Re-posting...but it's a cute one!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Love babies? Of course!

Griffin Hospital wins Baby-Friendly designation 

 

Several first-time moms and their babies attended a celebration Thursday of Griffin Hospital's designation as a Baby-Friendly hospital. Pictured from left are Alina Probierz of Seymour with Liliana Nowak, nine months; Meghan Cole of Milford with Ella, 11 months; and Jaimie Kassheimer of Ansonia with Zach Kassheimer, nine months. Patricia Villers/Register


Griffin is one of only five hospitals in Connecticut to receive the designation. See story today for more on this upbeat award.

* I've been rather busy with writing for work this month (breast cancer awareness and all) and really can't think of much to write about here on Late Bloomer, so today I've decided to re-post from my work blog.

I've written two spooky stories for the Halloween season and looking forward to them running in the paper in the near future. Gotta have a little fun! 

BOO!

Haunted tour fundraiser was a spook-tacular success

On Saturday night Ralph and I volunteered for three hours outside a stately (and haunted?) Victorian mansion that is now a funeral home.


It was one of several stops along a Halloween-inspired haunted lantern tour through downtown Derby, Ct. 
We told a spooky story hat we read from a script given to us.
Hundreds of people - who paid $5 apiece - came to get spooked and learn local history.
I counted 20 tour groups, although I could have lost track, because I was getting rather punchy near the end of the event.
 

So does Ralph look kinda creepy here? I think so.
It was cold out there and the wool cape added a bit of a 'Grim Reaper' look, in my opinion...


We told the story of a young woman, Emma Schabert, who lived in the house with her first husband - who was 40 years her senior.
She and her brother were lucky enough to survive the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 after being rescued from a lifeboat by the crew of the Carpathia.
The question we posed was: would her wealthy husband, Rufus W. Blake, who owned the Sterling Piano Co. in Derby, be as lucky?

As the story goes, the couple was home one night playing cards when Rufus went upstairs and accidentally shot himself in the eye. He never regained consciousness.
Newspaper accounts at the time said his death was accidental. However, the "accident" left Emma a very wealthy young widow.


Coincidence? No one can say for sure.

But as the script we read says, "Someone in the house rests uneasily.  Footsteps are heard echoing through the building, cigar smoke is frequently smelled and doors open and close without explanation."


Hmmm... 

Before the tours there was a Jack O'Lantern contest. Guess who didn't win?

 BEFORE
AFTER

 

Bwahahaha ~ I've only carved three pumpkins in my entire life, so I'm not too skilled at it.

A bit of history on a rainy Halloween night

(spooky bat art for Halloween created by artist Richard DiCarlo of Derby, Ct.)

Welcome to the Sterling Opera House

Is this historic building haunted?

Some are convinced that it is.

And that bit of information is all I needed to know last week when artist Rich DiCarlo, president of our local Valley Arts Council, invited me and a few others to step inside the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Ct. on Halloween.

I took him up on the offer, but not without first inviting blogging buddy Linda, Duchess of Norwich-Upon-Thames, who I knew would be interested in visiting this historic building, as well as in looking for ghosts.

She immediately was intrigued, and asked me to find out if she could bring along her friend, Amy. That was fine with the arts council prez.

Since Linda had never been to the area, we arranged a meeting at the Derby Train Station (below), which looks rather haunted here, don't you agree? The rain was coming down in buckets for a few minutes, so we waited in our cars for it to pass.

Here is another view (below) that I snapped through the windshield.

I like how this photo came out; I confess a bit of sepia-fying went into the final product.But back to the Sterling Opera House...seen in this picture in 1889, the year it was completed.

It stands majestically across from the old Derby Green, vacant since it was last used as City Hall in the 1960s. Renovations are in the works. Its ornate cupola is being repaired and is expected to be replaced in the spring.

(I just noticed that our Duchess Linda has written a comprehensive post about our experience...much longer and more detailed than this post will be, but I will forge ahead. )

The American flag in the above photo is hanging from a lamppost on the perimeter of the Green along Elizabeth Street, across from the opera house. The Second Congregational Church, and its long-vacant parsonage next door, can be seen in the background.

When Rich unlocked the side door, a musty odor greeted us as we entered the building.

Dark? Yes. We all were armed with flashlights and extra batteries. And digital cameras. Duchess Linda had two with her. I had my trusty Canon point and shoot.

We entered the theater and our 2 1/2-hour journey began...walking amongst debris, dust, piles of wood, and more debris. Did I mention it was dusty?

Here is Duchess Linda walking past one of the walls...dilapidated place, isn't it?

Below is another view of the theater, right near the stage. See any orbs? No? That's because I cropped them out of this photo. We'll leave the orb story for another day. Stay tuned for that.

I'm off to work, to get official vote numbers from yesterday's local elections.

From the e-mail bag today

Why the dog left ...

Now that is creepy.

Happy Halloween!

Ruby Tuesday

Imagine my delight when I spied this row of trees with mostly red leaves as we were driving through downtown Hartford Saturday. "Ruby Tuesday!" I exclaimed to Airhead 55.

~ ~ ~

Couldn't find any decoration with a bit of red, but I did find a rather sweet- looking young man checking out his Halloween candy (in 2002).
The Kit Kat wrappers are red, and the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups wrappers are orange, and that's made from red.

;-D

Check out all the Ruby Tuesday entries by visiting Mary, The Teach.




Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Not spooky v. spooky ~ Part 4

Not spooky: A winsome Rigby watching as Ralph gets out of the van.

Awww...look at that little baby face.
















Spooky: Two cats waiting for Halloween.

Halloween wrap-up

In an hour and a half we had 136 ghouls, goblins, vampires, fairy princesses, hobos and more knock on our door. Spiderman was here; so was A-Rod.
And all but the tiniest (they can barely talk so they have an excuse) said 'Thank you.'
It was a lot of kiddos.
Kid Two terrified Trick or Treaters by standing like a statue next to Ralph's van in the driveway.
A few children poked him, not sure if he were real. He dressed as V from the 2006 thriller "V for Vendetta." No, I did not see that movie. Nor will I ever see it.
Ever.

More riddles ~ I looked them up so you don't have to

What do you call a friendly dead Egyptian?
A chummy mummy

What is it like to be kissed by a vampire?
It's a pain in the neck

What did the ghost buy for his haunted house?
Home-moaners insurance


What was the witch's favorite subject?
Spelling

What instrument do skeletons play?
Trom-bone

A monstrously good time

I visited a Haunted House for work yesterday. I was doing a story for next week that, surprise, surprise, has a Halloween theme.
My tour through a cob-webby jail cell, mad scientist's lab, and a deli where what was being sliced was, well, human, was in the daytime.
The lights were on, and there was a crew of carpenters, electricians and other workers there feverishly putting the finishing touches on the house.
There were no spine-tingling sound effects playing to spook the molasses out of a person. And no costumed people popping out to do the same.
That was my kind of Haunted House.

My idea of Halloween celebrating is more along the lines of pumpkin decorating, pumpkin carving and bobbing for apples. Does anyone really bob for apples anymore? Probably just virtual apples online or something.
I guess just writing about the horrors that await paying visitors there was enough to give me a nightmare. That's why I am wide awake and posting instead of sleeping.

Thanks, Odat for the quizzes...

You Are

An Angry Pumpkin Face You would make a good smashed pumpkin.

What's Your Pumpkin Face?

Your Monster Profile

Demon Murderer You Feast On: Hot Dogs You Lurk Around In: Candy Factories You Especially Like to Torment: Groupies

What's Your Monster Name?

Warning: Watch out at the Halloween party

A woman got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to the Halloween party alone.
He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed and there was no need for his good time to be spoiled by not going.
So he took his costume and away he went.

The wife, after sleeping soundly for about an hour, woke without pain and as it was still early, decided to go to the party.
As her husband didn't know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him. So she joined the party and soon spotted her husband in his costume,
cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every nice 'chick' he could and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there.
His wife went up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he left his new partner high and dry and devoted his time to her.
She let him go as far as he wished, since he was her husband. After more drinks he finally whispered a little proposition in her ear and she agreed, so off they went to one of the cars and made passionate love in the back seat. Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away and went home and put the costume away and got into bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would make up for his outrageous behavior.

She was sitting up reading when he came in, so she asked what kind of time he had.
'I never have a good time when you're not there.'
'Then she asked,'Did you dance much?'
He replied, 'I'll tell you, I never even danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Joe, and Bill Brown and played poker all evening.'
'You must have looked really silly wearing that costume playing poker all night!' she said with unashamed sarcasm.
To which the husband replied, 'Actually, I gave my costume to your brother, and apparently he had the time of his life.'