Goodbye Miss Daisy, Goodbye.

My Grandmother Jordan passed away last Thursday, she was a crafty, kind, wonderful, incredibly fabulous Lady who taught me everything I know about hosting parties. She is one of the main factors that made me the person I am. My biggest theatre fan, she saw every one of the shows I was in and everyone of  the sets I disigned. She always truly believed in the career path that I took! (She loved hearing about what was going on at the theatre, and what shows I was working on.) We were very close, one of my favorite parts of teenage life was driving her to the beauty shop every Wednesday since I was 16. Which earned her the nickname "Miss Daisy". Haha oh the trouble we got into!
Today we put her to rest. This post small is insufficient, but at the current time it is all I can offer.

(This is one of the very first 78 records I bought as a kid, it is "our song")

I Love you Miss Daisy.

"Be seeing you..."

-Mick-

"Beyond The Sea" The 1960 Spring Break Dance!

 

Oh what an enchanting evening we had last Saturday dear Readers! Join me as your Host and on on board reporter to the ins and outs of this Atlantic crossing!

(It's Spring Break 1960 Here at Mick's)

60 Guests turned out in their finest apparel to send of the 1960 Social Season at the Casablanca, it was SUCH a wonderful night! After the group photo we all "boarded" the S.S. Casablanca and set sail for Havana! 

(Philip and Paige!)

Not only did guests sport their finest vintage formal wear, but most came with nods to our nautical and historical theme! 

 (Michelle & Joseph drove seven and a half hours from Little Rock AR to attend, 

ALSO they came as a young and newly dating Marilyn Monroe and Aurthur Miller!)

(Friend Hannah did such and AMAZING Job with the streamers and lanterns!)

(Friend Russ crafted a model of our Ocean Liner out of card stock and rice crispies!)

Soon the Ballroom of the S.S. Casablanca was packed, and our entertainment hosts for the evening Cindy and Seigen kicked off the floor show.

As we bid Bon-Voyage to Lake Diversion and started on our pleasure cruise to 1960 Cuba, our hosts seemed to have a minor disagreement...

(While rumors on board have sited the celebrity hosts as 

"weighing anchors together on this crossing" 

They are just good friends and fabulous entertainers!)

With the dance officially open, passengers of all age and status took to the floor for a whirl around the room!

Next to appear in the floor show was friend Melissa our very own Connie Francis!

We rolled across the ocean blue listening to the latest hits of the day and pretty soon it was time to Hokey Pokey...

(

(And THAT'S what it's all about!)

Friends and couples in their elegant splendor fox-trotted and cha-cha'ed the night away from Port to Starboard!

Soon the party was in full swing!

While guests enjoyed gyrating to the latest dances, friend (and on board recording cohort) Melissa snapped souvenir photographs for the ships passengers!
Next up in the evenings floor show we had Friend Seigen singing "L-O-V-E" and Readers, it was a truly magical moment in the evening!

(Pure Casablanca Magic!)

As wonderfully Latin treat, Terrace our very own Miss Casablanca 1959 invited the dance goers to Sway...
 

 I was so THRILLED that everyone really danced at this years dance, people were up for almost every song!

Next in the floor show, friend Kelcie stopped the show with Cole Porter's "Always True to You"...

Friends Kelcie, Caitlyn, Alexys, Terrace, and Jacob keeping the ball rolling...

What's more romantic than Cole Porter tunes on a cruise ship? WHY Cole Porter tunes from a show about BEING on a cruise ship!

Friend Katy crooning "Buddy Beware"...

(The lovely Miss Paige! With "I Get a Kick"...)

What a sweet little number! As the floor show took a short intermission, the records urged everyone one to make two lines (Boys on one side, Girls on the other) and STROLL!

 Right after the stroll, the dance committee handed our voting ballots for dance King and Queen! Guests headed to the Pursers office/Coat Check to cast their votes. While we waited for the results we tried out a brand new dance called "The Locomotion" led by friend Joe! (Who drove six hours to attend the dance!)

Round and Round the room we went 'jumping up, jumping back, until we had the knack!' 

We Cupid Shuffled the night away-

It was great fun but the votes were still being tallied, so friend Melissa F led us in The Bunny Hop!

Each year Melissa drives eight hours in from Albuquerque NM to join us, and it has become tradition that she lead The Bunny Hop! Here's to three years going!  

Finally the votes all tallied we had our 1960 Dance King and Queen...

(Much to the surprise of everyone on board the ship, SEIGEN & CINDY!)

 So as is tradition, the new King and Queen led the court in dance to the Mills Brothers "Queen of the Senior Prom"!

 Then came the moment we had all been waiting for, our very own "Crooner" Michael took the floor and smooth as silk, sang our theme song of the dance "Beyond The Sea"

ARGH?! Just as Michael's intro began to play my camera ran out of memory!?!?! I wish I had his performance recorded, because readers it matched, if not surpassed that of Bobby Darin's version.

(That's All!)

It was such an enchanting evening, everything about it was perfect to the last detail! 

 (This years "Photo Setting".)

I never could have pulled it off without the help of dance committee- Patricia, Cindy, Seigen, Hannah, Jordan, Melissa, Margaret, Russ, Terrace, Jacob and so many others that helped get everything ready for the dance, as well as kept things running smoothly. Thank you all! Also a HUGE Thank you to all of our talented performers in the evenings floor show! You all were fantastic and made the dance a hit!

Here's to smooth sailing in 1960!

-Mick-

Cast Your Votes!

Coming Friday I will regale you with tales from the Casablanca's 1960 Spring Break Formal Dance! Until then lets take a look at some of the campaign posters for King and Queen of the Dance!

(Bonnie & Austin!)

(Terrace & Jacob!)

(Who starred in West Side Story as Bernardo & Anita)

(Paige & Philip!)

(Corabelle!)

(

(Jacob & Terrace!)

(Austin & Bonnie!)

(Philip & Paige!)

Tune in Friday to see who was crowed King and Queen of the Dance, as well as to see all of the magical things that happened at the dance that night! Truly Some Enchanted Evening...

-Mick-