booty call with dave and buster

My intention had been to drive straight through to Savannah, no stops along the way.

My bladder had a difference of opinion.

So, I stopped at Dave & Buster's, something I haven't done in years, with my five game cards in my pocket.

After a pit stop, I played a few ticket-giving games, realizing they were half-price - oh, wow, this was Wednesday!

Okay, I thought, may as well burn through these scant 'chips' and cash in before I leave!

When my fourth spin on the Pirate Wheel netted the maximum of 1000 tickets, I did just that.

The trick was then finding what booty to collect!

That clear-sided computer speaker was my first grab, then the cool orange socks... but what else... the three wooden Christmas ornaments (the clerk said photo holders), and the RAWR and Lla-lla-ma-zing stickers - yes, those would do nicely!

Procuring those seven items managed to completely use up all 'chips' on four of the cards, as well as all tickets on 1 of them.

That one went into the trash; the card with the pirate on the front will grace my fridge as a magnet; and I left behind two of the cards on top of a machine for someone else.

My original card, which still has enough 'chips' and tickets went back to my travel bag for another day of play in the future.

Total cost to me for more than an hour of play and all this swag: zero, zip, zilch, nada.

I even got back home when I had originally planned to, at 3 PM!

That means I can catch Neo and Trinity... and so I shall!

Gotta get in my free A*List movies!

(smile!)

comparison and contrast - what a fun day!

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 3

Today, I visited part of the grounds that I had not yet.

Wait, let me start over.

Once upon a time, I'd gone over to the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, but, for whatever reason, it was closed.

That was the one and only time I'd driven to its location.

(MOAS also has another building down in Port Orange, but that will await another trip.)

Finally, today was deemed 'the day', as I'd fully enjoyed all the new exhibits and the Planetarium - and even the garden and walking trail - at the main structure.

This is part of the 12-panel painting in the lobby.

The plaques mounted on the rail in front of several panels listed the various native species of flora and fauna in the depicted scenes.

I could clearly see that the artist had taken care to include as many of each as possible, to let the viewer know what a special place Florida is... and that it is the place the artist calls 'home'.

Lots of marsh, lots of water, lots of palm trees.

Dr. Seuss would have loved it!

(smile!)

But what really drew me in was the summertime shower, there to the left of that oasis of trees.

I cannot tell you how many times one of those spot showers would catch me unaware while I was at school in Tallahassee!

Sure, it would only last five minutes, but those were solid buckets of water raining down that entire time!

The artist captured that crazy bit of weather very well!

So did these other artists, all part of an exhibit that featured various phenomena peculiar to this US peninsula, as well as other East Coast states.

I think these paintings do a better job with depicting hurricanes than photographs, or even videos, do.

I'm sure it has to do with the energy caught in the bristles of the paint brush and left behind as a textured eye-catcher.

(smile!)

A rain-washed street in St. Augustine was the first to encourage me to compare and contrast.

The small upper painting and the large painting are of the same scene, by the same artist, but each showing a different perspective, even adding more people and splashes of red from one impression to the other.

Nice of the museum to include both!

In another room of that gallery was "The Seminole And The Everglades" exhibit, which included these gems to spark a conversation in my mind.

Again, the same artist is responsible for both, with the same swamp scene as the focal point.

Here's the difference: the work on the left is an engraving, made for publication in a magazine, whereas the work on the right is an oil painting made in his studio and based on his engraving.

Obviously, it's based on his memory, too, as it shows a sunlit scene and rich color.

Very nice illustration of how the remembered image in the mind can differ from reality!

What about a comparison of a similar scene as seen through the eyes of different artists?

I'm so glad you asked!

The upper was done by 32-year-old William Drown, while the lower was painted by 49-year-old Frank Shapleigh, with both showing an old kitchen in St. Augustine.

It should be noted that the paintings were done fairly close in time to each other.

I think it's notable that the younger man's scene is brighter and better lit, giving almost a sense of hopefulness or romanticism to the room.

On the other hand, the painting by the older man is darker, with a more dilapidated air to what was once the heart of the house.

I wonder what may have been going on in their lives when they did these?

Those two were part of the permanent collection, always on view in the upper gallery.

I wanted to concentrate on the new, temporary exhibits on this trip. 

On to "The Latest News From Florida - Wood Engravings From 19th Century Periodicals"!

The docent, Anne, was very informative - I'm so glad I happened to be there on a Tuesday, as that's the only day she is present!

When I'd explained that I'd seen the video about making prints from engravings, she'd brought me straight away to the room with this exhibit.

Many of the works here dealt with wars and skirmishes during the 1800's, but this scene captured my imagination.

Was this military base being threatened by a hurricane and just how close was it to water?

Those questions would remain unanswered.

Well, who was the artist that had made this drawing of Fort Pickens?

That question would only have the vague response of "Mrs. Lt. Gilman"... seriously.

At least Harper's Weekly gave her that much credit, which was remarkable for the time (1861).

While this was the only piece marked with her name, there were other drawings of Fort Pickens that were too similar in penstroke to not have been done by her hand.

Those had been ascribed simply as having been done by someone stationed there.

Very interesting!

On I went to the next little room, this one with the playful title "Gone Fishin' " for its exhibit.

And there it was, taking up much of one wall: a foursome featuring a famous author and his buddy out for a fishing trip.

This photo is of the last one of trio of watercolors in "Hemingway Among The Sharks", along with text recounting the conversation between him and the artist, Waldo Peirce.

(If you get a chance to see this, take the time to ready the spidery handwriting - it's a hoot!) 

Above the three watercolors done on paper was a much larger piece which was an oil painting on canvas.

This was done for the same gory scene as shown in that last watercolor, but made more vivid and with a real sense of the frantic actions involved in killing the shark.

There's absolutely no doubt that the brush strokes shown in the oil medium made this fishing expedition every bit something that a he-man like Hemingway - and his good buddy, Waldo - would engage in.

At the time of the paintings in 1928, the author was only 29 years old; the painter was 48, making him the "old man" in the fight with the denizens of the sea.

I'll let that allusion to a literary work just percolate there on the back burner...

get it?

(smile!)

As a last showing from this particular exhibit, how about a more humorous turn?

This net full of mermaids would have been deemed a perfect catch by my middle brother!

Thinking of how much he would have enjoyed it made me smile - and that was very good.

I'm fairly certain this is one of Ralph Cahoon's pieces, especially as it is such a whimsical scene.

I made note of another of his works, "Palm Beach Bridge Club", with very similar mermaids playing cards, for the physicist, so I'm sure I'm right.

(smile!)

Now, to shuffle back to the suite at DBR and start emptying the fridge for one last dinner here within view of the the Atlantic.

Later, my dears!

(smile!)

a book to burn amd skies above

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 2

 

The thunderstorm that woke me early this morning had washed the sky clear of grungy gray clouds, leaving a crystal blue in its wake, spotted with puffs of white.

No cloud cover also meant cooler temperatures - like, 20 degrees cooler than yesterday.

No worries for me, I'd planned ahead!

As I said yesterday, I still had much more to see at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, plus things to see again.

But first, to take in one of my favorite scenes here in Daytona Beach: this beautiful bridge that leads to Beach Street, location of the post office and lots of quirky shops and a nice variety of restaurants.

You'll notice I didn't take a photo of those.

This view along the International Speedway was the object of my affection!

Then on to MOAS, with my first stop being that crazy, brilliantly hued, running dog of Messersmith!

What an inspired, and whimsical, touch to have his tongue streaming along in the wind he's generating with his speed!

Also whimsical is the plastic skeleton of ... the dog? Oh, no! - of a person, along for the ride inside!

Fabulous, utterly fabulous!

I could sit and look at this one piece for an hour, easily, seeing nuances missed from my visit to it twice yesterday.

I do enjoy his other works, especially his repurposing of found items into the shadow boxes at the bottom of the large frames... I do... but this dog is magical!

My musings were interrupted by a text message from Paul in California.

"Chat?" was the only word.

"Can do!" was my response, as I headed for the garden and the walking trails.

He's home recovering from surgery on Stage 1 prostate cancer, so it was definitely an important call and a chance for me to brighten his day.

(smile!) 

He's normally quite active, so these weeks of rest prescribed by his doctor are a bit of a drain on his energy and good humor.

I talked at some length about the exhibits at the museum and my NYE experience; he gave me an in-depth mental image of the surgery he'd endured as well as the kudos from his doctor for the physical exercise he'd done to prepare for it.

In no time, an hour had passed and it was time for the 2 PM "The Sky Tonight" show, with Christian's live presentation!

Right place, right time!

As it turns out, the Quadrantid meteor shower begins tonight, running for the next twelve days.

I think the photo from the Hubble may be my best chance to see it, unless I want to get up about 0430 - only if I'm still up at that time!

Meanwhile, I did take the opportunity between shows to bounce to the Bouchelle Gallery for International Decorative Arts to view again these star-crossed lovers.

Romeo and Juliet, captured in a tender moment in this stained glass door - so lovely to share with my first niece!

Back to the Planetarium again, to catch - for real! - the animated video about "The Little Star That Could" at 3 PM.

Did you know that Ceres is now regarded as another planet in the area of the Milky Way Galaxy where we live?

Yep, that's true: the Solar System now officially includes two dwarf planets, not just Pluto.

I asked if Ceres was being included in classroom talks; not yet.

Over to the Root Family Museum I wandered afterward, to visit the pharmacy exhibit and the trains.

This collection of signs made me laugh out loud!

I guess that "QUIET" was meant for folks retired to bed, not retired from work! 

Oh, my, I was just about to wrap this up and saw I had not mentioned the Artful Books 2021 exhibit!

That will never do, especially as there were a couple of them in the Karshan Center of Graphic Arts that held meaning for me.

This one was the first to draw me in.

Martin Eduardo Casuso had strung together paper photos of his recently deceased brother, as well as sketches and diary entries, and then affixed incense sticks.

The work is titled "Designed To Burn".

 I think my brother Ronnie would have liked it.

The other book that grabbed my heart was from a memory shared with the physicist.

We had just seen "No Exit" at Muse Arts Warehouse, and, as I recall, it was a first experience with that play for both of us.

After it, we stood in the parking lot, talking, eventually moving ourselves and our conversation under the full moon to the Tybee pier... and leading to me writing a song/poem/rap.

So, what brought that up?

Jeannette Stargala took her copy of the play, shed its cover, and rolled it into a tight cylinder before mounting it to its stand, titling the piece "No Exit (Closed Society)".

Not only is there no exit, there's no entrance, either.

Nicely done!

(smile!)

heavens above and starlite hotdog

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 1

I did, indeed, make it to MOAS in time for the 1 PM planetarium show!

I'm not saying I understood much of it, as it was heavy on physics, but I certainly appreciated the science and math presented.

Titled "Unveiling The Invisible Universe", it included a visible comparison of the change in wavelength that accompanies a change in frequency, as well as talk of neutrinos and quarks and all manner of things the bfe would have enjoyed.

I also had a ticket for the 3 PM show in the Lowell And Nancy Lohman Family Planetarium.

(Yes, quite a mouthful, and I honestly did not notice any changes except to the signage outside and what may have been new doors.)

About that mid-afternoon show: it wasn't the one posted, but no one complained.

After all, we got the see the razzamatazz laser show normally reserved for Saturdays!

My only guess is that the young man, Christian, in charge of the planetarium was as confused about the day of the week as much as the rest of us were.

You see, MOAS was closed for New Year's Day, which was yesterday... which was a Saturday.

Then, today, a Sunday, MOAS was open again... but it sure felt like a Saturday!

So, instead of "The Little Star That Could", we were treated to "Electro-Laze", with lots of modern music and some spectacular graphics overhead!

How super-duper cool for the ten or so of us attending!

I even went ahead and got a ticket for the 4 PM "Hubble Universe" show, which was "live" as it had Christian providing a talk to go along with the images of the history of this telescope, its tie-in to the Shuttle program, and the launch on Christmas of the Webb telescope.

I thought it marvelous that the Hubble's 30th anniversary photo - of the Cosmic Reef - has been designated as the first image the new telescope will capture.

I'll look forward to that!

So, why such a fascination with the planetarium?

I've always liked them.

The Savannah Science Museum had one and I loved that informed look at the night sky.

Then, that museum closed, and the nearest planetarium is now in Statesboro.

To complicate matters, it's on the GaSoU campus, so parking is an issue.

That's why I've only been once in recent memory.

 

I figured I'd take in all the star shows that I could on this trip!

I'd originally planned on just the 1 PM and 3 PM today, with the 2 PM and 4 PM tomorrow.

Then I realized tomorrow is Monday and that last show would put me out into the 5 o'clock traffic rush.

No, thanks!

And now, with the confusion over which day of the week it was affecting the 3 PM show today, I can catch the regularly scheduled one tomorrow at 3, after the 2.

Perfect!

Of course, I took in some arts between all those courses of science!

In the Chapman S. Root Hall, adjacent to the Planetarium, was a new exhibit, "The Golden Age Of Graphic Arts: French And Belgian Posters From 1890-1930".

Good timing for me, as it leaves next Sunday!

These were all advertisements, done in Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, with the latter being all swirls and flourishes (like in this coffee ad) and the latter all lines and angles.

Accordingly, these designs came about in the Roaring Twenties and the Belle Epoch, respectively, and I liked both quite well.

"Eclectic" - yes, that's for me!

That's a fifty-cent word for taste all over the place... including my affinity for another new exhibit, "Farm Life And Other Scenes: The Art Of Henry George Keller".

This display will remain in the North Wing Corridor throughout this month.

Most of his works were prints made from his engravings and there was even a video that showed the many steps required to make those prints into reality.

That meant all of the pieces were monotone, save one... this one, titled "Mountain Scene".

Done with pencil and crayon - yes, you read that correctly - it felt like it had marked a special memory for him, a special place with fond regard in his heart and mind.

The other new exhibit is one I would have loved to take home!

Filled with bright hues and day-glo images, with a touch of Dia De Los Muertes, it really grabbed my attention.

Of all the pieces in "Flora, Fauna, And High Color: Florida Landscapes Of Mark Messersmith", the one that made my heart sing is this one, titled simply "Dog".

The sheer joy of the animal running, running, with its tongue lolling out of its mouth gleefully as it does so, is absolutely palpable!

After my very successful outing, with full immersion into three art exhibits and viewing of three star shows, my appetite was up, up, up!

Maybe this was the day for the Starlite Diner?

Why, yes, yes, it was!

And, hallelujah, the grilled quarter-pounder hotdog was still on the menu - perfect!!!

I even had sauerkraut put on it - you know, as a vegetable, to go along with the potato.

Hahahaha!

Now, I'm back to my suite and have dvd's to watch on my laptop, as I actually brought some along on this trip.

Last night I went "Into The Night"; tonight, I'll have Vincent Price with Carol Burnett.

i thank You, God!

don't ask if you don't want the truth

So, the front desk clerk texted me just moments ago to see how things were going.

Big mistake on his part; I told him the truth, no whitewash applied.

I wasn't rude about it, nor did I assign blame to anyone.

I was simply honest.

He should have already been aware of the problems in the suite, but I honestly have not ever seen any proof that one department of Diamond Resorts ever speaks with another.

----- 

11:06 AM

Just checking in -- how is your stay going so far? Feel free to reply back with a 1-10 (10 being excellent). Have a great day! - Tharius

 

11:12 AM

3. I have made a list of items needing repair. I do not want the work done during my stay, as I do not want strangers in here.

One TV (the one in the living room) has no video, so the maintenance man switched it with the TV from the bedroom. That was on Friday.

The TV from the bedroom has a problem with video breaking up (much like with a satellite signal during bad weather). That's on every channel and begins after the TV has been on for about thirty minutes. Very aggravating, but turning it off for a cool down during commercial breaks has helped me watch a program without people's faces being fractured.

The air conditioning unit on the bedroom balcony makes horrible noises and shakes the wall, as well as being deafening and interrupting sleep. I have finally managed to turn it off, so I was able to sleep last night.

The dining room light flickers and the bulb should be replaced.

-----

 

Note: all of the above took me about 12 minutes to type and send.

I did not wait for a response, but gathered the mail I was going to post, as well as my new MOAS membership card, and headed out to enjoy the beautiful day. 

-----

12:13 PM

What would be a good time for us to have maintenance come to the unit to address issues. - Tracey

 

12:17 PM

I would prefer that all work be done after I check out on Wednesday. I have had pneumonia twice and cannot risk being ill.

 

12:26 PM

I will schedule this work order. I understand with illness. Please let us know if you need anything and i hope you are feeling well. - Tracey

12:34 PM

Thank you for understanding.

 

-----

 

Done, and done!

I should be able to catch the 1:00 PM Planetarium show after all!

(smile!)

ready for a change of calendar view in 2022

For the last few years, I've had The King of Rock 'n' Roll marking special occasions.

The physicist had given me the post-its for Christmas - perhaps it was 2017? 2018? - and they had seemed perfect for helping me remember birthdays and anniversaries.

The pink ones would be for birthdays of girls and women, the blue for birthdays of boys and men, in accordance with the color-coding habit begun by the French in the late 1800's.

Anniversaries were marked with the tan strips (though I would have used purple if the stickers had given me that choice, even though some of the couples are both women... which, I guess, could have been denoted with the pink, n'est-ce pas?).

The black strips I reserved for those no longer restricted to planet Earth.

For reasons that escape me now, I only used the black markers for family and friends that have died in the past twenty years.

That means Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Uncle Sam, and a few others were not included.

Even with those restrictions, I had eleven reminders of those I loved who were gone.

Eleven.

As it happened, those were topped by the most somber Elvis, standing and strumming his guitar; all the others featured him in a dance pose.

Each of the past few years since I first received these post-its, I've transferred the strips to the new calendar, updating ages as I did so.

Not so anymore.

While going through the armoire that serves as my china hutch, I stumbled upon mementos of university events, each with a post-it notes in five colors to help us stay organized for a new school year.

One of the booklets of sticky notes read "Armstrong Atlantic State University"; another reflected the name change to "Armstrong State University"; and the third was a bit more informal, reading "Armstrong Alumni".

That just means I've had these languishing in a dark cabinet for years.

No more!

The pink and the blue denote the same as before for family birthdays, though with the addition of the use of yellow for birthdays of friends.

Anniversaries are now shown on the green tabs.

And the purple?

Those now mark the birthdays of those I love who have died.

Ronnie's death has added one more of those.

That means I now have an even dozen.

Still, after two years of pandemic, I count myself fortunate to not have more.

I'm glad I thought to bring this task along on my holiday.

It's given me a good opportunity to take my time putting together this new calendar.

Tomorrow, MOAS will be open and most of the revelers will be gone -

hallelujah on both counts!

(smile!)

a change of view with brunch in 2022

Here's my first meal of the day!

See my vitamins and such?

Plus, there's the obligatory coffee to start my engine... which actually sounds appropriate down here in NASCAR country!

(smile!)

And way down there...

past the edge of Daytona Beach Regency...

past the boardwalk...

down onto the sand itself...

is the Atlantic Ocean, bringing salt spray and white crests in from the far eastern horizon...

where the blue of the sea meets the blue of the sky.

(smile!)

Over my right shoulder...

and across the median and four lanes of Atlantic Boulevard...

there's the Starlite Diner...

parking lot full, and interior, too.

Perhaps tomorrow will be better for a visit.

 

And this...

this view of an ever-busy parking garage?

That is directly outside the living room window...

directly to my side as I enjoy my meal...

directly in the periphery of my view.

Sigh.

Good thing I grew up with three younger brothers.

I have many years of practice at ignoring anything I don't want to acknowledge.

(smile!)

fickle finger of fate!

Tonight, GRIT tv again had what is destined to become a holiday favorite for me: "12 Days Of Christmas Eve"!

I don't know how I've missed this 2004 film before last year, though, in my defense, I'm usually pretty occupied being a busy, vibrant woman, ya know.

I guess that's one benefit of having a pandemic still lingerin' on - I have no choice but to slow down and smell more warm roses.

In this case, it's view more seasonal movies.

(smile)

It doesn't hurt that I like Steven Weber and his "aw, shucks", stuck-on-himself, style of humor that he has carried on since "Wings".

(smile!)

This time, he's 43 years old and playing a divorced father who is far more wrapped up with being a CEO than being a good dad, or even a good son, or even a good brother, or even a good boyfriend... catch my drift?

This year he's been especially negligent and neglectful and needlessly dismissive of others.

Now, he has twelve chances to get the day right, so he can finally wake up on Christmas.

Unlike Phil in "Groundhog Day", he has someone to help gently guide him through these second chances: nurse Angie, there every time he wakes from being dead, played sweetly and charmingly by Molly Shannon.

So, since I made a list - and checked it twice! - of the many ways he died, let's take a gander, shall we?

1) Literally smushed by the pointing finger of the gigantic metal hand above the front of his headquarters for "The Buck Stops Here". I couldn't help but think of the classic Dan Rowan routine on "Laugh-In"! I guess it was still top of mind from the luncheon with Yvonne when remembrance of the 1970's skit had first popped into my head!

2) Mindful of the falling sign, he had exited through another door... only to get run over by the snow plow!

3) He changed up his exit, taking the elevator instead of the escalator... only to have the cable snap and plummet him down 24 stories!

4) This time he used the back door, not aware that the snow plow would ram into a giant metal trash bin... that then rolled right over him!

5) Changing his routine and the order of his day, he thought he was on the right track... until he fell into an open manhole!

6) This time, he had been uber-extravagant with gifts, sending a 22-foot boat to his 10-year-old son, prompting a distracting phone call from his ex... that sent him flailing directly into the path of a flambe at the restaurant!

7) It's 11:57 PM and he's relaxing in the jacuzzi, watching the clock as he opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate a successful day of no death... then the cork flies into the chandelier over the tub and electrocutes him!

8) He took over his brother's party, making it uber-extravagant, with chefs all round... then gets skewered as that's being dismantled!

9) He decides to only do things that please him for the day, including a couples parachute jump... that ends with him going splat!

10) After a day in bed after his girlfriend dumps him, he heads to the office... where he opts to jump off the roof.

11) Helping others was his goal when he spent the day at the homeless shelter... but he lost a big business deal and ticked off all he loved by avoiding their calls all day... so he deliberately let the fickle finger smush him again.

12) This was to be the last chance he had to 'get it right' - so, he spent the day showing his staff they were important to him, and had the fancy lunch with his girlfriend and encouraged her to find someone better than him, and attended his son's choral show and spent the afternoon with him, then even went to his brother's party and was nice to everyone... but he had a heart attack - nope, just heartburn from the eggnog! He woke up and it was Christmas!

I loved it!!!

I even cried, just a little.

And I'm looking forward to seeing it again next year!

(smile!)

Christmas cheer at Cracker Barrel!

I was the one that had suggested the place and time, with all of us agreeing that it should be fairly safe for a late luncheon.

Nope!

We arrived at Cracker Barrel at 2 PM to find the restaurant swamped!

That's okay, it all worked out just fine.

By the time our food arrived, nearly all other diners were gone and we had our section all to ourselves - whew!

 

It was me and Yvonne and Brooke, with them traveling from Richard Hill (hence, the reason I'd chosen that site), and Cathy Mac had joined us from the university.

What a treat for all four of us!

I was able to catch up on Chemistry Department news, which was good as I otherwise hear naught about events there these days.

What a surprise to hear that Todd was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer shortly after SERMACS 2019, and had nearly died from it!

And what a relief to find that he's finally recovering - and has no teaching duties.

He's been awarded the title Professor Emeritus, meaning he'll be able to keep his office, but not have to deal with lecture or grading responsibilities.

Good for him!

And we talked about travel plans and movies and life during pandemic, catching up for an hour and a half as we dined inside, then carrying our conversations out to the porch for another ninety minutes, as my fellow Armstrong Pirate and I chatted betwixt ourselves while Cathy and Brooke did the same.

And here's what made this a great location: Yvonne and Brooke were able to miss the bulk of the quitting-time traffic headed south, while Cathy and I were going opposite to the flow by heading back into Savannah.

No traffic woes for any of us!

And, what about food?

I had the Southern Fried Chicken, giving me half a bird!

Yvonne had the Sunday Dinner Chicken, with two fried breasts.

I ate the breast of my chicken while there and she had one of the two on her plate...

but she really prefers thigh meat.

So, before we left, I traded the thigh for her leftover breast and we were both happy!

Now, I'll have already cooked protein for the next few days!

Woot! Woot!

(smile!)

a little chemistry with my christmas

I finally owned up to the truth: I've gotten my fifty bucks' worth out of this wreath.

The red ribbon has faded and the flamingoes have slipped apart.

Six years ago, I'd bid on, and won, this flamingo wreath at a fundraiser for JinHi Soucy Rand as she continued battling cancer and running Muse Arts Warehouse.

That edifice still stands empty, closed in 2017 with a grand finish by those of us who had loved the arts performed within its walls.

As for JinHi, she continues to persevere and has hit her half-century mark with style, and a love of her gray like I have for mine.

With my penchant for holding on to things for sentimental reasons, I could not bring myself to simply throw the wreath into the trash bin.

Why not refurbish it instead?

That brings up the question of what to use in place of the pink birds.

Why not use some of the self-inflating balloons from SERMACS 2019?

I still had plenty - though I have two packages destined for others, postponed from delivery for the past two years by pandemic.

Those balloons are colorful and globular and, from a distance, will resemble Christmas ornaments... which makes them perfect!

See what I mean?

Chemistry - not just for classrooms, but doors!

(smile!)

skipping church

This first Sunday of the month once would have had several special goings on.

First, there would have been communion... but that will not be until the Christmas Eve service.

Second, there would have been the BIG Coffee Hour, with all lunching and visiting in Holliday Hall... but, with the pandemic stepping up and its latest variant heading for the USA, that social gathering won't be convening any time soon.

Now, I'm not saying we didn't have special events today...

I made the choice to stay home, though, and view them stream-style.

I'm glad I did.

I would have enjoyed being there in person for the reinstatement of Children's Church.

I like that little break in the proceedings between initial prayers and Billy's sermon, plus I enjoy seeing all the cheerful faces of the youngsters.

In honor of this event, Reverend Hester began with a variation of the invitation tv's Mister Rogers would give to children to visit his neighborhood.

When the children approached the front of the church, each was given a commemorative Christmas ornament to honor the occasion, with each being unique, like each child.

That was very nice!

Today, we also sang one of my favorite hymns: "Cuando El Pobre".

I promise, one day I'm going to ask if I can sing it in Spanish!

(smile!)

So, those are the two events I would have liked to attend in person.

This next one I'm glad I had the option to turn off and leave.

A nationally renowned speaker, Shane Claiborne, had been invited by those in charge to take the podium.

I had already looked him up, finding that he was a Red Letter Christian and quite a political activist, neither of which I am.

I had been a bit concerned about the publicity surrounding his visit to Asbury Memorial Church, concerned about what reaction might be forthcoming from those who had supported the former President, concerned about the size of the crowd that might be attracted.

Still, I had tuned in to the YouTube channel for the stream, so I was definitely interested in what he would say and his message.

However, I stayed for only the first ten minutes.

He preaches in an evangelical style that I do not like.

Billy doesn't yell at us; this guy did.

This was a change I could not support.

Off will go the computer while I find something more positive to pursue!

I'm glad I had reserved the option to do so.

counting, committed, communing

This was the absolute high point of the service today: Reverend Hester breaking into a beloved song not scheduled for this morning, but entirely appropriate to his talk right before he sang.

Even better, he invited us to all sing along with him in the chorus, saying he hoped the church health committee would not take umbrage at his addition of this extra song.

As for me, I had begun singing with him as he first began the first verse, as it's a long-time favorite for me, too, even though it's no longer in the hymnal.

 

Here's the refrain:

"Count your blessings,

name them one by one,

count your blessings,

see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, 

name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, 

see what God hath done. "
 

He then sang the fourth (last) verse and had us all sing the refrain again.

I was so glad I was there!

Right place, right time, after all.

 

I'd had my doubts when I'd pulled into the full parking lot... but I stayed.

Candace and Claudette were in the courtyard and greeted me enthusiastically... so I stayed.

Then I'd walked into the narthex and been greeted with a program as I stood to survey the sanctuary, scanning for a safe seat for a solo attendee and finding none... yet I continued to stay, standing in the doorway.

Eventually, I took a seat there in the lobby, with the statue made by Colleen's daughter keeping me company... 

plus, the brilliance of the day and its beaming love.

I was late, but I'd arrived in time to hear the thanks from the youth group, Asbury Angells, and from the youth director, for the funds and resources they had received during this continuing pandemic, so they could continue to hold weekly support meetings.

Right place, right time.

I'd made myself a promise to attend on this particular Sunday.

First, it was the third, and final, Commitment Sunday, where we, as a congregation, pledged to continue "our vow to support Asbury Memorial with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service" so that "people will be renewed, fulfilled, and challenged".

That required a pledge of financial support (gifts) and I have renewed the pledge made last year to this church where I am a member.

Second, this was the final Sunday of the liturgical year in the liturgical calendar.

This day was the last Sunday of Ordinary Time; next Sunday, as the first Sunday of the church's New Year, will begin the four weeks of Advent. Christmastide (aka Twelvetide or The Twelve Days of Christmas) will follow for two weeks, then we're back to Ordinary Time until Easter approaches.

This marked the first time I've been here for a last Sunday.

Third, today was Communion Sunday. Usually that is the first Sunday of the month, but it was postponed to this one for reasons I forget. 

This was to be my first in-person Communion at AMC and I was curious about how it was to be done, what precautions would be taken to make it safe for those partaking of the elements.

With necessity being the mother of invention, I should have known that someone would have developed a solution... and here it is.

The hourglass-like container is sealed on both ends, with a tiny unleavened cracker in one half and a thimbleful of juice in the other half.

Sanitary, safe, and very easy to use, with no danger of a mess being made.

What I most enjoyed about it was how it made me feel: I was quite satisfied by the experience and truly felt I'd had a proper Communion, rather the makeshift ones I've done at home during Zoom church.

Right place, right time.

The only part of the service I did not feel satisfied with was the hymn selection for the congregation to sing between the Commitment and Communion portions.

It was "Spirit Song", one which creeps me out in much the same way as the Savannah Bananas' chant "We will, we will PEEL you!"

In this hymn, Jesus is repeatedly implored to "come and fill your lambs".

It just doesn't sound like a proper request to make.

The implication is that the person singing is not able to sustain their own belief and demand that God is responsible for their spirituality.

Like I said, it creeps me out, so I don't sing it.

I'm so glad Billy gave us "Count Your Blessings" post-sermon.

That was definitely the right note - pun intended! - to end on.

Now, off I go to Olive Garden...

I have a lunch date with my first niece and her darlin' daughters!

i thank You, God!

waking up warm!

Who would have guessed that such a tiny device would be capable of such delicious warmth?

Sure, I had hoped that would be the case...

and how wonderful to find it to be true!

I bought it at Lowe's, as a spur of the moment thing, as it was for a 200 square-foot space.

"That would be perfect for my bedroom", I thought.

As it turns out, it was!

The Utilitech Fan-Forced Heater, with adjustable thermostat, is able to heat that space to better than 70 F; actually, it will get it up to at least 74 F, as I have found, but the 70 F is fine for me!

I'm able to sleep without burying my nose under the covers - hooray!

Even though I do use my heated mattress pad, I can keep it on a midrange setting - hooray!

Even though I have my mink blanket on the bed, I don't have to use it - hooray!

Best of all, I wake up warm and toasty, with my sinuses not plugged from cold air - hooray!

Seriously, I'm thinking of getting a second one as a back-up.

This winter will definitely be warmer at the bookends of my day!

As for the in-between moments, those will be warmer, too, and already have been.

Kindly notice that the vents in the ceilings have all been covered over.

No, really, do notice those!

That required me to climb up and down a two-step ladder twenty-two times to get them all done.

Sure, some of those times were for measuring so I could make the cuts correctly, but there were thirteen vents, two of which were covered using leftover end-pieces from eight of the one-piece covers.

That leaves me one cover for some other purpose!

You see, Accord makes 3-Packs of their Magnetic Vent Cover and the pack is sold for less than the cost of a single Frost King version of the magnetic vent cover.

Lowe's was the only place with the Accord and I bought five packs, not realizing that I would be able to tape cut portions to make the smaller covers for the bathroom and utility room.

That means I'll be taking one package back and the entire home improvement project cost me less than thirty dollars!

What an excellent choice, and an excellent change for the better!

(smile!)

charlie brown, job, and parenting

My intention had been to attend church this morning.

I woke up when it was to start... so that didn't happen.

I decided to do the next best thing by tuning in for the live stream on youtube.

That did happen... but the message just wasn't meant for me.

I was still wanting church, though.

It's been a while... so I pulled up one I'd missed, from the first Sunday in October.

That was a good call... and that's a nice play on words in the world of baseball.

What does the one have to do with the other?

Well, as the pandemic has continued, Asbury Memorial Church had to shift its modus operandi; specifically, the usual God On Broadway series that had reigned there for well over a decade had to be postponed this year, in hopes of safer times ahead.

For the first time in many years, Reverend Billy was using the Methodist-suggested scripture as the crux of his sermon.

I had not yet viewed that episode, but I knew it to be the message for me immediately.

In the video, skip ahead, as I did, to time stamp 45:00 or so... that's the start of the sermon, with Charlie Brown on the mound, pondering the team's losses and how hard life is.

His teammates approach him there and they offer him various rationales, some based on scripture, some rather funny, of course.

Those from the Bible dealt with Job and his plight... but I heard it differently today.

Skip ahead, again, to time stamp 58:00 or thereabouts, where that story is told.

As well as reminding me of "Bruce Almighty" - specifically, when Bruce is given the task of tending to the many issues on Earth while God takes a holiday - that bit of verse spelled out the great divide between what parents have to do and how children see it.

Here it is, in black and white, courtesy of a post from cousin Lynn on fb.

"Who knew

that the hardest part

of being an adult

is figuring out 

what to cook for dinner

every single night

for the rest of your life. "

But here is the whole truth: before determining what to eat, that food must first be obtained from somewhere, then that food must be prepared - but to obtain that food, funds must be used, so there is the issue of how to obtain the funds - plus, that food must be stored or cooked, both of which require the use of utilities (gas, electricity, wood) and equipment (fridge, stove, oven, microwave), all of which must be obtained with funds - also, that food will require the use of cooking materials (pots, pans, knives, ladles, pot holders, mitts, etc.) as well as dining materials (plates, bowls, utensils, cups), all of which will be best if located in a specific place, such as living quarters (house, apartment, tent), things which also must be obtained with funds - and none of this has anything to do with clothing, furniture, or education.

Never mind about items for entertainment (toys, television, radio, computers, phones) - those are pure add-ons for luxury.

It all seems rather daunting when pulled out of the box, doesn't it?

Children have not the education or the experience to understand those nuts and bolts.

Children see only the differences between what they have and what others have.

That's why children continually seek to obtain from their parents what they WANT (i.e., dream of having) not mindful of the bounty of their NEEDS (real shelter, food, clothing) that are being met (and mostly surpassed).

It's up to the parents to keep the children grounded in the real world, not that false dream propagated by the 'mercials.

I'm not saying that dreams are not important.

Dreams add spice to life, just as salt adds flavor to meals.

I'm saying that children need parents that teach them the difference between needs and wants, and that requires a lot of responsibility on the part of the parents.

Being a parent, then, means taking on the responsibility of not only making sure your own needs are being met, but also that the needs of your child are being met.

I understood that at a young age, so I have no children; I had already helped raise my youngest brother and realized how much continual work was involved in that effort, and how much responsibility for his life and actions were on me.

So, why did this topic of parenting have such an impact today?

After the wedding yesterday, through a chance encounter (namely, I saw Michael and wanted to sit by him), I sat with my outlaw's sister, Brenda, up from Tampa with her man, Dana, on his first visit to Savannah. (We were eventually joined by her sister Robin as well as Robin's daughter Kayla and that girl's boyfriend, plus Christina.)

At one point, while the bride and her maid of honor (my first niece) were line dancing, Dana commented that he did not see a family resemblance between the two.

Knowing who I am, Brenda tried to be tactful in telling him that Christina and Michael were full siblings, but only shared a mother with Chelsea.

So, I spoke up, confirming that my middle brother, Ronnie, had been the father of Melinda's first two children, then she married Matt and they had Chelsea.

I was sure to mention that Matt had been a wonderful father to all three of them.

I was sure to mention that Ronnie had never wanted the responsibility of having children.

Brenda told me she was aware of that; she recalled him repeatedly asking Melinda to get an abortion with the first baby, and then again with the second baby, but Melinda would not.

(His previous girlfriend did get an abortion when they had found she was pregnant; perhaps he believed that absolved him from taking precautions against pregnancy, as abortion was always an option. I don't know why he didn't get a vasectomy.)

I confirmed what she was saying, then we changed the topic to the music on the dance floor and she tried to get Dana to dance with her.

I went up to dance with Christina Ann, as the song was an Elvis favorite of mine (especially as sung by Ryan Pelton, in Las Vegas, to me as I danced).

i thank You, God, for being able to share that time with her... for us having this season's  "Dancing With The Stars" girl-and-girl couple to serve as an inside reference and a light to shine for others... for a world that is brighter with this dearest niece.

Right place, right time.

48 hours on self-imposed quarantine

Just why would I do such a thing?

Well, on Thursday, while at my 6-months check-up with my PCP, I asked for, and received, two things I've been wanting.

First, I had this year's flu shot, given by Raquelle, Ms. Barker's assistant.

That went into the left bicep.

After my check-up, I was fortunate enough to find the Savannah VA Center had a five extra doses of the Pfizer booster; one of those went into my right bicep.

Between the two newly administered medicines, the first with actual virus and the second with the m-RNA, I knew my immune system would be working double-time.

That's why I stopped at the Food Lion on the way home and bought a rotisserie chicken.

Extra protein was what my body would need to build more antibodies!

Extra protein is what I've been giving it to, making sure to have at least the 90-grams my body weight usually required.

I've also kept my silly self at home and indoors.

The current weather has made that much easier.

Gone, for now, are the high's in the 80's.

Now, we're lucky if the thermometer crawls up to 70, and the night-time is bottoming out near 50.

That's why I put the heated mattress pad - and the flannel sheets - onto the bed.

I had tried to resist until November came, but...

the heat is much kinder to my arms, even with me rubbing them several times a day.

I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman!

Now, I've had ham-noodle soup and a healthy dose of Michael Rooker, in the form of "Love And Monsters", graciously provided by epix...

i thank You, God.

This is my third time seeing the movie and I find more reasons to like it every time I see it.

I definitely need to share it with Bonnie and my Beaufort boys.

Now, to take out the trash and recyclables and find another film to keep me inside -

I mean, to keep me occupied.

Hmmm.... maybe it's time to cook that butternut squash, too!

(smile!)

heartbreaker's wildflowers

I was supposed to see the movie on Wednesday, with Carolyn.

The film did not arrive in time, so we had 90 minutes to wait.

What to do now?

She opted for dinner and, hopefully, the 7:30 pm show. 

I stayed for the sun's dramatic exit from the skies - absolutely gorgeous  - then caught the scheduled Thrills & Chills Surprise.

 

I was back the next evening, though, to catch the missed film, "Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free".

The biopic had been pieced together from video footage from 1993 to 1995, during the creation of his 1994 album, "Wildflowers".

It was released in early November of that year, after his 44th birthday.

This biopic was released on what would have been his 71st birthday, had not a mixture of incompatible medicines cut short his life.

I have a cousin, Valerie, who died of that very thing almost a decade ago.

The documentary had obviously been lovingly put together from all the bits and pieces of home video, as well as a few new bits of commemtary from former band members and family and colleagues.

What it showed was a man going through a period of great change.

He had been making music with the same people for more than two decades and one of the relationships had become fractious.

He had been married to Jane for more than two decades, the children were nearly grown, and that relationship had shifted, more for the worse than the better.

This solo album served as the sounding board for him to wrap his head around the break-up of the band and the break-up of his marriage.

Therapy through music: that's a loss adjustment concept I know well.

He worked with a different producer than the one used on the albums with the band... and that was good.

He worked with different musicians than the ones he'd toured with for so many years... and that was good.

He wrote songs that were different in sound and tone than those he'd written for the band... and that was good.

He embraced the process of change through writing... as I have done for more than a decade now... and that allowed him to heal and to determine a new path.

 

I was surprised how many songs I knew from "Wildflowers".

I found myself singing along, sans voice, over and over again.

Still, that was not an album I'd ever owned.

I don't know, maybe it was because his music was all over the airwaves so I never felt the need to actually purchase any.

I saw him once in concert, at the 91X Fest in San Diego in 1983.

It was an all-day event, featuring six bands with him as the highlighter.

Even The Stray Cats took second billing to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers!

What a magnificent show, with all types of folks coming out for the music and the sun and the joy of being young!

I was a month away from being a quarter of a century and out there with friends.

Were they stationed at NSGA, Imperial Beach, like I was?

Most likely, right?

Even the guy's mustache was regulation trim!

And that short girl, with the huge earrings, the lopsided smile, and those curved eyebrows?

That's me, captured by a news reporter on the site, looking for sound bites and commentary.

So, when he'd asked if the new wave look was a requirement to be a 91X fan, I'd spoken up, as I always did.

"You can be part of the new music scene without shaving your head."

Check out the clip and let me know if I'm wrong, ok?

After all, the young woman sure does look like I did, and she sure did say something I would have said, but that's been more than half my life ago.

What's that saying about waterfowl?

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

yeah, that's all I'm saying.

(smile!)