26 films in 4 days, continued!

You didn't really think I was done, did you?

"Well, no, because you'd only given me a dozen movies."

Correcto mundo, mi amiga! That segues nicely to my third grouping: Buddy-film Film Festival. Note, these are not traditional such things. It isn't like Nolte and Murphy. Well, maybe one of them... no, not really. That was a cop and a convict. So, just forget about me saying that.

"Ummmm.... you could have just not written about it. Right?"

Yeah, I guess so. But it's late on the last day of April and I'm trying to get this done.

"Then just get on with it! Silly rabbit!"

I will! Okay, buddy films it is! "Compadres" paired a Mexican narcotics detective with a 17-year-old American computer hacker. Hey, that's akin to "48 Hrs." after all! The kid should have been put in jail, so that means Vic was a convict in the making, and Garza was most definitely a cop.

"Yes, dear."

That's right. Together, they were out to locate the money stolen by the bad guy that had kidnapped the cop's girlfriend. Pretty good and it even had a bit of subtitling thrown in!

"Oooohhh, almost a foreign film!"

Oooohhh, you think you're funny... wait, I know this one. You're...

"... a hoot! Hoot, hoot! Hahahaha!"

Yes, dear. Okay, let's move along. The kidnapping theme ran through the next movie, too. Here's a photo of the very surfer-buff Chris Evans with his buddy in this one.

"You mean, that blonde woman is Kim Basinger?"

No, I'm talking about the title character! "Cellular" is all about the guy running around, making things right, for the voice on the other end! Good for some laughs and some real drama!

"So you're claiming that 'cellular' has the last name 'phone'? Is that what you're saying?"

You got it, toots! Good call!

"That pun is for me? Thanks."

You're most welcome. Perhaps you'll like the next movie better. "The Brothers Grimm" is one I'd seen before, by the way, but it was nice to go back to the 'old days'. It was also nice to see Heath Ledger again, this time as Jacob, the smarter and more scientific brother, recording their adventures along the way. Not that I don't like Matt Damon, of course, because I regard him as the boy that I wish lived next door. (smile)

"I hear you! Yeah, he would be a fine neighbor!"

Exactly. So then I decided to change genders for the fourth, and final, film of this series. Time for some women to take the scene!

"I hear ya loud and clear! How about Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn?"

So, I thought, how about... wait! You guessed it! Peeker! Yes, it was time for "The Banger Sisters" to trot out and strut their stuff! Oddly, I had not seen this 2002 gem. I really liked this part, where they've just returned from a night of partying and are looking at the stars and reminiscing about Jim Morrison, again, for maybe the third time in the film.

"You should probably recommend this one to Melaness. She's always been such a fan of The Doors."

Good idea!

"You're up to 16 now. Ten more?"

You got it! Time for the Alliterative Titles Film Festival! Now, then, I admit this first one isn't strictly so, but it was listed without "The" on the HBO schedule, so there ya go. I debated whether to keep it or not, but I was really looking forward to this Jim Carrey flick... so I kept it. I'm glad I did! Such a preponderance of p's in "Mr. Popper's Penguins", predominantly pronounced by his protege, Pippi, about the packaged present from his papa!

"Hahahaha! Nicely done, dearie! I see why you kept the film!"

Precisely!

"The others were more in keeping with this film fest pretext?"

Positively! "Hollywood Homicide" had Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett paired together in their day job as cops, but with one working on the side as a realtor and the other as a yoga teacher.

"That sounds like a good flick. Lots of laughs?"

You know it! But this may be my favorite part: dancing to Smokey Robinson with Harrison Ford after a long day of work. Yes!

"I bet you played that part twice!"

Of course I did! I danced with him to "Tracks Of My Tears" both times, too! Really, the entire movie had a great soundtrack. I'm glad I decided to watch it, even though I'd already seen it before. Same thing with the first movie in this quartet, too, as well as the third one. That was "Brighton Beach", featuring baseball and boys and the whole 1937 vibe. Very nice to step back into that for a while.

"Plus, there was the beach scene, too."

That's right. But the last of the alliteration gambit was "Ella Enchanted", with the ever delightful Anne Hathaway as a princess given "perfect obedience" as a baby and having to grow up with that onus upon her. 

"And I guess someone had yelled for her to stop..."

To "freeze!", actually! And she had frozen there in mid-air, in mid-leap above that trough, until the person, flabbergasted, had told her to put her hands together in the air. That's when she'd collapsed into the water! Very funny movie, with a good number of singing bits, though all may as well have been at a karaoke bar. Still it put me into the mood to see a musical...

"...so you sought some out..."

... which was actually harder than it sounds. There really aren't that many genuine musicals out there these days. Still, for my HBO Kids Musicals Film Festival, I watched six of the seven proffered.

"I'm surprised they actually had that many."

Me, too. "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile: The Musical - The House on 88th Street" had a couple of numbers in it and was pretty cute. "Earthday Birthday", with baby dinosaurs born to save this planet, was tiresome, though I'm sure I'm not the intended audience. The third one, though, really tickled me! Narrated by Carol Burnett, "The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" was absolutely adorable and had me laughing! Such a bad little, hard-headed, bunny!

"Oh, that's wonderful! With his little jacket and shoes made into a scarecrow - funny!"

It truly was! Then "Ira Sleeps Over" was so charming, with the characters looking like they could have been extras in a Charlie Brown special!

"Major coolness!"

Yes, indeed! "Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel" presented a sweet tale of a machine that had become outdated by bigger and newer technology. But that didn't stop Mike from moving out to the smaller towns with Mary Ann, seeking to hire her out to do "the work of 100 men in one week" in just a single day. And she does, too! Then she gets repurposed to be the furnace in the last new building for which she dug the foundation. Hooray!

"Nice message of reduce-reuse-repurpose in that one!"

And it was a thirty-year-old movie! I was quite pleased.

"You still have one more, right?"

That's right, I do, and that was "Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". It was made in 1990, too. What a time he had! Waking to gum in his hair, having no dessert in his lunch bag, going to the dentist and finding a cavity, losing his favorite yoyo - wow. Animated like all the others, this one also had a dearth of songs, but - it made up for that. When his two brothers picked on him, that led into a song and dance number - about each fantasizing about how good they would have had it as an only child - that was truly inspired! I just wish it would have had more of those during its short run!

"Yeah, that was a really great song! I'm so glad you ended on that high note!"

A little joke for me? Thanks! Now, time to say goodnight, dear! I have a trip to Tybee tomorrow and need to make sure I'll be up for it!

"Good night, dear!"

26 films in 4 days!

"Let me guess: comcast has graced you with premium channels for free!"

Bing, bing, bing! That's right! Streampix, HBO, and Starz, to light my nights and my days with the highlights of Hollywood! Well, and other locales, too, of course.

"Of course! So many places making movies - Dire Straits must love it!"

I know I do.

"So... what movies have you seen?"

Well, you know me. I've turned this into a series of film festivals, rather than a smorgasbord with no particular order to it. The first block was "guy movies about love", inspired by a conversation of fb with Jay Sinclair. He has a bunch of old VHS movies and was asking where to donate them. Someone suggested the women's crisis center and he countered with "they probably wouldn't go for these guy movies." I told him I loved those flicks, having grown up with three brothers (and worked in male-dominated jobs all my life).

"So, what did he decide to do with the tapes?"

Beats me! I haven't kept up with future developments on that story. I've been pretty busy watching movies to be discussin' them!

"Hey, no skin off my nose! So, whatcha watched?"

Well, I started with "40 Days And 40 Nights", which sounds like it's about the rainstorm that floated Noah's Ark, but you have to think Christian, not Jewish.

"So, that would be Lent. Hey, is that a laundromat?"

It is!!! And the sign says "Clean Laundry is a Fresh Start"! Certainly assured me that I was at the right place, right time, on Tuesday!

"Magnificent! And the movie was good?"

It was fabulous! From that one, I went straight into "(500) Days Of Summer", which was also fabulous and had my boy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, trying to work his way over to Autumn.

"Hahaha! Not the season, but a girl's name, right? How punny!"

Indeed, it really was, and I loved the five-minute dance number! And I liked the dates bouncing around, not sequential. 

"Me, too. Really makes you pay attention."

So it did, making me ready for maybe a little something I already had seen before... and had espied in the listings. "Risky Business" was the ideal chaser!

"Oh, major coolness! Hard to believe Tom Cruise is 38 years older now than he was in that 1983 movie! Such good music, too!"

You know it! And that scene on the train... and the one with him catching the crystal egg like a football... very nice!

"Oh, yes, yes, yes! So many good moments!"

There certainly were! But I had noticed that the guys had gotten younger in those three films, so I needed a "guy in love" who was a bit older, right?

"Sure, I'll play along! Where's a guy our age, g'friend?"

Exactly. Enter Richard E. Grant as a middling singer with a major crush on a conductor with curves in her hair and her body. What's a man to do but stage AN OPERA, at his country house, with up and coming young stars? And so we have "1st Night"!

"Woohoo!!!"

But wait, it gets better! The opera was a Mozart comedy, "Cosi fan tutte", perhaps to not so subtly nudge his lady love in his direction.

"How delicious! A little inside joke for them!"

Precisely!

"And was there a fifth film?"

There was not, at least not in that vein. Plus, it was already after 2 AM, so I thought something shorter might be better. And so began the HBO Kid Shorts Film Festival! Appropriately, it started with "The Music In Me", which segued quite nicely from the opera movie. Right place, right time!

"Apparently so! How wonderful! I know you love the shorts!"

I do! That first one - of eight total - consisted of a mixture of home-made clips of kids playing their favorite instruments, interspersed with more professional segments with the kids talking about how they started playing. This boy, Tony, was very impressive, with a version of "Stormy Weather" that was incredibly upbeat! Loved it!

"He really was good! So were the other children, on their violins and guitars and pianos."

So very much talent out there! That was showcased in some other films, too, in this particular personal film festival. But I had followed up that one with "Flight", about a boy with dreams of being an astronaut and going to the moon... to be close to his "mom in heaven". I really felt for the dad when the son said that.

"I hear you."

Thanks. I thought I could use a little perkier topic before I turned in, so I cued up "The Leopards Take Manhattan: The Little Band That Roared". Excellent choice! This woman who wanted to get music into the middle-school classroom started a percussion class in 1993 that was not only still going strong, but led the group to a jazz education invitational to New York City in 2006, the year this movie was finished.

"Good for them! Not bad for a bunch of kids from Louisville, Kentucky!"

Not bad by a long shot! I have to wonder where they are now, fourteen years after that movie. Right? How many stayed with playing music? How many are in bands now?

"So many questions! I know just what you mean."

The next morning, I was tuned in to a bunch of kids overcoming personal hurdles by finding something to focus on. "I Can't Do This, I CAN Do That" showed how those with non-physical issues (dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, audio processing disorder, sensory processing disorder) were able to use playing a musical instrument or dancing or some other favorite activity to bypass the problem, at least for a while. One kid put it best: "I don't like the term 'disability', I prefer the term 'different', because that is how I see myself."

"Yeah, I get that. Labels may help statisticians, but they sure do box people in."

Exactly. "I Have Tourette's, but... Tourette's Doesn't Have Me" followed that same motif, with real kids, talking on film to other kids, about their symptoms and their work to overcome them. Again, playing instruments or finding a hobby they enjoyed, including dance, allowed them some control over their bodies' tics and spasms and utterances. It was definitely made clear that they were not their disease.

"Those both sound pretty serious for a group of shorts targeted to a young audience."

Well, wait until you hear about two others. The first I saw would have been right at home in the SJFF, it really would have been. "The Number On Great-Grandpa's Arm" was beautifully done, with a middle-school aged boy having a conversation with his G'Gpa about his time in Auschwitz. Bear in mind that the man would have been about the boy's age at the time.

"Wow."

The one I watched right after that was another history lesson for the young. "What happened on September 11?" was certainly kinder and gentler than the news had been during that time. In this scene, a survivor is explaining to the class what it was like to have an acre of offices, per floor, crashing down as you struggle to get out of the building.

"Wow."

My favorite part was near the end, when they were talking about The Survivor Tree, once a charred stump buried in the rubble for 30 days, now a 30-foot tall beauty with hundreds of white blossoms. It's a flowering pear, much like the one in my front yard.

"That's pretty cool. Nice to feel a personal connection with that area."

It is. I remember going up in the World Trade Center - I don't recall which Tower - up to the observation area and feeling the building sway. That was before I went to Okinawa, you know.

"Yes, I recall you going on about that a few years back, when you saw "The Walk". What a lovely movie that was, when the building was freshly built!"

Yes, and that was with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, too.

"Indeed. It sounds like you're winding down, but I only count seven shorts here. Had you misspoken earlier?"

I had not. The eighth one, "Family Is Family Is Family", explored different types of family groups. You know, much like that commercial that has "love has no color, love has no religion, love has no gender". This included love of adopted children and foster children, too, so it was a nice glimpse back ten years. I wonder how all those families are doing?

"Good question. I have to wonder how the pandemic has affected all those folks."

Yes, well that will have to wait another day. Time for me to slunch! I have chirashi!

"Later, chica!"

ten was bit too many

I'm talking about events that required me to be on my gluteus maximus to partake, events that demanded my attention to be focused on an unblinking eye at close proximity.

Yes, I'm talking about Zooms and related platforms.

 

Those began last Tuesday with three such events - all Zooms - on a single day.

The first, at high noon, from the NY Council Navy League, had billed itself as a National Security Briefing.

That it was not.

In truth, "Not Your Father's Naval War College", with James E. Hickey, was a history lesson and sales pitch for the Navy War College.

As a veteran of the US Navy, I found it interesting, but not pertinent, as the talk was aimed at encouraging officers to enroll.

The evening found me at two events that started close together, requiring me to miss part of one in order to fully sit in on the other.

It actually worked in my favor that the Telfair event began first.

That was in conjunction with the Savannah VOICE Festival.

"Mozart To Puccini: Opera Costume and Set Production - a Chat with Two Met Legends" was one I'd looked forward to for a while, as it featured the new fashion exhibit as well as noted Verdi baritone Sherrill Milnes and famed designer Fabrizio Melano.

That chat turned out to be more from Maria Zouves than from Sherrill, but that's okay; they're an old married couple!

Overall, it was a very nice glimpse behind the curtains of opera productions, emphasizing all of the work - set design, costume fabrication, lighting, set construction - required to turn words on a page into musical delight.

(Of course, I'd had years behind the scenes when I was with A.C.T.O.R. in Okinawa and the Masquers at Armstrong, so that was a nice trip down memory lane for me!)

When the Q&A began, I stayed briefly, then jetted off before the end.

The next event was already on.

I missed about twenty-five minutes of the Georgia Water Coalition's "Clean 13 Water Heroes Awards Ceremony".

As it turned out, that meant I didn't see the two-minute videos touting the work of the first four awardees.

The good news is that I caught the ones for the other nine recipients.

I am so impressed with the environmentally-friendly work they are all doing!

The one that most amazed me was the WaterHub at Emory University, a device, akin to the system at Armstrong's greenhouse, takes the sewage from the University, treats it, and recycles it into clean water for the on-campus air conditioning system and flushing toilets; that amounts to 40% of the school's water needs!

Emory is the first site in the United States to have this water reclamation system from Europe and have been using it successfully for five years.

Hopefully, others will follow their lead!

Wednesday, I only had one Zoom.

That was the monthly talk, at 9 PM, from the UCBRFA, this time from Lorrie Shepard.

"What Research On Learning Says About Testing And Assessment" mirrored what I'd found true back in 2010, as a full-time teacher.

(As such, participation in faculty reading groups was a requirement and mine focused on a book about methods of teaching.)

What her talk mostly told me was how very slowly change occurs, as many places of education still use a on-functioning system which is a century old.

So, nothing particularly new, but very entertaining in its presentation.

That was good.

Earth Day found me with a stunning number of online events: four.

Two have already appeared here. 

A third, sandwiched between them, was part of the FSU Three Torches series.

Titled "Versatility In Hospitality", it was something I know my nephew Tyler would like.

Brian Ford, Chief Operating Officer of the Super Bowl LV Tampa Bay Buccaneers , graduated from my alma mater in 1989 (that's when I was there!) with a BS in business, parlaying that, as well as experience in contract food and beverage, into this hospitality-centered job that he's had for the last 15 years.

His interest in working in the sports field began while he was a student, spending summers in the construction of an arena.

He impressed upon the audience his view that sports are the entertainment that brings in people to buy the food and drinks - which certainly sounds like the same mantra of Jesse Cole of the Savannah Bananas, right?

Very entertaining talk!

That evening found me back online, this time at the National Geographic website, for "Behind The Curtain: Secrets Of The Whales, A Celebration of Earth Day", with Brian Skerry at the helm.

This was a much more family-friendly event than the earlier one I'd seen in March.

Then again, this special was to promote a new series on Disney+, so that accounts for the emphasis on whale families, whale babies, and whale communication.

My favorite shot, though, was this: him perched on a stool against a brick wall in his office, an alligator away from the camera man with the cue cards, with a second camera capturing the scene.

I guess I was the third camera, eh?

After that surfeit of laptop scenes, the silver screen of AMC was the focus of my gaze on Friday and Saturday, as I watched lead characters fighting evil die near movie's end.

(Those would be: King Kong in "Godzilla Vs. Kong"; Raya in "Raya And The Last Dragon"; Hanzo Hasashi in "Mortal Kombat"; and Rengoku  in "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train".)

Yesterday found me at two Zooms.

The first event was the virtual coffee hour following AMC's "Dancing In The Rain" sermon.

(That would be the church, of course, not the cinema.)

That had a smaller number of fellow zoomers than usual, so no breakout rooms this time.

We also closed up earlier than usual, though not before I shared my car washing story.

The early release was part of the reason I sought out the museum afterward, as I wanted to be around others.

Just as well I was home at 5 PM.

That put me in time for the final Zoom of the week.

It was the first time I've ever been to one intended for the Friends of The Telfair patrons and it was termed a Virtual Garden Party lecture.

Elizabeth Jamieson led us through "Traveling In Style: The Horse And The Country House In England", showing the correlation to the carriage houses in Savannah.

Her talk was quite in-depth on the workings of such places and the care of the buggies and the horses and the many roles of the people who handled such tasks.

I must admit, when I realized the focus of her talk, I wandered off, tidying up my house for Carolyn's visit.

Part of the issue was the tone of her voice, but mostly it was a lack of interest on my part.

I had hoped, really and truly, for a discussion of something more pertinent to garden parties: tea sets, silverware patterns, dish art, serving containers, picnic baskets.

None of that was forthcoming.

Ah, well, you can't have it all, right?

Where would you put it?

(That's a favorite joke of mine.)

So, what is lined up for this week?

Not any Zooms, that's for sure.

Perhaps a trip to Tybee is in order, with a trip to the Jepson on the near horizon.

A break from the small screen is definitely due.

oscar, party of 2

I have to believe Mama would have enjoyed this 93rd Academy Awards show.

For this show, the first during a year of pandemic in a century, great care was taken to ensure the safety of the health of all.

I don't know where it was held, but it wasn't row after row of nominees and guests, packed elbow to elbow.

The layout had each party at their own tables on a tiered floor; all persons present had been fully vaccinated and tested prior to the show; and everyone was careful to maintain distance and avoid touch.

Quite impressive.

The show made a point of reminding all viewers that this was not their first rodeo when it came to making movies during a pandemic.

They'd learned how to do it 100 years ago, and they remembered those hard-won lessons.

That's why they honored the Motion Picture & Television Fund, that had been established for helping destitute members of those realms, with the Humanitarian Award.

Very cool!

The folks in charge - not a comedian, for a change - did things a bit differently, and that was a very welcome change.

For one thing, the announcer for each award would introduce each nominee with a tidbit of information about them, allowing us a glimpse into their lives.

That was awesome!

For another thing, there was no sense of rushing around to keep time with a clock.

Winning nominees had plenty of time to get from their table to the stage.

Once on the stage, the winning nominees were free to stay as long as they needed, with no one trying to hurry them along.

That was awesome, too!

And guess what?

It even ended before midnight!

It's actually been over for about ten minutes, at least.

When was the last time that happened?

The entire program was one of inclusion, of everyone belonging, of all welcome, and of a celebration of jobs well done.

Carolyn and I loved the whole thing, from start to finish, including the Rolex commercial.

We both hope future Oscars will be awarded in this same format, as it is one that honors the nominees and the winners, as well as the audience at home.

 

This year's show was a rarity for us: we had seen so few of the movies nominated for awards.

Usually, we would have seen nearly all.

Now, we have our appetites whetted in hopes of the local cinemas bringing some of those winners nearby so we can have a gander at them.

Please, AMC, could that happen for us?

I certainly hope so!
At least we didn't "go" to the awards hungry!

I supplied the Jack Daniels' Honey Pulled Chicken and a pasta salad, she brought the green apple coleslaw from Bowtie Barbeque, and we chowed down, leaving hardly anything behind from our indoors 'picnic'.

So very tasty!

Thanks, Carolyn, for suggesting our 'watch party' last weekend!

(smile!)

rescued by... gilligan

I actually attended church today, for the first time in a few weeks, maybe the first time this month.

The April showers yesterday made the topic, "Dancing In The Rain", seem tailor-made perfect.

Not quite, as it turned out.

Not even Billy's reference to the Clergy Talks and Scott Bakula could quite make it right.

It all started going south on me when Rev. Bob Chvatal stepped up to do the Pastoral Prayer.

He was speaking the words to "Morning Has Broken", one of my favorite hymns, and I found myself singing along, realizing with a jolt: I miss singing in church.

I miss singing in church, with the light streaming into the sanctuary all around me - with other people in the pews singing all around me -

with Billy leading the way, encouraging all to pour their heart and soul into the words.

I miss singing in church.

I stayed for the Coffee Hour Zoom, but there weren't many with me.

I talked about washing my car in the rain yesterday, and how much I'd enjoyed it.

They spoke of new puppies (Candace) and upcoming knee surgeries (Linda) and how good Chuck's cookies were at the river clean-up yesterday morning.

There were so few of us that we didn't even break into chat rooms.

I headed for the Jepson after that, looking forward to having sunshine streaming in as I visited the new exhibits.

No, that didn't happen.

There was absolutely no parking for blocks and blocks and blocks.

Where to next?

I headed to Greenwich, determined to have a walk-about.
After all, it was a lovely, sunny day!

And I no sooner exited my car near the Barry plot than a bee zeroed in, dive-bombing my head!

Realizing it must think the bright pink hair holder promised a flower, I removed the item from my hair and placed it into my pocket.

The bee left... but ants had attacked my left foot.

Taking my cue, I took off, walking over to Jean Marie's place.

A horsefly now dogged my every movement, periodically landing on an arm, determined to get a bite.

Apparently, I was not meant to stay out there.

I hurried back to my car, frantically waving my arms as I walked, with the insect making fleshfall at any slowing of my movements.

I was concerned that it would follow into my car... but it took off instead.

Fine, home again is where I was meant to be.

That turns out to have been correct.

In need of diversion, I switched on the tv -

and there he was, little Gilligan, clad all in white as the Good Guy, gallantly fighting off the marauding pirates (the Professor and the Skipper) who had taken hostage all the womenfolk.

Quite marvelous!

And just what was needed to calm my jangled nerves again.

Now, to finish straightening up the house.

Carolyn is coming for an Oscar-watching Party of Two... and that's good.

(smile)

and the hubcaps all gleam

 

I have been waiting for weeks to do this: to wash my car in the rain.

The weather kept bringing night showers.

Those would not do.

Finally, daytime precipitation came!

First, early morning rain to loosen all the baked-on oak sperm for my soft-scrub sponge, then a solid, cleansing rinse of sure 'nuf rain to bring out my car's natural blue highlights!

I was pretty solidly rinsed, too! LOL!

That's okay, I'd dressed for the occasion in shorts and a shirt that needed to go into the laundry - they're draped over the shower rod, draining still.

As for me, I took a shower and even washed my hair, so I'm squeaky clean from my head to-ma-toes!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

That pun is on a Food Lion reusable tote that my first niece has now! She liked it so much that I just had to give it to her!

Let's see, what else has touched water today?

Oh, yes, the dishes!

They certainly had been begging to be washed, but I just hadn't quite gotten a round tuit.

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

Now, "Earth Girls Are Easy" is streaking along on Comet, so...

later, y'all!

(smile!)

memories from 1973

It's Saturday, right?

So, in accordance with my groove thing, I was waiting for "Bernie Mac" to start...

and I had thirty minutes to sit.

Then I noticed a nearby channel had something that looked interesting and tuned in.

And justthatfast, I was whisked back in time to my sophomore year of high school.

It was a Saturday morning, too, and my brothers were still in their pajamas, watching the cartoons, and I heard Daddy call me from the kitchen.

As I stood there, he began vomiting and told me he had taken rat poison.

I ran next door and Mary Norman called for an ambulance, then I ran back and told the boys to get dressed.

Mary Norman came and waited with us until the ambulance took Daddy to the hospital.

Then what to do with us?

I called Uncle Jimmy and he came and picked us up, taking us down to Waycross, to where Mama had been staying during the trial separation from Daddy.

Grandpa had lined up a trailer for her and that's where me and my brothers stayed, too.

I don't remember all the details, like sleeping arrangements for us four kids or just how long we were there.

It all seemed like a dream, right?

But one crystallized memory evidently remained.

It popped to the forefront as soon as the title card of the show popped up during the infomercial.

And I remembered watching "The Merv Griffin Show" on a sunny afternoon in the fall, that variety talk show being the highlight of an idle day of sitting in that trailer.

Do I remember the guests he had during those days spent in Waycross?

I don't have a clue.

Maybe it had been John Denver or perhaps Carole King or, then again, it could have been Liberace or a young Whitney Houston.

Those were people highlighted during the infomercial that was trying to sell a series of curated shows.

Whoever it was, though, seems unimportant to my memory.

What was important at the time was the fact that afternoon sunlight was streaming into the room where I was watching the show.

Evidently, that was the thing my brain deemed important: that I was watching Merv Griffin and the sun was shining.

And here it is, another Saturday morning.

What an odd video my memory pulled up for me.

What a relief to know that time is long, long ago, in the past...

but how sad that I have lost so many of the players.

Grandpa, Mary Norman, Grandma, Mama, Daddy, Uncle Jimmy... all gone now.

I wonder what my brothers recall from that moment in time? 

And now "Bernie Mac" is on and both episodes deal with the death of a beloved uncle.

Wow.

comic book and game show kevin!

Mr. Awesome, indeed!

Drawn by an 11-year-old boy (as the story told), the hero of his comic book had the ability to zap bad guys with his finger.

No, not with that finger!

With his index finger!

Hahahaha!

When I read that the plot involved comic books, I stayed to watch, even though it wasn't part of my groove.

What really kept me going to my camera, though, was trying to catch this pre-'mercial break send-up, with Matlock done up as a cartoon hero.

By the end of the show, the boy drew him in a cape, a red one, because the lawyer wanted to fly like Superman!

Very nice!

That's the second time this week that I've watched something that wasn't part of my usual breakfast line-up.

On Sunday, the ex had texted that he was watching "my friend Diana Scarwid" in a "Law & Order" episode, one he tuned in to because the title was also that of a Paul Simon song.

On Wednesday morning, Bounce tv had the same episode in their list - so I got to see it, too!

I'm glad I did. It had been a favorite for me, all about scientific integrity.

I wouldn't even have been looking for it if Jeff had not spoken of it.

Right place, right time!

Anywho, after the "Matlock" I went right back into my groove today, getting a bit of Drew Carey and "The Price Is Right".

And who should be the first contestant?

This guy, this bespectacled bundle of energy!

And what might his name be?

Kevin.

He even went on to be one of the two contestants vying for the grand prize.

I cheered for him, of course, even though I'm not his honorary Auntie.

Right place, right time!

i thank You, God!

maria, i just spent earth day with maria...

It's absolutely true!

My day began with Maria Zouves at the center of "For The Beauty Of The Earth", the song that was the heart of this "VOICES That Heal" episode.

That's the program that Savannah VOICE Festival does in conjunction with Hospice Savannah, under the guidance of Chad Sonka, that baritone I adore.

(I do hope my oldest niece, Christy, was 'there' with me or was able to watch it later.)

That was at 11 AM, with breakfast.

At 1 PM, Maria was back again, this time paired with the JEA for their Thursday "Food For Thought" Zoom.

(I sure do miss the lunches shared with others at the 'live' talks.)

The VOICE folks were there for "From Stage To Screen", sharing the hurdles surmounted and insights gained last year during the svf-8.

As she put it: "We had all the ingredients pulled together and ready to cook, but then the stove broke down."

The task then was to convert the planned onstage shows into virtual onscreen films while maintaining the level of artistry and engagement that the previous seven years of festivals had achieved.

Carlton Moe, Marijan Gladić, Melanie Spector, Chad Sonka, Jessica Ann Best: all were there to speak of problems they had faced and conquered - bravo!

As they again shared some of those opera videos, I sang along and clapped and let them see how much I appreciated their work!

That was something they had all missed, that return visual from the audience that the message imparted was received.

I totally understand.

I miss being in the audience at a live show.

I know that, I do...

but it really came home to me in the last video shared.

That was one I didn't know, one I had not seen before.

Serendipity had Peter Lake and Emily Yocum Black in Savannah recently and Maria said they were filmed for an amazing 14 videos, all with proper pandemic protocols in place.

Wow, right?

For this lunchtime zoom, we were treated to one of those new pieces.

The song was "Tonight", from "West Side Story", one of my favorite musicals.

The place was the garden shared with Paul and Cathy at the Owens-Thomas House.

And, at some point while Peter and Emily were singing and dancing along, I transitioned from enthralled to in tears.

I tried to mask my reaction, not wanting to bring down the others at the zoom...

I tried, albeit not quite successfully, wiping my tears on my sleeve at the end...

trying to pass it off as emotionally touched by the music.

Fortunately for me, the zoom ended shortly after and I quickly took my leave -

and found myself gasping for air as I sobbed.

"I want my life back," I heard myself shout, when my breath had returned.

I do, too.

I have so missed being in the audience for a live concert, for a live play, for a live talk.

I have so missed that.

lunch with funny-faced girls!

Yep, yep, that's them!

Miyah was crying, missing her bubba, tired and taking refuge in the fort atop the slide.

Next thing I knew, the twins had joined her as well as her baby sister, all to keep her company.

Then, to lighten the mood, Leila crossed her eyes...

I made a big deal of getting out my camera...

and all tears disappeared as the other three girls joined in making funny faces!

That's Leila, Alyssa, Chloe, and Miyah, with three out of four able to cross their eyes at will!

Miss Chloe hasn't quite gotten the knack yet, but she's trying!

All of them thought it was hilarious as pretended to be freaked out, clicking the shutter over and over again, sharing the photos with each of them before taking another.

What a wonderful way to chase tears away!

The twins had to leave shortly after, as Monday is a school day.

The other two blondes were soon to bed as well, for the same reason.

I stayed on to give moral support to their mom as she plowed through online homework - in algebra - for the next four hours.

Boy oh boy, it really showed that it's been more than three decades since I had that!

 

But what fun we had earlier!

Michael and his girls had arrived in Hinesville just minutes after me.

We were all there for the cookout!

Beef brisket with Apple Crown barbeque sauce!

Pork chops, hotdogs, bratwurst!

Baked beans, German green bean salad, cheesy hash browns!

Angel food cake, popsicles, and strawberry pie!

Well, none of that last thing for me, of course, but more cake instead!

This was the girls holed up in the living room, waiting for the hotdogs to get done, ready to eat and wanting to make sure not to miss out.

LOL! Like that would happen!

That was the only time they were all inside, as the day was beautiful and warm and called for all of us to come outside and enjoy spring!

So we did, naturally.

So did this caterpillar, attracted to the flowers on my top and the bright salmon of my skort.

Christina rescued me from it - or vice versa, maybe - and Michael looked up what it's future self would be.

Oh, poor thing!

A drab brown moth is what it becomes, not a brilliantly hued monarch!

I guess it needs to enjoy its yellow dots and sage greens while it still has them.

As for me, I'm going to enjoy these beloved ones every chance I get.

Thank you, Christina, for this invitation and for sporting the jewelry I'd given you.

Thank you, Chris and Christina, for cooking up a pile of deliciousness to share and granting me CJ's room for the night.

Thank you, Michael, for the dessert and the reminder that I need to call more often.

i thank You, God, for this time we had together.

Life is short.

The distance between here and there is a scant 47 miles.
I checked.

It doesn't matter if I take DeRenne to Veteran's Parkway to 95-South to their exit, as I did on the way there yesterday.

Nor does it make a difference if I go from their house to 17-North to Abercorn to Truman Parkway to my home, as I did this morning.

Forty-seven miles.

And I didn't even need the GPS this time.

i thank You, God.

sockhop with sandy!

'Tis true and for real! 

I started off this day with two hours of dancing 'with' mi amiga Sandy!

She had invited me to join her at AARP's "Daybreaker Live! Rock 'n' Rollin' Spring Fling: A Sock Hop Dance!

I had dressed to party down, with my favorite skort and the hot pink socks with the big white hearts - woohoo!

Don't I look like a dancin' queen?

All I need is a tiara!

(smile!)

As it turned out, the 'dance' lasted about an hour and a quarter.

See that duo on the right?

Well, he goes by the moniker "Daybreaker" and he was the one "Live" in this zoom; she led us in some warm-up moves and meditations for about 40 minutes.

On the left is "The Vintage DJ", with the inside joke being that he spins oldies and is an oldie - hahahaha!

My favorite parts of the soiree, though, were with the live groups.

The Swayzees were somewhere down in Key West, starting us off with a medley of "Do You Love Me?" and "Twist And Shout" - now, that's the way to start a party!

I don't know which bar they were at down in Florida, but I love that lighted sign over the mirror!

Pursue Happiness

That could certainly be my mantra!

(smile!)

Postmodern Jukebox was cued up in the bottom half of the event.

Coming to us over the ether from Los Angeles, their "Feel It Still" sang of being "a rebel just for kicks now," and that they'd been "doing it since 1966 now".

Hahahaha! Hahaha! Ain't none of them old enough for that!

(smile!)

lunch with my 1st niece and littlest girl!

I am so glad we had set this up days ago!

Fridays are her day off, but she usually has them tied up with homework.

This one was, partially, but she also had an important task that had to be done.

No, not this luncheon!

A doctor appointment!

No, not for herself, but for this charming elf!

Littlest Girl will be in Pre-Kindergarten in the fall - my, how time flies, right?! - so it was time for her to get the litany of shots required for that step in her life.

She had taken it like the trooper she is!

Sure, she was a little subdued, but she had known before the doc visit that she'd be seeing her G'Aunt Tina, so she was all in favor of that!

Me, too!

Most def, me, too.

i thank You, God.

dawn of lunch!

Honestly, I had thought abut cropping this shot, to get rid of the truck in the background.

I had, truly.

Then I read what was written on it:

"CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND".
Well, I can vouch for that!

Friday - and the cinemas being open - is tomorrow, making this the 'weekend eve'!

How better to celebrate than with this woman, at what seems to be 'our' lunch place?

That's right, we were at The King & I for our fix of Thai... hey, that rhymed!

(smile!)

Dawn and I spent a little over two hours, her with salmon, me with Nam Sod, just as we had in the early part of 2020.

That time, we talked of her latest Soup Party and were trying to plan a murder-mystery dinner at my place.

This time, we talked about vaccinations (we're both done!), family and friends that have not yet stepped up (but my brother Smitty and nephew Tyler did so this morning!), her 2020 wedding to her man and the summer wedding of a niece that she will officiate (party of 5 on 26 December in her backyard; party of 150 planned for June in Chicago).

We also talked of being tired of the pandemic, tired of the political unrest still plaguing our country, tired of myths being taken as gospel... just tired.

I know, I try to make it sound like I'm having a good time more often than not, but that's for my benefit, mostly.

I have to maintain a positive outlook, I just have to.

What is the purpose of living if there is no life to it?

Right?

That's why I have a lot of different 'places' to go to on afternoons and evenings, 'events' that don't require the need to mask up and travel with alligators.

(She got a kick out of the 'pets' I have!)

In fact, after lunch with Dawn, I had time for an errand before going off to "A Day At The Beach"!

One Hundred Miles had Stephanie out at Tybee for the 'facebook live' event...

and she had a treasure trove of shells of local marine life!

Channel whelks and moon snails!

Lettered olives and sand dollars!

And that item right there in this photo?

It's a mermaid purse!

No, seriously, that's its name!

That's what skates use for birthing their young.

I learned that today!

I had seen these, or pieces of them, on beaches, but never knew what they were.

Charming name for them!

Just a little after that, I had another 'local' event, this time zooming with Jepson!

Sauda Mitchell, featured artist for the "#art912: Re-Cor-Dare" talk, was sharing insights on the four different sections of her works at the museum.

I am most looking forward to this one, "Voyages", a rare exhibit that combines the senses of sight (the visual of the art and the poem segments by each piece), sound (a piece of music in the background that speaks of the ocean to her), and smell (as I'm sure I'll catch the tang of salt water in the air!).

Now... if only I can touch some of the pieces... just run my fingers in the air over them, to trace the shapes, the catch the texture of the fibers...

yes, I can definitely do that!

And what was the errand earlier, post-lunch?

I buzzed over to Office Depot!

And why had I done that??

They have graciously offered to laminate the COVID vaccination cards for everyone that have completed their shot series...

for free!

When I handed the coupon to the young man at the counter, he practically bounced, he was so delighted!

He even told me, joyously, that he'd gotten his second shot - of Pfizer - just yesterday!

Marvelous!!!