I had a rush yarn order to finish in time for a birthday gift. With our winter weather finally here, staying inside to work on fiber projects was not so bad. The difficulty was that I often watch TV while I spin, or at least glance at TV while I spin. With an entire weekend of spinning and plying, however, I must have worn out all the satellite channels. When the HGTV programs began to repeat, or at least looked too much alike, I surfed all the other channels in vain. As a science fiction buff, I thought I would find solace in the SciFi channel. However, I was chased away when there was more obnoxious advertising time than movie time. You know desparation has really set in when the best show on was “The History of Tupperware.” I admit it was interesting to learn that Mr. Tupper was an enthusiastic inventor, with many lesser known ideas such as the “Fish Powered Boat.” I thought his “Dripless Ice Cream Cone” had merit, but all in all it seemed a wonder that we ever got our indespensible burping bowls. Mr. Tupper really hit his stride with that one, and continued to develop assorted styles until his patent ran out in the early 1980’s. It just goes to show that persistance pays. That unique product, combined with a powerful sales campaign that gave women a foothold in industry turned out to be a very rich story afterall.

Another not-to-be-missed movie we discovered on TCM was the 1962 original version of the “Manchurian Candidate.” If you have seen the recent Denzel Washington remake, you know the plot. The 1962 version did not have the special effects, but I believe employing dramatic rather than computer generated effects actually makes the original version a more powerful movie than the later remake. It was the first movie to deal with the subject of assasination, especially that of a presential figure. Considering the timing, it is no wonder that Frank Sinatra, who stars in the movie, had the movie shelved for years after the Kennedy assination. What also amazed me was Angela Lansbury, playing the manipulative, power-monger mother of the war hero. Her part was a mature lady of the politically active Washington social class. This is the same actress from the more recent “Murder She Wrote” series, from 1984 to 1996. Her latest movie of that series was made in 2003! She obviously has escaped the ravages of age, as she looks so much now like she did back in 1962, when she was only 37 years old. Grab a copy of this movie if you find yourself snowed in one weekend. But be forewarned: even though you know the plot already, it is best to enjoy each scene of the movie intently and not just sneak a peak occasionally through the spinning spokes of your wheel!