hark the herald angels sing!

That's just one of the songs we sang tonight!
No, that "we" doesn't refer to the invisible mouse in my pocket.
(smile)
Let me start by saying I attended the Christmas Eve service at my church again this year. As you may recall, I attended the special program last year with my friend, Hai, for the first time ever. He and I joined the throng of carolers afterwards - another first for me - and it was quite a magical evening.
This year, I joined my stepsister Jean and her family at the service. We sat up in the balcony, instead of on the main floor. That definitely gives a different perspective and, oddly, adds a bit of distance, both literally and figuratively, to the proceedings.
Still, when Jamie Kelso sang "Mary Did You Know?", it was the highpoint of the special program. (The video in this link is sung by Kathy Mattea and is good, but Jamie's is so very heartfelt and poetic. She's part of the local oldies-singing trio known as the Girlfriends.)
Afterward, Jean and John and my two nieces headed back home.
I stayed for the caroling!
So did quite a few others, including several of the teen crowd. Nice! Lots of energy from those!
I'm sure you're curious about the songs we sang...
Well, for sure the one in this blog title! Also, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Silent Night"! We even threw in "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", one of my favorites, which I led for the first rendition. Woohoo!
The last song of the evening, as it is for each year of caroling, was "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas". Sung, of course, to Miss Virginia, as she sat on her porch swing. Then, we all piled into her tiny house for hot chocolate, chicken fingers, and cookies, as well as other treats, prior to taking our leave and heading to our own homes.
After all, Santa Claus is coming to town!

Miss Asbury

Joe Hunnicutt.

Harold Wiley.

Nell Hagins.

When my (then) husband and I first started attending Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church in 2005, they were the three ElderBerries who welcomed us in. Sure, everyone was friendly, but these three went that extra step to personally greet us every time we came.
Joe died in 2009. A World War II veteran, like my stepdad, he was 93 years old. Sadly, his poor health had neccessitated his move into a nursing home, so he wasn't able to make it to the church very often for the last few years of his life. Still, his loss was deeply felt by those of us who knew him.
Harold, also a WWII veteran, died in 2011. He was 88 years young, still passing out hugs in his role as greeter at the church. Those hugs, and his genuine smile while bestowing them, have been missed.

Now, Nell has left, too.
Today, the church held a Celebration of her Life, to acknowledge the many contributions she made to keeping the faith, and the church itself, alive.
You see, at one point, not so very long ago, the church was dying.
Twenty-five members, most elderly, were all that were left. Enter Reverend Billy Hester in 1993, splitting his Sundays between two churches of roughly the same size and age group. With the assistance of the ElderBerries (get it?), he helped turn Asbury Memorial into a shining beacon once more.
Nell's light was a big part of that effort. Whether it was handling the office duties, constructing clown dolls as one of the Busy Bees, or greeting all comers, Nell was a regular Gal Friday.
Not that those were her only areas of activity. I knew her as part of the Hospitality Team in the kitchen, which is where she recruited me into an active role. How better to get to know people than to be serving alongside them?
She was also present at some of the Shekinah Spiral meetings. Those are for women only, encouraging bonding through frank - and confidential - discussions. That was a safe place for me to try to work through the loss of Mama.
Today, all of those groups are still going strong, providing not only spiritual support to the women of the church, but also financial support through the organized sale of personalized clown dolls and theatre tickets for the many productions performed here.
I am glad I was there for this tribute today at the church.
I just wish more of the new folks had known her.

o holy night

Yes, I know the photo isn't centered.
In that way, it mirrors life perfectly.
My life, that is.
That's truly the only life I lay any claim to knowing much about.
Which is a truth for everyone.
We all have one life, one opportunity to experience the sights and sounds and tastes and smells and feel of what it means to be alive on this magical planet as it circles its yellow star.
Tonight, I experienced something different from the Christmas Eve routine I have followed for more than half my life. My stepbrother George had hosted last year's family gathering and no one had stepped forward to do so this year.
Completely understandable.
Sometimes, a break is needed, to allow new strengths to be found.
This year, instead of meeting in the early evening hours to break bread with family and share gifts, I found my seat at God's table with my church family.
The experience was incredible.
The service was filled with scripture readings, liturgical dance, and song.
Lots of song.
In other words, the service was much like the usual uplifting Sunday services here.
The pacing was different, though.
And there was no sermon.
Some of the early songs made me miss Mama terribly.
Others brought the loss of Daddy to my mind and my weeping eyes.
I found myself going through the litany of family members lost, recently and through the past years.
Then, there was a shift, in both the tone and tempo of the music, an uplifting, reassuring hand upon my heart.
Quite wondrous.
That calm, joyful reassurance was maintained throughout the balance of the service.
Most wondrous.

And quite a few of us (at least thirty!) even went caroling in the neighborhood afterward, ending the time with the church family by singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" to Miss Virginia, as she sat in the swing on the front porch at the house she has lived in much of her life.

My love, and many thanks, always, to the ever-huggable, ever-hugging Hai Dang, and my gratitude especially for his company on this different journey tonight.

yes, Santa Claus, there IS a Virginia

And her last name is Holliday.
How about that?
Tomorrow will be her 90th birthday.
Today, the church honored Miss Virginia with a surprise birthday party. She was unaware that the "Big" Coffee Hour, usually held at on the first Sunday of the month, had been changed on purpose to this date, the day before her birthday. She had even made her specialty - deviled eggs - for the BCH and had poured the drinks for all there, as usual.
She is an amazing woman.
How did the church manage to sneak this over on her? Well, in the monthly newsletter, it was written that "We will not have our “Big” Coffee Hour after the worship service on December 1st, but we will have it two weeks later on December 15th. This will help feed those who will go caroling to our homebound members that day."
Clever, right?
But then how to let the rest of us in on the surpise for Miss Virginia?
Email. She doesn't do computer stuff and nonsense. So the church's head honchos sent an email to those of us who DO play with computers, advising us of the real reason for the change of date. Here's the message: "Okay, everyone...here's the scoop! Sunday's "Big" Coffee Hour isn't just a Big Coffee Hour. Virginia Holiday will be celebrating her 90th birthday on Monday...so the Big Coffee Hour is actually a surprise birthday party for her. Virginia doesn't get email so she will not be getting this church email...so she will not know. So let's keep it a secret - bring your vittles to share with others, and let's celebrate the life of this one who has given so much to Asbury Memorial. We will still go caroling to our homebound members after the party, but we will getting a later start than usual. Hope you can go to the party and caroling!" Very nice!
The church even arranged for her brother (who she had not seen for a couple of years) and his family to join us for this special occasion. How cool is that! She was unaware they were coming until they entered the church for the singing of "Happy Birthday" to her. What a grand surpirse!
Especially for this woman full of love.
Last February marked the 20th year that she has participated in the Love Walk, in support of the projects and works of the Wesley Community Centers of Savannah. Two years ago, she raised $3300 for the mission. I can only imagine the funds she has raised for them during her twenty years of being in the walk.
So, in case you missed it: this is her 20th year of walking for the fundraiser. That means she started doing this when she was 69 years old, in 1993. Amazing. Want to see more? Go here. She's the child-sized smiler in the orange jacket.
Amazing.
She is known as an ElderBury. She has been a member of the church for almost fifty years. (I expect that milestone will be marked sometime in the new year.) She was one of the 25 church members still present when Reverend Billy Hester took the helm in 1993 and steered the church away from the rocky shore of destruction. How did he do it? Well, he built a place where "the Joy of God is expressed creatively". Miss Virginia has been a part of those theatrical productions, adding her voice to both the commercial works ("The Pirates of Penzance", among others) and the "God on Broadway" series each October.
In November, she was part of the Asbury CHEER Team, during the Rock'n'Roll Marathon here. The team members wore costumes from the theatre closet; Virginia chose the traditional clown, the face of Asbury Memorial UMC. Clad in the huge white garment and topped by a purple wig, waving colorful pompons, she was credited with helping the church's team garner $750 for their efforts.
Amazing.
So, Santa, whatever she wants for Christmas, please do give it to her. If anyone is deserving of presents, she is.
Merry Christmas!

cremains and pageantry

Yesterday was pretty damned surreal.
In the dictionary, surreal is defined as "having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream".
Yesterday was very much surreal.
First thing in the morning, it's off to Greenwich Cemetery for the burial of my stepbrother's cremains.
I must admit, I don't see the point of burying ashes and fragments of burned bone. I really don't.
I can understand the desire of folks wanting a place with a headstone to come visit now and again. I most assuredly can.
But why must the little box or vase containing the bits and pieces be buried?
I do not know.
So, there I was, in the sunshine of a blue sky day, waiting with family for the little wooden box to be placed into the little hole in my stepdad's plot. Sharing hugs, holding hands, swatting at mosquitoes.
That last bit seemed a bit surreal, right there. Such a solemn gathering to mark the end of a life - and yet, there we were, all swatting at biters and scratching itchy red welts on arms and necks and legs. We might as well have been in a marsh, digging for crabs. The scene was definitely askew.
After the short ceremony, we all went our separate ways. I returned home.
I had thought I might go out to lunch, but I did not. In fact, I finished off the taco rice I had made for dinner a couple of nights before. Taco rice? Yeah, it's something the OriWhiGirl had turned me onto when I had gone with her to Okinawa in 2004... or was it 2005? No matter. The dish is super easy and very tasty: rice piled into a plate, then topped with taco filling (meat with tomatoes, salsa, spices), then topped with shredded lettuce and shredded cheese. Good comfort food!
I had omitted the lettuce, as I am not keen on that vegetable. The dish was still quite tasty and was even better this second time.
I spent the afternoon working around the house, awaiting the evening's outing to the onset of the Ocean Film Festival. The peace Guy called: he was thinking of returning here tomorrow by catching a ride with the film teacher. Any possibility of me returning him to Jet City on Sunday?
YES!!! Oh, fabulous! I would have him here this weekend to brighten my days!
Then time had arrived to bop downtown for the two films and two shorts from the folks at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. I put everything else out of my mind and concentrated on the here and now, welcoming the diversion from the earlier events and stress of this week. I sat in the very first row, achieving a near-IMAX experience in the small theatre. And, oh, how very lovely and how thought-provoking and what a definite distraction! After the spotlight film on the plastic-filled gyre in the Pacific Ocean, the film-maker held an extended question and answer session. Very educational!
Afterward, I had a bit of time before my next scheduled event, so I walked over to City Market and window shopped a bit. Not wanting to spend any money, I thought the safest place for me was Ellis Square, the great lovely park above the underground parking garage. Ah, very peaceful! Just the sound of the splashing, upward-thrown, streams in the play fountain was so very calming!
In about an hour, I strolled over to the 2013 Miss Savannah Pride Pageant. The evening gown competition, question and answer segment, and talent show would be performed before the live audience and a panel of judges. This was a drag show that was serious and the five contestants would receive a massive crown and the title for one year.
And about halfway through the talent show it occurred to me: this was happening on the same day that my stepbrother's ashes were buried. Not only was this happening on that same day, but I had chosen to be here for this event.
But of course I had.
I had been planning to attend for well over a month, after receiving a personal invitation from my dear Blair Williams. Blair and I both attend the same church, both enjoy singing and dancing to rock and roll music and showtunes, and both used to attend the monthly lesbian potluck dinners that once were regular events and now are rather rare. Blair had invited me and I had accepted and so I was there.
Surreal.
But after midnight, everything was gonna be alright... and it was, too. Trixie won the competition, as I had hoped she would. For her talent, she had performed a song and dance from "Hairspray" and had been spot-on as Tracy, the teenager who just wanted to be able to dance with anyone, regardless of color or anything else.
How appropriate, right???
A good way to start a new day, too.

celebrate! celebrate! dance to the music!

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, the church is finally free from the renovation loan!

What a lovely peach color on the walls! That was the original paint color, when the church was new. The white trim sets it off quite nicely, as does the morning sunlight. The video screens and the speakers make sure that ALL members of the congregation can see and hear all that Reverend Billy Hester has for us for the day. They're a great addition for the money-raising theatrical productions, too!

What's going on? What are those folks doing? A happy thing: they're burning the promissory note! Woohoo!
I am so glad I had been especially invited for this special Sunday presentation! Thanks, Beth!
What a lovely addition to my birthday celebration!

music festival

The Savannah Music Festival officially started on Thursday, but I have come to realize that I have my own version, and it's year-round.
As far as the SMF goes, this year I have only attended two events, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. The event on Saturday was a family event, affordable and fun for all. Titled "The Amazing Musical Rescue", it was equal parts music lesson, history lesson, Bill Cosby-esque antics, and puppetry. I totally enjoyed it and was glad to see so many others there for this early afternoon event.
Then, on Sunday, I attended church, in a way. "Gospel with James Bignon", held in the open foyer of the Jepson Center For The Arts, was certainly a religious event. The high-ceilinged entrance, with its roof-to-floor windows overlooking the trees of Telfair Square, allowed the songs to rise and reverberate magnificently. Somehow, the overcast sky, with the soft rain falling all around, added to the overall message of hope: Even though the skies are gloomy, we will sing!
But these two events were certainly not the only musical entertainment I had last week. Far from it! First, I had the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, replete with bands of all denomination! High school bands, local and from South Carolina, Florida, and who knows where else? Fife and drum corps from New York, with their kilts swinging and their bagpipes singing! Military bands, looking razor sharp in uniform! Floats with their own music, either live or taped, engaging the crowd! Priceless... and free.
On Friday, I attended the Karaoke Party at Steed's, a smoky little place with cold beer and warm hearts. (No, I don't think there's a weblink for this!) I walked in for one of my favorite songs, "Breathe" by Anna Nalick, sung beautifully by Shelly, a very talented songbird. (Aside: When I was getting divorced, I was at work and the phone rang. On the other end was just this song playing. I was able to listen to the whole thing, uninterrupted. After the song ended, so did the call. I still don't know how that song came to be in my ear just when I needed it.) After she was done, others followed, all offering one-song concerts for my pleasure... as I did for them. Such fun!
On Saturday, after attending the SMF event, I went to Tybee and enjoyed the songs of nature for a while. The birds sending their messages skyward contrapuntal to the susurration of the waves. The playful shrieks of children as warm toes meet cold saline. Shouts of volleyball players and kite flyers and football tossers.
Then off to the church I so enjoy, the church known for its music and dance and welcome of all. Saturday afternoon, the church was hosting a concert not its own, a message of love in the form of the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus. "The Road Leads Back" was the name of the tour, and a tour de force it was. If you've never been graced with the opportunity to hear a 100-man chorus, you have no idea how high the harmonies can take your spirit. In the recently renovated sanctuary, I found myself closing my eyes to let my senses be overwhelmed, sometimes to the point of tears, by the voices melding together into a new, unified sound.
My Saturday was not yet done. Later that evening, I attended the concert at the Casbah Lounge, part of the Mansion On Forsyth Park. The group was Hear And Now, featuring a trumpet player I truly enjoy, as both a friend and an artist. I happened to enter as the band serenaded me with the James Taylor classic, "You've Got A Friend," letting me know at once that I was in the place I should be. I passed the next few hours listening to first one, then another of the bandmates regale the full house with song, with occasionally some dancing adding to the mix.
Yes, indeed, I had my own music festival these past few days, and much of it was free. How fortunate I am!