11/29

 

Update 11/29/2020

This wasn’t exactly the Thanksgiving I’d planned; I did not join friends as I’d wanted to. I’m very conscious of spreading the virus, and there was so much on the news. I’d sneezed twice every day for about a week. And when it came right down to it, I just couldn’t justify exchange a slice of turkey for taking the chance that I could be infecting good friends. I called Dave on Wednesday and explained. He was quick to agree, so we both promised to share a big meal another day. One of the NFL games was postponed, so that wasn’t exactly as I’d anticipated, either. I made myself a chicken breast, instant mashed potatoes, a bit of applesauce (instead of cranberry) and green bean casserole. I did not starve!

I did not want to go out on Friday or Saturday to face the traffic on Pooler Parkway. I also was not in the mood to try to find where all my Christmas décor is hiding. Since I don’t have a storage unit yet, all the boxes that I don’t know what to do with are all in the spare bedroom. Someplace in all that mess are nutcrackers, lights, Santas, pillows, etc. Maybe next week.

I did find my new door mat and wreath, so from the outside, it looks as if I’m ready for December. 

I want to get my cards in the mail early since my address has changed (twice) since the greetings I’d sent last year. I should know better than to trust that the post office can do this, but I’ll give it one more year. I worked all day Saturday, and I’ve got them ready. Now all I have to do is buy the stamps.

On Sunday, Kay was in Dallas visiting Adam, Erin and Andy, so I was on my own. I went to Publix and bought ingredients to make a big batch of chili while I watched the NFL games. I’ll be eating chili until May.  

11/22/2020

 

Occasional Update 11/22/2020

happy thanksgiving to all!

I zoomed a few interesting lectures and talks this week. Beginning last Saturday, I joined the Friends of Mt Hope Cemetery for a talk on headstone icons and their meanings. One image that I thought was particularly interesting was the headstone of George B Grover. The image of the cannon, and the death date of 1863, clearly indicates that he died in battle during the Civil War. But what I liked is that one wheel of the caisson is broken while the other is whole. A completed circle indicates eternity - a circle unbroken, while the part of the wheel that is missing would mean the opposite – a separation between this life and the next. I had never seen both symbols on one headstone, and if the leader had not pointed it out, I would have missed it. Just when I think I know everything, I find that I don’t.

Monday, DH held it’s harvest lecture series talk via a zoom conference. The subject was slave badges. It was well researched and very informative. Interestingly, there are no examples of slave badges from Savannah, but there is documentation in city code books that they were necessary. One explanation is that perhaps in Savannah, the documentation was not so much a metal badge that needed to be worn but papers that needed to be carried and produced when challenged.  

Tuesday was the Pooler Page Turners virtual book club meeting. This month, we were to read a book that has a connection to England and America, and also to an event that happened in November. I chose Bill Bryson’s book, Shakespeare. When looking for events, I found that the Tempest was first performed in public on Nov 1, 1611. And, Bill Bryson is an American who now lives in UK. I enjoy his writing, and thought this would be a good book to share. I don’t know if I enticed any other readers to look into books by Bryson, but I liked my choice.

The Telfair promoted it’s latest art exhibit with a pre-opening talk. It was a presentation by noted photographer Frank Stewart, who is perhaps best known for his five decades photographing jazz musicians from Miles Davis to Wynton Marsalis, but the talk included many random photos that Mr. Stewart has taken over the years, some in Savannah.

Sunday, I zoomed with family. It’s been a while since I’ve done that, but with the holiday coming up, I wanted to wish them a happy turkey day. My brother, Dave and my sister-in-law Kerry, their son Christopher, Ishy, and Allen all exchanged greetings and football analysis.

In addition to going to meetings in my “office”, I met friends Beth, Beverly and Jackie, whom I haven’t seen in a year, and Kay at a restaurant near the airport in Pooler. It was great to see them all after such a long time, and they came back to to visit my new home after dinner. They all pronounced the new place wonderful, and all expressed how nice it was that I can now be happy in the place I live. And, I enjoyed some of the tastiest pasta I’ve every had – I nearly licked the dish.

So, while we are all still in semi-solation, I’m not exactly hibernating!

I have been trying to get out and walk daily. I was out a few times this week. Mostly I walk around the “pond” here at AP, but that can get boring, and I’m afraid of dags – there are a lot (and BIG ones) here. But I am trying to return to some of the good habits I had before I was a prisoner at SB.

Friday, a Food Truck came to AP. I needed to have a ticket from the office to get a meal, and I assumed that was so that they could count the number of meals serviced and the vendors would know if it was worth a trip way out here to bring their truck. But, no! Imagine my surprise when I tried to pay for my meal, and was told that all I needed was the ticket, and that management would pick up the cost! I had a wonderful mac and cheese with pulled pork dinner. I hope this truck will come back! 

11/15/2020

 

Occasional Update 11/15/2020

OK, I’m a certified idiot. AT AP, when a package is delivered, it is placed in locker at the mail center. I receive an email with a code that I can enter at the kiosk, and when I do that, the locker that has my package springs open and I can retrieve it. Sounds like a simple plan, no? Well, I can’t tell you how long it took me, and I finally needed to get help from the rental representative in the club house. I hope I’ll do better next time!

My package was a standing towel holder that I needed for my bathroom since towel racks are few and wall space to hang one that would be convenient as I step out of the shower is non-existent. So I wanted a standing one. Another thing this shower lacks are grab bars and a seat. The grab bars can wait a while, but I can no longer bend over to wash my ankles and feet, so I need to prop them on a stool to get that accomplished. I found what I wanted at Bed Bath & Beyond. Now all the puzzle pieces for the bathroom are together.

I had an opportunity to take a tour at Laurel Grove North Cemetery with Don on Monday. It was an offer I could not refuse. Don even took us inside a mausoleum. I could have done without that, but how many chances do I get? On the photo I took of Silence, the statue that watches over the Confederate soldier plot, I was saddened to see that there had been red paint sprayed on it, and it wasn’t completely removed, and that the finger she holds to lips, in fact, the whole hand, is gone. It’s recent vandalism with the trend to rewrite history.

a photo from 2016 - you can see her hand

this week - hand is gone and there is still remnants of the red paint

Still in search of a few items to make the new apartment “just right”, I went shopping on Wednesday. I live very close to the Tanger outlets, and wanted to see if I could find anything there. I began at the Hobby Lobby, but found nothing. Next door to that is a Home Goods. I’ve had good luck at that store in the past, but only found a mattress pad for the bed in the guest room there. (I need all new stuff for that bed: the old mattress bad was so bad I needed to toss it, the sheets have never fit right and I don’t like them, and somehow I lost the comforter that was in that room). Next I went to a store that Kay said might have some things I would like, and it really did! It’s called At Home, and it has lots of cheap home décor items. Right now, of course – like all stores – it has a lot of Christmas stuff. But I found a small autumn tree, another chair and carpet for the porch, all the bedding for the guest room, and even a fly swatter (try to find one of those!). The chair is very similar to the rocker and table I already have - not an exact match, but close enough. I’ll have to find matching seat pads to make them look like twins, but that’s for another day, too. 

Wednesday evening I drove back to Wilmington Island to meet with the group for drinks at Paula Deen’s Creekside. On Thursday, Jane and Helen came out to visit my new apartment. Vicki couldn’t join us because Patsy had been exposed to COVID at school (it turned out to be a false alarm, but everyone panicked). So, I’m getting out and going places and doing things. And not feeling that I’m endangering myself or others.

Friday, I went to the pool. It’s been so long, I almost forgot how much I liked swimming. The water was a little cool, so I wasn’t in for long, but it really felt wonderful!  

I found this. It's interesting, probably because it's all around Columbia Square, and DH is seen in the video.  I thought it might be interesting to share.  

 

11/8/2020

 

Occasional Update 11/8/2020

I had an eye checkup on Monday. Surprisingly, my vision has not changed in two years since my last visit. I have cataracts, but it was explained to me that everyone has them, and mine are not bad and have not changed. I have the beginning of macular degeneration, but again, no change since the last visit. I’m good to go for another two years, and don’t need new glasses.

I was out for lunch a lot this week. Tuesday, I met Jane and Denise for lunch at Barnes. I’d never been there and wanted to try it. They humored me. The specialty is barbeque and it was very tasty. Wednesday, I met old neighbor Mike at Olive Garden in Pooler and then we toured my new apartment. Thursday, the Green Square group met, but instead of sitting in the square, we walked to Bitty and Beau’s for coffee and enjoyed that while sitting in City Market. Friday, I met Barbara at Kayak Cafe on Broughton Street and treated her because her birthday is next week. Then, we returned to AP for her to visit my new home.

I went to a photo exhibit at a gallery I had never been to before. The exhibit was photographs that were taken in the 1960s showing the struggle for Civil Rights in America. The original pictures were used to illustrate James Baldwin’s book The Fire Next Time, but this display was of enlarged prints that were selling for $900-$1,100. I didn’t buy anything.

I had ordered a bookshelf for the tv in my bedroom. I felt a bookshelf would be a little higher that a regular table (easier for me to see), and narrow, and I would be able to have the DVD player and some DVDs on the a shelf. I had to put it together myself, and that was a struggle, but I think it turned out just about like I wanted.

 

There were big wins for me this week. The Bills had a very good win against Seattle. But the biggest win of all was the presidential election. It was a roller coaster ride all week, and it still is being contested, but I think it’s over and we have a new President. Everyone knows how I feel about that, so I don’t need to go over it again.  

Occasional Update 11/1/2020

I’m closing in on getting settled. Here are a few photos of 18104 Reflection Way, Savannah GA  31407.

living room

dining room and "office"

kitchen

porch

guest bedroom

my bedroom

I did not get even one trick and treater. Maybe because there’s few kids here, and no one knows which apartments are occupied? Or maybe because of the COVID epidemic? Anyway, I was ready with little bags of goldfish. And I was decorated. It was too cloudy for me to see the full moon, but I did go out to look for it.

my jack o lantern on my porch

Teddy and Snooty in disguise