Playing Santa In the Rain

Started off the morning with breakfast and more Muppet Babies. Miss Nanny is missing her family on Hanukkah. The kids hold "A Mitzvah for Miss Nanny" and try to put together a party to make her feel better. Piggy wants to make a dreidel- shaped frame for her photo, but she keeps getting distracted by helping the others. Miss Nanny finally reveals how she gave the best mitzvah of all - giving her time in making sure everything went smoothly. Gonzo and Skeeter compete in the "Winter Sport-a-Thon," but Gonzo can't tie his shoelaces. He keeps tripping over them or losing his shoe, until he's finally forced to admit he hasn't learned yet. The others are more than happy to teach him.

Moved on to Garfield's Christmas Special as I cleaned up and got organized. Garfield's not thrilled when Jon drags him and Odie out to his parents' farm for the holidays. His holidays really improve when he meets Jon's sassy grandma and realizes they have a lot in common, including supreme sarcasm. Grandma is missing her beloved husband, but Garfield finds a present in the barn that makes her Christmas a lot merrier. 

I bought a glue gun from Dollar General on Tuesday. Been meaning to for years. Mom had one when we were kids, but it got too hot for her to let us touch it or use it. I've always wanted to try it. Used it to fix three ornaments yesterday and a wooden Noel sign Mom gave me years ago with a tiny Santa figure that broke off today. 

Watched Buzzr's Betty White Christmas marathon while I worked. The week before Christmas, Buzzr runs shows in the afternoon featuring Betty. Match Game '77 had Betty joining soap star Rosemary Forsyth and Broadway director and playwright Abe Burrows to figure out "Tele __" in the Audience Match. 

Match Game '78 featured the first episode from my favorite week of that year. Brett appeared with Jack Klugman for the first time since their divorce the year before. It becomes apparent why they divorced when they argue over the answer for "__ Hall of Fame" in the Audience Match. Betty and Donna Pescow referee, while Bill Anderson jokes about having his ex-wife on the show if it works out. 

Let Tattletales run while I colored a picture of Bert making gingerbread cookies for a hungry Cookie Monster in a Sesame Street coloring book I've had for years. Bill Macy and his lady Samantha and Jamie Farr and his wife Barbara join Allen and Betty here. Allen and Betty did better in the second half...but Jamie and Samantha still ended up winning the game. 

Checked YouTube for the movie I wanted to review...and when that didn't work out, I went online. Found a lovely musical version of The Gift of the Magi made for South African public television in 1981 at Vimeo. I go further into this charming production at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - The Gift of the Magi (1981)

I did get to see a short but sweet version of Gift of the Magi from the 1952 film O.Henry's Full House on YouTube. Jeanne Crain is Della here; Farley Granger is her Jim. Other than it's a man who cuts Della's hair, rather than the lady in the book and the 1981 musical, it's actually quite faithful to the short story. Crain in particular is lovely. 

 

It started raining shortly after I got up this morning and had been going ever since. By quarter of 4, the rain had begun to lighten. I was tired of sitting around, and I really had to deliver the cookies and fudge. I'm working 8 1/2 hours the next two days, and it'll be too cold by Christmas Day for a lot of running around outside. Took the bike out to hand out the goodies. Dropped Rose's bag on her steps, and the neighbors' bags on their porches or stoops. 

Truthfully, it didn't go that well. I didn't realize how wet my basket was or that the bag I had them wasn't that waterproof. A lot of them got wet. The fudge got squished, too. I put some of the neighbors' boxes with other neighbors, since I couldn't remember exactly where they lived. Others had wet stoops. I hope their boxes were all right. 

Thankfully, the precipitation gentled down to light showers while I was out. It wasn't even windy or as cold as it's supposed to be this weekend. It picked up again not long after I got home and has been off and on ever since. 

Put on White Christmas as I had a late lunch when I got home. I went further into this beloved holiday extravaganza featuring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in 2018. 

White Christmas

Worked on writing after that. Gene confronts The Mouse Queen and her son before they can go after the food on the table. Gene reveals a sword and fights the Mouse King. The Mouse Queen still wants to kill Debralee, but the Nutcracker won't let her.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '74 this time. Adorable contestant Janet Finn debuted towards the end of this episode, the first week with Dr. Joyce Brothers. She would go on to become the show's all-time winner at that point. 

Charles and Brett had a lot of fun in Match Game '79, happily tossing jokes about the Audience Match "Take the __" around. Richard Deacon was more nervous about helping the new champ with "__ the Dog." He also explains how the lights that go on when they push their blue cards into the slot work. 

Finished the night online with sitcom Christmas episodes. Hawkeye describes the holiday season at the 4077th in the first season MASH episode "Dear Dad." Henry Blake doesn't have much luck giving a lecture on sex to a group who think they already know everything about that subject. Frank and Hot Lips end up on the wrong side of Hawkeye and Trapper's pranks. Father Mulcahey has to keep Klinger and Frank from killing each other. Hawkeye ends up behind enemy lines in a Santa Claus suit.

The Monkees have a less perilous but more expensive holiday in the second-season episode "The Christmas Show." They think they've been hired by a rich lady to play at a party, but she really wants them to watch over her nephew (Butch Patrick). The spoiled and neglected rich boy doesn't think much of Christmas, and the Monkees' antics don't really improve his opinion of the holiday...until Mike Nesmith realizes what he really needs.

Balki and Larry also have a disappointing holiday, at least initially, the second season Perfect Strangers episode "A Christmas Story." Larry's upset when a blizzard prevents them from getting to his family's home in Madison for Christmas. He also resists Balki's attempts to cheer him up, until his cousin reminds him of what the holidays are really all about. 

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

 Awoke to a glowing morning, all clean, fresh, and white. The next-door neighbors own a snow blower and were just clearing off the path to my apartment when I pulled out Tales Told Under the Christmas Tree. This anthology features Hanukkah stories as well as ones for Christmas. My favorite by far is the story of the young boy from Austria coming to live with his aunt and uncle in the US during the Hanukkah season in the late 40's. He's used to Nazi persecution and not being able to openly celebrate his faith, and his relatives' huge party overwhelms him. It takes a special gift to make him feel more at home.

Colliers Harvest of Holidays also features Hanukkah stories. My favorite in this one comes from More All-In-the-Family. The girls are delighted to enjoy their mother's potato pancakes and play the dreidel game at a family party. Henny goes back for her mother's umbrella and ends up with all the nuts she can carry home.

Put on The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree while eating breakfast and getting ready for work. Papa Bear takes the cubs up into the mountains to find a real tree in the wilderness. They keep being chased off by animals who don't like them trying to chop down their homes. Papa figures out too late that the animals want to celebrate Christmas, too, but there's a surprise waiting for him and the cubs when they get back to the tree house.

Worked on writing for an hour after the cartoon ended. Tom orders another member of his crew, Robert Walden, to help Gene out and give him more details on the plan. Robert asks Gene about Charles - he was his teacher years ago on land.

Called Uber shortly after I got offline. This time, I had no problems getting there or back. The roads were clear enough for most Uber drivers to get through. Thankfully, the cell phone waited to die on me until I'd already gotten through to a driver. 

Work was...dead as a doornail for most of the afternoon. Even rush hour was mildly steady at most. I did a lot of standing around or cleaning. No major problems at all; was in and out.

Went straight into scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese for dinner when I got home. Made Cherry-Coconut Bars, the last cookies I give away for Christmas, while watching The Stingiest Man In Town. I go further into the original live-action version of this vintage TV Christmas Carol with Basil Rathbone and Vic Damone at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals On TV - The Stingiest Man In Town (1956)

Did Sale of the Century as I went online. The champ just kept right on dominating. He bought two of the three Instant Bargains and won at least one Fame Game. The other man came on strong in the end, but he just pulled ahead in the Speed Round. Picked up 3,000 on the Match the Prizes board.

(Oh, and from a commercial I caught during Sale, it looks like Buzzr's going to do a Match Game New Year's Eve marathon. On one hand, I'm a bit surprised they're doing this so soon after the Betty White Christmas week. Match Game will likely be a big part of that - Betty made frequent appearances on that show. On the other hand, the Match Game New Year's episodes are hilarious, and I enjoyed watching them on New Year's Eve last year. The marathon will be a great way to end a difficult year on a high note.)

Finished out the night online, writing my review and watching another version of A Christmas Carol. My favorite film version is the 1951 British retelling with Alistair Sim. Sim wonderfully nails Scrooge, especially his redemption in the end. I love how the char woman completely and understandably freaks out in the end when he's giving her money after barely acknowledging her for 30 years. 

Did The Ghost and Mrs. Muir after that ended. "The Ghost and Christmas Past" from the second season is another riff on Christmas Carol. Stingy Claymore Cliegg (Charles Nelson Reilly) finds a baby in his car. He turns it over to Mrs. Muir (Hope Lange) and her family, but barely helps with the money for its care and won't bargain over a Christmas tree. It takes a strange and familiar dream on Christmas Eve to make Claymore realize the importance of charity and giving, especially to family...and the ghost Captain Cliegg realize his dream of being a part of the family. 

Oh, and hope all of you who celebrate it had a wonderful Hanukkah this week! 

Yes, There Is a Santa Claus

Began the morning with reading for Hanukkah, which begins today. It's the only Jewish holiday with material in Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Along with an essay on the story of the Maccabees and how the oil in the temple lasted for eight days, there were poems and a chapter from More All-Of-a-Kind Family on how the family celebrates Hanukkah, including attending a family get-together, playing the dreidel game, enjoying potato latkes.

Work was on-and-off steady for most of the morning. It was a beautiful day, sunny, bright, and chilly but not to the degree it was last week, and the Eagles game wasn't until 4:30. At one point, there were three baggers outside gathering carts. I alternated between gathering carts and doing returns all morning, with no really major problems.

Forgot oatmeal and evaporated milk yesterday, so I grabbed some on the way out. The Acme's having a buy-one, get-one sale on their generic oatmeal brand, and I needed the evaporated milk for fudge later in the day. There was no line in the express line; I was in and out.

When I got home, I had a quick lunch before starting today's projects. I tried making peppermint patties from uncooked fondant last year, but it proved to be too messy. This year, I rolled the fondant into balls, then into cocoa, and called them Peppermint Truffles. They came out quite nicely - and very minty!

Moved on to Chocolate Fudge next. That's what I bought the evaporated milk for. I found a simple fudge recipe called Remarkable Fudge in my vintage Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book, appropriately in the section on Christmas candies. Considering my fudge hasn't always come out the best, this one seems to have set very well, nice and chocolatey.

Watched White Christmas while I worked. I go further into one of the most beloved of all holiday musicals at this Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog entry from last year.

White Christmas

Switched to making muffins after the fudge went in the fridge. I basically just threw leftover evaporated milk and mini chocolate chips into Alton Brown's Old School Muffin recipe and made Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins. A little dry, but also sweet and kind of rich.

Watched Ernest Saves Christmas while I made the muffins and they were in the oven. Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) is working as a cab driver in sunny Orlando when he picks up a jolly old fellow from the airport. Turns out, the gentleman is the real Santa Claus, who is in central Florida looking for a replacement. That replacement is one Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), a former kid's TV show host who is now considering a role in a Christmas-themed slasher film. Ernest also almost literally runs into a street kid named Harmony Starr (Noelle Parker), a runaway who lies about everything possible, from her age to why she left home. Santa has to get Ernest and two elves to bring the reindeer downtown and prove to Harmony and Joe that Christmas magic is the real deal, or the joy of the holidays will fade away forever!

My personal favorite of the Ernest films is a long-time guilty pleasure of mine. We watched this quite often on cable during the holidays in the late 80's and early 90's. If you're a fan of Ernest, or just want to give one of his films a try, this is one of his better ones and isn't a bad place to start.

Worked on writing after the muffins were out of the oven. Nipsey is more than happy to offer Della his arm and tapestry and help her inside. She claims she's one of the Legendary Princesses, the Princess of Strength. Brett knows her name, though she's never seen her, and she knows hers. Brett's able to convince Queen Isobel that she's on the level, but she's not quite sure about Della

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Just had soup while finishing the night with Miracle on 34th Street. We move from sunny Orlando to chilly New York for another story about about believing in Santa. Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is such a sensation as Santa Claus in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, their manager Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) hires him to be their store Santa. Doris, however, has her misgivings. Kris claims he's the real Santa. She's raised her daughter Susie (Natalie Wood) not to believe in fantasy of any kind, and what Kris is shakes those beliefs. When the store psychiatrist (Porter Hall) declares Kris insane, lawyer Fred Gailey (John Payne) takes his case, setting out to prove to Doris, Susan, and everyone in New York that there's a little bit of faith and imagination in all of us at this time of year, and that sometimes, the most real things are the ones we can't see.

Gwenn won an Oscar as one of cinema's most delightful Santas; the witty and original screenplay also won. Gwenn and Wood have wonderful chemistry in their scenes together, especially when he's teaching her how to be a monkey and asking her what she really wants for Christmas. I also like Gene Lockhart as the nervous judge, Jerome Cowan as the district attorney who takes the opposite side of the case, and William Frawley as the judge's cynical political adviser. They all add a nice note of cynicism to a story that could have easily gotten too sugary.

There were remakes on TV in the 50's and 70's and one on the big screen in 1994 (none of which I've seen), but for my money, the original is probably all you need. Highly recommended.

Oh, and this leaves only the pumpkin bread for Christmas brunch left to be baked. I'll do that sometime after work tomorrow. In equally important news, the Philadelphia Eagles kicked the Cowboys' rear ends 17-9 this evening.

And to all who celebrate it, I hope you enjoy the eight days of Hanukkah!

The Eagles Knock Out the Redskins

Began a sunny, windy morning with stories about Hanukkah, which began last night. Colliers Harvest of Holidays features an essay on the story of how the Jews defeated the Greeks who defiled their temples and the oil that was only supposed to last for one day but burned for eight. There was also two stories about a tiny little boy (including one where he rides on a dreidel), an excerpt from More All Of a Kind Family about their Hanukkah celebration, and several poems.

The last chapter in Tales Told Around the Christmas Tree is all Hanukkah stories. I read two unique modern tales from the late 40's and 50's. The first story is about boy whose best friend is in a car accident on Thanksgiving. His friend is nursed back to health at his home, and they share his Hanukkah celebration. The second story is even more touching. A young refugee from post-World War II Austria is taken in by his American uncle. He's overwhelmed by their huge Hanukkah celebration after his tiny, hidden ones in Europe. It takes a special gift to finally make him feel like he's home.

Listened to Christmas music this morning during breakfast, and later as I wiped the dining area table and dusted the part of the living room with the record player and CD player. The Perry Como Christmas Album features two quite good original numbers, "Christmas Eve" and "There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas," along with covers of "Ave Maria" and "Toyland," among others. The Disney Family Album is covers of mostly older carols performed by the Disney characters (or their voice actors from the time) with the Disneyland Chorus. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is especially funny here, and Chip, Dale, and Donald get a really cute version of "The Chipmunks' Christmas Song (Please Christmas Don't Be Late)."

Moved on to Firestone Presents Your Favorite Christmas Music Vol. 7 while eating a quick lunch and getting ready for work. I didn't realize until I looked it up tonight, but I own all seven volumes in this series. Like Great Songs of Christmas, this was made in the 60's for a tire company (which can also be found on the Black Horse Pike, in fact right across from the Acme). Unlike Great Songs, the focus here was mostly on classical Christmas music, with only the occasional pop vocal. Volume 7 features two songs by pop singer Vikki Carr, including the sweet "I Still Believe In Christmas."

The Firestone records really take me back. Mom had a couple in the 1980's. We used to listen to them while we'd decorate the tree together. They always make me think of her. She says her mother used to put them on while they'd decorate the tree. The simple but elegant covers, with their colors alternating between bold and soft, their huge red or magenta ribbons, and the obviously fake mistletoe, screams what Christmas in the 60's looked like to me as a child...and still does now.

It was still sunny but gale-force windy when I made it to work. The Acme was on-and-off busy, mostly likely due to this being the beginning of the month and some big weekend sales ending today. Once again, I kept getting thrown into the registers. I did manage to get a full cart of returns done and helped do the carts outside during my last hour. I also grabbed a bag of sugar while it was still on sale for 99 cents.

Clouds had moved in by the time I'd finished work, and it had gotten much colder. It wasn't a day to linger. After I hurried home, I changed into regular clothes and took out the recycling, then moved on to writing. Leia and Han try to get Ben interested in Blind Man's Bluff, but he'd rather chat with his co-workers at the First Order Savings and Loan, Armitage Hux and Gwendoline Phasma. Finn gets more into the game, chasing Rose around the room. They then move on to another game, Yes and No...and this guessing game reveals what Leia, Han, and most of their friends really think of him, to his shock. Ben stands up for him, and Han doesn't think he's that bad, but everyone else thinks he's a terror.

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Ate leftovers, then finished dusting the living room. I always do thorough dusting, under everything I can move, right before I put up the Christmas decorations and Amanda visits. It takes me longer than usual for cleaning, which is part of why I only do it twice a year.

Watched Arthur Christmas while I cleaned. Have you ever wondered how Santa manages to deliver all those packages in just one night? In this movie, his son Steve (Hugh Laurie) manages a precise operation of elves who rush in, deliver most of the packages, and make sure they don't wake up anyone. Santa (Jim Broadbent) symbolically delivers the final package in each house, but otherwise doesn't really do much. His younger son Arthur (James McAvoy) answers letters from the children, and fervently believes in his father and everything he stands for with each fiber of his musical fuzzy-wuzzy slippers. When he discovers that a gift for a little girl named Gwen (Ramona Marquez) was overlooked, he becomes absolutely determined to get it to her, and make sure she retains her belief in Santa. Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) agrees to drive him and a gift-wrapping elf named Byrony (Ashley Jenson) to Gwen's home, but he's more interested in proving that he can still be a good Santa than in the gift. Arthur's tenacity, and his caring about the child, finally shows the entire Christmas family that the real joy in their mission isn't in how the package gets there or which Santa gives it, but in the joy that the package brings to the child.

I've really come to enjoy this touching tale of one family's passing on their business and the faith that Santa inspires. I especially like that no one character is played as the villain. Steve and Arthur are not entirely right or wrong in their approaches to Christmas and Santa, and the countries that try to shoot Grandsanta's ramshackle sleigh out of the sky are more paranoid than evil. Even Grandsanta comes around to Arthur's way of thinking in the end. This is a really fun film that absolutely deserves to be far better-known.

Finished the night with the Eagles-Redskins game. The Eagles had some tense moments, especially when the Skins made a huge interception in the third quarter, but the Redskins just couldn't seem to keep players on the field. I think the Eagles knocked at least four or five Redskins out of the game, including their quarterback. The aggression worked. The Eagles finally out-shoved the Skins 28-13.

(Oh, and for those who celebrate it, I hope you enjoy the eight days of Hanukkah!)

Let There Be Lights

The weather remained beautiful as I awoke to, much to my surprise, a quiet morning. There was no banging or cursing downstairs. The guys must have taken advantage of the beautiful morning to go fishing. I was able to read short stories and essays about Hanukkah, which started yesterday, in peace. I did a few poems, an essay on how the Jews chased their enemies out of Israel and the oil that lasted for eight days, an excerpt from one of the All-Of-A-Kind Family books about their Hanukkah celebrations in the early 20th century, and a touching story of a boy in the early 50's who is taken in by American relatives and feels overwhelmed by their big celebrations after his spare ones in the devastated Europe.

(And by the way, Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it! While I'm not Jewish, there were several Jewish families in Cape May when I was growing up in the 80's and early 90's. There were so many Jewish kids in my class, when my elementary school did a program that had each class learning about the holiday customs of different countries around the world, we got Israel. Some of the mothers made us potato pancakes, and we each got our own little plastic dreidel. We had that dreidel for years, and I still love potato pancakes to this day. There was a light-up wooden menorah on the Washington Street Mall in Cape May along with all the Christmas lights.)

Finished out the 1954 Christmas Carol as I ate cereal and half of a grapefruit for breakfast. Went into The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas as I did the dishes and rounded up the laundry. Ted E. Bear is more curious than most bears, who are content to hibernate all winter. He wants to know about Christmas. The other bears all think he's crazy, but he's determined to find just where this "Christmas" is. He wanders into the city, where he encounters a strange old man in a red suit who explains that Christmas isn't a place. It's a feeling...and he'll lend Ted a hand in finding that feeling.

I didn't make it to the laundromat until quarter of 12. And then, I had to go across the street to Amato Bros to cash one of the bills. The machine just wouldn't take it, no matter how hard I tried to straighten it. Otherwise, it was quiet when I came in. By the time it got busy, my small load was almost out of the drier. I listened to The View and Action News on Channel 6 and worked on notes for Babes In WENNland.

When I got in, I ran Santa Claus Is Coming to Town while putting my laundry away and having a quick lunch of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and dried mushrooms. Rankin-Bass did this take on the Santa legends in 1970. This unique take on the Santa legends presents the famous toymaker as Kris Kringle, a foundling who eventually brings toys to the children of Somber Town. The nasty Burgermeister Meister Burger hates toys and wants to destroy them. Meanwhile, Kris does what he can to befriend the Winter Warlock, an old grouch who lives on the mountain near Somber Town

Work was...actually pretty quiet. It did get busy during rush hour, and we did have to call people up to deal with it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as last week or over the weekend. There were no major problems, and my relief was actually early.

When I got in, I put on another classic Rankin-Bass special while defrosting frozen green beans and almonds and the last leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken leg for dinner. The Little Drummer Boy is Aaron, a bitter orphan who became angry with humankind after bandits killed his parents. It takes an encounter with three wise men and a tiny baby who restores his injured lamb to make him understand the importance of loving your fellow man.

Worked on a little writing after I got out of the shower, mainly re-writing to make Alan and Lisa Mr. Eldridge's grandchildren. Betty turns Scott down for a date that night...but she agrees to go with him to the Christmas Festival. Maybe. That's enough for Scott. Pruitt Barnaby isn't as happy and reminds him that he should be at work in the Toyland Toy Factory.

Festival of Lights

First of all, I hope everyone who celebrates it enjoys their week of Hanukkah - today was the first full day. (The last day is Christmas Eve.)

It was sunny and fairly warm for this time of year when I got up this morning. I did a few cartoons while eating breakfast and getting organized for running errands. Rudolph's Shiny New Year is another oddity from Rankin-Bass that's grown on me in the last few years. The world's most famous reindeer has to use his glowing red nose to find the missing baby new year Happy, who ran off because people laughed at his huge ears. If he can't find Happy before midnight on December 31st, time will stop forever! 

The Backyardigans also have an action-packed holiday in "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" from the fourth and final (to date) season. The title elves (Pablo, Tasha, an Uniqua) have to rescue Santa's sack from the goofy Abominable Brothers (Tyrone and Austin), who took it to hold snowballs.

I headed out into a day that was windy and probably in the 50s. Needless to say, there were quite a few people out and about in Newton Lake Park, even at quarter after 10 in the morning. The lake sparkled and bobbed as I dodged around dog walkers, joggers, and parents pushing their children in strollers.

Haddon Township Library wasn't busy, but they had plenty of help. Too much. There was already another volunteer there when I arrived. She complained that she'd just organized the kids' DVDs. I did it the way the librarian told me to a few weeks ago...and 10 minutes after I'd finished, she just rearranged everything anyway! This would be less of a problem if they would just clear out some older titles. They do NOT need those 3-episode Scooby Doo collections, or every Sesame Street set on the market. The S and T adult titles are overloaded, too. I finally got fed up after a half-hour and left as quickly as I could.

(I didn't take anything out today. I have no idea what my schedule is going to be like next week, but if it's anything like last year's Christmas and New Year's week schedules, I won't have the time to watch or return anything for a while.)

I went to Tuesday Morning to look at their Christmas section and cheer myself up a bit. I found the most adorable WebKinz Porcupine hiding among the stuffed animal piles in the kids' section. I considered buying some of their pretty Christmas gift bags, but decided I could get better prices for similar items at Dollar Tree and the Acme.

My next couple of stops were quick shopping trips. I realized yesterday that I didn't have enough shortening left for the Merry Christmas Molasses Cookies I wanted to make that afternoon. They were having a really good sale on cooking spray too, for $1.79. I also saw those divine Nestle's Dark Chocolate and Mint Chips on sale for $1.88. I haven't seen those at the Acme at all yet, and I really do love them.

Hit the Dollar Tree a few doors down after Thriftway. That may have been a mistake. The line was half-way across the store. That the cashier for the only open register was surly and rude didn't help matters. She held up the line ten minutes giving a poor young woman pushing a huge stroller a hard time about her bill being counterfeit. Ok, so it was counterfeit. That happens. She could have been a little nicer. Thankfully, by the time I made it up front, a second line had been opened by a young woman who was far more amiable. All I wanted were sponges and a Christmas gift bag for my neighbors' bread I'll be making tomorrow.

I had lunch at the Friendly's next-door to the Westmont Bagel Shop. Surprisingly for 1 PM, they were pin-drop quiet when I came in. There were only two other older women waiting for sandwiches. It did start picking up as I finished my All-American Chicken Sandwich with red onions, pickles, and honey mustard on the side. I didn't have ice cream this time. I'm in the midst of making cookies. The last thing I need is more sugar! I was disappointed that they didn't get into decorating this year. It was limited to red and gold balls hanging off the light fixtures. No wrapping paper on the pictures, no garlands or wreaths.

My last trip was to Rite Aid. I forgot orange juice for my neighbors' Cranberry Bread at Thriftway. Since their eggs were $2.79, I got those, too. It was even quieter there than in Thriftway. There was no line whatsoever. I may have been the only customer in the whole store.

Headed straight home after that. Ran the Christmas episode of Silver Spoons as I put things away and got my baking items organized. This early 80s sitcom did two Christmas themed-shows - I went with the one from the first season. Ricky is excited to spend his first Christmas with his father, surrounded by presents, treats, and loved ones. He learns a lesson in giving when a little boy (Joey Lawrence) steals food from their house...and Ricky gets quite a surprise when he follows the kid.

Did two movies on the existence of Santa Claus as I made the Merry Christmas Molasses Roll-Outs. Ernest Saves Christmas takes us to Orlando, Florida. While Santa hopes to persuade a former children's show host to take over his duties, Ernest has his hands full dealing with a selfish runaway and the host's sleazy agent. Ernest and Santa both have to prove that Santa is real...and that there's nothing wrong with caring about others, even if your methods of helping are a bit unorthodox.

Miracle On 34th Street moves us from warm Orlando to chilly New York City. Here, the Santa in question (Edmund Gwenn) is hired by Macy's manager Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), who was impressed with his work in the Thanksgiving parade. Walker becomes more concerned when he keeps insisting that he actually is Santa, including to her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood). Susan's been taught by her divorced mother not to believe in impractical things like make-believe or fantasy. Santa - and the handsome lawyer who lives next-door (John Payne) - want to prove otherwise. When Santa goes on trial for lunacy, the lawyer sees a way of showing that Christmas spirit does exist everywhere, even in the hearts of jaded New Yorkers.

The Merry Christmas Molasses Cookies are probably my favorite of the five cookies I do for gifts to make, and they may be the most popular. They (and the Cherry-Coconut Bars) are usually the most-requested. I got this recipe from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book years ago. The original recipe calls for honey and lemon flavoring, but I like the spicier version with ginger and molasses. They're cut-out cookies, though, which means they're very time-consuming. They also require shortening and are rather rich, which is why I only make them once a year.

I had the rest of the leftover soup for dinner, then headed out for my annual stroll around the neighborhood to look at lights. It was a beautiful night for it. I love how festive my neighbors get. I hiked down Manor, then into the neighborhood behind Kendall and the school, near where that little playground Lauren and I found last summer is. There's always lots of good displays down there.

I saw beautiful blue icicle lights that made roofs look like they were covered in real ice. One house had the columns that flanked the front door wrapped in strings of lights that looked like a winding rainbow. Another house was done from roof to lawn in red and gold. My neighbors across the street have circles of red and a small but elegant Nativity on their front lawn. (No lights wrapped on the house though, thank goodness.) Even Rose and Craig had green garlands with candy-like large bulb lights around their door and windows and a big, beautiful tree in their covered porch window.

My favorite inflatable this year was an adorable Santa who popped out of a snow-covered tree. I also saw a Peanuts "Christmas Pageant" that was really cute. A house down the street from me has a whole platoon of lit tinsel-and-wire statues, including polar bears and penguins in an igloo.

When I got home, I called Mom. I'd called her earlier, but hadn't gotten her. She was decorating the tree when I called. She's had a lot of hours at the Ferry and is very behind in just about everything. As of this second, she's working Christmas night and Christmas Eve and won't be making it anywhere but the Ferry for the holidays.

Finished up Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas as I talked to Mom. This "mid-quel" to Disney's beloved Beauty and the Beast is set while Belle was living with the Beast in the castle with all the servant objects. Belle wants to bring a little Christmas cheer to the castle by setting up a party. The Beast is totally against it. Christmas just reminds him of how he was transformed into a beast in the first place. Also against it is an obnoxious organ named Forte (Tim Curry) who wants the Beast to keep listening to his depressing melodies forever, and his piccolo sidekick Fife (Paul Rubens). Belle has to get around the objections of the Beast and the castle's bitter interior decorator Angelique (Bernadette Peters) and show them that Christmas is a time of hope for all creatures, even beasts and ornaments.

Unlike most of Disney's direct-to-home-media sequels, this one was obviously done with some care. There's a couple of lovely songs, including "Stories" and "As Long As There's Christmas," and a few nice animated sequence. And Curry's Forte is actually a more interesting and menacing villain than Gaston in the original, even if the massive organ is very obvious and badly-done computer animation. If you have a little girl looking for something different for Christmas or a Beauty and the Beast fan, this one is worth tracking down (it's been on DVD twice, but I believe both copies are out of print at the moment).

Beginning of the Holiday Season

I started this morning in bed. I really didn't feel like getting involved with Rose and Dad's long-winded conversation about politics at quarter after 7 in the morning. I read the novelization of the stage version of Annie and wrote in my journal instead. Dad was on his way out by the time I made it downstairs. I was able to give him a hug right before he left to get his boat ready for his next trip (he's the captain of a commercial fishing vessel).

Spent the next few hours the same way I did last night, chatting with Anny, Rose, and Mom and watching Khai and Skylar play with their toys and chase each other. Mom sliced the two loaves of bread I made this week for breakfast. We had them with coffee, tea, orange juice for the boys, and the last of the fruit tart and apple pie. The bread was a hit. Khai gobbled the slices of Cranberry he ate; Rose says he loves fruit bread of any kind. Anny enjoyed the pumpkin bread so much, she ended up taking the rest of it home with her.

At one point, Rose and I took the little boys outside to let off some steam. It was sunny, more so than even yesterday, and not windy anymore. It remained a bit chilly for this time of the year, though not nearly as much as yesterday, probably in the lower 40s. The wind having dissipated helped a lot. Despite the warming trend, the little boys complained about being cold and went inside to watch episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Spongebob Squarepants instead.

Rose, Khai, and I headed out around 10:30 in a car filled with leftovers from Mom and toys for Khai that Skylar and Collyn had outgrown. Once again, the ride was smooth sailing. Everyone must have been out shopping or sitting at home full. Other than a short stop in a WaWa parking lot so Rose could dig Khai's snack out of her bag, we went straight home. Khai rested. He barely made a peep the whole time. Rose and I talked about our family, and I helped Rose brainstorm ideas for Christmas presents.

When I got in, I had a quick lunch and took down the Thanksgiving and general fall decorations while watching A Disney Channel Christmas. This rare special from 1983 is a combination of two earlier Christmas specials with some additional material, including a sequence from the then-new Mickey's Christmas Carol and one of my favorite black-and-white Mickey shorts, "Mickey's Good Deed." We taped it off The Disney Channel sometime in the late 80s. I watched it every year for over a decade and was thrilled when I was able to dub it about two years ago.

Made a really short Acme run after lunch. I didn't really need much, since I didn't eat at home a lot this week. I just needed to restock a few baking items (like pumpkin and chocolate chips) and buy soup and canned fruit for quick winter meals. I was really there to take some money out and get my schedule. My schedule next week isn't bad. A late night on Thursday is the only real problem. Otherwise, I have two days off (Tuesday for my friend Amanda's visit and next Saturday) and mostly late morning and early afternoon hours.)

I passed the rest of the day at my apartment. I organized and swept the "pantry" (two shelves in the area between the pantry and the stove I use for boxed and canned goods) and the area under the sink I use to store Tupperware and pots and pans. I gave the kitchen a good scrub. I did a lot of vacuuming, including around woodwork.

Ran Barbie and the Magic of the Pegasus while I was cleaning the pantry and kitchen. One of the more unusual Barbie fairy tales has the famous doll as Annika, a rebellious princess who is upset that her parents won't let her skate off the palace grounds. When she defies them, she runs smack into Wenlock, an evil sorcerer who wants her for his bride. She's rescued by a Pegasus who turns out to be the sister she never knew. With the help of her horse sister, a young man living in the woods who has problems of his own, and an adorable orphan polar bear cub, Annika seeks three items to make the wand that is the only thing that can defeat Wenlock.

Switched to holiday documentaries as I ate a quick dinner of Thanksgiving leftovers and later as I vacuumed. Linda Young sent me three wonderful specials on Christmas history and customs in 2007, and it's become traditional for me to watch them every year as I prepare my apartment for the Christmas season. Christmas Past covers the holiday in England, with some wonderful stories about festivities in rural northern England, for the non-Christmas-celebrating Scottish, for the landed gentry, for poor children from London evacuated to the countryside, and for a female Father Christmas. Christmas Unwrapped is the History Channel's look at the customs on this side of the pond and at the history of the holiday in general. TV Guide Looks at Christmas covers the holidays on the tube, with everything from beloved animated specials to sitcom episodes to It's a Wonderful Life discussed. My favorite segment deals with holiday variety specials. I was born just as variety programming was starting to die out on TV. Seeing scenes from a Bing Crosby 70s special, the Judy Garland 60s show (I have the soundtrack to that on CD), and Perry Como's holiday celebrations in Europe were really fascinating.

After I finished the cleaning and the documentaries, I went straight in the bath. I needed a good soak after a busy couple of weeks, and Lauren wouldn't be online until later tonight. I read Annie and the Hanukkah stories in the children's anthology Told Under the Christmas Tree. The latter are in honor of the Jewish winter holiday, which began yesterday.  My favorites of the stories told of Hanukkah in modern (late 40s, when the book came out) times. One dealt with a teenager who cheered up a friend on his football team who was in an accident on Thanksgiving with his family's Hanukkah celebration. The other was about a boy from Europe who had been involved with World War II and had lost his parents to the Nazis. His family in the US takes them in, but their elaborate Hanukkah seems overdone after his lean years. It takes a special surprise to make him feel like he's part of the family.

Which reminds me, I do hope all of my readers who celebrate it enjoy their week of Hanukkah!

"Jack Frost Nipping At Your Nose..."

Brr, was it cold today! I don't think it made it out of the lower 30s. It was really windy, too. Good thing it was also sunny all day.

The Acme called me in early. I eventually arrived at 11:30. My only plans were working on the Christmas cards. Turns out I was right and I didn't have enough of them anyway. I'll send the cards and packages on Monday. (Not to mention, it makes more sense to work 11:30 to 5:30 than 12 to 5:30 anyway.)

I can understand why they did it. I don't know if it was because today is the first day of Hanukkah or we're just having really good sales, but we were mobbed all day long. Customers were crabby, too. We also got a bunch of those guys who buy tons and tons of the sale items to sell to chop shops in Camden, too. Thank goodness we were able to fob them off by pointing out that they can only buy so many of most of the 4-day sales.

Ran over to Chick Fil' A after work. They were busy, too. Chick Fil' A is popular with families, thanks to frequent sales and being the only one of the four fast-food chains in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center with a playground. There was what looked like a cheerleading squad having a fund-raiser when I was there. The line wasn't too bad, though, so I was able to buy my Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and carrot-raisin salad and eat quickly.

Stopped at the Acme for grocery shopping after that. I needed a lot this week; I'm finally running out of the last of the farm market vegetables, and I needed grapefruit, granola bars, yogurt, and butter, too. Also needed Christmas cards and more ornament hooks; I have so many ornaments now, the hooks I bought when I first moved out aren't enough.

Oh, and I received a lovely gift in the mail from my friend Jen in Washington State. She sent me a muffin cookbook that she apparently bought in St. Louis this summer. I didn't really have the time to take a good look at it tonight, but I may try something from it tomorrow.

Festival of Ice

First of all, Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate it! Today is the first day of the Jewish Feast of Lights. I'm not Jewish, but there were several Jewish families in Cape May when I was a kid. One December, each class in Cape May Elementary was assigned a different country. They'd study it's holiday customs and even do a craft or recipe related to the country. Rose's class did Poland. Mom hung her "Polish angel" in the house for years. Because of the Jewish kids in our class, mine did Israel. We had a wonderful time playing with dredals and making potato latkas. To this day, I still love the dredel game...and potato latkes are sooo good!

Second, the weather has not been pleasant here, a reminder that today is also the Winter Solstice, the first day of winter. I awoke this morning to sleet and a porch that was sheer ice. I didn't want to call for a ride after what happened last week, and I couldn't ride my ice-covered bike, so I lowered myself down the icy steps (soaking my pants doing so) and walked to work. I was fifteen minutes late...but as it turned out, so was everyone else. The rain had stopped by the time I arrived at work. By the time I was finally finished, the sun was out, and most of the ice had melted. I told them I'd stay an extra fifteen minutes to make up for my lateness (and make sure I got the money)...and ended up staying about five or ten minutes more because, like yesterday, it was just so darn busy! Thankfully, a co-worker was nice enough to give me a ride home.

I had settled into listening to the Eagles game (they played poorly and lost to the Washington Redskins 10-3) on the radio when Jodie called. They had hoagies and wanted to know if I was up for joining them. I'd just finished the cranberry bread I'd made for my neighbors and was only going to listen to the game and watch The Bishop's Wife for the rest of the night, so I figured...what the heck?

Jessa drove me there and back. Dad's finally home. He, Jodie, and Jessa bought their (huge, natural) tree today and were going to decorate it tonight or tomorrow. Dad put up the lights on the house, too, and all the house decorations were out, including their massive collection of Christmas stuffed animals and Jessa's stocking. (Only kid in the world with a flamingo on her stocking.) We had hoagies and soft pretzels and chatted with Dolores as she showed off what her granddaughters had given her for a Christmas party - a Nintendo DS. (For those of you who, like Jodie, Dolores, and me, are video-game illiterate, the DS is the fancier, more interactive version of the hand-held Game Boy.) I watched the Eagles-Washington and Jets-Seahawks games with Daddy while Dolores, Jodie, and Jess worked on figuring out Brain Age 2. (I don't think they ever really got very far.) The Jets-Seahawks game was really interesting. They played in a snowstorm! (The Seahawks won, incidentally.)

I'll be doing cupcakes for Christmas presents tomorrow. It's really windy out there now. Gusts are supposed to get up to 40 miles an hour and stay that way until tomorrow afternoon. I don't think I'll make it to Yogawood, but if it does calm down by the afternoon, I'll try for the Acme luncheon.