"A Night On Broadway" at Next Generation Theatre.

Thanks to my amazing friend Tricia Kenny, of CK2 Photography, my son is now a "theatre kid" ... at Next Generation Theatre ... and loving every minute of it! This past summer, he starred in their cabaret musical, "A Night On Broadway" ... and blew me away with how dedicated he was. At 6 years old, he had yet to be away from Mom for more than an afternoon at Grandma's ... and then for 3 weeks, he went to theatre day camp every day from 9-1 ... without Mom or Grandma ... and felt absolutely safe and gloriously happy. He made wonderful friends, he learned to sing and dance, and he was surrounded by really great people whom I trust with his sensitive nature. It was so good for both of us. I needed to learn to let go a bit ... and he thrived in it.

He was involved with the following scenes/songs: Consider Yourself (Oliver), Seasons of Love (RENT), Lullaby of Broadway, You Can't Stop the Beat (Hairspray), Twenty Million People (My Favorite Year) ... and our favorite ... ME AND MY SHADOW ... with Conor Kenny ...

WOW. I never knew he had it in him ... but he loves to perform ... and is thrilled to be able to hang with the big kids, etc. I was so worried about stage fright, not fitting in, etc... but there was nothing to fear. The group of kids who participate in this theatre, the Moms who put so much effort into it, and the owner whose passionate about both theatre and the kids ... made it easy for Isaac and I to fall in love with the place.

Oh, and he is going back for more too! He auditioned for their upcoming 101 Dalmations production and he got the role of Pongo! Perfect, right!? See you there, I hope! But be aware ... I cry, cry, cry ... through the entire production ... in awe of what these kids can do ... of their spirit, their confidence, their joy, their talents. And apparently I am not the only one, as several of my friends and my parents cried right along with me at Isaac's last production!

GREAT JOB ISAAC! You rock! And thank you to Conor Kenny ... whom he "shadows" in every way ... both in life and in theatre. You are a great role model for him and we are so glad to have you in our lives! xo

(Scene from Seasons of Love act)

(Scene from Lullaby of Broadway act)

So, thank you Tracy Marceron for creating a space for such magic ... thank you to Tricia Kenny for the pictures ... thank you to Martha Ward for the videos ... and a giant thank you to all the kids who put their hearts, soul, and dedication in to helping one another make great art!

Love,
Jodi


PS. Meaghan filled in one night for one of the acts and was absolutely fabulous! As soon as we can get pictures and video of it, we will share it here on the blog. Imagine her voice, and her talent ... singing Mama Who Bore Me. Not a dry eye in my family!

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Poor Truck.

Poor Truck. Halis and Meaghan were at the Hampden Rifle Club ... installing some plumbing after shooting off a few rounds ... when all of a sudden, Meaghan spotted that the truck was aflame. They called the authorities ... but their was no rescuing the truck. Thank God they weren't in it when the fire started! All is well that ends well. No one was hurt. Halis will surely get a new truck ... so life will continue as before.

Just another example for Isaac (and for us) of how important the fire department is to our communities. They helped save the building ... and they cleaned up the gas and oil spoils so the local stream would not be contaminated.

Thank you Hampden Police and Firefighters.

Love,

Jodi

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What Happened to Borders Books?

For many years, I worked at Borders Books, Music & Cafe as a Children's Bookseller and Children's Event Coordinator. I loved my job. Really loved it. I started working at the store in Bangor before it even opened. I helped stock the selves, merchandise my area, and create fun events for drawing in customers. This was back in the day when Borders cared about customer service, about getting the customer the exact book they were looking for, and about hiring just the right "book-smart" people for assisting customers. I didn't just help customers, I formed relationships with them ... as did my fellow co-workers. It was a place to come to for Friday Night Jazz, famous author book signings, The American Girls Club, Homeschoolers Night, and so much more. We were an eclectic bunch of booksellers, music sellers and cafe workers too. Some men wore skirts, some other folks had all manner of facial piercings, some were working moms while others were retired military. And - for the most part - we all cared deeply for either books, music, great coffee or all of the aforementioned. But all this seems to have changed ...

Slowly but surely, (with the replacement of the former CEO), Borders has become nothing more than a "big-box-store". I haven't worked there for years now, but have always been a loyal customer ... and I have finally settled on the fact that the book shop I loved so well will never be the same again. All the dedicated book-loving employees are gone. The music department is almost no more. The coffee shop is now owned by another company. The registers are inundated with candy, cheap magazines and dime-store souveniers. The various fun nights of music and social gatherings are totally gone. And our once beloved children's department now looks like a toy store:

One day, Isaac and I walked into Borders, after just having been there two evenings prior, to find that what we used to call the "book cave" was now filled with all manner of "Made in China" toys. I was absolutely appalled. I asked to speak to a manager - who turned out to be one of the shift managers I had worked with before. I asked him what in the world was going on. He assured me that there were just as many books as there had been prior to their "toy store makeover" ... but truth be told - I don't believe him. There simply is no possible way. Everywhere I looked, there were toys - not books. I then asked him "Why?". He told me that the company had to sell what people want ... and they don't want books. SERIOUSLY??? What happened to America when people no longer want to buy BOOKS from a BOOKSTORE??? Am I that unique in wanting my son to grow up surrounded by books, music and social gatherings? In Bangor? I mean - Bangor was/is all about kids, community, social experiences, small-town gatherings, education, etc. What happened? And where was I when the change took place?

Needless to say perhaps ... but I am flustered by this. It has rattled me in ways I didn't know were possible. I want my old Borders back. I want some skirt-wearing man with a ring in his nose to help me find the perfect book for my Isaac. I want to drink my latte on a Friday night to the sounds of a local jazz band. I want to meet the latest local authors and have them sign my books. I want Isaac to be able to attend some fun kid-oriented gatherings --- like the old science club we used to run, etc. And I definitely want to buy BOOKS at my local BOOKSTORE!

Can you feel me people? What do you think? What is going on in your neighborhoods for better or for worse? And more importantly --- where do you find your books?

Love,

Jodi

P.S. I am lovin' that my man is growing out his gorgeous curly locks (see top photo). Yummy.

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