Archive for June, 2008

Wren’s Nest Fest Photo Extravaganza ’08

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Below you’ll find a mere smattering of photos from yesterday’s Fest.

This also happens to be the visual explanation as to why every member of the Wren’s Nest staff was asleep by 8:42pm on a Friday night. Watch out!

Happy campers, literally.

Looking forward is for suckers.

Who doesn’t love coloring various Brer Animals? The fun police, that’s who.

If I were to guesstimate, I would say that approximately 18,000 children had their faces painted throughout the course of the day.

Surreal things: hearing small children robustly sing about shorty getting low low low low low low low low.

Our local friendly firemen and a rookie.

Storyteller Curtis taking flight.

Lain’s best friends. They bonded over tales of what they ate for breakfast and who has sisters (gross).

My best friend. We chatted pretty intently about the feet on his backpack/leash and my boo-boo.

Board member Handy serving as executive chef.

Bunnies! Ready for petting, but dear lord not for picking up. Their handler was not afraid to tell us all just how fragile bunnies are and how many die per celebrity appearance. And yes, now is a good time to cry in case you were wondering.

Volunteer Matt happily showing off his arm painting skills. Not just for faces anymore, folks.

A very adorable person showing off her worm-in-apple balloon animal. Pretty neat, huh.

And that’s the ballgame! We’ve got plenty more, and many are already posted on our Facebook page (be our fan!), but if you’re really being big babies about it, perhaps we’ll post more here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to functioning like a zombie.

Wren’s Nest Fest is Today

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So, we’ll be out of the office and in the backyard. Don’t you dare call this office unless you want to hear our new, one-day-only voicemail message.

If you’re feeling limber, and you don’t much want to go to the H&M opening or need something to do before the Wordsmiths Birthday Party, Wren’s Nest Fest might be just what the doctor ordered.

Might I suggest that you take a long lunch break and hang out with us for a picnic? We’ll even grill you a hot dog.

More information here, and as always, directions are here.

The Wren’s Nest Gives Tours and is a Museum

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Here is a 100% (87%) accurate transcript of a telephone conversation I had earlier today.

Amelia: Good morning, The Wren’s Nest.

Caller: I’m calling about tours.

Amelia: Okay, great. How can I help you.

Caller: Are there tours?

(historical reenactment)

Amelia: Yes… we give tours.

Caller: Are you… is there a collection of houses?

Amelia: Nope, we’re just one house.

Caller: Can you visit and get a tour?

Amelia: You sure can.

Caller: (with immediacy) What are you?

Amelia: Um, we’re the Wren’s Nest, which is the home of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the Brer Rabbit and Uncle Remus tales. It’s a house museum.

Caller: (silence)

Amelia: … which means the home has been preserved since 1908, the year of the author’s death.

Caller: (confused) Do you do it yourself… to lead us… are there people to give the tour? There?

Amelia: Yep, we have tour guides. They’re great.

Caller: Okay. Goodbye.

Questions that arose from this conversation:

1. Was this man just dialing random numbers?
2. Is he president of Tour Enthusiasts International?
3. Does he always start conversations that way?
4. Does he hate tour guides, yet love the tours themselves?
5. No seriously, how did he get this number.

Worst of all? We’ll never, ever know.

And that, my friends, is why I love working here.

Duck and Herring Company Podcast, Sponsored by the Wren’s Nest

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I got an email yesterday from the good folks at the Duck and Herring Company regarding their warm weather podcast.

You may recall that the Duck and Herring Company:

1. helped out with the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company last summer
2. recorded our theme song

Regarding the latter, I failed to ask them why exactly they recorded our theme song.

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I mean, why wouldn’t they record our theme song? Or anyone, for that matter! In fact, I’m kinda surprised we don’t have more people sending us theme songs.

Anyway, turns out that the Wren’s Nest is the official sponsor of the Duck and Herring Company Podcast. Unrelated, turns out that the Duck and Herring Company Podcast is awesome.

What a coincidence!

Check out the entire podcast here: Duck and Herring Company Podcast.

Update on the Art Block Summer Camp

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A few weeks back we discussed the Art Block–the summer camp for middle schoolers we’re hosting right now–and how nobody had signed up.

Well, I’m pleased to say that we had seventeen kids sign up at the eleventh hour. Way to be, us.

Unfortunately, the kids are no longer writing their play at the Wren’s Nest as previously planned. Uh oh.

Instead, they’ll be creating the play entirely at Hammonds House and the West End Performing Arts Center (home of Fly-By Theatre) right down the street.

There are two reasons for this, and they’re certainly related:

1. Our professional writers disappeared faster than the drummers of Spinal Tap.

2. The other artistic professionals who took over the writing component deemed our workspace too “depressing,” our dining room too “cramped,” and our outside too “hot.”

Had we been able to provide a writer, the theater people would have been spared the horror of our venue.

And while it’s our own fault for not anchoring down a writer, I think it would have been irresponsible for us to involve a contract when the Art Block may or may not have had campers. I wouldn’t have wanted to explain to our accountant how we just paid someone, say, $2,000 because s/he woulda taught a camp for us, except we couldn’t come up with any campers. Oops!

Frankly, we’re not too upset about our lack of involvement.

After all, the camp is indeed happening, plus it’s a lot less work for us and a lot less wear and tear on the house. No doubt the kids will put on a great show without our help–

In the meantime, I’m happy to get on with the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company. It’s more exciting for me…which is what counts. Who did you think we were doing this for, the children?

Annual Wren’s Nest Concert — The Commodores?

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Yesterday my advanced palate and I were interviewed about hot dogs for a column in Atlanta Intown, a monthly newspaper.

Weird? Maybe, but after I had my professional say about ice cream last month (third column, fifth row), I can see why they wanted me back.

Anyway, while we were grilling hot dogs in Piedmont Park, who strolls up but none other than Mr. William King, guitarist and trumpet guy for the Commodores.

This got me thinking.

Who should headline our annual fundraising concert?

Last year we had the League of Decency, a legendary Atlanta cover band that can really boogie. Near the end of the evening, the covered “Brick House” and things went, well, bananas. Was this some sort of sign that we should have the Commodores play “Brick House” the next year?

I can’t say.

Either way, if you’ve got requests for who should headline our concert, fire away.

Factors include–(a) how much it costs; (b) if the neighborhood can get down with it; (c) will folks drive here to see it; (d) if I like them or not; (e) do they bring the funk?

We Still Need Volunteers For Wren’s Nest Fest. Ahem.

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Today, in the course of two phone calls, we found out that approximately 100 more children will be attending Wren’s Nest Fest next Friday, bringing our RSVP total to about 350.

This is good.

It is also terrifying.

Luckily, we’ve got everything in place – including an accidental double order of port-a-potties – for the Fest. Moonbounce, clown, ponies, bunnies, arts and crafts– check and check and check.

Everything but volunteers, that is.

(How I imagine 8:59am, Friday June 13th.)

(9am. Gack!)

So please, volunteer to help at Wren’s Nest Fest, even if it’s just for the t-shirt and all the snow-cones you can eat. All day (9-4), part of the day, whatever you’ve got. We need your help, and, I mean, sure we often write about begging, but how often do we actually beg?

That’s right.

This is big time.

Email me at amelia@wrensnestonline.com with your good news. Feeble excuses welcome below.

Audio of Wren’s Nest “Ghosts”

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Occasionally we’re contacted by ghost hunters who want to snoop around the Wren’s Nest.

I’m not really “into” ghosts; however, the girl who initially approached me to ask about ghost hunts was pretty cute so I said, “Oh… alright.”

Listen, I never claimed to be a professional.

Since then, from time to time we’ve let ghost hunters check out the house, and the latest team just returned with their findings–mostly audio taken with very sensitive devices.

They seemed pretty pleased, and below I’ve included what I think are the two clearest and creepiest recordings they captured.

1. “Child up here”

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This audio was taken from our attic when, apparently, nobody was upstairs. The more muffled voices are from real people downstairs, but you can hear a much more distinct voice about :07 in.

2. “Come here”

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In this clip, two of the hunters are chatting with a dog barking in the background. Near the end you can hear a whisper that is much more clear than the rest of the audio. It sounds like it’s closer to the mic, but you might have to turn up the volume to hear it.

Previously–Liveblogging Ghost Hunts

…and nope! We’re not allowing any more ghost hunters in here for a while yet. Sorry!

Bad News: Mark Twain House Might Shut Down

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And I thought our $46,000 was bad.

This morning the New York Times published an article about the tough financial times faced by the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, which is currently juggling somewhere in the range of five million dollars of debt. Uf.

(The Mark Twain House in all its Connecticut glory.)

Now, while the article does have some laugh-out-loud moments (don’t let Steve Wynn near your Picasso, har har!), it paints a pretty dire picture for the home where Mark Twain wrote some of his most famous works.

In short, the museum ambitiously built a totally awesome visitor’s center (I know. I’ve seen it!), the cost of which got out of hand, and quick. Combine that with increased energy and travel costs (fieldtrips are our bread and butter, too) and you’ve got an incredible landmark facing the possibility of closing its doors.

This. Is. TERRIBLE.

Now, dear reader, I am trying to do everything I can to play it cool here, but this legitimately makes me panicky. As a gal raised by Twain-quoting obsessives (my dad may or may not have taken the year before my birth to read Mark Twain exclusively) with a minor stake in the fate of writer’s homes these days, this is big time awful.

I mean, this is MARK TWAIN. His is not a forgotten name. Samuel Clemens, maybe, but that’s why he took a pen name, okay smartypants?

If his museum is in danger, what does that mean for the rest of us? And I don’t just mean in the world of house museums, either. Twain’s home is every bit as eccentric and clever as the writings of the man himself. It’s like one giant testament to his overwhelming awesomeness. And it might close?!

How about this: I’ll go breathe into a paper bag while you go here and donate money.

Thanks.

Also, it seems important to mention that Twain’s home may be the only thing Connecticut has to offer the rest of the country. I may or may not be serious.