Did some errands (depositing my jury duty check, that sort of thing) and shopping today. Got some autumn things at JoAnn and Michael's, and gas for only 1.14⁹ at Costco.

Had a big surprise at Media Play: in the rear was a big display of merchandise for the film A Christmas Story. This funny film has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it and I have the 20th anniversary DVD on order. I heard they were going to release some merchandise, but I was surprised by the extent! There are at least two T-shirts, one with a graphic that says "Double Dog Dare" and another with Ralphie with the bar of Lifebuoy in his mouth which says something to the effect of "Connoisseur of soap." There are 12-14" figures, one of Ralphie and one of The Old Man with the leg lamp, and these say phrases from the film. There are also four smaller figures, Ralphie, Mom with Randy in his snowsuit, Flick stuck to the flagpole, and again, the Old Man with the lamp. Plus a Christmas ornament and a lunchbox--oh, and a 20" replica of the lamp!

Stopped off at Border's with my 15% off coupon and got a couple of books and a new Cook's Illustrated magazine. One of the books was the newest "History Mystery," Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal. These "History Mystery" books are published by the same folks who do the American Girl books; each takes place in a different year and, predictably, involves a girl in a mystery. I enjoy them, and one of them, The Night Flyers, a World War I story, earned an Edgar Mystery Writer's Award for best juvenile mystery several years ago. There is one from WWII, several Western adventures, one that takes place during the San Francisco earthquake, the Alaskan gold rush, etc.

This newest one is about a subject I find fascinating: the families that lived on the shore either tending the lighthouses or supporting the rescue operations back in the last century. I probably saw Captain January as a small child, but the first "child of lighthouse keeper" story I remember that fascinated me was "Maudie Tom, Jockey" along with the sea rescue story of Nellie's father in the original Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore. I've always wanted to do a children's story about a lighthouse keeper's children--what a hard life they endured, yet they managed to survive and thrive.

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:58:00 PM

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