There's Magick when you go Into the Woods~

This month's installment of our StoryBook Club took a turn and we strayed off the path of our regular meetings

Instead, we met up at Destiny Mall to go see the new film "Into the Woods" starring Meryl Streep, Tracey Ullman and Johnny Depp among many more of a star studded cast.

It was a great turnout of 15 Fairy Tale Fanatic Friends meeting up! (Why NO, we haven't "grown up", thank you!)

Our first daunting task to acquire was to figure out how to get the magical tickets with a long line around the block to the box office window.... and THEN to make it into the theatre in time for the show!
We were undaunted. And unfortunately, unwatered with liquor and we all forgot our flasks.
How'ere, we had magic on our side! Someone got a beam of light from heaven and we all side stepped the traditional route of the box office and bellied up to the bar of the Fandango machine. A couple of the members had Regal Cinema cards and we did some finagling on the machine and out of pocket reimbursements while others who had tickets went in and saved seats.

FIFTEEN SEATS. All together and IN TIME FOR THE SHOW! Pretty spectacular magick, that!

The story is an amalgamation of several stories: Rapunzel, The baker's wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stalk, as well as some references to some other fairy tales.

Into the Woods is a Musical Stage Show, first and foremost. This was a very different experience to put it on the big screen, but like Les Mis, they did a very fine job of it and some of the tunes were quite catchy.

"Hello, Little Girl" sung by the Wolf (Johnny Depp) was appropriately creepy and lusty and I loved his wolf howl at the end. It reminded me of the zoot suited wolf in old cartoon "Red Hot Riding Hood"!

 Come to find out...Johnny Depp DID pattern himself after this same wolf! He's even got the pocket chain.
He was eerily on the money for it and the wolf howl on the end was PERFECT.

Meryl Streep was AMAZING as the witch! As always, the witch...evil at first...then as we come to know her, we find she is misunderstood (as are most folks who seem mean)...with the inevitable image and parental issues.
And man, that girl can SING! Who knew??
The makeup jobs were great on her.

Lots of humor did abound in many places and we roared with laughter for the way over the top song "Agony" sung by the Princes!

Best Quote of the movie in my own personal opinion was by Prince Charming himself as he proceeded to continue to love 'em and leave 'em with his wooing of the Baker's Wife:

                                              "I was raised to be charming....not sincere." 

(WORD.  :) Hey, at least he admitted it. We've always knew that about that Prince. He rode off into the wild world, ever seeking, never happy.

How'ere, the "Other Prince" in Rapunzel was much more sincere...he was blinded by enchanted briars blocking his path.. (figuratively as well as emotionally and literally....)

But wait! Through yonder window breaks HOPE! Once he seeks out his true desire...and found his love by feelings, instead of by comely delight....his sight is regained from Rapunzel's sincerely lovely tears, he was a very grand protector and lover man for her and they BOTH did have a happily ever after and made their own magic! <3 He was rewarded with the sunset ride with the girl on his white horse!
Mayhaps it's best to not be so "charming" and be "the Other Kind" is what this story is telling us?

.Little Red Riding Hood finds new meaning in her sexuality and starts wearing the wolf cape from vanquished foes for her strength. (You go, girlfriend!) She gives new meaning to wearing "wolves' clothing" :)

And Jack from Beanstalk Fame learns the hard way that it's not kewl to steal.

After a delightful romp with a Giant and some real Grimm moments of original fairy tale endings with the obligatory bird eye peckings and occasional, well, DEATH....the story took us on some twists and turns away from the set up "happy ever after" and left us with a hodge-podge family worthy of many multiple marriages.

But in the end...
All Giants slain, "everyone who deserves to live, does" and All in all a delightful movie outing!

With a BONUS reel of a happy ending of 15 wonderful souls having ales and drinks and nibbles at a pub on a winter's evening at a long banquet table talking and laughing into the dark night.

The ending of my personal tale was the magical snow that found us on the way home!
There was none in the forecast....there were bare roads with no snow falling but only a few flakes.
Then we turned a corner and "BAM! Smack!" (as the Wicked Witch would say) there was SNOW all over the roads...yet no snow falling!
A TOTALLY weird, wonderful and an appropriate magickal ending.

Friends, Fun and Fairy Tales. This IS StoryBook Club!

Next month? "Jack Frost!" Just in time for Winter! So put on an extra log on the fire, curl up with some old folk tales and stay warm till next time!

Sincerely submitted by your faithful Storyteller....
Merlyn

Be careful or Jenny Greenteeth will get you...

Jenny Greenteeth & Peg Powler

Bizarre names for bizarre elementals. At our October StoryBook Club meeting, we did a little research on these two (sorta related) creature features for our monthly theme. 

A Celtic and Germanic cautionary tale....they are odd monstrous fae that are (most times) female, have long stringy green seaweed type hair, long clutch claws, big teeth, and live in stagnant bogs & ponds (or slow moving rivers). 

They lie and wait at the edge of the water line for naughty children (or adults) and when they are close enough, they snatch them by their legs and drag the unwary into the murky depths, drown them…and eat them. 

We deducted that most likely these stories fell into the “be careful, children, of the water” (not because of Jenny Greenteeth or Peg Powler, but because of the danger of drowning. But children love the water, so Jenny or Peg would more likely put the fear of God into a child, more so…and thus…the tales. 

There were a few other tales from round the globe, but these creatures were oddtastical, indeed! And hard to find much on them at all, tho’ we did find several references. 

We dined on green kale, coleslaw, breads, split pea soup, absinthe (the “green fairy”), absinthe cake, green mint meringue. And other green foods. 

We enjoyed the food, the gossip, and the tales of these concerning creatures.

Next month, in time for Thanksgiving, we will be visiting the tale of “Pocohantas.” 

Till then.....

Stay away from the creek or Jenny Greenteeth will get you...

Visiting a haunted jail...Which is now a museum...Down the Rabbit Hole we go...

This coming weekend, I will be performing musically with partner Harry, as our duo Merry Mischief, in costume/garb at:
"The Jailbird Antiques Festival" on the grounds at the Museum of Wayne County History on Butternut St, Lyons NY.         Click here for the museum's website and info

So,  as long as I'm playing there at this new place to me, I thought I'd take a tour and a cruise through before the day of the show. I went with my dear friend Ditchy Witchy, (aka Marie) who is a regular patron there. She is very much interested in the local history, and especially in a particular former inmate or two and their historical stories.

This is a VERY interesting place with very curious stories and sights.
The site was once the Wayne County Jail, and they say that it is haunted.
I agree. But it's not haunted in an overly spooky way, (except mayhaps in seeing the living conditions of what the inmates experienced. That indeed, is far more frightening than the ones that I experienced while there). But then again, I went in with my shields up to keep me safe, and with love in my heart to try to understand.

Here following are some photos of the jail.

Note the artwork that has been left as is, on the walls, from the inmates who were incarcerated here. This jail was in service from the year 1856 to a surprising 1961!

 Here is an interesting sculpture at the front door.
It sort of prepares you for the inside.... in a way....

When you first walk in, staff greets you very pleasantly. There is a gift shop.
You can buy extra special wine brands here (we are in the Fingerlakes Wine Country, after all...)

You just don't see these kind of wine names all the time...
A white...

 and a Red....

 and another red..."Robber"

 Then the next thing you see is a display of children's toys.

 I had one of these school play chalkboards when I was young...

Are you read for the Jail tour now?
OK, follow me.
It's in here....
Let's start with the first thing I see when I walk in. It's the artwork on the cement walls were made by some of the inmates while they were incarcerated here.

 

 

Some of these drawings look fairly modern. But then again, remember the jail was in use until 1961...

This is where the prisoners ate, just 3  or 4 steps out of the cells...

and the rope on the table signifies that one inmate was hung. Right here in this space.
.

 

I was amazed to see such small cells...

 

 

with no windows....

and with the floor scuffed from years of pacing..     

really tells a story...doesn't it?

And the feeling that people are still there....

They say it is haunted.
check out this pic.
Do you see it?
There was no mist in the room when I took this photo...

 Here is a shot I took in one dark cell....
Lots and lots of orbs

 

These next two were interesting...

Before I walked in...if you look you will see 2 orbs directly ahead.

On on the stair landing...

one on in the doorway directly center.

But when I stepped through the doorway and took another pic, they were gone.

 And yet, we pressed on, wandering this interesting collection of items in the Museum of Wayne County.

It has other things in it to document the county history...

So you wander from jail to office....to Victorian era house with bedrooms and toy rooms....

Office

 Note this pic. There are more orbs all over this jacket and also on lower cupboard here...

 And den?

TOYS.
I know.
Sorta weird with the jail theme...
but...
kewl nonetheless...

Train...

T

Dolly collection...

even a labeled Barbie collection...

All kinds of household antiques

 This is an early washing machine. I think....

Kitchen on the basement level.
My folks had a stove like this for awhile. The kettle was always hot.

Bath time by the wood stove

Orb on hat inside this case.

Many time frames represented with Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, WWII...

 Medicinal and health items

 Then turn a corner and there's a bedroom.

 Want to stay here?
This bedroom was provided to the family of the inmate who was being executed, so that they may be close to their loved one..

It has been said that sometimes this rocking horse rocks...

The Fox Sisters were famous in our CNY area. Even Mrs. Lincoln came to chat with them.

This painting is "dab art" and is really interesting...

Check it out up close!

Also, Lyons was historically know for amazing glass works

This is interesting. I walked into one room, and my friend Ditchy was right by me...and I distinctly felt someone friendly "poke me 3 times" in my back on my right side.

And my friend didn't do it.  That was bizarre. I'm glad I didn't ask her about it till we left. I think it would've made me feel a bit weird. But I'm alright with it now. Evidently, some spirit there just wanted me to look at some display. After this I heard that that the curator has had her pant leg tugged before too.
OK then :)

All in all, a packed museum with a lot that doesn't meet the eye, if you know what I mean.

"The Jailbird Antiques Fest is this Saturday, May 3rd

9am-3pm

Antique vendors fill the Museum of Wayne County History and also the lawn. 

Lunch will be served from 11-2 when we will have Merry Mischief’s strolling minstrels entertaining our visitors with beautiful music. 

Jackie Spiegel, antique appraiser will be on site as well. 

Fumie Thorpe pouring tastings of award winning Jailhouse Wine and to top it off, the Wayne County Historical Society’s Volunteers will be treated to a free lunch!"

Definitely a different sort of step back into time!

Hope to see you there!