7/7/2014

weekly update 7/7/2014

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

This week was all about the tennis for me. The women's final was so disappointing - it was over before it started, and Eugenie was never in the match. The men's, on the other hand, was exciting and displayed some phenomenal shot making. I really enjoyed that. It didn't matter to me much who won, but I was rather happy the Djokovic finally was able to get to the final and take the trophy. It seems as if he's been runner-up too often. Due to Wimbledon tv coverage, and an abbreviated week because of the holiday, I hardly got to the pool at all this week. Oh well, next week.

Tuesday, after a long morning of watching tennis, I was settling in to watch along afternoon of World Cup soccer. Anne Nedd called from the clubhouse to see if I wanted to watch with her there, so I wandered up. There were two other people also interested in seeing if the USA team could pull off a win against Belgium. B-O-R-I-N-G. Ninety minutes of watching grown men run up one side of a large grass field, and down the other, and not one score. Ninety minutes! It was hard for me to get excited about watching this inactivity. (To be fair, I imagine that watching a tennis match could be equally as boring to someone who doesn’t love tennis). The USA lost in OT, 2-1. Whatever.

That same evening, Mark Kay Andrews, the author of the book I'd had signed a week or so ago and just finished reading, Save the Date, was going to speak at the SCAD (Savannah college of Art & Design) Museum. I thought it would be interesting, so I drove downtown, parked in a very bad part of the city (not being quite sure exactly where the museum was), and joined other women and students to listen to her speak. She was joined by Patti Callihan Henry, another author. Interestingly, I had just borrowed her new book from the library, The Stories We Tell, and it was next on my list of “to read”. I was surprised to see her there, and also surprised that I was going to read the book she was promoting. The talk was interesting.

On Thursday, The Coastal Heritage Society, which has the stewardship of Old Fort Jackson in Savannah, was breaking ground for a new (badly needed) visitor center. I thought it would be interesting to attend, so I set the recording for the second set of the Bouchard / Hasep match, and drove to OFJ. Lots of politicians, but also a nice day to get out and do something that was at least a little patriotic.

shovels at the ready

but this was a more traditional way of marking the celebration

 

Most museums in Savannah were closed on Friday for the holiday, and DH was scheduled to shut down as well. But if the other venues close their doors, does that make for more opportunities for admission fees for the few that are open? DH sent out a plea for volunteers to give tours on the holiday. It's my normal day to be there, and I had nothing better to do, so I answered the call. In the morning, there was a ceremony at Colonial Park Cemetery. Each year, the Savannah Chapter or the DAR holds a small speech and presentation at the grave site of Button Gwinnett (one of 3 Georgians who signed the Declaration of Independence). I went last year and thought it was OK, so I went again this year. Each year, I see more and more faces that I recognize - from book club (one of the members' granddaughters sang the national anthem), Coastal Heritage Society, DH, BC, or just some other people I know from other places. In the afternoon, DH was very busy, and the tours were large. In the evening, Anne Nedd called and wanted to go see the fireworks at Tybee Island, and asked if I'd like to come along. Well, I would have, but we were 24 hours too late, because Tybee had their celebration on July 3rd, so they wouldn't compete with River Street. Anne and I walked around the development a little to see some of the fireworks that were going off nearby, and that was our contribution to the revelry of the day. 

The Button Gwinnett monument at Colonial Park Cemetery

palm trees, the moon, and fireworks in the far distance (the view from Bldg 4)

 

Sunday, there was a community picnic for the residents of Mercer Point at the pool. I went, but only for a short time as it was my turn to close up BC at 4 pm. I meant to take a few pictures, but forgot. It was a better turn out than I'd expected, and I did get to meet some new people. Since I have no interest in spending time in my kitchen, my contribution to the gala was a bag of chips and a carton of dip. Very classy, Wilma!

What am I going to do next week, with no Wimbledon to occupy all my time?