and the forecast calls for...

heat, baby! Heat, heat, and more heat, 'cause it's summertime at latitude 32 North!
(Did you get that reference to Robert Cray's song? Love this man's voice! I'm so glad to have heard him in 2007 - as he opened for Eric Clapton in Las Vegas! - and here in Savannah a few years ago. Wow! Pardon me while I take a little blues break...)
*
*
*
Okay! Back to the topic at hand: summertime!

What better way to start it off than watching Paul and Joanne fall in love again, just as they did sixty years ago?
Oh, yeah!

When Carolyn and I saw that the Tybee Post Theater was having the 60th anniversary revival of "The Long, Hot Summer" - and that it would be during the week of my 60th birthday - and it was a "Girls Night Out" screening - well, we bought our tickets ahead of time!
Yes, indeed, that's exactly what we did.
Neither of us wanted to take a chance on missing out on this 1958 classic!
She had seen the movie before, but I don't recall ever having done so.
(As you may remember, Mama and I liked to watch the old musicals and this was not of that genre.)
I'm so glad we went there tonight!
I enjoyed the story, of course, as it was cobbled together from three of William Faulkner's works. I took a great liking to him after a junior-level Literature class at Armstrong when I was getting my chemistry degree. Had to feed that non-science side of my brain, too!
But the Faulkner link was not why I went tonight.
I enjoyed the Southern setting, too. After all, I am a Georgia peach and can very much relate to that small-town lifestyle and laid-back living.
But that was not my reason for attending, either.
I was there for the love story between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, a romance that began right on that set and led to their marriage just a month after the film wrapped shooting, a romance that lasted until his death did them part... fifty years later.
Wow.

Of course we had to talk about the film afterward!
Betty Bombers became our destination for our review of Paul's blue eyes and Joanne's summer dresses and Orson Wells' big bad daddy act - how wonderful it all was!
And, as a special treat, Carolyn bought my dinner!
Thank you, dear... and thanks for going to the movie with me, too!
(smile)

bumbershoot for missing ducks in new zealand!

This way to fun!
I'm going to have to suggest that they
paint that message on the rising steps -
above their name, of course!
Where was I on this hump day of the week?
At the Loft on Liberty, back for more...
more Odd Lot, that is, on the third day
of their free shows for Savannah -
their Wacky Wednesday!!!

So, what did they have to offer on this
post-birthday night of improv?
Well, how about this "Actor's Nightmare"
shared by Thomas and Justin?
It hearkened back to my days in Oki
with its talk of kimonos -
that was a treat!

Then, Trick and Dom (new to me)
were "Statues", skating on thin ice -
in the summer, no less! -
with a little help from the audience.
At one point, they almost "skated" right
off the stage and into my lap!
Whew - close call!
hahahaha hahaha!

The Three-Headed Storyteller -
featuring Dom, Trick, and Justin -
had a charming story about a missing
potato who wandered too close to
a vat of boiling oil...
but look at those lovely French-fried
potaters, y'all - tasty!
(smile)

The same trio made their way to
New Zealand in the game of "Slips",
using audience-suggested dialogue.
(No, none of my lines found their way
onto that stage, alas.
Not even the refrain of the filk song
from TBBT - that would have rocked!)

Those were all entertaining bits, they certainly were.
But there was another new-to-me guy up there tonight and I found him to be very smart and witty.
In this game of "Impromptu Shakespeare" with Thomas, Chad was a guy with a faulty car, popping in and out of the Bard's tongue as easily as Thomas did.
That was impressive!

I had first seen him in this episode of "The
Bachelorette Game" wherein he was a truck-driving
mama with a Gayle-length beehive 'do tucked up
under 'her' cap - funny!
'She' had to choose between a would-be psychic (Thomas), a horse whisperer (Trick), and a flaming narcissist (Justin).
Me? I found the psychic charming, but 'she' went
for the ego-centric fellow. :-)

So, there were those two skits bookending this one,
my favorite of the entire evening.
I should think everyone knows I adore the "Noir",
with its kooky detective and broken 4th wall...
I know I've raved about those skits before, right?
The topic du jour was the "Case of the Missing
Ducks", and Chad had taken a brief moment to

change into character...
specifically, into a gum-cracking bimbette with curly blonde locks, who had sashayed into the office of detective Thomas to solicit his help.
"All of the ducks at the pond are gone!
Even Steve, the duck no one liked, is missing!
Oh, where could they be?"
All said while batting eyelashes and tossing hair and
twirling a tress with one hand.

As one with blonde roots that run deep,
I could totally relate to her!
Especially when Thomas stepped to stage edge
in an aside and 'she' was wondering aloud
who he was talking to and where was he going
and when was he going to find the ducks?
Such a hoot and a half!
(smile!)

Yes, like, I said, those skits (and others) were all quite entertaining... and were just the first part of the show. For real! I hadn't realized that this was a two-parter! The random skits were first, with a game show following a brief intermission.

The game show - at least this time - was titled "Pants On Fire". All five actors tonight, plus the emcee (Jason) were on stage to provide definitions for words that sounded fake, but were not.
Two audience members played against each other in guessing which actor had given the correct definition.

If the contestant guessed correctly, the actor would confirm and the contestant would score.
This youngster didn't do too well with these nonsense-sounding words, such as collywobbles - perhaps she should study body language, as sprawling Justin was the one who had supplied the correct meaning!

Honestly, though, I doubt I would have done any better.
Of the seven or so words that were bandied about by group, the only one I knew was bumbershoot.
Not because it was correctly defined by Chad -
though it was, as the contestant knew -
but because I am a fan of "Mary Poppins",
both the English nanny and the renegade Yondu.
(smile!)

Now, off I go, solo, to watch a new movie about a renegade: "Solo: A Star Wars Story"!
(Hey, how's that for a segue? Pretty smooth!)
Better yet, I'm seeing it in BigD at the Wynnsong, with popcorn and Coke ICEE, for only seventy-three cents!
I'd tell you how I did that trick, but the movie is about to start...
tata!

fresh start to my new year!

Yesterday, I had busied myself with cleaning up around here.
That meant I washed my hair. That's actually a big deal when there is as much hair as I have! It cannot be towel-dried, as that causes far too many snarls for a brush to undo. No, the hair has to first stay in a towel turban for at least a few minutes, then released and allowed to air dry for at least two hours before brushing.
As I was already taking a shower when I washed my hair, I also shaved my legs. That chore is hardly worth doing, as I have so little stubble at my age... well, not on my legs or armpits. (Don't look too closely at the chin, though.)
While my hair was in the turban, I clipped my toenails. (The best time to do that is right after the shower, as the nails are softer then and will cut cleanly.) I wear my sandals almost always, so trim nails on the feet are a must!
Once I was all squared away, then it was time to work on my bedroom, my sanctuary.
The flannel sheets were stripped away and replaced by crisp linen.
I removed the red Korean double-mink blanket, which I've had since Peter Derby gave it to me in 1981. (He had bought it when he went there on a TAD mission.) After so many years of spring-time washings, it is still as soft and lush and warm and brilliantly hued as it has been since I first received it in Okinawa.
I removed the electric mattress pad warmer, too, as the nights are warm enough without it.
(Now, I have a pile of bed 'clothing' to be washed. Maybe tomorrow?)
I also dusted in my bedroom. The two night tables, the head board, my rocking chair (from my days in Panama) - all received the soft touches of Puffs Plus tissues. Yes, that's right - aloe-enhanced tissues for dusting! They're strong, but soft, and they're lint-free. Plus, they can just be tossed away afterward!
As for the kitchen, that was neat and tidy when I awoke.
No, elves did not clean while I slept... though that would have been welcomed.
(smile)

I had washed dishes yesterday, after my morning
and afternoon meals.
Along with these two slices of Spanky's Special pizza (two more are frozen!), I had a new type of coffee:
Seattle's Best House Blend.
Pretty good, but I'm glad it was a BOGO deal.
(I put the rest of it into the container to be mixed
with whatever else is in there.)

Lunch was actually served as a two-course meal.
Here is my first serving of the chilled Shrimp Trifle
I had prepared with the leftover boiled shrimp
from the Bon Vivant dinner a few days ago.
Isn't this such a pretty presentation?
What's that? A trifle is a sweet dish?
Well, actually, I don't believe there is any law
that says they absolutely must be sweet...
(though apparently that is inherently understood).

When I had another serving a few hours later,
I didn't have the chips to ring around it.
Instead, I posed the Shrimp Trifle container in
the Sun Room, for comparison.
See the pretty layers, with each one distinct?
There's the garbanzos on the top, black beans next,
then the RoTel mingled with the chopped shrimp.
Beautiful - and very tasty!
I do believe I'll finish that off now!
Bye!

odometer and odd lot and otras cosas

I cannot imagine a better birthday... truly.
Right down to the odometer reading: 197000.
Sandy and I had returned to the car
and when I started her up, there it was,
glowing like candles on a cake.
Right place, right time.
And just where was I?
Well, we had just dined at Betty Bombers,
so I had parked at Forsyth Park on Park Avenue.

(smile Like that bit of word play? I do!)
Sandy had her 50th two weeks ago and
had joined me on my 60th today,
even choosing the Garden Burger, like I did!
I had the apple cider coleslaw, though -
much tastier than French-fried potaters, mm mmm.
(Get that joke? Hey, I'm on a roll!
No, wait, that's my burger on a roll!)

Okay, so what's with the wisecracks?
(No, I'm not referring to wrinkles!)
Well, here's the thing: the Odd Lot folks knew
today was my birthday so they were treating me
like royalty on this free Tag Team Tuesday.
I was selected as one of three judges!!!
The Soucyman was the referee and had the final say
on scores, in this game of Bald Men versus
Hairy Guys, but our voting cards counted, too!

In this game, called "Questions", everything said
had to be in the form of... well, a question, silly!
As someone would get stumped or get tickled,
they'd have to leave the stage.
Green-capped Thomas won this game!
He was a relentlessly funny border official!
So, that was a win for the Hairy Guys.

Here are the Hairy Guys - Thomas, Doug, and Zach -
all together for a round of "Stand, Sit, Lean"
in a dentist's office.
That ended up being too difficult to coordinate -
too many moving parts for all three players -
so the team scored only a "3" (out of a maximum
possible of "5") from each judge.
Time for the Bald Men to take a turn!
What was their game selected from the hat?

I honestly do not recall... dog grooming?
I just remember laughing and laughing!
Of course I awarded them a "5" and that
had naught to do with Marshall wishing
me "Happy Birthday"!
The other two judges weren't as tickled,
awarding lower scores.
Next skit, please!

It was an Elimination Round between Zach and Marshall!
The game was "Alphabet Noir" and the case was the murdered talking dog (my suggestion, gleaned from the previous skit) and they had to start with the letter "F" (also my call! Thanks, y'all!).
They botched it at the start, but got a second try.
What a hoot it was, as the case was linked to the "zoo murders" and solved!
Zach tripped up again, so the Bald Men got the win.

"Two Lines" was this game for them!
Soucyman gave Trick and Marshall each two short lines
of dialogue to utter ("What is that?" and "No way!",
for example) and no more.
Jason had to lead the way for the "monsters in a closet", much like with "Actor's Nightmare".
What an absolute hoot! Reminded me of the Steve Martin and Bill Murray bit!
"5" from me! "5" from the guy! "4" from the blonde.

But finally there was a skit that was awarded
"5" from all three of us.
That meant the team that scored that had to dance!
Thomas, Zach and Doug merited that perfect score in their game of "First, Middle, Last", using lines from the audience in their portrayal of a man giving birth -
what a delightful romp!
But it wasn't quite enough points, in the end.

The evening's trophy -
with a win by only one point,
according to the referee -
went to the Bald Men!
Hooray for Jason Arons!
Hooray for Trick Kelly!
Hooray for Marshall Frey!
Thanks, y'all for the birthday hugs
afterward and all the laughs!

I thank You, God, for this glorious night of fun...
and for the friends to share that time with me!

not old, just older!

"Age 60 (on May 29th)!...To my female friends who have made the trip around the sun a "few" times 😉, most of us are going through the next stage of our lives.
We are at that age where we see wrinkles, grey hair, extra pounds.
Menopause has showed up or is waiting around the corner.
We see pretty 25-year olds and smile.
We were 25 too, just like they will one day be our age.
What they bring to the table with their youth and zest, we bring with our wisdom, experience and good hearts.
For all we've been through earning each grey hair - jobs, raising kids, life's bills and ills, or whatever else life brought over the 80's, 90's on up, we are survivors.
We are warriors.
We are Women.
Like classic cars or fine wine, our exterior may not be what it once was.
It is traded for spirit, courage and strength while we enter this chapter of our lives with grace and pride for all we've been through and accomplished.
NEVER feel bad about aging.
It is a privilege denied to many.
Remember age is only a number!
Ladies, I challenge you to copy & repost with your picture and age."

That was the gauntlet thrown down (on facebook, of course) by my British friend on Sunday, mid-afternoon.
I picked it up 'fore it hit the ground!
Then I posted the above photo - taken after the Boomers outing on Monday, gray hair and wrinkles - yes, and extra pounds, too - obvious and obviously not daunting my spirit!
" Thanks, Wendy Taylor Pena, for the quote on being older and fabulous!"

Ever since, I've been getting words of love from women and men in my life!
Long-time friend and fellow world traveler Lindsay Norman piped up with this: "Yes! Keep reminding me. Xo happy birthday!"
Shayla Edgell, one of the nurses on my Italian adventure, added: " That’s beautiful, happy birthday! 🎉 Wishing you many more wonderful years!"
Balinda Dixon, my reason to visit Oregon again and best friend since Imperial Beach, told me: "You are just as beautiful today as you were all those years ago, when we met......"
Jason Arons, the young man I went to Odd Lot Academy with, had this sweetness for me: "still lookin' good for 42"
Asburian and owner of my Tinkerbell, Cyndi Dyches-Linthicum, said: " Happy birthday 🎊🎈"
My bfM - that's best friend Marine - since our days on Okinawa, Lizz Smith, went straight to the point: "Amen!"
JinHi Soucy Rand, the indomitable and wisest woman I know, had these words for me: "Oh I treasure you, Tina Faustina, and through all of the changes, gains, losses, adventures, and dances we’ve watched each other weather over the last more than 20 years. I will always be grateful for you! "
Lynn Engler, Tybee-ite, Steelers fan, and mother like my Mama, told me simply: "Happy Bithday!"
Lorrie Ruggiero, way out there in Texas, but former neighbor, was thrilled: "I just turned fifty on May 21st, so we are both hitting milestones! Happy early Birthday!"
Pat Andres, Asburian and fiction writer - note that I had to throw that in! - wrote: "Can't help being sexy, can you, young lady?"
To which my friend Rhonda Curby, who I've known since my days as an Armstrong student and Masquer, added this: "She never could."
(Aren't they hilarious? No wonder that I love them!)
My new Boomer buddy, Sue Gorecki, another woman with broad tastes, said: "Enjoy your milestone!! Happy Birthday Faustina!"
Another Asburian, Kathy Hodges, who was such a help to me with the Shekinah Spiral meetings, is evidently an Earth Dog, too! "I'll welcome 70 in 2 weeks."
Christopher Jean Soucy, the man who once told me, "We have a history, you and I", only needed to add one word: "Hurrah!"
My Canadian honorary "sister-in-law", Sue Kosokowsky, voiced her support: "Hey pretty Lady ❤ love ya Sista"
Pam Zeigler Sears, Asburian as well as leader now of the Masquers, thanked me: "Happy happy birthday! 🎂. I needed these thoughts and am grateful for them & you."
My outlaw stepsister-in-law and favorite person in Tennessee, Kathy Landers Schaal, thanked me, too! "Thank you for your service Aunt Tina !! You are awesome!!"

As I told them, as well as the early birthday-wishers and the sixty-five friends and family who had liked or loved that post, "Y'all are wonderful! I am so happy - and blessed - to have such positive people in my life! "
I truly am (and that includes those not on that site).
i thank You, God.

happy birthday, from the ether universe

12:00 AM

Tuesday, May 29th, 2018

Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu,
Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu,
Happy Birrrrthday Dear Faustina,
Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu!

A few years back, not so long ago, heaven and earth erupted into a major celebration with the news of your impending adventure into this very time and space. You see, someone like Faustina Smith doesn't come along all that often. In fact, there's never been a single one like you, nor is there ever ANY possibility that another will come again. You're an Angel among us. Someone, whose eyes see what no others will EVER see, whose ears hear what no others will EVER hear, and whose perspective and feelings will NEVER, ever be duplicated. Without YOU, the Universe and ALL THAT IS would be less.

Quite simply:

You're the kind of person, Faustina,
Who's hard to forget,
A one-in-a-million
To the people you've met.
Your friends are as varied
As the places you go,
And they all want to tell you
In case you don't know:
That you make a big difference
In the lives that you touch,
By taking so little
And giving so much!

Faustina, you are so AWESOME! For your birthday, friends and angels from every corner of the Universe, including buddies you didn't know you had, will be with you to wish you the HAPPIEST of days and an exciting new year in time and space. You won't be alone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Faustina!

P.S. This is going to be YOUR year!!

I choose to believe that these words were steered to me by Mama, Daddy, stepdad Frank, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Pearl, cousin Valerie, Granny White, Toad in Okinawa, niece Jean Marie, Uncle Bob, almost-brother Sam Johnson, outlaw cousin David and his dear Gwen, Mother Pat, stepbrother George, Great-Uncle Sam and his Lena Burt, David Johnson, and all the free spirits I love who are no longer on this physical plane.
i thank You, God, that I once had them to hold.

60th birthday eve!

Funny, I don't feel a day over 18 - most days!
(smile)
This has certainly been one of the good ones!
That's because it was finally time for
my birthday party at Grayson Stadium!
Again, the Savannah Bananas had to disguise it
as Fan Fest 2018, but that was just fine -
they supplied and prepared all the food and
would even handle the clean up afterward!
How magnificent of them!
I invited almost everyone I know that lives around these parts, oh, yeah!
So did they!
"The biggest Memorial Day party in Savannah is here!
Join us tonight (Monday, May 28th) from 5:00PM-7:00PM at Historic Grayson Stadium for Fan Fest!
This is a RAIN OR SHINE event!
This event is completely free- we'll even have free All-You-Can-Eat burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, popcorn, cookies, soda, and water!
Get autographs and pictures with the 2018 Bananas players and coaches!
Let your kids play in the Sun Country Kids Zone (for free!), run the bases, and even play catch with the Bananas!
Watch batting practice and the first ever Bananas home run derby!
Check out the entertainment for 2018 and meet Tyler Gray, Director of Fun!
There's no need to RSVP - we'll see you there!"
I had been waiting for this since I first heard about it, at least two months ago.
Initially, there wasn't going to be free food... but, let's face it, everyone loves that!

Everybody loves a marching band, too!
Here's the Bananas Band, on the field
and regaling the crowd!
And see that fellow - center-frame -
in the leopard-spotted suit and
tall orange socks, dancing about?
That's the new guy, Tyler.
We'll see how he works out!

Speaking of dancing about -
and things near center-frame -
there's the top Banana himself,
Split, two-stepping out there
in the infield
with someone's Grandma!
That's a home run move
in my book!

Oh! Here's one more with a
center-frame image of fun!
See that woman in the blue
shorts and red shirt?
That's my friend Julie!
You can't tell, but she was chasing
a friend's kid as he ran the bases.
(smile!)

Let's see, what else did we have?
Well, while everyone was arriving
and getting their dinner and seats
there were the new Bananas
having a bit of batting practice
early on...

followed later on by the new Bananas
playing catch with those enterprising
kids who had brought their gloves...
ah, I love the smell of
baseball(s) in the air!
I'll see them at my first game -
and their second - on Friday -
woohoo!!!

Okay! I've had my free dinner!
I've had a bit of fresh air and exercise (as I strolled around the bases) at my free party!
Time for some Monday Night Madness,
as only Odd Lot can do it!
Better yet - it's free, too!!!
As five-year champions of Best Comedy Team in Savannah, they're giving it away all this week - just in time for all of this to be a gift for my 60th birthday!!
(But, ssshhhh! We'll let everyone think it's a gift for the city, okay? Just like the party earlier that the Bananas gave me!)

Now, time for some improv!
Nothing like a little "Ding!" right off the bat!
(Hey, did you catch that inside joke?)
And just what was it that Kyuu, Doug, and Lynita
were trying to do?
Open a pickle jar!
Hahahaha hahaha!
I can so relate to that!

Next up?
How about a little "Actor's Nightmare"?
Bwah ha ha!
Soucyman is trying to check out at the store,
but he can't get his melting ice cream past
Jason's totally zoned out clerk -
I can relate to that, too!

Dadada da dadada duh! "Dating Game" time!
Starring bachelorette Doug, working 'her' way through
the questions with the narcoleptic (Kyuu), Rumpelstiltskin (Lynita),
and Bruce Banner-Hulk (Jason) -
what a quandary for 'her' -
and what fun for all of us!

Then it was my favorite time of night -
"Noir"!!!
Society dame Lynita was missing her
blue suede shoes and only
Detective Soucyman could help her...
or could he?
Stay tuned right here, folks...
(smile)

But wait! "This Just In"!
Snack Lightly and Chuck Meat (aka Jason and Doug)
have interrupted the scheduled broadcast
with a breaking news story!
Over to their man on the street...

their Soucyman, that is, with his report!
"It's Monday, I'm In Love!" has swept over the citizens -
(this Cure by my suggestion, y'all!) -
including Snack's wife, snuggling right there in public!
Oh, the humanity!
(smile!)




Yes, there were more skits in their repertoire that night...
like "Change Switch" over a missing party invitation (seriously, I sent it!)...
and "First, Middle, Last" in an escape room, guessing head sizes...
plus, that delightful "Shakespeare" bit involving grooming a Shabrador...
then the exploits of "The Vinklefos Twins" as only the 3-Headed Storyteller could relate...
no use in pleading, I shall not show those photos tonight...
perhaps sometime in the future?
Perhaps!
Let me just add this one last thing...
i thank You, God, for this delightful Birthday Eve!
(smile!)

second chances

If anyone needed a second chance, Tobias Schneebaum did.
In 1955, when he was thirty-three years old, he ate human flesh.
The act so unsettled him that he left the people he knew and the place he had been living, abruptly, with no farewells to anyone, not even to his lover.
Fourteen years later, he wrote a book about his adventures in that land. No one was really interested in his art. No one was really interested in his cultural studies of the indigenous folk.
Everyone wanted to talk to him about his one instance of cannabalism.
The year the book was published was 1969.
Everyone wanted to show the works of the "cannibal artist", of course.
I can only imagine how tiresome and grating it must have been for him, to have everyone forever concentrating on the one thing he most regretted.

Tonight, I had a rare opportunity to view this man's second chance.
Forty-four years had elapsed since he had last been in Peru. Forty-four years had passed since he had last seen any of the Harakmbut people.
The year, then, was 1999 and Tobias was 77 years old.
"Keep The River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale" was a documentary shot primarily to record his reactions to again being in Peru and with these people he had left behind and left out of his life.
Now, the land was becoming a nature preserve. The tribes wore Western attire and were settled in the communal reserve named for their specific tribe, the Amarakaeri.
Those changes were a big surprise to Tobias.
A bigger surprise, though, was how much they welcomed him. Even his old lover welcomed him with open arms and genuine kisses, as if only a few days had passed and not more than four decades.
Tobias was obviously so relieved to have not left harsh feelings behind.
This time when he left, there were loving hugs all around.
I'm sure he died quite peacefully in 2005, four years after this film was released.
I'm glad he had this opportunity to make things right.
i thank You, God, that I have been granted like opportunities.

My thanks to Jim Reed, the LGBT Center, and the "Look Back" film series.
I look forward (get the joke?) to more films about second chances.
Now, though, I've just returned home from pizza at Spanky's with Carolyn.
Time for sleep, y'all.

blessings on memorial day weekend

We had a pretty sparse group here at church,
but maybe the sermon title -
"The Choreographer, the Dance Partner, and the Music"-
didn't speak to them as it had to me.
(smile)
I really liked the reference to dihydrogen oxide -
water, ice, and steam -
that Billy worked in there, too!
And what do we have here? The graduating/graduated students of Asbury Memorial, including my niece, Molly!
That's her on the far left!
She's going to join her sister at Kennesaw and pursue a dual degree in... wait for it... accounting (like my stepdad) and theatre!!!
She's going to do so well, I just know it!
She made sure to thank me for the graduation gift! I know she'll put that $100 to good use.
(smile!)

Here's family trinity photo with her.
That's my niece, on the right,
talking about her plans with her dad's
Aunt Joan (who is her Great-Aunt and
Reverend Billy's mom).
Between them is my stepsister, Jean,
also known as Molly's mom.
I'll have to be sure to get that to her!

After our hobnobbing
had run its course,
I rode on out to
Greenwich Cemetery
to visit Mama.
I like to do that
every year as part of
my personal
birthday celebration.
(I was thrilled to
be able to squat down
for this photo!)
When the drizzle started
again, I sat in my car to
share the photo with others.

Then I spotted a couple standing on the family plot!
What were they doing?
Should I know them?
I walked over and asked if they had known the Barry group.
No, they had not.
They were looking for graves of those killed in combat, then leaving a pot of begonias and a flag at them
The two had spotted the Air Force signage and placed their memorial by the grave.
"That was William Roberts," I said. "He was the brother of my stepdad's first wife, Zaida. I had known her as the librarian at Jenkins High School when I was going there. My stepdad - Frank - is on the same plot as my mother. Mama was the reason he made the changes."
"After my stepdad decided to change around the burial space to have two markers on each plot, he had the marker for Billy added there. The brother-in-law he never knew had been shot down during an aerial battle of the Guadalcanal Campaign of WWII. He was not yet 25 when that happened and his body was never found."
I then told them about Frank having been a POW for almost two years during WWII, that my stepbrother George had been a Navy man, and that I had been in the Navy, too.
The husband and wife, both native Savannahians, were quite touched at being able to have the story behind this group of gravestones.
I was quite touched to have this story of a random act of kindness.
We all hugged before parting ways.
(smile)

Then I came home... and found that two of my brothers had cut my grass!
Not only had Smitty and Tony mowed the jungle in the front, they had also cut the growth in the huge back yard back down to size!
They even edged the sidewalk for me!
Sure, I'll gladly accept that as a birthday gift!
What a blessed day this has been, no matter the rainy skies.
i thank You, God, the Choreographer, as I try to follow the lead of Jesus, the Dance Partner, while listening to the Spirit's Music of Life!

birthday meals, here, there, everywhere!

It all began on Monday and has carried on almost every night this week!

On that night, the Boomers went
to Tailgate Sports Bar & Grill after seeing "Book Club".
I counted that as birthday with that meetup bunch!
Karen S was there, as well as William & Annette, Sue G, Jackie F, Lisa W, and Stania - no initial needed, as she is the only one,
like I am.
(smile!)
I dined on the City Market Salad -
pretty and quite tasty, too!

Wednesday found me having dinner at the Sentient Bean and they gave me this particular trophy as I waited for my soup.
Magnificent! How had they known my love of baseball?
The potato-kale-garlic dish was good, but I relished even more hanging out with the PFS regulars -
Carolyn, Jim Reed, Will, Joe B...
and yes, even Jack and Hai!
(smile)
I liked the Mr. T movie,too!

Thursday evening, as I've mentioned, found me at the Jepson for "The Open Road"!
After the lecture, I had to visit my favorite tech art - Swarm - again -
but then I went to the join Sue G and Peggy H and Jim M for the
free birthday reception!
Three types of grapes, carrots, celery, apple slices, hummus, cherry tomatoes - plus the canapes with capers, the peanut butter sandwiches, and the paper cones of trail mix topped by fluffy popcorn!

Last night, Carolyn and I had gone from the Tybee Post Theater -
more on that musical later! -
to Chili's for a late dinner.
Hooray for the 2-for-$22 deal!
We had a magnificent mound of chips with salsa, then each chose the Margarita Chicken - one of my favorites!
Thanks, Janea, for great service!
Bonus - Carolyn hadn't been there in a year and she loved the food.
(smile!)

Tonight, the Bon Vivants of MENSA dined at Pearl's Saltwater Grille and
I was right there with them to celebrate my upcoming birthday!
Barbara and Sandy were right by me, too, as was Kathy H - very nice!
Plus Ron & Susan and Barbara's friends Lainie & Michael!
The fabulous Drew brought my full pound of steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, and coleslaw - scrumptious!
I even have shrimp for tomorrow, as well as some of those Pearl's Puppies - dessert! (smile!)

I can't wait to see what next week will bring!
i thank You, God, for the gift of these diverse friendships!