10/18/2015

Weekly Update 10/18/2015

It didn't start off well. On Monday, when I was buying wine at the Walmart, I forgot to get out my license, and the checkout lady eyed me suspiciously (really???). She looked to be about my age, so when she saw my ID, I was surprised when she told me that she thought I looked about the same age as her mom, and she after she saw my dob, she was right! Shit! 

 

A couple of lectures this week: one on archeology at the Coastal Heritage Society which was quite dull. After you've seen a slide of a musket ball that was uncovered during a dig, you don't need to see slides of 100 other musket balls. For the churches of Savannah series, we didn't do a site visit this week, but instead had a talk about John and Charles Wesley, who were in Savannah shortly after the colony was formed in 1733. That was interesting. 

 

Thursday evening was the gala opening of the exhibit of Monet paintings at the Jepson. The event was preceded by a lecture. So many people in Savannah wanted to attend the talk that it was held nearby at the Trinity Church, which holds more people than the auditorium at the Jepson. They also had two seatings for the lecture. Donna, Kay, Lisa and I all had tickets to the early lecture. Then we went to the reception. Leopold's Ice Cream has created two new flavors in honor of Monet - My Cheré Amour and La Vie in Rose. I can tell you they are good! We also sampled many other wonderful treats. And, of course (isn't that what we were here for?) we saw the paintings. There are actually only four that Monet himself created and the others were by American artists who were influenced by the great artist when they studied in Giverny. It was really too crowded to see the wonderful pictures well, so I'll have to go back when I can spend more time.

the lecture in the church

one of the Monet paintings

Friday was a busy day. I got up early because I was giving a tour at BC in the morning. I had been told it was for home-schooled children. I was thinking, maybe junior high school age. But no, it was elementary school, and even some younger siblings. Try making a cemetery interesting for a group of about twenty 3 - 9 year-olds! It was the fastest tour I'd ever given, though, as I skipped a lot of what I usually talk about. Then I went to give my normal afternoon tours at DH - didn't lock anyone in any rooms this week. And then to The 90. I didn't stay there long because I'd been away from my condo for a long stretch, and I was anxious to get back to my chair. But when I got home, I realized that I wanted to see the SCT play that is only going to be performed this weekend, so I went back out. The play was The Servant of Two Masters, but Carlo Goldoni. Written in 1746 in Italy, it is farce in the style of Moliere. While I enjoyed it, I think it may have been a little ambitious for a Children's Theater, as a certain sophitication of actors and audience is required to make an 17th or 18th century farce appreciated. But, as always, I loved the SCT and thought they did a wonderful job.

Florindo, the servant with two masters

Saturday morning, I met Kay, Lisa and Connie for the St Vincent's House Tour. This is my favorite tour of homes of all the ones they do in Savannah, and I've been to it before. It's a fund raiser for St Vincent's School, so I feel it's a good cause, too. St Vincent's school is located next to the beautiful Cathedral, and there are still Sisters who live there. I always enjoy being at the school, because it brings back the memories of traveling to Dublin and seeing the house where Mother Catherine McAuley started her school in 1831 and the Sisters of Mercy began. And they always have a tea in the garden of the convent. I made it to two lovely homes and the tea before I started to feel unwell, and had to leave. I would have really loved to see more - next year. 

a house on Jones Street, one of the ones on the tour

my lovely group of good friends

 

In another embarrassing event this weekend, I got lost in BC! How can that happen? There was a dedication of the Walz monument on Sunday afternoon, and I wanted to be there. I give tours at the cemetery, I talk about John Walz all the time, I consider myself somewhat of an expert. But I couldn't find the Walz plot. I got there, but I was late. I don't know if I'm going to be stripped of my Tour Guide title or not, but most of the members of the BHS there for the dedication thought it was kinda funny that I got lost. It was a wonderful, sunny afternoon. John Walz, for the all the beauty he has created for BC, deserves to have a beautiful stone for his resting place. It's long overdue, but it's there now. 

at the dedication ceremony, when i finally found it

there are sculptors' tools carved into the top, and the stone is half finished, as if he might come back to complete it

 

Being at BC on early Sunday afternoon kept me from having to watch the Bengals beat up on my Bills, but I did get to Coach's for the second half. It was a good thing that I couldn't watch it all. As a child, I was taught that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So, I'm not going to say anything about any of the NFL games this week. It's looking as if the Bills will extend their record of the most number of seasons since a playoff appearance, and the Lions will again maintain their record of never going to a Super Bowl. I think I'm going to start to become more interested in college ball, though, as there were some very good games on Saturday. Go, Dawgs!

I did, however, really enjoy watching the game that was played in Buffalo and the snowflakes that were in the air. People in Savannah are complaining about the cold, too. I think it only got as high as 70° today.