bacon park fireworks party!!!

 

Live music!!!

I never did catch their names, but these two guys kept up a constant stream of tunes for three hours!

Sometimes one of them sang, sometimes the other, but those guitars were in action all the time!

I even got up and danced some!!!

Game tournament!!!

There were four pairs of corn hole boards set up for the tournament, which required an entry fee.

There were also three pairs of corn hole boards in the field beside the giant bounce-house slide!

None of us did any of that.

My youngest brother and his bride of absolutely 7 years were enjoying their spiked drinks, knowing they had me as their designated driver.

Hey, I was happy to be invited to this shindig!

That meant grilled burgers at their house before we came out -

very tasty! 

Peyton went over to the playground and hung out with her summer friend, Claire, that she met at the pool.

Nice that another 11-year-old was there!

In fact, there were lots of kids of lots of ages!

This was a real family event!

I even ran into one of my outlaw Melinda's youngest sister!

Rather, Robin saw me when I walked up to the singing duo!

She and I talked for a while, and she came over to greet Tony and meet Laura -

very nice!!! 

Turned out she and Dino were sitting just fifteen feet from us!

We were all awaiting the sky show, 

watching for the blue sky above 

to darken enough for stars to shine,

waiting as we ate boiled peanuts

and drank iced Fresca.

Oh, wait, that last part was just me.

(smile!)

Then, just before 9 PM, the show started!!!

We were set up to the side of a huge tree and the fireworks seemed to be shooting out of every branch, all the way up, bursting towards us!!!

It was as if we were in warp drive and flying through the Milky Way Galaxy at maximum velocity!!!

Wow!!!

I decided to venture across the field,

going over by the slide on the playground,

wanting to see the flashing lights above me...

success!!!

This was closer than I've ever been to the fireworks!!!

Not even at the Savannah Sand Gnat games or the Savannah Bananas games had I ever seen anything that compared to this!!!

I was close enough to see the four men working steadily behind the barricades to keep the show going!

When I turned to try to see my brother and his family, I saw only darkness until a bursting blast above brought this view of others, like me, in awe of the brilliant lights and sounds!

Such a magnificent celebration of the independence of the USA from England's rule!!!

No kings for us ever again!!!

We chose government 

by the people,

for the people,

of the people!!!

Hallelujah!!!

How blessed we are to have been born in this country where we have such freedoms and so many choices!!!

I am still so excited from this show tonight!!!

Thanks, Tony and Laura!!!

mother's day25, sans Mama

After checking the weather report, I decided to partake of the free tour hosted by the Bonaventure Historical Society.

The rains weren't due until about 3:30 to 4 pm and the 90-minute tour was to begin at 2 pm.

I parked up front, not realizing there would be parking further into the cemetery.

That's okay, I needed a nice brisk walk... and I had one, too, from the welcome center to the middle of the shaded area.

 

When I arrived, Bonaventure Don was giving the folks gathered there a condensed history of Savannah, starting with James Oglethorpe and his group of debtors that he'd brought to start a settlement.

Debtors? Not criminals?

These were actually skilled tradesmen who'd ended up in debtors prison because they had come upon hard times and not been able to pay their creditors.

Oglethorpe bought their freedom by paying their debts, making them obligated to sail away to the new world with him.

Smart move.

That talk went for about 15 minutes, then we moved on to the family tomb in which Mary Telfair's body is encased.

Don had quite a lot to say about that feisty woman, too, and the research library, women's hospital, and museum that she set up when she got the family wealth.

Of course, that meant her four brothers pre-deceased her and that the last of them had awarded that fortune to her rather than to someone else.

Our tour guide also talked about the history of Bonaventure Cemetery, once a well-known final resting place for the wealthy after Bonaventure Plantation was bought and turned into Evergreen Cemetery.

The site held that name until the City of Savannah bought it in 1907, changing the name to its present title and opening it to all.

I even saw the American Legion Field there, right across from the grave of Noble Jones, one of Savannah's forefathers whose body was moved from Wormsloe to one other cemetery before finally coming to rest here in the late 1800's.

The American Legion Field (lower center arrow) is where I would like to have a marker, as a member of Post 36; I need to check into that paperwork.

Hard rain cut the tour off at 3:15 and we all hustled off.

Heidi Hoffman of Asbury recognized me earlier, which was very nice!

I shared my umbrella with her and her little dog, Whiskey, when the rain first started.

Then, when the tour was called short, she gave me a lift back to my car.

Right time, right place for me!

She even wished me a good visit with Mama in Greenwich.

(smile!)

I had a good visit, too, as the hard rain abated and eventually stopped.

I usually don't go there on high-traffic days like today, but the meme posted by Sherry Giddens a few days ago prompted my trip.

"God spoke today in flowers, and I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation." 

I brought flowers with me, a spray with white petals on five arms, one each for Mama, Jean Marie, and Ronnie, wishing each a 'happy Mother's Day'.

I made sure to enjoy the scenery at each site, too.

Very nice, very reassuring.

Right place, right time.

 

On my way home, I took the long way around, choosing to drive past my youngest brother's house to see if his kids might be there.

Lo and behold, Hope's car was in the driveway!

So I parked and found all - Tony and Laura, Damon and his daughter Carissa, Hope and her sons Sebi and Bert - had just sat down for a late Sunday dinner.

 

Tony invited me to stay so I did, dining on baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, Brussels sprouts, Caesar salad, and even tiramisu for dessert.

And we all talked and shared news of our days and it was wonderful!

I even had big hugs from all, especially Hope and Damon, and that was very good, as it had been Christmas when I last saw this niece and nephew.

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

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!

funny faces!

They have arrived!
Remember when I visited my youngest brother last month?
I'd talked about the two photos that were taken?
Well, they were waiting for me when I got home today!

The "regular" photo is fine,
but this one
is quite the bomb diggity,
is it not?
(smile!)
I think he and I need to make this a tradition, a little inside joke between we two.

It certainly was fun to do and brought a smile to the photographer's face, too. I'd bet it lightened the mood, as well, for the guards and other folks in the visitation room that day.
Absolutely worth it!
Now to post to the "Book of Face" and share with the family!

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.

Tony has his GED!!!

I am so proud of my youngest brother! One more step completed towards his goal of furthering his education! I am so proud of his choice to do that!

That's what I posted on fb for family and friends.

So many responded with "likes" and "loves", and a few comments, too!
-- -- -- -- --
Comments
Robin Ritenour Jenkins
That is WONDERFUL, Tina!!!!! Very proud of Tony.
(12y)

Christy Ward-Parker
AWESOME!!!!
(12y)

Faustina Smith
Wow... thanks everyone! I know Tony is going to very surprised that so many applauded his achievement! ❤ to all!
(12y)

Dee Smith Phillips
I rec'd a card and a picture of him in it, along with his test scores,,,i'm always rooting for him...Prayer is Powerful!
(12y)