, there's quite a few oddities. Vocalist Jack Jones gets "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "Lollipops and Roses," and Lorna talks him into doing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" with her. Judy's "Little Drops of Rain" from the animated film Gay Purr-ee is actually quite touching. Liza Minnelli has fun doing "Steam Heat" with one of the dancers and tells her mother about her "Alice Blue Gown."
Finished the night quietly with An Early American Christmas. This was released by the same company that put out my Dixieland Christmas CD, Green Hill. Though a few of the songs, like "Joy to the World," were familiar to me, most of these were much older songs that I'm guessing would have been popular at the holidays during the 1700's and early 1800's. I'd never heard of such lovely numbers as "The Cherry Tree Carol," "Sweet Slumbers," or "The Parting Glass."
Saturday, December 08, 2018
Love In a Home
This time, I started the day at work. I did the carts for the first hour, but someone came in to do them after that. I spent the rest of the morning doing returns and a very short test that involved being able to tell organic produce from regular produce. I briefly ended up in the register once to cover for a manager; otherwise, we were very quiet, especially for December.
To my dismay, I got a message on Facebook during break from the lady who was supposed to buy the American Girl bed. Turns out her daughter had already bought a bed for her child and she wouldn't be buying mine after all. I'm so disappointed. I thought it would really work out, and I desperately need the money. I'm behind on bills, and I'm never going to be able to do my Christmas shopping.
(Please, if anyone in the western Camden County area needs an American Girl bed and bedding or a Molly's Scenes and Settings and are willing to pick them up, contact me as soon as possible!)
In good news, I did manage to switch to earlier hours on Thursday. Trouble is, I didn't realize I'd accidentally requested fewer hours. I might have to ask if I can come in earlier that day. Like I said, I really need the money.
Went straight home after that. Made a banana-cranberry smoothie and Cranberry Flummery for lunch while watching winter and holiday-themed Scooby Doo episodes. "There's No Creature Like Snow Creature" was the pilot episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? Fred's excited to be at a big snowboarding competition, but his delight goes sour when they discover that the boarders are being injured one by one by an icy monster. When Fred's attacked and Velma gets a cold, it's up to Shaggy to join the competition and help Daphne solve this case.
"A Scooby Doo Christmas" is also from the first season of What's New, Scooby Doo?, and is the franchise's second Christmas episode. The gang find themselves stranded in a town called Winter Hollow on Christmas Eve. The residents don't celebrate the holidays because a giant snowman shows up and destroys their homes. Hoping to restore their holidays, the gang takes the case.
Finished up with "That's Snow Ghost" from the original Scooby Doo, Where are You? as I got my laundry organized. This time, Mystery Inc end up at an ancient ski lodge, where the creepy owner warns them to lock their doors at night, lest the Ghost of the Yeti turn them into Ghosts! An old Tibetian man thinks he's the reason for the monster's appearance, but Velma thinks the real reason for the ghost's appearance has nothing to do with his stories.
Hit the laundromat as soon as the episodes ended. For once, I came at the right time. While they were a little busy, it wasn't nearly as crowded as it has been the last couple of Saturdays. I didn't really have that much laundry, anyway. I was able to get my load done, work on story notes, and half-listen to golf in relative peace.
Put everything away as soon as I got in, then went into writing. After Rey leaves, Scrooge follows her to Lando's Tavern. Turns out the tavern's mortgage was transferred to the Takodana Bank, and Old Maz Kantana, despite her reputation as a bit of a pirate, is much kinder than Scrooge and is willing to wait on the money. Lando's nothing but happy with Scrooge's death...and Leia is in shock over the loss of her husband to a heart attack after his son took control of his business and the loss of her charity.
Broke for dinner at 6. I had leftover meatballs with sauteed Brussels sprouts and pasta for dinner, then tried to make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars...but they never cooked right and came out more like Cranberry Cobbler. Oh well. At least I was able to watch the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town to review for my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog tonight.
Animation Celebration Double Feature: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Moved on to A Christmas Story after a shower. Yes, I know this runs for 24 hours on Christmas Day, but I thought it would be nice to get to watch the whole thing in full before that. Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsly) badly wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas 1940. He's the only one who thinks it's a good idea. His mother (Melinda Dillon) keeps telling him that he'll shoot his eye out, and his father (Darren McGavin) is too busy fighting with the furnace and the neighbors' dogs to notice. Ralphie himself may not survive childhood pitfalls like bullies, punishments for bad words, and kids' shows that turn out to be barely-disguised commercials long enough to make it to Christmas Day!
This is a long-time favorite of my entire family. We ran our own marathons of it in the weeks leading up to Christmas long before TBS did. I can relate to so much here, from younger siblings hiding under the sink when they were upset to being chased by bullies to "the old man" negotiating for the Christmas tree and treating break downs like "being in the pit of the Indianapolis Speedway in the 500." (One I definitely can't relate to is the Major Award. Mom would have taken one look at that lamp and said NO. Or at least banished it to a less-used corner of the house, major award or not.)
Finished the night with The Andy Williams Christmas Show. This is another variety special, this time from 1966. While the special begins in a generic "town," with Andy and the cast singing his most famous holiday hit "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," it's mostly set in his home or his parents'. There's two segments with the Williams Brothers, one with them as elves singing "Whistle While You Work," and another later that's a medley of traditional carols. I like it a little bit better than Dean Martin's show from two years later. It feels cozier and a tad less smarmy, possibly due to the family theme and the use of "Love In a Home" from the Broadway musical Lil' Abner. It's on YouTube if you're interested in Williams or vintage holiday variety specials:
The Andy Williams Christmas Show
To my dismay, I got a message on Facebook during break from the lady who was supposed to buy the American Girl bed. Turns out her daughter had already bought a bed for her child and she wouldn't be buying mine after all. I'm so disappointed. I thought it would really work out, and I desperately need the money. I'm behind on bills, and I'm never going to be able to do my Christmas shopping.
(Please, if anyone in the western Camden County area needs an American Girl bed and bedding or a Molly's Scenes and Settings and are willing to pick them up, contact me as soon as possible!)
In good news, I did manage to switch to earlier hours on Thursday. Trouble is, I didn't realize I'd accidentally requested fewer hours. I might have to ask if I can come in earlier that day. Like I said, I really need the money.
Went straight home after that. Made a banana-cranberry smoothie and Cranberry Flummery for lunch while watching winter and holiday-themed Scooby Doo episodes. "There's No Creature Like Snow Creature" was the pilot episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? Fred's excited to be at a big snowboarding competition, but his delight goes sour when they discover that the boarders are being injured one by one by an icy monster. When Fred's attacked and Velma gets a cold, it's up to Shaggy to join the competition and help Daphne solve this case.
"A Scooby Doo Christmas" is also from the first season of What's New, Scooby Doo?, and is the franchise's second Christmas episode. The gang find themselves stranded in a town called Winter Hollow on Christmas Eve. The residents don't celebrate the holidays because a giant snowman shows up and destroys their homes. Hoping to restore their holidays, the gang takes the case.
Finished up with "That's Snow Ghost" from the original Scooby Doo, Where are You? as I got my laundry organized. This time, Mystery Inc end up at an ancient ski lodge, where the creepy owner warns them to lock their doors at night, lest the Ghost of the Yeti turn them into Ghosts! An old Tibetian man thinks he's the reason for the monster's appearance, but Velma thinks the real reason for the ghost's appearance has nothing to do with his stories.
Hit the laundromat as soon as the episodes ended. For once, I came at the right time. While they were a little busy, it wasn't nearly as crowded as it has been the last couple of Saturdays. I didn't really have that much laundry, anyway. I was able to get my load done, work on story notes, and half-listen to golf in relative peace.
Put everything away as soon as I got in, then went into writing. After Rey leaves, Scrooge follows her to Lando's Tavern. Turns out the tavern's mortgage was transferred to the Takodana Bank, and Old Maz Kantana, despite her reputation as a bit of a pirate, is much kinder than Scrooge and is willing to wait on the money. Lando's nothing but happy with Scrooge's death...and Leia is in shock over the loss of her husband to a heart attack after his son took control of his business and the loss of her charity.
Broke for dinner at 6. I had leftover meatballs with sauteed Brussels sprouts and pasta for dinner, then tried to make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars...but they never cooked right and came out more like Cranberry Cobbler. Oh well. At least I was able to watch the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town to review for my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog tonight.
Animation Celebration Double Feature: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Moved on to A Christmas Story after a shower. Yes, I know this runs for 24 hours on Christmas Day, but I thought it would be nice to get to watch the whole thing in full before that. Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsly) badly wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas 1940. He's the only one who thinks it's a good idea. His mother (Melinda Dillon) keeps telling him that he'll shoot his eye out, and his father (Darren McGavin) is too busy fighting with the furnace and the neighbors' dogs to notice. Ralphie himself may not survive childhood pitfalls like bullies, punishments for bad words, and kids' shows that turn out to be barely-disguised commercials long enough to make it to Christmas Day!
This is a long-time favorite of my entire family. We ran our own marathons of it in the weeks leading up to Christmas long before TBS did. I can relate to so much here, from younger siblings hiding under the sink when they were upset to being chased by bullies to "the old man" negotiating for the Christmas tree and treating break downs like "being in the pit of the Indianapolis Speedway in the 500." (One I definitely can't relate to is the Major Award. Mom would have taken one look at that lamp and said NO. Or at least banished it to a less-used corner of the house, major award or not.)
Finished the night with The Andy Williams Christmas Show. This is another variety special, this time from 1966. While the special begins in a generic "town," with Andy and the cast singing his most famous holiday hit "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," it's mostly set in his home or his parents'. There's two segments with the Williams Brothers, one with them as elves singing "Whistle While You Work," and another later that's a medley of traditional carols. I like it a little bit better than Dean Martin's show from two years later. It feels cozier and a tad less smarmy, possibly due to the family theme and the use of "Love In a Home" from the Broadway musical Lil' Abner. It's on YouTube if you're interested in Williams or vintage holiday variety specials:
The Andy Williams Christmas Show
Friday, December 07, 2018
A Tiger-riffic Holiday
Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast and several episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel's Birthday" was the very first episode of the series. Daniel is excited when he, O, Katerina, and Baker Aker make a tiger-shaped cake for his birthday party. He's less pleased when they get off the trolley and discover that the cake was smushed in transit. Dan's disappointed, but his dad reminds him that, no matter what shape it is, a birthday cake still tastes good.
Dan and his dad go to Baker Aker to make banana muffins for Mrs. Tiger in "I Love You, Mom." Mrs. Tiger takes her boys on "A Trip to the Enchanted Garden" to pick strawberries for Strawberry Pancakes. The Tiger family joins the rest of the community to gather more fruit in "Fruit Picking Day." Dan, Miss Elania, and Prince Wednesday may not be able to reach the highest apples, but they can squeeze in where Prince Tuesday's bigger hand can't fit.
Headed to work after "Fruit Picking Day" ended. Work was, rather surprisingly for a weekend, totally dead for most of the day. It got very mildly busy towards the end of the day, but even that could have been worse. While it was chilly, probably in the lower 40s, it was also sunny and breezy. Most people were probably at the malls. I did briefly end up in the register to go in for someone's break, but I was mostly shelving candy or doing returns.
I wasn't happy with my schedule at all when I saw it. On one hand, far more hours this week, and mostly morning or early afternoon hours...except for Thursday. For some reason, the computer gave me 4 to 10 on Thursday! I can't work that late. The head manager agreed. She said she's going to see what she can do to change it by tomorrow morning.
Had a lot of grocery shopping to do this week. Found coconut-crusted tilapia fillets with manager's coupons that were already on sale. Bags of Gala apples were on a really good sale, $1.49 for 8. Picked up Brussels sprouts for vegetables. Restocked bananas, peanut butter, honey, cranberries, brown sugar, shampoo, skim milk, yogurt, butter, cocoa, olive oil, tomato sauce, and corn starch.
Put everything away when I got home while finishing out Daniel Tiger. "Be a Vegetable Taster!" says Teacher Harriet when she introduces her students to food from the school's garden. The other kids enjoy the cherry tomatoes and carrots they harvest, but Katarina is afraid to try them. She's finally persuaded to try colorful bell peppers.
"Daniel Tries a New Food" brings Miss Elania over to his house for a unique dinner. Mrs. Tiger introduces the kids to vegetable pasta - spaghetti topped with veggies - and banana swirl - frozen bananas given a whirl in the blender. Elania's not as big on the veggie pasta as Dan is, but everyone agrees that the banana swirl is a big hit.
Trying new food doesn't always have the best results. "Daniel's Allergy" turns up when he eats peaches and gets hives and a stomachache. His father takes him to Doctor Anna, who reveals that he's allergic to peaches. She gives him medicine for his hives and tells him how to deal with his allergy. (I skipped "Baking Mistakes," which I already saw on another set.)
Worked on writing for a while after I got organized. Rey storms in, demanding to know why her cousin bought his grandfather's counting house and closed it down. Ben - now Kylo Ren - claims it wasn't making money anymore. He asks Rey to work for him, but she angrily refuses, calls him a monster, accuses him of killing his father and forcing his mother's charity out of their headquarters due to his high rent, and stomps out. Anakin tries to tell Ben this is wrong and he shouldn't push his family away, but the young man can't hear him.
Broke at 6 for dinner. Made baked coconut-crusted tilapia with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato pancakes for dinner (the latter in honor of Hanukkah this week). Mrs. Tiger's "banana swirl" sounded so tasty, I thought I'd try my own version for dessert. I tossed a banana in the freezer earlier in the day. Though Mrs. Tiger kept it simple and just whirled the frozen banana, I added honey, cocoa, and cinnamon and made Chocolate Banana Swirl. I don't think I left the banana in the freezer long enough...but chocolate banana pudding still tasted really good! (Also, if I make this again, I think I'll do it in the food processor. The blender didn't mash things up quite enough, even on high.)
Watched The Preacher's Wife while I made my meal. This is a 1996 remake of the popular 1947 holiday drama The Bishop's Wife. The preacher in question is Reverend Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance). The church he works for is losing members and money. He feels stretched thin by all his parishioners' needs, and Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines), the owner of the land the church is on, wants to demolish it and build luxury condos. He longer has time for his wife Julia (Whitney Houston) who leads the choir, or their son Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). Worrying about his parishioners and his marriage, he prays to God for an answer.
The answer comes in the form of a debonair angel named Dudley (Denzel Washington). While Henry deals with Hamilton and his people, Dudley increasingly takes interest in his family, taking Julia skating and to the jazz club where she once worked. Henry's not the only one who questions Dudley's motives. Julia's mother Marguerite (Jenifer Lewis) doesn't like all the time Dudley is spending with Julia, and his secretary Beverly (Loretta Divine) is worried that he'll take her job. Even when Dudley realizes how right Marguerite is, he still manages to find a way to make a difference in everyone's lives...and show Henry how important his family and his people are.
I love the original movie, and this one is just as much fun. Denzel Washington was one of my childhood crushes, and this movie reminds me of why. He makes almost as impossibly suave of an angel as Cary Grant...and that's not an easy thing to do! Divine and Lewis are also fun as the only two ladies who don't think well of this good-looking visitor from the heavens. Houston is mainly there to raise the roof with a couple of gospel numbers and sing the very 90's ballad "I Believe In You and Me." She lacks the warmth that Loretta Young displayed in this role; Vance is much better as her bewildered husband.
If you love the original or the cast, I'd look this one up, too. It hasn't dated quite as well, but it's still a lot of fun with some great music.
Finished the night on YouTube with a couple of holiday rarities. Mystery Science Theater 3000 did two Christmas episodes during its original run. Santa Claus, from the fifth season, is the second. This Mexican movie from the late 50's has Santa employing children from around the world to help him keep track of good kids on Earth. On Christmas Eve, he has to dodge the Devil, who is trying to convince kids to be naughty, in order to get his job done. The first half of this one, with the overlong opening number with the kids from around the world and the creepy machines with real lips and ears, is more scary than fun. Once Santa starts out on Christmas Eve, things get a lot better. His avoiding the Devil and trying to give out presents literally behind his back is hilarious.
Santa Claus
Dean Martin did a big Christmas episode every year on his long-running variety show. I watched the one from 1968. And boy, is it from 1968. We get "Be a Santa" in the opening (from the 1966 Broadway flop Subways are for Sleeping) and several corny sketches, mainly featuring a young Dom DeLouise. Dean smokes in every frame, and more than three-quarters of the women are wearing some of the shortest skirts this side of the Rockettes. I have to admit that I did like DeLouise's pantomime sketch on wild office parties - it ended up kind of sweet. The finale, with almost every celebrity on NBC at the time announcing that they're donating to hospitals and children's homes across the US, is both heartwarming and a great opportunity to check out who was popular on TV in the late 60's.
Dean Martin Christmas Show 1968
Oooh, and after joining an Oaklyn sales group on Facebook, I finally got a bite on one of the items I have for sale. It sounds like a grandmother wants the American Girl bed and bedding for her granddaughter and will meet me tomorrow. I sure hope so! Beyond desperately needing the money, I also desperately need to clear junk out of my back room. I'd love for the AG items to go to a little girl who could really use them.
Dan and his dad go to Baker Aker to make banana muffins for Mrs. Tiger in "I Love You, Mom." Mrs. Tiger takes her boys on "A Trip to the Enchanted Garden" to pick strawberries for Strawberry Pancakes. The Tiger family joins the rest of the community to gather more fruit in "Fruit Picking Day." Dan, Miss Elania, and Prince Wednesday may not be able to reach the highest apples, but they can squeeze in where Prince Tuesday's bigger hand can't fit.
Headed to work after "Fruit Picking Day" ended. Work was, rather surprisingly for a weekend, totally dead for most of the day. It got very mildly busy towards the end of the day, but even that could have been worse. While it was chilly, probably in the lower 40s, it was also sunny and breezy. Most people were probably at the malls. I did briefly end up in the register to go in for someone's break, but I was mostly shelving candy or doing returns.
I wasn't happy with my schedule at all when I saw it. On one hand, far more hours this week, and mostly morning or early afternoon hours...except for Thursday. For some reason, the computer gave me 4 to 10 on Thursday! I can't work that late. The head manager agreed. She said she's going to see what she can do to change it by tomorrow morning.
Had a lot of grocery shopping to do this week. Found coconut-crusted tilapia fillets with manager's coupons that were already on sale. Bags of Gala apples were on a really good sale, $1.49 for 8. Picked up Brussels sprouts for vegetables. Restocked bananas, peanut butter, honey, cranberries, brown sugar, shampoo, skim milk, yogurt, butter, cocoa, olive oil, tomato sauce, and corn starch.
Put everything away when I got home while finishing out Daniel Tiger. "Be a Vegetable Taster!" says Teacher Harriet when she introduces her students to food from the school's garden. The other kids enjoy the cherry tomatoes and carrots they harvest, but Katarina is afraid to try them. She's finally persuaded to try colorful bell peppers.
"Daniel Tries a New Food" brings Miss Elania over to his house for a unique dinner. Mrs. Tiger introduces the kids to vegetable pasta - spaghetti topped with veggies - and banana swirl - frozen bananas given a whirl in the blender. Elania's not as big on the veggie pasta as Dan is, but everyone agrees that the banana swirl is a big hit.
Trying new food doesn't always have the best results. "Daniel's Allergy" turns up when he eats peaches and gets hives and a stomachache. His father takes him to Doctor Anna, who reveals that he's allergic to peaches. She gives him medicine for his hives and tells him how to deal with his allergy. (I skipped "Baking Mistakes," which I already saw on another set.)
Worked on writing for a while after I got organized. Rey storms in, demanding to know why her cousin bought his grandfather's counting house and closed it down. Ben - now Kylo Ren - claims it wasn't making money anymore. He asks Rey to work for him, but she angrily refuses, calls him a monster, accuses him of killing his father and forcing his mother's charity out of their headquarters due to his high rent, and stomps out. Anakin tries to tell Ben this is wrong and he shouldn't push his family away, but the young man can't hear him.
Broke at 6 for dinner. Made baked coconut-crusted tilapia with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato pancakes for dinner (the latter in honor of Hanukkah this week). Mrs. Tiger's "banana swirl" sounded so tasty, I thought I'd try my own version for dessert. I tossed a banana in the freezer earlier in the day. Though Mrs. Tiger kept it simple and just whirled the frozen banana, I added honey, cocoa, and cinnamon and made Chocolate Banana Swirl. I don't think I left the banana in the freezer long enough...but chocolate banana pudding still tasted really good! (Also, if I make this again, I think I'll do it in the food processor. The blender didn't mash things up quite enough, even on high.)
Watched The Preacher's Wife while I made my meal. This is a 1996 remake of the popular 1947 holiday drama The Bishop's Wife. The preacher in question is Reverend Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance). The church he works for is losing members and money. He feels stretched thin by all his parishioners' needs, and Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines), the owner of the land the church is on, wants to demolish it and build luxury condos. He longer has time for his wife Julia (Whitney Houston) who leads the choir, or their son Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). Worrying about his parishioners and his marriage, he prays to God for an answer.
The answer comes in the form of a debonair angel named Dudley (Denzel Washington). While Henry deals with Hamilton and his people, Dudley increasingly takes interest in his family, taking Julia skating and to the jazz club where she once worked. Henry's not the only one who questions Dudley's motives. Julia's mother Marguerite (Jenifer Lewis) doesn't like all the time Dudley is spending with Julia, and his secretary Beverly (Loretta Divine) is worried that he'll take her job. Even when Dudley realizes how right Marguerite is, he still manages to find a way to make a difference in everyone's lives...and show Henry how important his family and his people are.
I love the original movie, and this one is just as much fun. Denzel Washington was one of my childhood crushes, and this movie reminds me of why. He makes almost as impossibly suave of an angel as Cary Grant...and that's not an easy thing to do! Divine and Lewis are also fun as the only two ladies who don't think well of this good-looking visitor from the heavens. Houston is mainly there to raise the roof with a couple of gospel numbers and sing the very 90's ballad "I Believe In You and Me." She lacks the warmth that Loretta Young displayed in this role; Vance is much better as her bewildered husband.
If you love the original or the cast, I'd look this one up, too. It hasn't dated quite as well, but it's still a lot of fun with some great music.
Finished the night on YouTube with a couple of holiday rarities. Mystery Science Theater 3000 did two Christmas episodes during its original run. Santa Claus, from the fifth season, is the second. This Mexican movie from the late 50's has Santa employing children from around the world to help him keep track of good kids on Earth. On Christmas Eve, he has to dodge the Devil, who is trying to convince kids to be naughty, in order to get his job done. The first half of this one, with the overlong opening number with the kids from around the world and the creepy machines with real lips and ears, is more scary than fun. Once Santa starts out on Christmas Eve, things get a lot better. His avoiding the Devil and trying to give out presents literally behind his back is hilarious.
Santa Claus
Dean Martin did a big Christmas episode every year on his long-running variety show. I watched the one from 1968. And boy, is it from 1968. We get "Be a Santa" in the opening (from the 1966 Broadway flop Subways are for Sleeping) and several corny sketches, mainly featuring a young Dom DeLouise. Dean smokes in every frame, and more than three-quarters of the women are wearing some of the shortest skirts this side of the Rockettes. I have to admit that I did like DeLouise's pantomime sketch on wild office parties - it ended up kind of sweet. The finale, with almost every celebrity on NBC at the time announcing that they're donating to hospitals and children's homes across the US, is both heartwarming and a great opportunity to check out who was popular on TV in the late 60's.
Dean Martin Christmas Show 1968
Oooh, and after joining an Oaklyn sales group on Facebook, I finally got a bite on one of the items I have for sale. It sounds like a grandmother wants the American Girl bed and bedding for her granddaughter and will meet me tomorrow. I sure hope so! Beyond desperately needing the money, I also desperately need to clear junk out of my back room. I'd love for the AG items to go to a little girl who could really use them.
Thursday, December 06, 2018
Dreaming of Christmas
Slept in this morning and didn't roll out of bed until 10:30. Good thing my only plans for this morning was was finishing the Christmas decorating. I have tons of knick-knacks I only put up once a year, and it took me almost two hours to find places for them all.
Some of them, like Holly the Christmas doll, the small wooden nutcracker, the incense log cabin, and the big resin Santa statue, were gifts. The Eckards Beanie Baby-style star, tree, and candy cane, the stuffed printed elves, the poinsettia-print teddy bear, the folksy gingerbread people and star garland, Max and Ruby's Christmas basket, and the Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers are refugees from Mom's Christmas collection. I found the porcelain teddies in Santa outfits and Winter Cinderella fashion doll at thrift shops. The fabric and plastic poinsettia garland I circle Santa with came from a now-defunct dollar store in Westmont. My Beanie Baby bears Herold the angel, Ginny "The Beginning," Wallace, and Mr. Jingles (1998 Holiday Teddy) and the nifty vintage Disney Christmas tin came from yard sales. Jessa and Joe gave me another Christmas Beanie teddy, Gift the angel. The stoneware reindeer plaque and two hand-painted candle holders came from the McHughs. Lauren gave me the elf-themed basket with the candle votive.
Listened to the Very Special Christmas series while I figured out where everything went. I found the first one on LP at a yard sale last year, and the second on CD at the Voorhees Library fall book sale in October. Unlike most of the other Christmas collection series I own, this one continues on CD and download to this very day. My favorite numbers from the 1987 LP include Madonna's cute version of "Santa Baby," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band really rocking "Merry Christmas Baby," and Stevie Nicks' lovely "Silent Night." Favorites from the second collection include Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love having fun with "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Jingle Bell Rock" by Randy Travis, and "Christmas Is" by Run D.M.C.
Watched The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow while making a Banana-Mocha Smoothie and chocolate chip muffins for lunch. Angela Landsbury narrates this tale as Sister Teresa, a kindly nun who takes in a blinded orphaned shepherd named Lucas. The fussy priest (Cyril Ritchard) thinks he should be in an orphanage, but Teresa persuades him to let the boy stay through the holidays. All Lucas wants for Christmas is to at least feel snow...and he may get his wish on Christmas Eve night, after Teresa helps to rescue his runaway sheep, who were accidentally let loose by three boys who wanted to tease him.
It was past 2:30 when I finally headed out to hit the Haddon Township Library. As it turned out, there wasn't much for me to do there. They were saving the kids' DVDs for someone else, and the others had all been shelved. I went through the adult titles, but that was it. It was so quiet, I was in and out in a half-hour.
I did take out some DVDs. Grabbed A Christmas Carol: The Musical and the Doris Day/Danny Thomas vehicle I'll See You In My Dreams to review at my musical blog. Continued my occasional exploration of the movies of the 90's with The Preacher's Wife, the remake of The Bishop's Wife with an all-black cast that includes Courtney B Vance, Whitney Houston, and Denzel Washington. The library has tons of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood collections. I picked up Recipe for Fun, which seems to focus on food-themed episodes. Also found a collection of holiday episodes of current Disney Junior shows and one of the three-episode Scooby Doo collections, Scooby Doo and the Snow Creatures.
As soon as I got out, I went straight home and on the computer for some writing. Ben Solo, now known as Kylo Ren, watches as the other workers at First Order Savings and Loan - Hux, Phasma, and Umaro - bring him things that had once belonged to a deceased person to sell. Scrooge doesn't hear the man's name, but considering that the list includes things like bed curtains and silver tea spoons and Phasma makes a crack about his blankets being the only warmth he ever had, he gets the idea that the man they took these things from isn't very popular. There's something very familiar about those objects...
Broke at 6 for dinner and to watch I'll See You In My Dreams. I cover this charming take on the life of lyricist Gus Kahn at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog:
I'll See You In My Dreams (1951)
Finished the night after a shower with two Mickey Mouse Christmas specials from the Disney Junior Holiday set. The holiday episodes for Mickey and the Roadster Racers are thankfully intact, with both the Racers and Happy Helpers shorts included. It's a "Happy Hot Diggity Dog Holiday!" when the entire group participate in a scavenger hunt-race to win a star tree-topper. Chip and Dale are hoping to get the star for one another and join Goofy and Donald respectively in the race.
Minnie, Daisy, and Cuckoo Loca are "Happy Holidays Helpers!" when they're called on to do a series of Christmas-related jobs for the others, like digging Grandpa Beagle out of his front door, untangling Donald, Goofy, and Mickey from a string of lights, and playing elves for Santa Goofy at the local department store. They're so busy, they think they don't have the time to set up for their own Christmas party, but there's a surprise waiting for them when they get back.
Switched to the older Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for "Mickey Saves Santa." Mrs. Claus comes to the Clubhouse to tell the gang that Santa and his sleigh are stuck on top of Mistletoe Mountain! If they can't get him off the mountain by Christmas Eve, there will be no presents! Mickey and Donald head off to rescue him.
The disc includes two Disney gang-themed shorts. "Oh Christmas Tree" is one of the Minnie's Bow-Toons. In this mostly dialogue-free tale, Minnie wants to decorate their tree with bows and pink lights. Daisy wants snowflakes and bright lights. They nearly destroy the tree...until they realize their decorations can work together. Minnie, Daisy, and Cuckoo Loca also turn up in a short from a newer series, Chip n' Dale: Nutty Tales. They're trying to take a photo for their Christmas card in "Snow Bunny's Business." They try to build a snowman for a festive backdrop, but they build it on top of a bunny's hole. They're dismayed when the bunny destroys their creation, but he and his friends make up for it by making their own snow rabbit.
Some of them, like Holly the Christmas doll, the small wooden nutcracker, the incense log cabin, and the big resin Santa statue, were gifts. The Eckards Beanie Baby-style star, tree, and candy cane, the stuffed printed elves, the poinsettia-print teddy bear, the folksy gingerbread people and star garland, Max and Ruby's Christmas basket, and the Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers are refugees from Mom's Christmas collection. I found the porcelain teddies in Santa outfits and Winter Cinderella fashion doll at thrift shops. The fabric and plastic poinsettia garland I circle Santa with came from a now-defunct dollar store in Westmont. My Beanie Baby bears Herold the angel, Ginny "The Beginning," Wallace, and Mr. Jingles (1998 Holiday Teddy) and the nifty vintage Disney Christmas tin came from yard sales. Jessa and Joe gave me another Christmas Beanie teddy, Gift the angel. The stoneware reindeer plaque and two hand-painted candle holders came from the McHughs. Lauren gave me the elf-themed basket with the candle votive.
Listened to the Very Special Christmas series while I figured out where everything went. I found the first one on LP at a yard sale last year, and the second on CD at the Voorhees Library fall book sale in October. Unlike most of the other Christmas collection series I own, this one continues on CD and download to this very day. My favorite numbers from the 1987 LP include Madonna's cute version of "Santa Baby," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band really rocking "Merry Christmas Baby," and Stevie Nicks' lovely "Silent Night." Favorites from the second collection include Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love having fun with "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Jingle Bell Rock" by Randy Travis, and "Christmas Is" by Run D.M.C.
Watched The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow while making a Banana-Mocha Smoothie and chocolate chip muffins for lunch. Angela Landsbury narrates this tale as Sister Teresa, a kindly nun who takes in a blinded orphaned shepherd named Lucas. The fussy priest (Cyril Ritchard) thinks he should be in an orphanage, but Teresa persuades him to let the boy stay through the holidays. All Lucas wants for Christmas is to at least feel snow...and he may get his wish on Christmas Eve night, after Teresa helps to rescue his runaway sheep, who were accidentally let loose by three boys who wanted to tease him.
It was past 2:30 when I finally headed out to hit the Haddon Township Library. As it turned out, there wasn't much for me to do there. They were saving the kids' DVDs for someone else, and the others had all been shelved. I went through the adult titles, but that was it. It was so quiet, I was in and out in a half-hour.
I did take out some DVDs. Grabbed A Christmas Carol: The Musical and the Doris Day/Danny Thomas vehicle I'll See You In My Dreams to review at my musical blog. Continued my occasional exploration of the movies of the 90's with The Preacher's Wife, the remake of The Bishop's Wife with an all-black cast that includes Courtney B Vance, Whitney Houston, and Denzel Washington. The library has tons of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood collections. I picked up Recipe for Fun, which seems to focus on food-themed episodes. Also found a collection of holiday episodes of current Disney Junior shows and one of the three-episode Scooby Doo collections, Scooby Doo and the Snow Creatures.
As soon as I got out, I went straight home and on the computer for some writing. Ben Solo, now known as Kylo Ren, watches as the other workers at First Order Savings and Loan - Hux, Phasma, and Umaro - bring him things that had once belonged to a deceased person to sell. Scrooge doesn't hear the man's name, but considering that the list includes things like bed curtains and silver tea spoons and Phasma makes a crack about his blankets being the only warmth he ever had, he gets the idea that the man they took these things from isn't very popular. There's something very familiar about those objects...
Broke at 6 for dinner and to watch I'll See You In My Dreams. I cover this charming take on the life of lyricist Gus Kahn at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog:
I'll See You In My Dreams (1951)
Finished the night after a shower with two Mickey Mouse Christmas specials from the Disney Junior Holiday set. The holiday episodes for Mickey and the Roadster Racers are thankfully intact, with both the Racers and Happy Helpers shorts included. It's a "Happy Hot Diggity Dog Holiday!" when the entire group participate in a scavenger hunt-race to win a star tree-topper. Chip and Dale are hoping to get the star for one another and join Goofy and Donald respectively in the race.
Minnie, Daisy, and Cuckoo Loca are "Happy Holidays Helpers!" when they're called on to do a series of Christmas-related jobs for the others, like digging Grandpa Beagle out of his front door, untangling Donald, Goofy, and Mickey from a string of lights, and playing elves for Santa Goofy at the local department store. They're so busy, they think they don't have the time to set up for their own Christmas party, but there's a surprise waiting for them when they get back.
Switched to the older Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for "Mickey Saves Santa." Mrs. Claus comes to the Clubhouse to tell the gang that Santa and his sleigh are stuck on top of Mistletoe Mountain! If they can't get him off the mountain by Christmas Eve, there will be no presents! Mickey and Donald head off to rescue him.
The disc includes two Disney gang-themed shorts. "Oh Christmas Tree" is one of the Minnie's Bow-Toons. In this mostly dialogue-free tale, Minnie wants to decorate their tree with bows and pink lights. Daisy wants snowflakes and bright lights. They nearly destroy the tree...until they realize their decorations can work together. Minnie, Daisy, and Cuckoo Loca also turn up in a short from a newer series, Chip n' Dale: Nutty Tales. They're trying to take a photo for their Christmas card in "Snow Bunny's Business." They try to build a snowman for a festive backdrop, but they build it on top of a bunny's hole. They're dismayed when the bunny destroys their creation, but he and his friends make up for it by making their own snow rabbit.
Wednesday, December 05, 2018
White Christmas With Friends
It was just cloudy and chilly when I woke up this morning. As soon as I finished breakfast, I started putting up the tree. Amanda and I would do the ornaments later, but I wanted to get the lights and garland on before she came. I also vacuumed under the tree (fake trees shed almost as much as the real ones do), made the bed, and signed Amanda's Christmas card.
Ran two documentaries on holiday history as I did the decorating and my chores. Christmas Past talks about Christmas in England over the years, and even features interviews with a Scottish man who had just started celebrating Christmas, an earl, a female Father Christmas, and a woman who got her first really nice Christmas when she was evacuated to the country during World War II. Christmas Unwrapped goes into more detail about American holiday customs and how they came about, including Santa, Rudolph, and mistletoe.
To my surprise, it was snowing when I stepped out of the apartment. It wasn't heavy snow, just small flakes that looked pretty coming down. I felt quite festive as I strolled across Manor to West Clinton, and then to the parking lot for the closed PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike. I hadn't realized that the pre-school at St. Mark's Church across the street let out at 11. They were so busy by the time Amanda finally arrived at quarter after 11, she ended up picking me up next to the church instead.
We finally ended up at the Pop Shop in Collingswood for lunch. It was only 11:30 by then, and between the early hour and the weather, it was the quietest I'd ever seen them. There may have been one or two other couples seated at booths. We both opted for hot tea and breakfast. (The Pop Shop serves breakfast all day.) Amanda had vegetable Eggs Benedict on a big, fluffy biscuit. I had a Bananas Foster Waffle - bananas sauteed in brown sugar and walnuts on a waffle. The bananas were a little goopy, but it was better than the last time I ordered this on New Year's Day in 2015. For once, we both ate everything that was on our plates and didn't need to take anything home.
The snow was starting to come down harder as we left. It wasn't sticking to the roads, but it was making visibility a pain. We opted to skip any shopping and just move along. After getting lost briefly in West Collingswood, we finally stopped at Common Grounds around the corner from me in Oaklyn for hot drinks. She loves coffee and got a mocha latte. I settled for hot chocolate. We chatted and watched the snow fall at one of the tables by the big picture window. (I was glad to notice someone shoveled the steps going up to my porch when we arrived home. It never stuck to the streets here, but it did stick to the grass. I think we got maybe an inch or two.)
As soon as we got in and I showed Amanda what was new at my place, we exchanged gifts. Amanda works part-time at a Bath and Body Works in the Cumberland Mall, so a lot of her gifts usually come from there. She gave me two bottles of lotion (one small for work, one medium-sized and Christmas-themed for home), a bottle of soap, and hand sanitizer, along with sleep socks, a candy cane-shaped tube of Hershey's candies, and a totally adorable plush polar bear ornament.
The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating the tree. I have so many ornaments! They've came from all over. Mom made folk-art-style felt ornaments and a Christmas-themed Holly Hobbie for me when I was in high school. She gave me several fancier glass ornaments from the gift shops in Cape May County later, including the white heart with the Victorian-style flowers, the strawberry covered in glitter, the beautiful magenta ball with rings and the white ribbon on the cap, the gingerbread man face wearing a chef's hat, and the Disney gang - Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy. My cousin Samantha made beaded ornaments about a decade ago. Mom also made the clothespin soldiers - they're refugees from her tree. Force Awakens Han Solo is from a Hallmark that was closing; Chewbacca comes from Target. My friend Linda Young gave me Scooby and Shaggy on a sled. Yogi with a picnic basket full of candy canes, Cinderella with her mice friends giving a gift, and the angel Winnie the Pooh are from yard sales or after-Christmas half-price sales. The vintage wooden and porcelain figures are all yard sale finds.
Did TV Guide Looks at Christmas when we got in. This one discusses the history of Christmas on television, from popular holiday specials to beloved movies to favorite sitcom episodes. I especially liked hearing about the variety shows that used to turn up during the holidays. These big specials filled with songs and skits were common until the mid-70's, after which time they'd begun to die out. The only major variety holiday variety special during my childhood was Pee Wee's. I have the soundtrack to the Judy Garland special, but I never heard of Perry Como's European travels until I saw this. I may have to see if any of them are on YouTube.
The work went so quickly, we finished by 3. Amanda wasn't leaving until 3:30, so that was just enough time to pull out the Christmas stuffed animals and cloth items and put them under the tree. In 1987, Dad bought Mom a big white teddy bear from K-Mart. She named him Chester sat him on her hope chest. She eventually borrowed a bunch of our bears, dressed them in old winter clothes, and set them with Chester on the hope chest to be displayed throughout the holiday season. We'd get to change their clothes, and even give them party hats on New Year's Eve. By the turn of the 21st century, Mom had gotten tired of setting it up and turned the remaining Christmas bears and their clothes over to me.
Along with the bears, I hung my stockings. I have two, both with a snowman on the front. Aunt Terri made my original stocking when I was very little in the early 80's. It's a big red felt stocking with gold trim and a snowman and snow scene on the front, trimmed liberally with sequins. Mom made me a new, less glittery one in the early 90's. This one is also a snowman, but he's on a blue snow-print background instead of a red one, and he has the most cheerful face.
Amanda did indeed leave at 3:30. By that point, the snow was long-gone, replaced by a glorious bright orange and lavender sunset. I enjoyed the show while doing some writing. Scrooge is genuinely scared when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - a phantom with a wrinkled gray hand, hidden under a black shroud with gold lining - appears in his parlor. The Spirit takes him ahead in time...and they see that all of Scrooge's things are gone, even the curtains around his bed. He refuses to look at the lump under the remaining sheets, not wanting to know who was laying there.
Broke for dinner at 6. Made turkey meatballs, roasted broccoli rabe, and pasta while watching Rick Steves' European Christmas. It's a very merry holiday season all across the continent that inspired some of our most cherished holiday traditions. Kids help their parents make mince pies and sing in a local choir in England. Parisians skate on the top of the Effel Tower, while country folks in Burgundy prepare a massive feast of pastry-wrapped roast beef and fois grae. Adorable little Santa Lucias sing for the elderly in Norway. Italians await the Pope's mass and watch old men toss a flat fruitcake in a curling-like game, while the citizens of Tuscany prepare for a living nativity. Austrians decorate the tree away from the children, while the Swiss make a big family activity of bringing it home from the mountains.
Finished the night with Pulp Fiction. This unique non-linear crime film from directer Quentin Tarantino follows three different storylines, all arranged out of order. Hit men Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are supposed to be picking up a briefcase for their boss Wallace (Ving Rhames), but get caught up double-crosses and hot dances with the boss' wife Mia (Uma Thurman). Meanwhile, boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) has been bribed to lose a bout, but he not only wins, he kills his opponent. He manages to evade Vincent and even helps Wallace out. There's also two low-level thieves (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) who hold up a local diner to deal with.
Widely considered to be Tarantino's masterpiece, I can certainly say there's nothing else like it. Killer soundtrack, awesome performances that revived several careers (including those of Willis and Travolta), and a masterful script make up for the story being frequently confusing and extremely violent. Adults who love the cast or Tarantino's other work will find much to enjoy here.
Ran two documentaries on holiday history as I did the decorating and my chores. Christmas Past talks about Christmas in England over the years, and even features interviews with a Scottish man who had just started celebrating Christmas, an earl, a female Father Christmas, and a woman who got her first really nice Christmas when she was evacuated to the country during World War II. Christmas Unwrapped goes into more detail about American holiday customs and how they came about, including Santa, Rudolph, and mistletoe.
To my surprise, it was snowing when I stepped out of the apartment. It wasn't heavy snow, just small flakes that looked pretty coming down. I felt quite festive as I strolled across Manor to West Clinton, and then to the parking lot for the closed PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike. I hadn't realized that the pre-school at St. Mark's Church across the street let out at 11. They were so busy by the time Amanda finally arrived at quarter after 11, she ended up picking me up next to the church instead.
We finally ended up at the Pop Shop in Collingswood for lunch. It was only 11:30 by then, and between the early hour and the weather, it was the quietest I'd ever seen them. There may have been one or two other couples seated at booths. We both opted for hot tea and breakfast. (The Pop Shop serves breakfast all day.) Amanda had vegetable Eggs Benedict on a big, fluffy biscuit. I had a Bananas Foster Waffle - bananas sauteed in brown sugar and walnuts on a waffle. The bananas were a little goopy, but it was better than the last time I ordered this on New Year's Day in 2015. For once, we both ate everything that was on our plates and didn't need to take anything home.
The snow was starting to come down harder as we left. It wasn't sticking to the roads, but it was making visibility a pain. We opted to skip any shopping and just move along. After getting lost briefly in West Collingswood, we finally stopped at Common Grounds around the corner from me in Oaklyn for hot drinks. She loves coffee and got a mocha latte. I settled for hot chocolate. We chatted and watched the snow fall at one of the tables by the big picture window. (I was glad to notice someone shoveled the steps going up to my porch when we arrived home. It never stuck to the streets here, but it did stick to the grass. I think we got maybe an inch or two.)
As soon as we got in and I showed Amanda what was new at my place, we exchanged gifts. Amanda works part-time at a Bath and Body Works in the Cumberland Mall, so a lot of her gifts usually come from there. She gave me two bottles of lotion (one small for work, one medium-sized and Christmas-themed for home), a bottle of soap, and hand sanitizer, along with sleep socks, a candy cane-shaped tube of Hershey's candies, and a totally adorable plush polar bear ornament.
The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating the tree. I have so many ornaments! They've came from all over. Mom made folk-art-style felt ornaments and a Christmas-themed Holly Hobbie for me when I was in high school. She gave me several fancier glass ornaments from the gift shops in Cape May County later, including the white heart with the Victorian-style flowers, the strawberry covered in glitter, the beautiful magenta ball with rings and the white ribbon on the cap, the gingerbread man face wearing a chef's hat, and the Disney gang - Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy. My cousin Samantha made beaded ornaments about a decade ago. Mom also made the clothespin soldiers - they're refugees from her tree. Force Awakens Han Solo is from a Hallmark that was closing; Chewbacca comes from Target. My friend Linda Young gave me Scooby and Shaggy on a sled. Yogi with a picnic basket full of candy canes, Cinderella with her mice friends giving a gift, and the angel Winnie the Pooh are from yard sales or after-Christmas half-price sales. The vintage wooden and porcelain figures are all yard sale finds.
Did TV Guide Looks at Christmas when we got in. This one discusses the history of Christmas on television, from popular holiday specials to beloved movies to favorite sitcom episodes. I especially liked hearing about the variety shows that used to turn up during the holidays. These big specials filled with songs and skits were common until the mid-70's, after which time they'd begun to die out. The only major variety holiday variety special during my childhood was Pee Wee's. I have the soundtrack to the Judy Garland special, but I never heard of Perry Como's European travels until I saw this. I may have to see if any of them are on YouTube.
The work went so quickly, we finished by 3. Amanda wasn't leaving until 3:30, so that was just enough time to pull out the Christmas stuffed animals and cloth items and put them under the tree. In 1987, Dad bought Mom a big white teddy bear from K-Mart. She named him Chester sat him on her hope chest. She eventually borrowed a bunch of our bears, dressed them in old winter clothes, and set them with Chester on the hope chest to be displayed throughout the holiday season. We'd get to change their clothes, and even give them party hats on New Year's Eve. By the turn of the 21st century, Mom had gotten tired of setting it up and turned the remaining Christmas bears and their clothes over to me.
Along with the bears, I hung my stockings. I have two, both with a snowman on the front. Aunt Terri made my original stocking when I was very little in the early 80's. It's a big red felt stocking with gold trim and a snowman and snow scene on the front, trimmed liberally with sequins. Mom made me a new, less glittery one in the early 90's. This one is also a snowman, but he's on a blue snow-print background instead of a red one, and he has the most cheerful face.
Amanda did indeed leave at 3:30. By that point, the snow was long-gone, replaced by a glorious bright orange and lavender sunset. I enjoyed the show while doing some writing. Scrooge is genuinely scared when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - a phantom with a wrinkled gray hand, hidden under a black shroud with gold lining - appears in his parlor. The Spirit takes him ahead in time...and they see that all of Scrooge's things are gone, even the curtains around his bed. He refuses to look at the lump under the remaining sheets, not wanting to know who was laying there.
Broke for dinner at 6. Made turkey meatballs, roasted broccoli rabe, and pasta while watching Rick Steves' European Christmas. It's a very merry holiday season all across the continent that inspired some of our most cherished holiday traditions. Kids help their parents make mince pies and sing in a local choir in England. Parisians skate on the top of the Effel Tower, while country folks in Burgundy prepare a massive feast of pastry-wrapped roast beef and fois grae. Adorable little Santa Lucias sing for the elderly in Norway. Italians await the Pope's mass and watch old men toss a flat fruitcake in a curling-like game, while the citizens of Tuscany prepare for a living nativity. Austrians decorate the tree away from the children, while the Swiss make a big family activity of bringing it home from the mountains.
Finished the night with Pulp Fiction. This unique non-linear crime film from directer Quentin Tarantino follows three different storylines, all arranged out of order. Hit men Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are supposed to be picking up a briefcase for their boss Wallace (Ving Rhames), but get caught up double-crosses and hot dances with the boss' wife Mia (Uma Thurman). Meanwhile, boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) has been bribed to lose a bout, but he not only wins, he kills his opponent. He manages to evade Vincent and even helps Wallace out. There's also two low-level thieves (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) who hold up a local diner to deal with.
Widely considered to be Tarantino's masterpiece, I can certainly say there's nothing else like it. Killer soundtrack, awesome performances that revived several careers (including those of Willis and Travolta), and a masterful script make up for the story being frequently confusing and extremely violent. Adults who love the cast or Tarantino's other work will find much to enjoy here.
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