my date to the willow manor ball

R.A.D. Stainforth, yes, the same inimitable Stainforth, of Black Dogs, known to read my poetry, from time to time, has most graciously invited me to be his date for the upcoming Fourth Annual Willow Manor Ball.  I sent invitations to several other wonderful men, including William Powell, President Abraham Lincoln, and Monty Woolley, but the charming Mr. Stainforth rang me first.  You know what they say about the early bird, and all that. A magpie knows these things.

I'm quite thrilled, and more than a little bit intrigued, to finally meet the enigmatic R.A.D., since no one, at least not anyone I know, has actually seen him in person. In addition to having a delicious voice, he is known to enjoy listening to Schnittke, and on occasion, reading Edward Thomas. He tells me, he'll be arriving at the manor in his fabulous Jag, so I'm hoping he'll take me for a spin after the ball.  In fact, I wouldn't mind if he wants to park in the luscious patch of ferns, pictured above, for a bit of early morning poetry reading. Should I be nervous, having never seen him? He appears around the blogs only in a nondescript, faceless hoodie. Images of Charles Laughton, in the role of Quasimodo, keep pestering me.

Just in case you haven't heard about the cyber event of the year, mark your calendars.  There will be a Mr. Linky widget provided for those who wish to share their dates and what they are wearing the the ball, which mysteriously lasts a whole 24 hours beginning at 12:00 a.m. on:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Don't forget, there will door prizes chosen from everyone who attends (leaves a comment) here at Willow Manor on the 12th. When you arrive, hop on into the comment section, and join the fun.

One of the great things about a cyber ball is that we all dance like gods and goddesses.  Make sure you have your dance cards ready, because we will be rolling up the carpets at Willow Manor. Valentino said tile floor was the best for dancing the tango, but in this case, the hardwood floors at the manor will do the trick.