April 1981

We’re back in 1981 for the third time since I started this project a year ago.   Ronald Regan is president.    Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen got married.  The space shuttle Columbia was launched for the first time and the Brixton riots began.
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In April of 1981 we celebrated Easter at my grandparents’ house with two of my cousins.   I think I’m the only one wearing jeans instead of a dress in this photo.    I still have the crewel work that’s hanging on the wall behind us.   

​I distinctly remember hearing Rapture by Blondie in my grandmother’s kitchen because it seemed so out of place.  Here are some of the other songs on the top 40 that month.

• “Woman” - John Lennon
• “Kiss on My List” – Daryl Hall and John Oates
• “Hello Again” – Neil Diamond
• “Just the Two of Us” – Grover Washington Jr.
• “While You See a Chance” – Steve Winwood
• “Morning Train” – Sheena Easton
• “Angel of the Morning” – Juice Newton
• “Celebration” – Kool and the Gang
• “Her Town Too” – James Taylor and J.D. Souther

On the fiction best seller list The Covenant was finally edged out of first place after being there for at least four months.     Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith moved into first place and stayed there for two weeks.
The non-fiction best seller list has some interesting selections; Never-Say-Diet-Book by Richard Simmons was at the top of the list, All You Need to Know About The IRS was number nine and Betty Crocker’s International Cookbook was number twelve.
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​The April 1981 Workbasket has five crochet patterns.  I ruled out three of them:

• The Keepsake Boxes – I thought about these but they’re pretty little and I really didn’t want to deal with stiffening thread this month.
• The Bunny Pin – very small and simple and a little frightening…
• The Crochet Shawl – Kind of an odd photo.  I’m not sure what this would look like in real life.

This month you will choose between the Happy Hippo and the Cardigan with a Twist:

​What do you think?   Should I make the Hippo or the Cardigan?
 
Next week:  April is this blog's one year anniversary!  Next week I’m going to start giving away some of the things I made over the last year.   Check back to see how to win and what I'm giving away!