Orphanage, Pt. 3

This isn't the email I had intended to post, the one I mentioned at the end of Orphanage Pt. 2. from Kraig xxxx. (As a reminder, he is doing a documentary on Lake Bluff Orphanage, and has offered to do research on my time there in 1948.) I think the two most current ones sum everything up pretty good, so I'll post this one first, and the other one later in the week. (I don't expect you to be able to keep up with all of this...there have been so many emails that I have trouble myself! Since I'm skipping some, you might feel that some 'pieces' missing.)

April 14, 2010

"Linda, how are you doing?I wanted to let you know my tentative plans. I've booked a flight to come see you on Wednesday, April 28th. I would fly into Nashville, which seems to be the closest and most economic flight situation with a rent a car. Flight gets in shortly before 8:00AM and I would then drive to your home and arrive around 12 noon or shortly before that?

I had hoped to do a short interview with you where you can tell your story. Basically everything you've written about, but just filmed. And then I plan to give you whatever information I have for you to fill in some details about what I could find about your first 3 months of life at the Lake Bluff Orphanage. I don't have any information or report yet from your file from my contact at Cxxx, but she's on the case! She should have this all together by this date.

I would leave around 3:00 pm to get back to Nashville to catch a flight that leaves at 7:00pm. Does this day and timing work for you? As far as the interview would go, the only thing I would need is for you to sign a video release saying it's ok to film you. I'm new at all this, but the video guy who runs the video program at the local high school who's assisting me when I have questions gave me a standard release form that he said I need to have everyone sign. All the kids at the school need to use them for any video projects kids are making for class.

The video I'm doing is a gift from me to my town. I'm giving it to the Vliet Museum of Lake Bluff History and they plan to show it over the Christmas season for a few nights as a fund raiser for the museum. The only thing I'm asking for is reimbursement for my expenses from the museum to make it. ...(portion deleted)... Anything beyond my expenses the museum will keep.

You can have anyone over at your house when we do this. I don't know if your daughter is around - hopefully your husband. I think they'd all share in some joy of what I hope to present to you this day . It would just need to be pretty quiet for the interview portion - the mic I use is really sensitive and picks up the most remote sounds.

Anyway, let me know if this all works, so I have time to cancel or change my flights around. The sooner the better, as you know, flights get more expensive the later you make changes.Best regards, Kraig

April 14, 2010, my reply:

The 28th sounds fine! Did you check for a flight into Chattanooga? It seems like relatives always come in to Nashville, but we've always used Chattanooga. Maybe it's more expensive? On the other hand, unless you have your mind set on getting a rental car and/or doing sightseeing, you could come into Chattanooga even if it was a little higher, and I could pick you up and return you and save you the rental fee and drive! We're only maybe 30 minutes from the airport, an easy drive down I-75. Just an idea. Whatever works for you! We're not a big family and don't have a bunch of friends that would come over even if we won a million dollars, so there shouldn't be any problem other than dogs barking, which we can try to hold to a minimum by getting them some extra long-lasting treats. The grandsons will be in school. I'm looking forward to meeting you, Kraig! I googled you, so know that this isn't the only good deed with your name attached to it ... unless there's another Kraig xxx! ... Linda

Ok, I don't know about you, but this turn of events seemed to come out of the blue, even though he had told me that someday he hoped to interview me. "Someday", to me, was...sometime in the distant future, maybe in the summer! And yet here it is, coming up in little over a week! The email he sent the next day is quite funny, so come back later in the week to check it out. (to be continued...)

Note to self: Get hair trimmed, get chip in front tooth fixed, do spring cleaning, find special treats to keep dogs from barking for a couple of hours...