as paul harvey would say...

Here's the rest of the story!

Honestly, I'm not a "history of royal families" fan.

I don't consciously seek out those kinds of stories on my seven local PBS channels, as I much prefer the travelogues, the cooking shows, Bill Ross, the mystery solvers, nature and science programs, bios of actors and dancers and musicians and artists... in other words, the plethora of other topics covered.

But those SIX ex-wives woke me up this morning, singing their songs, waving their microphones, and sashaying all over my mental stage.

Clearly, they wanted clarity.

However, while looking deeper into their lives, Henry emerged.

I won't say that he was an angel, because he certainly was not.

Whenever he could, he took the path of least resistance.

Finding a wife?

His first one had been betrothed to his older brother ever since 1488, when she was only three years old.

That was Catherine of Aragon, transported from Spain in 1501, not even knowing the language, to wed Arthur.

She was 16, he was 15, and he was dead within months from illness.

That left her as still a virgin, so Henry's family deemed her still as marriageable and engaged her to the 11-year-old Henry.

Fine.

That left her to hang fire until 1509, when they were wed.

Henry was 18 and she was 24 by then, so they set to trying to make an heir.

Within a year they had a daughter, but she died as an infant.

Three more miscarriages, including two sons, followed before they had a child that lived; that daughter was Mary, born in 1516, to a 30-year-old Catherine and 24-year-old Henry.

One more stillborn two years later marked the end of the possibility of him having a male heir from that source.... so he cast his eye around... and didn't even have to leave the palace.

By 1525, at the age of 34 years old, he was panting after Anne Boleyn, a lively and fashionable lady in waiting for his wife.

Anne's birth year is disputed, but one thing is clear: she was younger than Henry by at least a decade, if not more.

She insisted that he divorce Catherine and marry her, but the Catholic church did not agree... so Henry set about closing the monasteries and nunneries, shutting down their presence in England.

Catherine was sent to live in in a series of other castles, though without their daughter, Mary, who remained with Henry. 

Henry and Anne were secretly wed late in 1532, then formally wed early in 1533, and Henry was excommunicated from the Catholic church shortly after.

So, at 42 years old, he declared himself the head of the Church of England and settled that argument.

By early September of 1533, Anne had their daughter, Elizabeth, and not the son he had so long sought.

Then Anne had a series of three miscarriages... which, to Henry, signaled the end of her childbearing years... so he cast his eye around... and didn't even have to leave the palace.

Jane Seymour was right there, a lady in waiting for Anne Boleyn, after having served as lady in waiting for Catherine since the late 1520's.

There followed a series of unfortunate events.

First, in January of 1536, Catherine died and was buried.

Second, later that same month, Anne had her third miscarriage, which happened to be of a son.

Third, during that same month, Henry had begun wooing Jane with gifts.

Anne's days were numbered; by mid-May that year, she was accused and convicted of adultery (with four men) and treason (a plot to murder Henry), with the final judgement being beheading, which was conducted May 19, 1536.

The very next day, Henry wed Jane; he was 45, she was 28.

By January of 1537, Jane was pregnant and life was good for her and Henry.

She was not the party girl and remodeler that Anne had been, nor did she argue with Henry, preferring to be the quiet, supportive wife.

Yes, life was finally looking up for Henry!

Their son, Edward, was born in October of 1537 - their son!

But Jane died of complications of childbirth, about two weeks later.

Henry now had three children, and three dead wives, having lost all three of his wives within two years of each other.

He was 46 years old.

He took a break from rushing into another marriage.

After all, he had a male heir, so his royal line was secure.

Still, an alliance against France and the Holy Roman Empire would be good to have, so he sought a bride from Germany, depending on portraiture for his choice.

In January of 1540, his selection, Anne of Cleves, arrived and they wed.

However, they never quite clicked, the 25-year-old German-speaking woman and the 48-year-old English-speaking king... but he couldn't very well lop off her head if he wanted Germany to be o his side, could he?

Henry had the marriage annulled six months later, but still kept her in England, calling her  "the King's Beloved Sister" and setting her up quite nicely with her own castle and lands and money.

That left him still in need of a child-bearing prospect... so he cast his eye around... and found what he sought at her palace.

Catherine Howard was a 17-year-old lady in waiting for Anne of Cleves.

She was also the first cousin of Anne Boleyn, but apparently learned nothing from her cousin's fate.

By July of 1540, scarcely after the ink was dry on the annulment papers for his marriage to Anne of Cleves, the randy 49-year-old king was wed to the teenager.

Within a year, he'd discovered that not only was she not a virgin, but she'd had sex with multiple lovers, with no marriage to any of them!

The teen was accused of adultery and treason and locked away in November of 1541, with two of her lovers being killed (one by beheading, the other by hanging) in December of 1541, with their heads impaled on stakes on the bridge.

She, herself, was finally convicted and beheaded in February of 1542.

Alone again, Henry cast about for another wife, finding one at the abode of his 27-year-old daughter, Mary.

Ah, but Catherine Parr was no starry-eyed ingenue.

Already twice-wed and twice-widowed, the 31-year-old had another husband in mind, but canceled those plans when the 52-year-old Henry insisted she wed him.

That was in July of 1543.

No fool her, she was sure to install women she knew and trusted into her household with him, to grant him no new temptations.

It's doubtful he would have tried, as morbidly obese as he was, and with physical ailments that made him rather immobile.

He died in January of 1547, at 55 years old, leaving Catherine Parr a widow for the third time.

By then, she was 35 years old, but finally free to wed Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane Seymour, when he again asked her.

They wed, in secret, four months after Henry's death.

That didn't do over very well with the royals!

Within a year, she was pregnant, which was a wonder, as she had been thought to be barren, having never been pregnant through her other three marriages.

On August 30, 1548, she gave birth to a daughter, Mary Seymour, then  Catherine died of childbirth complications within a week.

She was 36 years old.

So, by September of 1548, Henry VIII was dead, five of his six wives were dead, leaving only Anne of Cleves still living.

She did so for almost another ten years, outliving Henry's son (Edward VI died in 1553) and dying just one year before Henry's first daughter (Mary I died in 1558).

Anne of Cleves was only in her early 40's.

Only the second daughter, Elizabeth I, lived a full life, reaching 69 before her death in 1603, having served as the Queen of England and Ireland for 44 years. 

That's a longer reign than her father had, and certainly more than her mother - Anne Boleyn - ever dreamt possible.

Wow...

... and all of that led up to two seniors at Cambridge writing a musical to be presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Okay, history lesson over, let's resume our lives, shall we?

(smile!) 

party of 1 at 2FP

Even though it was announced last week that this week's meeting would be on Tuesday, not Wednesday, no one seemed to have listened except me and Brenda.

She had even updated the google calendar to reflect the change, but she never made it there, due to weather where she was.

As I told her, it wasn't even raining there at 5511 Montgomery Street, at the Two First Posts of Georgia building.

I should know.

I'd arrived just a few minutes before 6 PM, hoping that the American Legion space would be already open from the summer swelter.

Ah, silly me.

I sent out texts to make sure others were on the way.

Brenda Pough was the only one who responded.

So, I set about to wait them out.

That meant walking around and taking photos, naturally.

I am, after all, the Historian for Post 36 and I've been documenting the progress of work at this building for several years. 

The following are what I noted during the 45 minutes I was there.

 

First, the dumpsters have been delivered, so that's good.

Republic will be handling waste management, as they are the company of choice for JKLM, LLC, the canteen managers.

I thought there was to be one dumpster for recyclable materials, but maybe not?

These both seem to be for trash. 

Justin has been busy with this change order from a month or two ago.

He's poured the concrete pad behind the dumpsters, as well as the long concrete walkway that runs up to the back door of the canteen.

The rain almost every afternoon had slowed him down, but at least our few days of just sun have allowed the work.

Next up will be a gated fence to keep out anyone who might illegally use those dumpsters or the forthcoming grease trap!

That means yet another key on Eric Bolden's key ring, as Building Manager.  

So far, he has the keys to both the front and back doors of both 5509 and 5511, as well as to the offices of Post 36 and Post 500, the storage closet, the conference room, and the event ballroom.

That's 9 keys so far.

Glad that's not my responsibility!

I've done my duty, and then some, this evening.

At 6:48 PM, I sent out the following to the other TFP members.

"As no one else has yet arrived, I am taking my leave. 

Hoping to see all next Tuesday."

Anyone else hear those crickets?

5:30 would have been ideal

If I had arrived for a 5:30 screening of the movie, I would have been on time for the 84th anniversary of the events as they unfolded in the movie.

As it stood, I was four hours too early.

The final planning stage for D-Day, 1944, began when Captain James Stagg of the Royal Air Force arrived to meet with General Eisenhower to discuss the weather forecast.

Stagg was almost 44 years old, with more than 15 years of experience as a meteorologist for the English coast.

Even though Eisenhower had his own American meteorologist, Colonel Irving P. Krick, who he had worked with many times, but had called in Stagg as the specialist for that region of the world.

The movie, "Pressure", dealt with the rivalry between the two weather men over what the forecast might be for 5:30 AM on June 5, 1944, 72 hours after Stagg's arrival.

I caught the difference in demeanor of the two men.

The American was everybody's friend and the charmer of all women; the Brit was a married man expecting his first child any minute.

The American was determined to provide a rosy forecast that would line up with what the General wanted for the invasion; the Brit was even more determined to supply a realistic approach based on the truth of the storms in the North Atlantic.

Which man would win the ear of Eisenhower?

Of course, all of us in the screening room already knew that answer.

We all knew that D-Day was actually on June 6 of 1944, one day later than originally planned, but we did not know "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would have said.

I really liked Brendan Fraser in the role of the future POTUS; like Eisenhower during that time frame in history, he is in his mid-fifties, adding some makeup-free gravitas to the role.

Afterward, I saw an absolute bit of frivolity!

Remember, this is Tina Tuesday, and I hadn't known what to expect for "Pressure" or how it might affect me.

In case it bummed me out, I wanted something that would liven the mood!

(If I had known it was based on a play, that might have made a difference.

All I knew of "Pressure" is that it was a piece of war history.) 

So the bottom game of this double header was "The Breadwinner", featuring Nate Bargatze (who also co-authored the script).

To be honest, I prefer "Mr. Mom", the 1983 movie with Michael Keaton - in his first role! - as the stay-at-home dad for three children.

Keaton just has so much more charm, right?

I've watched the TV show Bargatze hosts, "The Greatest Average American", a couple of times, but it just hasn't grabbed me.

That said, the movie is a lot of fun for those new to the dad-at-home genre, especially with the 'pony' that runs amok.

As for those two empty slots on my A*List dance card, they may very well stay that way.

Nothing at AMC is drawing me in, not this week.

I guess I'll have to wait and see.

(smile!) 

rhapsody in blue is one hundred and two

 

Hint: I meant the title to be read as if it were a poem. 

That 26-minute composition by George Gershwin was the highlight for me!!!

I'm fairly certain I've not heard it before in its entirety, and I know very well that I've never heard it from just a piano and a clarinet.

This was not just any ordinary clarinet, either.

Seth Kibel bought the silver-bedecked instrument from a man in Pennsylvania that custom made it.

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?!!

Here's Seth playing that opening glissando, while Daniel Weiser's hands waited, poised to strike the piano keys at the precise moment that the clarinet ceased its wail - so awesome!!!

I'm glad this was the finale at today's concert!

I cannot imagine anything trying to follow that piece!

When it first premiered in 1924, on what would have been Abraham Lincoln's 115th birthday, it had been the penultimate of 26 musical pieces.

What a long concert that had to have been!

How did I know all that?

Daniel Weiser was absolutely full of such tales and regaled us with them several times during this matinee concert at the Savannah JEA.

The two men together are AmiciMusic, who came here last year, too, with their musical history lesson.

Today's was titled, "Jewish Jazz, The Sequel: Return of the 'Jew'di" - gotta love that "Star Wars" pun!!!

I'm sure that's what had drawn Rabbi Haas and his family there, though his little girl was quite disappointed to not see Princess Leia or Luke Skywalker there, so they left fairly early.

Not I!

I was there from Scott Joplin's ragtime ("The Favorite") through all three Hassidic Tunes collected by Lev Kogan.

I stayed for two that built the house of Sammy Cahn (the Anglicized Yiddish tunes, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schein" and "Yosl, Yosl"), the man known for "Three Coins In The Fountain".

There were also two pieces from famous clarinetists Ziggy Elman and Bela Kovacs before a little dessert reception.

Very sweet!

Then we had "Viktor's Tale", by John Williams, as well as a funny anecdote.

Apparently, when he was approached to do music for "Schindler's List", Williams told Steven Spielberg that he didn't think he was good enough.

Spielberg apparently replied, "I know, but all the good ones are dead."

Hahahaha!!!

Williams won the Oscar for Best Original Score for that movie!

What else today?

Oh, yes, three pieces from the prolific Harold Arlen: "Stormy Weather", "It's Only A Paper Moon", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" - all magnificent!!!

Ella Fitzgerald once described him as "the Negro-ist white man she'd ever known."

High praise indeed!!! 

Then the concert ended on that fabulous "Rhapsody In Blue", with its mimicry of a train clack-clack-clacking along at one point.

Of course I thought of Sheldon Cooper!

You don't spend twelve years with a man in your house and not think of him when his favorite topic comes up!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to catch the 5 PM screening of "Sinners"!

That should set me up right nicely to cheer it on at the Oscars tonight!

women's history: take 4

 

"Aren't those Girl Scout cookies?"

 

They are! Starting at the top and going clockwise, that's the Samoa, the Toffee-tastic, the Exploremore, the Adventureful, and the Lemon-Up. As I told my brother, Smitty, I had left these cookies so I could do a comparison for science. He thought that was odd, but he knows I am an analytical chemist and like to do that sort of thing from time to time. (smile!)

 

"Yes, I know he knows! So, what's the experimental results?"

 

The Samoa is still my hands-down favorite! Remember that I bought two boxes of those? That's the last one. Crisp cookie base, dipped in dark chocolate and coated in toasted coconut on top with dark chocolate stripes... totally delectable!!! I like to start off on the side, getting some of the coconut and chocolate together. Then, I bite off sections of dark chocolate from the bottom, baring the cookie. Next, I eat parts of the exposed cookie. Then I repeat the process until it's all gone! Those boxes had 15 cookies per box, with two being a serving. I'm saving that last cookie for a special occasion.

 

"Girl, you are so weird."

 

Hey, I like to enjoy my food, okay? There's nothing wrong with that!

 

"Sure, you're right,beg your pardon. Now, how about the others? I recall that you were excited about the other two dark cookies when you ordered them. How did that turn out?"

 

Well, the Adventureful - that's the one at 7 o'clock - was pretty tasty, and was fun to eat, too. I could bite off a couple of sections of the brownie-type cookie on the side, freeing up the caramel flavored top with its chocolate striping. Here's the thing, though: the cookie part was too soft for my liking. I doubt I will buy those again. However, the 15 cookies are all gone, so that's saying something.

 

"How about the Exploremore?"

 

That's the one I liked the least. The box came with two sleeves of 9 cookies... and I still have one sleeve not opened. I like that it was a sandwich cookie, and had two crisp chocolate cookies. But something was off about the chocolate and it tasted... I don't know... 'plain' is the only word that fits. As for the marshmallow creme filling, with its toasted almond flavoring, I didn't like that at all. I realize it's been years since I had Rocky Road ice cream, but I don't remember it tasting like that. It just came off as artificial.

 

"Wow. I was expecting something more like a s'more, but I guess not."

 

Most def not. As for the two non-chocolate cookies, I liked the Lemon-Up better. Very crisp cookie, with a very lemony bottom, as if it had been dipped in a lemon glaze. It was also a very big cookie compared to the others! I still have an unopened package of those waiting for me. And the last ones, the Toffee-tastic, I still have most of a box of those. That cookie reminds me a lot of a Pecan Sandy, but with bits of toffee candy instead of nuts. Same dry, powdery surface, so it makes lots of crumbs. Tasty, for sure, but also messy.

 

"I see. What I don't understand is why you included this post in those about Women's History Month."

 

Hey, I could have included them in Georgia History Month, too. The Girl Scouts were started right here in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912, by Juliette Gordon Low. Of the 18 girls in that very first troupe, two were sisters of my step-dad, Frank. As I recall, their names were Agnes Barry and Mary Barry. They were both older than he was, as he wasn't even born until 1922.

 

"Yes, I remember all that now! That makes those two girls part of history, for sure! Wouldn't it be nice to find a listing of those 18 first Girl Scouts?"

 

I do know the name of one other: Margaret "Daisy" Gordon, the niece of Juliet Gordon Low. She was registered as the first Girl Guide, as the Girl Scouts were once called. But that's all I've got. Maybe I'll check at the library the next time I go, see what they might have on the subject.

 

"Well, if you do, please let me know! Thanks!"

women's history: take 3

In honor of International Women's Day, during this Women's History Month in the United States, Kiva was promoting loans to women, with a perk of $20 credit to loan to another.

Of course I jumped at that opportunity!

My first microloan of $25 went to Manuela Christina Olivia last night.

Moments ago, I followed that with a microloan of $25 to Ruth Nohemi.

Both are young women in their mid-20's in Guatemala.

Both do sewing and embroidery and have a loyal clientele.

Both are now hard at work preparing special works of Easter finery.

 

Both are making better lives for their families.

These loans would not be available to them without help from Kiva, and the support of its lending community, to a small finance company.

Both are enriching their communities.

By successfully gaining funding via Kiva, more people in their communities will be able to gain monies for their goals.

Their repayments will enable the small finance company to help others make the community a better place for all.

Both will have renewed self-confidence in their futures.

Both will be able to pass along that sense of self-worth to their children as well as to others in their lives.

By helping these two people, I have helped so many more.

I feel a sense of self-worth akin to that I had when I donated blood.

I am so grateful for that.

I could have spent that money on events this past weekend -

SCAD had "9 To 5: The Musical" at the Lucas Theatre -

BC and St. Vincent's had "School House Rock" at the Trustees -

Hindsight Film Festival had a variety of documentaries  at SCAC -

"The Sound Of Music" was at the Historic Savannah Theatre -

or I could have seen Savannah Rep's play again -

any of which would have run about the same cost as one of those loans.

I'm proud of myself for the choice to help young entrepreneurs, rather than to entertain myself.

I'll have plenty of other opportunities for play time.

(smile!) 

purlie who?

That would be "Purlie Victorious (A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch)", as in 'Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson', the titular character.

"Goodness, gracious, child, that is some kind of a mouthful."

I agree that is true. I don't know just when Ossie Davis wrote it, but I do know he starred as the character when the play opened on Broadway in 1961.

"That's when he wrote it, too. 1961. He was 44 years old."

Aha! You do know a little something about it!

"I'd heard of it, but I didn't know what it was about. I was pretty young when it came out, and still young when it was made into a movie. My guess is I heard the name a few years ago when it was revived on Broadway. You know the Hesters go up to New York City fairly frequently and see plays and musicals."

Yes, I know, they always have. It's where they get the ideas for Asbury Memorial's "God On Broadway series". Now, they have another reason, as their grandson lives up there. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Cheri may have mentioned the title.

"Is it a musical or a play?"

It's a play, which is why it hasn't hit the GOB circuit here. 'Purlie' is a traveling preacher in the south east, much like my Grandpa was, though I suspect 'Purlie' did it a century before Grandpa. Anyway, 'Purlie' hears tell that the plantation owner has $500 in trust as the inheritance due to 'Cousin Bee'. Now, 'Purlie' knows that 'Bee' is dead, but he brings in 'Lutiebelle' to pass for her and get the money. The problem is that 'Lutiebelle' is a bit of a scatterbrain and signs her own name onto the receipt for the money. Nope! All kinds of hilarity ensues after that!

"That sounds like it was a blast! Wait a minute... wasn't that aired on one of the PBS channels for Black Heritage Month? How did you get to see it now?"

I'd taped it a few days back, thinking the physicist might want to see it. That was a no-go, so I watched it tonight. That was good, as I'd started thinking about all the plays and musicals I missed this weekend. Nice to have this one waiting for me! And free!

"Nice, indeed! And was it a recorded Broadway show with Ossie Davis?"

No, this was from the revival of the play. 'Purlie' was played by Leslie Odom, Jr. in this one. And guess what? He was 44 years old, just as Ossie had been!

"Well, that's a nice bit of continuity! He was in "Hamilton", too, wasn't he?"

That's right! He played 'Aaron Burr' in that musical. Such a very talented actor he is! He came to Savannah for a talk at the Trustees Theater toward the end of February, as part of SBHF37, but I wasn't able to go. I sure would have loved to hear him talk about his roles! Still, it was good to have this play to watch. He was marvelous as a conniving free man! And why was he so set on getting that $500? He wanted to buy back the black church from the plantation, so he could preach to the slaves.

"Oh, then it must have been set before the American Civil War started in 1861. Do you think so?"

I think you may be right. There was no mention of the war at all in the play and I feel certain there would have been had it been going on. Good play! I wonder why Ossie Davis didn't write anymore plays?

"I'm sure he was plenty busy on the stage and as a family man. I'm impressed that he found the time to write this one!"

women's history: take 2

The program by Spectra Choir had been specially curated for their International Women's Day Concert to highlight the creativity of females.

We were told all fifteen songs and six poems had been written by women.

However, as it turned out, some of the songs were co-written by women with men, not solely as a female effort.

That's okay, though, as all were performed today by women.

I would have preferred that the charity which benefited had been focused on women, but that was not the case.

That's okay, too, as I was there for the free annual concert!

Held at Asbury Memorial Church, I was sure to enjoy it... and I did!

 

I managed to find the perfect seat by the left wall, with a clear line of sight for the "Flute Sonata Opus 64", performed by Erika Andres, a classical piece written in 1904 by Mel Bonis, one of the first female symphonists.

She was 46 years old.

Although she was educated at the Paris Conservatoire and did well, she married an older man who put her to work caring for his children from another, as well as for the three children he had with her.

I'm sure that was a common story back then in women's history.  

Here in the United States, we had Margaret Bonds, the first black female composer, who would go on to become the first woman - of an race - to win three awards from ASCAP - wow!

Today, Julia Tucker played "Troubled Water", written by Bonds in 1967 when she was 57 years old, based on the gospel tune "Wade In The Water".

 

Don't get the impression that only older works were performed, though.

Here's the popular local singer, Laiken Love, pouring her energy into "Flowers", a song cowritten by Miley Cyrus and released in 2023.

"I can buy myself flowers, I can write my name in the sand... I can take myself dancing, I can hold my own hand..." - all about self-sustainability!  

That could practically be my theme song!

Of course I sang along with her.

(smile!)

I sang along with Beverly Jaques, too, as she sang "Up On The Roof", a song cowritten by Carole King in 1962.

Beverly said she was a teenager then and the songs from the twenty-something New York woman meant a lot to her.

They meant a lot to me, too, a decade later when I was a teen... and the songs still resonate with me, as I've mentioned in the past.

The highlight of the concert was this: there were two original pieces that made their world premiere today!!!

Here in Savannah!!!

The woman standing is Chelsea Olsen, the writer of "Love Is The Only Way".

The women had all squatted down so she could stand out as she introduced the piece she had composed using her harmonium...

then they all stood up as they performed alongside her!

Very catchy folk-type song!

The other world premiere was performed solo, by the writer, Cadence Mefford.

Titled "Glass Vase", it spoke to society's penchant for holding women to high beauty standards that are emotionally destructive.

I liked that one, too.

I liked all the songs, truly, at this two-hour concert, though I admit that I preferred the ones I knew, so I could sing along.

Those included Dolly Parton's "Wildflowers", KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See", and Nancy Grundahl's "Oh, Be Swift".

However, I enjoyed the new songs, including Florence and the Machine's "King", the Highwomen's "Crowded Table", and Sia's "Alive".

That last one was performed fiercely by Amanda Ortiz!

I do hope she will become active in local musicals! 

(smile!) 

women's history: take 1

"I get it! March is Women's History Month and you went to a movie about some famous woman. Am I correct?"

You're half-right. Yes, it is WHM! I hadn't realized that's such a recent thing. I was almost 30 when it came into existence. I guess that's one thing that Ronald Reagan did that was good.

"And the thing I'm wrong about?"

I went to a semi-biographical play, over at SavRepTh, not a movie. It was based on the real story of Jennifer Blackmer's mother, who was a stenographer called into service in 1973 to record the debriefings of returning POWs from Vietnam. She was 22 years old.

"1973... wasn't that Operation Homecoming? I was 15 years old and had just started 10th grade at Jenkins High School. So, that makes her just 7 years older than me."

Thereabouts. 'Esther' had already spent some time in the secretarial pool there at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before she landed that job. She had caught the eye of a 34-year-old officer there, and, to keep her from taking a job in Vietnam, he got her that position to keep her handy. The play spent a bit of time on the courtship of 'Andy' with her. It even covered a fancy dance he took her to, with the focus on the black-tipped, high-heeled, Chanel shoes her mother sent for her to wear!

"I know that was a very special moment! 'Esther' thought she'd be following in her mom's footsteps and become a military wife, too."

Yes, she did, even though the courtship was moving slowly, with 'Andy' truly being an officer and a gentleman and not pressuring the virgin into sex. Later, though, when she came to him distraught over a debriefing she'd heard, he wasn't above plying her with alcohol. Don't get the wrong impression, though. She had to tell him that she was ready to have sex. So, this wasn't a forced situation.

"Well, that's to his favor then. Did he have her move in?"

I don't recall that ever happening. You see, the POW she'd been so upset about? His name was 'Daniel Case'. He turned up outside her apartment four days after his debriefing and she invited him in for some food. They got to talking and realized they had a lot in common with languages. With her it was Plover, the sound-based one used by stenographers to operate the blank black paddles of the little steno machine. For him, it was all wrapped in the poems of e.e. cummings, the man who used his own grammar and punctuation rules. In any case, she and he ended up together in her bed, having a lost night, with him gone in the morning.

"Say what? Just four days after she and the officer had sex?"

Yep. But what she and 'Daniel' had was clearly love-making, to hear her talk. In any case, she ended up pregnant with the daughter who wrote her story. However, before 'Esther' knew that had happened, she'd been called in for interrogation. Why? 'Daniel' had been AWOL when he showed up to her place and someone had seen him in the area. So the military wanted to know why he went to see her and what did they do and what did he say??? It was quite a harrowing thing for the young woman.

"Yes, I'm sure it was. Then she found out she was pregnant and 'Andy' thought he had to marry her, but she went back to her parent's house instead. I'm sure the truth was this: she wanted to believe the baby was the product of her time with 'Daniel'. Perhaps that was even the case. I'd like to think it was."

I agree. I After the play, Carolyn Cook came out to talk with those of us who wanted to know more about the character she portrayed. That's her, on the right, next to Natasha, the producer of this traveling show. You know the most interesting tidbit for me?

"What was that, dear?"

It was when she was asked something about the script. She said it was 44 pages with 168 light cues. Can you believe that??? Wow. 168 light cues!!!

"Oh, I get it. You've run lights for A.C.T.O.R. and the Armstrong Masquers, so you have personal experience with that sort of thing."

That's right! It came up because she was talking about the use of triangles and diamonds in the light patterns on the floor. Those were silent visual cues to move her to where she needed to be and to keep her on track with the story. Just by use of light cues! There were some sound effects, too, to accentuate what was going on. But the light operator - and that would be Justin Bishop - was the one who helped keep her on target. Well, I'm assuming it was Justin. The "program" was a QR code that my reader can't transcribe. I'm hoping Jenn Bishop will send me the URL.

"Was this the play you mentioned a week ago? The one you already bought a ticket for?"

Yes, it is. I'd been drawn in by its sponsorship by the foundation for Abbie DeLoach, one of the young nurses killed in the car wreck in 2015. She was only 21. I'd said at the time that her political uncle would cause a change, and I was right. I guess I have her to thank for the merger of Armstrong with Georgia Southern that led to my retirement in 2018.

"That's all true. Good thing you bought your ticket ahead, as this was a sold-out show. The Vintage Events Center at least has free parking! You know, you still haven't mentioned the name of the play. You're wanting to include the poem on which it's based, don't you? Well, now's the time!"

Here it is!

i carry your heart with me   

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
               i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)