Field Trip: Hurray for Silent Films and the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ

(Photo Credit: Tricia Zenone)

Hurray for Silent Films! I went back to the roots of film making for Oscar weekend and watched a series of silent comedies on the big screen on Saturday, March 6, 2010. There's nothing like live organ music that bring silent movies to life!

So my evening began as a ‘Date Night’ with my husband, Steve. We chose not to bring the boys to this event, purely out of selfish reasons. Steve and I wanted to enjoy movie night alone and I couldn’t think of a more romantic place, in the city limits of Hanford of course, than the beautiful balcony seating at the Hanford’s historic Fox Theater! We just pretended to be in the balcony of a beautiful teatro in Venice! There was a crisp cool breeze in the air when we walked one minute from the free parking lot to the grand, marquis-lit entrance of the old-time theater. Yes, I’m jaded having to pay $20.00 just for parking when attending an event in San Francisco! At the entrance, an elderly man happily took our $10.00/per person tickets. I made the mistake of not getting the student discount price ($5.00) when I purchased the tickets the day before. On the bright side, I got a free pair of ear plugs from the owner of the Fox Theater, but that’s another story in itself! Let’s just say trains are not my favorite sound to hear in the middle of the night. Danny, the owner, is a godsend!

Okay, back to the performance! At the concession, we purchased two bottles of water and a box of red vines. You have to have red vines when you see a film! We then proceeded to the red carpeted stairs that lead us right to the balcony. We struck gold when we found two comfortable seats in the non-crowded first row. It even had a mini table for us to adorn with our concession purchases. Can you believe we even had our own quaint trash can? Who would have thought I would have been so thrilled to have my own trash can for movie night!

Now that we’re seated we are now able to enjoyed the twinkling star-filled ceiling and looking down at the people on the lower level who are just as eager for the show to begin. I probably counted a dozen children in the audience with a total of 100 people in attendance for the two hour show. The crowd was small and mostly made up of seniors. Steve and I felt like we fit right in, even though our age was several generations younger than the majority. We couldn’t imagine being anywhere else; especially since the last time I stepped foot into the theater was about sixteen years ago. In fact, looking back at my childhood, I was the only kid that grew up with an organ in the parlor room rather than the typical piano! So, needless to say, I have a bias toward organs.

The show begins! The organ rose up through the center of the stage. Organist, Dean Mora, enters on stage seated on the organ chair playing music as he appeared. He then began to introduce himself, along with giving us a taste of the three silent movies we were about to enjoy…

     Charley Chase in “Putting On Pants”
     Laurel and Hardy in “Putting Pants on Phillip” (Intermission)
     Buster Keaton in “Seven Chances” (1925) – Buster Keaton did ALL of his own stunts in this film

Dean Mora is an organist from Los Angeles and learned to play organ from Gaylord Carter. He quoted Gaylord Carter just before he was about to perform by saying, “If they stop noticing you when you play then you’re doing a good job.” This is a quote that was so memorable to me. At the end of the show, this is what ultimately impressed me about the performance. About half-way through the films my attention was strictly focused on the big screen and the organ music became merely part of the show. I actually forgot that I was listening to a live organ performance.

I liked the music because Dean was able to make the music move at the tempo of the level or action of the film scenes. He would play slow tempo during stopping and thinking scenes and the notes would also occur at the beat of an actor’s footsteps. He also played sounds that only an organ instrument can make; such as, train sounds when a train travels in the background of the scenes. I loved that Dean didn’t need sheet music. He was actually watching the movie as he performed, which is very cool! The songs that stood out to me were in the film, “Seven Chances”. I heard Chopin’s “Death March”. I also heard the famous “Wedding March” and “Flight of the Bumble Bee” was played during a scene where Buster Keaton was running away from the wannabe brides through bee hives in an apiary.

At the end of the show, Dean Mora and the owner of the Fox Theater invited everyone to stay for a bit to play some fun songs on the organ and meet the organist. Steve and I stayed and enjoyed meeting Dean Mora. He played the organ on the stage for fun while answering guest’s questions. He showed us different sounds the mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ could play. He played sounds for trains, railroad crossing, cassinet, wood blocks, etc. He also played pieces like the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars, which I know my sons would have loved to hear.

Dean shook our hands and asked what our names were. He was very cordial! He told us about The Nethercutt Museum in Southern California and invited to visit the place where he also performs. We plan to see him in October in Sylmar for the free performance. We also asked when the next silent movie show will be in Hanford and he said that he comes to Hanford for the event 3-4 times a year and plans to be back this May. We’re excited because the next time we go it will be for ‘Family Night’!

Hip, Hip, Hurray for Silent Films and the dying talent of performing mighty pipe organs!


Hanford Fox Theatre

~ Tricia Zenone

Candy Recipe: Easy Peppermint Bark

(Photo Credit: Tricia Zenone)

Peppermint Bark

• 1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  
• 30 miniature peppermint candies - **crushed

1. LINE cookie sheet (sheet that has an edge) with waxed paper (so wax paper sticks up over edges of cookie sheet)
2. MICROWAVE semi-sweet morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH power for 1-2 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
3. SPREAD mixture to desired thickness on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for a few minutes (approx. 10-15 min.) or until harden.
4. MICROWAVE white morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH power for 1-2 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
5. Add peppermint extra to melted white chocolate and stir completely.
   
6. Pour the melted white chocolate over the hardened semi-sweet chocolate and spread evenly using a spatula
7. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over the white melted chocolate then refrigerate.
8. Once all the chocolate is hardened break into 2x2 inch pieces.

**Place peppermint candies in heavy-duty plastic bag. Crush candies using wooden kitchen meat tenderizer or other heavy object.

Enjoy your sweet gift giving this holiday season!

** Twist on peppermint bark - shape two mini candy canes into the shape of a heart and pipe in melted chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and edible red glitter. **

~ Tricia Zenone

Candy Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Photo Credit: Tricia Zenone

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

45 min | 45 min prep

Makes About 12 Dozen Buckeyes

* 1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
* 1/2 cup softened butter
* 1 lb or 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 standard block paraffin wax (see 'Notes' section below)

1. Cream peanut butter and butter together.
2. Add sugar and vanilla.
3. Form into 1 inch balls and refrigerate. (see 'Notes' section below for helping hint)
4. Melt chocolate chips with paraffin wax in a double boiler (I melt wax in pot first, then add chocolate chips).
5. Dip balls into chocolate with a toothpick about 3/4 of the way covered.
6. Place chocolate side down on waxed paper.
7. Refrigerate to harden

Notes:
*When working with melting chocolate use a wooden spoon, metal spoons are more of a pain to work with melted chocolate.
*After the peanut butter confection is hardened in fridge re-roll balls in palm of your hand in order to make them smoother and more rounded.
*Gulf Wax can be purchased at Wal-Mart in the baking aisle for $3.00. Paraffin wax is used in baking to prevent chocolate from melting.

Happy Candy Making!

~ Tricia Zenone

Holiday Baking: Witch's Finger Cookie Recipe

Witch's Finger Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
red food coloring, preferably paste type
Instructions: Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine dry ingredients. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla, beat in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

If you want to paint the nails first, use some red food coloring (I use dry/powder food dye) that's been diluted with water and brush on with a clean artist's brush.

Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press an almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze in center to create a knuckle shape and use a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for three minutes. If desired, lift up almond and squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath.

Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

**Note: Make cookies smaller than you think they need to be, as they spread when cooking.

Happy Halloween!
~ Tricia Zenone

Smile O Meter

Creative Commons

Japan Train Workers Check Grins With Smile Meter

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 24, 2009

TOKYO (AP) -- Her uniform looks good, with striped scarf and blue cap in perfect order, but railway employee Mitsue Endo has one thing to do before she faces the masses -- pass the smile test.

Endo, who works at hectic Shinagawa Station in central Tokyo for Keihin Express Railway Co., sits in front of a laptop computer with a digital camera mounted on top. At first she is a bit grim-faced, and the verdict from the company's smile-rating software is instant and candid.

''Smile: 0'' pops up on the screen.

She breaks into a broad grin and the computer responds cheerfully, giving her a score of 70.

The company has installed the system to help employees check their smiles before heading out to face customers. The test is optional, but at major stations like Shinagawa, the 250,000 riders who pass through per day can be rushed and agitated, and a happy face can go a long way.

''Smiling helps our interaction with the passengers. I think the atmosphere becomes more relaxing with a smile,'' says Endo, whose job includes helping lost customers find their way and dealing with ticketing mishaps.

Keihin uses the software at 15 of its 72 stations, concentrating on the busier locations.

Taichi Takahashi, who works in public relations at the train operator, says it gives employees a chance to examine themselves before they go to work.

''I don't think that we have had much opportunity to stare at our faces that close and for that long to check our facial expressions until now,'' he said.

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I wonder if the Smile Meter can detect the difference between a fake smile and a genuine smile.

~ Tricia Zenone

Culture: Filipino Dessert

Photo Credit: Deckchua Photo

Halo-Halo

Halo-halo (pronounced: hollow-hollow) is a traditional summer dessert from the Philippines. It's packed with exotic fruit (baby coconut, jack fruit, & papaya), yams , sweet beans, shaved ice and sometimes topped with ice cream.

Try Halo-halo at home or have a treat if you find yourself in SF; Mitchell's Ice Cream in San Francisco features it seasonally and ships the exotic fruit straight from the Philippines to prepare the summertime treat.

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Recipe:

Halo-Halo

2 tablespoons jackfruit
2 tablespoons soft coconut
2 tablespoons sweetened kidney beans
2 tablespoons sweetened garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons sweetened plantains
2 tablespoons yam
crushed/shaved ice to fill glass
2/3 evaporated milk
a scoop of ice cream on top

Layer all the ingredients to your liking into a tall glass 3/4 full with layered items. Fill the rest of the glass with shaved ice and pour evaporated milk over the shaved ice. Top with a scoop of ice cream and you're ready to eat the dessert with a spoon.

~Tricia Zenone

New Subculture: Boomerangers

In this fragile economic time the new subculture called Boomerangers may actually be the smart and savvy ones!

boomeranger

(BOO.muh.rang.ur) n. An adult child who returns home to live with his or her baby-boomer parents.


Quoted from Wise Geek:

The proverbial 'empty nest' may not stay empty for long if a new subculture called boomerangers can help it. The term boomerangers refers to post-graduation adults who choose to return home to their parents instead of seeking their fortunes elsewhere. According to the most recent census figures, over 18 million young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 currently live in their childhood homes. As that number continues to grow, sociologists and other interested parties are trying to make sense of it all.

Boomerangers are not necessarily unemployed or unmotivated, but many of them are simply underfinanced. The starting salaries for many entry-level jobs is often so low that young adults cannot afford to pay off their student loans and credit cards while simultaneously managing an independent household. The answer for boomerangers is painfully obvious -- return home temporarily until their incoming wages outweigh their outgoing expenses. The idea of becoming an independent adult may have to take a backseat to the realities of life.

Some parents embrace the concept of boomerangers, even if it means reliving a role they thought they had abandoned forever. Having an able-bodied adult in their home means more security and less dependence on others for routine chores and errands. Some boomerangers find themselves taking on the role of caregiver for aging parents, which can mean a significant savings compared to assisted living facilities. Boomerangers often pay their fair share of rent and utilities, although this practice may not be as universal as some parents may hope.

The controversy surrounding boomerangers is often more social than financial. Society in general favors a traditional progression from dependent child to independent young adult to responsible married couple. Parents who have successfully raised their children should have the right to enjoy their later lives without the responsibility of parenthood. The phenomenon of boomerangers definitely throws a monkey wrench in this traditional machinery. In a world in which entry-level jobs have been outsourced to other countries, more and more adult children may feel the need to regroup and rethink at home.

Experts suggest that parents dealing with boomerangers set definite boundaries and expectations. Rent and other financial responsibilities should be clearly defined and put in writing. The arrangement should be seen as temporary, in order to avoid a sense of entitlement or laxity on the part of the adult child. Boomerangers shouldn't necessarily be treated as freeloaders, but neither should they be encouraged to abuse the privilege of free room and board. Once the boomerangers have reached a point at which their outstanding expenses are manageable and their income is sufficient for independent living, they should recognize the need to leave the nest once again.

Example Citation:

Though many students only stay for a few months, others linger at home even after they are on their feet financially. They are attracted by a room of their own, disposable income, and eager-to-help baby-boomer parents who are welcoming their "boomerangers" — as they are being called — back to the nest.
—Kim Campbell, "More graduates opt to live with mom and dad," The Christian Science Monitor, July 9, 2001

~Tricia Zenone