5/28/2023

 

Weekly Update 5/28/2023

This was Mamie George Williams for me this week. I attended the Georgia Historical Marker unveiling on Thursday, and I went to the lecture about her life at TLC on Friday. The marker is difficult to read from the photo but this is what is written:

Mamie George Williams, a lifelong resident of Savannah, lived and worked near here. A political and civic leader, Williams volunteered for many organizations, including the Red Cross, the Girl Scouts, and the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. A suffragist, she organized voter campaigns and registered African-American women to vote following passage of the 19th Amendment. Nonetheless, African Americans were denied full voting rights, due to Jim Crow laws. In 1924, Williams became the first woman from Georgia and the first African-American woman in the nation to serve on the Republican National Committee. A community leader, she led fundraising efforts for a home in Macon for African-American girls and served as vice president of Carver State Bank. She worked with the African-American Girl Scouts, financially assisting with establishing their Log Cabin Camp in Hancock County.

(An interesting aside: the marker was placed outside the Carnegie Library that’s located in Savannah. Andrew Carnegie built many libraries throughout the world, but mostly in the US, UK, Ireland and Canada between 1886 and 1919. The one that was built in Savannah, was completed in 1914. It served Black residents, because at the time, they were banned from the white library.)

The following day, there was a lecture at TLC about Mamie Williams. I was disappointed in the turn out, as the speaker was excellent, her research was well documented, and the subject was fascinating.

It was also a week for live theater. On Saturday night I went to the lovely Lucas Theater in downtown Savannah to see the SCAD production of Pippin. Since Pippin was the very first Broadway show I saw, almost 50 years ago, it has a special place in my history. This did not let me down! It was VERY professionally done, from the acting to the sets to the music to the costumes – everything was amazing. It is the annual show that is put on by the theater arts majors at SCAD, and many of the students involved will go on to professional careers in live theater. On Sunday afternoon, I went to the wonderful SCT for their presentation of The Wizard of Oz. That, too, was great. It was not as professionally produced as the Pippin, but I didn’t expect it to be. I always enjoy any play or musical that SCT brings to the stage.

The weather has been unseasonable cool. I usually have my tan underway by now, but I’ve only been to the pool once this year. I’ve tried to take advantage of the cooler temps because I know my days for walking are coming to an end. When I went out on Monday, I actually got lost! I wandered around for over two hours, and had to use my GPS to find my way back to a place I recognized. I guess that’s almost the equivalent of walking into a room and not knowing what you came in for – getting lost walking around your neighborhood.

Adrian and Annie are getting cuter all the time. Annie seems to be smiling a lot, and her pictures are darling. Adrian seems to be into helping Daddy in the garden.

5/21/2023

Weekly Update 5/21/2023

There was a bridal shower for on Saturday a week ago. Since it was in Rochester, of course I couldn't go, but I did send a gift - Victorians Secret. She sent a few pictures from the shower and I think it was a success.

It took me a whole day to get photos from the trip to visit Allen uploaded and labeled. And because there were so many, I'm running out of Google memory. I had to buy more, but it's not expensive, and now maybe they'll stop sending me annoying emails about that.

A historic marker was placed in the Pine Gardens area by the Georgia Historical Society and I went to the unveiling. Pine Gardens is a neighborhood not far from the Savannah River on the east side of the city. During WWII, Liberty Ships were built there for the war effort. A planned community or 500 homes was built to house the workers. There was a reception inside a nearby school that's now used for administration offices. That was the best part because there were a few people who grew up in the area after WWII (so they're my age) and I had a chance to talk to them about their memories of the area.

I had a chance to walk in Daffin Park one day. I saw something that was quite a surprise - a horse drawn hearse. There was no casket, but the men who were with the hearse said they were waiting for it to arrive. I was told they were not going to Bonaventure, but to a much smaller cemetery not far from Daffin. I was just surprised to see it.

There was a plant sale at the Botanical Gardens on Saturday. I really don't want a plant because I have enough on my porch and I have no garden. But I went to see what was offered. By the time I got there, things were pretty picked over, so I'm glad I didn't need anything. It was nice just to walk through the gardens because I haven't been there in a long time.

I had a book club meeting at the library this week, and I also went to a lecture at TLC. The Georgia Historical Society's Stan Deaton spoke about removing confederate monuments. Some time ago, that was a hot topic, but the controversy seems to have died down a bit. It was still very interesting to hear a respected historian give his thoughts about it.

Barbara visited for a few days. She was a neighbor when I lived at MP, but she moved away about the same time Idid. She now lives in North Georgia. She came in on Thursday but we didn't do much that day except get caught up. On Friday, we met with my Green Square friends for coffee. I'd also invited June to join us. Then Barbara, June and I went out to lunch and back to her house to play some Rummikub. Because we were close to BC, and because I don't know if I'll have a chance to get over there again before Memorial Day, we went there to put flags on John and Dessie's graves. After all, they are soldiers!  Memorial Day is to honor military personnel who died in the war, but since the death dates are 1936 and 1938, they were not actually casualties of direct combat. I felt I wanted to honor them anyway. We stopped at The 90 for a glass of wine, just like we used to do All The Time. On Saturday, we went to a special event at Wormsloe Historic Site.  There were interpreters and a guided tour.  We met Kay for supper and had a wonderful visit with her.  On Sunday, after we went out for brunch, Barbara drove home.  It had been raining, and she wanted to be sure to be able to get home before dark.  It's a five hour drive, so she had an early start.  It was nice to see her for a few days.

Sunday afternoon, there was a garden party in honor of Jamie at a lovely home in Savannah.  No one deserves to be celebrated as much as she does, for all she's done for DH and the historic community in Savannah.  In an amazing turn of events, I didn't cry when I hugged her.  I don't think this is the last time I'll see her, and I'm certainly not unhappy about that!  

Adrian and Annie are perfect. Annie was at the shower for Emily, while Adrian stayed home and helped Daddy in the garden. He’s getting so big, and he’s talking quite a bit now.  They all traveled to Jack's hometown because one of his brothers was getting married.  What a great little family they are!  

5/14/2023

 

Weekly Update 5/14/2023

The vacation with Allen was WONDERFUL! I enjoyed every minute (with the exception of the time spent in the airport and on the plane).

I had a 10:30 flight to Atlanta, with a three hour layover, and then a flight that got me to Albany just after 5 pm. I was surprised to see a handsome young man holding up a sign that read “Welcome Mom! (I’m out of clean laundry)”. I started to laugh, and others who were deplaning were laughing, too. A good start. We went to his apartment, which is small, but really cute. It’s in a historic house in Nassau, NY. We walked to a pizza place that was excellent. I asked for double cheese, and I really got it – there was much cheese on this pizza, I was choking. There wasn’t enough room for me to sleep at his apartment, even if I’d tried to stretch out on the floor in a sleeping bag. Allen had booked me into a Comfort Inn near him, and I spent the first two nights there.

On Friday, we visited two Shaker Museums that are near to where he lives. The one in New Lebanon is not really a museum. It is now the Darrow School, and most buildings are residences, dorms, or classroom buildings and are not open to the public. But there are a few older buildings with signs that give a little of their stories. We wandered around. The next museum was in Hancock, and it was a restored Shaker village. There were buildings that you could walk through, a barn with many new baby animals, a docent who gave a talk about the Shaker community, a famous round barn, and a gift shop. That was interesting. On the drive back to Nassau, we drove past Santarella, the artist Henry Hudson Kitson’s home. It looked a little like a gnome home. I wanted to stop at a Tex Mex restaurant for supper since it was Cinco de Mayo, but (unlike Savannah, where mexican food restaurants are as numerous as nail salons and liquors stores), there were not a lot in the NY / MA area. Not to worry, we found a nice place so we didn’t have to starve.

Saturday, we woke up and watched a little of the coronation while eating the breakfast at the Holiday Inn. But there was a lot to accomplish that day, so we were on the road pretty early. We wanted to go to Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA. It’s a recreated New England town depicting life in the 1830s. Because it was a weekend, there were craftsmen in several of the buildings: blacksmith, potter, printer, Quaker lady in the church (I got into quite a discussion with her about museums and docents, I loved talking with her),shoemaker, tins smith, and farmhouses. There were also soldiers who were training and practicing shooting at targets. One of the farmhouses, for a rich farmer, had the exact same wallpaper that we have a DH! It was like walking into my house! We ate lunch at the tavern there, and wandered around more in the afternoon, even attending a talk by a 19^th century dentist.

We had reservations that night to stay at the Red Lion Inn, a historic place in Stockbridge, MA. First built in 1773, it was destroyed by fire in 1896, but rebuilt with the same design. Many of the furnishings and antique collectibles were saved from the fire and are on display everywhere in the hotel today. It was a little shabby – very worn carpets, uneven floors, a lock on our room door that made me feel less than secure, an iron cage elevator that looked precarious and we never tried it, converted gas lights in the lobby ladies room – but the ambiance was delightful, and we wandered around marveling at the collections. We checked in just before 7 pm, and were able to watch the Kentucky Derby in our room. The entire Inn was taken over by a wedding party, so we couldn’t go to the dining room or the bar to watch there, but we didn’t mind. We had breakfast the next morning in the dining room.

Norman Rockwell, famous American illustrator, lived in Stockbridge for the later years of his life. A museum has been built outside of town that shows many of his illustrations. His artists studio has also been moved to the site, so we toured both the museum and the studio. He had created over 4,000 paintings, and we saw maybe 50, but they were all wonderful. The exhibit changes from time to time, but the Four Seasons is always there and always highlighted. My favorite was of three soldiers: a Confederate soldier, a Union soldier, both looking on as a WWI doughboy gets ready to join the forces. Rockwell liked to say that he wasn’t an artist, but an illustrator, and that his pictures were drawings that told stories. He excelled.

We headed next to Bennington, VT. There is a lot of Revolutionary War history there. We went to an old church with a graveyard (where the poet Robert Frost is buried). I loved seeing all the icons on the headstones – very different than the Victorian monuments in Bonaventure. There’s also a hilltop oblesk to commemorate the Battle of Bennington, a turning point battle that was decided on August 16, 1777. Patriot militiamen, primarily fro New Hampshire and Massachusetts, defeated the British.

While in Vermont, we toured Hildene, the summer “cottage” of Robert Todd Lincoln. Completed in 1905, Robert Lincoln spent summers there until he died in 1926. It remained in the family until the last Lincoln descendant died there in 1975, so many of the furnishings and artifacts are from the Robert Lincoln and his parents. Also, because he was the president of the Pullman company, there was a restored Pullman railroad car on the property. I think that would have been preferable to the 17 inches of space on my Delta flight.

The next day, my flight was scheduled to leave at 1 pm. We had time to go to Washington Park in Albany to see the tulip gardens. Each flower bed was more amazing that the one before it. Tulips of every color, and many with unique shapes and petals, were everywhere. It was amazing. (But it also rather made me long to the Lilac Fest that I always enjoyed. Savannah’s azaleas are great, but they’re not the only blooms that are magnificent!)

Then, all too soon, it was time to say goodbye. What a wonderful holiday Allen planned for me! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

So, that was the vacation. I’ll update on what I’ve been doing next week.