Archive for May, 2007

bring on the hype: wren’s nest fest 2007

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Friday, June 8th has officially made the 10-day weather forecast! That's how we know the big day is almost here. Even if it is a balmy 89 degrees next Friday, the 10% figure is low enough to keep Lain sleeping like a baby for the next 9 nights. My fingers will dutifully remain crossed all week. On Thursday, I'll ask Marshall how his telltale joints are feeling. And that will be the last word on the weather. In the meantime, allow me to BRING ON THE HYPE! According to my intuition, Lain's undying (and largely unfounded) faith in my event planning skills, Jeri's infallible foresight, and Star's optimism, I can say with confidence that this June 8th is going to bear witness to the best Wren's Nest Fest on record. [EDIT: Not only are we going to have hundreds of little kids ravaging our food table and making bunny ears out of Burger King hats, but we have a birthday to celebrate! Wren's Nest Superfan David Sokol (WNSDS) will be turning 24 on this very special, multi-purpose day. We'll be sporting those bunny ears for you, Dave!] In addition, WNF flyers are flying Br'er Rabbit all over town. Hundreds of letters have been mailed. Mama Shakespeare's kitchen is piled to the rafters with cupcakes and icing. Ponies are being groomed and bridled somewhere in rural Georgia. The bunnies are... being born (specifically for this occasion). We've got postings on Atlanta Buzz, About.com and Atlanta INtown! And if you were even debating whether or not to attend: here's a sneak preview of our LIMITED EDITION Wren's Nest Fest 2007 t-shirt, going to print as you read this! We'll have them in youth and adult sizes, plentiful and affordable. Get 'em while they're hot (and it's hot) on June 8th! Every kid, parent and senior in Atlanta will be sporting one come Saturday, June 9th. In fact, I predict their popularity will go so far as to exceed the popularity of gaucho pants. "Is that even possible?" says Lloyd Farklenkuh. "Entirely, especially if they're worn together!" replies WNIC.

Atlanta Intown Features the Wren’s Nest

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Last night Carson and I were doing a little research at Neighbors Pub in Virgina-Highland and we came across the June issue of Atlanta Intown. Looks like all those glamour shots paid off! Carson and I probably couldn't get anymore famous. Props to Atlanta Intown writer, Wren's Nest researcher, and girl I sat next to in ninth grade geometry Mary Logan Barmeyer. Great article--though next time let's find a picture where my eyes aren't so squinty. Also, Carson isn't just any intern from Chicago. As far as I'm concerned, she is THE intern from Chicago. Nice pirate pants, Carson. At press time the June issue of the paper isn't available online, so I guess you'll have to pick up a copy around town. I usually find them at Java Monkey, but they're pretty ubitiquitous inside the perimeter.

Wren’s Nest: The Wedding

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Remember how Lain was worried sick about the wedding we were hosting at the Wren's Nest on May 5th? Well, it went great. It didn't even rain. Not one drop! The grandma of the bride had a wonderful time: So did the groomsmen: We had a mishap involving some tipsy bridesmaids: But overall, the event met with overwhelming success. When the bride rolled up in one of Willie Watkin's vintage horse carriages, the guests looked on in silent awe. The house nodded. The magnolias curtsied. The amphitheater beamed. It was magical. In fact, we should do this again! And again, and again! I mean, with grounds like these and attractive prices to boot, who wouldn't want to get married here? Or host their next book club meeting, or family reunion, or poetry reading, or rock concert, or championship slip-n-slide competition? Marshall and I feel we need to give our publicity efforts a little kick in the rump, because otherwise this gem of a venue is growing weeds with no good reason to pull them! So, I'm going to make a flyer. And I'm going to give it to lots of people. And they're going to rent out our grounds and have a fantastic time and tell all their friends that the Wren's Nest is all the rage, just like parking spaces and online data storage! Help us by spreading the word!

Ghost Hunt 2007, Chapter III

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It's not quite dark yet, so I'm not quite terrified yet, but let me tell you what--Carson is hiding under her desk, rocking back and forth, and trembling a little. (Carson is the one in the glasses) Luckily for you, she's got her laptop under there and is prepared to post live updates on Wren's Nest Ghost Hunt 2007, Chapter III: This Time, It's For Real. Keep it locked, and we'll keep you posted throughout the evening on the Wren's Nest ghosts, the Ghost Hounds, and everything bizarre that happens along the way. [For those of you following on facebook, this post will probably stop here. More awaits you at wrensnestonline.com/blog] 9:38 pm, Lain - Okay, so maybe Carson wasn't as scared as I'd thought. She made her way not only out from under the desk, but out of the room, too...about forty minutes ago. And she hasn't come back. Gulp. Actually, she has. But only to tell me that while the Hounds were patrolling for ghosts in the attic, she stood by a camera downstairs, perfectly still right by the stairs. While she was listening to the faint voices of the Ghost Hounds above, the camera started making noises. It was taking pictures. BY ITSELF! She heard the Hounds upstairs-- "There it is, going down the stairs!" WNIC flipped, ran in here, flipped out some more, and ran out. Current status - Whaa? 11:06 pm, Carson - Ghah. Lain and I just emerged with the ghost hunting team from the parlor, where we've been circled up, motionless and goosepimpled for over an hour. The electromagnetic field detectors (otherwise known as K2 meters) were going wild! Turns out we have a spirit in our midst. Ghost hunting is like playing a spooky version of 20 questions. With the K2 meters picking up energy fields in the vicinity, the dialogue goes something like this: Ghost Hunter: Spirit, if you're here, show us using the device in my hands. (K2 meter hesitates, then flashes. Hmm...) GH: Is that you? If you're trying to communicate with us, flash the device once. (Silence. Meter flashes once. Oooo!) GH: Thank you. Can you flash it twice for me now? (Meter flashes twice, as if on command. Eeek!) GH: Great. Now I'm going to ask you some questions. Please answer one flash for no, two for yes. (Meter goes berserk. Chills all around!) And so on. 11:42 pm, Lain - I'm not sure if "spooky" really does the K2 meter justice. So you're sitting in the dark with a bunch of people you don't know, listening to this guy ask questions and then, somehow, getting answers from a spirit who is communicating through a light meter. Tonight, we were talking to a spirit named something like "May Bell" or "Mabel" who was very patient with our questions. So patient, in fact, that the Q&A session lulled me into thinking that this was totally normal discourse. When we started asking questions, and the light meter would answer, I'd get goosebumps and give a little shriek. But then, once the answers became consistent, it was like we were in a conversation with this chick May who died sometime before 1870, was originally born in Trinidad, worked in the kitchen of the former plantation, and wore a white dress with red checkers. I left feeling like made a new friend! ...which, when you consider we were talking to a ghost communicating through a light meter, is totally and utterly spooky. Current Status - bemused ...and shaking a bit. 11:59 pm, Carson - Aside from the K2 meter, which I too became abnormally comfortable with, we were witness to some other spooky phenomena. Like the time Darren reported that his entire left arm had gone cold. Or when Patrick saw an orb of light... swirling over my head. Or when one of the women claimed to be seeing Mabel clearly in her mind, complete with head scarf and red checkered dress. And when she asked Mabel if her visions were correct, the spirit would answer enthusiastically in the affirmative (using the light meter). But the thing that really made my hair stand on end was when the motion-detector camera in the hall would spontaneously start snapping away, when clearly there was nobody there... Hair on end, yes, but grinning all the while. Mabel from Trinidad, welcome to the Wren's Nest! 12:20 am, Lain - Welp, the Ghost Hounds are out of here. Thanks, y'all, for introducing me to new friends and new nightmares. Next ghost hunt: June 2nd, but who knows if I'll be here--it's ladies night. Ladies ghost night, that is. Current Status - Really, really glad I'm not turning out the lights by myself this time.

Lain: through the Ages

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Saturday, May 12th marked a very special occasion: the 24th anniversary of Lain Shakespeare! Turns out Lain has a short attention span when it comes to birthdays. Here he is at the big number 1: curious and even a little bit excited! But by the time he reached 1-0: sleepy and disinterested. Those of us who know Lain can attest to the fact that if he had to rank all things good in life, birthdays would not even make the top ten. Here's what would: 1. trains! 2. blogs about skyscrapers 3. growlers 4. the swim times of seven-year-olds 5. yogurt (a recent development) 6. getting a good night's (and day's) rest 7. the Atlanta beltline 8. Going for it. 9. Imani Simone "goofball" Harris 10. scoping babes So, here we are on Saturday giving Lain all the encouragement he needed to celebrate his birthday at the Wren's Nest. Behind the camera is Mama Shakespeare, who had only moments before knocked our socks off with her world-famous chocolate chip cake (see? we're not wearing any socks!) The East Atlanta Beer Festival took care of the rest. Happy Belated Birthday, Lain!

Shakespeare at the Wren’s Nest

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For those of you who are new, my last name is Shakespeare. Having a famous and relatively rare last name is both a blessing a curse. For instance, whenever I hand over a credit card, three things invariably happen:

1. The cashier's eyes boggle a little.
2. The cashier somehow begins to believe that s/he is no longer a cashier, but instead Don Rickles.
3. The wisecracks begin.

I've fielded many, many ridiculous questions over the years. (For example, last week a cashier was like, "Oh, so your name is Shakespeare, huh? What, do you think you're bad or something?" ...as if I had given them attitude or chosen my name. And, after thinking to myself "What an odd thing for this person to say," I was all like, "No no, not bad -- bard!" Zing!) The more mundane questions are usually like, "So are you a writer?" And I've always answered, "Nope." That is, until today! Today, if someone asks, "Say, sport! You a writer?" I will say, "Yes! Now run to the nearest Little Shop of Stories and pick up a Warm Weather Pocket Field Guide for 2007, courtesy of the Duck and Herring Co. and check it out." You may remember the Duck and Herring Co. from our little get together last month. Well, they happen to produce a little journal. No, really, it's little! Not only are the Pocket Field guides fit-in-your-pocketable, adorable, and so very affordable, they're funny, too! Incidentally, author readings / demontrations will take place at Little Shop of Stories on June 9th. If you want to find out how to hold your breath for a really, really long time, I suggest you attend.

secrets, secrets are no fun… until they’re revealed!

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Remember how we were deliberating over whether to open a mysterious safe deposit box?Well, our curiosity got the best of us. We opened it! Lain and I went to Bank of America on Thursday. We paid a locksmith $150 to drill into a rectangular metal container that hadn't seen daylight in fifteen years. We held our breath, bit our nails, tried to put visions of treasure hunts and leprechauns and locks of hair and the remains of Joel Chandler Harris aside, but boy (oh boy!) was it hard not to dream... Inside, we found pieces of paper. Rolled up, torn, faded pieces of paper. This is what happened: the corners of Lain's mouth turned down a bit; mine tightened around the free sucker I had grabbed out of a basket on the teller's counter. Where was the note written in blood? You know, the one that said: Dear Lain and WNIC, Don't be alarmed that I know your names. Inside this box is a small key. Take it and board the next plane to Lichtenstein. There, you will find another clue. Should I reveal any more about this mission, your lives will be in great danger. With faith and trust in you both, Joel Chandler Harris Not even a check for a million dollars! Here, I'll show you what we found inside. See if you can decipher this one from 1913: And the warranty deed to the house: Somebody (was it me? or Lain? or one of the ghosts?) misplaced this deed for approximately 15 minutes yesterday, and minor panic ensued. What if we felt like switching professions, and wanted to sell the house? Or what if we just felt like capitalizing on the Wren's Nest, collecting whatever it was worth, and going to relax by the Aegean? Could we do it without the deed? Nope! Oh, don't be silly. We'd never sell the house! We don't even own it. The Joel Chandler Harris Association does. But perhaps we've come across some treasures after all. This piece of paper bears the signatures of Esther Larose Harris, wife of JCH, and all six of their children--Lucien, Mildred, Evelyn, Lilian, Julian, and Joel Jr: Neat! Mama Shakespeare (great granddaughter of Lucien) thinks we should frame it. I think this one is the prettiest: It renews the charter of the Uncle Remus Memorial Association. It was also quite difficult to photograph because it was curled up like a scroll. I can just picture Georgia Secretary of State John B. Wilson handing this parchment over to the ladies of the Association, perhaps singing its contents in the voice of the Coroner from the Wizard of Oz. Or perhaps it was a bit less showy than that. Anyhow, I repeat: I think we have some treasures on our hands. WNIC: Hey Lain, was it worth it? Lain: Totally worth it.

Wren’s Nest Brochure

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Alright big news: our brochure is real close to being ready. All we need is a map, some directions, and a few edits on the text. I know it's the weekend, but in the off chance you're reading blogs instead of doing something truly spectactular, let us know what you think of the cover. We wouldn't want to put these in every hotel, AAA office, and welcome center in the state without your approval, would we? One thing to consider--we'll probably go with old book parchment paper as the background. Indeed, it's the very same background that we use on the main site headers. Now, have at it! Edit: See the resemblance? Final Edit: Compare and contrast.  Good work, Rhodes Hall.

happy birthday miss nannie!

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  Our loyal docent and housekeeper, Nannie Thompson, turned 76 yesterday. Here she is with Star and Lain. She may be tiny, but she's as feisty as can be!

our namesake

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Want to know why Lain almost fell over with excitement this morning? Because wrens are nesting in the mailbox of the Wren's Nest! If you've been on our tour, you've probably seen the original mailbox, which rests on the mantle in the storytelling room. You've probably heard the story about the wrens that made it their home year after year, giving the Wren's Nest its name. In fact, Mr. Harris was so fond of the wrens that he put a second mailbox next to the first, so as not to disturb the little guys with the daily mail. Today, we have only one mailbox. And no wrens that anybody knew of, until now. This is what we found when we lifted the lid over the weekend: Eggs! Wikipedia tells me that there are about 80 species of wrens, some as small as 10 cm and 9 grams in size. That's small enough to fit through the slot in our mailbox, methinks. They are meant to be very aggressive birds, going so far as to destroy the eggs of another species in order to set up camp. And despite their size, they have very assertive mating calls. Tiny, but feisty. I like it. So we'll be keeping an eye out for baby wrens in our mailbox! And in the meantime, tell Mr. Mailman to please put all of our fan mail and donation checks elsewhere.