jazz with kids

The best part of the Winter Jazz Concert at Savannah Country Day?

The absolute pride the two teachers had in their students!

As a retired teacher myself, I recognized that joy evidenced by Alyse Hudson and David Elliott there on the stage.

How wonderful!!!

Here's Ms. Hudson with her 8th graders, bouncing around almost as much as they did!

She started out tonight with 32 students, all in the 6th grade and fairly new to playing their instruments.

They'll get better with experience, but their renditions of "When The Saints Go Marching In" and "Ode To Joy" were still recognizable.

Next up she had 18 students, in the 7th grade, so they were in their second year with their saxophones and trumpets, flutes and trombones.

Yes, their pieces were much smoother and, although I didn't know "Grooved Pavement Ahead" or "Orangutango", I could definitely appreciate them!

Then came her last bunch, the 11 she's having for her 8th grade class.

She put them to work clearing the stage, then had them stand to perform!

And their music?

Such a wide assortment, from the fierceness of "Brass Attack" to the familiarity of "Favorite Things" and the newness of "Back In The Day" - I loved it all!

And she just beamed the entire time, so proud of 'her' kids!

(smile!)

Then it was time for the Upper School Jazz Band to take the stage with their 2 keyboards, 7 saxophones, 6 trumpets, 3 trombones, and rhythm section of bass, drums, and vibes.

Impressive bunch!

Mr. Elliott made sure to note the new instruments that were supplied by the school's fundraising group - kudos to them!

These students really knew how to play them, too, and all seemed to enjoy not only their music makers, but the music they were playing.

Trust me, due to their enthusiasm I was dancing in my seat for "Low Country Shuffle" and "Mas Que Nada"!

I will gladly stand up and dance the next time they perform!

Thanks for the free concert, y'all!

Now, it's time for my free dinner from cousin Penny and Panera.

I'd ordered it on the way, intending to eat at the school's parking lot, but the restaurant was abnormally slow, so I settled for only eating the chips.

I'd kept the bag shut tightly, so the Ciabatta Chicken Pesto Dipper and sauce were both still warm when I got home - nice!

Now, to settle in for "Ghosts" and "Elsbeth" while I dine...

what a busy, different, day I've had!

(smile!)

pre-vening with veterans

It's been a few months since Post 36 of the American Legion has met. 

Even though the construction crew had promised to make Two Firsts a priority...

they couldn't control the city's schedule for inspections during the busy spring and summer...

nor could they control the delivery schedules for all the furniture... 

nor that of all the kitchen equipment.

So when Doug Anderson invited us yesterday to meet, I made it a priority to be there.

He and I and Carl were the only ones to come.

Better three than none!

As the Post 36 Historian, I made sure to take plenty of photos to document the changes.

Kudos to Post 500 for assembling the chairs and stools and tables - excellent work, y'all!

Now, time to hire a staff to operate the bar and kitchen before a hopeful opening on 13 December.

The Certificate Of Occupancy is for 60 patrons and Doug told us there are already people waiting at Hunter Army Air Station for the doors to open.

This has been such a long road!

luncheon with sisters

"You don't have any sisters. You only have brothers."

I have Sisters In Faith! Today, we had our monthly luncheon at Asbury Memorial and there were 71 of us attending!

"Wow. That's twice as many as last month, isn't it?"

I think there might have been over 40 at that one.

"Such a pretty place setting!"

Linda Combs had a program at each of the six tables. Ceecee made the pretty little bracelets for each of us!

"Very nice! And who was the guest speaker this time?"

It was Dawn Rodriguez of The Living Vine. That's a home for up to 6 teen mothers and their babies, to teach them how to live on their own.

"Oh, that's the place that's associated with Blessingdale's Thrift Store, tight? And the home is located where the old Florence Crittenton's house for pregnant girls was?"

Good memory, though it hasn't been called that for many years. As for the thrift shop, they had comedy going on, pre-pandemic. I was glad to hear it was still active. Now that Home Again has closed, I should take the stuff I'd culled to go there over to Blessingdale's so someone can get use from it. You know - it would be good for my excess to go home again with a new owner.

"Very punny, dear! And what have you there?" 

Two last bites. I wasn't sure which food I wanted as the final taste in my mouth. The pecan pie or the mac-n-cheese, which would win out?

"The battle of the sweet versus the savory! Such a decision to make! So, which bite won?"

I chose the savory as the final, though I certainly made sure to savor the sweet beforehand. Such difficult choices! (smile!)

why 2005?

Oh, what a beautiful day!

 

I might have thought I was

in Oklahoma 

had I not known better.

 

(That's an inside joke for those 

who know musicals!)

After letting all that lovely warmth into the house, out I went to get the third movie for this week: the remake of "The Running Man". 

 

I must say, Glen Powell is certainly a handsome 37-year-old man, with all the right bits in all the right places, to paraphrase Meghan Trainor.

However, he's already done that shtick in his movies.

The man best be careful lest he be typecast as eye candy and not a person of substance.

Without Edgar Wright at the helm of this latest version of the story, Powell's antics might well have derailed the scifi movie into comedy.

In fact, none of this week's A*List dances have been quite in step.

"Die My Love", though well-acted, was a bit jumpy in its presentation, which could have been a cheap shot at reinforcing Grace's post-partum descent into madness.

"Now You See Me: Now You Don't"  was certainly full of the magic I love, but it seemed a bit rushed, like they were determined to cram too much movie into too short a running time.

One thing all three movies shared: a fabulous supporting cast, even though many of those actors with street cred - Nick Nolte, Morgan Freeman, and William H. Macy, in these three films - had hardly any screen time.

Enough already!!!

Time for Thanksgiving this evening!

Yes, this was the last Wednesday Night Supper of the fall and that meant: turkey!!!

Plus there were mashed potatoes, green beans, an cranberry sauce!!!

Several folks at Asbury Memorial supplied the desserts, like Danny Lewis and his pumpkin pound cake - so good!

I sat with Pam and Walt again, as well as Lynn Hoerlin and her son and granddaughter, both visiting from Ohio.

I really enjoyed talking about Las Vegas with Meko - she was a delight!

I sure am going to miss these meals with other Asburians!

 

And when I checked the time, 

I found out I could still 

do laundry after all.

 

The last wash at Suds Laundry 

has to be started by 7 PM, 

and it was 6:47 

when I pushed the button.

How very fortunate I was! 

 

This has been a very messy two weeks for me, so messy that my long pants and my fuchsia sweater were both rendered unwearable.

 

As good fortune would have it, the weather has been in the upper 70's, allowing me to wear shorts today.

 

All the more reason to do an emergency wash - 

and go ahead and do the bed linens, too.

 

As I was waiting for the flannel sheets to come out of the dryer, I spotted a penny on the table by my basket.

 

It was not there while I'd been folding clothes.

 

Right place, right time.

 

i thank You, God.

 

Now, time to watch "Wicked" on ABC!

concert w longhorn

Hallelujah!

I didn't feel up to going to church this morning, but I did watch from fb.

I also told Carolyn about the Fall Concert by SING! scheduled for 3 PM.

I also let her know it was free... yeah, that worked for both of us!

I was glad Asbury Memorial was quite full for the three choirs' performance.

I just loved "On Top Of Spaghetti" - the take-off of "On Top Of Old Smoky" - and it was clear the K-2 singers loved it, too!

Not to be outdone for humor, the 3-5 grade singers were sure to ham it up for "Trolls" - rawrrr!!!

Then the Illuminate Choir, made up of middle and high school students, sang and performed two dance numbers!!!

Yes, very much a welcome event at the church!

After, she and I went off to Longhorn Steakhouse for a nosh.

That was her suggestion, as there was a strawberry Greek salad she liked.

I paired the Spicy Chicken Bites appetizer with the House chopped salad and made the absolute perfect meal for me!

She got a kick out my using slices of the House Bread to make little sandwiches - yum!

We spent two hours there, indulging in each other's company and good food.

Hallelujah! 

damn... what was in that covid booster?

Thursday, while I was over at the Savannah VA Center, I decided to go ahead and ask if they had the COVID booster in yet.

Amazingly, they did!

So first I talked with my nutritionist - who was pleased that I've lost 3 pounds, even more so when I told her the hitch in my giddy-up has kept me from the Purple Planet, even more so though I haven't been tracking my food intake.

Elizabeth said that meant my "intuitive" sense has taken over and that's a big step.

She was also pleased at the "fortune cookie slip" I pulled from her jar: "I am free to eat what I want, when I want, and how much I want."

I thought that was quite appropriate with Thanksgiving coming! 

(smile!)

Then I talked to PACT Team 10 - those with my PCP - about getting this year's COVID-19 booster.

I had to wait about thirty minutes, but I got it!

Ariana gave it to me in my left shoulder.

Ouch... I definitely felt that.

Then I was back home, forgoing a fourth movie for my A*List.

I had STARZ in my eyes, with more movies to indulge in!

Then there was Bonnie's party outside, with the fire pit - nice!

However, within an hour or two of being home, I was feverish and having chills.

Of course I'd work my cold-weather shawl there, but something was amiss.

Might it be a repercussion from the booster???

So I got my bed nice and toasty and crawled in earlier than usual.

Friday, I was most definitely sick.

No Friday Fiesta for me, no popping off to AMC for movies, none of that.

i thank You, God, that the weather was warmer, that I had plenty of soup to eat, that I had almost 500 movies to watch from STARZ, and that I had nowhere I had to be except home.

Today, I work up feeling a good deal better, but still with a sore arm.

It's another warm day in the forecast, so I'm going to throw myself out of the house and head south side to the AMC.

They're showing "Die My Love", a film Cinema Savannah has scheduled for next Friday, and, even though I wasn't planning to see it, a review has changed my mind.

Let's hope Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson have chosen well.

bonnie blue is 41!

And you know what?

I didn't get a single picture with her in it at her party!

How that happened, I have no idea.

She invited folks over to her and Don's little blue house, to eat chili and hotdogs and s'mores, with her supplying all the food.

I arrived shortly after the start at 6:30 PM, giving me a chance to speak with her and Don.

That was very nice!

Missy and Levon were already there, as was Joe Buttner.

Good to see that fellow volunteer again!

We talked about Lois and her death, as well as volunteering at the Savannah Music Festival and us only running into each other once this past year.

He's doing volunteer shifts for the Savannah Philharmonic and encouraged me to do so.

Who knows, maybe I will!

In the above photo, he is talking with Genie Lawson. 

Then, in this photo, Genie is talking with Jason Arons, who was making himself a bowl of Bonnie's chili.

Genie made sure to chat with everyone there, as she spends a lot of time pet sitting, giving her little time around other humans.

I totally get that: Barbara was like that, though it was too much time with children that made her so very chatty.

Here's a photo of a group around the fire pit, shortly after it got an infusion of wood.

Stand back, folks! Hahahaha!

That's Jason Arons on the far left, sitting and talking to Levon in his shirt and tie.

Roberta is the one standing, right there in the center.

The one to the right is Missie's husband, and the person with their back to the camera and face to the fire is Don, I think.

Honestly, I just snapped the photo and kept on with what I was doing!

I'm pretty sure that was catching up with Joe! 

Then Genie came over and we started a conversation about Roberta. 

Genie was interested in the pronouns used by the tall person with the longish hair and mannish facial features.

I told Genie they were "she/her', as I'd learned years ago at a panel discussion.

Then I called Roberta over so Genie could ask whatever she wanted.

That went on for about fifteen minutes!

However, it was Michael Chaney that sparked talk for me. 

I was sitting beside Roberta at the fire, which Bonnie was stoking again, when Michael arrived.

I'm glad someone said his name, as I never would have known who he was!

I started off talking about the Zoom meetings he'd been part of during the pandemic and he was surprised that I remembered them!

As Reverend Billy Hester had been part of that, too, the conversation segued over to the changes in his ministry at Asbury Memorial. 

He suggested that I might be interested in J.U.S.T., so we had a talk about advocacy and my being active in several social causes... and my absolute refusal to get involved in politics.

I talked about the lack of youth attending the church these days, as they have segregated over to Wesley Oak.

I clearly need to have a heart-to-heart with Billy, don't I?

(smile!)

And, I'm not sure, but that very well may be Bonnie in that photo!

She's the only one sporting ponytails at the party.

Happy birthday my friend!

Thanks for including me at your party!