garden party!

For the past few weeks, I've had an old song running through my mind. The song is "Garden Party", as sung by Ricky Nelson in 1972. The first verse, the part that has been playing on repeat for me, is as follows:
I went to a garden party
to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories
and play our songs again.

This was certainly befitting of those lyrics! The hostess, who has been holding her Garden Party for the past five years, usually has the affair in October, in memory of her mother. This time, the party was to honor several attendees, women whose stories are featured in a new book in progress by the hostess. The book, which will hopefully be completed this summer, is titled "Celebration in the Garden: Slices of Life and Recipes of Southern Women".
I became involved with the kickstarter project in November of last year. I had been searching for local projects to support, in particular, projects in Georgia. This one caught my heart, promising to delight both my palate and my soul with tales which connect daughters to their mothers and the recipes of their younger days. What a beautiful concept! Stories of love through the generations, with a family recipe to add to the warmth of a mother's touch.
I had been eagerly awaiting the Garden party held yesterday in the North Druid Hills. The meteorologist had forecast severe thunderstorms, but none materialized. My first niece accompanied me on this journey and we both dressed for the occasion in spring-time frocks and nice shoes. Our hostess was reading an excerpt from one of the chapters of her book when we arrived and we listened as the tale unfolded.
After, she greeted us enthusiastically and offered to make us tea (I had told her on the phone that I was thinking of the soiree as a mid-afternoon Tea Party!), but we declined. Several foods had been prepared using some of the family recipes which will appear in the book, so all made plates of Chicken Divan and Lane Cake and Mini-Biscuits and other delectable dishes. Nice! Then we chatted and nibbled and sipped, periodically being treated to another tasty slice of the book for the next few hours.
What a wonderful afternoon!

true flappers never give up!

The third time is the charm, right?
Debbie Lannen doesn't give up. Her theatrical troupe, composed of seniors, want to put on the musical "Flappers!" - and by golly, she is going to keep at these kickstarter campaigns until it happens!
Good for her!
And good for the Spotlight "Still Got It" Players! Sporting actors aged fifty to eighty years old, this musical, in particular, seems especially appropriate. I don't know if they'll still be able to have a Red Garter band for the music, but I'm sure it will be a fabulous show. I just wish it were closer to me.
Hey! Maybe it will be so successful that they will take the show on the road!
A girl can dream...
So, in response to Ms. Lannen and her plea, and in memory of Mother Pat Landers, I am again casting my support into this venture.
This time, I'm pledging on the very first day, too.
Here's hoping my fifty-three buckaroos, one for each year I've been on this dear blue-green orb, will help make this dream reality. A musical full of life - what a birthday gift that will be for me!

hugs from distant neighbors

At last!
Actually, the music arrived last week, but I have only now been able to listen to it.
Another wonderful kickstarter success story, this one based in Tallahassee.
David Lareau & The Copperpots make very nice sounds together, just so you know.

Here's what I wrote on their facebook page today:
fliss on March 19, 2012
Wow... I received it late last week, but only now have had a listen. Actually, I've had it going nonstop since I started. Seriously good stuff, great lyrics, haunting melodies... how cool it would be to hear in person, though it just might make me cry.
BTW, the song list on the back isn't correct. the 4th track is "Black and Blue", the 5th is "Good From the Start". Just so you know.
My favorite two are "Rainy Days" and "Coastal Highway" - but I had a hard time choosing. All are so intense!
Thanks!

I need to check their schedule and see when I can hear this music live - and share it with my dear cousin, too!
If you're ever in that neighborhood, they may even give you a hug...

muralcle on habersham at 34th

Today, I visited the the muralcle, the first fruit of the kickstarter project I had backed earlier this year. How very nice that the very first painting would be ocean-themed! How good to know Mama approved of this use of her money!
The artist, Katherine Sandoz, had been greenlighted amost a year ago as the first to use this space. She actually had begun preparing for creating the painting last fall, prior to the kickstarter project commencing. Her work is regarded highly by the higher-ups in the city, so having her paint a piece of public art would be a positive way to start for this ambitious project. (New art every quarter is the goal.)
She first began painting the oceanscape on February 12, with the final brushstrokes a week later. Why this particular vision of a bit of land 14 miles distant? Well, as she says in the article, “If you had X-ray vision and could see through the buildings, you could stand in front of the mural and see Turtle Island.”
Nice! She linked the ocean with my departed friend, Sam Johnson, in that one line.
Yes, this was indeed the right way for me to help the city and the community!
Have you ever seen an artist work? Here's the video of Sandoz and the wall, as she transformed it from litter backdrop to seaside idyll. Very nice, isn't it, to see art created before your very eyes? Nice tunes, too, again by KidSyc@Brandywine, for a little more local flavor.
Stay tuned in to the end for the credits. Fliss is there, as well as the other 122 kickstarter supporters. Woohoo!
Curious about the next artist? Me, too! I guess we'll have to wait a couple of months to find out who it will be.

Baby One More Time!

Shaking Spears!!! Erika's goodies from her first-ever musical (first-ever play, too, I think) have landed on my doorstep, safe and sound.
Apparently, the musical was a great success in Hapesville, even winning over those inclined to disagree with its mash-up of Spears and 'Speare. It debuted on February 10, 2012, to raucous applause. Here's a review from a convert to its theme, posted on 29 Feburary. In it, the reviewer mentions having seen it twice - lucky duck!
I'm with Britney when I say "baby one more time"! Perhaps here in Savannah! I'm sure one of the theatrical groups here could bring it to life for us.
But I do have in hand my unique T-Shirt, which perhaps pays homage to yet another of the Bard's tragedies, "Antony and Cleopatra". I don't know why this play was selected, as it was not one of the four in the original project. But I do like the rich, dark purple - yum!
The Thank-you card from the writer is lemony orange, as you can see, and is autographed by three of the cast members (Lorrisa "Juliet" Julianus, Jackie "Ophelia" Lehnertz, and some indecipherable, manly, scrawl that may be David Lichty or Adam Krause or Craig Engel). Here's what the card says:
Dear Faustina,
Thank you so much for your pledge to Shaking Spears. With your help, we are sure to have the best Britney/Bard mashup to grace this particular stage on this particular weekend. (It's our first production. We aim low.)
Flip this card over for some love from the cast.
Erika Grotto
writer, director
The card was evidently written prior to the play's debut, but that's fine. I know she was a busy woman in February!
Now, to wait for all of them to hit it big so i can cash in on their autographs. I aim high!
(Smile!)

spider baby singing in my email

Well, I haven't received the poster yet, but I'm sure it'll be in the mail soon. After all, I was just contacted via email by one of the cast members! Sadly, not a big hunk of man, but a chick, man.
(Smile.)
So, here's the email:
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 11:03:31 PM
Subject: Thank you for your donation to Spider Baby the Musical

Hello, fliss,

Thank you for your Kickstarter donation to Spider Baby the Musical. Your donation reward includes the following:
Shout out on Epiphany Theatre's Facebook Page
1 Signed Poster Signed by Spider Baby Cast
A personal email thank you from a cast member
A cast hug at the show
Spider Baby the Musical is opening this week. Performances are located at Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont, Portland, OR on March 15 - March 24. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8pm.
If you are able to attend, please let us know what night you will be attendng and we will have your signed poster ready for you to pick up at the show. If you are unable to attend please let us know what address you would like us to mail the poster to you.

A shout out on the Epiphany Theatre Facebook page and a personal email thank you from a cast member will be sent out within the week. Please let us know your full name and correct spelling as you would like it to appear for the shout out on Facebook.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks again & have a pleasant day!
Nicole "Cindy" Crawford
Epiphany Theatre Company

So, there's still a chance that an email hug will arrive in just a few days, with that alluring scent of man all over it. And maybe even a uniquely nerdy tone to it.
Meanwhile, break a leg, y'all, on this very first play you've done!!!

up the creek, with a good paddle

Sen3Productions completed their film in December of last year, thanks to me and the other four kickstarter backers. I received the dvd in the mail just a few days ago and finally made time to truly sit and watch.
Most impressive and gratefully real.
I sent the following to the makers of "Allegheny Creek".
fliss wrote on March 12, 2012
I have just finished watching your film on dvd. Wow.
When I provided support to your project, I had only the knowledge that a man was seeking redemption. I had not expected the story itself to so closely parallel that of my youngest brother. When he is released, I will be sure to have him view it.
BTW, not all Southern accents are as thick as those of others. I'm a Georgia peach, but not a Southern belle, and appreciate the opportunity to to dispel stereotypes. :-)
Again, thank you for the dvd and do keep making strong films such as this. Difficult subject matter needs a firm voice.

Apparently, they must have been right there in kickstarter at the time, as the writer immediately replied!
Sen3Productions wrote on Mar 12, 2012
Faustina,
Thank you so much for the kind words, I actually laughed when we watched the behind the scenes footage and said. "Oh no, I believe one of our sponsors is a Georgia peach and I hope she doesn't take that the wrong way."
I'm very sensitive to accents so I can tell a peach from a belle, but most New Yorkers just hear twang and assume its all the same. That was why I wanted to be sure not to just blurt out a "southern accent" and made sure to study the appalachian accent in particular. I stressed soooo much to Marcin that southern dialects vary and it needs to be distinct, so I was happy that he was able to come through (and hopefully I did as well) :)
You are the second person to say this story hit home, so that really touches me as a writer. It's good to know the story can speak to even ONE person let alone two, so thank you again.
All the best to you and to your brother.
Always,
Sashia

Nice, but also sad, to know others can relate to the story.

friends of the sunset starlet

Well, look at that!
Second column, ultimate listing, in purple.

Fliss

Pretty sweet! And all I had to do was be there when the spontaneous girl needed funds for her film. That's right. Lori Precious sent out her call, via kickstarter, for the money to make her dream film, and I was fortunate enough to find the project in time to help it.
Maybe my position in the listing is an indication of my late arrival to the funding party? No matter! It's all about timing and I was there!
"The Curse of the Sunset Starlet" will become a reality and not a dream.
That's magical.
The script, by Lori and her husband, Steve Erickson, combines elements of magic and mystery with her own use of butterfly - and moth! - wings for portraits, among other works of art.
Hold up, you say? Her husband is the novelist and writer for various magazines such as Rolling Stone and Esquire??? Yes, he is, and he has even written for the New York Times. That particular piece was an interview with rock star Neil Young.
Color me impressed!
But please do so with iridescent, bejeweled gossamer wings...
I do so look forward to this film!

Education ALIVE!

Coloring books may seem like child's play, but these items contribute greatly to a child's education, enhancing their knowledge base AND their imagination. The artist is Nice-One, a smart fellow trying to encourage others toward intelligence. His art features a face clad in a scuba mask, diving in to the material at hand. I find the mask reassuring - perhaps the rationale is this: the mask adds a measure of anonymity to the figure, allowing the figure to represent .. well, anyone. Jo(e) Student of Life. No need for the individual to feel trepidation toward the new topic; all are exploring together, seeking knowledge. Learning with no fear - a model I do my best to emulate in MY classroom.
My many thanks for the rapid delivery of my rewards, y'all!

shredding in style

Woohoo!
I came home to kickstarter swag in my mailbox!
It hasn't been quite a month since I added my two cents' worth of support for this fashion project!
The stickers which I received for my reward are rather feminine, too, which is a nice treat!
I know the women I am sharing them with are going to be very pleased.
I do hope this project turns into a longtime addition to the world of women's sports.
Style, comfort, and performance is the mantra at Shredly - that's a winner in my book!