Five on Friday: About Last Night (Moth Porch Party)

Being involved with The Moth* is truly the gift that keeps on giving. I was thrilled when I was invited to perform in New York City for a Mainstage show last year and then floored when they sent me to two other cities for shows.

Last night my husband and I were invited to their 20th Anniversary Porch Party. On my drive in to the city, I literally drove THROUGH A RAINBOW on the New Jersey Turnpike. That seemed auspicious and it was; I had an amazing night. Here's a realization and fun highlights from last night:

1. Realization: lots of my stuff is double vintage now. When you consider that they were several decades old when I got my hands on them and that was another two decades ago . . . the old beloved (used to be Babci's) dress I wanted to wear last night has a zipper that just does not want to work anymore so I switched to a newer one but with a vintage purse. And then this happened. (Good thing I was out without kids and had hardly anything to carry!)

2. As I was wandering around Brooklyn waiting for my husband so we could get to the party, a woman came out of the VFW and insisted that I come in and have a drink of wine with the ladies. It was all women, bartender and patrons, drinking and smoking (haven't seen smoke in a bar in a few decades, so that coupled with the decor made me feel like I stepped back in time.) They were all Brooklyn natives, getting away from their families for a bit for a drink together. They were all foul-mouthed and welcoming and I adored them all. I purchased some raffle tickets and promised I'd consider coming back for an event in September.

 3. The party! Oh so fun. I got to hang out with a fellow storyteller from my first show. The turnaround time on the show is so quick that we barely got to know each other but through the magic of Facebook have stayed in touch. We had a blast. Plans are in the works for her to visit us and I'm determined to make this happen as soon as possible.

4. One minute stories with names I've heard a million times on the podcast--like Senior Producer Jen Hixson who directed my story and always makes me laugh, Host Dan Kennedy (bottom right) that I totally dorked out to the first time I met him but have now shared several laughs with . . . and Moth founder George Dawes Green (bottom left) whom I have not personally met but am ever grateful to for starting all of this.

5.  On the way out there were party favors and, being the Moth, they were journal of course! I first saw the red journals labeled "Shinola" and was disappointed the others weren't labeled "Shit From." I suppose that would be a pretty bad name for a journal though.

*The Moth began in 1997 as a live storytelling show. It has grown exponentially since that time and now has ongoing programs in over 25 cities worldwide and produces over 500 lives shows a year. The Moth podcast is downloaded over 30 million times a year, and each week, the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour is heard on over 400 radio stations worldwide.