listen up, diamond

Time has rolled around for the Annual Meeting of the Diamond Resorts U.S. Collection Members Association.

It's to be held 28 September 2021 in Las Vegas.

I've thought about attending over the past few years, but have not yet, nor will I this year, since Savannah is now at more than 1.3% COVID positive.

For folks not adept at math, that means one in eighty people that I may meet on the street or in a building are infected by SARS-CoV-2.

ONE in EIGHTY.

I'll be keeping my mask on, thanks.

That's the reason I'm not going to movies on weekends - far too many of the under-30 crowd, unvaccinated and without masks, there for the plethora of horror flicks.

I guess the horror of dying on a ventilator is not real enough for them.

What does any of this have to do with my 'vacation ownership' at Diamond?

I'm clearly explaining why I have not traveled much these past few months.

I follow the science, as does Mayor Johnson of my fair port city, and, having watched his Tuesday address twice this morning, I will certainly stay masked up.

And, much as I would love to go off to Ormond Beach or Daytona, I will abstain.

I did not abstain from voting for two candidates for the Board of Directors.

After reading the candidates' statements, it was clear who I didn't want: people who were resume builders (obviously in for the short haul), people who were happy to be Diamond Platinum (too rich to benefit those disenfranchised), and people who were obviously old (and possibly prestige driven).

Paul Bedoe and Hilary Jones Rojo fit the bill for me.

He wrote: "Why Paul?"

That definitely grabbed my interest, as it was not the litany of credentials of the majority of the candidates.

He also wrote that he is the "father and grandfather of 15 who understands the cost and complexity of traveling, including the needs of the travelers."

Amen to that!

Hopefully, he can put the kibosh on the concierge desk hassling owners for sales pitches throughout their stay.

He is very active, listing hiking, camping, fishing, golf, skiing - so his vacation time is not spent lounging poolside with a drink at the resort.

Amen to that!

She wrote that she has been an owner for 20 years "of Diamond, Sunterra, Epic...", which means she has been through the same takeovers that I have.

December of 2000 was when I first purchased at Epic Resorts, which became Sunterra.

That was a pretty gentle transfer compared to that of Diamond several years later.

I wouldn't say Diamond's takeover was hostile... but it was close to it.

So, why have I stayed?

Believe me, I've been trying for the last five years to get out of it.

I even thought I had finally found a buyer this past December, when I was contacted by a lawyer for a travel firm offering me $103,500 for my 18,000 points.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

It turns out it was a scam.

Elite Travel International, based in Albuquerque, NM, turned out to have a fake website (elitetravelint.com) that had vanished by February.

The lawyer, Carlos Enrrique Garcia, was a licensed attorney, but he had a website (cegassocintlaw.com) that didn't exist, either, as well as a series of phone numbers that didn't concur with those on the paperwork.

One phone number and address was even that of what may have been the metalworks company (Garcia Sheet Metal Corp.) of his family.

I had balked on completing the form that requested my bank information.

At least I didn't lose money on that deal.

So, I still need to address the question: why Hilary Rojo?

Like me, she is tired of the head games played by Diamond Resorts.

As she says, she wants them to "become more answerable to its owners" and she wants to "help them quit changing the rules/plan of ownership".

Amen to that!

The last sentence of her statement resonated with me.

"I am just one person, but it can start with me."

Yeah, I throw starfish into the ocean, too.

My dear Thomas, fellow member of the League of Savannah Bloggers, posted this on fb a few days ago, and it's perfect for this post.

 

"When people talk about 

traveling to the past, 

they worry about 

radically changing the present 

by doing something small, 

but

barely anyone in the present 

really thinks that they can 

radically change the future

by doing something small."

 

Amen to that.

I'm using my one voice to vote for change.

love, and butterflies, in the mail!

It's been a while since I sent cards out.

My thanks to Habitat For Humanity for giving me a solid nudge in that direction!

This quintet of greeting cards was sent by them, to me, in thanks for my "steadfast support as a Habitat HopeBuilder".

"When you send a card to someone," they wrote, "remember how your continued kindness helps families... and how your commitment is helping transform futures."

How very kind of them!

There were two birthday cards, so they'll go to Michael and to my stepmom.

The sympathy card is going to the Prestons, as he recently lost his sister.

As for the get-well wishes, off to Gloria they go!

Now, what more to do to while the address book is out?
Well, there was a quartet of blank cards with Monarch butterflies on the sunroom table...

and, look! there's three sets of those same cards in the dining room...

and, there! another set, all with their very own butterfly-bedecked envelopes!

Off they will now flit, to niece Aubree, great-niece Caitlyn, great-niece Ally, and great-nephew Kobe, all with an extra Monarch inside to decorate a shelf or share with a friend!

Off they will now flit, to great-nieces Leila, Alyssa, Miyah, and Chloe, as well as great-nephew C J, my stepmom Bonnie, and my two nephews in Alabama, Merritt and Conner, with all also receiving stamped and self-addressed postcards to send to me!

The message to each:

"Just fluttering by...

to tell you hi...

as the Monarchs head to Mexico

for the winter! "

I do hope they will enjoy the surprises as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

Good thing I bought those two books of stamps on Tuesday!

What a wonderful series of steps that led me here!

i thank You, God!

Now, it's almost time for my two hours of "Monk" - hooray!

The first one features Garry Marshall as a hose salesman - hahaha!

Later, y'all!

shades of baseball on my lawn

On Thursday, when I finally found myself cutting this side of the front yard, I wanted something... different.

Last time, I had left it as a big rectangle that mimicked the pattern of the afternoon shade.

Time for a change!

First, I mowed diagonal stripes that bisected the front portion of the rectangle, much as I'd done in the backyard a couple weeks ago.

But then what to do?

So, I had the mower hug the tree base for a circular swing... then made it into a spiral... and here's the result!

I rather like it.

So did a little girl walking her dog with her mom.

She approved of the scattered flamingoes, too.

 

I hadn't picked up on the similarity to the green areas of a baseball diamond until today.

The Hank Aaron Championship game of the Little League World Series happened to be on tv, so I stayed to watch. 

Partly was because I'd seen Kyle Petty's show with the Georgia baseball legend; partly was because I'd heard Willie talk about it, and it was lunch time for me.

As he'd said, it really was good baseball.

I had tried to call him, to see if he was tuned in for the 3 PM game, but didn't get him.

For this game, Michigan was pitted against Hawaii, playing in Pennsylvania.

In that first inning, a Michigan lad knocked a home run with a man on - how exciting!

Those were the only runs they made.

Hawaii didn't score until the third inning, and that one run was all they got.

But what great pitching and fielding on both sides!

So, Michigan won, and they'll play against Ohio tomorrow.

Jeffrey versus Jeffery... lol!

That just came to mind as the bfe was asking questions about the ex at our dinner.

Isn't life funny with its wacky coincidences?

(smile!)

happy new year!

"Um... okay, I'll play along, although you seem to be a bit over four months early."

Silly rabbit! I'm not referring to the calendar's version of 'new year'.

"Sure, sure. You begin your personal 'new year' on your birthday, and sometimes you make note of the Chinese New Year, or some other celebration. So just what is it this time?"

Today marks the first anniversary of the local cinema re-opening!

"Oh, my, has it only been a year since "Inception" was on the screen?"

It has.

"Well, I know this date is very special for you. How are you planning to mark it?"

I actually have options, believe it or not. There are two movies playing right now that deal with the dream or real premise, just as that first film had. Moreover, both are science fiction, just as it was. Plus, both are playing at that same cinema that dared to open its doors on that Thursday a year ago.

"Choices! So good to have choices!"

Agreed. Especially as the pandemic is again a full-scale rager, sending unvaccinated twenty- and thirty-somethings to ventilators in crowds, filling up hospitals as if they were night clubs. I find myself almost holding my breath every time I pull up the cinema schedule, waiting for the day it's again closed.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen, but I know what you mean. Still, you haven't yet answered my question of how you're marking this day."

Okay. The two contenders were seen this past week, which, as you know now, was the last A*List week of the 'cinema year'.  Sunday, I'd had an only-"R" double header, catching both the Aretha film and the other new Jackman movie.

"Yeah, I was there for those. What a shame that the multi-generational black family in the first two rows was giving absolutely no "RESPECT" to the woman on the screen. They let the too-young children play with their phones, with the volume up, even when Aretha Franklin was singing. I wonder if they caught the irony of their actions."

Actually, I think one of the mothers did. She walked over to where her mom was, playing with one of the toddlers, and had her turn off the phone.

"Well, you could have complained."

Yes, but then I would have missed part of the movie. It was good, don't get me wrong, but no way will I sit through that overly-long production again. I mostly just wanted to cross it off my list, in case Jennifer is up for an Oscar.

"Heard. And the movie with the Australian in it?"

Well, he's in two, you know. He has a bit part in "Free Guy", but him and his gorgeous voice are featured in "Reminiscence". Both movies are most definitely science fiction, both movies definitely deal with people who have difficulty separating reality from fantasy, and both have fabulous story lines and excellent actors.

"Hold up! You saw the Ryan Reynolds movie a fourth time?!"

Of course I did. This was its one and only week in Big D.

"But it's only been playing for a week!"

Uh, no, it's been on the silver screen in Savannah since Thursday, 12 August, which is 2 weeks ago, kinda sorta.

"I see. So, you're saying you've done well to restrict yourself to only 4 viewings?"

You know it! Remember, I've been waiting, like Deadpool has, for two years for this movie. Two, oh-so-long, years. Seriously. As I said before, I was relying on its presence last December and had planned to watched it EVERY DAY. Seriously.

"Yeah, I get it. It's like you and "Batman" all over again."

For sure, or me and Deadpool, or me and R, or me and Wolverine, or me and... well, you get the picture.

"Oh, yeah, I get it, nice and clear. You dig fictional men."

Not quite. I dig romantic fictional men. 

(smile!)

"Yes, dear. Well, whether you choose Guy or Nick tonight, enjoy, as I know you will."

Thanks, g'friend. I knew I could count on you to understand.

36 or 135 or 500 or 184

I'm not sure how fb deemed this worthy of my eyes, but I am glad I saw it.

I knew something was up with my American Legion Post, as the check for my dues still has not been cashed... but I had not received any official word that my membership had been changed.

What was up with that?

Yet another merger?

So, I had gone to the regular meeting for Post 135, down on Bull Street, to find out.

No, Sam Curry told me, my membership had not been switched, as I will always get to choose which lodge I want to attend.

Post 36 would have a meeting at the 135 lodge in September, to decide what was to happen.

Okay.

Then I received a letter from Casey Nash of the 1st District of Georgia.

She was requesting that Post 36 members convene at the Post 184 lodge for a special meeting, to determine whether we wanted 36 to continue to exist.

Founded in 1919, it was 100 years old two years ago... but there was no celebration.

The building had been sold and we had to move out.

Supposedly, those in charge were searching out new digs, but nothing became of that.

That's too bad.

I had some good times in that building.

One of the best was our last party there, back in Christmas of 2018.

Before that, there had been karaoke, hosted by Bryan, who called me his "Rock Star"!

That's because most folks that sang preferred country songs, but my repertoire was much more extensive!

I even had mi amigas join me several times, as well as the barefoot hobo -

but the incessant smoking drove them, and me, away.

Back when I first joined, the smoke was a major deterrent then, too, but as long as Ray was donning his Elvis suit, I didn't care what else was going on!

In fact, Ray is the reason I even knew about the first Georgia Elvis Festival, back in 2013!

Then life changed for him and he became a grandpa...

Bryan and his wife took over a B&B downtown and karaoke fizzled out...

and the building that was headquarters for barbeque and steak dinners was sold.

(sound of hands brushing themselves off)

The monthly meetings fizzled out, too, after the loss of the building.

Sure, there were a few poorly attended ones at the Bull Street lodge, but those were rather sad affairs, so I went to a couple of them and waited for news of a new building.

Then came the pandemic... and Post 36 went into mothballs.

At least, that's how it seemed.

I kept up with the Post commander, Michelle, on fb, but that was it.

I kept hoping we would make another effort at holding meetings this year, especially after so many had their vaccinations.

Nope, didn't happen.

Quite a few have now died, plus others transferred to more active Posts, so the membership has dwindled to less than 50.

Hence, the reason for this meeting tonight.

Did we want to stay as Post 36?

Well, we had a quorum of 9 members present to vote on that.

Did we want to merge with Post 135?

Yeah, I'm over all the "merge" stuff, first with the loss of Armstrong State University, then with Asbury Memorial Church taking on the expenses of the tiny Thunderbolt place.

Did we want to share building costs with Post 500, but remain a separate entity?

Wait a minute... 

no one had mentioned this as an option before...

that could benefit both buildingless posts!

Well, sure, that sounds like a good one!

Meanwhile, our Post needs to elect the four needed officers to get us off the "suspended" list for the district and department.

Dean Anderson - possible a lawyer, in tight with Jimmy Ray, former Post Commander back when I first joined - says he can accomplish that feat.

I'm assuming someone will be in contact with me to let me know when next we are to meet to actually vote on those candidates and elect them.

At least I'm glad to feel part of the solution and part of Post 36 again.

It's been a long time.

chicken dinner with the bfe!

Poor J-Dawg! 

 

First, he was craving food from one of our favorites, The Diner on Abercorn.

 

No, that wouldn't work on two counts.

 

For one thing, it was now called The Palace.

For another, it had closed at 3 PM.

Okay, still trying to stay local, he chose Betty Bombers.

Sure, I've been there twice this year, but he had not.

But, again, no, that wouldn't work.

That place is now closed on Mondays.

Dagnabbit!

Fine, he said, how about Buffalo Wild Wings???

Woohoo, a hit outta the park for a home run!

He had his traditional and boneless double header, and I had the Naked Tenders and their great salad.

Plus, we had two hours of dinner conversation with each other and have plans to meet again after Labor Day!

And... he remembered to bring the "Psych" collection!

It had belonged to The 'Cole, but she was giving it to me!

That's right: five seasons of Shawn and Gus solving crimes and showing off their friendship!

I'm so glad I got the bfe started on this series!

He bought me some old movies, too, so that was a bonus, but its the detective show that was most pleased to receive.

As for the mask chosen for our meeting tonight, he didn't get it at first.

No, seriously.

He thought it was maybe a spider.

I let him work it out on his own, though, and he did, fully appreciating that I had worn the kitty face especially for him, cat-lover that he is.

Oh, and guess what else was in the box?

A letter he wrote to me, from that time we'd run into each other in the Twelve Oaks parking lot, back at the start of summer last year.

So, why hadn't I chosen to put my face on for him, as that is the mask he inspired?

He told me the last time I wore it for our party-of-2 that it was creepy to him.

Must the color mismatch.

(smile!)

No worries!

Now, to shop for milk and such and get back home...

I have "The Wall" at 10 PM with Christina again!

 

So glad that show is back!

 

Curious as to how many text messages we send back and forth during it?

 

Well, ninety is our average!

 

Woohoo!

La storia d'amore di Puccini tra Rodolfo e Mimi

Once more, I was sitting in a cherry seat at Asbury Memorial Church, this time C-1.

Once more, I was attending an event for this year's SVF-9, the final live event for me.

Once more, I was treated to an opera by Puccini, one of my favorites of all such writers.

This time, "La bohème" had been chosen, presented in an abridged form that kept it to one act, with four scenes.

I'm glad I chose my unicorn mask for this outing; a fanciful and romantic face covering, for this fanciful and romantic tale of love!

I've never seen the story in its full version, but of course I was familiar with it.

Peter Lake was here, as he had been last year, reprising his role as the Rodolfo, the in-love and lovesick writer and sweetheart of Mimi, pairing him again with Liz Lang, allowing her to show off her theatrical talents.

The role of his roommate, Marcello the painter, featured Jean Carlos Rodriguez, a new artist last year, who has certainly blossomed quite nicely!

That one's on-again, off-again lady love, the flirtatious Musetta, with Angela De Venuto proving to all, once again, that she has serious comedic chops!
Leo Radosavljevic and Marciano Gladić rounded out the sextet, as Colline (played by the other last year) and Schaunard, respectively, friends of Rodolfo and Marcello.

I had remembered to bring my glasses this time, but I was seated close enough to the screens that I didn't need them - yeah!

Thanks to more than half a lifetime of watching foreign films, I was able to bounce quickly over to the translations and then back to the action on the stage, so I missed none of the evolution of the love story...

and the struggle of staying together with money problems all the time...

and the struggle of staying together when one is very ill and the other helpless to aid...

and the eventual return of the two to each other's arms...

for one last embrace.

Oh, yes, my eyes were tearing up as Musetta had barged in, announcing that Mimi was down in the street, struggling to get up the stairs to see Rodolfo...

and, still, when vain Musetta rushes off to sell her jewelry for medicine and a doctor...

and, again, when she returns with Marcello, the pair having procured not only those items but also a muff to warm Mimi's cold hands...

and beyond, as Schaunard notices Mimi is not sleeping, but dead.

Wow.

As I was wiping the tears from my eyes, I saw Marijan doing the same.

Nice to know I had such good company for this final evening.

Bravo, my dears, bravo!

livin' it up, livin' it up, alright - it's friday night!

I made sure to specifically "put my face on" before I went out tonight.

After all, it's a date night Friday, and I was all dressed and wearing my dance shoes!

I know, it's been quite a while since my last date night, but since SVF-9 had passed its COVID tests and would be returning to the stage, I wanted to welcome them in a big way!

That's right, the festival is three days off schedule due to a COVID scare, but they launched right back on with "ROCK" at the CMC!

There was even a live band to help get everyone else all fired up - I came ready to move my feet!

But, look, up there on the bricks...

doesn't that silhouette look like a blonde, with long hair, wearing a hat?

I had never noticed that before, but, then again, this was the first time the Morris Center has been in this configuration, with the stage aligned on the side wall.

Off to her left, there even seems to be a reflected side view, or perhaps it's a back up singer?

Speaking of such, several of the rock songs played tonight had a featured singer with three to five back ups on stage with her... I guess they were all ready for a Friday night, too, after three unplanned idle days.

Although I enjoyed hearing all fifteen tunes, the stand-out performances tonight were by a singer that's new to me: Lauren Jelencovich.

She did two songs that are usually sung by a man - "What A Wonderful World", by Louis Armstrong, and "Hallelujah", by Jeff Buckley - and she was aMAzING!

I very nearly stayed for the second show, just to hear "Hallelujah" again...

very nearly...

but I had promised myself dinner at The Pirates' House.

Hey, what's date night without dinner on the town?

After a fabulous repast of Georgia Salmon, I didn't even need dessert.

Hey, that broiled salmon, topped with the sweet mango and peaches, and grilled broccolini on the side - oh, my!

Plus, mashed sweet potatoes were there to sop up the fruit juices....

yeah, I didn't need dessert!

I had it with my dinner!

Woot woot!

By the time I'd finished with my concert and fancy meal, the moon had made its way above the buildings on Factors Walk.

Holding my phone above the wire fence at Trustees Garden, I snapped this on my very first try.

Right place, right time.

Yes, Bell and James had it right!

waiting on a plaza in siena

That's what I told Dawn when she arrived for our luncheon: I felt that I've been sitting in the plaza in Siena, as I did several times over my four days there in 2012.

"Oh, I remember! And there's that packet of sugar you picked up at the Bar Il Palio, there on the plaza where they race the horses! You still have it after 9 years???"

Of course I do. It's still held by a magnet to my refrigerator, as is this souvenir postcard from the Wegman show at the Jepson. That Palazzo was the background as I sat and watched folks in the evenings.

"I do like those colors you added, like frosting on a celebration cake. Nice of the artist to have that card!"

Right place, right time!

"Absolutely! And just where were you that you felt as though you were back in Italy?"

On the patio outside Cancun. We were taking a change from going Thai, and she really loves this place, too. You know that brick facade out front, with the arch openings? Well, from where I was sitting, the curve of the arch matched the curve of the big oak, with blue sky and a changing parade of clouds... and my mind began thinking of Italy.

"My goodness, just how long were you out there in the sun?"

Oh, no, I was in the shade of that palm tree on the patio. That said, I was there for quite a while. I had arrived early and settled in to wait for her. After standing around for four or five songs, I went into the restaurant to check the time. Was it 1:30 yet? "It's 1:18," the hostess told me, suggesting I sit while I waited. And so I did, but outside, under the cloud-mottled blue sky of summer.

 "So, you didn't sit long out there."

Oh, but I did. She's job hunting and had texted to say she would be there between 2 and quarter past. My phone had stayed home on the charger, so I had no idea. That's why I had to ask about the time earlier.

"I had wondered about that. So, when did she get there?"

I saw her blue Jeep just about the time I was going to go ahead and get my shopping done at Publix. I gave her a big smile and we sat down in the cool of Cancun. She checked her watch and said it was 2:10.

"Wow."

I thought it was a nice coincidence that I'd waited as long for her as I had waited for my appointment with the breast cancer doctor this morning.

"Wow."

I know, right? Sure felt like right place, right time, to me! I even talked about that to Dawn, and she had asked how I had passed that much time in the waiting room.

"Yeah, forty minutes is a long time at a doctor's office. Was the waiting room full?"

No, just me there. So I listened to the health-tv spots: nasal polyps and how they're caused (I have had one in my right nostril for more than 20 years); three different types of insulin shots (I wonder which one Bunny takes); the timeline for lung clearing after stopping smoking (it's been 25 years since I did, so my risks are now same as those of a nonsmoker, and have been for the past decade).

"Dang, g'friend! Well, at least it gave you some table conversation!"

Even better! I found out that Dawn had once had laser surgery for the many nasal polyps she had, as that was supposed to improve her breathing. Sadly, it had not. I was also reminded that she was once a cigarette smoker, too, but quit almost 14 years ago. Her no-smoking anniversary is in January. Oh, I just thought about that! That's about how long she and the Koz have been a couple!

"That would have been a good question for her! Maybe that's why she stopped."

That could very well be. I know that Frank stopped for love of Mama.

"Yes, and they had a few years of travel fun after that, until COPD caught up with him."

That would have been sometime in 1992. I remember he had an oxygen tank at mine and Jeff's wedding out under the oaks at Wormsloe.

"Good memories! I remember that the bridal march music wouldn't play, so Ronnie had started loudly humming the song and Smitty and Tony had chimed in, as had Sam and Bobby! What a hoot!"

Yes, it was. Good memories!

"And I take it this means good movie?"

 It does!!! "Free Guy" has been all I hoped it would be, after waiting for almost two years for it. It's a pinch of "The Truman Show" and a dollop of "The Matrix", plus a dash of "Groundhog Day" and heaping spoonful of "Dead Pool"!

"I see. So, it's a hopeful romantic comedy that features a man who was clueless?"

 Exactly! Yes, that's it exactly!

"And you've used all three of your A*List freebies for this one movie?"

Not quite! I just found out that it's going to be on the Big D screen tomorrow night!!! At last!!! Nothing against "Respect", but that screening room is meant for panoramic vistas and large explosions... and the Aretha Franklin film has none of that. Plus, it's super long. "Free Guy" gets in and gets it done in under two hours. That's been a rarity this summer for action films. That's why I've only seen "Black Widow" and "F9" once, but I've watched the delightful "Jungle Cruise" multiple times!

"Like you're doing with this Ryan Reynolds."

Exactly.

"And like you may do next week with this same movie."

Well, possibly. The new Hugh Jackman starts Friday and it's science fiction. So, I just may need a double-header of the new "Reminiscence" with "Old", just to satisfy that itch.

"Heard. Okay, get your Almost Applebee's Wonton Tacos ready! 'Press Your Luck' will be on in another thirty minutes!"

So will the "Quantum Leap" with Sam as Elvis. Decisions, decisions!

"Enjoy, dear!"

re-creating a memory

For example, this was breakfast this morning.

I call it "Ants on a Log" wrap.

It's in memory of a trick that parents use to get kids to eat celery, in case you've forgotten.

I love peanut butter and I love raisins, so having them mixed together and nestled on a crispy stalk was fine by me.

I guess that's why this popped into my head as a possible protein snack ... or even a tasty breakfast!

I have found it's best if the mixture is allowed to rest a few minutes - perhaps while that first sip of coffee is taken - to allow plumping of the raisins.

And just what was being recreated here?

Well, actually, to me it resembles r2d2.

I am quite sure my first niece's brother would concur, especially with that mystic blue glow emanating from the television set.
She and I were watching "The Wall" together, since the ether allows us to reach out and touch each other for that activity, 'talking' back and forth in texts.

(smile!)

I noticed a lull in responses from her and called her on it; she immediately confessed that her attention was, indeed, elsewhere.

She had found two wire mesh trash cans and thought to attach them to form a different type of display for her Paparazzi wares... and it worked!

She said the holders of the earrings clipped right into the mesh and it was quick and easy!

It's rather pleasing, in a space-age fashion!

Then, I thought about another picture she'd sent of something she made about two weeks ago, based on a memory of a luncheon we'd shared at a restaurant a few years ago, Larry's, that no longer exists, as the owner wanted to retire and no one in the family wanted to take over.

Good for him for retiring anyway!

For our luncheon that day, we decided to have dessert and both of us saw it on the menu at the same time: bread pudding!

And when it arrived, it looked much like this concoction she had baked, including the fruit cocktail in it.

Did she have the recipe?

No, she had found a basic recipe online for bread pudding, and then fiddled with it.

In other words, she tends to cook like I do!

She said it was good, but it wasn't quite right yet, so she was going to have a few more experiments to figure it out, changing one ingredient at a time.

For instance, she had combined white sugar and brown sugar; the recipe she used called for the brown, but she didn't have enough.

I suggested she use the extra-cherries fruit cocktail, as that would be pretty.

I'm looking forward to sampling the future results...

I do so enjoy bread pudding!

(smile!)

what a difference retirement makes

At the end of my fabulous day yesterday, as I left the cinema on Stephenson, I noticed that my odometer was nearly at a special mileage.

By the time I reached home, it wasn't quite where I wanted it, so I circled the block.

Ah, there it is!

2 1 9 2 1 9 

Looks rather nice, doesn't it?

What a wonderful way to commemorate the Sunday I'd been given!

It made me wonder, though, as to how much mileage I may have put on, especially with regards to not only the cessation of trips southward to the university, but also the lack of holidays I've had since the pandemic struck.

So what might have been another occasion marked by my odometer?

How about that night that found me out at the Armstrong campus for the first SERMACS planning meeting that I attended?

Yes, given that the results of that ACS event have been on my mind recently, that occasion will do quite nicely!

The mileage then, on November 12, 2018, was a sparkling 202000.

As I said, that will do quite nicely.

I was actually a bit shocked.

Here's why: 219219 - 202000 = 17219.

Bear in mind, that earlier mileage was almost three years ago.

That means my car has only gone 17,219 miles over a period of 33 months.

The last time I assessed mileage change was last October.

It was sitting at 214400 then.

So, in the past ten months, I've driven a whopping 4,819 miles.

Geico would be so proud of me.

That's an average of less than 500 miles per month.

Sigh.

No wonder my feet are itching to travel.

ceviche! chalk! church!

"Oh, lookie! It's your darling first niece!"

Yes, it is! At long last, too! Feels like forever since we've been together in person!

"I thought y'all were meeting for margaritas on Tuesdays?"

I wish! The last of those was on 13 July, which I had called our penultimate luncheon before she returned to teaching. Then there came the spate of thunderstorms that curtailed our outing the next week... and one thing after another ever since.

"Oh, that's right. Then the breast cancer scare for you and the 'kids might have COVID' scare for her after school started, and Bananas' games and now the opera festival taking up weekends and evenings. "

Exactly. But we were together today! Me and her and the girls, munching Mexican food!

"Just they way y'all like it!"

That's right!

"Was this at the Jalapenos here? I don't recall any of them having outdoor seating."

We were at the one in Richmond Hill, which is kinda sorta (joke for the bfrb, as it's nearly his 39th birthday!) halfway for both of us. As you can tell, this is post-meal, as there is no shrimp ceviche in sight. It's gone, gone, gone, baby!

"So these were at the catching-up-with-life and breathing-the-same-air portion?"

You got it! Miyah had a green crayon, but Chloe had none. But Miyah had spotted a red one under a table... so she fetched it out, then gave her green one to her little sister. How super sweet, right?

"Oh, that really was! Good for her!"

Yes, it was. She had a real meltdown earlier during the meal, just before the food came out. She'd had her tablet turned up LOUD, so I'd turned the volume down while she was in the bathroom with Christina. Upon her return, she'd cranked it up again, so I'd asked her to turn it down. That's when she started losing her cool, stomping, putting on her 'mad' face, mumbling her words, repeating herself again and again. I took the tablet, to keep her from turning it up, and she carried on for probably another twenty minutes, stomping around on that outdoor patio. We didn't talk to her, just made sure she was safe, as we ate our food and talked. Then, she returned to the table and started eating, not even looking at the tablet, as if nothing had happened.

"I guess ODD is like epilepsy in that way. There are no physical signs that someone has the malady. That's why it can be disconcerting when, all of a sudden, the electrical storm hits their brain and causes a radical shift in their behavior or personality."

So true. A doctor is to determine this week if she has the disorder. I wonder if they'll be running an EEG to look at brain activity? Christina said she hoped the doctor would be able to see Miyah in full-tilt tantrum mode; I suggested she might want to provoke an attack, to help them make a diagnosis.

"Good idea. As you well know, it's very hard to diagnosis anything that is ischemic in nature, be it a gremlin in a piece of electronics or more like your breast leakage deciding to stop three weeks before you finally have a surgical consult."

So far, Chloe doesn't seem to have those issues. Then again, her birth mother wasn't taking drugs during that second pregnancy, so perhaps Miss Chlo will be okay.

"That's definitely something to hope for."

Both girls are sweet as can be, most of the time. Take Miyah - even though I had taken her tablet, as her real self, she drew a picture for me, of me with her and her sister. With no prompting, apropos of nothing. How about that?! I have it up on my refrigerator, like the proud G'Aunt I am!

"I know you are!"

You bet I am!

"So, when does the chalk come into the story?"

Right about now, funk soul brother!

"Hahahaha! I love that song!"

Me, too!

"And you were saying..."

Right about now - oh, you mean to carry on with the tale. Gotcha! We four went to the park, just down the street, where, the girls had their birthday party last year. When it started raining, we forsook the swings and slides for the covered area, where Christina broke out this new artist box of chalk. That was all that was needed for fun!

"And are those your scribble flowers that you always draw?"

Two of them are, but the other two are not. Miyah had asked that I draw one for her, so I did (upper purple), doing it in slow motion and talking of how I was doing it all the while. Chloe, naturally, wanted me to draw one for her, too, which I did (lower pink), again giving the full demonstration of how to do it.

"And they had copied your actions and drawn their own flowers???"

Yes, they did!!! See why I said I was a proud G'Aunt??? They listen so well!

"Wow, they really do. Miyah's looks really good!"

I know! They even put on the stem and little 'leaves', just like I do.

"What's with the sign?"

None of us saw that until after we'd been drawing a while. Then, the supplier of the chalk - that would be Christina - who was relaxing with Mousse, not creating artistic endeavors or her own - spotted that solitary warning. Ack!

"So, that's when y'all stopped drawing?"

Heck to the no! In for a penny, in for a pound, right?

"I see. So, I take it that Christina is the one who spotted the water hose, too, and set about removing the evidence when y'all were done?"

Absolutely correct! Then Miyah and Chloe had fun stomping in the puddles until it was actually time for us to depart.

"Not all to Hinesville?"

No, just them and their dog, Mousse/Moose. Hey, maybe that's what he should be called! Maybe I'll try that and see how he likes it the next time I see him and them.

"Okay, you do that. Hey, looks like you finally made it to church again."

Hey, looks can be deceiving, kiddo, but I did end up feeling like this was Sunday.

"You're deliberately being disingenuous, aren't you?"

Just a smidge! I truly was at Asbury Memorial, though. Doesn't it look like I'm wearing a very fancy tiara?

"Yes, dear. Was that at Billy's sermon this morning?"

Oh, no, I missed that. In fact, I haven't been back since... well, since before my adventures in Florida and California, actually.

"If you aren't allowed to sing, you don't want to go?"

Yeah, pretty much. Though that wasn't the case today! Sherrill Milnes even led us all in singing "Hallelujah" this afternoon!!!

"Well, hooray for that, and a rousing 'Amen!', too!"

My thoughts exactly! How fabulous to sing, even masked up, alongside those stained glass windows, surrounded by those peach walls and vaulted ceiling! "Inspiration" was the title of this segment of SVF-9, and inspirational it was, with fourteen songs voiced by eight artists - make that nine, as the great star of the Met chimed in!

"Oh, I just know Carolyn would have loved that!"

Yes, she would have. Hopefully, next year we will be out of pandemic mode and the concert of religious works will be free, as it usually is. Then she and I will enjoy it together!

"That would be magnificent, and such a blessing!"

Yes, it would be. Now, I've take the time to smell this warm rose - you know how much that means to me - but then I'm off to catch a movie! The Ryan Reynolds one that I've awaited so long is finally in the cinema... and I've been so very busy that I haven't been able to see it yet. What's up with that???

"Busy, vibrant... right? That's a good thing, a very good thing."

So very true! I feel like I've been holding my breath since last March, waiting, waiting, waiting, and hoping for a cure. You know, not just for this COVID-causing virus, but more in the spirit of R.

"I am well aware. Now, relax, breathe, and see "Free Guy"! And just let it be the movie it is, not the movie you wish it might be. That way, you can be surprised and enjoy it."

Thanks... I'll do that.

"Sweet dreams! You've had a delightful day with those you love!"

i thank You, God.

adorable musical, cenerentola!

It wasn't Rossini's Cinderella, nor was it Disney's version...

but what a sweet, adorable concoction, in another collaboration with youth!

I just wish I had thought to pack my eyeglasses.

Eleven students at Garrison School for the Arts contributed text, including a prologue and song lyrics, to Michael Ching's one-act opera, "A Royal Feast".

Their words were displayed on two large screens while they read them aloud, or sang during the performed work-in-progress this afternoon with the SVF-9, again at Asbury Memorial Church.

At least I wore the right mask!

I had gotten dolled up for the Savannah VOICE Festival event this time, wearing my flowing, dark green, dress, and doing my hair a little differently, mostly down.

Hey, it is a matinee on a Saturday, right?

(smile!)

So, as I'm leaving the house, I remember that I didn't yet pack a mask, and those are mandated to be worn in Savannah by the mayor, as our COVID numbers are up to January levels.

Which to wear?

I'd been talking to Christina earlier and this one that she gave me practically leapt into my hand.

Honestly, it did!

And Sally and Jack, with him in his spidery tux, struck just the right note for a night at the opera!

(Got that little joke? You're welcome!)

 

Why particularly spiders?

Well, the middle-schoolers wanted critters in this show.

The animated one had talking animals, and, as that was the one they knew and loved, this addition, set post-Royal Ball, needed to have them, too!

And so it does!

Mice, of course, three of them, all billed as "wise" mice!

Two hilarious seagulls, singing of eating hotdog buns, but not the hotdogs!

But, most important of all, were the two spiders, each singing of the beautiful web she had woven today and verifying they didn't "hate" their males, they "ate" them!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

Totally adorable!

(smile!)

 

Here's the thing I like best, though.

This tale explained how it was that Cinderella could understand the animals: she had been bitten by the chimney spiders and their venom gave her the power to literally talk to the animals in two-way conversations.

That just has to be something those kids dreamt up!

Totally adorable!!!

(smile!)

 

Right place, right time for me!

Now, to change clothes and see if I can get the back yard mowed.

The next few days are bringing rain, rain, rain, and the grass is almost tall again.

Wish me luck!

(smile!)

they say the neon lights are bright on...

All together now!

We all know this song -

and ya gotta sing it loud and proud -

"Broadway"!!!
No, those aren't lights of the noble gas shining on the stage at Asbury Memorial Church.

SVF-9 is recording tonight's concert, as this is to be streamed-for-pay later.

Not everyone could be here, especially since the pandemic has ramped back up, as bad, and worse, than it ever was, and hospitals are again full.

Due to limited seats, the 6 PM show was sold out; however, I was so very fortunate to be able to scoop up a Rush ticket for the 8 PM show!

I was even granted a premium seat in the 4th row!

Super fabulous!

Fourteen songs, most from Broadway shows I never heard of ("Bright Star"; "Aspects of Love"; "Six"; "Saturday Night") or will most likely never see ("Hamilton"; "Bandstand"; "Ragtime"), though there were several that I was rather familiar with, either from the movie versions, local theatre productions, or from the God On Broadway series here at AMC ("Hello Dolly"; "Carousel"; "Les Miserables"; "Guys And Dolls"; "Twelfth Night"). 

What's that?

I've only listed twelve musicals?

That's because there were two songs not from that source!

"When You're A Singer", a parody of "When You're An Addams", was first heard by me last fall, when Savannah VOICE gave us a parody of "Hocus Pocus"!!!

Then, it had seven men; tonight's version had 3 of that 7, plus one new; respectively, they were Carlton Moe, Peter Lake, Leo Radosavljevic, and the new 4th was Eric Sebek, with all cavorting and hamming it up, as they should!

Utterly hilarious!

Then there's the song written specifically for Kelli O'Hara, "They Don't Let You In The Opera (If You're A Country Star)" - and, no, I'm not familiar with her at all, nor this song, which could easily have been penned for the charming Kentuckian, Emily Yocum Black, who sang it for us tonight, pantomiming throughout!

Such great fun!

In the order performed, the songs told a story, painting the varied landscape of love, from lovelorn to new love, from unrequited to shouting from rooftops, from the way it was to the way it is, from love lost to love found again; all the many colors from hopeful romantic to hopeless loser.

Truly, it 'twas like a concert and a musical, done with operatic range!

What a fabulous Friday the 13th!!!

So many thanks, y'all!

See you tomorrow afternoon!

dream made real, in iowa, with kevin

The two guys giving comments throughout the game had him in the booth with them for the 4th and 5th innings.

Kevin Costner, back in Iowa more than three decades after making the movie, "Field Of Dreams", now just a regular guy there to watch a Major League Baseball game with his wife...

amid the other 7998 fans there with them, and the millions, including me, watching the game on their televisions.

I was overwhelmed.

So many memories I have of walking on the movie diamond, sitting on the movie bleachers, standing in the outfield and breathing in the scent of warm cornsilk on a hot summer day...

that remains, and will ever be, a crystallized moment for me.

I'm sure he could say the same, having had those same experiences while making the film.

And, now, so can these few thousand sitting in the seats of this new diamond, built over the last two years to MLB standards, still surrounded by cornfields, still under an enormous wealth of sky.

That's right, this regulation stadium is the actual playing field for the pros, but the little leaguers and others were happy to still be able to walk the bases and play a game of catch over on the smaller diamond.

The edge of left field on the movie's site is about 150 meters from the rightmost edge of right field on the game site.

Between the two?

Corn, rows and rows of corn, with paths through all of that summer feed corn for folks to walk from the parking lots at the movie site to their seats in the new stadium.

Those that won the lottery to purchase seats might even have been able to grab them on the movie-style bleachers set up along the edge of left field.

Those would most likely be Iowa residents.

They would be more accustomed to the view, perhaps, of no towering buildings looming nearby, of no lights shining everywhere one looked, of nothing but sky, as deep and wide as any ocean, as far as the eye could see.

They would be more accustomed to the silence soaking the air, with the lack of traffic noises and sirens and car horns serving as distractions to the action on the field.

They are the truly fortunate ones...

in case the modern world might have made them forget.
Every person there tonight, including all the ballplayers from the big cities of Chicago and New York City, were able to experience that magic for themselves.

Every person there tonight was able to slow down the pace of life, to marvel at the stars above, to breathe air that whispered of summers in their youth, before work and the responsibilities of adulthood intervened.

By the top of the 8th inning, every muscle in their bodies would have been relaxed and their minds free of worry as they watched a baseball game under that heavenly dome of sky.

Every hit was a home run, or so it would seem, as ball after ball arced into the surrounding 12-foot tall stands of corn, with those balls lost to the dirt at the base of those stalks.

And what a magnificent game it was!

There weren't many hits, of course, but the few that occurred were, indeed, home runs, with those batters bringing in those who had been walked.

The score was exciting, with a good amount of the right kind of stress, with a good amount of belief that either team might win...

but, in the end, Chicago was victorious.

What classic baseball, taking it down to the bottom of the ninth inning to seal the walk-off finish with a two-run homer!

A classic baseball game... 

just as it should be, on a field full of dreams.

(smile)

I'm so thankful to have been there, on THE Field of Dreams, and to have been here, in my living room, watching as they played on this new one.

i thank You, God.

DEEP as opera: heard!

What a grand view I had for this third, and last, evening in the rotunda of Telfair Academy!

(Thanks, Katie and Olivia, for D-13!)

I was very excited about "Song", as I knew several works from the youth at DEEP were to be featured... and I do so love their insights!

Of the fifteen pieces performed, five were from four of those middle-school students!!!

The poetry from Lincoln Davidson and Madeline Pelli was transformed into a musical triptych, painting a poignant picture of hope for better days and easier nights.

"I Lay Myself To Rest", "A Voice", and "I Dream Of A World" had been set to music with the help of Patrick Vu (who had helped do the same for an artist in svf-8.)

The middle piece, paraphrasing a classic riddle as "if a man shouts in an empty house, does anyone hear him?", nearly brought me to tears.

In its entirety, that trio of songs reminded me of classic works from Elvis Presley ("If I Can Dream") and others, speaking to a human need for unity and connection to others.

That trio was performed by Chad Sonka (with his lovely baritone), Sara Zoe Budnik, and Melanie Spector (both sopranos). 

Heather Jones performed "Worthless", another that wrenched at my heart, written by middle-school student Ella Zipperer and set to music by Dave Ragland.

Why did it affect me so?

The child was being regarded as nothing, absolutely nothing, for only being "100 pennies" instead of a dollar bill.

Wow.

The fourth student appeared on video, having not only composed "Blessed By The Best" but also set it to music and performed it - quite enthusiastically, too!

I just have to believe Louis Armstrong would have loved that one as much as I did!

Positive perspective and faith in God - oh, yes!

Maybe living in a pandemic, still, has made me even more sensitive to such issues.

I just know it's been like a dream to be attending concerts again!

Maria Zouves even performed two pieces, "Sinevi Stin Athina" and "Floghera", plus there was Jonathan Walker-VanKuren with "I Found A Woman" and the fabulous "Landscape 1: From A Train", in which the piano captured the sound of wheels on a rail very well!!!

Even so, with all this wealth of poetry in the air, the performances I was most drawn to were the two solos from Mariano Gladić for "Cancion al arbol del olvido" and "Los pajaros perdidos".

And just what would be my reason for that?

He sang them to me!

He looked straight at me - practically dancing in my seat, feet tapping, hands at work with my invisible piano - and sang to me that he would not think of me at the tree of forgetfulness, and that he realized I had been his only love among all the lost birds.

He did, he most assuredly did!

How blessed am I by the Best?

i thank You, God!

And now the blessing that is this day continues - the Chicago White Sox are playing the New York Yankees at the Field of Dreams, a place etched into my heart... and I get to see it for free on tv!

i thank You, God!

songbird with a german accent

And here she is, out in the heat and trying not to wilt, the hothouse bloom that had enchanted us with her solo recital tonight at the Telfair Museum!

Recognize this fair maid?

Ding, ding, ding!

That's correct!

She's the one with the elaborate costumes and theatrical backdrops and and fabulous settings and huge voice!

Pardon me, but I can't help but gush about her talent.

Plus, tonight, I made it a point to speak to her.

She made some risky choices for the songs performed this evening - songs that had piano music continuing on even though her part had ended.

I choose a lot of karaoke songs that have long musical interludes and folks always want to know why; my response is always "because I like these songs and want to hear them."

She thanked me for commending her choices, saying she chose them to highlight the musician accompanying her.

Very nice!

I also asked if she had a favorite language to sing in for her operatic selections and with no hesitation she told me, "German".

She grew up speaking it, and had thought it so harsh and guttural; then, when she began singing the pieces in that tongue, she found it to have a beautiful lyrical quality.

"That's the way I had regarded, it, so guttural and staccato," I told her, "but I have to thank you for showing me its softer, poetic side tonight."

She very much liked that!

Oh, one more thing: recognize the fellow to her left?

That's Tiz, aka John Tisbert, there to accompany her on his trumpet!

For German songs?

Oh, no, for two fairly bawdy jazz tunes!

"There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight" started the party, with "Me And My Gin" adding to the fun level several songs later, before "Treat Me Rough" broke in between two stauncher sets.

I guess those were to make sure everybody could tap their toes!

 

The same backdrop of "La Parabola" that graced the wall during the show last night seemed to add a layer of subtext behind her during this "Headliner" recital.

Portraying life as it did, from the laughing, running feet of children as the proceed up the steps, to the flirting teens and newlyweds, to the older and more somber folks using great care to make their way down the stairs, it certainly was in keeping with the fabulous set designs she had used for her videos in svf-8.

And just where did I sit this time?

I was in G-16... one row closer to Belle!

Nor did I sit without human company by my side.

Ruth had come along with Tiz to enjoy the music, so she and I got to chat, albeit briefly, before and after the concert.

Very nice!

I honestly cannot recall the last time I saw her.

Perhaps I need to add her name to my list of luncheon companions - she would be a welcome addition.

It's not that we have much in common besides teaching, but that just means the conversation may take a livelier tack. 

As for tomorrow, I'll be returning for the last SVF-9 offering at this venue.

Such a warm welcome I'd received tonight from Katie, the ticket manager (I think), as well as from Sir Peter Paul Rubens!

The one had even checked that I would be present, assuring me that a seat would be waiting for me to rush in and grab!

"Song" promises world premieres and works by DEEP youth...

magnificent!!!