A Memorable, Memorial Day Weekend!

Well readers its official, the Summer of 1957 has started!

("It's 109 Here At Mick's!")

What a hot and eventful kick off weekend it was! It was just all anybody at the theater was talking about, Saturdays Party and the Miss Casablanca contest.  Our story begins with our first weekend visitors around 6:00pm Friday night.

 (Patrica & Emily)

Our brand new Graduates Patricia who has been accepted into the University of North Texas & Emily accepted to Midwestern State University and is also the playing the lead "Tracy Turnblad in Wichita Theatre's production of "Hairspray" The Girls came to to spend the night before graduation, and friend Brittani dropped in all the way from Colorado  to help bake up and decorate a batch of cakes!

 (Miss Casablanca's Lemon Cake)

(Holly's Chocolate Cake)

We also baked a two tier red velvet cake, but you wont get to see it until Fridays post. Brittani and I caught up on her newly-wed life with Husband Matt and living up in colorful Colorado! She was just so glad to come back to something she knew (as crazy as the Casablanca kitchen is) and we were glad she could visit!

(Emily & Patricia "Sleeping" in their "fort")

The next morning the girls were up and off to graduation, and I was headed down to the theater to work on the sets of "Suessical- The Musical"  right up until the time were were supposed to meet up with everyone and head out to the lake for the party. Once we had the traditional filling of the coke box everyone pulled up a seat and prepared for the premier event of the weekend  The Miss Casablanca Contest!!!

(Our Judges Deanna, Alton & Cheryl)

Deanna is the Hairdresser to the greater Iowa Park area, Alton is Deanna's husband, & Cheryl is the Costume designer for the Wichita Theatre!  With the Judges all ready, and  the Masters of Ceremonies at the ready the Very First Annual Miss Casablanca Contest was off this years theme being 1957!

(Peter & Lee, although they banter like Bob Hope & Bing Crosby)

The first category of the Contest is Evening-ware...

 (Missy in navy, Kelcie in teal, and Terrace in gold)

 Next category, Swim Suits!

 (Missy in stripes, Kelcie in the scandalous two piece, Terrace in polka dots)

It was at this time, the contestants wanted to send out a special message to all those people who have said that the Miss Casablanca Contest was contraversial and degrading to young women and that (I) should be ashed of myself for hosting such a contest...

(Wasn't that nice?)

Last but not least comes the Talent Portion of the Contest - 

First up Missy & Terrace....

Clappity, clap clap clap! Now for Kelcie's Talent...

 (The New Casablanca Aprons)

Now the Judges confer and then....

We Have a Winner! Your Miss Casablanca 1957 -

(Miss Casablanca Kelcie)

With a crowned winner, the real party could officially start, we swam and ate...

(The talented Miss Holly)

Holly has grown to be one of my close friends helping work on "set dressing crew", as is the case with most of the Casablanca Members, in fact this visit was a super special one as it will be her last for a while. Her family is moving to Colorado and this trip was her third to the lake, so Holly is now an official member of the Casablanca!  Well saying goodbye is always hard and as Holly has said "This isn't goodbye, its see you later" ...

Were sure gonna miss her, but she'll be back! After our little cake giving ceremony we kept on with the eating and swimming!

(Bryson piggin' out)

(Soon joined by Sheldon)

But with watermelon and ribs like these who could blame us for stuffing ourselves silly!

(Friends Dillan, Wes, Jordan)

(Missy & Sean)

(Wes and Dillon) 

 (Dillion, Holly, Sean, Chloe, Missy, Terrace, Ryan & Matt hanging out in the kitchen)

Throw in a friendly limbo competion...

(Jarrod one of the winners of the two Limbo contests)

Like most of our gatherings this one went until the wee hours of the morning, then one by one everyone said their goodbyes and and "See you later's"...

(Myself & Holly in a "To be continued" picture)

When we finally turned in for the night no one dared look at the clock and spoil the fun we were having, Overnight guests included Miss Kelcie, Jarrod, Wes and Myself...

("G'night all...")

The next morning we were up at the crack of ten, and had fresh squeezed orange juice ( all-la  the 1946 Juice-O-Mat) and make your own omelets...

(Miss Casablanca wears her crown as she helps do dishes in one of her designer aprons)

What we did after breakfast is...

TOP SECRET UNTIL FRIDAY'S POST!

 

I can say a marvelous time was had by all, we had over 26 people turn out for the day! (38 over course of the weekend) I worry sometimes as we've somewhat built up a reputation of  good/great parties and its getting hard to out do myself! But I find the simple no itinerary, just the outlined plan of lounging in lawn chairs and watching movie on the Drive-In parties work best! 

Be sure to tune in Friday for what can be called one of the shinning moments in Casablanca History....

(Trust me, you won't want to miss it!)

-Mick-

I Wonder, I Wonder...

Only this weekend will tell!

-Mick-

The Way To Scarborough Fair...

Well Readers, 

(Lets just say the "way to the fair, was not so fare.)

Sunday morning bright an early Patricia and I headed out with friend Dillon to Waxahatchie Texas for the annual Renaissance fair. This was my first time to go and BOY was it eventful.  Halfway there we were pulled over by a State Trooper for the vanity plate on his mothers Cadillac Escalade (your not allowed to have them in Texas) but not to worry, we just received a warning.

(Myself, Patricia, & Dillon)

After driving and making endless U-turns on the highway thanks in most part to a fickle-but State of the Art G.P.S. we finally had to use the map quest on my phone to get there!

(The front gate)

The Scarborough Fair Renaissance Festival, is apparently the biggest one in Texas spanning over 33 acres with more that 700 vendors and activities. Around every corner there was something bigger and better than the last!

 (Dragon fountain hammered by hand)

We took in a jousting match....

 We walked around and took in the fair, as well as played a few games along the way.

 The period clothing here was great! I wish we'd been able to get down here and get some of this stuff back during Cinderella and Camelot.

We ate these great things, frozen oranges and Italian ice on top and they were fantastic and as soon as I can figure out how to make them they will be a regular treat at the Casablanca!

(Frozen Orange with Orange flavored Italian ice)

(Whats left of strawberry Italian Ice on a frozen Orange...)

While we sat under a tent and ate our oranges we were serenaded by brass bells, I'm told this is the largest traveling brass bell contraption of its kind.
After the concert we wandered the replica 1500's streets a while longer...

The sat in on an impromptu Harp concerto!
Last but not least we saw the Falcon show and I couldn't video it as my camera has shiny silver parts on (and I didn't personally want to end up on the next season of "When animals attack" But I did get a picture of them!

After the Falcon show we were all hot and ready to head back home, so we waved farewell to the 1500's and headed out on the highway.

This brings us to part two of or epic Sunday adventure.  As we a rolling down the highway listening to the "Brodway" channel on Satellite radio, the three of us playing a "name the show" game we hear and ad on the radio from Betty Buckley who played Grisabella in Cats!  Well as it so happens our friend Michelle who lives in Decatur Texas was taking a class from her and the add reminded me of Michelle. So we call he rup and make plans to have dinner with her when we come through Decatur in about an hour or so and she graciously accepts. We going to go to this neat 50's restaurant called yesterday but it was closed so we go to Cici's Pizza and while we are dinning all of our cell phones start ringing, apparently a storm was brewing up in Decatur and Dillon's mom wanted us to get the Cadillac under cover. At the same time Michelle's mother calls concerned and informs us there is a Tornado Warning in effect for the entire area.  Michelle tells us we can park the car in her barn for safety and we can wait out the storm in the house.  So we go to Michelle's we parkt he car in the barn and indavertently lock the keys in said car...

Well with the storm upon us we run to the house to wait it out with Michelle and her family who were gracious enough to let us come in and stay a while.  Michelle being a perfect hostess showed us around and at my request showed us her Grandparents working Victrola and let us have a listen!

Sorry its so dark, but the sky had turned completely black outside,when Michelle adjusts the sound on the Victrola she does so by opening and closing those two little doors in the center.

While wating out the storming and waiting for a locksmith to come and rescue the keys out of the car, we sat down and watched last years summer musical for Backdoor Theater "The Pirates of Penzance".

The when things got quiet outside, we in all our brilliance ventured out onto the balcony to watch what we thought was the storm leaving, it was actually just the eye...

That clap of thunder sounds muffled on the video but in real life it sounded like it was literally right beside us!
After being scared out of our minds we went back in the house and road out the rest of the storm, the locksmith finally came and after several tries got the car unlocked and we were back on our way home!

I think its safe to say the drive was more of an adventure than the actual Fair but through all the mess a great time was had by all!

-Mick-