Wet Easter Matches

Actually, I'd only just gotten up when Mom called to wish me a happy Easter. She'd just gotten Play Doh "food" from my brother Keefe's daughter Aurora, who is now three and a half. Apparently, Aurora got a Donut Factory Play Doh set from the Easter Bunny. Mom says Aurora loves donuts! Her father's not doing nearly as well. In addition to his arthritis problems, he's having major trouble with his eyes. He had to have eye surgery that was so new, he was actually a documented case (with his enthusiastic permission) by doctors. He seems to be doing better, even if he can't drive at night anymore. At any rate, he was going to make Easter dinner.

Read Easter selections from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology after I got off with Mom. My favorite material here is "Nino's Easter," about the Easter day of a typical Italian peasant boy and his family and community. Just reading about all the food they eat at the feast after church makes me hungry! No wonder the one boy gorged himself.  "The Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes" trains her little ones so well, they can take care of each other. The senior Easter Bunny is so impressed, he makes her an Easter bunny, too. She's worried she won't be able to bring eggs to a sick boy on an icy mountain, but the Easter Bunny gives her gold shoes to create her own holiday magic. I also read an utterly hilarious short for April Fool's Day that has two boys being run up a tree by a giraffe. They're hoping to give it back to the zoo and get a reward, but the giraffe doesn't make that easy!

Went online briefly after that before Jessa came. Mike was with her. It was still just cloudy and warm when we drove into Collingswood, parking on Haddon Avenue. We got incredibly lucky. We hadn't been at Paloma Restaurant for more than 10 minutes before it started showering heavily. I had the Churro French Toast, two huge raft-sized French toast slices with cinnamon cream, blackberries, strawberries, and bananas. Mike had a chicken quesadilla. He even gave me the last wedge. Jessa had Eggs Benedict. Oh, yum! My French toast was just crispy enough, with huge berries and banana pieces. Mike's Chicken Quesadilla was nice and cheesy and crispy.

We walked up and down Haddon Avenue for an hour, dodging showers and checking out what was open. None of us bought anything at Clutter. I found a lovely folk art-style felt heart ornament at Occasionette, sewn with a flower basket and beads. It was $16, but it reminded me so much of the similar felt Christmas decorations Mom made us in the 90's, I had to buy it. Innergroove was open again after being closed on Easter last year. I don't think Mike and Jess got anything, but I found:

John Denver - Windsong

George Benson - The George Benson Collection

The soundtrack from Sing 2

(I also found Nat King Cole's Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, but I already have that one. I'll donate it to Goodwill.)

On our way down Haddon, we stopped to admire the shadow boxes in the window of the local newspaper the Retrospect. Each box represented a Collingswood business or landmark. In addition to obvious places like the police and fire station, there were boxes representing the Scottish Rite Auditorium, the Retrospect itself, Kismet Bagels, Flair Dance Studio, and even the water tower. To my surprise, Jessa pointed out that the pre-school children of Thomas Sharp made the shadow boxes this year! I thought some of the photographs of the children in the window looked familiar. I'll have to ask the kids about that when school starts again on the 13th.

Jessa drove me home after we left Innergroove. That rain wasn't stopping, and indeed, it would be off and on for the next few hours. Soon as we got home, I changed and relaxed while watching Easter Parade. I went further into this classic MGM musical with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in 2019. 

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

Switched to Easter records after the movie ended. The soundtrack for It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, like the special itself, is highly underrated. There's some nice, bouncy tracks here, from "Woodstock's Dream" to Marcie inadvertently making "Easter Egg Soup." The bonus David Benoit track "Woodstock's Medley" is well-done, too. (And hey, if we're doing Peanuts special soundtracks, could we get David Benoit's work for the Peanuts in the 90's, too?)

Peter Cottontail - The First Easter Record for Children is just that, Easter and rabbit-themed songs for kids from presumably the mid-late 50's. Gene Autry kicks things off with the title song. He also sings "Sonny the Bunny," "The Funny Little Bunny (With the Powder Puff Tail)," and "Bunny Round-Up Time." Rosemary Clooney handles the ballads and bouncy songs, including "Bunny On the Rainbow" and a lovely version of "Easter Parade." Art Carney gets the comic stories "Flop, Mop, Cotton, and Pete" (Peter Rabbit, that is) and "A Thump, a Twinkle, and a Twitch, or How to Make a Rabbit." 

I started the Walt Disney 1987 Easter parade on YouTube, but moved to the Match Game marathon when that began at 6 during a big ham dinner. There were even more references to rabbits, eggs, or Easter on the show than what turned up yesterday. The first episode to have a rabbit question was the second week with Bob Barker, Della Reece, and the only cast members of The Waltons to appear on any version of the show, Michael Lerned and Richard Thomas. There was one on the 1978 episode where Richard Dawson argued that "Toasted Buns" matched "Warm Buns" (it did not), and the 1973 episode that introduced a hilarious Morey Amsterdam to the panel. By far the most notable episode with a rabbit reference was Charles Nelson Reilly's infamous return to the show in 1975 after being gone for nearly a year. Only Charles would make a grand entrance via wire and a stuffed bird! 

Join the Easter parade of weirdos and enjoy a whole lot of ham with these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Easter Sunday Marathon (Easter Part II)

Finished the night with the Walt Disney Easter Parades on YouTube. Ben Vereen joined Joan Lunden in 1987, appearing in the opening "Trolley Song" number himself. One of the things I like about the Easter specials is that they're just lavish enough. They don't get nearly as over the top as the Disney Christmas and Fourth of July parades do. The 50th anniversary of Snow White was the big push that year, along with Disney's Cruise Lines. Alan Thicke chased Mr. Smee and Captain Hook around the cruise ship and to a beach party in the Bahamas, where they danced to a Beach Boys cover group. Regis Phillbin worked the crowd here.

By 1995, the Disney Renaissance was in full swing. There were floats devoted to Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid. Philbin joined Lunden in the host's chair this time. Comedians Dave Chappelle and Dave Bruer were the goofballs interviewing viewers on Main Street. The main focus here was on Pocahontas, which would debut that June. Max and Goofy promote A Goofy Movie while grown-ups battle kids at the newly-opened Blizzard Beach, and we get to see bits of the ultra-colorful, ultra-blocky, ultra-90's "Mickey Mania" parade and the new vintage space-themed revamp of Tomorrowland.

Celebrate Easter at Walt Disney World and relive some fond memories of your own with these delightful trips into Disney's past!

1987 Walt Disney World Easter Parade

1995 Walt Disney World Easter Parade

Funny Bunny Matches

Began the morning with the Easter material in Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. "Nino's Easter" describes the holiday in Italy, as the little boy of the title attends church with his grandfather and enjoys a huge dinner with family and friends. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" is a clever mother rabbit who is brought in by the Easter Bunny when he sees how well she's taken care of her own children. She worries that she won't be able to deliver a special egg to a sick boy on an icy mountain, but the Easter Bunny gives her shoes that allow her to create magic of her own. There's also a hymn and several poems.

Threw in "Grandpa Bunny" from the Disney Storybookland anthology as well. Disney claims this is based after the short "Funny Little Bunnies," but it has nothing in common with it besides hard-working rabbits. Grandpa Bunny teaches all of the younger rabbits how to make the woods where they live truly gorgeous. The adult rabbits are sad when he passes on, but the children know he's left one last legacy to the world.

Watched The Great Easter Egg Hunt at Tubi while getting ready to head out. Peter adores his new stuffed rabbit Whiskers that he got in his Easter basket. Whiskers easily makes friends with the other toys in Peter's room, but has a harder time with school bullies and real rabbits when a dog runs off with him and he's lost in the woods. Shortly after he's found, Peter becomes very sick. Whiskers and his toy friends head off into the woods to find the Magic Egg and use the wish it grants to make their owner better.

Started out to Collingswood shortly afterwards. It wasn't a bad day, a bit cloudy, but breezy and warm, in the mid-60's. I passed at least three families enjoying egg hunts on their front or back yards while on my walk. Many other folks chatted on porches, went for Easter morning jogs, or walked the dog. The scenery couldn't have been prettier, too. Irises are coming up, and the tulips are in full bloom. The trees glow in myriad shades of lime green, pale pink, magenta, and lavender. Lawns are emerald carpets dotted with bursts of dandelions and buttercups.

Jessa was taking a walk around the block when I finally got to Collingswood's Senior Center. We had our Easter brunch at Paloma Restaurant across the street from Nunzio's. This is the Mexican fusion restaurant that replaced Tortilla Press after they shut down. They're...pretty similar to Tortilla Press with more subdued and elegant decorations. Jessa had huevo ranchoes (which turned out to be nachos with guacamole and sausage). I had churros French toast. On one hand, the French toast was nice and sweet and thick, and there was lots of big blueberries and banana and strawberry slices. The middle was soggy due to them drowning it in syrup, but it otherwise tasted pretty good.

We went for a walk after lunch, but there wasn't much open on a holiday Sunday. We browsed in Clutter, Ocasionette, and Secret Origins Comics, but found nothing of interest. Innergroove Records is usually open on Sunday and on Easter, but for some reason, it wasn't when we were there. Grooveground is in the midst of remodeling. Collingswood Music isn't open on Sundays. Phideilty Records and Time Lapse are closed for Easter week. We admired the cute mini-versions of Collingswood services and businesses built by kids at the local elementary schools in the window of local newspaper the Retrospect. Everything from the PATCO station to Roberts Pool was represented. The WaWa even had a "closed" sign across it. 

After Jessa dropped me off at home, I put on It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. The Peanuts prepare for the spring holidays in their own ways. Snoopy buys Woodstock a bird house while Sally looks for new shoes. Peppermint Patty wants to show Marcie how to color eggs, but she keeps doing everything but boiling them. Lucy would rather pester Schroeder for presents and hide and find her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does that. Sally's more than a little skeptical after the Great Pumpkin incident at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids!

Switched to Easter Parade while resting. I went further into this classic MGM musical featuring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Ann Miller at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog the day before Easter 2019.

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade 

Watched two vintage Walt Disney World Easter parades while eating a big ham dinner from a friend. The big push for 1988 was the Grand Floridian Hotel, which was two months from opening when this debuted. No idea why they did a huge dance number for it, but at least they're right that it was and remains the most elegant (and expensive) resort at Disney World. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke are the primary hosts here, while Regis Philbin interviews the crowd. 

Other than the Grand Floridian, there's more focus on the actual parade here, including Clara Cluck in her hen house and dancing chickens singing "9 to 5." The Easter Bunny and Mrs. Bunny are the "Grand Marshalls," though the parade ends with Mickey and Minnie. We also get a super-cute (maybe slightly too cutesy) music video on Mickey and Minnie's relationship to "Mickey, She's Got a Crush On You" from the Disney album Splashdance. 

By the time of the 1996 parade, the Disney Renaissance was in full swing. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Roger Rabbit, and the original Toy Story all get floats or plugs here. There's a big number based around Mary Poppins, and another around Snow White. This time, the Easter Bunnies begin the parade, while Mickey and Minnie end it. 

The biggest plugs go to the then-new water park Blizzard Beach (which is explored by Joey Lawrence) and to the Disney Institute. This was supposed to provide vacationers with various classes and instruction during their trips, but it closed in 2000 after they realized people would rather spend their vacations on rides than in classes. Lunden remains as the female host. Regis joins her this time, while Brianne Leary and JD Roth take his place with the crowds.

Here's both parades, so you can enjoy a bit of vintage Disney magic too!

1988 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

1996 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

Watched Peter and the Magic Egg after dinner. I went further into this unique and charming Pennsylvania Dutch set animated fantasy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog the day before Easter last year.

Easter Short Subject Special - Peter and the Magic Egg

Moved to "Funny Little Bunnies" next before the Sunday Match Game marathon started. This Silly Symphony is Disney's only Easter short to date. It's just bunnies getting ready for the holidays, but some of the details are adorable. I love how every bunny helps out, from the oldest grandfather who paints zig-zags on eggs to the cross-eyed fellows who have such a great time painting eggs to the little bunny checking out the bubbling chocolate. 

Stayed at YouTube to finish the night with Match Game. They only did one flat-out Easter episode. In 1975, Fannie Flagg and Brett Somers sported ugly Easter bonnets early on. The hats eventually migrated to the heads of Tom Bosley and host Gene Rayburn. Match Game '91 did have "Easter __" as an Audience Match question. This was also the episode that introduced Ronn Lucas' rude new punk puppet Chuck Roast. 

Other episodes were just filmed close to Easter, like the time Charles took off his suit in 1974 after he was offended by Brett's bad answer to a question. In 1975, Betty White managed to roll up Gene Rayburn's pants again without him knowing. 1979 brought in vintage puppets Kukla and Ollie in one of the cutest weeks of the later CBS run. Their puppeteer Burr Tillstrom was a friend of Gene's. In 1978, we meet Earl, the little guy who works the Super Match board, when he's late opening the answers. There's also Fannie Flagg and her famous fried egg T-shirt, which turned up several times in 1975 and 1976. 

Celebrate Easter with a basket full of weirdos in this sweet and very funny marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Easter Marathon

And here's hoping you also had a great Easter with all the people you love to match with! 

A Little Easter Magic

Began the morning with Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since April Fool's Day is tomorrow, I started with the really cute April Fool's story about two boys who find a giraffe in their backyard and try to figure out how to keep him there and collect a reward. "Nino's Easter" follows the holiday traditions - and huge feast - of a peasant boy living with his parents in northern Italy. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" wants badly to deliver Easter eggs. After she proves her babies are capable of taking care of themselves, the head Bunny gives her a chance. He's so impressed with her, he gives her special golden shoes to get a beautiful egg to a sick little boy. 

"Grandpa Bunny" is a sweet short from the Disney Storybookland anthology. It's supposedly based on the Silly Symphony short "Funny Little Bunnies," but has nothing in common with it besides rabbits. Grandpa Bunny presides over all the rabbits in the woods, making sure they keep nature extra bright and colorful. The adult bunnies miss him when he's gone, but the children know Grandpa left one last spectacular surprise in the morning sunrise.

Put on It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown while I got dressed and organized. The Peanuts are excited for their own holiday festivities. Sally goes shopping for new shoes, while Snoopy buys a birdhouse for Woodstock. Peppermint Patty wants to teach Marcie how to color eggs, but her best friend has a hard time grasping that you have to boil them. Lucy's more interested in pestering Schroder for gifts and coloring and hiding her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids.

Called Mom while the Peanuts were on. She, Keefe, and Julia were having an egg hunt for Aurora and her friends. Aurora was also delighted with her many treats this morning. They were briefly having Julia's family over, but it sounded like they'd mainly have a small dinner with them and some friends. 

Headed out after that for Easter brunch. It was sunny, windy, and cool but not cold, in the upper 50's. Just about as nice of an Easter as one could wish. If there's one thing I like about an early Easter, it's that all the spring flowers are still out. Usually, by the time we get to Easter, the daffodils are gone and the hyacinths are almost there. Almost every yard in Oaklyn and Haddon Township was a sea of yellow, white, and purple as I rode through the local neighborhoods, and it smelled so good! I even saw early irises.

As I did last year, I had brunch at the Westmont Diner on the hill under the Haddon Township Library. Since they were pretty busy, I sat at the counter to have lemon ricotta pancakes and a cup of fruit. A little boy and his dad sat next to me. The little boy was darling. He brought along a stuffed red bull, a cocker spaniel, and a plastic dinosaur who naturally got their own seat next to me. 

Rose finally got around to texting me while I waited for brunch to arrive. She and her family weren't planning on doing anything after the kids opened their Easter basket goodies. I told her I'd come around later with my treats for her family.

Innergroove Records is open every day but Monday and on all major holidays but Christmas Day. I headed there next. They were busy with record lovers on their spring breaks and looking for things to do before Easter dinner. I dodged the browsers long enough to find: 

The original Broadway cast of The Magic Show with magician Doug Henning

The soundtrack of the 1965 comedy The Great Race

Johnny Mathis - The First 25 Years

Waldo's Ragtime Orchestra - Spectacular Ragtime

Elvis Presley - Elvis' Golden Records

Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Nevada Fighter (This one cost $9.99. The others all came out of the 1 and 2 dollar bins.)

Went home, put the records upstairs, got the treats for Rose and her family, and went right back out again. It took me a while to actually get their attention. I didn't want to ring the doorbell and rile up their dogs, but that was the only way anyone heard me. I knocked on the door for almost five minutes with no results.

I can't believe how big Khai is getting! He'll be 14 in three weeks. He definitely looks like a teenager now. Finley was taking a nap when I came in, but her mother got her up. She spent most of the time I was there showing me her new Marine Biologist Barbie doll that the Easter Bunny brought her. Honestly, that doll was pretty darn awesome. She came with a trunk filled with nifty accessories, including an underwater camera, fins, a snorkel, and tiny plastic water animals. Rose mentioned she found her a Paleontologist Barbie, too. 

Rose herself just looked tired when she brought me mint tea. She's a lawyer, and her husband Craig works two jobs. I suspect they were just happy to rest today. Apparently, they had their big Easter dinner with Craig's family in Westmont yesterday. Craig was watching the Phillies play the Braves with their dogs Oreo and Cider. Lynx the cat climbed up on the dining room table (where he is not allowed) to mew his two cents, too. (Oh, and the Phillies beat the Braves 5 - 4 for their first win of the season.)

Made a brief stop at WaWa for a treat. I had no idea Mountain Dew made a zero version of their Baja Blast. Since they do the 2 for $4 sale, I got Mountain Dew Zero for later, too. Tried a strawberry birthday cake smoothie. It tasted a lot less like birthday cake than an ordinary strawberry smoothie. Good, but not what I thought it would be.

After I got home, a friend brought me a big ham dinner while I watched Easter Parade. I went further into this classic MGM musical with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog the day before Easter 2019.

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

Switched to the closest thing Happy Days has to an Easter episode while finishing dinner. Ralph, Potsie, and Richie become "Three On a Porch" during the third season when they rent the front of a cabin during spring break. They lie to the three college girls renting the inside and tell them they're big businessmen from Tunsia, but the arrival of Fonzie knocks big holes in their story.

Did "Funny Little Bunnies" next. This simple Silly Symphonies short depicts the Easter bunnies who dye eggs and make candy and baskets for the holiday. Some of the details are really charming, though, especially how the entire bunny community, from the oldest grandpa to the tiniest bunny, find a way to help out. 

Tonight's Match Game marathon was a short one devoted to original Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall, who turned 98 yesterday. Marshall only did two weeks during the syndicated run in 1980, but they were among the most memorable of the year. A wacky Bill Daily and fairly annoyed Marcia Wallace joined in during the first week. Of the panel on his second week, only Brett Somers had never been a host and would never be one. In addition to Bill Cullen's dense resume, Dick Martin hosted the short-lived Mindbenders and The Cheap Show in the late 70's, Betty White had hosted a week of Password '75 and would go on to host another short-lived show, Just Men, and Elaine Joyce briefly hosted The Dating Game in the 80's. 

See the Master of the Squares have fun on his show's rival for hilarity in this nutty marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Peter Marshall's 98th Birthday Celebration on Match Game

Finished out the night on YouTube before and after the marathon with vintage Disney World Easter parades. I might have seen the one in 1987 on Easter morning as an 8-year-old. Ben Vereen and Joan Lunden hosted, while Regis Philbin interviewed tourists. The Disney Cruise Line got the biggest push here, with a goofy storyline involving Alan Thicke being chased by pirates, namely Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, before ending up with the Disney characters on a tropical island, listening to a Beach Boys tribute band. We also got a very brief bit of Snow White and a Snow White float for its 50th anniversary.

Philbin moved up to the host's chair by 1998; Lunden was replaced by Ann Jillian. With Disney in the thick of its Renaissance, the emphasis here was almost entirely on its animated features. Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid all had floats, and Hercules was seen at the Disney MGM Studios. Jillian even showed Mulan being made. The other big push in '98 was for the Animal Kingdom, which opened 10 days after this special debuted. Philbin even rode Countdown to Extinction, now known as Dinosaur. 

Celebrate Easter with a little vintage Disney springtime magic!

1987 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

1998 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

And I hope you had a wonderful Easter and an absolutely wonderful start of spring!

Easter Matches

Began my Easter morning by sleeping in, which I desperately needed after my long week. When I did get up, I read stories from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays. The longer material here is "Nino's Easter," the story of a young boy in Italy and his family's traditions (most of which involve church or a hunger-inducing huge dinner), and "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" about a mother rabbit who becomes an Easter bunny. There was also a hymn and several cute poems.

Headed out right after finishing my journal. Had my Easter brunch at the Westmont Diner on Cuthbert Road, next to the liquor store. Ordered Orange Pancakes as a special treat. They were absolutely delicious, very orange, with orange slices, sweetened whipped butter, and warm syrup...and unlike most diner pancakes, they were a normal size and not flopping over the edge of the plate. I could eat them in one sitting with no trouble. The Westmont Diner was pretty busy for the holiday, mostly with families looking for something special to do or elderly people with nowhere else to go.

It was way too nice to go home right away. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for the holiday. It was in the upper 50's-lower 60's, sunny and breezy, with a warm blue sky. Though the daffodils are starting to disappear, tulips are coming up, and the hyacinths are still around. The rainbow flowers waved in the air as I headed down Cuthbert.

I was hoping to hit Phildelity Records, but it would seem they're closed for the entirety of Easter week. Primo's was closed, too. I ended up a block over at the Yogo Factory. They're a huge ice cream parlor that specializes in serve-yourself frozen yogurt flavors. I tried something called "European Tart," a very tangy white yogurt that really tastes more like a tangy non-fruit sorbet. I topped it with coconut, sprinkles, and yogurt chips, and ate it outside to enjoy the weather.

It didn't look like there was anything open in Westmont, so I headed down the road to Collingswood. Only thing open there was Innergroove Records. Guess the owner isn't a holiday person. They were busier, and I didn't stay as long or do nearly as well as I did two weeks ago or last Easter, but I did come up with two good ones:

Hooked On Classics III

The soundtrack from Superman II (This was the splurge at 12. Classics came out of the dollar shelves.)

I thought of going for a ride in the park, but I was just too worn out. Picked up a ham and provolone hoagie and a container of lobster bisque from WaWa for dinner, then went home. Relaxed - and nearly passed out - while watching Easter Parade. I went further into this MGM holiday favorite with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in 2019. 

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

Finished dinner and got organized while watching It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. The Peanuts are looking forward to the spring holidays, with Sally begging for new shoes and Snoopy buying Woodstock a bird house. Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie to color eggs, with little success. Lucy's more interested in hiding and finding her own eggs. Don't bother with the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids! (Also look for some hilarious cracks at pre-pre Christmas sales.)

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower. This weekend, Match Game Productions put the spotlight on everyone's favorite lovable announcer, Johnny Olsen. Johnny went far back with Match Game, having been the main announcer for the 60's version as well. He occasionally came in to twit his association with the other big CBS show of the time - he was twice asked to do his famous line "Come on down!" from The Price Is Right. In some other shows, he even got in on the lunacy, as when Betty White grabbed him for a kiss during an Audience Match with an especially wild contestant. There were also questions on what Johnny does with his tongue to prepare for his role, and what he yells to his wife Penelope in his sleep.

Come on down and have fun with one of the most famous announcers in television!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics Celebrating Johnny Olsen

Moved to Disney Easter parades after the marathon ended. Disney's Easter parade broadcasts began in 1985 with a show that feels more like the star-packed later 4th of July spectacles. We see lots of "special guests" like magician Doug Henning (who does several tricks throughout the broadcast), pop singers New Edition, and country stars the Oak Ridge Boys. The Rockettes appear in a Meet Me In St. Louis-themed trolley number. Joan Lunden and Rick Dees were the hosts. 

By 1993, the star acts were dropped in favor of focusing on the parade and Disney itself. Lunden stayed on, this time joined by Regis Phillbin and an extremely early 90's Joey Lawrence. The Disney MGM Studios once again gets a heavy push, along with their big Aladdin-themed parade. There's also floats for The Little Mermaid and the Disney Afternoon. Roger Rabbit almost literally pops up in the beginning. Ironically, another ride getting a big push is Splash Mountain, which is currently in the midst of being remodeled with a Princess and the Frog theme. 

Some elements remain the same in both parades. There's square dancers leading to floats for the Country Bears and Clara Cluck. (The '85 parade also includes dancers dressed as chickens performing "9 to 5.") Alice In Wonderland appears in both parades. She's on a giant mushroom with her friends dancing around her in '85 and joins the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit for a tea party in a gazebo in '93. Both parades end with the Memphis Belles in their frilly pastel hoop-skirted gowns leading up to the Easter Bunnies in '85 and Mickey and Minnie in '93.

Celebrate Easter with two hour-long pieces of Disney magic!

1985 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

1993 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

And here's hoping all of you had a happy Easter, Passover, or beginning of spring with all the people you love to match with!

The Sun Is Dancing

Kicked off a sunny Easter morning with stories and poems from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. Since I forgot to do the April Fool's Day material on the 1st, I started with the story of how two enterprising boys manage to keep a giraffe from escaping their yard. "Nino's Easter" describes spring rituals and celebrations for a young boy living in northern Italy. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" tells of a mother rabbit who is tagged to be an Easter Bunny. She has a hard time delivering one special egg, but her drive and courage prompts the head Bunny to give her the title footwear. 

Instead of going straight into breakfast, I changed, grabbed my coat, and headed out. It was a far nicer Easter than I expected. We were supposed to be cold today, in the mid-50's. Only the blustery wind felt frigid. The warm sun was wonderful on my face, when you could avoid the gales. 

Headed down East Clinton, past tiny gardens filled with pansies and tulips and hyacinths, and to the steep stone steps leading to Newton Lake Park. It was even more gorgeous there. The sun danced on rippling green waters, making a fine contrast to pale green grass and sun yellow buttercups on the shore. Passed three college guys spending their Easter morning catching dinner later and many dog walkers, joggers, and couples out for a stroll.

Thought I'd have my Easter brunch at Tortilla Press in Collingswood, which has brunch every Saturday and Sunday. They weren't that busy. I saw a big family that took two tables and a few couples and friends. 

I was a little disappointed in their Easter menu. You could get blueberry pancakes or scrambled eggs and bacon anywhere. Finally went to the regular brunch menu and ordered an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese and breakfast potatoes. The "breakfast potatoes" were fried to a perfect crisp, very salty and very tasty. The omelet was amazing, with the creamy cheese perfectly complimenting the spinach and mushrooms. My waitress said it's her favorite dish on the brunch menu.

It was too nice of a day to go home right away. I strolled around Collingswood for a bit next to see if anything else was open. Walked around in Haddon Culinary, a gourmet grocery store, first. Alas, I saw nothing there I could afford. It was mostly very expensive high-end groceries like cookies, meat, or jelly and jam, thins I could get much cheaper at any supermarket.

Innergroove Records was open, too. I spent at least 40 minutes browsing through their stacks. Normally, I do better with the dollar records on the bottom shelves, but today, I came up with some jewels in the kids' albums. Finally bought:

The George Shearing Quartet - White Satin

Soundtrack from Snow White and the Three Stooges

Tinkerbell Records kiddie collection of 5 fairy tales, including Cinderella and Goldilocks 

My favorite find by far was Raggedy Ann and Andy: Happiness Album. This is one of the picture albums made by children's record company Kids Stuff in the early 80's, with gorgeous color artwork of Ann, Andy, and their dog Raggedy Arthur on either side. The girls and I loved this record to death in the early-mid 80's. I can still sing Ann and Andy's "Brother Come and Dance With Me" duet, and I learned "This Old Man" from this album. It cost me $9.99, twice as much as the other albums, but it was worth the memories. 

Treated myself to dessert at WaWa. Looks like blackberry is the big spring flavor for cold drinks at WaWa this year. Went with Blackberry Cobbler. Yum. It didn't taste much like cobbler, but it sure tasted like blackberry.

Went right home and upstairs after that. Listened to Happiness Album while working online. Ann and Andy are upset when rain prevents Marcella from taking them on a picnic. They wind up a music box and dance with Arthur and the Camel With the Wrinkled Knees instead and talk about the things that make them happy. When Marcella does finally manage to take them out, they play and sing "This Old Man." 

It's just as cute as I remember. "Happiness Is" and "This Old Man" are performed by a random adult singer and are really extraneous, but they're so catchy, you don't mind. "Come and Dance" is lively and fun. The opening and closing "Raggedy Ann and Andy World" has awkward lyrics, but is saved by a bouncy melody. 

Worked on writing for a while. The sheep leads Brett, Richard and the others under the White Castle's entrance and around to the back. Richard's sons Gary and Mark are excited to be home, but Richard reminds them that the Castle is under siege. Marcia tries to reach for flowers on the pond, only to not be able to reach them, while Brett falls out when her oar hits what the sheep claims is a crab.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ate it while watching It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. The Peanuts have their own holiday preparations to make. Sally goes shopping for shoes and Snoopy finds a bird house for Woodstock. Peppermint Patty wants to teach Marcie to color eggs, but Marcie can't seem to figure out how to cook them. Lucy just wants to hide and find her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally is skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids!

Watched The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town online after I dragged flattened boxes downstairs, took a shower, and did a few chores. The orphans of Kidsville find a bunny on Easter morning they name Sunny. Sunny wants to sell their eggs to gloomy Town, but Lady Lily Longtooth doesn't look kindly on colorful eggs, rabbits, or anything she can't control. Sunny and the kids create traditions to get around her strict laws, and show her and her nephew King Bruce how much fun it is to make your own kind of holiday.

The rare puppet special An Easter Story takes us to the Easter Bunny's factory. He's worried there won't be enough eggs to go around this Easter. While his magician son invents jelly beans, he encounters two kids who say they can help color eggs. With the help of every kid on the planet, he comes to realize that rabbits aren't the only ones who are good at preparing for Easter.

Finished the night at YouTube with Walt Disney World Easter parades from the late 80's and early 90's. These aren't as jam-packed as the 4th of July shows, but we do get more focus on the actual parade, rather than boy band concerts and celebrity speeches. Regis Philbin and Joan Lunden host the 1989 and 1992 parades. Alan Thicke joins Lunden in 1989, with Philbin interviewing tourists on Main Street. By '92, Robby Benson, the original voice of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, took over on Main Street, leaving Philbin as the primary male host. And of course, Benson just had to dance with Belle during the Beauty and the Beast group in '92!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was such a massive success in 1988 that Roger was a major presence in both parades. In fact, he began the '92 special with a surprise appearance. By '92, the Disney Renaissance was in full swing, and we had floats representing The Little Mermaid and The Disney Afternoon cartoons along with the regular characters and older movies like Cinderella. Both parades featured groups in Edwardian dress showing off old-fashioned haberdashery, Clara Cluck and her dancing girl chickens in a barn float, and ended with rows and rows of teen southern belles from Mobile, Alabama in frilly pastel hoop-skirted gowns leading up to the Easter Bunnies in '89 and Mickey and Minnie in '92. 

Both parades also heavily advertised what's now Disney Hollywood Studios, which opened a few weeks after the '89 parade debuted. You get to see many vanished rides, including glimpses of The Great Movie Ride and the Backstage Tour. Richard Mulligan also provides a reminder that actual filming used to go on here, as we get glimpses of the old New York lot and the exterior of the Empty Nest house. 

If you remember Disney in the late 80's and early 90's, you'll want to check out these springtime blasts from the past!

1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

1992 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

And I hope you had a wonderful Easter and Passover with all the people you love!

A Beautiful Easter In the Neighborhood

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

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

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

It's an Easter Match, Charlie Brown

Began my Easter with work. I spent the entire morning cleaning the bathrooms and wiping doors and credit card machines down...at least, when I could get into the bathrooms. People kept going into them, and I had to wait for them to leave. It did get busy around 10:30-11, but was quiet by the time I finally finished at 2...and I saw why when I dashed out the door. A long line of people waiting to get in stretched around the side of the store, and from what I could hear as I rode by them, not a single one was happy. They were only letting ten people in at a time, and the store closed at 3 today.

Goes without saying I was happy to get home. As soon as I arrived, I opened the Easter present Mom sent me. It was an adorable egg-shaped box of See's Candies. (Mom must have sent them before they closed - their website says they're not shipping online right now. Either that, or her box came from elsewhere.) She also sent me a floral mask for work.

Ran It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, as I started an early dinner. The Peanuts celebrate the spring with trips to the store for new shoes, Snoopy buying his buddy Woodstock a bird house, and Peppermint Patty's futile attempts to teach Marcie how to color eggs. No need for all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's understandably skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin at Halloween. Lucy would rather color and hide her own eggs.

My Easter dinner was the bacon and cheese quiche from Julie's Cooking Studio, with yogurt instead of sour cream, Mexican shredded cheese instead of Swiss and cheddar, turkey bacon instead of pork, and added spinach and mushrooms. Oh, yum. It came out perfectly, just the right blend of salty and savory. Probably the best pie I ever made.

Switched to The First Easter Rabbit while starting Glazed Lemon Rolls. This Rankin-Bass 2-D animated tale of something of a cross between Frosty the Snowman and The Velveteen Rabbit. Stuffy (Robert Morse) was little Glinda's favorite toy. He ends up on a bonfire pile when she comes down with scarlet fever, but a fairy takes pity on him and turns him into a real rabbit. He's now the Easter Bunny, symbol of springtime and ruler of April Valley...if he can get around Zero, who wants to unleash permanent winter on the valley!

Moved to the next Match Game Marathon while the rolls rose, and then while they baked. Comedian Bill Daily is today best-known for his sitcom work, including prominent roles in I Dream of Jeannie, The Bob Newhart Show, and Alf, but game show fans know him as one of the wildest of the show's stable of semi-regulars. He threw noisy tantrums whenever the audience got too rowdy and gave answers that matched Joyce Bulifant's in their strangeness (and lack of matching). He traded jackets with Gene in one syndicated episode, then complained about his chair being too short in another.

Bill was present for two of the show's most memorable contestants. He was there for the final week on CBS in 1979, when that lady Carolyn won over 30,000 and became the highest-winning contestant in the show's history. Later that year in the syndicated version, a woman in the Head-to-Head round answered "Cuckoo ___" with "Cukoo, Friend, and Ollie," and did it with utter confidence. Gene laughed so hard, he nearly fell all over the stage, and the panelists were all falling over laughing, too. Bill would later relate in Match Game 101 that they had to stop taping, everyone was laughing so hard. (She meant "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie," the puppet duo, who appeared on the show earlier that year. Poor Robert Walden eventually gave what was likely the definitive answer, "cuckoo clock.")

Here's Bill's marathon, so you can attempt to match his wild answers yourself! And come around tomorrow at 3 PM for the next semi-regular in the spotlight, talented and sassy Patty Duke.

The Best of Bill Daily on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1982

And I hope you matched yourself a wonderful Easter, no matter where you celebrated it!

Home Sweet Easter

Began my Easter with early work. It was...pretty much the same as yesterday, actually. The worst we got was mildly steady around 10:30-11. I very briefly ended up in a register and cleaned up a spill, but I mostly alternated between doing carts, shelving two full carts of returns, and gathering baskets. I had plenty of help, with two other baggers arriving eventually, and no trouble at all. It was a decent day for doing carts, too, on and off sunny and breezy. It was warm, but not overly so for this time of year, I believe in the upper 60's.

Ran into Rose, who was grocery shopping with little miss Finley, while I did the returns. Evidently yes, as Dad and Jodie said, she was having eye problems - it looked like some kind of nasty eye infection. Khai had just gotten over a bout of strep throat, too. They were going to go to her husband Craig's parents' house for Easter dinner, but she didn't sound to sure about it. I never heard from her the rest of the day, so I'm going to presume they did. She also mentioned a birthday party for Khai tomorrow; I may at least try to stop by and drop off their birthday gifts before that.

(I also got Easter greetings from Mom via texting, and I texted Dad later in the day.)

After I changed into regular clothes and bought small packs of tissues for work, I headed across Audubon to the Legacy Diner. Surprisingly, they were also just steady despite it being almost 12:30 and the diner being less than a block from a church. I tried a strawberry-raspberry crepe. They did use really large, sweet strawberry pieces in the filling, but the raspberry compote was gluey and the crepes were a little burned. They were still quite edible, though.

Stopped at WaWa on the way home. Instead of buying a slice of heavy cake or cheesecake at the diner, I opted to get a strawberry milkshake as an Easter treat. They were slightly busier than the Acme or the diner, but a second line opened just as the kids behind the counter finished my milkshake.

After I got home, I decided to try something. Last year, I attempted to make yeast Lemon Rolls, but they didn't rise and ended up being hard as rocks. I think the yeast I used was dead. This time, the dough rose normally, and the rolls came out amazing, just sweet and tart enough. I was out of powdered sugar and opted to make a lemon-honey glaze that gave it the right note.

Watched Yogi the Easter Bear while I worked. Yogi and Boo Boo are in big trouble when Yogi eats all the candy Ranger Smith intended for Jellystone's big Easter Jamboree. They go to the Easter Bunny to get replacements and end up rescuing him and the Easter Chicken from a pair of bizarre plastic-obsessed villains.

Switched to Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies as I cleaned up the bread mess. The Easter Bunny is sick and asks Granny to find a replacement. She first turns to Bugs, but he's busy making his cartoons. They eventually turn to the other Looney Tunes to see if they'd make an appropriate Easter Bunny (via clips from various shorts, some of them Oscar-winners).

Ran one more Looney Tunes short as I finished the dishes. Easter Funnies was not the first time Bugs was asked to fill in for the Easter Bunny. "Easter Yeggs" has Bugs taking over delivering eggs for the tired bunny...but the bratty child of a criminal and Elmer's attempts to have him for Easter dinner makes him regret his desire to help.

Worked on writing and messed around online for a while. Ben has Rudy hack into the Iron Works' computer system to find out where the controls for the electricity are. Ben insists that he has to turn it off alone. Luke wants to go with him, but Ben feels he must do this alone.

Charlie showed up as I was gathering the risen batter to shape into rolls. Apparently, he intends to start putting in the new windows in the bedroom. That's going to be a little more complicated than doing them in the living area or bathroom. I have a lot of stuff next to the windows in my bedroom, including my modem, a shelf of young adult paperback books, my desk, and my self-help books. I left the modem and the desk, but moved the books and the shelf (good thing it was an easily-collapsible folding shelf).

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. I made pasta salad with broccoli florets, sliced tomato wedges, tri-color spiral pasta, scallions, cubes of Monterrey Jack cheese, olive oil, rice vinegar, and lime juice to go with my pan-cooked ham slice. The pasta salad wasn't bad, although I suspect it'll be even better tomorrow after spending time in the fridge.

Finished off the night with rolls for dessert and two more Easter specials. The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town was the last Rankin-Bass Easter cartoon in 1977. Sunny the Bunny is adopted by the orphans of Kidsville, who basically regard him as one of them. He encourages them to try to sell their eggs in gloomy Town. Lady Lily Longtooth, the rigid ruler of Town, keeps forbidding Sunny, his eggs, and every other thing he comes up with to get around her strict rules...but even she can't stop tradition.

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown has the Peanuts getting ready for the festivities in their own ways. Peppermint Patty wants to show her best friend Marcie how to dye eggs, but Marcie keeps doing everything to the eggs but hard-boiling them. Sally wants new spring shoes, and Snoopy is looking for a bird house for Woodstock. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical of his theories after the non-arrival of the Great Pumpkin at Halloween. Lucy would rather color and find her own eggs.

And here's hoping you had a lovely and enjoyable Easter or Passover of your own!

Easter Parade at Home

I awoke to a cloudy, rather blahh Easter. Brightened my morning with short stories and poems from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since today is also April Fool's Day, I began with the cute short story for April Fools about two boys who find a giraffe in their backyard and have to keep him there until the zoo arrives. The Easter stories were Nino's Easter, about a little Italian boy's holiday celebration, and The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, the tale of a mother rabbit who gets to join the Easter bunnies and help bring an egg to a sick child. The Disney anthology Storybookland features Grandpa Bunny, a short story about how Great Grandpa Bunny worked to keep the seasons colorful...and how his beloved grandchildren know where his final legacy can be found.

Did The First Easter Rabbit while I got dressed and organized. The second Rankin-Bass Easter special and the only one in regular 2-D animation is basically a cross between Frosty the Snowman and The Velveteen Rabbit. Stuffy was once the beloved toy of little Glinda, until she got scarlet fever and he's thrown away. A sympathetic fairy turns him into the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring and favorite of children everywhere. What he really wants to do is get back to Glinda, but ice-loving Zero may make this very difficult.

Checked my phone and learned that the Legacy Diner was open for business today, so I rode up there for brunch. There was a short line when I pulled in, but being one person, it didn't take that long to seat me. I enjoyed a yummy "Normandy," two crepes filled with Bavarian creme and bananas and covered in whipped cream. It was amazing. Like eating a turned-in banana pudding pie. They were so busy, I ended up borrowing a menu from the table next to me. Since they helped me, I returned the favor by letting them have my rack of jelly for their toast.

When I got home, I put on The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town while starting Glazed Lemon Rolls (which are a yeast recipe).  The third and final Rankin-Bass springtime special this time takes us to Kidville, in the remote Big Rock Mountains. Sunny Bunny is hoping to expand their reach into gloomy Town over the mountain. He's first attacked by grouchy Gadzooks the bear, then by snobbish Lady Longtooth, who disapproves of anything that doesn't fall under her strict and dull laws. He finally wins over both by creating Easter traditions that will make Gadzooks more appreciative of himself and get around Lady Longtooth's harsh restrictions.

Put on another special while I cleaned up the bread mess. Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement introduces three all-new shorts with a springtime theme. Sylvester and Daffy pursue a golden egg in the first short. The second has Daffy trying to protect a chocolate rabbit factory from Speedy, who wants chocolate bunnies for the kids of his village. The third shows Daffy solo as he tries to find a better way to fly north for the summer.

Bugs offers to help the Easter Bunny deliver his "Technicolor hen fruit" in "Easter Yeggs." He instantly regrets his Good Samaritan impulses when he's attacked by the bratty son of a criminal, then Elmer decides he wants him in his stew pot.

I tried calling Rose as the cartoon was ending to see what she was doing. I called too late. She and her family were already out the door to meet Craig's parents for a fancier Easter brunch.

Cheered myself up with a walk to WaWa for an Easter treat. Springtime is becoming more and more evident here. The dogwoods are in bloom now, and sunny yellow daffodils brighten many gardens. I saw a few kids in Easter finery at a party at the VFW across the street from me, but most folks by that point were probably either watching movies at home or in the theater or out to their own brunches. Grabbed a perfectly sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie at a mildly busy WaWa.

Took a leaf from them and ran a Peanuts special as I formed the rolls and got them in the oven. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, as she's the worst player on Chuck's notoriously loss-prone team. Peppermint Patty tries to trade for Snoopy at first, but later turns Marcie over to him for Lucy. Chuck quickly finds out that there are even worse players out there. Marcie's a sweetheart, but she's absolutely no good at baseball and only plays because her best friend does.

Did some writing for the next few hours. The little elf's light leads back to the others. Leia discovers that Han collapsed shortly after she took off, his head in terrible pain. Chirruit, the Force-loving monk, explains that an evil force is attacking Han's mind. He may sleep permanently if it isn't expelled. Luke, with his innocent healing powers, manages to get rid of it...just as he turns back into a human, to the shock of the Rogue One crew.

Broke to start dinner around 6. I decided to try a spring variation on the Bacon and Cheese Quiche in Julie's Cooking Studio. The bacon became turkey bacon (pork gives me indigestion, and regular bacon is expensive), the cheese was Parmesan and mozzarella (what I had on hand), replaced the sour cream with Greek yogurt, and added sliced mushrooms and asparagus with the bacon. Oh, wow. It may be the best pie I ever made. Savory and slightly sweet and just the right kind of tart, and it cooked beautifully. Turned the other pie crust into Cinnamon Roll-Ups, crunchy cinnamon buns made by sprinkling a pie crust with cinnamon and sugar and cutting it after it was rolled.

Finished out the Peanuts baseball set while I worked. Charlie Brown's All-Stars are about to give up when a local business offers to buy them uniforms...if they get rid of Snoopy and all the girls on the team. Chuck refuses, and while the kids are mad at him at first, they soften when they understand why he turned them down. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is pretty much the same story, only this time, the sponsor says they just have to win a game. With Chuck's team, that hardly seems possible. But help may come from an unexpected source - Leland, Frieda's little brother.

Moved on to a brief round with Wii Sports after dinner. Figured I didn't need boxing after my walk earlier, so I stuck to tennis and golf. I'm doing better at putting and Target Practice and can do fairly decent with just hitting balls in tennis (got a bronze medal in that), but I can't hit the targets in tennis to save my life. I just can't aim properly. Had more luck with a decent round of bowling.

Ran one last Peanuts special while I cleaned up from my game and after dinner. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown shows the Peanuts' Easter preparations. Sally wants new spring shoes, while Peppermint Patty tries in vain to teach Marcie to color eggs and Snoopy looks for a new home for Woodstock. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle will do all that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin, to say the least. Lucy just wants to hide and find her own eggs.

Moved on to Easter Parade when I went online. This 1948 MGM musical takes us to New York in the 1910's, where dancer Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) finds himself choosing a new partner after his previous one, Nadine (Ann Miller) joins the Ziegfeld Follies. He plucks Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) out of the chorus of a bar show and tries to groom her to be another Nadine...until Nadine points out that she's not her. He then lets Hannah be her real, funny self, and they switch successfully from ballroom dancing to comedy. Hannah now finds herself in love with Don, even as his best friend Johnny (Peter Lawford) eyes her, and Nadine eyes Johnny. Matters finally get themselves settled, just in time for the famous parade described in the title song.

Fluffy MGM musical benefits from some terrific Irving Berlin numbers, including the charming "A Fella With an Umbrella" for Garland and Lawford and the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" for her and Astaire. If you love the cast or the MGM spectaculars of the 40's and 50's, this is one of the best and is recommended.

Finished out the night with Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. The Easter Bunny is sick and can't deliver eggs, so Granny sets out to find a replacement among the Toons. Unlike the Daffy Duck special, this is pretty much just an excuse to showcase bits from some of the most popular shorts ever made at Termite Terrace, including the Oscar-winners "Knighty-Knight Bugs," "For Scent-imental Reasons," and "Birds Anonymous."

And I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and Passover, whether you spent it with your families or were on your own, too.

Very Warm for Easter

Began a gorgeous, warm Easter morning with stories and poems from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Nino's Easter is the tale of a little Greek boy's typical Easter customs, from attending church to the huge family feast afterwards. The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes tells of a mother rabbit who so impresses the head Easter Bunny with how she takes care of her large family, he makes her an official Easter Bunny. She's not sure she can make it, but a pair of shiny shoes may help her get through.

Also did a short from the Disney Storybookland anthology. "Grandpa Bunny" is supposedly based after "Funny Little Bunnies." Great Grandpa Bunny Bunny has been the head of the Easter rabbits for as long as anyone can remember. When he dies, the older bunnies search for his last legacy...but their children know where it can be found.

Ran The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town as I ate Confetti Pancakes for breakfast. Sunny the Bunny is discovered by the citizens of all-child Kidsville on Easter morning. As he grows up, he insist that the kids start to expand their products outside the village and tries to bring their eggs to dismal Town. Not only does grouchy Gadzooks the Bear keep chasing him away, but rigid Lady Longtooth, who rules Town, pretty much hates anything that isn't beans or her young nephew King Bruce. As Sunny, his hobo friend, and the kids create ways to get around Lady Longtooth's laws, the discover that they're creating traditions that will outlast her strict ways.

Tossed on a quick Looney Tunes short as I got ready for work. "Easter Yeggs" features a far less benign spring hare. The Easter Bunny is feeling overworked and recruits Bugs Bunny to take over his job. No wonder - Bugs is attacked by a criminal kid and Elmer Fudd looking for a rabbit for his stew pot. Fed up, he finally decides to get revenge on the lazy rabbit.

Work was surprisingly not that bad for a Sunday and a holiday. It was busy on and off, with occasional long lines, but they didn't last. I assumed the lines would be long all day. I cleaned the bathrooms and bagged in the morning and did the carts in the afternoon. Glad I did. Part of the reason we weren't that busy may have been it was absolutely gorgeous today, sunny, windy, and ridiculously warm for April, probably in the lower 80's. I treated myself to a free chocolate doughnut (via one of the Monopoly coupons) and an Acme Orange/Mango sparkling soda on the way out.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. Given the weather, it was practically required. They weren't too bad, either. A little busy down Nicholson, but once I got to Atlantic, it was smooth sailing. Took an even longer route down Kendall, past Rose and Craig's house and the West Clinton Business District. Needless to say, there were quite a few people out and about today, chatting on porches, riding bikes, or watching their children play in their yards.

Did more Looney Tunes, this one a TV special, when I got in. Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citment gives us three all-original shorts with a spring theme, and all featuring Daffy. He and Sylvester chase a golden egg in the first short. In the second, he has to keep Speedy Gonzoles out of a chocolate bunny factory. Speedy wants the bunnies for the kids of his village, but Daffy has no intention of paying. Daffy's solo in the third, as he tries to figure out how to get north without flying.

Worked on writing and editing for an hour or so. Leia's disappointed to say good-bye to Uncle Bail, who is returning to Alderaan to deal with the fall-out from the Death Star destroying their shipyards. He promises he'll be back in time for the Diamond Jubilee Gala Ball at the end of the summer.

Headed to Dad and Jodie's around quarter of 5. Rose, Khai, and Craig were already there when I arrived. Jesse, Dana, T.J, and his new girlfriend showed up shortly after. Dad and Jodie did give me socks (they're kind of thin, though - I may get one more pack next month) and Rogue One. (Which I'll watch tomorrow.)  Jodie also gave me 20 dollars. (The bulk of my birthday money is going towards tickets and money for my visit to Pittsfield to see Lauren in mid-July.) Rose and her boys gave me a 25 dollar gift card to CVS. (I gave Rose a 15 dollar gift card to Target.)

I chased Khai and Chloe around for a bit, watching them play with Khai's new blocky Minecraft toy animals in the living room. Watched some pretty odd episodes of Teen Titans Go! as the kids tumbled and jumped around the scarred old coffee table. One episode was a parody of Gilligan's Island, with Beast Boy as Gilligan, Cyborg as the Skipper, and Robin as the Professor. A two-parter had Starfire and Raven rescuing the boys from prison with the help of a few less-trustworthy female characters.

We had dinner around quarter after 5. Instead of ham, we had an amazing succulent prime rib Jodie bought straight from a local butcher. There were also roasted rosemary red potatoes, sauteed asparagus, garden salad, corn (Khai was very happy - he loves corn), and sweet rolls with butter. We said our prayers, then dug in. Everything was so good! The prime rib just melted in my mouth. The company was equally nice. Even Khai was a perfect gentleman. (And he's a lot better at cutting his meat than I was at that age.)

Chloe and her mother returned as we were preparing to have dessert. Rose requested something key lime; I wanted chocolate. The compromise - two small, round key lime cheesecakes surrounding a slightly larger chocolate fudge cake with colorful flower icing decorations. The chocolate cake was delicious, with it's very thick candy-like frosting, but soooo rich!

Joe and Jessa showed up as we were finishing dessert. They'd had car trouble, but I'm glad they did make it. My birthday gift from them was a smartphone to replace my ancient flip-top cell phone. It's Joe's previous phone, a Samsung Galaxy 5, and not that old. They showed me how to set it up and inserted the SIM card. Joe even drove me to CVS when they realized they'd forgotten the charger and bought me a new one (with a 10-foot cord) as part of the gift. I also grabbed my annual bag of post-holiday York Peppermint Patties - they were already gone at the Acme.

Which means...I can now text properly (without having to use one number for three letters) and take photos on my phone! I texted Mom later this evening to thank her for the Easter card and for calling me on my birthday. I'll mess around with the phone more later this week.

Put on a few remaining specials as I got organized and added contacts to my new phone when I got home. The First Easter Rabbit is another Rankin-Bass Easter Bunny origin story, this time in regular 2-D animation. Stuffy was once a toy rabbit, the beloved favorite of little Glinda. When she gets scarlet fever, he's saved from the rubbish pile by a fairy who turns him into a real bunny. She proclaims him the Easter Bunny, the symbol of spring for all children. But there's a nasty old snow wizard nearby who doesn't want spring to go on...

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown follows the Peanuts' Easter preparations. Peppermint Patty wants to teach Marcie to color eggs, but her best friend keeps on doing everything but boiling them. Charlie Brown takes Sally shoe shopping (and gets in some cracks about extra-early Christmas sales), while Snoopy searches for a waterproof home for Woodstock. Don't bother with the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally is more than a little skeptical after the Great Pumpkin incident on Halloween. Lucy would rather hide and find her own eggs.

Finished out the night with the classic 1948 musical Easter Parade. Fred Astaire plays a vaudeville dancer whose partner (Ann Miller) leaves him for a star turn in the Ziegfield Follies. Hurt, he hires a far more different and down-to-earth dancer and singer (Judy Garland) as her replacement. He tries to groom her as a ballroom dancer...but the act really takes off when he discovers she's a born comedienne. His college student best friend (Peter Lawford) has a crush on her; his former partner is after Lawford, but may still have feelings for him, too. Both couples manage to reconcile in time for the big Easter Parade in New York.

The thin story is really more of a tent pole to hang some wonderful Irving Berlin numbers, including Astaire's "Drum Crazy" and "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and Garland and Astaire's hilarious comic hobo duet "A Couple of Swells." My favorite song is Lawford's adorable ballad "A Fella With an Umbrella." If you love the cast, Irving Berlin, or light musicals, this is a fun watch for late Easter afternoon or evening.

And happy Easter to all those who celebrate it! This ended up being the nicest Easter I had in years. I hope all of you had just as much fun!

A Good Birthday on Good Friday

It was still cloudy and a bit chilly when I got up this morning. Began my birthday with two American Girl stories. In Happy Birthday, Felicity, Lissie is excited to celebrate her big day with her grandfather, who is visiting for a few weeks. As much as she loves her dear old granddad, there's some friction in the household. Grandfather remains loyal to the king and governor. Her father and his apprentice are staunch patriots who believe the colonies should rule themselves. Meanwhile, Felicity loses her family's trust when she borrows a priceless heirloom without asking permission and breaks part of it. Her parents won't listen to her when she tells them she overheard the govener's men plotting to steal the colonists' gunpowder stores. She, her father's apprentice, and a drummer boy take it upon themselves to sound the alarm.

Molly McEntyre's birthday is less action-packed but equally frustrating. Happy Birthday, Molly has her trying to organize a genuine English tea with British refugee Emily Bennett. Molly's idea of a typical birthday party, with cake and ice cream and games, clashes with Emily's sedate lemon tart and watercress sandwiches. The girls end up arguing and insulting one another. It takes a surprise from Molly's mom to make the duo realize just how important compromise can be.

Ran a quick Disney short while doing dishes and getting organized. "Mickey's Birthday Party" is one of the last "everyone dances and sings" shorts. Here, the gang celebrates Mickey's big day with a conga and a boogie-woogie number to Mick's new organ. Meanwhile, Goofy tries to make a cake, without success.

I wanted to get an early start today to catch the first showing of Beauty and the Beast at the Cinemark Theater in Somerdale. Ran a quick special during breakfast. The original 1981 World of Strawberry Shortcake was set on the title character's birthday. Strawberry is upset when she thinks everyone's forgotten her special day. The nasty Peculiar Purple Pieman tricks the kids into giving Strawberry a gift that destroys their home. The kids are upset, but they won't go down without a fight.

Headed out around 9 to catch the bus down the White Horse Pike to Somerdale. It's the same bus I use to get to Voorhees Town Center and the Lindenwald Bus and Train Terminal, the one that picks up at the Oaklyn City Hall. No problems traveling. The bus was on time and not really full, and there was no traffic.

Got into Somerdale about 15 or so minutes later. The Cinemark Theater is in a small shopping center set off the road behind a Pizza Hut, a Taco Bell, and a massive Wal Mart. Went straight there first. They've done some remodeling since I saw The Force Awakens there early last year. The biggest addition was very soft and comfortable recliner seats. Lots of legroom, too. The remodeling was so fresh, the floor wasn't sticky yet.

The movie was even more enjoyable. If you've seen the animated Beauty and the Beast, or are familiar with the original French fairy tale, you know what happens here. Belle (Emma Watson) is shunned by the citizens of her tiny village not only for her love of reading, but for teaching little girls to read. Gaston (Luke Evans) may be handsome, but he's also vain, obnoxious, and has the intellect of a block of wood. Despite his boorish behavior, he's beloved by the townspeople, including his buddy LeFou (Josh Gad). One night, Belle's learns that her adored Father Maurice (Kevin Kline) was imprisoned by an hideous Beast (Dan Stevens) for trying to take a rose for Belle. Belle takes her father's place in the Beast's castle. But all is not what it seems. The longer Belle remains at the castle, the more she peels back the Beast's layers to discover he can be charming and intelligent as well as gruff. Now she just has to convince the town that the real Beast isn't the one with the fur, but the one with the selfish heart.

Oooh, Mom was totally right. This was amazing. Special kudos to the wonderful casting. Along with a pitch-perfect Watson and Kline, we have Ewan MacGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Broadway star Audra Ann MacDonald as the wardrobe, and Stanley Tucci as her husband, a court musician-turned-harpsichord.  Lovely costumes and special effects, too. And the numbers were a blast. While the Busby Berkley-inspired "Be Our Guest" was fun, my favorite was the music hall pub romp to "Gaston." Glad to see some elements from the original fairy tale added back in, notably Maurice being imprisoned for trying to pick a rose.

Despite the additions of deeper back stories for Belle and the Beast and some darker elements, there's still no denying that this story's been told before. Also, I really wish they'd retained some of the songs from the stage version. "Home" and "No Matter What" might have been especially welcome. We only hear the music from the original film and a few new songs.

If you've got kids, especially little girls, you've probably already seen it. Even if you don't, I still recommend it, especially if you love musicals or the original Beauty and the Beast film or fairy tale.

I was glad to see that the Pac Man arcade game was still in the lobby at the theater. I played a few rounds of that before heading out to explore the rest of the shopping center. There wasn't really much to see. I browsed through Game Stop and Dollar General. There was also a YoGo Factory, an LA Fitness, and a pet shop. Considered some Lego games at Game Stop but finally decided I'd wait on those until next month when Lauren visits.

Settled down for lunch at the Applebee's next-door to the Cinemark around quarter of 1. The place wasn't too busy, despite it being the tail-end of the lunch hour and a day many people have off. I had the Fire Roasted Chicken Salad Wrap and their tasty French onion soup. The Fire-Roasted Chicken Salad Wrap lived up to the fire part of its name. It was mildly spicy and rather small, but still delicious. I wasn't really looking for a huge lunch, anyway. I ate a whole bag of popcorn at the movie.

Hiked back up the hill to Wal Mart after lunch. If the Wal Mart had nothing else going for it, its location on the side of the hill made for some spectacular views of the mall, theater, and apartment complexes below it. It was getting nicer by the minute too. The clouds that had been present all morning were starting to scuttle away.

My jaw nearly dropped when I stepped inside. The Wal Mart was enormous, the size of at least two or three warehouses, and probably about six times the size of the dinky little store in Audubon. One side of the store was all grocery items and food. This side was well-organized above the Wal Mart normal and fairly well-stocked. I found that Key Lime cake mix that is only seen around Easter, plus dark chocolate chips, cooking spray, and coconut for cheap.

The other side of the store wasn't nearly as well-organized. Everyone must have gone shopping in the morning. They already seemed rather picked-over, especially in the toy aisles. The prices still aren't as great as everyone claims. The lines were ridiculously long, too. I did find a present for my nephew Khai for his birthday on Wednesday, tan fitted sheets to replace the one that got a hole in it last fall, and the most adorable Beanie Baby-style BB-8 for me. (Also, the customers were unusually well-dressed and polite for people shopping in Wal Mart. The man in front of me who had a full cart let me go ahead of him.)

Since I had a little time before the bus arrived, I strolled down a block to the Magnolia Garden Center. I'd seen them on the bus many times, but never had a chance to check them out. In addition to seeds, bulbs, plants, flowers, giant watering cans, and other gardening items, they also sold Yankee Candles and country-style knick-knacks. Cute place and I enjoyed the quick look, but I'd really spent enough. I picked up the bus in front of the very modern Taco Bell, ignoring the squabbling family waiting with me. Other than the bus was a tad more full, I had no trouble getting back.

(At least the weather had gotten gorgeous by this point, sunny, breezy, and in the mid-60's. Perfectly normal for mid-April in Southern New Jersey.)

I originally rode to Dad and Jodie's first for the egg hunt, but I was too early. I just headed home instead. There was a call waiting for me when I got in. Mom had wished me a happy birthday. I called back. She was at work, but I did get to say "hi" to Dad before he headed out to work tomorrow.

Arrived at Dad and Jodie's house just as the kids were about to be let loose on the yard. Jodie, Dad, Rose, Craig, and some of the neighborhood parents had organized an egg hunt in Dad's front yard for their kids. They were so funny to watch as they scrambled around the grass, bushes, and fences around the pool area, searching for eggs. They all wanted to find Golden Eggs, the only ones with paper money in them. Poor Savannah got so upset when she didn't find a Golden Egg (and her brother Ryan did), she had to be briefly taken home to calm down.

The biggest hit among the non-money, non-candy items were tiny Pokemon figures that the kids all traded and the plastic bubbles. I remember these from when I was a kid. You squeeze some colorful liquid from a tube onto a straw, blow on the straw, and...voila! You produce a glue-smelling, pastel-colored bubble that can be played with usually for a few minutes before deflating. The kids loved them, chasing bubbles all over the front steps and porch.

Spent the rest of the evening at home. I had the second breaded tilapia fillet and roasted green beans and tomatoes in olive oil for dinner. The key lime cake mix and bag of coconut became Key Lime Coconut Cake with the addition of lime juice and a hand-made coconut buttercream icing.

Ran specials and cartoons while eating and working on my crocheting project for Lauren. "Pluto's Party" doesn't go as smoothly as Mickey's did. The young guests Mickey invited are unruly and obnoxious, trying to make Pluto pull them in a wagon and eating all his cake. But Mickey has a special surprise for his favorite pup at the end.

Max & Ruby did a three-party story involving Ruby's birthday. "Surprise Ruby" has the girl bunny following her brother, who has her tiara. She just wants to be home in time for her big surprise party. "Ruby's Birthday Party" has Ruby and her buddies enjoying typical party games like Red Light Green Light and Musical Chairs. Max just wants cake. "Ruby's Presents" are heartfelt and much-appreciated. Max has nothing for his sister, but the wrapping paper she's saved may give him an idea.

It's Yogi Bear's birthday in another three-part story, the series finale of The Yogi Bear Show. Ranger Smith has convinced Yogi that he's going to appear in one of the variety specials that were popular in the 50's and 60's. It's really a big birthday bash featuring all of the Hanna Barbara funny animals who had been created up to that point, including Huckleberry Hound and Quick-Draw McGraw.

Went further back in the series to dig up some spring-themed Yogi episodes. Yogi's "A Wooin' Bruin" when a circus bear courts Cindy. They compete to see who can bring her the most outrageous gifts. "Spring Has Hit a Snag" for the dramatic pink lion when a pretty female lion house guest turns out to be more of a demanding pest. "Duck Seasoning" is a more typical tale, pitting Yakky Doodle against a rather strange alligator based on Alfred Hitchcock.

Finished out the night before a shower with more Yogi. Yogi the Easter Bear is in a major jam. He ate all the candy for the big Easter Jamboree Ranger Smith is planning. The ridiculously tough commissioner and his grandchildren are going to be there and are expecting to have a great time. Yogi and Boo Boo set out to find the Easter Bunny, but his house has been ransacked. They end up rescuing him and the Easter Chicken from a pair of very weird plastic-obsessed goons.

And I must toss in a mention here of the best birthday present of all. Disney finally released the first trailer for this year's Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I can't wait for this. It looks awesome.

The Last Jedi 1st Teaser Trailer

Easter Parade at Home

I brightened a gray Easter morning with stories from Collier's Book of Holidays. "Nino's Easter" describes a typical Easter Sunday for a young boy in Italy in the early part of the 20th century. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" tells the the tale of a mother rabbit who becomes one of the Easter Bunnies after the elder bunny sees how well she takes care of her children. Her first assignment is to get up a mountain to deliver goodies to a sick child, but she has help from a pair of gold shoes. There were also several Easter poems and an "Easter Hymn." Switched to the Disney 60's anthology Storybookland for the brief "Grandpa Bunny," supposedly based after "Funny Little Bunnies." Grandpa Bunny was the beloved Easter Bunny for many years. When he passes on, the other rabbits mourn him...but the little ones know where his legacy can be found...

Ran It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown as I made Coconut-Lemon Pancakes for the quickest holiday breakfast I could manage. The Peanuts are brimming with springtime preparations. Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie how to color eggs, with little luck. Snoopy buys a new birdhouse for Woodstock, while Sally and Chuck go shoe shopping. No need for all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical after the Great Pumpkin incident at Halloween. So's Lucy, who would rather hide and find her own eggs.

Work was...surprisingly steady the entire morning and early afternoon. After we were mobbed last year, I expected more of the same today. Not this time. We had perfectly normal crowds for a regular Sunday in late March, with longish but not overwhelming lines. This year, not only does Easter hit at the end of the month rather than the beginning, but the gloomy weather wasn't exactly conductive to random rides out to run errands. There was one very obnoxious older woman at the beginning of the afternoon who complained loudly because the cashier in before me had been talking to a customer about his flowers for too long. Otherwise, there were no problems, and my relief was on time.

When I got home, I made a few calls. I never heard from anyone on the Cape May side of the family today at all (though I did get an Easter card from Mom yesterday). Dad said he and Jodie were going out of town to visit family, and it sounded like Jessa and Joe were going to be at the movies. I was on my own.

That wasn't a bad thing. After all the craziness the last few weeks, a day to myself, with no one downstairs or anywhere else, was fine by me. I worked on writing for a few hours after I gave up on the phone. Luke, Wedge, and Biggs are attacked by two more younger dragons following the older one. Biggs goes after one, Wedge and Luke after the other. Wedge is knocked off his horse, which is blasted into cinders, along with his sword. Luke sends Wedge back to the Rebels on his horse to get help. He follows the remaining dragons into the woods, hoping to find Biggs before he gets toasted...

Returned to holiday programming as I started my dinner. I threw sweet potatoes and a bruised apple into a pan with my turkey ham and a brown sugar-chicken stock sauce into the oven, with honey-glazed carrots and a broiled grapefruit half for fruit and veggies. Made Carrot Coconut Cookies with the last of the carrots for dessert.

Did The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town while preparing the ham and potatoes and starting the cookies. Sunny Bunny is raised among the orphans of Kidsville and hopes to bring their beautiful eggs to the outside world. He inadvertently creates many Easter traditions as he attempts to get his colorful springtime treats around prudish Lady Lily Longtooth and to her nephew King Bruce.

Went into Easter Parade while making the carrots and grapefruit and during dinner. This classic 1948 MGM musical takes us to New York in the early 1910's. Vaudeville dancer Fred Astaire is devastated when his partner (Ann Miller) takes a solo role in The Ziegfeld Follies. In a fit of drunkenness, he chooses a girl from a bar chorus line (Judy Garland) to be his new partner. He tries to to make her into a copy of his original partner, but she's not a ballroom dancer - she's a comedienne. His best friend (Peter Lawford) pursues her, while his original partner pursues Lawford. All romantic complications are cleared up in time for New York's big parade on Easter morning (and so Garland can perform the title song).

Cute Technicolor fluff is short on story but long on great numbers, including two classic solos for Astaire ("Drum Crazy" and "Steppin' Out With My Baby"), the adorable duet "A Fella With An Umbrella" for Lawford and Garland,  and the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" for Garland and Astaire. Fun for fans of the big MGM musicals or the stars.

And I hope you had an equally lovely and quiet Easter day!

Golden Easter

I  had a quick start this morning before work. I had Coconut Pancakes for breakfast and watched It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. It's a very memorable spring for the Peanuts, as Peppermint Patty and Marcie attempts to color eggs and Lucy tries to get Schroeder to give her Easter gifts. Don't bother with all the preparations, says Linus. The Easter Beagle will do all that. Sally's skeptical, to say the least, especially after Halloween. Lucy's even more so. She'd rather find her own carefully hidden eggs. Meanwhile, Snoopy's buying birdhouses for his little buddy Woodstock, giving Charles Schultz a chance to make fun of very early Christmas sales.

Work was, much to my surprise, mobbed for most of the morning and early afternoon. I didn't think most people would want to shop on a holiday. I forgot it's still the beginning of the month, not to mention a Sunday. This is the only time of day many people can shop, holiday or no holiday. We were so busy, I didn't get to my break until late again. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 2 that I was able to leave without a relief.

The moment I got home, I changed and headed right back out. It was a glorious day for a ride to Collingswood. The sun was shining. The sky was as blue as could be. It was still really windy, but not too cold. In fact, I exchanged my heavy winter coat for a sweater. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for Easter. I saw children playing in the park and people out for bike rides in the nice day.

Unfortunately, I got a reality check at the door of Tortilla Press. Though their website said they were open until 4, apparently their last call was 3. They weren't taking more customers. I was disappointed, but it isn't like there aren't 200 restaurants in Collingswood anyway. I ended up across the street at Kitchen Concierge.

Kitchen Concierge was a small, fancy, dark-paneled restaurant in what had been a florists' shop when I first came here. Though they said they were mostly taking large groups, they did have a table open in one corner. It was quiet and isolated. It was perfect. I needed quiet and isolated after work! I had a decent view of the elaborately dressed groups of people coming and leaving and the TVs playing Angels With Dirty Faces and White Heat.

My dinner was delicious. I took the suggestion of my dapper waitress and had the Mozzarella Bruschetta for an appetizer. It was two thick slices of grilled Italian bread smothered in marinara sauce, peppers, onions, and fresh mozzarella cheese. My waitress knew what she was talking about. It was amazing, sweet and salty and tangy. The grilled salmon was just buttery enough, with large pineapple slices underneath. I had zucchini in tomato sauce and a salad, too. It cost me 44 dollars in the end, and that was without dessert. It was expensive, and I probably won't eat there again, but for a holiday when I needed fun, it was worth it.

I walked around Collingswood, but other than a long line at Il Fiore Restaurant, they seemed to be shutting down. It was Sunday, anyway. Most things shut down early on Sunday. I went to WaWa and treated myself to a Mint Cookies and Cream Frozen Cappucino for dessert. I drank it in the parking lot behind the Senior Center. After I finished, I headed home.

As soon as I got in, I pulled out my American Girl dolls and took my annual Easter portraits. I did get one group shot outside, but it was too windy for the individual shots. I had to take those inside. Here's how they came out:

Easter at the Riverside Rest

Spent the rest of the night watching Easter programming and more WENN. The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town is Rankin Bass' third and last spring special. This time, the bunny is Sunny, a peppy fellow from the all child town of Kidville who is determined to bring eggs and cheer to the citizens of gloomy Town. Domineering Lady Lilly would rather he and the kids kept their eggs and their traditions out of her domain. Sunny and the citizens of Kidville do their best to get around her laws and teach her about the importance of traditions and new beginnings.

Easter Parade takes us to New York City in 1912. Fred Astaire plays a dancer whose partner (Ann Miller) just quit their act to go solo in the Ziegfeld Follies. Crushed, he takes on a young chorus girl (Judy Garland) to be his new partner...but she's a comedienne, not a ballroom dancer. While he figures out how to tailor the act accordingly, she's courted by his college student best friend (Peter Lawford) who is also dating his former partner. The romantic entanglements are figured out in time for New York's big Easter Parade down Fifth Avenue. A charming, if slight, musical with some fabulous dance numbers. My personal favorites are Lawford and Garland's sweet duet "A Fella With an Umbrella" and Garland and Astaire's hysterical "A Couple of Swells." Fun for on or around Easter if you're a fan of the big MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's.

Moved back to three second season Remember WENN episodes to finish out the night. Hilary Booth is "The Diva Who Wouldn't Die" when the sponsor wants to kill off her character Elizabeth on the WENN program The Hands of Time. Hilary Booth never goes down without a fight!

It's Hilary who learns the lesson in "Behind Every Great Woman." She won't perform a song originally sung by stage star Ruth Geddy (Donna Murphy) and feigns stage fright. Betty ends up going on for her, and she's such a success, the sponsor wants her...or Hilary...to sing with Geddy. Hilary wants Betty to keep on singing for her, but the rest of the staff reveals the deception.

"Scott Sherwood of the F.B.I" brings Scott's Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) to the station. Scott has been telling her that WENN is a branch of the F.B.I! He and Betty jump through hoops trying to keep up with his deception, but it turns out that Aunt Aggie has a few surprises of her own to dish out to her nephew.

I've spent the rest of the night listening to music. I hope you all had a very enjoyable, beautiful, and filling Easter!