1/29/2023

 

Weekly Update 1/29/2023

Reminisce and Reminisce Extra, two magazines that I really liked, have ceased publications. Because I still have several months on my subscription, they are sending me Readers Digest and Taste of Home instead. I don’t like either of those.

I attended great lectures this week. DH sponsored a talk by the author of a book about enslaved cooks in antebellum Virginia. While she focused on Virginia, the experience could not be too dissimilar from what Bella knew at DH in the 1820s. Tuesday morning, the author was at DH, and we also were allowed to go into the raised basement to see how the renovations are progressing (in a word, s-l-o-w-l-y). That evening, she spoke again but in more general terms. She was an excellent speaker, a great vocabulary, clear and loud, enthusiastic, and very knowledgeable. I bought her book, and I’ve just started to read it. I was also at a talk at TLC, but the title of the lecture was misleading, and it wasn’t what I expected it to be, and that was a little disappointing.

When I was at CH. going through old employment cards, I came across one of a firefighter. How amazing is it that he retired to Rochester, New York, and not only that, but to Greenleaf Meadows, which is the apartment complex right across the street from the house on Pebbleview Drive! What are the chances?

I was walking a few times this week at Tom Triplet Park in Pooler. It’s off Route 80, so it’s a little out of my way from the apartment. If I’m coming or going downtown, I can go right past it and I stop if I can because it’s a good walking place. There’s a little man I’ve seen a couple of times there, using a walker, and going around the trail. He is always friendly with a smile a happy Hello. Just before I was back to my car on one of my walks, I told him that I was done, and he asked how many times around the loop I had done. I did twice (that’s about three miles). He told me that he usually goes four times, sometimes six, and he does that every single day. Good for him! But it made me feel like a slug. Also, they’ve installed new signs there: beware of snakes, and don’t feed the alligators. Really? Maybe not the nice place I thought it was!

There was no playoff game on Saturday, so I went to the Savannah Theater on Chippewa Square to see Menopause, the Musical. That was a hoot. I’d seen it many years ago, but it still made me laugh out loud. The performers were great, the songs are from my childhood, and the things they make fun of are all true. What a nice way to spend an afternoon.

One of my azalea shrubs died. I had been given a potted Norfolk pine for Christmas a year ago. I decided to take out the dead plant and replace it with the little pine. I finally got around to doing that this week. I’m afraid this might be a mistake, as it already looks a little less green. I think it might be headed to that great garden in the sky, where it will meet my lilac bush.

The Super Bowl is all set. I’m still mourning that Buffalo isn’t there, but I think this might be a good game. The Eagles look unbeatable, and the Chiefs were definitely helped by the terrible officiating at their game, so I have to think Philadelphia will be the champs. But stranger things have happened. In other sports news, the Australian Open has two champions. The American’s looked pretty good in the tournament, and many are young. There may be hope for the future of American tennis coming soon.

Adrian is wonderful! There were a couple of videos of sledding with Daddy, and he just beams. That must be a lot of fun for them both.

1/22/2023

 

Weekly Update 1/23/2023

It’s over. It was a great ride, and I sincerely wish it had ended differently. I had a feeling last week when they struggled against Miami, that maybe this wasn’t going to be The Year after all. And they didn’t play well today. Congrats to the Bengals, who played a great game. There’s always next year. I’m consoling myself by staying up much too late to watch tennis.

The library book club was Tuesday. The book we read was The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich. We all agreed it was a light, fun read, but no one thought it was the best book ever. TLC is trying to start a new book club. The focus will be on non-fiction. I don’t read enough non-fiction, and when I do, it’s either a biography or an account of a historical event. I need to stretch a bit, so I went to the informational meeting. The first book is a short book on philosophy. It sounds interesting, and many readers that I’ve come to know through other book clubs are participating.

I attended two lectures this week. One was at TLC, and it was about the pandemic in Savannah in 1733. Although it can’t be precisely determined what caused the disease, the speaker had several theorys. The other lecture was at the HSF, and it was Jamie Creadle, the Director at DH, talking about her recent symposium, which included homes and gardens in Ireland. That was very good, as well.

Gas prices are back up to over $3 a gallon. The state moratorium taxes expired this week. I think I should be grateful that we had the relief for as long as we did, but it seems like a huge jump.

Friday, after I met with my Green Square ladies, I went to the Home and Garden show at the convention center. I was too early because I believed it opened at 10, but it actually opened at 2. I should have just gone home, but I rode the water taxi for a while, and then went back. What a disappointment. I’ve been to the Philadelphia Flower show more than once, and it is unbelievable. This show was horrible. I guess when Savannah has a HOME and Garden show, they really want to sell you things for your HOME. There were grills, kitchen and bath remodeling, off road vehicles, beds, sheets, fudge, cosmetics, hot tubs, patio furniture, and even Tupperware. And two small displays of flowers by some lame landscapers. At least I didn’t have to pay to get in. And I learned not to do that again.

I had already purchased a ticket to the Night at the Museum program before I realized that there would be a playoff game at the same time. I was pretty sure Jacksonville would not make a good show of it (I was wrong) so I went to the History Museum. The museum was open after hours, and the program was aimed at school children. Several historic figures in Savannah history “came alive” as we were acting as night guards. Without a doubt, I was the oldest grade school kid there! But I liked it.

Adrian is perfect. Sarah writes that he is not a fan of dressing in snowpants and boots to go out and play in the snow, but I’ve had some darling photos of him playing and sledding with his daddy. Sarah and Jack always find fun things to do with Adrian.

1/15/2023

 

Weekly Update 1/15/2023

There was a lot of football to watch, but not a lot of GOOD football. The College National Championship game was an embarrassing showing for TCU. They looked like they were still playing JV ball. I can’t say I’m disappointed that UGA won, but I was hoping for something that would have been a test, not a rout, to prove your team is the best in the nation. For the NFL playoff games, the Bills didn’t look good, and if they continue to play like that, with the turnovers and mistakes, They won’t get much further. They were lucky to win against the Dolphins, who had to play their third string QB, and still only lost by 3 points. The Jags had an incredible come-from-behind win that was exciting to watch.

I got my haircut again this week. Because I’m trying to let it grow out, they hardly cut anything off. She gave me some tips about how to style it. But, the thing is, I don’t want to “style it”; I want a good cut that will need not me to do much work to look ok. So for a trim and some hints, I paid a lot of money.

I ate out a lot this week. I met John and Mike for lunch after DH on Thursday. Mike’s daughter, Moiria, who now lives in Boston, joined us as she was visiting. It was great to see her again. Helen, Jane, Denise and I went to the Kayak Cafe for an early lunch on Friday instead of going to Green Square. Because Jane’s not fully recovered from her broken hip, she suggested going to a place closer to her home to avoid driving too much, and a place where there’s no stairs to get in, and a parking lot near the front door. Kayak Cafe me all the requirements, and the food was good, too. Kay and I went out Saturday night, but just to a salad bar.

After lunch on Friday, I went to TLC for an art gallery opening. One of the people I met when I took the tour of Milledgeville last month, L. Smith, was displaying his art. He crochets, and not just with yarn, but also with plastic bags and other materials. His work is very personal, because he will often use yarn from old sweaters and afghans that people in his life have discarded. He takes them apart and re-creates wall hangings. I love the colorful creations.

this work is made from plastic bags

Adrian is still just as adorable as always. The photos and videos continue to delight me.

1/8/2023

 

Weekly Update 1/8/2023

Monday night football was rather frightening, with the Damar Hamlin injury. I think everyone who was watching knew immediately that something was terribly wrong, this wasn’t the normal twisted ankle that sometimes happens. I’m glad they didn’t continue the game, and it really didn’t matter that much as both teams already were going to the playoffs. I was happy to learn the next day that he was recovering.

I started volunteering again at City Hall. I thought I was going to continue with a project that I haven’t worked on in a long time, creating the database for contracts from the late 1800s and early 1900s. But instead, I’m working with employee records. Before everything was kept digitally, there was a card file for each employee with wage increases recorded. It’s interesting to see someone starting as a “cemetery worker” (probably grave digger) at $1 a day. Must have been before unions, as well.

DH wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. January is a very slow month for tourists. It can be very boring, twiddling my thumbs as I wait for one or two people (or none at all) to come for a tour. But I had enough people to make all my tours interesting. In fact, on the last last tour, three of the visitors and I continued talking about all sorts of stuff – DH, the preservation movement in Savannah, the role that automobiles played in the urban flight decay, even Sherman in Savannah. Once I get going, it’s hard for me to shut up. When I looked at my clock, I had only five minutes to get to the British Mystery book club meeting at TLC. I walked in late, but I made it. It was one of the better discussions lately.

Friday was the holiday party for the Victorian Society. For a few years, they’ve done a Twelfth Night party instead a Christmas, trying to avoid some conflicts with other parties during the holiday season. It was at the Stephen Williams House in downtown Savannah. Built in 1835, and renovated in 1851, it is now an Inn and antique store, and it is lovely.

Saturday, I was determined to go to the Sit and Knit club again. It’s been a while since I was there. Before I joined the other knitters, I went to Tom Tripplet Park, where I sometimes walk. The parking lot was full, and I had to park along the street! I’ve never seen more than three cars there, so this was amazing. There were not a lot of walkers on the loop, so I think there was probably a disc golf tournament going on. I saw men pulling carts that held maybe 15 frisbees, just like a golfer with all his irons and woods. Do you need a different size of color frisbee on the course, like a putter or a 9 iron? I’m sure I don’t know.

Snooty underwent surgery this week. He’s been looking a little flat, and (much unlike me) needed to gain some weight. So I fluffed him up with new stuffing. I think he likes it.

Since the end of the regular season of the NFL was this week, I wanted to go to a bar to watch the games. I’d been watching on the Red Zone on tv, but that can be a little fast paced for my slow brain. I had an unpleasant experience at the Boston Pizza a few weeks ago, and The R Bar seemed to be too far away and I’d miss some of the later games, so I simply went to World of Beer. It was not crowded, and I think it’s the deadest sports bar I’ve ever been to. But I got a good seat, and ordered a beer and some nachos. The only problem was that the Bills games was on the tv right next to TB and the Bucs. I didn’t want to watch him, and luckily didn’t have to for long because he was pulled. The Bills had some ups and downs in the game, but came out with a good win. Onward to the playoffs!

Adrian is wonderful!  Of Course! 

1/1/2023

 

Weekly Update 1/1/2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The day after Christmas, I had to go out to get the tire pressure fixed. I also wanted to do a little after-Christmas-sale shopping. I was looking for boxed cards, so that next year I don’t have to make my own cards. I didn’t have a lot of good luck, but I did find some in Home Goods. I also found a few more snowmen to use as decorations around the apartment. I think there’s few thing sadder than decorating with snowmen in the South, but it’s a reminder to me of what I’ve missed since I moved. I like that. (The temps have returned to to 70s this week, and I can have my porch door open again for some fresh air.)

My Xfinity (cable tv and internet access) charges went up on my current bill. I knew it was going to increase because my 2-year introductory period was expired. I didn’t think it would help, but I went to the store and asked if anything could be done. To my surprise, the agent was able to get my bill back to what it was before the increase, with no of loss of services. And then he asked if I’m on Social Security. Well, look at me, with my white hair and wrinkles, of course I’m collecting that! He suggested that I apply for ACP, for low income help with internet access. I was skeptical, but I signed up, and now I have an additional $30 off the monthly bill. There ya go! While I was there, I told him that I realized that he would have no influence, but that if he could contact the Xfinity lobby people and stop the NFL from selling some of the games to providers like Prime and YouTubeTV. I feel I pay a lot of money for sports channels, and I really resent the greedy NFL wants to extort even more money by allowing third party providers to air games. Good luck with that!

DH was really crowded this week. I don’t know why, but it was nice. All of my tours on Thursday were filled, even adding a few extra people. It makes the day go so much faster when tours are full and people are interested. I went back to DH in the evening for the Candlelight Christmas tours. These are not the same as the Holly Jolly Trolley tours that I did in December, but a different program. I wanted to see what it was like. I bought a ticket and joined the others on the tour. At the end of it, the people in my group were asking a lot of questions about the house and the Davenport family. The guide finally had to tell them that he had no more time, but needed to be ready for the next group. Well, guess who stepped up? It was warm enough for us to stand in the garden and I answered the questions that they had. It made me feel good to be able to share what I know with people who are interested.

On Friday, after meeting friends in Green Square, I intended to go for a walk in Forsyth Park. But, as I was headed that way, I decided to go to the Flannery O’Connor childhood home on Lafayette Square. It is now a museum. Since I’d been to Andalusia when I visited Milledgeville earlier in the month, I wanted to see the house in Savannah. They are only open a few hours a week, but Friday morning is one of the days you can get in. I really enjoyed it. The house is all furnished as it would have been in the 1920s and 1930s. It reminds me of my Grandma's house, but there is also a lot of Flannery O’Connor memorabilia and books there. That was really interesting, and added to what I’d learned about her in Milledgeville. I still do not understand her Southern Gothic writings, and don’t really like to read her books and short stories.

The college bowl games are Saturday were great games! Very competitive, very close games. They were fun to watch. While I was watching, I put all my Christmas decorations away and stowed them back in the garage. I get tired of having them around, and I need a change. The winter stuff is out now. I’m beginning to want to have pillows on the chairs on the porch for each season. When I was at the Goodwill last week, I bought a plain black pillow. I appliqued a snowflake on it. There’s a snowman pillow on the other chair.

Sunday evening, I went to a New Year’s Day party at a friend’s house. This is the group that meets for happy hour on Wednesdays. Most of these ladies are Southerners, so we had a traditional New Year’s day meal – collard greens (for wealth), hoppin’ john (for good luck), cornbread (just because it’s good). We also had pork with sauerkraut, contributed by one of our German ladies, and rice. And champagne. Because it’s been so cold lately, and it warmed up considerably today, the drive home was very foggy. Many of the highways are poorly lit, and I had to be very careful. Luckily, there wasn’t much traffic.

We were making a list of people we’ve heard enough about in 2022 and hope they stay our of the news in 2023. My list would include:

    Harry and Meghan

    Elon Musk

    Tom Brady

    Marjorie Taylor Green

    Brittany Griner

    and, of course, DJT and anyone in his family.