Tuesday, September 30, 2008

A Bird's Eye View

. . . "Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear, Every Time You Are Near?"

Edith Newbold Jones was born into a gilded cage so spectacular that her family's wealth bore inspiration to the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." Edith Jones Wharton, as you might know her, was quite a fan of an American dramatist by the name of Ruth Draper. And Ruth Draper is known for telling us to . . . with effortless poignancy - I might add . . . "try to look at everything through the eyes of a child."
Well, well, well . . . this week . . . I "tried" to "keep up" with both of them!
On Thursday, I joined Jessica, Tosha & Christian (Walden), Tabitha (Walker), Stephanie (Shadden) and Katie (Roberts) for an attempt at the World Record Kazoo Ensemble that made up for in heart what it lacked in headcount.

After that, we headed into the fair where the lukewarm fries, exorbitant ride fares and underachieving side shows began to chip away at my child's eye mentality. Five dollars to ride the ferris wheel? COME ON people? The cynicism began to mount . . .

But somewhere up there at the top, in our bucket, $30 worth of tickets lighter . . . it all came back to me. The glow around the lights got fuzzy, the fairgrounds regained their glamour and I closed my eyes to feel the wind on my face. The fair was, once again, quite a magical place!

Child's eye goggles well polished and strapped on, I prepared for a sleepover! Yes m'am, I spent Saturday and Sunday at Charley Hellis' seventh birthday party.

Ingleside Village Pizza
, Chocolate Cake, jumping on the bed, hair paint, Miley Cyrus, wild make-up, a spectacular talent show . . . and all of this occurring in an attic that looks more like the set of a Disney movie than an actual playroom in Macon, Georgia!

And the song list from the talent show is THE soundtrack to be had. I'll pass it along when I get it but it's safe to say that, at some point, my goggles morphed into a bodysuit and I was ten again - all over! I've even caught myself, SEVERAL times, humming Miley's little ditties and wondering if I shouldn't have a sleep-over for my own birthday.

I think I'll hang on to these goggles. After all . . . when the little girl down the street is MIA at your lemonade stand or you don't get invited to the party that all the other children are going to . . .
They remind you that imaginary friends, and finger paints, and blowing bubbles in the front yard can turn even the loneliest day into pure magic!

That being said, I'm (very un-lone-ily) off to lunch with my darling Gentleman. Which reminds me of something that Ruth's friend Edith once wrote . . . "I don't know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting."

And today, it all became miles and miles more interesting!

aS


Hot This Week!
(Ooh Girl It Is Soooo . . . )
First Friday:
Macon Arts Opening Reception
September Hase at Cox Capitol Theatre
Marketplace Martinis at Market City Cafe.
Seussical Saturday:
Seussical the Musical opens at Theatre Macon.
Crossroads Writers' Conference
10/6: Macon Arts Cultural Awards
Step Right Up, Get Your Tickets Before They Sell Out . . .
Joycine’s ART PARTNERS
Wednesday, Oct. 15th
5:30 – 8 pm, 2nd Annual Art Auction Fundraiser
Rosewood Ballroom: 170 College Street. For more info, call Barbara Barry-Nishanian: 478-743-3144
Puccini's Madama Butterfly . . . Toast of the Townie, Laura Peacock will be in the chorus as a Geisha(!) and Fantasies of the Opera Ball.
Wicked - I saw it in New York, from dead center on the third row, and can say - without hesitation - that a Broadway Musical can change the way that you see the world! It's coming to Atlanta so don't miss it.

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