Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Music! Music! Music!

Happy New Years Eve all!
Just wanted to share an A-MAZING find with you. Was at my favorite thrift store in Topeka KS, and stumbled across a stack of old 78 RPM records and found quite a bit of Glenn Miller. The good stuff! I limited myself to eight, as I already have a TON of records... but just a few more wont hurt right?
(Ta-da!)
I picked out quite a few fox-trots for the upcoming Spring Break Gala Dance! I was THRILLED to find these songs! All seem to have come out around 1942.

"In The Mood"
"Moonlight Serenade"
"That Old Black Magic"
"Night and Day"
"My Blue Heaven"
"At Last"
"A String of Pearls"
and
"When Johnnie Comes Marching Home"

After checking out, I thought I'd just look and see what the going rates for 78's are online.
(HOLY SH*T!)

Now THAT is something to dance about!

I would feel bad about it, (me only paying $1.00 and it being worth quite a bit more...) but these aren't for resale or profit. They are for long term enjoyment by the member's of the Casablanca Club.
So let us Fox Trot New Years Eve away while we wait for the ball to drop...

-Mick-

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Casablanca Christmas Party!

One last hurrah in our Casablanca Social Season before we break until next Spring!  Friends motored out by the car load (I think we had 58 people in all!) for a fun Sunday evening of treats, carols, and world class entertainment. This is yuletide get together usually leaves standing room only, and this year was no different!

Friend Russ was kind enough to lend us his Bose sound system for the evenings entertainments. (Thank You!) And Thanks to Friend Teresa for all the pictures!
So without further adieu, we invite you to an intimate evening at the Casablanca...

(Mary-Grace with "I'll be home for Christmas.)
 
Isn't she just wonderful?! What a voice! Next up we had a special duo presentation just before the White Elephant gift exchange.
(Lynn aka Jean Shepherd and Emily.)
Then it was time for the gift exchange, let the games begin!
(Jennifer, Spencer, Lara, & Claire)
(Kitty)
(Emily, and the "onesie" everyone tried to steal!)
("And out of nowhere, this DEER jumps in the road!")
After all the fun in unwrapping presents, stealing, and swapping, Friend Jennifer played us an all together fitting song on her ukelele!
(Plucky as always, thanks for the tune!)
 
 (Friend Jennifer also gave us this cool vintage Christmas Card holder!)
Next up is my most favorite part of the evening! Every year Friend Joy helms our piano to lead us in singing Christmas Carols. She is always happy to do it, and we all think she is just wonderful!
(Joy & James at the piano!)
(Hark the Herald Angel Sing.)
(We Three Kings.)
(Jingle Bells!)

Caroling is hands down my favorite part of the Christmas season at the Casablanca, I look forward to it all year round. So many people in the house, music ringing from the rafters, it just fills you with a loving feeling!
After we had sang the carol book through, it was time to start departing another Casablanca Year come and gone by. New friends, old friends, and some friends we wont see again, all left that evening with a little Christmas spirit.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

-Mick-

Monday, December 22, 2014

#ChristmasMovieMonday4

Number four in our "off beat Christmas movie series" (And quite possibly my most favorite!) Irving Berlin's "Holiday Inn". Made/set in 1942 this is not only a Christmas movie, but also a movie with a song for each of the seasonal holidays!


So many wonderful Berlin songs in the movie! When it originally premiered, the song "Be Careful, It's My Heart." was the "big song" in the film. But as we all know, Bing Crosby and his lovely female costar Marjorie Reynolds sang a little number that changed all of that!



"White Christmas" became to popular that it would eventually have its own movie by the same title a decade later. With Bing in the lead once again!
This is one of my personal favorite Movie Musicals, and I have viewed it both in black and white, and in its splendid colorized version. I must say, colorization does wonders for this movie!

With a song for each season, it is sure to have something for everyone!

-Mick-

Friday, December 19, 2014

Thanksmass 1960!

It's the most wonderful time of our Casablanca year!

I must confess that I enjoy all of the parties we throw, but Thanksmass is my absolute favorite of them all. (The Spring Break Formal  is a close second.)
This year Thanksmass fell on Saturday December seventh...sorry to take so long to post!

 It was a good old fashioned Thanksmass this year. Originally when we started planning in October, it looked like we would have almost 80 guests in attendance for dinner, and that we'd have to rent a haul to fit everyone! However due to College finals, and local Christmas productions around town, we celebrated with a cozy 26 friends. I know some of you might be thinking "MICK! Why tell us only a fraction of the guests came?! That sounds like a failure!?"  but it isn't really, as George Bailey reminds us- "No man is a failure who has friends." I was glad for all of us to fit in the actual Casablanca, and be able to gather around one table to share the meal. That's what's important to me!
(Myself with the famous "Coca-Cola ham".)
Friends started showing up around 4:30P.M. day of the party, some had arrived the day before Missouri Michael from, well... Missouri. Savannah and Jarrod drove down from Oklahoma, and Friend Melissa our fabulous in-house photographer, drove all the way in from Albuquerque NM!
Once most of the guest had arrived they were forced gathered in the lounge for the annual tree decorating.
(Jere, Michael, Lyz, & Rachel)
(Emily)
(Katherine, Patricia Miss Casablanca 1960, & Rachel)
(Jere & Patricia add the finishing touch.)
(A job well done!)
By 6:00P.M. all of the guests had arrived and the kitchen was humming with activity. Everyone had brought so much wonderful food it truly was a Thanksmass Feast! Finally we gathered around the table for the yearly group photograph and then after prayer sat down to an excellent Thanksmass Dinner!
After the meal, we hauled the tables outdoors and readied the living room for the entertainment portion of the evening!

 (Melissa & Hannah with "The Thanksmass Song"!")
Each year Melissa pens the new verses to the song, and it has become one of my favorite traditions of the holiday! You ladies were wonderful!
In keeping with traditon, before the big White Elephant gift swap began, we took a moment to remeber the real reason for the season.
(Jere reads the story of the birth of Christ.)


After that, little friend Harper let the games begin!


(Remember "All is fair in love and war" in this game!)
("I WANT THAT COOKIE JAR!")
Round and Round we went, swapping, stealing, and laughing all the way! When the last present had been opened, it was time for another Thanksmass favorite, Miss Casablanca singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
(Patricia, Miss Casablanca 1960!)
Lovely as always, Miss Casablanca upholding her yuletide duties!

This Thaksmass, we were not able to have a pianist attend the party, and we learned very quickly that the piano is what makes all of us sound so good while caroling... Haha! But that did not stop us from singing!
I will spare you the video's, haha we weren't quite the harmonious choir we usually are, but it was a lot of fun none the less! As the evening wore on some guests departed from our merry gathering, some changed into more comfortable clothes, and a few settled in to talk the hours away and wait for the ball drop and the New Year.
(7...6...5...4...)
(3...2...1... HAPPY 1961!!!!)

As is always the case, it took forever for it to get here, zoomed by, and was over to soon. Luckily we have the memories, friendships, and fabulous photos to remember it by! It was a VERY Merry Thanksmass!
I owe a huge thank you to everyone who came, near and far. Thank you all for bringing food or drinks, and  wanting to share this wonderful holiday with us! 
There are so many people involved with the Casablanca, I really cannot say it enough, it takes each and every member to make wonderful things like this happen. Thank you all so much, each and every one of you!

-Mick-