A to Z Blog Challenge -- I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas

Join me at The Popculturedivas for C is for Connie.

Wordless Wednesday - 184

Thursday Thirteen - 179 - 13 Things About The Night My Teenage Dream Came True

1 - This is me standing in front of my junior high school, wearing my handmade Roller gear.

This is also a picture of a dream.

My dream.

When this photo was taken, I dreamt day and night about what it would be like to meet Leslie McKeown, lead singer of the Bay City Rollers.
















2 - I bought all of their albums, which I listened to obsessively. I bought every 16 Magazine and Tiger Beat and read every article and gazed at every picture. Obsessively.

I was never a big believer in doing anything halfway.













3 - It was all crystal clear in my mind. How I would walk around a corner and discover him there. How we would smile and talk. How he would put his arm around me and give me that first kiss.













4 - It didn't matter to me that the odds of the Rollers coming to tiny, out-of-the-way Halifax, Nova Scotia were dismal to none.

It didn't matter to me that millions of other young teenage girls were having the same exact dreams about Leslie, in their bedrooms in homes all around the world.

Leslie had a way of gazing through the camera right at me. He connected with me like no one else ever had. He was my first romantic crush, the first focus for all my girlish yearnings on the cusp of womanhood.














5 - Over the years, I never lost my crush on Leslie. I've always loved his voice, and have a Bay City Rollers playlist that I sometimes write my dark, scary vampire stuff to.

And over the years, Halifax has grown and connected with the world. A-listers now play here, and our music has made itself at home around the world.

Still, I wasn't quite ready for the news that Leslie McKeown would be appearing at the Casino showroom in October.

What made it so strange was the fact that I'd just had Les McKeown Week here at A Piece of My Mind this past August.



























6 - The Big Night finally arrived. I toasted to dreams coming true with my best friend Connie, who took that picture of me in 1977. I toasted with my cousin Julianne and my sister Michelle, who spent countless hours dreaming the same dreams alongside me.



























7 - We took our seats in the Schooner Showroom, which was fully sold. The crowd was definitely psyched even before the just-about-to-walk-onstage bagpipe music started up.

Bagpipe music. Halifax. Just sayin'.














8 - And then he was there.

Leslie McKeown.

No longer in my head, but right before my eyes.

In the strange ways of the world, Les and his new band ended their North American tour with this Halifax date, never suspecting that Halifax is a party hearty city that loves nothing better than to make everyone who stops here feel like a cherished old friend.

We were rowdy, we were vocal, we rushed the stage immediately, we danced, we laughed, we screamed, we smiled, we fed off each other and made a magical night together.














9 - The current line-up for the band is:

Alex Southgate on keyboard

Michael Koch on guitar

Les McKeown on lead vocals

Alex Toff on drums

Si Mulvey on bass

These guys really cooked! The lead guitarist especially was mighty fine, both to listen to and to look at.

But the energy of the original Rollers were definitely in the room. And our shared experience of Rollermania turned the years back for all of us.




10 - Here Leslie talks about his Rollermania experiences, including what it was like to find 'room service' was actually a fan who'd made her way through security.

The proposal for a Roller reunion mentioned in the clip is not on the books anytime soon.



11 - Here's a clip of the encore number played at the Halifax show which I found on You Tube. The actual sound at the venue was fine - the sound on this clip gets blown out because the camera mic couldn't handle the volume.

You can see the joy on Les' face as the night turned out to be more than he'd quite expected. "I want to say this to the people," he said just before leaving the stage. "The best, final night of this tour I could ever have dreamed of. Thank you very much, Halifax!"

Later on Facebook he wrote: "The Final night in Halifax, what a night to remember, thanks to you, you made a great gig happen, xxx Thank you, from me and the boys, xx"














12 - My sister and cousin having an absolute blast. Leslie really had fun interacting with the crowd, making that eye contact just the way he always did, making jokes laced with saucy innuendo. Just the way we always suspected he would.

He also made lots of jokes about the years that had passed, affectionately and without apology. When he sang The Bump, my cousin and sister ran up and danced it together. He pointed them out and said, "Bet you that hurts now, doesn't it?"

And he was cheeky enough to sing Yesterday's Hero, as well.














13 - After the show, Julianne, Michelle and I stood at the meeting point arranged before the show with the promotions director. Julianne had contacted her several weeks earlier to request a meet and greet.

To our astonishment and delight, she got back to us with news that she would indeed get us backstage to meet Leslie in person after the show.

So while half the sold-out audience got into well-organized line-ups for autographs, we waited nervously for the all-clear.

And then there she was. And we were walking through a door that led to a long corridor, which took us towards the green room. My mouth went dry. Another door opened. And then Leslie turned towards us.

And my dream came true.

We smiled and talked. He put his arm around me as we all posed for a picture. He gave each of us a kiss as though we were old friends saying goodbye until next time.

There was a time when I was younger that I believed dreams might come true. I set about making some of them happen.

Then there was a dark period for me, when I resented the phrase Follow your dreams, as I'd discovered the hard way that many of the most cherished dreams will never come true, no matter how hard you work for it, no matter how hard you fight for it.

But I can say now, that in the moment I stepped through that door and saw Leslie turn towards us, all the pain, the profound despair, the bitterness and crushed future I experienced during that dark period were all swept away.

You can't get more specific than my Leslie McKeown dream. You can't get much darker than the self-destructive path he'd been on until he rose to the surface, clean and sober a few years ago. The audience I was a part of gave him a joyous night. His meet and greet with the three of us gave me a new lease on life.

Dreams do come true. They really do come true.

So don't stop dreaming. Never stop dreaming.

Thursday Thirteen - 174 - 13 Ways to Enjoy Two Wedding Showers

1 - Last weekend was a bridal shower double bill for my sister.

The first was a city shower hosted by my mom and my cousin, and was held at my cousin's house.


























2 - Above, Julianne MacLean and her cousin/bestest friend/critique partner, the bride-to-be, Michelle.

My sister with our mom, Paulette.



























3 - Tasty shower delectables.



























4 - Catching up with friends and family.































5 - Time to open prezzies. Including lovely confections like this lingerie.














6 - And this collection of recipes from my sister's friends at the office.


















7 - A new day, a new shower! This time at the cottage.



























8 - This shower was hosted by Michelle's new family-in-law-to-be. Above, her fiance's mother Joan chats with her lifelong friend.

My sister's new family-in-law has sisters, step-daughters, cousins, nieces and a step-granddaughter.































9 - More delish dishes of yumminess.












































10 - More fun - above, my mom nabs her gift back during a Yankee gift exchange.

The photographer informs Michelle what she'll be saying to Newt on the wedding night. These are taken from all of the bride-to-be's remarks as she opens her gifts. Hilarious!












































11 - More frothy confections!














12 - Newt's sister bestows a handmade cooking apron to Michelle. Now she's in like Flynn.

















13 - A lifetime of happiness is wished for Michelle and Newt!

Join me next week to hear what my sister's shower predicted would be her wedding night words.

Janet says I can't wait to read the 'wedding night vows' next week - I've been to showers that have played that game and it always turns out to be hilarious :)

Anne MacFarlane says Julia, it looks like so much fun. Hope Michelle's big day is just as wonderful.

Kelly Boyce says Congratulations to Michelle and Newt! I'm so happy for them.

5 on Friday - Set 11 - by Guest Blogger Connie, My BFF

Welcome to my second single-artist showcase for 5 on Friday. For this post, I had to enlist the help of my lifelong Best Friend Forever, Connie.

I wanted to bring you five songs by Bruce Springsteen, and Bruce is to Connie what ballet is to me. In fact, over the years she has flown to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, Orlando, Dallas, Houston and London, England to see Bruce in concert.

To find out what other tunes bloggers have gathered up for us, drop by 5 on Friday Central and say hi to Travis at Trav's Thoughts.

And now - over to you, Con!

TOP 5 SPRINGSTEEN:

This was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. The first 4 were easy, but it was tough to decide on the last one. There are just too many to choose from:

1 - Land of Hope and Dreams (Live version) - gives me goosebumps and makes me cry every time I hear it.

-I will provide for you
And I'll stand by your side
You'll need a good companion for
This part of the ride

This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded-

- Bruce Springsteen



2 - Born to Run - not really my favourite song, but it is iconic Springsteen. This song catapulted him to stardom and has become the unofficial New Jersey state anthem.

-Let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions

Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
and we'll walk in the sun-

- Bruce Springsteen



3 - Thunder Road - Driving in a convertible with the top down and Thunder Road blasting from the speakers. Life does not get any better than this!
CLICK HERE to watch the video

-Well now I'm no hero
That's understood

Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back
If you're ready to take that long walk

It's a town full of losers
And I'm pulling out of here to win-

- Bruce Springsteen














4 - The Rising - Gospel sound, uplifting and inspirational!

CLICK HERE to watch the video

-Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine-

- Bruce Springsteen














5 - Dancing in the Dark - FUN, FUN, FUN, FUN! I first fell in love with Bruce Springsteen 30 years ago while watching the video of this song on Much Music at my best friend, Julia's house (a love that continues to this day!)

-Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
I just know that there is

You sit around getting older
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on this laugh's on me

You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart-

- Bruce Springsteen



Travis says I remember getting caught up in how good the Born in the USA album was.

Jamie says The variety of Springsteen always surprises me. One of my favorites, "The Rising". Thank you.

Anne MacFarlane says That was the best 5 on Friday. Ever!! He's the only singer I would camp outside overnight to get tickets for. In the rain. With a broken foot. By myself.

Summer Stock Sunday - 7

Seventeen years ago today, I got ready for my wedding along with my best friend, another lifelong friend, my cousin, my sister, new sister-in-law-to-be and my husband's very dear friend from acting school - Andrea. She got to hang with both groups of the wedding party - the ones getting a French twist, which my mom did up (she was a hair dresser, once upon a time) and the ones getting dressed in tuxedoes.












My best friend Connie and my cousin Julianne flank Andrea and her completed French twist.












My cousin and my sister use hot rollers to give their hair more body before going up in the twist.


My mom gives my sister Michelle her 'do.







Doesn't Andrea look fabulous? She stood up for Brad as his 'best man', which we renamed as 'attendant of honour.'

That's Dave, our old roommate, one of Brad's groomsmen and the MC for the reception.






The wedding party assembles at the church.


My best friend - and matron of honour - hands out the bouquets.


I stand at the threshhold of my new life with my dad's hand embracing mine.


The exchange of rings.


Our hands joined in marriage. New beginnings still seem fresh to Brad and me all these years later.


For more Summer Stock Sunday, visit Robin at Around the Island.

Robin says I don't have any photos of people getting ready for our wedding, just the traditional album.

Bim says The photos are fab.

Michelle Johnson says What tender memories you've shared.