From Here to the Moon

Okay call me obsessive about a few things. I simply love this song by Dolly Parton after renting and watching her in the movie "Joyful Noise". My family has been hearing me playing this link from Youtube at least 5 times today. Hope you enjoy the song. Simply click on these words: From Here to the Moon and Back.

The Ozark Club History

On a recent trip to The History Museum in Great Falls, MT, I marvelled at the information that was displayed over a jazz club/strip club that was a part of this towns history. All of the information was from old newspaper articles and advertisements. I like how they showed an illustrated sense of fun and happiness in those that entertained years ago.

One might remember the man pictured in this first advertisement here. That is Redd Foxx from Sanford & Son t.v. comedy in the 1970's.










Unfortunately, disaster happened to the business and also to the family that owned and operated it for quite a few years. Fire took the building. Sudden heart attacks, automobile accidents and even a questionable death are chronicled in print of the Lamar family that had the establishment. Then there is also the printed statement displayed about prostitution and gambling being run as side businesses. I guess every town has to have its scandal with a bit of flare to add to the excitement of the whole story.



One thing that is a tribute to them and also offers a fund raiser for The History Museum itself is a Jazz Night held at the facility each year. My husband is not into that style of music much, but we just might have to venture there one occasion and check out how Great Falls, Montana is for jazz.

Where Did the Summer Go?

Our last Alive @ 5 took place last night. The music was good!!! It was a local disc jockey and the name of his band -- The Steve Keller Band. He played a good mixture of music and people were starting to dance in the street when we decided to head home and fix some dinner on the grill.

I thought I would throw in a few pictures of the local activities at one of these Alive @ 5 outings. This was my first summer attending and I think it is a new permanent thing to check out. I just have to remember to take me a soda along.

The local news station was also out asking people "Why they like coming to these events?" and "Where did the summer go?" I found that amusing as we have been having some of the hottest days this year just in the past several days.

The Bayleat Family Band

This is the Balyeat Family Band -- a terrific family of performers -- talented in so many instruments, original song writers, and ambassadors to uplift to the soul.



My family had a treat of going to Gibson Park this past Tuesday evening to feed the ducks, geese, and sea gulls. We also sat and listened to several Christian bluegrass bands play in the bandshell area.



I thought one of the performers in this group looks a lot like David Letterman. What do you think?




The following was written by Nancy Balyeat (mom in the Bayleat Family Band):


Bob & Nancy Balyeat and five of their children travel all over the country singing and sharing their faith at fairs, festivals, churches or clubs. Their warm versatile style has been a blessing to many events, bringing the sunshine of hope and the freshness of laughter.
Bob Balyeat is the head of the family. He manages the band and weaves a message of God's love and power throughout their songs.He sings and accompanies the family on guitar and bass fiddle.
Nancy Balyeat is the mother of the Balyeat family, nurturing them in their gifts, as well as enjoying singing and playing the guitar and the keyboard with them.
James , age 19 , will amaze you with his accomplished bass skills and versatility, flat picking guitar & singing and has good stage presence. He is blessed to bring with him, Amanda, his wife! She is a blessing to all of us with her fiddle, banjo and mandolin and her bright spirit. She is greatly loved by all of us!
Rose , age 16, plays fiddle & mandolin and sings. She is Mom's right hand, doing laundry and remembering all their important dates.
MaryAnna age 15, plays fiddle and banjo. She carries the melodies with gusto, Charis , age 12, adds spice to the music with fiddle licks and solos and sings harmonies. Charity , age 8, adds the element of surprise, singing, playing fiddle, and dancing into the hearts of everyone we meet!

The Red Elvises

After the Doll and Pet Parade, my kids, brother, and niece, Samantha Ann (visiting from Georgia) walked down a few blocks and attended the Alive @ 5 music gathering. This is a Thursday evening free event in various blocks in Great Falls, MT.



The band performing this night was called Igor & The Red Elvises. The music was very lively and reminded me more of the B52's. They kept the audience (quite populated in one block) busy doing disco moves with their index fingers -- Up Up Up.



The kids did not really get into this band and so we only stayed for a few songs and then did a little window shopping down Central Avenue.



I thought the band was pretty good and decided to look up their web site and found them on Facebook as well. It looks like they are making the rounds in Montana for a week or so and then headed to Pennsylvania and onto Russia!

Montana Shakespeare In the Parks & Renaissance Faire

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, a wonderful theatrical company that performs all over Montana mainly and some surrounding states will be in Great Falls this coming week. Unfortunately, my husband, Fred, will be out of town (in Kansas City) for 11 days and we will miss the performances this year.

This got me to thinking about the Shakespeare time period, costumes, and activities. One thought of mine leads to another which transported me to ask whether or not there is a Renaissance Faire in Montana also.



Nashville always has a wonderful one each weekend during May. Our family enjoyed it several times over the years with all the costumes, knights jousting, camel rides, food of the time period and so much more.



I luckily did find that Missoula, MT has one in early November for a weekend. I hope the snow is not flying too much and I can make arrangements to attend with the kids this year.



While exploring on flickr.com, I did a search for "renaissance" and found many pictures from festivals across the USA. I fell in love with some of the pictures of the Twigs, Fairies, and Sprites. The costuming and make-up are wonderful. I have put one of the pictures on our computer as a background screen picture.



Wikipedia provides this bit of history and description of my topic for today: "A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and generally commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are short-term events in fairgrounds or other large public or private spaces[1]. Renaissance fairs generally include an abundance of costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts for sale, and festival food. Some even offer camping, for those who wish to stay more than one day[2]. Most Renaissance fairs are set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Some are set earlier, during the reign of Henry VIII, or in other countries, such as France, and some include broader definitions of the Renaissance which include earlier periods, such as the Vikings, or later, such as 18th Century pirates, and some engage in deliberate "time travel" by encouraging participants to wear costumes representing several eras in a broad time period. Renaissance fairs encourage visitors to enter into the spirit of things with costumes and audience participation. Most tolerate, and many welcome, fantasy elements such as wizards and elves.[citation needed]

Chicago journalist Neil Steinberg said (of the Bristol Renaissance Faire), "If theme parks, with their pasteboard main streets, reek of a bland, safe, homogenized, whitebread America, the Renaissance Faire is at the other end of the social spectrum, a whiff of the occult, a flash of danger and a hint of the erotic. Here, they let you throw axes. Here are more beer and bosoms than you'll find in all of Disney World."[3]"

At the Duck Pond

The kids and I visited the duck pond at Gibson Park for the first time today with a bag of old buns. The boys had a splendid time and left saying they wanted to return really soon. I made that happen rather quickly as I loaded them and their dad up after dinner for the excursion repeated. I had found another loaf of bread in the bottom of the refrigerator under the meat crisper.







Also, I had been told that people come out on Wednesday evenings for music performances at the same park. The turn out was great and everyone enjoyed the music played.



We took Fred to see the flower garden and arch. He thought it was lovely but allergies and an asthma attack took over and coughing from Fred played along with the music. So much so that at times people were looking and staring like "what is this sick man doing out and about."







All in all it was a nice evening to be out and about. Next time, however; one will remember to check and see if the inhaler is packed along for the trip.