A Day for Mothers

Started off my morning with the Colliers Junior Classics Harvest of Holidays anthology. Did the material for Arbor Day first, since I forgot to do it last month. "Mr. Plum and the Little Green Tree" is the long piece here, a sweet story about a kindly cobbler who saves the little tree in front of his shop from being chopped down. The other material is all poetry, including the famous "Trees." The long Mother's Day piece is "My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman In the World." A little Ukranian girl gets lost in the wheat fields and tells people that her mother is the most beautiful woman in the world when they ask her where she is. People tease her when she does find her plump, genial mother, but her mom knows that her daughter can see with her heart.

Called my own mother even before I had breakfast. Mom herself seemed to be in a pretty decent mood. She's been walking into Yorktown, a small tourist enclave that, as fans of Hamilton know, was where Cornwallis surrendered to end the Revolutionary War. Mom says it's expensive but attractive and a nice walk. They're not far from Williamsburg, too. She's more concerned about my brother Keefe and his wife Julia. Keefe just had surgery on his eyes. One came out just fine. They're waiting to see how the other will be. They're also having difficulty with their older daughter Aurora, who may have special needs and need more help.

I told Mom about my own long week. She was really understanding about all the trouble I had, especially with Jessa and with getting loans. She's having a hard time buying a home down in Virginia, too. Apparently, they're one of the more expensive southern states. 

After I got off with her, I put on Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Songs of Cy Coleman while eating breakfast. Coleman's known for his songs from Broadway shows nowadays, like "Hey Look Me Over" from Wildcat, "I've Got Your Number" from Little Me, and "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity. What's not as well-remembered as that he also wrote pop songs with no stage connections. The best-known is probably the hit "The Best Is Yet To Come," which is usually associated nowadays with Frank Sinatra. Lee wrote three songs with Coleman she performs here, "I'm In Love Again," "That's My Style," and "Then Is Then (And Now Is Now)." "When In Rome, Do as the Romans Do" was written for Little Me but not used. "Pass Me By" is from the romantic comedy Father Goose.

Headed off to work after the record ended and got there on time for once. Good thing, too. As one of my co-workers pointed out, the Acme was a zoo for the entire afternoon. Everyone wanted flowers for Mom and to make her a big dinner. Thank heavens I spent the entire afternoon outside. There was plenty of help. The morning bagger was there when I arrived, the evening bagger when I left. They handled the trash and the inside chores. I just pushed carts, enjoying the sun this morning, then the clouds and occasional light showers when they rolled in around 2:30. Absolutely no trouble whatsoever. 

I had slightly more problems refilling my blood pressure medication after work. My insurance had expired. I already knew about it. Apparently, it expired this February, likely due to the lack of hours I had last winter. I just sent the paperwork for the extension in the mail today. Thankfully, the medicine only cost $13, which is hardly a problem. I forgot honey yesterday, too. 

After I got home, I changed and finished listening to Nature's Baby. This Lena Horne album couldn't be more 1971 if it tried. I think I like her version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" better than the Beatles' rendition, and she does nice versions of "A Song for You," "It's Not Easy Being Green," and "Your Song" too. "Think About Your Troubles" is from the unique animated TV musical The Point. "I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (Ain't Nobody Perfect)" and "Only the Moon and Me" are the best of the lesser-known material.

My Trolls album arrived from Amazon around this point. This was the only soundtrack played frequently at the after-school program that I didn't have. It's only $19 at Amazon right now, which is cheap for a recent soundtrack release. 

Finished the night with the Sunday Match Game marathon. Mothers appeared on the panel as well as in the audience. Peter Issakson's mother came to all his appearances, and apparently accompanied him wherever he went. Likewise, Betty White's beloved mother Tess often came to see her daughter play. Gene's mother was in the audience at least once. Brett proudly pointed out her beautiful redheaded daughter Leslie in the audience (who looked a lot like a younger version of her mother).

There were mothers on the panel, too. As mentioned last week, Jo Ann Pflug and Patti Deusch both appeared while pregnant, Patti multiple times. TV and movie moms who did at least one week on the show included Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time, Isobel Sanford of The Jeffersons, Esther Rolle of Good Times, Michael Lerned of The Waltons, Barbara Billingsly of Leave It to Beaver on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, Jamie Lee Curtis of the Freaky Friday films, and Ethel Merman, who played Gopher's mother on The Love Boat. 

Celebrate Mother's Day matching with some of the wackiest mothers on television in this sweet and heartfelt marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Mother's Day Bash 2026

(Oh, and the showers have continued off and on for the rest of the evening. There was even a thunderstorm at one point, though that's long gone.) 

Matching With Mothers

Started off a lovely morning with breakfast and a text from Mom saying how much she loved the card and gift card I sent. Listened to the Cinderella Columbia children's record I found a while back while eating breakfast. The story is pretty typical, but what stands out here are some lovely songs by Jim Timmens. The album opens and closes with the chorus number "Anything Can Happen," and the Fairy Godmother gets the pointed "You've Got to Do It By Yourself." Side two features the sweet ballads "When He Comes My Way" for Cinderella and "Where are You Now?" for the prince.

Hurried out to work before the record even ended. Though I did get the trash at one point and had to clean up the water dripping from dozens of rose bouquets being purchased in the floral department, I was mostly outside with the carts...and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The weather couldn't have been nicer for mid-May, breezy, sunny, and in the upper 70's. It did get a little cloudy later, but nothing like last week. 

When I got home, I changed, got dinner, finished Cinderella, and spent the rest of the night watching the Match Game Mother's Day marathon. More mothers turned up than you might think on this show, whether they were moms on TV like Bonnie Franklin of the original One Day at a Time, Hope Lange of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Esther Rolle of Good Times, or in real-life. Brett Somers proudly pointed out her pretty twentysomething daughter Leslie in the audience (who looked like a redheaded version of her mother). Elaine Joyce's daughter Taylor Van showed off her cute Polish dance costume and hid from Great Uncle Gene under her mother's desk during the syndicated run. During the week Hope appeared, Gene came out carrying two darling children, one of which was Patti Deustch's son Max.

Other mothers appeared on the show, too. Jamie Lee Curtis did two memorable weeks early in the syndicated run, including the one where Kirstie Alley was a contestant and the lady before her complained about a broken chair. Polly Holiday got to see Richard hold a mock funeral when her microphone died. Rita Moreno was utterly thrilled during a PM episode when she got to help a man with a $20,000 Head-to-Head. Patti and Jo Ann Pflug did the show while pregnant, Patti for several weeks. 

Contestants could be mothers, too. In 1978, one contestant had a pregnant wife in the audience who came to the show despite being in labor. They were pretty much the only ones who took it well. Gene and the panel tried to rush the show along so the mother-to-be could get to the hospital, leading to some strange answers, even for this show. They sent a cute movie-themed announcement a few weeks later that said they'd had a boy.

Match along with your mom and some of the most famous mothers ever on television in this very cute marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Happy Mother's Day! Mothers of Match Game

Of Mothers and Matches

Began the morning with a quick breakfast and one of the many CDs I've picked up recently. Live at the World Cafe has long been a nonprofit venue for local indie bands in the Philly and South Jersey area to get exposure, and it's one of the long-running shows on NPR radio station WXPN. Research reveals that they started releasing CDs based on the series in 1997 and continued to through at least 2019. The only name I recognized is Suzanne Vega, but considering I picked up the CD for free, I was willing to try something different. Along with Vega's "Frank & Eva," other decent numbers include Iron & Wine's "Boy With a Coin," "She Tried to Hold Me" by the Waterboys, and "On Peak Hill" by Stars.

Headed off to work as the CD ended. Though the streets were wet and it was cold and windy, it wasn't raining. I figured I'd be fine taking my bike to work, and I was. It remained cloudy and cold all day, but other than some very mild spitting around noon, it hasn't rained again. 

It wasn't bad at the Acme when I arrived or when I left. People started coming out of church around 11:30-12 to pick up flowers and a nice dinner for Mom. Fortunately, we had plenty of help. There were two people in the floral department and two baggers all day. I did returns, pushed carts, wiped up water dripped and spilled from all those bouquets being bought in the floral department, and helped consolidate buckets of flowers as they emptied. Texted Mom to wish her a Happy Mother's Day during lunch. 

I was so thirsty after work, I thought I'd pick up a treat. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee for an iced tea. Thought I'd try "Very Berry Matcha," a matcha tea drink with strawberry syrup topped with freeze-dried strawberries. Oooh, yum! Sweet and earthy and just enough berry flavor. The small Very Berry Matcha donut wasn't bad, either.

Changed when I got home and listened to more of my recent CD finds. Since I have a ton of Frank Sinatra, I thought I'd branch out and pick up music from some of the other Rat Pack members. Dean Martin's specialties were laid-back ballads and Italian-flavored dance tunes. I heard a lot of him in college after his lounge-y style made him popular during the neo-swing revival of the late 90's - early 2000's. "Ain't That a Kick In the Head" has always been my favorite from him, though I think the songs most associated with him today are "That's Amore" and "You're Nobody 'Till Somebody Loves You." Other familiar songs here include "Everybody Loves Somebody," "Just In Time," and "Mambo Italiano." 

The Flamingos were one of the earliest popular R&B groups. "Golden Teardrops" was their first major hit. Today, they're probably best-remembered for their heartfelt covers of "Goodnight Sweetheart" and "I Only Have Eyes for You." Other good songs from the early era of rock include "That's My Desire," "Lovers Never Say Goodbye," and another decent cover, "Love Walked In." 

Worked on writing for a while. The rabbit leads Kathleen to a little cottage built into the side of a tree. It turns out to belong to an older woman who was out gathering fruit and vegetables. The lady recognizes Kathleen's bunny friend...and Kathleen herself...

Finished the night with dinner and the Match Game Mother's Day marathon. Mothers abounded on this show, from women like Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time and Esther Rolle of Good Times who played them on TV to the real mothers among the panelists and contestants. Jo Ann Pflug and Patti Deustch appeared on the show while pregnant. Patti's son Max and Gary Burghoff's daughter Gina appeared in Gene's arms to open a 1978 episode. This one also featured another TV mom, Hope Lange of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Elaine Joyce's darling daughter Taylor Van came onstage to show off her Polish dance costume during a syndicated episode. Brett proudly boasted about her pretty twentysomething daughter Leslie in the audience (who looked exactly like a redheaded version of her mother). 

Possibly the most memorable episode featuring a mother was the 1978 episode from the week with Joe Garagiola. The male contestant's pregnant wife was in the audience...despite having gone into labor. The contestant and his wife were pretty much the only people in the studio who weren't nervous about this! Gene and the panelists tried to rush the game along in order to get that mom-to-be to the hospital faster, which led to some pretty strange answers, even for this show. A few weeks later, the couple sent an announcement of their beautiful new baby boy to the show. Richard read the details on the air. 

Match the stars with your mom and some of the funniest mothers ever on television!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Mother's Day Marathon

Oh, and Mom called during the first hour of the marathon. She had a nice, quiet Mother's Day. Keefe, Julia, and Aurora went out to brunch with Julia's family. Mom decided she wanted some peace and opted to stay home. Even as she called, Keefe was making his three favorite ladies burgers on the grill. 

Here's hoping you had an equally fun Mother's Day matching with the mothers in your life!

Mother's Day Games

Started off my morning with breakfast and the original cast album for Paint Your Wagon. It actually begins the same way as the film, with Ben Rumson (James Barton) holding an impromptu funeral. Here, though, it's his daughter Jennifer (Olga San Juan) who discovers gold on the property. The town's name is Rumson, and Jennifer ends up falling for a Mexican miner Julio who lives outside of town. Fed up with her shiftless father, she goes east to get education, while Julio leaves to find gold and make money to marry her. They do still have a Mormon auctioning off one of his wives and someone bringing women to town, but otherwise, this is a different story.

But not a great one. I can see why this only lasted seven months in its original cast and would be the shortest-lived Lerner and Lowe musical that made it to Broadway. Honestly, as weird and poorly cast as the film version is, I think its story is a lot more fun. Barton's fine as Rumson, and once again, there's an excellent "They Call the Wind Mariah" sung by gamblers and miners. Most of the other songs don't get close to that, the big ballads "I Talk to the Trees" and "I Still See Elisa," or the hit "Wand'rin' Star." There's entirely too many unnecessary chorus routines, too, including one that made it into the film version, "Hand Me Down That Can 'o Beans."

Not bad if you must hear every Lerner & Lowe score or are looking for a musical western, and while the story's not as interesting as the film version, this one is more cohesive and makes a lot more sense.

Switched to the soundtrack album from the 1962 Gypsy while getting ready for work and sending Mom a "Happy Mother's Day!" text. Lisa Kirk, who dubbed Rosalind Russell on the film, still doesn't sound quite pushy enough for Mama Rose, but Natalie Wood works out just as well here as her neglected older daughter Louise. "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" is especially funny here.

Headed off to work after the first half of the album. I came in at noon, just as people started coming out of church and Mother's Day brunches. We were busy for the first two hours or so of my shift, until around 2:30. After that, it died quickly as everyone went down to the Shore or started their barbecues or took their mother out to eat. I did have some problems with handling customers or panicking because of mistakes. Thankfully, by the time I finished, it was so dead, I shut down with no trouble whatsoever.

Went straight home and finished Gypsy while eating leftovers for dinner. Called Mom while I ate; she called me shortly after I got out of the shower. My brother Keefe made her dinner earlier. They'll be moving into a larger house in a more populated neighborhood closer to shopping and Mom's library and bank sometime next month, soon as my brother finishes testing a new battleship he helped build. She's not doing a whole lot else. I think she's still really nervous about living around the traffic down there.

Since the Match Game marathon never showed up, I finished the night with other game shows, these revolving around kids and trivia. Children have appeared on quiz shows for far longer than you might think. The original king of kids' quiz shows was appropriately titled Quiz Kids. This panel show had a host asking a panel of six kids questions sent in by viewers. The three winning kids get $100 dollars and come back next week. It started out in radio, where it was an instant sensation with tons of merchandise aimed at kid listeners like books of questions and board games and even a doll. It did well enough on TV, but wasn't quite as much of a sensation there, where it got lost amid a glut of panel and quiz shows.

Quiz Kids would be revived twice in syndication, in a similar format in 1980, and as The Quiz Kids Challenge in 1990. Here, the panel of kids is replaced by three kids playing three adults who have to choose between eight categories of knowledge. I kind of wish this had more to do with the original Quiz Kids. Too bad the short-lived failure of this one in late 1990 seems to have ended the Quiz Kids franchise. I'd love to see another kids' panel-type show, maybe on Nickelodeon.

Quiz Kids wasn't the only trivia show on TV in the 50's that encouraged kids to play along. Giant Step from 1956 had kids taking eight steps to win a college education, sort of a proto-Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for children. The atmosphere was far more formal here and a lot more tense, closer to the other big money game shows of the time.

Most kids' panel shows or quiz shows seem to have been made for local channels, with two schools from a given city playing each other. Two such shows I ran into on YouTube are Answers Please, a long-running hit in Albany, and D.B's Delight, a slightly stranger and more flamboyant trivia show from St. Louis. I enjoyed D.B's quiz bowl slightly more than the dry Answers Please. Answers Please didn't have a gruff puppet representing the title character as co-host, for one thing.

The bigger game show producers got in on the kids' games, too, making children's versions of their more popular adult game shows. Though Storybook Squares only ran for four months on Saturday morning in 1969, Hollywood Squares would revive the concept for occasional family and kid theme weeks on their daytime shows. In these episodes, all of the regular panelists would show up dressed as characters from history, literature, fairy tales, or in a few cases, the character they played on a kid-friendly show. In the episode I have here, check out Paul Lynde as Atilla the Hun, Elke Summer as Lady Guinevere, Rich Little as Noah (of the Ark fame), Valerie Bertinelli as Little Miss Muffet, Karen Valentine as Mona Lisa, and Vincent Price making such a perfect Captain Hook, I wish he really did appear in a production of Peter Pan.

Bob Stewart threw his hat into the kids' trivia show ring with his Junior Partner Pyramid. This was the kid's version of the Pyramid franchise, which turned up briefly as a special and on ABC daytime in 1979. It's played the same way as the adult Pyramid, only the kids win encyclopedias instead of trips. 

Nickelodeon's game shows tended to prefer stunts over trivia. One of their few shows to lean more heavily into the former was Make the Grade from 1990. There's still stunts, but they're limited to when the kids choose the "fire drill" space on the board, and the bonus round features the kids answering a series of questions in increasing difficult "grade levels." I used to love this show in the early 90's, finding it to be a breath of fresh air among the more blatant Double Dare imitations of the time. 

Trivia shows made for kids continue to appear today. The Class-H Room on Fox 29 in Philly pits three students and three teachers from the same school against each other. I just had to go with the recent episode that featured students from Deptford Middle School, which isn't far from where my sister Jessa and her husband Joe live. 

See if you can make the grade with these "quiz kids" and play along! 

Quiz Kids (1951)

Giant Step (1956)

Storybook Squares (1977)

Junior Partner Pyramid (1979)

Answers Please (1981)

D.B's Delight (1984)

The Quiz Kids Challenge (1990)

Make the Grade (1990)

The Class-H Room (2023)

Mothers and Games

Awoke to a cloudy, gloomy morning. It remained cold for the time of year and gale-force windy, but dry. Any rain was likely long gone by the time I finished breakfast and headed off to work. 

Needless to say on Mother's Day, work was busy almost the entire day. Even with enough help, we still had lines down the aisles. Fathers and children eager to treat their mothers to gifts stripped almost every flower and box of chocolate-covered strawberries in the entire store. People are still grumbling about not getting plastic and paper bags for free anymore, too. I think it's just that most of them tend to leave them in their cars and aren't used to bringing them along everywhere. At least my relief showed up when they were supposed to this time, and I remembered to pick up salad bowls for later in the week.

Changed and had a snack when I got home, then called Mom. I texted her earlier for Mother's Day and told her I'd call after work. She's mostly getting ready to move to Virginia with my brother Keefe and his wife Julie in late July. She's also delighted to announce that they're having a girl, and intend to name her Aurora. Oh, and Rose is apparently now speaking to Anny. She got together with her and her kids at a nearby park a few weeks ago. 

Anny's having more problems. Her dance-obsessed younger daughter Lilah broke her foot and won't let it rest, and her 13-year-old son Collyn is apparently giving her trouble. Skylar, who will be 18 in late July, is doing better. I'm going to have to think of something good to buy him, not only for such an important birthday, but for his graduation as well. Apparently, neither he nor his mother have any idea of what he's going to do after school.

Listened to the Patti LuPone Gypsy cast album CD and puttered online after I got off with Mom. There's some good performances in this recording of the 2008 Broadway revival, starting with LuPone herself as a Rose who is bold, and yet a bit warmer than brassy Merman or kittenish Bernadette Peters (who played the role in another revival just five years before). Laura Benati does a touching "Little Lamb," and Boyd Gaines partners LuPone well for "You'll Never Get Away From Me."

Finished the night on YouTube after a pleasant meal downstairs with family game shows or ones revolving around mothers. The Dating Game, of all shows, did a Mother's Day episode in 1972. First, little Dawn Lyn of My Three Sons chooses a date for her mother. Then, three mothers answer questions for their daughters to decide which one would go out with a handsome young man.

Most other shows brought the whole family in. Family Feud, whether with Richard Dawson in 1977 or Ray Combs in 1990, never failed to have some of the wildest answers from any mother's mouth. Family Double Dare from 1988 proved that the family that plays together, slimes together in an unusually intense episode that culminated with a rare obstacle course win. Blockbusters pit a pair of twins with identical impressive handlebar mustaches against a young lady and proved that two heads really are better than one, especially two that look and think alike!

Not every game involving families was as successful. Chuck Barris attempted to follow up The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game with more "Games" shows. The Family Game was basically "Newlywed Game with kids." Parents have to guess what their kids answered to questions about them. Bob Barker tried hard and worked well with the children, but matches were few and far between, and it just wasn't as funny to get weird answers from kids and parents as it was from newly married couples. ABC agreed and canned it after six months; the episode shown here is one of only two known to exist.

Family Game Night went over far better on The Hub (now Discovery Family) in the early-mid 2010's. Two families compete in a series of challenges based around Hasbro board and electronic games. My favorite here was the Bop It! Boptagon, which had the families playing objects and trying to keep up with the changing commands, including to move to the next instrument. It came down to an intense showdown between the moms that was actually riveting to watch.

Introduce your mom to some of the wildest mothers to ever compete on television with these crazy game shows! (The Family Game is in two parts, but as I mentioned, it's very rare.)

The Family Game (1967) Part 2

The Dating Game (1972)

Family Feud (1977)

Blockbusters (1980)

Family Double Dare (1990)

Family Feud (1990)

Family Game Night (2010)

Mothers and Matches

Started off a fast Mother's Day with eggs and leftovers from the nachos for breakfast. Listened to the Gypsy original cast album while I ate. Ethel Merman plays her most famous role here as Mama Rose, who pushes and shoves her two daughters into vaudeville. Although her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" is usually sited, I love her hilarious "Mr. Goldstone, I Love You" and her force-of-nature "Some People." Other good numbers here include "All You Need Is the Girl" and "Together Wherever We Go."

Hurried out even before the CD ended. Once again, work wasn't bad when I got in. It didn't get really busy until past 1:30, after everyone got out of church or finished brunch. We did have long lines, but not quite as long - or for as long - as yesterday. Apparently, bad weather in the middle of the day scared a lot of people off. By 4:30, it slowed down enough for me to leave with no relief and no need for one. 

Rushed straight home after work. Changed, grabbed vanilla yogurt with peanut butter and a banana for a very quick dinner, texted Mom a Happy Mother's Day greeting, then sat down to enjoy Match Game on YouTube. Mothers of all kinds - contestants, panelists, and questions and jokes about mothers - was the theme of this one. Jo Ann Pflug and Patti Deutsch appeared several times on Match Game while pregnant. Elaine Joyce's little girl Taylor Van was seen twice during the syndicated run, once in the end to show off her Polish dance costume, and again when she hid under her mother's desk during the show. Brett often spoke of her two sons and introduced her college-age daughter Leslie in one episode. 

My favorite episode involving parents - and the final episode in the marathon - was the one where Gene walks into the studio carrying two toddlers, a boy and a girl. The little boy was Patti's son Max Ross. The mini miss with the heavy grip on Gene's microphone was Gary Burghoff's darling daughter Gina. Max even "helped" his mother with the first question, and there were the occasional admonishments to watch what they said because little ears might hear. 

Here's the marathon, so you can enjoy the show with your own Mom! 

Match Game Mother's Day Marathon

Finished the night on YouTube with the 1985 Alice In Wonderland. I fondly remember seeing this two-part mini-series frequently on cable when I was a kid. Natalie Gregory is Alice, who badly wants to sit at the adult table for tea and prove she's a real adult. Bored after following her sister, she first ends up falling through a rabbit hole and into Wonderland. After she manages to escape Wonderland, she discovers that she's trapped behind the mirror and has to find her way across the checkerboard and become a queen to get home.

This was likely my first live-action Alice. On one hand, I wish a lot of the big-name cast had more to do. Of those stars who actually do something, the three queens - a perfectly demanding Jayne Meadows as the Queen of Hearts, Ann Jillian as the Red Queen, and Carol Channing as the White Queen - come off the best by far, especially when the latter two try to teach poor Alice how to be a queen. 

I don't know if this version is for everyone - the special effects and costuming are a bit dated and weird - but if you watched it on cable as a kid like I did, or you have younger kids who enjoy Alice stories, you may enjoy this as much as I did. 

Beautiful Day for Mothers

Began a glorious late morning with Colliers Harvest of Holidays stories for Mother's Day. Along with a few poems, Colliers has "The Most Beautiful Mother In the World." When a little Ukrainian girl is lost in the wheat fields, she tells people her mother is "the most beautiful woman in the world." Turns out that her loving, warm mother isn't beautiful to most people, but she is in the eyes of her adoring child.

Slept so late, it was nearly noon before I started breakfast. Made perfect strawberry pancakes with oranges and milk while listening to the original Broadway cast CD of Gypsy. Ethel Merman was the first Mama Rose, and she powers her way through both the big songs like "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and the more charming ballads "Small World" and "You'll Never Get Away From Me." 

My favorite song from this score never made it to opening night. "Mama's Talkin' Soft" was intended for June and Louise to sing above Rose and Herbie in counterpoint to "Small World." Alas, one of the girls was afraid of heights, which lead them to cutting the number. Too bad. It's a great song that gives wonderful insight to how the girls have seen their mother act like this with men before, and know they'll likely see it again. It's such a great song, some modern revivals include it and the counterpoint duet. There's also a solo for Herbie that didn't make it into the show, his assessment of Rose, "Nice She Ain't."

Here's Petula Clark's early 60's recording of "Mama's Talkin' Soft" to give you an idea of what the song is like:

Petula Clark - Mama's Talkin' Soft

Tried calling Mom after brunch, but she was talking to my sister Anny's boyfriend Jay. Oh well. I'd get back to her later.

After I got off with Mom, I grabbed the jump rope and went outside. It was too nice not to! The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the cold wind from yesterday was replaced by a soft spring breeze. I was surprised to find Veteran's Park empty. I had the park completely to myself. I figured it would be as busy as parks are currently allowed to be. Everyone must have opted to hold their Mother's Day barbecues in their backyards. I jumped two loops around the park, stopping on the first loop to check out the magnificent view of the creek and the houses on its banks from the edge of the peninsula with the gnarled old tree.

Spent the rest of the afternoon writing and looking things up online. Gene manages to make the tall, gnarled towers of the evil Queen Malade's regular castle appear. She's still holding King Allen (Ludden) hostage and tries one last time to force him to marry her. When he still claims he's too much in love with his wife, she turns him into...something. Her back is turned to them, and they can't see what she transformed him into, but they can hear her say that only his wife can break the curse...

Mom called me as I was finishing up for the evening. Other than she's still out of work - the Cape May-Lewes Ferries are only making two runs a day - she's perfectly fine. Like me, she's an introvert who would rather be at home anyway. She's also now on better speaking terms with my sister Anny, whose family helps her take care of her large yard. They were over to wish her a happy Mother's Day and talk about the yard when I called. 

Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. I defrosted turkey hot dogs yesterday, but was too tired to make them by the time I got home from work. Had them tonight, along with steamed asparagus and spiral pasta. 

After I ate, I opted to try an Alton Brown recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies I saw on YouTube. With flour in such short supply, I thought this was another way to stretch what I had and save my flour to make muffins for work. I forgot the vanilla and salt and burned the first batch a little bit, but for the most part, they still came out really well, full of peanutty flavor! The recipe doesn't make a lot, though, only about 16 cookies. Maybe next time, I'll double the recipe. Here's the Alton Brown YouTube short with the recipe. (And having your kids mix the dough is obviously optional, given I have no kids who can really hold things.)

Pantry Raid: Cookie Edition

Finished the night online with Mystery Science Theater 3000. I hadn't checked out one of their episodes in a while. The German fairy tale movies I watched last week put me in the mood for more fantasy stories from Europe. Mike joined the robots for Jack Frost, which turned out to be something of a cross between Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and the Russian fable Baba Yaga. An egotistical young man (Eduard Izotov) wants to impress the gentle beauty Nastenka (Natalya Sedykh) he met in the woods. After he insults an old man in a mushroom hat (Galina Borisova), the fellow turns him into a half-bear, half-man, and tells him he must do a good deed to restore his form. Even when he does, he learns that his Nastenka has been left in the woods by her henpecked father (Pavel Pavlenko) and taken in by Grandfather Frost (Alexander Khvylya). Meanwhile, Baba Yaga wants the boy for her supper, and would do anything to keep him, including forcing his lady love into a curse of her own...

Even with the bad dubbing and the robot's welcome wisecracks, I still found the story to be oddly charming. I used to read books of fairy tales from around the world when I was in high school and now know the stories of several cultures very well, including Russia. It's still obviously cheap and the characters are stock fairy tale archetypes, but the story is interesting, and it ended up being rather fun to watch.

Here's the episode on the free Shout TV channel, so you can enjoy it, too!

Mystery Science 3000 - Jack Frost

Oh, and the Match Game marathons will return tomorrow with the promised second half of the Technical Difficulties marathon!

Here Comes That Rainy Day

It was gloomy and raining (again) when I rolled out of bed this morning. Put on my Roberta LP as I made Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes for breakfast. This recording from the early 50's has more of the original score than either film version. Jack Cassidy joins Broadway singer Joan Roberts for my favorite number from this show, the charming "Let's Begin;" he also gets "I Won't Dance" with Kaye Ballard.

Headed off to work shortly after the album ended. I just barely made it on time...and wet. It wasn't raining around 10, but it started up again right before I left. I arrived at work quite wet. Good thing it wasn't busy when I arrived. I finally had the chance to finish shelving the last of the candy. I also cleaned the bathrooms and gathered baskets. It started getting busier around 2...which, of course, is when the other bagger went home. I had no help for the next two hours and had to try to sweep and do the carts at the same time. They eventually sent some of the cashiers out to help with the carts. I spent the last hour and a half outside, including when the night bagger arrived.

Went straight home after work. Thankfully, by that point, it was mildly misting, allowing me to get home only a little bit damp. I had a quick leftovers dinner while listening to one of my Have a Nice Day 70's CDs before doing some writing. Luke is delighted to discover he can fly under his own power. His delight diminishes somewhat when  he runs into Mara Jadeson in a helicopter just outside the Channel 11 offices. She wants the official scoop on the battle between the Rebels and the Empire, but Luke wishes she'd just get out of harm's way.

Played some Lego Star Wars after I finished writing. Did Free Play on "The Droid Factory," "Jedi Battle," and "Count Dooku." Got all the pieces on "Droid Factory" but couldn't find the red brick; found the red brick on "Dooku," but missed two pieces. "Jedi Battle" is a short boss round that's not hard to figure out; it was the only one I managed to get the pieces and the brick on.

Finished the night with the 1959 original cast recording of Gypsy with Ethel Merman. Rose is the ultimate stage mother, pushing and shoving her children into vaudeville whether they like it or not. She picked a bad time to do it. It's the early 30's, and vaudeville is dying, a victim of radio, talking movies, and the Depression. Her daughters did eventually become stars...as stage actress June Havoc and striptease artist and mystery novelist Gypsy Rose Lee, largely without their mother's help.

One of the most beloved of all musicals (with one of the juiciest female roles) has been revived many times since 1959, with two Broadway revivals debuting in the 2000's alone. Whether you go with Merman or Tyne Daly or Angela Landsbury or Bernadette Peters or Patti LuPone, this show is a must-have in your collection.

And I hope you all had a wonderful (and much drier) Mother's Day! I did text my mother during break; she texted back to thank me after dinner. (I'm guessing she probably had work.)

More I Cannot Wish You

Began a gloomy morning with some Mother's Day reading from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. The short story was a really cute piece about a little Ukrainian girl who is lost while her parents are cutting wheat in the fields. She asks people where her mother is, claiming that "my mother is the most beautiful woman in the world!" She may not be to others, but to the little girl, she's all things comfortable and safe.

Made Banana Brown Sugar Pancakes for breakfast while listening to Gypsy. I have the original 1959 Broadway cast featuring Ethel Merman in her most famous role as Mama Rose, the ultimate stage mother. Rose is bound and determined that her daughters are going to be stars in vaudeville. She couldn't have picked a worse time to shove them into it. It's the late 20's, and the one-two-three punch of talkies, radio, and the onset of the Great Depression is killing vaudeville. She also tries to keep her younger daughter June in child roles well into her teen years and ignores her shier daughter Louise. The girls do eventually become stars...as stage actress June Havoc and mystery novelist and striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, largely without their mother's help. 

You can't go wrong with any version of this musical. It's one of the most beloved musicals ever made for a reason. Angela Landsbury appeared as Rose in a London and Broadway revival in the mid-70's. Tyne Daly was in a Broadway revival in 1989. Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone both showed up in Broadway revivals staged within a decade of each other in the 2000's. Imelda Staunton was in the most recent revival in England in 2015. Bette Midler starred in a TV version in 1993. (Rosalind Russell was Rose in the 1962 movie, but I'm pretty sure she was dubbed.) All should be on CD and/or online, and the Russell and Midler movies are on DVD and Blu-Ray. 

Called my own mother quickly after breakfast. Mom was at work, but she did say that she'd gotten the card she sent and she appreciated it. Mom works at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal in North Cape May, taking tickets. I imagine she was probably pretty busy this weekend, regardless of the weather. A lot of people may have wanted to take their moms to Lewes and the outlets in Rehoboth Beach for the holiday.

Headed out shortly after the CD ended. Work was a madhouse when I got in, with lines down the aisles. I started out doing returns, then got stuck in the registers for almost an hour. "It'll only be five minutes!" That's what the manager said. Then it really got crazy. At least most people were in decent moods as they shopped for (or sometimes with) their mothers. I panicked so badly, they finally took me off and put me on bagging. I spent the rest of the day bagging, gathering plastic bags, and doing the carts. 

I did get lucky in one way. It rained this morning, but by the time I went to work, the rain was long gone. It did shower a little while I was doing returns early in my shift, but once again, it was gone when I went home. I got in dry. 

I was so hungry when I got home, I had leftovers for dinner right away while listening to Donna Summer's On the Radio. Did a little bit of writing after I ate. Chirrut and Baze express their concern for Han, whom they'd become friendly with during the trip after Scarif. Leia is about to explain Han's real identity when Mon Mothma and crusty, fishy old Admiral Ackbar silences the room. Mothma, the most outspoken advocate of Palpatine in the Royal Council, has just learned that most of Palpatine's guards will be among the people during the Mid-Summer Festival, leaving Solo Castle and Palpatine himself unprotected. Ackbar takes over to explain their military strategy...

Broke at 8 for a shower. Put on the 1959 original cast album for The Sound of Music when I got out (and to cover Charlie screaming at the dogs downstairs again). Beloved stage star Mary Martin headlines as Maria here, winning a Tony (over Ethel Merman in Gypsy) for her work. The movie changed quite a few things from the stage show. "My Favorite Things" is sung by Maria and the Abbess when Maria's trying to explain why she's always such a clown; she performs "The Lonely Goatherd" to calm the children during that thunderstorm instead. Max and the Captain's original fiancee Baroness Elsa had two rather sarcastic numbers, "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way to Stop It." Neither made it into the film version, possibly because they really don't jive with the show's optimistic tone. Maria and the Captain's big romantic moment was originally "An Ordinary Couple," also cut from the movie in favor of "Something Good."

I honestly prefer the film version. The cast is better, the music is better, and the placement is better. This is one of the very few musicals that was actually enhanced on the way to the big screen. The original cast is really for fans of Sound of Music, Rogers and Hammerstein, or Martin.

Ended the night with another favorite musical from earlier in the 50's, Guys and Dolls. The "guys" are gamblers who keep having to find a new place for their floating crap (dice) game. Head gambler Nathan Detroit makes a bet with smooth Sky Masterson, who will bet on pretty much anything, that he can take the lovely Sarah Brown, a member of the Save-a-Soul Mission, to Havana for dinner. Though she resists at first, Sky does manage to pull it off after he promises to bring the mission a full house of sinners. They fall for each other in Havana, at least until Sarah thinks he's been using the mission for gambling. Meanwhile, Nathan's stripper girlfriend Adelaide is dealing with a nasty cold, due to her boyfriend's inability to hurry up and propose.

I listened to the original cast from 1950 tonight...but despite some good performances (notably Vivian Blane and Sam Levene as the gambler and the woman who wishes he'd actually pay attention to her) I like the more dynamic 1992 revival cast with Nathan Lane and Peter Gallagher better. Blaine also appeared in the 1955 movie, with Frank Sinatra as Nathan and Marlon Brando as Sky, which is pretty good but is also missing music (a lot of songs were cut). 

Once again, the next round of thunderstorms didn't show up until well after I'd gotten home and online (and had gone downstairs to get a box of snacks Lauren sent for our vacation from Charlie). Hopefully, it won't be too bad for the next few days. I have a lot to do before Lauren arrives, including laundry, library trips, and counseling. 

Mama's Talkin' Soft

Started off Mother's Day with an early work session. This being a Sunday and a holiday, we were insane all day with families picking up flowers for Mom and Grandma and barbecue fixings for dinner. The sun was in and out, and it was really windy. It even sprinkled briefly around 10 AM. Even with clouds, it was still warmer and much nicer than yesterday. I didn't mind being outside all morning, but I wish I had more help. It was hard to keep up with the carts on my own.

I was so happy to head out around 12:30! Today was my last day of work for a week and a half. I have a normal day off tomorrow, and then vacation officially starts on Tuesday when Lauren arrives. I still have things to do before she comes, so I went straight home. Besides, I was starved. I had a quick lunch while listening to one of my K-Tel 70's albums.

After I ate, I called Mom and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. I'd already ran into Jodie at the Acme and got to wish the same to her. I knew she was probably working at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry by 1 PM. I didn't expect to get her, and I didn't, so I left a message.

Rested for a bit after lunch while reading some Mother's Day material from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. The short story is The Most Beautiful Mother In the World, about a little Ukrainian farm girl who gets separated from her mother while helping with the wheat harvest. She keeps telling the people helping her look for her family that her mother is "the most beautiful woman in the world." She may not be to others, but in her daughter's eyes, she's all that's happy and safe. There were also a couple of poems.

Next on the list was finishing the spring cleaning. The trash and recycling canisters badly needed to be scrubbed. I normally do them twice a year, in May after it's gotten warm enough to turn on the hose, and in October before it becomes too cold to, but I put it off last fall. That wasn't a good idea. They were disgusting, especially the smaller container I use for recycling bottles and cans. Something must have leaked a while back and made a dark, gluey mess. Since I was out there, I washed the dirt and pollen off my bike, too.

Worked on writing for a while after I came in. Luke is getting intensely into his training with Yoda, in much the same way as he does in the film. Rusty is around to make sure Yoda doesn't push too hard on him, including after Luke sees his own face in Darth Vader's severed head in a cave. Two weeks after his arrival, he has a vision about Henry, Leia, and Charles being in trouble in a city high in the mountains. Rusty's ready to go, but Yoda's worried about him abandoning his training. Luke's torn - he's worried about his friends, but he wants to finish and become a real Jedi.

Broke around 5:30 to have leftovers for dinner and do some baking. The recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cookies comes from that one-bowl cookie cookbook Lauren gave me for my birthday. That's rather appropriate, since I'm making them in her honor. Lauren loves raspberries. A bush of wild raspberries grew in her yard for years. This is also an opportunity to finally make some use of the bottle of raspberry extract I picked up on the Acme's big clearance sales when they remodeled last fall. They came out amazing, delicious and rich nuggets of dark chocolate-fruity goodness.

Ran a couple of Broadway cast albums while I baked. In honor of the current Broadway revival of Hello Dolly! with Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce, I put on my favorite version. Pearl Bailey headed an all-black cast in the late 60's, and I still think no one's done it better. Wish her Horace Vandergelder, Cab Calloway, had stuck around. He's a lot of fun on the cast album. "Ribbons Down My Back" is also quite lovely.

Did Gypsy for Mother's Day. Tough Rose Hovick (played in my original cast album by Ethel Merman) is the ultimate show business mother, alternately smothering and shoving her two daughters into the vaudeville big-time. She couldn't have picked a worse time to do it. It's the late 20's-early 30's, and vaudeville is dying. Her daughters did eventually become stars...as stage comedienne June Havoc and striptease artist and mystery writer Gypsy Rose Lee.

My favorite number from this show was actually cut before opening. "Mama's Talkin' Soft" was intended for the girls to sing in counterpoint to "Small World," their view of Rose going after Herbie, while perched on a catwalk over their heads. One of the girls was afraid of heights...which meant the end of this number. Too bad. It's a great song. June and Louise basically say that they've seen their mom run through men like this before. Herbie also had a good song that got cut, his assessment of Rose, "Nice She Ain't."

Speaking of mothers, mine texted me back around 4:30. She was at work...but she'd see me next week. She asked for next Sunday off so she and Dad-Bill can come up to Rose's baby shower, too. Great! I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, and they'll finally get to meet Lauren.

And Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there (including those whose children are four-legged for feathered)!

Mothers of Emotion

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all mommies, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered!

Second, I kind of wish I hadn't started the day by oversleeping. I barely had the time to make Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast and listen to Gypsy. This musical about the ultimate show business mother is based after the real-life tale of "Mama" Rose, who was determined that her daughters Louise and especially June become vaudeville headliners. She couldn't have picked a worse time to push and shove them into it. This story takes place during the late 20's-early 30's, when vaudeville was dying. June and Louise do eventually become stars...as stage comedienne June Hovick and stripper and author Gypsy Rose Lee. Rose is devastated when her daughters don't make it in vaudeville, but she's even more angry when she realizes just how much of her life she gave up for them.

I barely made it to work on time. As it was, I ended up spending most of the day, including the first two and a half hours of my shift, outside rounding up carts. (I also did a few returns, including cleaning up after a broken jar of pickled hot peppers that fell out of one of the carts.) At least it was a nice day for it. The clouds were vanishing, even as I was riding to the Acme. By the time I was on my last hour (and my second go-around with the carts), the sun was out and it was windy as all heck. Despite the bedlam in the parking lot, it didn't seem all that busy inside until the noon rush hour and people started getting out of church. Thankfully, it seemed to be slowing down a bit as I bought skim milk (the only thing I forgot yesterday) and headed home.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at my place, working on my story and other ideas. Luke and Leia do get Yoda back to his place, with Cecil and Arthur's help. Luke does get Yoda to admit that yes, Vader is their father, and no, he didn't want them to know. Leia calls him out on this. Neither Skywalker likes the idea of Luke going after Vader. Luke doesn't want to kill anyone. Leia doesn't want him getting killed. Luke genuinely mourns Yoda when he passes. Leia's more upset for him (she only knew Yoda through what Luke told her).

And...yeah, I came up with yet another "I don't know when I'll get to it, but I like it" idea, and once again, it's Han/Leia based. (They've been on my mind lately - see also the "Little Merman" outline at the Story Ideas page on my blog.) It's going to be a grittier high fantasy tale, inspired by this Tumblr post. Leia is in search of her missing brother Luke, who was in training to be a wizard before their parents were killed and he was kidnapped. He's not the only one who has disappeared. The queen is dying. Her spoiled, vain younger son is taking over the throne. There was once an older son, Prince Hannel, but he vanished and is presumed dead. It's rumored that the younger prince is in league with a dark sorcerer who worked some enchantment on his lost elder sibling.

Leia finds a man imprisoned in a dungeon in a remote corner of the kingdom. The bedraggled man with the auburn hair had once worn fine robes, but now can neither speak, nor remember who he is. All Leia knows is he's insufferably stubborn, an excellent shot with a bow and arrow, and is always accompanied by one of the enormous Wookie wolves that never leaves his side. The two are eventually joined by an eccentric old wizard and a mysterious golden unicorn with sad blue eyes as they try to find out who the man is and restore order to the land.

Finished out my night with leftovers and Inside Out. In one of Pixar's most unique films, we meet the emotions of an 11-year-old girl named Riley. Up until now, Riley, a hockey-loving Minnesota native, has always been a pretty happy kid, mostly controlled by Joy (voice of Amy Pohelr). A move to San Francisco upends Riley's world and that of her emotions. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) has always been on the back burner with little to do. When Joy tells her not to turn Riley's memories sad, she accidentally loses three of them. Joy and Sadness, with the help of Riley's former imaginary friend Bing Bong (Richard Kind), have to return the memories to the main brain headquarters, before Riley's world crumbles...and she shuts out her emotions all together.

This was one of last year's biggest hits and Pixar's biggest hit and best-reviewed movie in years, and I can certainly see why. Pixar has personified everything from fish to toys, but this takes things to a whole other level, giving everyone at least one thing they can relate to. It's also one of the few full-length animated films I've seen that has no real antagonist. Riley's troubles, and her emotions' troubles in dealing with the changes around her, is the focus. I also like seeing the film acknowledge that not only can negative emotions be as useful as positive ones, they're even more so at times. It's those negative emotions that finally convince us to talk about our troubles, instead of keeping them in.

Like Wreck It Ralph from a few years ago, this is one movie that everyone in the family should be able to enjoy and relate to on some level. It's very highly recommended, especially for animation fans and for families with kids Riley's age who are just starting to learn how to deal with their own real-life emotions.

A Day For Mothers

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all Moms out there, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered!

I started a hot, muggy Mother's Day with Banana Pancakes and Louis Armstrong records before dashing off to early work. Work was busy all morning, not exactly a surprise on a holiday and a Sunday. Most people were happy to be heading to their holiday barbecues and dinners. At one point, we even gave out free single carnations to all the mothers who came in our lines. There were no real problems, and my relief was right on time.

I took the Black Horse Pike home this time, road repairs be darned. I was too tired to deal with the Sunday traffic on Nicholson Road. As soon as I got in, I changed and called my own mom to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. I ended up leaving her a message. I'm guessing she was either at work or out with my sister Anny and her kids.

I spent the next hour and a half napping. I'm not used to working early on a Sunday! After I got up, I worked on my WENN fanfiction. Mackie and Hilary, impressed with the Crimson Blade after the fight in the market and with how they saved Hilary from Pavla, joins the group to replace Jeff. Meanwhile, Pavla and Governor Pruitt get together to discuss their twin adversaries, the Crimson Blade and the staff and residents of the Monongahela Inn. Pruitt wants to sell off the Inn and get the staff out of his hair. Pavla wants revenge on Hilary and the others for humiliating her. They both think they can help each other get what they want...starting with Pavla going to have a talk with Lord Jeff Singer in Boston...

I had leftovers for dinner while listening to the original cast of the beloved 1959 musical Gypsy. Ethel Merman had what was considered her greatest role as the ultimate stage mother, the conniving, manipulating Rose. She pushed and shoved her daughters June and Louise into vaudeville at early ages, hoping against hope that sweet little June would become a star. June did eventually hit it big...as an adult comedienne on Broadway. Louise became Gypsy Rose Lee, the most famous and classiest stripper in burlesque.

Actually, I think my favorite song from this show is one of the cut numbers included on my deluxe edition disc, "Mamma's Talkin' Soft." It was supposed to have been sung by Louise and June overhead while Rose sang "Small World," but one of the girls was afraid of heights and they had to drop the number. Too bad. I like the way the girls describe how they've seen their mother deal with men before...and what happens when she gets her hooks into them. The almost intimate, cabaret-like version on my CD gives it a jaunty, laid-back feel.

"Grease" Is Still the World

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all mommies, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered.

I decided I'd try something a little different today. I'm still a fan of the Beatles show, but I'm tired of the same old themes and more-or-less the same show. Yesterday on the American Top 40 re-run, Casey Kasem mentioned a list of singers appearing in films. Among the ones he brought up was Andy Gibb in "More Grease." I suspected Casey meant Grease 2, but that came out in 1982, not 1980...and sans Gibb. A trip to Wikipedia and the film's trivia section of the Internet Movie Database gave me at least some answers. Grease 2, like fellow early 80s camp musical Xanadu, had an infamously troubled production with a rushed script that was unfinished when filming started, a director who had never done a movie before (and never would again), and more budget than organization. (And Gibb apparently failed his screen test for the role that ultimately went to Maxwell Caulifield.)

I ate Strawberry-Coconut Pancakes and half of a grapefruit for breakfast while listening to the Grease 2 soundtrack. For all its problems, there's just as many things that work, and many of them are on the soundtrack. The opening number, "Back to School Again," is dynamic, and the song is by far the best in the movie. The Pink Ladies' "Girl For All Seasons" actually does look and sound like something a group of teenagers would throw together in 1961 for a talent show (other than Johnny was really right about Paulette's Miss June costume being too skimpy for high school). Several songs, including "Cool Rider" and "Charades," benefit from the full versions being included. They get cut off or faded out early in the movie.

Work was on-and-off busy, but otherwise not that bad. Between a nice day and the holiday, most people were in a good mood and just wanted to run off to barbecues. I suspect many people went down to the shore for the weekend. We had plenty of help, and there were no major problems. This time, I was easily able to shut down with no relief.

When I got home, I changed into regular clothes, then made chicken cutlets in lemon sauce and spinach and mushrooms for dinner while listening to the soundtrack to the first Grease film. As much as I do enjoy the first film, the whole thing with Sandy changing herself so suddenly at the end has always bothered me. On the other hand, the score is still a heck of a lot of fun, from Sandy and Danny's opposing viewpoints in "Summer Nights" to the energetic finale "We Go Together." My favorite part was always the dance, with its toe-tapping numbers and some of the hilarious quips from the kids (love Sonny "washing his hands").

I finished out the night with mango ice cream and the cast album from the original 1972 Broadway Grease. The big difference here, other than a little more profanity, is every T-Bird and Pink Lady gets a number of their own. Songs that appear in the background in the film, like "Freddy My Love" and "Those Magic Changes," originally fleshed out the other characters besides Danny and Sandy (Marty and Doody respectively in this case). On the other hand, Danny's number when he sees the changed Sandy in the finale, "All Choked Up," sounds more Elvis but lacks the zip of its movie replacement, "You're the One That I Want." Not to mention, the cast sounds even older than the performers in the two movies look.

The Grease you end up with depends on which cast and songs you prefer. There were revivals in 1994 and 2007, and the cast of Glee evidently recorded their own versions of the songs two years ago. The first movie is the most famous, but the second isn't nearly as bad as its reputation suggests, and the Broadway show has its own charms and is where it all began.

Blown Away

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all moms, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered. : )

Second, actually, this was a fairly quiet Mother's Day for me. Not being a mom myself, I usually just call mine to wish her the best of the day. Started a sunny but windy and milder morning with a quick breakfast of Sweet Potato Cinnamon Pancakes while listening to Brunch With the Beatles. The theme was a favorite of mine, "Songs That Ask or Answer Questions." This theme is a favorite of mine because it's so broad - anything goes, as long as it's done by a Beatle and has the general idea. Group songs heard include "No Reply," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Piggies," "Help!," "When I'm 64," and "Do You Want to Know A Secret?" Solo question-and-answer tunes included "Blown Away" and "What Is Life?" by George, "Woman" by John Lennon, and "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings.

I was quickly able to call Mom as I finished breakfast. I caught her at the right time. My sister Anny and her sons were coming over to visit. I told her about my rough week and yesterday's weather. She said they got rain all day on Saturday. We must have been in a pocket of some kind.

Went straight to work after I got off with Mom. Work was insanely busy through about 3PM. I still had a line when I was trying to get on my break! It died fairly quickly after that as people headed to their Mother's Day barbecues or home from brunches.

Jodie walked by my line quickly during the day and invited me over to Dad's house for her famous barbecue ribs. I figured, why not? I didn't have any other dinner plans. I rode home in the wind, changed into regular clothes, and walked to Dad's - it was really too windy for the bike.

It wasn't nearly as big of a party as Dad's Easter and Christmas Eve get-togethers. For one thing, my sister Rose, her boyfriend Craig, and my stepsister Jessa all had to work; Craig's parents were babysitting Khai. It was mostly Jodie's relatives, including her parents, her sons Jesse and TJ, a friend of TJ's, Jesse's girlfriend Dana, and Jodie's sister and her daughter. I ate asparagus, macaroni salad, and Jodie's famous, melt-in-your-mouth ribs, now joined by equally tasty chicken. We had a chocolate cream pie from the Acme's bakery for dessert.

When I got home, I went straight in the bath. I needed one rather badly. My legs are killing me. I spent a quiet hour testing my new pomegranate bubble bath and reading Peace and Plenty. While the bubble bath smelled great, it didn't last nearly as long as the larger container of Acme-brand bubble bath usually does. I'm glad I found it at the clearance rack. That would have been disappointing at the original price.

A Beautiful Day for Mothers

It remained gorgeous, bright, and warm when I finally got up around 10AM. While many women were having Chocolate-Covered Strawberries in honor of Mother's Day, I opted for Dark Chocolate Chip-Strawberry Multi-Grain Pancakes and a half of a grapefruit. Ran Brunch With the Beatles as I ate. The theme today was "The Beatles and Other British Invasion Groups." We heard early Beatles music, along with hits from other British bands who followed in their wake. Songs included "Wishin' an' Hopin'" and "I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield, "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Garry and the Pacemakers, "Time On My Side" by the Rolling Stones, and "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits. I tried to get a hold of my own mother twice, but she was out. I figured she was either working in her garden or out to brunch with Dad.

After the Beatles finished, I went to the side yard to finish up the raking. The path leading to my apartment was pretty bad. Even at its worst, though, it never takes me very long to do. It was clear in less than 20 minutes. As I worked, I saw Richard and another man pull something huge out their side door. It seemed to be a very large entertainment center. Richard's wife said they got a big new TV; did I want their old one? Sorry, no. I love the 15-inch TV I bought last year. Nice to know I'm not the only one getting new furniture, though.

It was such a nice day, I went for a walk to CVS after I was done raking. The breeze felt fresh and cool as I made my way down to Newton Avenue. The gardens look so lovely. The roses, like everything else, are early this year. They're blooming in huge bunches of deep red, coral, dusky pink, and creamy white, twining up houses like thorny rainbows.

CVS wasn't too busy when I arrived. I needed contact solution. My current bottle is almost empty. The large container was on sale for $8.99; not great, but better than the 9 or 10 dollars it usually costs. I picked up Herbal Essences on sale as well, along with milk. I chatted briefly with Jodie's son TJ and a friend of his on my way back. They were riding bikes over to Jodie's house to wish her a happy Mother's Day. They wondered why I was on foot instead. I decided to give the bike a rest; I'd be taking it to work.

When I got in, I put my purchases away and had a simple, fast lunch of shrimp, spinach salad, and leftover steamed asparagus from yesterday. I had plenty of time for once to make dinner, change into my uniform, and head to work.

Work was really busy for most of the night. In addition to this being a holiday, there's lots of birthdays and barbecues this weekend. Many colleges are having their graduation ceremonies this week or next week, too. I ended up having to stay an extra hour because a college student called out, but given I only work two days this week and could use the money, maybe it's just as well.

I did finally get a hold of Mom when I got home. I guessed right; Dad did treat her to a Mother's Day breakfast at their favorite diner in Rio Grande this morning. She loved the card I sent her, too. We had a great chat about our favorite movies. (She can't wait for the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. to come out on DVD next month. She saw it in the theaters, lucky duck!)

To All Mothers...

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered. ;)

I slept in this morning as much as possible. I didn't get to calling my mother until around 11, after a breakfast of sweet potato pancakes and farm market grapefruit. Mom was tired but seemed pretty happy. She'd spent the weekend working in her garden and was getting ready to do more. She was the only one home. Dad finally went out fishing. Keefe was out with his girlfriend Vicki. Anny was with her own sons; she figured they'd call later.

I asked Mom if she'd gotten the card I sent. She said no, but she hadn't opened Saturday's mail, either. She brought the card in and opened it while we were on the phone. She was really thrilled with it; considering how long it took me to find one I liked for her at work, I'm happy she's happy.

Mom said she assumed the Acme would be dead today. Boy, was she wrong. We were packed for almost the entire afternoon. We were also short on help; there were call-outs, which resulted in long lines. Thankfully, the holiday and weather that was even nicer than yesterday's put everyone in a good mood. I was in and out of the store with no problems other than being tired.

I spent the rest of the evening reading A Song In the Dark and listening to CDs. I got so caught up in it, I was late starting my flounder and sauteed broccoli dinner...which means I was late getting in the shower...which means I was late listening to The Dress Circle. I did get to hear the last 15 minutes on a show on Frank Loesser's Hollywood music. My favorite number by far was a marvelous duet between Shirley Ross and Bob Hope, "Two Sleepy People," from the 1938 movie Thanks For the Memory.

Mothers, Dolls, and Movies

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all moms, including new moms and those whose children are four-legged and/or feathered.

I slept until 10, then read books and wrote in my journal in bed for a while. It was quarter after 11 before I finally started making breakfast. I tried calling Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day while my Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Pancakes were cooking, but I got a busy signal.

Finally got through to her around noon. She was in the midst of an intense game of Parcheesi with my stepfather and brother. She said she wasn't doing well. I hope she eventually kicked their rears.

The theme of the Brunch With the Beatles show today was "The Beatles and Other British Revolution Bands of 1964 and 1965." We heard from Dusty Springfield, Gary and the Pacemakers, and the Dave Clark Five, among a few others, along with early Beatles music. I'm not the biggest fan of the Beatles' earlier stuff, but it was nice to hear some of the other bands and put them in context of the time period.

Spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out online. Mom had recommended a TCM collection of four musicals that she'd gotten off of Amazon.com, the TCM Greatest Classic Films: Broadway Musicals set. I may have to get it myself. I have Annie Get Your Gun and Kiss Me Kate on video (the latter has been around since high school and is showing its years) and don't have Seven Brides for Seven Brothers or the 1952 Show Boat with Ava Gardner.

I went to Turner Classic Movies' site next to check out something I'd heard mentioned elsewhere - the Warners Archive Collection. On one hand, this preserves older movies that Warners doesn't deem worthy of a major release (including silents) and some lesser-known recent films. On the other hand, they're cheaply done, despite the $19.99 price tag, just the movie on a DVD-R. I wasn't sure they'd be worth the price...but I discovered on their site that they include many movies I was sure would never see the light of day on DVD, including the Marilyn Miller bio-pic Look For the Silver Lining, the 1944 Kismet with Marlene Dietrich, and dozens of early talkie musicals heavily discussed in one of my favorite books, A Song in the Dark - Sweet Kitty Belairs, Love In the Rough, It's A Great Life, the infamous Golden Dawn ("very offbeat" is putting it mildly), On With the Show!, the 1929 Rio Rita, Show Girl In Hollywood, The Hollywood Revue of 1929, The Show of Shows, and two vehicles for the real-life Miller, Sally and Sunny. Sally, Hollywood Revue, and Rio Rita alone are fun flicks (vintage and all). Besides, everyone should have one really bad, campy cult movie in their collection...and they don't get much worse, or campier, than Golden Dawn. (What's campier than an operetta set in Africa with people in horrible black makeup singing about "My Whip" and "My Bwana?" ;) )

I had leftover asparagus and the last of the chicken sausage patties for lunch, then headed for work. Work was a pain in the rear today. First of all, the drawer for my first register jammed while I had a long line, and we had to move everyone to the next one. Second, there were at least two checks that wouldn't go through the system we use. The first woman threw a fit, but the second took it much better.

I've been wanting to do some work on my American Girls dolls ever since I read about how to clean them up at the American Girls Playthings Message Board. I decided that, to cheer me up, I would lavish attention on the people who have always been there for me - my dolls. I bought fabric softener and a Magic Marker sponge at work (along with buttermilk).

I washed Molly's hair first. I don't know what my stepsister Jessa used on her hair, but it made a huge mess! Red stuff went everywhere. I managed to get as much of it out as I could, but I got her torso soaked. She was dunked in fabric softener for a while. I also cleaned Samantha's hair and conditioned it. I'm going to leave her in the fabric softener overnight. She has more hair than Molly does.

Molly looks much better. Her hair is still a tad reddish, but it's nothing like it was. Unfortunatly, I completely soaked her body. She's going to have to dry for a while. I wiped Little Jessa with the Magic Marker. I'll do Felicity tomorrow.

A Day for Mamas

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers (including those whose "kids" are four-legged). I started off my Mother's Day with Pecan-Molasses Pancakes and a call to my own mother. Mom was fine when I got a hold of her. Keefe was still recovering from being sick and hurting his foot. Dad was getting ready to go on a motorcycle ride. She was watering the plants, including one Rose sent her for Mother's Day. (She liked my card, too.) She's worried about Dad and the Cape May fishing fleet. The boat that went down off the coast of Cape May last month has been constantly in the papers since then. Mom's afraid the media blitz will result in more and damaging regulations for the commercial fishermen.

After my chat with Mom, I listened to the Beatles show on WOGL ("The Beatles and Other British Invasion Bands" was the theme today), washed the dishes, and did some reading, then headed to work. Work was steady but not insanely busy, surprisingly for a holiday and a gorgeous day in general. It was cooler than yesterday but not too much for this time of the year, sunny, and really windy. I had a great ride to and from work. Other than my relief was slightly late, there were no problems.

Did some baking after I came home. My cookie jar was running low again, so I tried another cookie recipe from the light desserts cookbook I took out of the Haddon Township Library, this one for chocolate chip cookies. Yum. They came out incredibly well, even with half the sugar and butter of most chocolate chip cookie recipes. I think they might be the best chocolate chip cookies I ever made. They are so perfectly soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. Beats the heck out of Chips Ahoy any day.

It was such a nice day, I decided to go for a quick walk after the cookies were done. I strolled down Manor Avenue, past West Clinton, and over to Kendall Boulevard and the neighborhood behind the school. It was fairly quiet, for a lovely spring evening. There were a few people clustered around Leo's Yum-Yums, and I saw some kids out riding around, but I figured most people were barbecuing in their backyards, working on an elaborate dinner for Mom, or taking their mothers out to eat.

Mammas Mia!

Happy Mother's Day to all mamas everywhere (including mothers whose children are four-legged, like my sister Rose and friends Tina and Linda). I did call my mother this evening after work. She was just getting ready to make my brother and dad dinner. Daddy tried to talk her into going out, but she didn't really feel like braving the crowds and said she didn't mind cooking. And yes, she received my card and enjoyed it.

Work was surprisingly steady for the first major holiday we've had since Easter in late March. Maybe it was because of the sunny (though windy) day, or maybe more people opted to take their mothers out to dinner. There were no major problems beyond a few annoying customers. Someone even put Ennterman's donuts and Acme bakery sticky buns in the back for Mother's Day. I had a sticky bun with lunch, but I'm not the biggest donut fan.

I finished watching Ratatouille when I came home from work. This was the big Pixar film from last summer, and considering the mixed reviews, I quite enjoyed it. It's certainly one of their most unusual films, the tale of a French rat who longs to become a great gourmet chef. He gets his chance when he's separated from his family and lands in Paris, where he helps a shy garbage boy in a once-great restaurant become top man and win the heart of a tough female sous chef. Ultimately, despite a somewhat down-beat ending, I found this to be a touching and sweet story of how one animal's dream is finally accepted by both friends and family...now matter how unusual that dream may seem to others.