Sunday, November 04, 2007, 05:07
Tigger, A Fairy Princess and The Phantom of the Opera
I was so busy with the armed robbery trial this past week that I didn't even get to see Tigger come for Halloween Trick or Treats on Wednesday. Tigger is otherwise known as my great-nephew, Eli. Good thing Randy grabbed the camera and got pictures. Eli liked petting Pixie, I think. But I'm not sure what he thought about posing for the camera.
The armed robbery trial went into recess on Wednesday at a little after 6 p.m. I hurried home so that I could feed the kittens. Randy had gotten tickets for us to see the silent movie version of "Phantom of the Opera" on Wednesday evening, and the movie started at 7:30 p.m.
I was glad to be able to see "Phantom of the Opera" now that the Mabel Tainter Theater is restored. One of the university music professors wrote an original score for the movie and then played the theater's antique organ to accompany the movie.
The Mabel Tainter Theater is an opulent Victorian theater built by one of the lumber barons in memory of his daughter, Mabel, because she loved the theater.
This past summer, a substantial renovation project took place at the theater. All you have to do is look at the marble floors to know that the theater cost the Tainter family a pretty penny a hundred years ago. The outside of the theater is built of local sandstone. It is a gorgeous building that gives you a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach to know that people of such fabulous wealth lived in the area.
I remember going to the theater when I was a little girl just after it had been opened again to see "Caddie Woodlawn." At that the time, the curtains were in such bad shape they were tattered and torn. We are lucky to have the theater. The story is that it was saved many years ago by one vote of the city council. If it had not been for that one vote, the theater may have been torn down.
Of course, the funny feeling in the pit of my stomach when I was in the theater could have been Mabel herself. She is reputed to be one of the ghosts haunting the theater.
We enjoyed the movie, and then afterward, took a few minutes to wander around to see what had been done. The project is not completely finished because all of the exhibits have not yet been replaced.
Just as we were ready to leave the house on our way to the theater -- and I'm still not sure how I managed to feed the kittens and get ready to leave again in only a half an hour -- another visitor arrived. It was a fairy princess come to see us!
The fairy princess, in her real life, is one of my little Sunday school girls. Her dad is a single father, and I'm not sure who has more fun getting her dressed up for Halloween -- Emilie or her daddy. Even though it was dark outside, the pictures of the fairy princess turned out well. You can even see her wings.
All in all, it was an extremely hectic Halloween. But at least we had two trick-or-treaters! It's only been the past two years that we've gotten any trick-or-treaters at all.
LeAnn R. Ralph
Saturday, November 03, 2007, 04:59
In a Blur
This past week has gone by in a blur -- and leaving me in a fog! I'm not sure how the time has gotten away from me the way it has. I've had lots of things to cover for the newspaper and multiple days where there was something first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon and then in the evening. And of course, in between that, I was feeding kittens and working with my young horse trainer with Isabelle.
This Thursday and last Thursday both, I was so busy during the week that I couldn't get at writing three or four newspaper articles due on Friday for the Sunday newspaper. So on both Thursdays, after feeding the kittens at around midnight, I stayed up for the rest of the night writing articles. I guess that was the case this past Monday, too.
One of the things that sucked up quite a bit of time this week was a three-day trial for an armed robbery that turned into a four-day trial.
I can honestly say I don't like being this busy. It is too frantic a pace, too hectic , and it leaves me feeling too drained. I was never so glad when Friday finally arrived. I can tell that I am quite exhausted because there will be times when I am so cold that I am shivering and just cannot get warm. I'm thinking it is my body's response to sleep deprivation. Or maybe it's my brain's response to sleep deprivation.
Anyway, the little kittens are doing well. The black kitten is still on amoxicillan for pneumonia. She is smaller than her siblings and does not eat as much, but she certainly is a feisty little thing. She can yell just as loud as her brother and sister, if not louder!
LeAnn R.Ralph
