6/25/2023

 

Weekly Update 6/25/2023

Rain had been forecast for every day, all day long, for the entire week. I didn’t get to the pool except for two times. I’ll have to try to be better this week.

I never knew when I woke up what kind of a day it would be, or if I’d be able to do what I wanted. I braved the rain and went to City Hall on Tuesday, but I also had library book club. I was going out anyway, so I did both.

On Wednesday, there was a marker dedication that I wanted to attend, but wasn’t sure about. It was cloudy, but not raining, so I went. The marker was placed in west side Savannah, and was to honor Robbie Robinson. I didn’t know his story, but I do now. The marker reads:

Savannah civil rights leader, attorney, and City Council member Robert Edward ”Robbie” Robinson spent his formative years in the Cann Park neighborhood. Mr. Robinson was born in Savannah on July 30, 1947 and spent most of his childhood in the home at 706 West 46th Street. As a member of the Savannah NAACP Youth Council, Robinson participated in non-violent direct-action protests, including the wade-ins at Tybee Beach, for which he was arrested in 1963. He was among the first Black students to integrate Savannah High School, graduating in 1964. He continued his civil rights work as an attorney, representing civil rights and employee discrimination cases, and serving as general legal counsel for the Savannah Branch NAACP. In 1982 he was elected to City Council as the first Black alderman to represent the 5^th District. He continued to fight for racial and economic equity while on Council, and secured much-needed improvements for his District, including paved roads, improved drainage, and traffic lights. Robinson was serving his second term on Council when a mail bomb sent to his law office on Abercorn Street exploded. He died on December 18, 1989 from injuries suffered during the attack.

I had two lectures at TLC that afternoon, so there was a lot of waiting around after the marker presentation. I went back to Agatha’s for a mocha latte to kill some time, and I went to the Mall (gasp!) to waste even more time. I guess that’s better than driving home, only to turn around and go back, but few things interest me less than wandering a mall. More and more, I get what I want online. In fact, I ordered Season 2 and 3 of The West Wing this week. I watched Season 1 this week, and I want to vote for Jed Barlett in 2024.

I spent most of Sunday with Kay. We went out for lunch, and then ran errands. I needed to get my car washed. With all the rain lately, it really looked bad. Do you ever wonder what’s in the air, when after a soaking rain, there’s all that DIRT on the car? She needed to get cat food. We also sat on my porch with our glasses of wine for a while. I’ve actually spent several hours this week on my porch. I go out there to read, or to watch a thunderstorm roll in. One day, I had visitors!

Adrian and Annie are wonderful. I’m always happy to see photos and videos of the fun things they do. It makes me tired to think of all that Sarah and Jack do to make these kids have fun experiences.

6/18/2023

 

Weekly Update 6/18/2023

I got out a bit more this week, but I still spend a lot of time at the pool and with my books. I finished one for the library book club, Klara and the Sun, and started the next one. Since I won’t be able to attend the July club meeting, I wanted to read this book, Killers of a Certain Age, and pass it on to another member to read. I didn’t like Klara very much – it involved too much thinking. Killers is a fun read, a thriller with four women in their 60s who are on the run. It doesn’t require that I think at all – just what I like.

I attended four lectures this week. The Victorian Society had a speaker who visited Newport RI this year. As part of our mission, the Society gave him some money to do that. He is a student at SCAD in architecture, and he presented a wonderful slide show of some of the houses and mansions he visited. I went to two lectures at TLC. The first one as about professional sports in Savannah, from baseball to auto racing to ice hockey, but leaving out tennis. The other was the first in a series about Bonaventure Cemetery. There’s not much for me to learn, but I like to hear what the speakers say. For the final one this week, I went to Bonaventure for BHS lecture that was given in the Jewish Chapel.

I joined friends several times for eating. I met Mike and John on Friday, Denise on Saturday, and Kay on Sunday. I’m hoping I’ll still fit into the dress I bought for the wedding in six more weeks!

I went to the knitting group on Saturday after I had lunch with Denise. I worked frantically last week to finish a blanket I’d made, and I donated that. I began to make another as we’ll be doing blankets and lap pads for a while, until winter comes and we’re back to scarves and mittens.

Since I was busy on Saturday, I didn’t get to go to Mitchellville for the Juneteenth festival. I thought there might be something at Old Fort Jackson, so I went there on Sunday. They had cannon firings, and two Civil War soldiers talking about the war. It was not focused on slavery or the freeing of the slaves, but just general Savannah in the Civil War.

After I spent an hour there, I continued on the Bonaventure Cemetery. The BHS had scheduled a talk I the Jewish chapel about Jewish burial customs. In all the years I’ve been going to BC, I’ve never been in the chapel. It is no longer used, and is kept locked. This was my chance to see what the inside looks like. It was not as decorative as I thought it would be, but I was glad I went.

I did Great Grannie story hour with Adrian Saturday morning. He was not interested in listening to me read, but he wanted to show me his new toy and a balloon. Annie was just watching Adrian, not paying any attention to me. When I said hi, Annie, she looked around, but then went right back to watching Big Brother. I was saying something to Sarah, and all of a sudden, Annie was smiling at me. Then she threw up!  I have that effect on the kids, I guess. They also picked strawberries and went to an amusement park. Jack and Sarah are always doing something fun with those babies!

6/11/2023

 

Weekly Update 6/11/2023

A week of nothing.

I watched a lot of tennis, I went to one meeting, I went for lunch twice, I went to the pool four times, I finished reading one book and started another, I grocery shopped, I did housework.

I didn’t go for any walks, I didn’t go to any lectures, I didn’t go to any book clubs, I gave no tours.

Next week should be more of the same, minus the tennis.

I’m really slowing down. I guess if someone lives three quarters of century, they’re entitled.

6/4/2023

 

Weekly Update 6/4/2023

Monday, of course, was Memorial Day. I didn’t look too hard to find a ceremony to attend, but I did go to The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. They place flags throughout the garden area - one flag for each member of the Mighty Eighth division who died in the War. This year, they also had a reading of the name, regiment and death date of each airman who died. It was broadcast on the PA as visitors strolled among the flags. I read that if the list was read at the pace we were hearing it, it would take more than 66 hours to read every name. There are over 28,000 flags that are displayed. I felt this was more powerful than standing around with old soldiers, reciting the Pledge to the Flag, and saying prayers at the cemetery.

I was back at DH giving tours this week. I’ve been struggling with my loyalty to Jamie and my loyalty to Sarah and Isaiah Davenport. The tours were ok, but not too large, and we’re coming up on the hot summer months when tourism drops off here in Savannah. So, while I may go back occasionally, I doubt that I’ll be back to every week like before.

For my British Mystery Book Club this month, we met at a new coffee house. It’s called Agatha’s (as in Agatha Christie) and it reminded me of an English pub. The décor was old books on book shelves, tea pots and teacups, old photos on the walls of WWII. It was delightful to sit there with my iced latte and discuss The Last Detective with my friends.

Helen’s house is on the market. https://www.redfin.com/GA/Savannah/513-E-York-St-31401/home/121886595?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=1023840&utm_term=dsa-1341488468296&utm_content=454669089738&adgid=111663010968&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7PCjBhDwARIsANo7Cgmy6WJQtLtQGlxdtL1axxsKJLRd57FgZ6yPXq7BszyCuwKLkz7XtCwaAs-8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds As she was going through some old papers, she discovered several old pieces of sheet music from the 1880s to about the 1920s. She thinks they have belonged to her husband’s grandmother, but she doesn’t really know how she got to have them in her house. One of her daughters told her to just toss them in the garbage, but Helen thought they might be worth something to someone. Not really knowing how to find someone, she asked if I might have a contact in the history community. I contacted the Georgia Historical Society, and they were interested in seeing the pages. On Friday, we went to meet with a curator there, and they accepted the donation. I think Helen is happy to know someone will appreciate the music, and it will be cared for. I’m happy I could help her find a place for it all.

On Saturday, I drove to Richmond Hill, a city about a 30-minute drive from where I live, for a car show. I was late because I watched the Coco Gauff match, so several cars left before I arrived. (And I couldn’t find the place; that added to my travel time). What was rather interesting is that it was not held at the Historical Museum, as I’d been led to believe, but was at the Community Center. They were having an open house, so I went inside the center to find out what it was all about. This building was erected in 1936 by Henry and Clara Ford, who owned the Hermitage Plantation in Richmond Hill and used it as a summer home. It served residents and enhanced educational, social, and cultural development from 1936 to 1950. It’s been used as a funeral home for decades, but is now empty. The city purchased the building in 2022 and the future use is still being considered. That was intriguing.

Adrian and Annie are wonderful. Emily wrote to me that Annie is smiley-est baby she’s every seen. Adrian is becoming quite the big boy. I can’t wait to meet these darlings – soon.