bday68 trip to the jepson!

"Hooray! You've taken your sweet bippy time about that this year!"

 

I have, and it actually was a spur of the moment thing. I suggested it as a place to go and she said she hadn't been in over a decade. Off we went downtown! And when we got there, a parking spot magically emptied as we arrived!

 

"Fabulous! Right place, right time!"

 

I concur wholeheartedly! And we were able to cut through the shade of Telfair Square, avoiding the summer heat. I'm so glad I recently renewed my membership! That allowed me to treat her to admittance, just as she had treated me to our luncheon. I really loved that I was able to do that!

 

"Marvelous! And I could swear I've seen that painting before. Isn't it one of those from the Monet exhibit a few years back?"

 

Good memory, as that was back in 2015. And you are correct! That's "The Garden Umbrella", by Frederick Frieseke, an American who did most of his works in the first third of the 20th century. This time, the piece owned by the Telfair is part of the "Impressionism And Modernity: French And American Painting" exhibit. This one opened in May, for my birthday, but I've just not made it there until today.

 

"That means you missed the opening reception for it, didn't you?"

 

Sadly, yes. I'm just glad to have made it this afternoon! All total, we probably spent 40 minutes in this exhibit. And, of that time, we sat and talked about this one painting for at least fifteen minutes!!! I have to believe the bench in front of it was so placed to encourage discussion.

 

"This is definitely not an impressionism work. I take it that it was one of the 'modernity' pieces borrowed from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC? What a detailed look at life by a busy waterway! There's even the two ladies in the foreground, stopping while walking their dog so the little boy can play with it! Very nice!!!"

 

That's exactly why we sat and talked about it! Sadly, neither of us made note of the title or artist for the piece. I guess I'll have to make a follow-up trip for that information! 

 

"I guess you will. And what's this exhibit?"

 

It's the one that opened in March. "Off The Coast Of Paradise: Artists And Ossabaw Island, 1961-Now" has a wide variety of pieces. Some are metallic sculptures, many are photographs, and a few are paintings. I really liked this quartet of photographs by Ellen Lanyon.

 

"I bet I know why!!! Three of those photos taken at a beach bear a striking resemblance to the Raman spectroscopy images you obtained for linear polyethylenes during your doctoral studies at Florida State University."

You're absolutely right! I very much liked seeing these. We spent probably 25 minutes exploring the exhibit until we stumbled upon a film being shown in the last room. Guess what it was? "Venus of Ossabaw", that short movie that was part of the talk I went to back in January of 2025!

 

"How very cool! Wait, I thought this was being screened on the outside of the Jepson, in the evenings, so everyone could see it. Right? Wasn't the Jepson offering that as part of the Juneteenth celebration?"

 

That's right, but that stopped two weeks ago. I'm glad we happened to catch most of it. The short is a little over 18 minutes, and we saw 13 minutes of it. The historical fiction followed 'Venus' for over a month, as she travels from her home as a slave to the marshes of Florida, eventually being taken in by a group of Catholics. There was no sound, and no subtitles, either, other than those denoting the passage of time. Still, we both were captivated by the young woman's travels and struggles in the wilderness.

 

"You keep saying 'we'. You and the mouse in your pocket?"

 

Hahaha! I haven't used that phrase in so long! No, no mouse but Rhonda, an old friend that I've recently made new contact with. She and I had a luncheon today and then, as she had free time, we'd wandered to the museum. What a wonderful time!

 

"And I see you captured her in front of Joe Guy's "1000 Cranes"!"

 

Yes, it's one of my favorite places to photograph visitors to my house. It really came out very well, didn't it? We'd visited for a while, with me giving her the history of every piece on the walls. Then we went to Kayak Kafe Midtown, where she'd never been, and both greatly enjoyed our choices! She had the Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos, and I had the Tuna half-sandwich and the West Indies Trader half-salad. Good energy for our museum trip later as it turned out! (smile!)

 

"I'm so glad y'all had such a good time today!"

wednesday luncheon with a chemist!

With all the 4th of July festivities, I made sure to send texts of fireworks to those dear to me.

Yvonne had replied, "I need to see your smiling face!"

I'd countered with, "luncheon on Wednesday?"

And here we were, in the middle of the week, together again!

 

I suggested Sunny Side Up, on DeRenne, and guess what?

She'd never been there!!!

Everyone at Armstrong seems to only know about two local breakfast places in Savannah, it seems - the Original Pancake House first, then Clary's on Habersham downtown second.

I'm glad to have broadened her horizons!

We both opted for breakfast for this luncheon, too.

I had the eggs, bacon, grits, and toast, like a Southern belle, while she chose buttery blueberry and pecan pancakes!

So delicious...

and perfect for a leisurely meal of catching up with our busy lives as retired women!

We gotta do this more often!!!

(smile!) 

tina tuesday with movie, dinner, and dane!

My first niece was dropping me off after dining with her and Anthony at Seasons of Japan.

Naturally, we were standing in the front yard, getting "real" hugs and chatting, when we saw familiar faces coming down Allegheny.

 

It was my youngest brother 

and his wife, 

strolling down the road 

with Dane the dog!

 

Dane was a little perplexed

 to see me, 

but only for 

a brief moment,

then he was ready for home.

I could just hear his thoughts. 

"Come along, now, 

Tony and Laura!

I'm thirsty and 

I'm ready for some 

puppy ice cream!!"

 

However, we chatted on 

for a little longer, 

until the setting sun 

convinced Christina 

to head for home.

 

What a lovely Tuesday

this has been!

she remembered me!

"Who's that, dearie? Someone's child that you've recently seen?"

 

Nope! That would be Marilyn, the nurse for UHC's Optum House Calls, who came by this afternoon as part of that Medicare Advantage program. I allowed the visit, as it was going to net me $50 on my UHC card. Usually it would have only been $15, but this time of year they up the ante. Hooray!

 

"Good for you for working the system!"

 

Oh, you betcha. Anyway, Marilyn Harris had been the one to see me a couple of years ago for the House Call. How do I know? I hadn't remembered her, but she sure did remember me!!! She was so glad to see my upbeat self was still in place! She even asked me about my volunteering for the Savannah Music Festival - how about that? I had to tell her that the inguinal hernia had kept me from doing that this spring, as I had a hitch in my giddy-up and didn't feel the need to be hobbling there. Then I led her into the dining room and showed her that I'm still going to concerts and musicals and plays!

"Good for you! You showed off your blessings wall, didn't you?"

 

Yes, ma'am, I did. She was so impressed with all my blessings2026 that she took a photo! So I did, too. She was really impressed that all of those souvenirs are from events in just the first six months of this year. I wouldn't be surprised if she recommends that other clients keep a blessings wall!

 

"That would be a very good thing. It's easy for folks to feel like they're missing out if they're not mindful of all they've been to."

 

Right? Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'm staying home all the time. Hallelujah!

 

"Hallelujah!!! So what else happened with this visit?"

 

Oh, the usual, at first. She checked my blood pressure and all that. Then she told me three words to remember, had me draw an analog clock face set for 11:10, then asked me the three words. I passed all that with flying colors! Plus, she was delighted that I'd chosen to make a square clock face instead of a round one - that was different! Then she checked my feet to make sure they felt the little plastic needle - that was ticklish near the arches! LOL! While she was doing that, she noticed that the toenails on my left foot were pretty long. The one on the pinky toe was even curling over! I told her that the pain in my right thigh was still ongoing, even though the inguinal hernia had been repaired. That prevented me from being able to clip those nails. So then she asked if it would be alright if she did that for me... wow!!! So I gratefully accepted her offer.

 

"Wow!!! I am so happy Marilyn did that!!!"

 

Oh, it gets better. After she did that and was wrapping up the paperwork, she told me she had a gift for me. A gift for me!!! She had remembered that I loved the ocean and she had made a wreath with that theme... just for me!!! She calls her side hustle "Mae Emma Creations" and the wreath is gorgeous!

 

"Well, just look at that!!! It even has nautical twine and a real sea star!"

 

I was very touched that she made that for me! Then I suggested that I'd put it on the wall by "Oceans, Tumultuous" and she was touched by that. "You want to put it on the wall with your art work?" I assured her I did... and then she hung it for me! I like the counterpoint between the feminine wreath and that masculine mixed-media piece. Very nice!

 

"Oh, I like that, too!"

Now, I need to get ready for Marcia to pick me up. There's no music bingo tonight because of all that FIFA soccer, but we're all still getting together for dinner. We're meeting up at Panera. I'll make sure to have a salad to offset all that rich food Smitty brought me earlier. Smoked macaroni and cheese, grilled short ribs, candied bacon... even a piece of apple pie! I haven't eaten all of it, but I've put a dent into it.

 

"I just bet you have! Okay, have fun with the girlfriends!"

stuck in 3rd gear

At least that isn't my car that's been towed and dropped off there.

My little fishface was able to get there under her own power, though I was concerned a moment or two along the way.

The pedestrian light was blinking red on DeRenne, but no one was at the crossing, so I'd slowed down, but was still in third gear, hoping to not have to stop.

Eventually, I had to anyway, as the red light persisted...

and as I braked and pushed in the clutch to shift to second...

that's when it happened.

The gear shift knob went slack in my Saturn.

Perhaps I was imagining something had happened?

Oh, if only that were true.

Steady application of the gas pedal enabled me to continue down the road, but I changed my destination.

Instead of going off to the AMC for a movie, I drove straight to Rincon Transmission on Mall Boulevard.

Fortunately, the lights along the way were in my favor for most of that trip.

Fortunately, the rain storm had drifted on down the road.

Fortunately, Tony and Laura were home and able to come get me.

i thank You, God.

Here's hoping it's just that stupid little clip that connects the clutch cable to the gear shift knob...

happy 250th birthday, U.S.A.!!!

"So, g'friend, what did you do to celebrate this mega-milestone marker in your country's history?"

Honestly, I don't understand what the big fuss is all about. It's like throwing a huge party for a child's 100th-day of life, like they do in Japan. That baby has so much farther to go! A feast at that point just seems so overblown!

"What?! You're kidding, right? You, the girl who loves pomp and circumstance, are pooh-poohing the use of traditions to celebrate anniversaries of birth?"

I'm just rattling my sabre a bit. England has been a country since the 10th century, so that makes them more than 1100 years old. France has been a country for about that long, too. Spain is a bit younger than them by about 500 years, but that's still more than twice the age of the United States of America.

"But there are countries that are younger, too. Take Mexico, for instance. It declared its independence from Spain in 1821 and had its first constitution in 1824. That means that two years ago was its 200th birthday, but I don't recall hearing anything about a big celebration for that."

I don't know why we would have. Our news reports local first, then state, then national. World events don't get much coverage unless they directly affect the USA.

"Sad, but true. Hence our need to get news from the BBC. They had fairly even reporting about our 250th birthday and the wedding of Taylor Swift to Travis Kelce."

That's what I mean. To an old country like England, those two celebrations would have an equivalent weight. I'm not saying that this 4th of July isn't a bit more special than usual, I'm just asking for it to be kept in perspective. Every 4th of July is special.

"Yes, dear. So, how did you celebrate this day?"

I sent messages for a "Happy 4th of July" to those dear to me during the morning, answering as they replied. One of my favorites came from Doug Andrews, the Commander of Post 36 of the American Legion. He wrote: "My heart is swelled with pride for what OUR country has done for itself, by itself, while also lifting up the rest OF the world, who couldn't have done it without us. All done by the sacrifice of many great American military Patriots, 'who loved their country more than Self'. Happy Fourth of July to you, being one of America's most devoted patriots."

"Wow. What a beautiful sentiment there!"

Right? I just may keep that message for a long time. I held it in my heart as I enjoyed much of the "Disney Celebrates 250th Anniversary of the USA" on ABC. Later, I watched interspersed that with NBC's "Great American Block Party", but focused in on CBS's "Macy's 4th of July Countdown". That was mostly because it had the fewest 'mercials.

"Hahahaha! I'm sure! And what fabulous shots you have there!"

Thanks. This, to me, was what it was all about: people with genuine love for our country watching the fireworks over head while they stood and waved the flag. Seeing all of that really made me feel proud to be an American, and proud to be a veteran. I've got that 27-minute, continual, fireworks display recorded, and I plan to watch it again in the morning. Some of the song choices were questionable, but that's okay; you can't please everyone. Most were excellent, including starting off with "The Star Spangled Banner" and ending with "Stars And Stripes Forever". Most excellent.

bottom's gonna be on top!

I just love all the double-entendre running all through "Something Rotten!"

That's the modern musical selected for this summer's Encore production at the Savannah Children's Theatre... and modern it is, even though it does deal with Shakespeare!!!

Yes, I said it: a musical about The Bard and his big problem with a couple of competitive Bottoms!

Hahahaha!!!

I took these shots during their post-show bows to the audience.

See the young man in the vest, on the far right?

That's Josiah Williams and he played the revered playwright 'Shakespeare' with a bit of sass and almost no humility - perfect!

He was the first one I approached afterward and he practically ran up to me to clasp my hands in his!

I was telling him how much I'd loved his 'Orpheus'...

and he said, "yes, in "Hadestown" and you sat up front!"...

and I said what a great voice he has!!!

What a magical moment that was for us both!

And see the young woman doing a curtsey in center stage?

She was 'Euripides' in that earlier musical!!!

Here, Nikki DeCubellis played 'Bea', wife of 'Nick' of the Bottom brothers.

I told her that I loved the way she played this character as a strong woman, but also a fun person - and she gave me a hug for that!

And see the older fellow who's the third from the left? 

He's Sonny Schneider, and he knew naught of this play, but came out to audition anyway for the role of 'Shylock', the Bottom's Jewish money man.

He was thrilled to talk with me about that!

And that young woman having a blast dancing on the far left, with the bucket on her head?

That's none other than Jada Banks, who mush have had ten roles here!

I exaggerate, as she only had four, but she certainly could have played a lot more if they'd needed her to do so.

I managed to catch her hanging with her family after the show and I made sure to tell them that I've been watching her ever since she was the 'Nurse' in "Romeo And Juliet".

That was in 2024!

Later that year, she directed the play I liked so much that I saw it twice, then, early in 2025, she was the lead in "Sister Act", among other things.

Her family was thrilled that I'd been such a fan for so long!

 

Then, in this second photo, I've got the two Bottoms!

Front and center is 'Nick', played by Desmond Chaney, and to his right and behind is 'Nigel', played by Alex Gray-Hill.

I can't recall seeing the latter actor in anything else, so perhaps he is new to Savannah and attending college here.

However, I've been watching Desmond for sometime and was so glad to see him in a leading role!!!

Sure, he had a lot of lines in 'Evita', but he wasn't the lead.

This time, he got to show us that he's more than a pretty face - and that was such a great thing to see!

I managed to pat him on the shoulder after the show and tell him that I'd loved him in this role... but then he was gone.

I do hope he'll get more meaty roles in the future!

Heck, I hope all of them do!

After all, these are the Encore actors, so they've graduated from high school and are off into the world now.

See you on Broadway some day!!!

But I'm glad to have seen you here, with the SavChTh, first.

(smile!)