7/28/2019

Weekly Update 7/28/2019

I went to see Lion King this week. I was a little disappointed because it was so violent. Com’on, Wilma, you knew the story, you knew animals died in the story, what was the surprise? But I think seeing it on Broadway when Scar dances to his death, and seeing a cartoon which of course is not reality, is different than watching real lions fighting. My favorite production will always be the live theater one.

Kay, Jane and I took a day trip to Jekyll Island on Tuesday. We met at the Walmart out by 95 and they left their cars there while I drove. When we got there, we bought tickets for the guided tram tour around the historic district, but had just missed the 11 am tour. We wandered over to the Faith Chapel and went inside that. It is lovely, with it’s Tiffany stained glass windows! We had packed sandwiches (I made PB&J), and decided to eat before the tram instead of waiting until later when we’d be at Driftwood Beach. Then we had the tram tour, which included going inside one “cottage” and the caretakers house. The guide was about 12 years old, but he was very good. After that, we went to the Sea Turtle Center. They were doing a feeding while we were there, but it was crowded (and even I don’t want to elbow my way past little children so I can get a better view) and we couldn’t see too much. We drove to the other side of the island to walk on Driftwood Beach, which is amazing, with all the skeletons of trees that have been washed ashore. Then we drove back to where the cars were, and I left them there. It was a long day, and I’m delighted that I had the chance to spend time with these good friends.

I had a chance to eat out a few times this week. Wednesday, the BHS held it’s volunteer luncheon at Bella’s. It was nice to see everyone, as I rarely get to talk to most of the volunteers. They’re at the Visitor Center when I’m not, so unless I see them when I’m opening or locking up, I don’t see them. Saturday afternoon, there was a cookout at MP at the pool. Being the great cook that I am, I got a bag of Ruffles to take, and spent an hour or so with my neighbors. Sunday, because it’s Restaurant Week in Savannah, I met five ladies at Leoci’s for dinner. I had been to this restaurant years ago when it was downtown, but this is a new one that opened in a strip plaza outside of the city. It was a great meal, and a wonderful company.

7/21/2019

Weekly Update 7/21/2019

I spent more time at lectures this week than in the pool. That’s unusual, but the talk-circuit is opening up again, and the water temp in the pool is over 90, which makes it not very refreshing to be there.

I had one lecture at City Hall on Juliet Gordon Low. Just when you think you know everything, you discover how much you don’t know. I had two interesting ones at TLC. One was on the VW Beetle – what’s not to like? (I'll add an old photo here of me with my OLD beetle and my NEW beetle in 2005).

Another was the first in a 6-week series on author Julian Green, who was a member of the Green family (as in Green-Meldrim House in Savannah), but lived all his life in Paris. I’m struggling to read one of his novels, From Distant Lands, and I mean struggle. It’s an antebellum novel about Georgia and Savannah, and written from stories Julian Green’s mother would tell him about growing up here. It was written in French, and translated, and also written at a time when prose was more difficult to wade through (think Jane Austen). So it’s not an easy read for me.

DH also hosted a talk by Kelly Westfield about the enslaved workers owned by Sarah and Isiah Davenport. She is working on her PhD and doing extensive research about these people, but there is so little information. After all, they were property, so there’s as much info about candlesticks and linens as the people that the Davenports owned. She has been able to find some, but much of the stories will never be known.

Kay’s son Adam, and his wife, Erin, will be re-locating from Savannah to Dallas next week for better job opportunities. I’ve gotten to know them quite well, and I will be sorry for them to leave. On Friday, we met at Churchill’s for a good-bye dinner so I’d have a chance to wish them well.

Saturday night, I went to the amazing Tybee Post Theater for a live production of Gold Girls Gone Wild. It was done in drag, and the scenes were all from the tv series, so not much new. But it was wonderful. That show is still funny today, and to hear Rose’s stories of St Olaf, to have Sophia call Dorothy Pussycat, to refer to Blanche as a slut, and Dorothy’s boots and big, baggy cloches, all reminded the audience of the great show it was. And the innuendos by the cast of impersonators was a hoot!

7/14/2019

Weekly Update 7/14/2019

Much of this week I spent in front of the tv watching tv. There was, of course, the tennis. Throughout the tournament, the women’s matches seemed to be better tennis. And then the finals. Halep played wonderfully, and beat Serena soundly. The men’s final was unbelievable! I couldn’t even see the ending because, although the match began at 9 am, it was still going when I had to leave to go to BC for my tour. I only missed the last 4 points, and I was able to see that on my recording when I got home. Incredible.

There was also a wonderful documentary on PBS that I enjoyed about the race for space. It’s been 50 years since men walked on the moon, and this 6 hour series went through all the space program. I remember most of it, and how daring it all seemed at the time.

A few weeks ago, June and I went to a farm stand to buy Georgia blueberries. Georgia peaches are in season now, and I want those. Imagine how disappointed I was when I could only find California peaches in my Publix. I looked again this week, and they did offer a small bag of local peaches. I snapped them up. I also snapped up a carton of vanilla ice cream. Oh, these are too good!

There were two interesting lectures this week. One was at DH and was about the Gullah Geechee culture in the coastal areas of the US. There is a huge trend in museums in the south right now to include the enslaved peoples experiences in the tours, and we are trying to do that at DH. This talk was to give us more background information about the culture that was shaped by the enslaved population at the time. There was another talk at the Jepson regarding a new art exhibit that opened. Photographer Michael Kolster was the speaker. I wasn’t even sure if I would go, because seeing pictures of rivers just isn’t that interesting to me. But, it was fabulous. He explained not only the methods he used for his photography (wet plate) and why he liked that process, but also what draws him to the ever changing waterways. I was really glad I didn’t pass it up.

Saturday, Kay, Adam and I went to see Yesterday. I just loved this movie. Naturally, the music was wonderful, but the story was, while far-fetched, entertaining as well. And it had a happy ending. Because we saw the movie in Pooler, and it was Saturday afternoon, we limited ourselves to nearby restaurants for something to eat after the movie. Too much traffic to try to get to many places, and too many people also wanting to eat at the time we got out. So we went to a Mellow Mushroom that we could walk to from the movie theater. It’s a chain, but we liked it. I got a white pizza – haven’t had one in ages! - and it was very good.  

7/7/2019

Weekly Update 7/7/2019

Again this week I did almost nothing. I’ve been a little under the weather. Nothing serious, just a cold I cannot seem to shake. So I slept a lot, and watched a lot of tennis on tv, but didn’t get out much.

I did, however, go to the annual fourth of July festivities at colonial Park Cemetery sponsored by the DAR. This year, Jane went with me. I told her before we went that sometimes the program is really good and other times it’s really lame. This was a lame year. A student at Georgia Southern gave a brief recap of the Battle of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. And that was it. A Pledge to the Flag, a singing of the Star Spangled Banner, a prayer, placing of Wreathes at the memorial to Button Gwinnett (signer of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia and buried at Colonial Park) and it was over.