something old, something new - farewell to both

I guess it was just a matter of time.

It's been quite a while since I broke something, so I am thankful for that, of course.

Of course!

But I had let the kitchen counter get overcrowded with dishes.

Four of the five 38-year-old Donburi bowls were on the corner and, somehow, while I was getting two of them to the sink, the other two escaped me but not gravity.

One of the two managed to fall into the top of the dishwasher and stayed.

The other bounced away and onto the floor, shattering rather cleanly into three large pieces.

This new coffee mug, which had been waiting to be put away into the cupboard, was also struck.

I hadn't noticed its damage until after I'd finished washing dishes... and found the two pieces of clear glass, not white porcelain.

C'est la vie, n'est-ce pas?

duty toward others

When I took this photograph this afternoon, I did not realize how well it would capture the spirit of my activities today.

I had parked at Carrabbas, knowing I wanted to treat myself to slunch there after my pint of life had been drawn.

I had been walking back toward that restaurant when my eyes had been drawn upward - by a gust of wind? by the sound of the cloth waving? - and that's when I had paused and snapped the shot.

 

I had continued on my way, intent upon my mission: obtaining a big bowl of Mama Mandela's Sicilian Chicken Soup.

Ah, bliss, on this cold day!

As I told the waiter, Jacob, I had been dreaming of that spicy soup for several days!

And the shrimp scampi with its lemony butter sauce and crisp toast?

Magnificent - and I have some of that for another day!

Full of warm food, I carried on to my next destination: the Official Absentee Ballot receptacle at the voting center.

I took a picture, as I always do.

Usually, it's after dark by the time I arrive, but this time I carried out my civic duty in the daylight.

There were a few people waiting to vote in person, but not many.

There were actually as many dropping off their completed ballot, as I was doing, into the metal box.

That was reassuring, to see so many taking care of their responsibility as a citizen.

I wish as many had been at the American Red Cross with me.

I am part of the three percent of United States citizens who donate blood.

Today's was the fifth pint drawn this year.

Usually I try for four times, but I do well at making it to the Tibet Street address at least three times annually.

Sure, there's a reason I'm so conscientious about that responsibility: my blood can be given to babies in need.

However, I certainly don't object to the red blood cells and plasma being used to save the life of someone's mom and somebody's brother.

All lives matter.

One pint of blood can save three lives.

During this Christmas holiday season, the most Christ-like gift I can provide is a pint of life-giving fluid to three strangers.

That's definitely paying it forward.

I think I'll post this on fb.

Something positive is always needed there.

(smile)

first offering from savRepTh

I very nearly had abstained from buying the 20/21 season membership.

It was all going to be virtual - i.e., online - and it sounded like it was all going to be talking heads in zoom images.

As I told Ryan of Savannah Repertory Theatre, I get more than enough of that.

He assured me that was not to be the case, that only the first event would be of that format... so, wanting to help keep this troupe solvent, I bought in.

 

Tonight I 'attended' the first show, expecting something along the lines of "Inside The Actors Studio".

That's basically what I got, with Ryan McCurdy asking questions of the two entertainers.

"Perfect For You: An Evening With Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer" held some attraction for me as the two had acted together in "Next To Normal", a very intense musical that the Armstrong Masquers had put on a few years ago.

The two sang a few songs from that musical as well as from the first one they'd performed in together, "Side Show".

All nice enough, and led by thoughtful questions from Ryan, but not entertaining.

That is, not entertaining except for the bits when Bobby Spencer took 'center' stage, as he came prepared to engage the audience with more than just words.

He had props!

Programs from past plays, a poster with all of the albums he's made, even a Santa hat for "Waiting On Christmas", one of his original songs.

Gotta give him props for all that!

Plus, I applaud his choice of backdrop.

Colorful images of musical notes and a huge heart -

yeah, I'd say that certainly captured his persona.

I just may check out his albums, too.

As for SavRepTh, I'll be looking forward to their next 'show', and hoping for better.

winner with a scrambled straight!

Another cold day in Savannah, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment!

I have mailed out the last of the Christmas packages!

Well, not the ones for my first niece's trio, or her brothers duo -

those I can, and shall, deliver personally.

However, the two boxes slated for Alabama were mailed last Thursday.

One of those boxes included the gift for Merritt's 15th birthday.

The package for the Goth girl's daughter went out that day, too.

Today, the packages heading for Port Wentworth, Wilmington Island, and St. Helen were sent on their merry ways.

That first included the quinceañera gift for my oldest niece.

The last had no ornaments, as it was not destined for a child, but my ex.

His 56th birthday will be on Sunday, so I hope it arrives in time!

I think the odds are in my favor.

What makes me believe such a thing to be possible at this late date?
My odometer told me so.

When I returned to my driveway from my errand, this mileage greeted me: 215364 .

How fortuitous!

If I were playing poker, that straight would surely grant me a winning hand!

Right place, right time.

Now, time for some soup!

(smile!) 

not the elf i'm looking for on Tina Tuesday

Can you imagine any of these misshapen creatures crafting children's toys in Santa's workshop?

No, neither can I.

And, yet, these three, as well as a few others, were declared to be elves, each and every one of them.

Yes, the one in sunglasses with the bulbous nose?

He's an elf.

The one wearing the Lone Ranger eye mask?

He's apparently an elf, too.

At least the third fellow isn't too far off the mark.

And just where were these freakish fellows?

Well, they were in a holiday-themed pair of short movies written by Kevin Cecil (and his childhood chum), making them fair game on Tina Tuesday!

I'm actually a bit surprised I had never heard of Robbie The Reindeer, especially as I am so well acquainted with his dad, Rudolph.

No, I'm being serious.

And, like his dad's, Robbie's nose had a special power - it could sniff out locations, like some crazy GPS homing beacon.

There are three tales thus far about this crudely drawn resident of the far north...

wait, I shouldn't single him out like that, calling him 'crudely drawn'...

because, in truth, all of the characters were crudely drawn, with the most disconcerting feature being their mouths on one side of their faces...

with the two writers receiving accolades and Comic Relief benefiting from the films.

CBS On Demand only offered the first two of the three, so I watched both.

"Hooves Of Fire", from 1999, began with the arrival of Robbie on the bus to the town at the North Pole where the Reindeer Games were held. The bus came through in August and the athletic events were in December, so that gave the overweight beast time to get in shape.

That was good, because that's all anyone did for fun there: they trained for the Games.

Fortunately, Old Jingle, the same coach his dad had back in the day, agreed to take on the son for training, teaching him the importance of that special nose, too.

Next up, three years later - literally and figuratively - was "The Legend Of The Lost Tribe", in which Robbie has been seeing Vikings around town.

Not tall, blond, beefy men these guys... 

think of beings more like those elves, but with horned helmets.

Now, throw in some killer Bunny Rabbits - like, for real, and just released from prison - who are accompanying Blitzen in his feud with all things Rudolph, and sides can be drawn.

Crudely, of course.

(smile!)

Dinner will be courtesy of Kevin!

Truly, it will be!

Kevin's Natural Foods has prepared Cilantro Lime Chicken and all I have to do is heat it up.

What a deal!

Thanks, Publix, for having these in the showcase today... and for having them on sale, too!

I have some baby potatoes which will be just lovely with that chicken!

I even have fresh green beans!

Such a pretty dish for my dinner!

 

And what to do after?

Well, as good fortune would have it, there's an unwatched PFS film awaiting me.

How about that?

Even better, it's a film noir - one of my favorite genres!

"Mirage", from 1965, even has a Kevin in it!

This time, it's 51-year-old Kevin McCarthy, a very talented character actor.

Yes, this is going to be quite a fine Tina Tuesday!

(smile!)

spirits of christmas

Coincidence or timing or whatever else it may be called, I've had the pleasure of "A Christmas Carol" visited upon me thrice this very day.

How very fortunate for me!

Right place, right time!

Jolly good!

And each time, the source was quite different.

Even better!

And to think: had I not been elsewhere last night, all would not have been arranged in such fashion for my maximum benefit.

Again: right place, right time!

i thank You, God.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is this fine fellow, drawn in perfect answer to the description penned by Charles Dickens.

Robust and hearty, full of good humor and Bacchanalian tastes, this is the one to inspire toasting with heart-warming spirits!

He was an illustration in the book read by Sherrill Milnes during "Home For The Holidays", watched during its matinee this morning.

I was even fortunate enough to be able to watch it twice today!

That meant I was well-reminded of the Christmas tale, as well as full of the music of the holiday season.

Right place, right time!

At 7 PM, I'd tuned in online for a VOICE Masterclass, but, after a few moments, turned to "Quantum Leap" instead.

No surprise there, really: I already knew one of my favorite episodes was on!

"A Little Miracle" takes place on Christmas Eve, 1962, and has Sam stepping in to bring a bit of Christmas past and present into the life of a stodgy young real estate tycoon (portrayed beautifully by Charles Rocket).

Alas, 'twas of no avail...

but all was not lost.

The tycoon could see Al, so that allowed the hologram to serve as the Ghost of Christmas Future, using his handheld communicator to show the doom to come.

That got the man's attention!

There was no prize turkey in a store window to send anyone, but the Salvation Army mission was now safe from demolition.

Hallelujah!

And my spirits were again elated!

Right place, right time!

 

But not so fast, girlie, in leaving the Element behind!

GRIT TV was in the holiday mood and had a treasure from 1984 in store: "A Christmas Carol", the one with George C. Scott as the curmudgeonly Scrooge, a man who could embody "Bah, humbug!" with venomous life.

The Ghost of Christmas Past has just arrived, to remind him that he was once fond of the holidays, that he once had more in his life than work and pinching pennies.

Yes, he, Scrooge, once had a sister who loved him and a woman who would have wed him...

and he had loved them, too.

Yes, he, Scrooge, once had friends who sought out his company, 

friends who he'd enjoyed dearly...

before he devoted himself to cold numbers and strict balances.

Good for dead Jacob Marley for looking after him now!

Plus, there was a prize turkey to send to the Cratchit home...

and a Christmas party to attend with his sister's son...

and all was beautiful on that sparkling new Christmas Day!

Such an air of hope mingled with the swirling snowflakes...

I could very nearly inhale it, truly!

Right place, right time!

i thank You, God.

look! an elf! but not on a shelf!

No sirreebob!

That elf is clearly sitting in a basket, though at first glance I thought it was in a planter.

That's probably because my mind linked the greenery above to the woven tub and proclaimed it as such.

As for the elf, it was accompanying Tiana Sorenson as she sang a wistful version of "Toyland".

Other toys had guest appearances, but only the elf retained the honor of remaining in place.

This was not probably not meant to be a toy, but it certainly tickled my fancy!

The elegantly ornamental pop-up tree was in a holiday card and was in the last of four such opened during the course of the 80-minute show.

The first card also held a tree, the second had a colorful train, and the third revealed a willow covered in snow.

Such dainty things they were, and so lovely!

All, and more, were part of "Home For The Holidays", a VOICE Holiday Special, aired twice last night and once today as a matinee.

Singing the title song whilst performing various seasonal activities are Emily Yocum Black in Kentucky (upper left), Carlton Moe in New York, Jessica Ann Best in New York (lower left), and Leo Radosavljevic in Illinois.
Oh, Tiana was performing from Chicago, too, by the way.

Emily may have had the most appearances in this holiday show, as she is in six segments and her voice is in a seventh!

For "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion!" she was the only singer, but not the only musician.

I was quite impressed with the performance, but I was even more impressed with how good this concert was, not just in how it sounded but in the regard for the health of all involved.

The only other instrumentalists actually shown in any segments were partners of singers.

Liz Lang sang "Winter Wonderland" while Michael Ferrara accompanied on piano before rejoining her in the home.

Leo was joined by Angela De Venuto for "The Holly And The Ivy", with both singing and both playing the piano side-by-side.

For those two songs, the two performers lived together so no masks were needed.

I am single and live alone.

Perhaps that is why I preferred the piece done by Emily, the piece which showed friends getting together responsibly to do something they all loved: make music.

Yes, that was very nice!

Not that I didn't enjoy the absurdity of "Bidi Bom"!

After all, it had a trio of men making silly faces for a song that featured silly words!

That's Carlton on the left, Peter Lake on the right, and Jonathan Walker-VanKuren stuck in the middle between those brunettes!

(Hint: ya gotta sing that phrase to get my joke!)

And I very much enjoyed the sweetness of this one.

That's Jessica opening packages on the sofa, perhaps with her Grandmama assisting - oh, how very lovely!

But those scenes were interspersed with Jessica in a sparkly party dress as well as outdoor holiday vignettes as she sang about the joy of being "At The Christmas Ball" - whew!

So much energy flowing all around that flirty tune!

Speaking of flirtatious numbers, this bit from the opera "La Bohème" certainly was!

Emily played the wench Musetta to Mariano Gladić's Colline.

Meanwhile, Liz Lang's Mimi is with Peter Lake's Rudolfo and Chad Sonka's Marcello.

Plus, there was a larcenous waiter played cleverly by Fowler Black.

No, he isn't shown here and he didn't sing a word, but he was a lot of fun!

(smile!)

However, when it comes to fun, "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" was positively full of it!

The four corners were the first to be filled, with Peter, Daniel Cohen, Leo, and Mariano, going clockwise from upper left, singing of that partridge in a pear tree... repeatedly!

Emily was next up with her two turtledoves, then Jessica sang of those three French hens and Patrick Joel Martin chimed in about four calling birds in his home.

But it was Liz, getting more and more exasperated about those five golden rings that made everyone laugh!

Perhaps it was Carlton's six geese a-laying that she confused with the Giant's Golden Goose...

yes, that must have been why Liz was so overwhelmed!

She couldn't get those geese to stop laying golden rings!

Hahahahaha! Hahaha!

Was she aware of Jonathan's seven swans a-swimming?

How about the eight maids a-milking that JoAnna Pope received or the nine ladies dancing for Tiana?

Then there's the matter of the ten lords a-leaping around Chad and the eleven pipers piping for Angela and those twelve drummers drum-drum-drumming with Sherrill!

But, no, no, the maid in the middle had forty golden rings and not nearly enough fingers or toes to wear them!

Goodness, gracious, what's a girl to do???

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

 

And after all that commotion, it was truly quite nice to relax as Peter Lake crooned from his home in Santa Rosa Beach...

oh, yes, just the sound of the locale brings a smile and a relaxing breath.

Irving Berlin would have been so pleased with this rendition of "Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep)", I am sure of it.

'Twas quite lovely, as was this program from Savannah VOICE.

My many thanks for this, as well as all of the free online shows shared with me - and the world - this year!