paging doctor sidney smith, please

Dear Dr. Sydney P. Smith III,

You need to step in to your office from time to time.

Today, I went to the Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic to have two more moles excised by Taylor Byrne, your clinician working there. 

This was my fourth visit, by the way, so I have some experience with her.

She also has some experience with me, as she is well aware now that patients on Eliquis need better cauterization to prevent bleeding.

The last time I was there had been July 1st.

That visit, like this one, had been to have two moles removed, as they were moderately displastic nevi on their way to ruin.

That visit had gone well, with me being seen at my appointment time.

The two moles were both on my back, near the spine, and the entire process had me out of there in about twenty minutes.

Not so this time.

 

I had arrived a bit early, hoping for another quick visit, and was the second client in the waiting room.

Within five minutes, I was ushered into one of the inner rooms to await Taylor Byrne.

The time was 11:22 AM.

I was left to my own entertainment....

which, in and of itself, is common...

but time ticked by 

with no one checking on me.

In fact, I took this photo of the Blue Angels

and sent it to my computer to make note.

The time was 11:39 AM.

It was then 9 minutes past my appointment.

I then wandered around in the small room,

looking at other framed photos,

wondering where Taylor Byrne might be,

wondering why she was not there with me

for my appointment. 

This photo of the acrobat was taken at 12:01 PM.

No one had yet reached out to me, even though I had opened the door and asked why I was not being seen on time.

Was it because I am a referral patient from the Savannah VA Center?

Was it because the VA Community Care system was paying for me to be there?

Does the clinic have a problem with treating veterans or military patients?

I have to wonder. 

The redheaded aide who marked this spot certainly seemed to be trying to raise a reaction from me as she dug around with the anesthesia needle.

That time was 12:04 PM, more than 30 minutes past my appointment time.

Taylor Byrne offered no explanation for her tardiness.

She did ask if I wanted to reschedule, even though I had already spent so much of my time for this one that she had botched.

I'm hoping that this time was well spent.

I'm not convinced that the correct mole on my leg was marked.

I guess I will see tomorrow when I remove the sloppy bandage that her assistant put over the cauterized wound.

Meanwhile, Dr. Smith, I expect better on any future visits.

I will certainly let the VA hospital in Charleston know how disrespected this US Navy veteran felt at this appointment.

Sincerely,

Faustina

 

letters homeward bound

Many years ago, when I subscribed for delivery of the Savannah Morning News, there were certain sections I particularly enjoyed.

Those were the ones with the Jumble, the crossword puzzle, the comics, and that with the two sisters, Dear Abby and Dear Ann Landers.

So, when Andrew Carroll mentioned today that he'd written to them and had them post his letter, I remembered reading that.

The year was 1998.

He had started the Legacy Project, looking to collect and preserve correspondence written by American military during years of battle.

The bulk of those thousands of pieces of mail are now safely stored at Chapman University, in the Leatherby Libraries.

I say "the bulk" because he had a few letters with him for his talk at The Learning Center of the Senior Citizens, Inc., building.

This was my first time attending anything there.

I've had several people talk enthusiastically about their lectures, but the cost ($20 to $30 per hour of the talk) was a bit too much for me.

I could become a member and have those lectures for half the cost, but membership was $75 annually, which meant I'd have to commit to at least five to offset that investment.

My entertainment budget is devoted to musicals, plays, and movies.

And, yet, I found myself attending "War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence From American Wars", even cutting short my luncheon.

That's because the fee was being waived for veterans!!!

I saw that notation posted on fb yesterday, so I'd tried to register online, calling the center when that proved futile.

The director of the center, Roger Smith, called me back to assure me that I would be on the list - hooray!

And how did I like the lecture about letters?

As a letter-writer for most of my life, even now, I absolutely loved it!

He had letters from the American Revolutionary War, from the American Civil War, from Korea and Vietnam.

My favorite of all was this one, written by Bill Kaiser.

I know there doesn't seem to be anything but mostly empty space between his hands, but look closely.

Those are the edges of a piece of paper that he's holding.

That's because the soldier had redacted the letter himself rather than let the censors have all the fun!

Isn't that just the neatest thing??? 

This one is he called "history in his hands", a big hit with high school students.

They always want to get a selfie with that one!

What's the big deal?

It's from Adolph Hitler's private stationery, taken from his desk by American troops when they raided his bunker.

Wow.

Those two items alone made the whole lecture worthwhile to me.

I had looked forward to sharing my tale with my American Legion mates, too.

Post 36 was meeting at Two First Posts tonight and I was looking forward to this first regular meeting in almost a year.

However, that didn't happen.

I stayed there, in my car, for almost 15 minutes, but no one else came.

I was so aggravated, I even texted our Commander to find out where they were.

As it turned out, I had the time wrong.

They - meaning Doug and Billy - met at the correct time - meaning 1800 - and stayed, by themselves, for 44 minutes before they left.

I arrived at what I thought was the designated time: 1845.

I'd missed them by one minute, because I read the email incorrectly.

I'll just have to remember to mention this talk of war letters when we next meet, hopefully next month. 

That's when I'll be going to another lecture at The Learning Center, too.

Titled "Who's Reading Banned Books... And Why?", it's free.

I'm guessing I'll see Teresa Winterhaven there again.

She was at this lecture and seems to be a regular.

She also hasn't changed a bit from when I knew her at Armstrong in 2012, when both of us were on the same committee.

She was in the same department as Richard Nordquist, though I don't recall seeing her at that ceremony.

I wonder if she has retired yet? 

letter to me as a year began

Guess what arrived in today's post?

The letter I'd written to myself on January 1st.

I left it in a SASE with Cheri Hester and she mailed it last week.

So, did what I wrote come to pass... or was it a miss?

It was such a miss that I'm going to turn it back in this time to be mailed out for a re-do in 2026.

Meanwhile, I found the letter I'd sent myself in 2023 at the Anticipation & Burning Bowl Ceremony. 

Shall I copy that 2023 letter here and check it out its prognostications? 

Yes, let's do that!

*******************

January 1, 2023 

My Dearest Faustina,

I know that 2021 was particularly hard, not just because you lost your brother, but also because you lost your faith in your judgement. This year, you've finally regained that trust in your ability to make good decisions, to avoid scams, and to try new things.

You've had to make some big decisions this year, and now you've been ready to do that. Your trust is up to date, with changes to the trustees... and the talks with Smitty, and Tony, and with Christina and Michael, about serving in that position.

The Power of Attorney choice has been made, too, and that paperwork concerning who will make medical decisions for yourself - yes, that's done, and Christina has been the perfect choice. She's always been the daughter you never had and she knows your heart. No, not just your physical heart, but the part of you that beats in time with the world.

Michael is a good choice, too, as trustee. He has such a good mind for important financial decisions and can be objective. Those are strong traits, so he has his mom to thank for those. I know I've been more like the grasshopper, hopping from one thing to another, rather than the ant for much of my life. I'm glad he's taking care of his future much earlier in life than I did, or than his father did. 

I'm so glad I've been spending more time with him and his daughters this year, as well as the last few. Having them live with me when they were younger was beneficial to all of us. Spending more time to get to know Leila and Alyssa as individuals has been such a joyful experience, hasn't it? It's good to know we share some common traits, like Alyssa's love of reading and Leila's love of animals. I'm blessed to have them around me so often!

Speaking of girls, I'm glad to spend so much time with Miyah and Chloe. Miyah's love of me is so dear to me, as it has been since she was just two years old. Remember that day at Forsyth fountain? "I think she likes you" is what Christina had said, and I realized I loved her then. I have so enjoyed watching her grow into a calmer, more helpful, artistic young girl - wow!

As for Chloe, she has always been loving. But what a thrill to see her take charge of her own decisions instead of following in her sister's wake! I have enjoyed helping her find her own joys, especially in soccer. I've made sure to go to at least one game each season, and had a wonderful time cheering her on. And such a sense of rhythm she has! I love dancing with her! I'm so glad she still dances after movies with me and that she follows my lead - or I've followed hers! - to dance apropos of nothing!

Oh, yes! Such joy I've had dancing! Dancing on the sidelines at the Savannah Music Festival concerts has been fabulous! I do so enjoy that I'm able to usher again with SMF! Being a volunteer usher at the Savannah VOICE concerts again this year has been wonderful, too! Not only have I met more people, and sampled new forms of music, but I've stretched my entertainment budget, too. I've encouraged others to follow that lead, too!

Such a good decision to speak with the folks at the Jepson about your artwork. I know that placing those with the museum, for the #art912 or wherever, has been a relief! Yes, all except the one for the physicist!

And how wonderful to have given "Mama's painting" of "Dance At Bougival" to Christina! I had waited for 11 years to have that for myself, and now I've had it more years than that. It's her turn to have that piece of Mama in her life. I know she will treasure it as I have.

I'm glad I took more control over my finances! Changing up how much I've been taking out, and the grand annual total, has made a difference in my peace of mind. That's helped greatly lower my taxes, but also made a difference in the amount of cushion I've had. That's allowed me to finally finish my trust, actually.

Good financial decisions - faith in my ability to make them - have helped make 2023 a better year. Good for me! Keep up the good work!

with much love always,
Y K W
**********************

Well, there were hits and there were misses.

Some of those links reveal that the forecast was off by a year.

Some show they were right on time during the course of 2023.

Here's hoping I'll have more hits than misses for my epistle of 2026!

emails to north georgia

Hey, Dood! Christina invited me to her Nana's house on Saturday for a family barbeque. That was a lot of fun! Venita and David are still doing well, though David has had quite a few health scares the past few months. Christina was there with her new boyfriend, Christian, as well as his 6-year-old son. Poor guy, everyone kept calling him "Jason" instead of Christian.
Michael was there with his twins, too. Hard to believe they're almost two years old now! Both girls are getting so tall and they NEVER stop moving! I mean it - they NEVER stop! Just like the Everready Bunny!
Today, I drove out to the cemetery for a while. Such a lovely day for that! The storm had kept me at home all day and night on Friday, but it's been beautiful weather, and a little cooler, ever since then. Hallelujah! I have certainly needed a break from the heat! I think I will put off any work on the A/C until next year. :-)
What else? I have not heard from Smitty for several weeks. He was to call me when he got a new computer so we could see about getting his files updated. I guess I will call him tomorrow and see what's shaking. It's been about four months since I've done any work with him on his company files.
Love you, Tony! Hope the weather up there has begun to cool a little, too!

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

That was the email I sent to my youngest brother tonight.
That's right: email.
He sent the first one to me almost a month ago. I didn't actually see it for about a week, as the email account I use for JPay is not one I frequent often anymore.
I responded, but balked when the service asked for payment.
After all, I'm on a rather fixed income and certainly was then. Plus, I had recently sent him some funds, so my purse was definitely light.
It wasn't until I received the second email from him that I decided to respond. The cost? Seven dollars for twenty "stamps".
Not bad, especially as there was no service charge tacked on.
Since then, I've written three times. Each time I do, I include and extra "stamp" for him to write me back.
If I do so every three or four days, it will run me that $7 per month, for ten messages to him and ten messages he can send to me.
That's almost a conversation, compared to the slower regular mail service.
I'll have to find out who else can send emails to him. Folks may need to be placed on his visitation list to do so, but that can be arranged.
I'll have to remember to ask him about that.
Times they are a-changing, that's for sure.
(smile)

un beso por un abuelo

Dearest Tony,

Thanks for the photos of us! That "funny faces" one is a hoot! I'm going to make copies of both and send them around to folks so they can enjoy them, too!

Here's a recent photo of your grandson, Sebi, down in Mexico. Hope and Carlos are still there. She had sent several photos of Sebi to her mom, who was kind enough to send them to me... and I'm sending this one to you! Nice how that all worked out!

Here's something that does not seem to be working out. When I was there with you last month, I spoke of coming next weekend (the 23rd and 24th) for a visit. Sadly, I'm not going to make it. Something must change with my hands for that to happen. Also, it is the weekend before final exams so I'll be busy taking care of writing those. So, play handball and have philosophical discussions, and know that I will be thinking of you, even more than usual.

with my love!

writing with a banana!

Dear Tony,

Hey!

I'm writing this
with a banana.

Not bad, right?

After two solid weeks
of either
building tests or
nonstop grading,
sharp objects
were not safe for me.

Today, I gave the last Final Exams to my last lecture and lab classes at Savannah Tech.

Thank God!

I'm not kidding about writing with a banana.

It's a promotional item from the new baseball team.

Very cute idea, isn't it?

with my love!

4-8-16

Dear Tony,

This bear looks lost, doesn't he? So many flowers and no ice in sight!

Yesterday, Daddy would have been 80 years old. I told folks he would have been 79. I guess I kept thinking of 1937 as his birth year, but that was Mama's. His was 1936.

I've been very busy with school! Last week, I wrote and graded Lab tests for my three Lab classes at Savannah Tech. This past week, I wrote and graded tests for all four of my lecture classes, including the one at Armstrong. Whew! I had to get help grading because my hands have hurt for most of this week. The weather has cooled off again and the arthritis is so painful it wakes me up at night and keeps my hands numb and cramped during the day. Yikes. I meet with my doctor next week (Wednesday), so I'm hoping for better days and nights soon.

Meanwhile, I've been greatly enjoying serving as an usher at the Savannah Music Festival! Irish, Danish, Swedish, bluegrass, and even flamenco! Wow!

with much love!

one day at a time, dood!

2-20-2016

Dear Tony,

That date looks pretty cool, doesn't it?
I've written it about eight times today, between doing Smitty's sales taxes and reporting "early alerts" on several of my students.
Well, for the ones at Savannah Tech. Next week will be the turn of my Armstrong students, after they have their second test on Monday.

What's an "early alert"? It lets the folks in charge of academic counseling know when students are not doing well with their grades. I take my responsibility for the reports very seriously.
Most of the time, the student will start doing better, once they know they've been reported and they know someone is paying attention to them.
Sometimes, though, a student gets their feelings hurt, like they've been ratted out. That's totally crazy, but that's how they perceive it. In that case, they usually will drop out of the class and then take it with another teacher.

On another subject: Such great news you had in your last letter! Wow! I truly pray that you will be considered a candidate for the long-term maintenance program!
You have become a better man and I hope everyone there recognizes that fact. I know you have put a lot of effort into improving your mind and your faith in God. I am very proud of how far you have come on that difficult road.

May God continue to guide you and shine a light on your path!

with my love!

twick or tweat!

Darkness Falls throughout the land,

The bewitching hour is close at hand.

Ghosts and Goblins, Witches and Spooks,

Good guys and Bad guys, Clowns and Kooks,

And some kind of thing you've Never Seen

Will be coming to Visit you on Halloween!

Twick or Tweat!

- William Vito, artist

Tony added:
Thinking of you today and every day.
Love ya lots!
God bless you and peace be with you.

oh, about the car...

Note: The above photo is from one of my older posts. Why is it here?
Because I like the message.
(smile)

Almost a month has passed since my younger brother commented about the state of my car. I should have addressed the issue earlier, but... well, you know. I've been a bit distracted since the car accident.
Here's what he wrote in that August 25th letter.

"Just a note to say hi and i love you! Again, i am so glad that you are not hurt from the accident.
I must say that i was a little surprised when i read in your letter that the value of your car is only $900.
Not that having a $900 car is a bad thing. But depending on a $900 car for all the traveling that you do seems just a bit risky. Please make sure that you stay safe, okay? Thanks. I really love you so do be careful! - Cool. :-)"

What a sweet thing for him to say!
Truly, I was touched that he should worry so.
I had intended to write to reassure him about the car, but one thing came up after another. While I was waiting for something noteworthy, time passed.

Today, just a few minutes ago, I finally rectified that.
Here's my message to him.

"I do appreciate you being concerned about my car. Trust me, I keep up with the maintenance on it, especially oil changes, brakes, and tires.
Cosmetic things, like how it looks, really aren't the things that get you from Point A to Point B.
Like people and books, the outside isn't anywhere near as important as the contents."

Now, let's see if I can catch the mailman.
Bye!

a more hopeful letter to the youngest bro

Dear Tony,

Hey! I had such a relaxing and rejuvenating trip to Daytona Beach! I had been fortunate enough to find the Thursday to Sunday spot available when I was searching a month or so ago. And it was even at my favorite place, the Daytona Beach Regency! Hooray!

While there, I saw some arthouse films at my favorite little theatre, Cinematique. And I arrived early enough on Thursday to catch Science Cafe there! I think you would have enjoyed it, too. First, we watched a PBS film, "400 Years of the Telescope". Then, a real-life astrophysicist, from the Embry-Riddle University there in Daytona, was there for an hour-long question and answer session. How very cool! I didn't even know they had a telescope there in Daytona.

On Friday, the new Single-A baseball team, the Daytona Tortugas, had Military Appreciation Night - and I got in for free! Yeah for being a veteran! It was a good game, too, against the Jupiter Hammerheads. Took 12 innings, but the Tortugas won! They're with the Cincinnati Reds. This is their first year in Daytona, replacing the Daytona Cubs. The crowd was very enthusiastic, though, for the new team. Me, too!

I spoke to Ronnie on Saturday and today. He seems to be very positive and even got his blood pressure prescription filled, Yeah!

Did I mention what I'm doing tonight? Besides mailing this card? :-)
I'm working at the Lucas for the SCAD graduation animation film fest! Woohoo! It's free, too, so I'll be back tomorrow night for Part 2. That's right, there are so many, they need 2 nights to show all of them!

See you on the 7th! Maybe not at 9 AM, but I will be there!

with my love

word up to my youngest bro

Dear Tony,

Well, I just heard from Ronnie. He decided to leave Michael & Melanie's and go back to the woods. Why? He cited the crying of the babies. I think it's because he had $20 from Michael, from helping with some car work, burning a hole in his pocket.
What an idiot.

Smitty is still working on getting the trailer ready for habitation. The flea infestation, both inside and out, has been ferocious. I was going to take Ronnie over there yesterday, to do some work in that yard while the inside was being bombed. Instead, when I called Ronnie to say I was on my way, he told me not to bother, as the bombing the day before had not killed the fleas. Smitty was getting the city to turn the water back on so the yard could be sprayed with insecticide.
Notice that Ronnie did not call me to tell me of the change in plans. He let me go ahead and start on my way out to Highway 17, rather than tell me so I could make other plans.
What an inconsiderate idiot.

I do hope Ronnie will stay sober. If he does not, Smitty will not let him move into that trailer.
It sure is hot to be choosing to live in a tent instead of a house.
What an idiot.

Still, I have to accept that this is not my problem. Ronnie is a grown man, entitled to make his own decisions. Or so the folks at Memorial Hospital repeatedly said.

I will continue to pray for him to make better decisions.
I will continue to pray for him to seek help for his alcoholism.
I will continue to pray.

The Serenity Prayer
O God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed,
The courage to change what can be changed,
and the wisdom to know the one from the other.
- by Reinhold Niebuhr, 1930's

with my love

response from my youngest brother

Yesterday, I received word from Tony for me to tell to Ronnie. This was in response to the letter I wrote to Tony on Thursday, May 7th.
Tony's letter is dated Tuesday, May 12th, so he must have written to me immediately.
In this time of instant notification by email and phone, the response time of the US Post Office seems rather slow. However, having lived and traveled in other countries, I can assure you that a ten-day turnaround is actually pretty good.
Here's what he had to say from north Georgia.

Hi, Tina, hang in there girl!

Wow. What a contrast from your card before to the last one. I've asked for some reinforcement and empowering prayers from 2 men i know are my brothers.

I'm actually at a loss for words to describe my feelings about what you're dealing with there. And about the sad-ass condition of my brother who is trapped in his own alcoholism. It's just so so sad. Pitiful really.

And i am so very sorry that you are having to deal with it. I love you Tina. You really are tremendously strong.

I love Ronnie too. This makes me just wonder - what in the world would or could drive Ronnie to such complete contempt and hatred of his own health and life? And, what appears to be his complete blindness to what virtually the entire country calls normalcy? What happened?!!

As i write i hope he is alive. I hope he has a desire to stay that way and improve. I hope he has already seen and realized that if and when he drinks that next beer that the rollercoaster ride starts again. I hope he can see, and cares about, what he's putting you through - continually. I hope he knows that i know. And that i care. And that there is never going to be any change in his life unless he wants it and he truely surrenders to God.

Lord help, in Jesus' name.
Lord help.

I'll make sure Ronnie gets the message.
Hopefully, he will listen.
For now, he is still at his son's house.
Hopefully, that will continue a few more days.

update to my youngest bro

Dear Tony,

Ronnie's color continues to improve, as does his attitude. Having him fill out the Five Wishes living will seemed to make sure he was aware of the direness of his situation.

He was not interested in writing to you or in dictation to me for you. I think yesterday he was going through denial, as well as the delirium tremens, so do not take umbrage at his actions. As time goes on, I will continue to try to convince him to contact you. He hasn't been interested in contacting anyone, really.

Fortunately, others have not felt that way about him. He has had several visits from his son and his daughter, as well as my daily trips to see him. Until Thursday, he had been a sourpuss about seeing anyone. Now, he at least tries to be sociable when someone is there. I brought him a bag of mini Snickers and he even gave one to his nurse. That was definitely better than he had been acting to them.

Yesterday, he had a fever all day. Also, as I said, he had DT's very badly. There were times that he was shaking so badly that he could have chipped his teeth if he had his mouth open. They are now giving him the Atavan orally, instead of by i.v., so it takes about thirty minutes to take effect. When I left yesterday evening, about 6:30 PM, he was resting and had not had anymore severe shakes for about two hours.

I am very concerned about his lack of energy. Just eating his meal wears him out. Seriously. He'll sit up in bed and spends all his energy just getting food onto a fork and into his mouth. After every meal, he lays down and takes a nap. He is that worn out.

I'm soon going to see him and I'll check his blood pressure and vitals. Well, I'll talk to the nurse about them, I mean. I'm hoping they will be back into normal range.

Then, I'm going out to the Jepson and enjoy some art. The Andy Warhol exhibit is soon leaving and there is also a Winston Churchill exhibit. Then, tonight, I'm seeing "Living is Easy With Eyes Closed" and discussing it with the JavaFlix folks. I look forward to that, for sure. I'll let you know how it goes.

with my love

ps That movie title is rather appropriate at this time, isn't it? But this has been planned for a month... life is strange. Timing is incredible.
pps The photo is from Thursday. I had bought him some little candy bars at the gift shop and he was sitting in the chair, enjoying one of them. Yesterday, he did not sit in the chair during the five hours I was there. Mostly, he slept.

better living through volunteering

Dear Tony,

Whew! What a busy couple of weeks I've had! The Savannah Music Festival ended on Saturday night.
By that time, I'd worked for 14 of the 17 days!
Incredible!
I had seen 21 shows, worth a total of $917.
Incredible!
I've heard music from Italy, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, France, and nearly every state in the USA! Well, that last part may be stretching it a bit - but not if you include all the states that the various band members were from... and I am! :-)
You know, writing this to you is the first time I've sat down and calculated the worth of my volunteer work. $900 in two weeks for part-time is pretty good money.*
And it was fun, too!
And I met so many new people!
Saturday, I had asked on facebook what to do with my time now that the Music Festival was over.
One of my buddies (Jim Casey) said, "Trick question? The Sand Gnats season starts next week."
Yep, he's absolutely right. The problem is, the first home game isn't until the week after that. Yep, the boys are starting late this year, April 16th. Hopefully that means the nights won't be so cold out there!

with my love!

*if I were to have received the money instead if the free music - but no taxes to pay on the music! Woohoo!

have you moved yet?

Dear Tony,

Hey! You still there? I keep wondering if they're going to move you. I guess that's partly why I've been postponing writing as I don't want notes to get lost along the way. Still, I don't want you to think you're not loved, either.

I'm volunteering with the Savannah Music Festival this past weekend and up to April 3rd. So far, I've been to five
concerts for free! Yeah! I have two scheduled for today and one for tomorrow before school. Then, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I'll be "working" at seven shows! I am so happy!!!

I've been to two bluegrass concerts, a cabaret show, and I've seen two operas twice!! The opera was definitely my favorite! I think it must be because I so enjoy musicals. Yep!

Gotta fly!

with my love!

***** ***** *****

My youngest brother, as I had mentioned in an earlier post, has had his security level changed from "close" to "minimum". The prison he is in does not usually house "minimum" inmates. I still have not heard of him being moved; I know he has a good work where he is and would hope that continues.
I'll just have to keep my ears open for any news!

bobWHITE bobWHITE!

Dear Tony,

Tweet tweet! Chirp chirp!
Hooo hooo! Quack quack!
Cooo cooo!
BobWHITE bobWHITE!

A little bird told me I should send you a card to let you know you're in my thoughts.
the sentiment printed in the card

Yeah, I just had to throw on that last one! You probably even hear those birds up there in Summerville. I haven't heard any here. I have doves and owls and mockingbirds. Sometimes there are robins - I've counted as many as twenty in my birdbath! I also get cardinals and sparrows and a huge woodpecker.

Two years ago, I had two tiny woodpeckers. They laid claim to my flowering pear tree, encircling the trunk with tiny rows of tiny holes. as they spiral-hopped around it one day. I took some photos from the front door, but I hadn't wanted to scare them off. The photos aren't that clear, but I know what was going on!

This week is Spring Break. I have no plans to go anywhere, either. I'm having a stay-cation, as they call it. I am going to several of the Savannah Music Festival events, though, and for free! I'm an usher for them this year! I'm signed up to work at twelve concerts. So cool!

with my love!

***** ***** *****
(And on the back of the card, a pun!
I sent him the one about the four-loaf cleaver,
as St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday.
Woohoo!!!!)

changes for the better!

Dear Tony,

Congratulations on your downgrade to Minimum Security! Wow! That is very good news!

The snow? Not so much. I especially dislike ice, because on the road you cannot see it. I've also slipped on steps before, due to ice I couldn't see. It just looks "wet", it doesn't look "frozen".

Your dorm situation sounds like my barracks when I was in boot camp. We had a company of 72, with 18 double-decker bunks to each side of a wide central aisle. I'm amazed that is such a clear image in my mind. Along the walls were our "lockers", which really were just open shelves.

I don't recall how many showers and stalls there were, but I think it was six. Maybe eight? Certainly no more than that. I was glad I had cut my hair before boot camp! Remember? It used to be below my waist when I was in high school.

It's pretty long now, but not quite that long. maybe I'll cut it come summer, maybe not. I rather enjoy wearing ponytails and pigtails.

Yesterday, the weather turned nice for the first time in what feels like forever. 70's! Yeah! I'll enjoy it one more day before it plunges back down into the 50's and thank God for the respite from the cold. Amen!!

with my love!

ps Glad you got the money from me and Bonnie!

***** ***** *****

Then, on the back, two jokes:

Q: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day?
A: Because regular rocks are too heavy.

A moth said to another, "Have a bite of this sweater. It's delicious!"
The other moth says, "I can't. I've given them up for lint."

valentine winging northward!

Hey, Dood!

I'm doing much better now. My frame of mind has been restored to a cheerier tone, thanks to good hugs this weekend. From whom, you ask? Have I met the man of my dreams after all??

Well, no, that hasn't happened. (At least, not to my knowledge.) I still have hopes that it will, but that day has not yet arrived.

Maybe today is the day? Maybe!

Back to who was hugging me last weekend. First was Ronnie. Yep, our brother, Ronnie. I called him Saturday morning to see if he would join me at IHOP and he said yes! We had a good time there and he ate every bit of his sirloin tips with onions and mushrooms. Did you know he loves mushrooms?

Then, that afternoon, Christina and I went out for Mexican food. Always a favorite for me! Both her and that type of food! :-)

And on Sunday, I met Bonnie in Bluffton for lunch and a movie. She brought Merritt (9) and Conner (6) with her, too! Many hugs!!!

As the card says:

Valentine's Day
is a wonderful time
to think of the people we love,
So you can be sure
on this Valentine's Day
You're someone
that I'm thinking of.

(I added three exclamation points at the end.)

with much love!

my money's on the Seahawks!

Hey, Dood!

The 49th Super Bowl is almost here! That means it's older than you are. You've never known a world in which the Super Bowl did not exist.

Mind-boggling, isn't it? You know what boggles my mind? Many of my students were just toddlers when the World Trade Towers were attacked in September 2001. To them, that is ancient history, as it has permanently changed the world around them. No more going early to meet arriving flights at the airport, so you can greet family and friends as they step off the plane. Now, you wait in the cell phone lot for them to call you from the baggage room.

I miss meeting them at the gate. And when I travel, I miss having people in the hall, waiting with a welcoming hug. The young people of today have no idea what that's like.

Ah, well. I'm rooting for the Seahawks this year, for the same reason I supported the Mariners last year. I like their ocean-themed name and I like their uniforms! :-)

with much love!