Moved on to Garfield's Christmas Special as I cleaned up and got organized. Garfield's not thrilled when Jon drags him and Odie out to his parents' farm for the holidays. His holidays really improve when he meets Jon's sassy grandma and realizes they have a lot in common, including supreme sarcasm. Grandma is missing her beloved husband, but Garfield finds a present in the barn that makes her Christmas a lot merrier.
I bought a glue gun from Dollar General on Tuesday. Been meaning to for years. Mom had one when we were kids, but it got too hot for her to let us touch it or use it. I've always wanted to try it. Used it to fix three ornaments yesterday and a wooden Noel sign Mom gave me years ago with a tiny Santa figure that broke off today.
Watched Buzzr's Betty White Christmas marathon while I worked. The week before Christmas, Buzzr runs shows in the afternoon featuring Betty. Match Game '77 had Betty joining soap star Rosemary Forsyth and Broadway director and playwright Abe Burrows to figure out "Tele __" in the Audience Match.
Match Game '78 featured the first episode from my favorite week of that year. Brett appeared with Jack Klugman for the first time since their divorce the year before. It becomes apparent why they divorced when they argue over the answer for "__ Hall of Fame" in the Audience Match. Betty and Donna Pescow referee, while Bill Anderson jokes about having his ex-wife on the show if it works out.
Let Tattletales run while I colored a picture of Bert making gingerbread cookies for a hungry Cookie Monster in a Sesame Street coloring book I've had for years. Bill Macy and his lady Samantha and Jamie Farr and his wife Barbara join Allen and Betty here. Allen and Betty did better in the second half...but Jamie and Samantha still ended up winning the game.
Checked YouTube for the movie I wanted to review...and when that didn't work out, I went online. Found a lovely musical version of The Gift of the Magi made for South African public television in 1981 at Vimeo. I go further into this charming production at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
I did get to see a short but sweet version of Gift of the Magi from the 1952 film O.Henry's Full House on YouTube. Jeanne Crain is Della here; Farley Granger is her Jim. Other than it's a man who cuts Della's hair, rather than the lady in the book and the 1981 musical, it's actually quite faithful to the short story. Crain in particular is lovely.
It started raining shortly after I got up this morning and had been going ever since. By quarter of 4, the rain had begun to lighten. I was tired of sitting around, and I really had to deliver the cookies and fudge. I'm working 8 1/2 hours the next two days, and it'll be too cold by Christmas Day for a lot of running around outside. Took the bike out to hand out the goodies. Dropped Rose's bag on her steps, and the neighbors' bags on their porches or stoops.
Truthfully, it didn't go that well. I didn't realize how wet my basket was or that the bag I had them wasn't that waterproof. A lot of them got wet. The fudge got squished, too. I put some of the neighbors' boxes with other neighbors, since I couldn't remember exactly where they lived. Others had wet stoops. I hope their boxes were all right.
Thankfully, the precipitation gentled down to light showers while I was out. It wasn't even windy or as cold as it's supposed to be this weekend. It picked up again not long after I got home and has been off and on ever since.
Put on White Christmas as I had a late lunch when I got home. I went further into this beloved holiday extravaganza featuring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in 2018.
Worked on writing after that. Gene confronts The Mouse Queen and her son before they can go after the food on the table. Gene reveals a sword and fights the Mouse King. The Mouse Queen still wants to kill Debralee, but the Nutcracker won't let her.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '74 this time. Adorable contestant Janet Finn debuted towards the end of this episode, the first week with Dr. Joyce Brothers. She would go on to become the show's all-time winner at that point.
Charles and Brett had a lot of fun in Match Game '79, happily tossing jokes about the Audience Match "Take the __" around. Richard Deacon was more nervous about helping the new champ with "__ the Dog." He also explains how the lights that go on when they push their blue cards into the slot work.
Finished the night online with sitcom Christmas episodes. Hawkeye describes the holiday season at the 4077th in the first season MASH episode "Dear Dad." Henry Blake doesn't have much luck giving a lecture on sex to a group who think they already know everything about that subject. Frank and Hot Lips end up on the wrong side of Hawkeye and Trapper's pranks. Father Mulcahey has to keep Klinger and Frank from killing each other. Hawkeye ends up behind enemy lines in a Santa Claus suit.
The Monkees have a less perilous but more expensive holiday in the second-season episode "The Christmas Show." They think they've been hired by a rich lady to play at a party, but she really wants them to watch over her nephew (Butch Patrick). The spoiled and neglected rich boy doesn't think much of Christmas, and the Monkees' antics don't really improve his opinion of the holiday...until Mike Nesmith realizes what he really needs.
Balki and Larry also have a disappointing holiday, at least initially, the second season Perfect Strangers episode "A Christmas Story." Larry's upset when a blizzard prevents them from getting to his family's home in Madison for Christmas. He also resists Balki's attempts to cheer him up, until his cousin reminds him of what the holidays are really all about.
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