Mr. In-Between

Alan turns twelve next week, and his list of birthday present requests is revealing.  He would be happy with a plastic light-saber but would also like an iPod Touch.  He would have fun with his own ripstick, but a personal GPS would be nice, too.  He also asked to spend a week at Grandma's house, which to him is a lot like Kubla Kahn's pleasure palace, but specified that he wants his brothers to come, too!

Not too long ago, he asked if he could "grow his hair out".  Do you think he wants to look like a rock star or Luke Skywalker from Episode 4?

Market Basket

Sometimes things from our youth take on a certain magic for us as we grow older, no matter how unnoteworthy they are in themselves.  So it is for me with the grocery store chain "Market Basket," which was THE grocery store for me at the time I became aware of such things.  That building is still a Market Basket in my mind, even though it has changed ownership many times over the past 30+ years.

So I was surprised and delighted when I saw a Market Basket featured in this clip, with which you all are--or should be--familiar.