Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving shindig this year!  

We munched on popcorn, jellybeans, pretzels, toast, and ice cream sundaes 

while we watched the show.

Jiffy Popcorn of course!

As much fun to make as it is to eat!

Jelly Belly jelly beans: Holiday Favorites flavors:

 Egg nog, hot cocoa, peppermint, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Toast on a stick!

a la Snoopy!

Hope you all get the wish bone!

Dick Van Dyke

The world is a better place because Dick Van Dyke is a part of it.

He stars in two of my most favorite movies: Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  I love the characters that he portrays in both films, with their playfulness, simple pleasures, and zest for life.  

I loved Mary Poppins as a child for the magic and music.  I love it now, because I get it.  When Bert tells Mr. Banks "You got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone though childhood slips like sand through a sieve and all too soon they've up and grown and then they've flown and it's too late for you to give.' ...That's it.  Then when you have "Let's go fly a kite" sung following after that, I generally have to go to another room because I have "something" in my eye. 

During an interview with Dick Van Dyke reminiscing about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang he said something that finalized my admiration for him.  He said that the movie/story may be "considered square and corny today but children need that".  I say, we adults need that too.

Hubs knows about my deep admiration for Dick Van Dyke. He arranged for me to get a surprise in the mail last year.  A birthday card from Dick Van Dyke!

Dick Van Dyke in more recent times is still his charming, funny, playful self.  I found this video that shows him and his wife lip syncing a Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers song.

Watch the comb through out the video.  So funny.

They did this before they were married and the lyrics are perfect for them.

 Dick Van Dyke's 89th birthday is December 13 and I plan on sending him a card.

I wish him many, many more years!

Atomic Age Stuff

The fam and I had an Atomic Blast party several months back. (The many links to it are below)

And then just a month ago there was an entire museum presentation with artifacts, lectures, and even a movie screening of  Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb in our town!

Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow

Living with the Atomic Bomb

1945-1965

The best part is the exhibit is on tour! Check the dates through the link above to see if it is coming near you!

The exhibition explores the ways in which Americans experienced the atomic threat as part of their daily lives: at school, in the home, and even at play, in the two decades following the 1945 bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan.  The exhibit features 75 original objects from the era, as well as large-scale graphics, radio broadcasts and film. 

Some cities the exhibit tours through are having panel discussions, community forums and storytelling events, oral history and film screenings of such classics as The Day The Earth Stood Still and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

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One area of the exhibit was set up like a class room, with a film loop of  "Duck and Cover" being played.

The back of the chalkboard had images from a children's safety booklet of "Duck and Cover" with Bert the Turtle.

Vintage image of Duck and Cover in action.

Child focused informational booklets and handouts from the Atomic Era.

Atomic Toys!

Atomic pistols and an Air-Raid board game.

Fall Out Shelter Paper Dolls!

Atomic inspired housewares.

YES!  Kix Atomic "Bomb" Ring!

Air-Raid Watch Team.

Fall Out Shelter paraphernalia. 

Photo op with Miss Atomic Blast!

Mr. Civil Defense.  Does his illustration style seem familiar? 

It should.  Artist Al Capp of Lil' Abner fame illustrated him!

Here are the links to our Atomic Blast Shindig:

Having A Blast
See us relive before and after shots of the 1955 Atomic Blast of Survival Town, Las Vegas

Fallout Frosting and Canned Water
Atomic Blast Mushroom Cloud Cake

Miss Atomic Blast
And the winner is.....!

Duck and Cover
Public Service Announcements, instructional films, and Bert himself presenting "Duck and Cover"

National Atomic Testing Museum
In beautiful ground zero...Las Vegas!

Ka-Boom!
Wrap up

Grab your Geiger counter and head for the nearest showing of this exhibit!