out of wall space for my cultural activities!

What a plight to have!

I've been to so many plays and concerts and such that I haven't any more space for the display of new events.

And the year is not yet done!

The wall shown above only gets me from July's vacation like locals this summer to the SavChTh's performance of "Frederick" in August.

That's the third wall I've posted with blessings of culture this year!

So, I compressed the items on the second wall with those on the first and third so I could carry on with my experiences in the arts.

 

Then I started placing those mementos on that blank space... and have filled it again!

Between God On Broadway and Savannah Children's Theatre, with a Banana Ball game and several high school productions, every space now has a program!

The majority of these were paid to attend, so I'll have to reconsider in the future.

My finances took a hit, and the only change was my increased attendance at plays, musicals, concerts, and dances.

Rarely has there been a Thursday night or a weekend that didn't have an event to draw my traveling feet out!

Blessings they have been, but now it's December and more space is needed on walls that are filled with fun already!

Time to consolidate again... and perhaps make better choices.

Then again, colder nights are here, prompting me to abstain from attending several evening events in the past two weeks.

Perhaps the Universe itself will help me become more discerning...

and more budget-conscious.

(smile!)

flashback from fb: this date in 2013

Listening to the blues 

ala Trae Gurley and Jack Sherman, 

while sipping on a Sidecar 

(which is better slightly warm)

— with Joe Guy at Chive Sea Bar + Lounge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blues 

and "Fever" 

and "Route 66"!
— at Chive Sea Bar + Lounge.

 

 

 

 

 

Magic Rocks!!! 

Don't they look GRAND?!?!?!
— with Joe Guy, Craig Johansen, and Jim Reed at Flashbacks in Richmond Hill. 

"We're big rock singers..."
— with Ronnie of Magic Rocks 

"...we got toes and fingers..."
— with Craig Johansen of Magic Rocks

"...and we're loved everyWHERE we go..."
— with Jim Reed of Magic Rocks

Topping off the night 

at Flashbacks in Richmond Hill 

with some Magic Rocks 

and this Guy!
— with Joe Guy

Thanks, fb, for keeping this safe.

Truly good times!

Christmas came early for me!

That's because Christina Ann came and spent the day with me!

Just her... the girls were with their Grammy.

Woohoo!!!

What did we do?

Whatever we wanted to!!!

Specifically, we went to a free movie and dined out for dinner!

What a rare treat for both of us to have time together that isn't interrupted by the need for "Miyah, stop that" or "Chloe, leave that alone" or such utterances.

What a relief to not have to do that!

Of course I love my great-nieces, and of course she loves her two daughters, but it's good to be able to behave like adult women every so often, n'est-ce pas?

To be able to have real grownup talk with no little ears to hear - 

thank you, Melinda!

(smile!)

So, another movie, just three days after the last one - incredible! 

This time was different, though, as it was just we two.

And what did we watch?

"Wicked, Part 1".

We both grew up watching "The Wizard Of Oz", thanks to my Mama, her Grammy.

That means both of us had some trepidation about this new take.

However, I happened to catch the TV special, "Defying Gravity", last week, and that had convinced me to see the new musical the first time.

Since then, I read an article about Gregory Maguire, the author of the book on which "Wicked, Part 1" is based.

That has driven me to see the it - or, rather, parts of it - several times since then.

 

Now, I had the opportunity to share that new perspective on our beloved land of Oz with my first niece... and to do so for free, thanks to a Comcast reward of two free tickets!

Thanks, Fandango, for helping to broker that deal for us.

And guess what?

She and I sang along with parts of the movie!

And, because we were at the screening with subtitles, I was able to understand some of the lyrics in 'Galinda's' songs, when Ariana's voice gets a bit too high for me.

What a nice bonus that was!

 

Then we went to dinner at Red Lobster, a place I like and that she hasn't been to for several years, and they had beaucoup shrimp dishes to try!

We both had the '3 for $20' deal.

I got the Scampi, the grilled, and Walt's favorite.

She had the Scampi, the Dragon, and the Parrot Isle Coconut.

We both ate every bite, too, as we sat and talked for two hours.

I mean talked, too, without phones or kids or craziness from others.

(smile!)

As I told her mom when she called as Christina was dropping me off at home, I regarded this as my Christmas present, come early!

She completely understood.

(smile!)

new music for me

There it was, something different on TV on a Friday morning.

"A Baylor Christmas" 

The hour-long show was from Baylor University, a place I didn't know.

There may have been four songs that knew, but most were new to me.

Some were sung by the entire chorus.

Some, like "Cradle Hymn", only had women's voices.

Some, like "Waltz of the Fairies", was purely instrumental and showed off the orchestra.

Amazingly, there was only one 'mercial break for the whole hour, and that had been a very brief station ID.

All were wonderful accompaniment to my breakfast, which consisted of the two chicken and kale sausages Smitty brought by on Wednesday, plus apple slices.

Coffee was served in the souvenir cup he'd brought me from Sitka, Alaska.

All in all, such a fine way to begin this post-Thanksgiving Friday.

i thank You, God.

thanksgiving 2024!

First, I'm thankful for all the wishes of the day sent to me!

This was received from my first niece, just moments after the Peanuts gang went by in the Macy's 98th Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Plus, I'd watched "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" last night, so those characters were fresh in my mind as well as my heart.

Right place, right time!!!

Second, I'm thankful for all the wishes of the day that I shared with others!

Sherry Moore was the first to send me this, and I promptly moved it along to others that I know and love.

So very festive, isn't it?

Third, I'm thankful for the food Smitty brought over yesterday for this day.

He and Mary were to be at Tyler and Hannah's in Rincon; Tony and Laura, as well as Dane the dog, went down to Tampa to be with her two middle sons, Cole and Alek.

With the food given to me, I had ham and pasta soup to start my day.

Fourth, I'm glad to be such a regular face at AMC that I get treated like royalty.

I went to the cinema for the 1000 bonus points for getting a ticket to "Wicked, Part 1".

That wasn't what I wanted to see, though.

Santa and his brother Krampus were on my list!

So, they told me which screening room held "Red One" and there I went!

How lovely that the two movies had the same starting time!

Fifth, I'm thankful to have continued the tradition of watching the Detroit Lions play.

Most years, that game is a loss for them, but not this year!

Sure, as Jeff the ex said, it was a real nail-biter during those last two minutes of play, but the Lions managed to keep their edge over the Chicago Bears.

Whew!!!

Sixth, I've been blessed to have gorgeous weather.

Rain is forecast in a day or so, and the yards both needed a trim.

The front yard won out and I mowed at least two-thirds of it before the Ryobi stopped.

Perhaps I will finish it tomorrow, perhaps not.

Seventh, after all was done, I feasted upon smoked turkey breast, baked sweet potato, and deviled eggs. 

That was a meal I didn't have to cook or prep, thanks to my brothers.

Eighth, I'm now being treated to "Mary Poppins" - the 1964 musical with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke - on the telly.

i thank You, God, for this day of gratitude.

flashback: 27 november 2011

Thanks, fb, for this memory of a trip made to Augusta for Thanksgiving 13 years ago.

I'd somehow managed to convince my middle little brother to come with me to share the feast and meet our paternal cousins, who he did not know.

Afterward, Ronnie and I crossed town to see our other relatives from Mama's side.

Here's the photo of him with our maternal cousin, Sharon, who lives up there.

 

Then came all the comments on fb between cousin Penny, cousin Sharon, and me. 

Penny Walker Bos
Ronnie looks more like grandpa Lee every time I see him! Sharon doesn't ever change -- how does she do that???

Faustina Smith
You really see Grandpa in him? I see grandpa in Smitty and Tony. I see Daddy and Uncle Jimmy in Ronnie.

Penny Walker Bos
Funny how the eye of the beholder thang works, huh???

Faustina Smith
You betcha! Oh, and Sharon doesn't age... wonder how THAT works??

Penny Walker Bos
I don't know but I don't think my Oil of Olay is working anymore!!!

Sharon DuBose
Unfortunately I am way aging...I feel it every time I get up after sitting down too long...

Faustina Smith
I second THAT motion! (warning: all puns intended)

even tinier than expected

"What's that, dearie?"

His new kitteh. He's named her Emily.

"Oh, my, yes, she's quite tiny. About two months old?"

He says she's five months old. He also seems to think she's as big as Chloe was.

"His old lady cat that died a few years ago? She was pretty large!"

That's what I told him. Still, he has it in his head that Emily is that size.

"Doesn't he have paintings of his other cats? He could compare this new one to those."

Actually, part of his housekeeping changes with the divorce was throwing out all of that. I don't really understand why. Perhaps he and The 'Cole spent time together during those painting sessions, with him doing that while she did something else, but both in the same space. Like I said, I don't know why, but I do understand the need for a dramatic change when a relationship ends.

"Yes, but you didn't throw out anything you had created as an artist. You painted every room in the house with bright colors!"

Not quite true. The pantry has yet to be painted. (smile!) Plus, I wouldn't call the colors "bright", just definitely not in the realm of "eggshell white" that they were. "Warm", that's what they are.

"Yes, dearie. So, back to this evening. How did that go?"

He'd cooked dinner, something called "General Tso's Tofu", and it was okay. We'd talked a bit before he served it up, then we watched "Wicked Little Letters" while we ate.

"Oh, that's the Olivia Colman movie he'd wanted to see!"

That's right. And get this: he'd saved it to watch with me.

"How very nice! Knowing he could have watched it any time, how truly wonderful that he'd waited to see it with you. He's a good friend."

Yes, he is. I was quite touched that he'd held back on seeing it.

"So, y'all have future plans? I hope?"

Not anything set in ink, but school is almost out and he wants us to do dinner and a movie at his Osprey Cove nest in the next two weeks. I suggested I bring a pizza. Maybe I'll pick up one of those Margherita pizzas I so like at Publix and bring that! We could even cook it there and chat while it was getting done. Oh, I do like that idea!

moana and the chrimiyach!

But, first, a luncheon at El Potro!

All this time, I thought the name meant 'The Horse', but I was wrong.

She thought it meant 'The Pony', but she was wrong, too.

'El Potro' means 'The Colt".

How about that?

As many times as I've dined there, seems like I'd know.

Good to learn something new every day!

(smile!)

At any rate, that's where we four had our luncheon!

Did I say four?

I did!

That's my first niece, her two girls, and myself, with the littler females choosing to eat chips and cheese, the dish they've been eating most of their lives.

Yes, Christina has trained them well to associate that cuisine with a trip to see me!

(smile!)

Afterward, we let the girls run off some energy.

Christina had paid for my crunchy beef tacos, which was very nice!

She said it was because I'd bought the tickets for our Tina Tuesday cinema outing.

I had, too, but it wasn't the price shown here.

The very first screening of our movie was at 2 PM in the Big-D, so the prices were higher than normal, even with the matinee discount.

But my ticket was part of my A*List, so that made it free.

Then there was the Tuesday discount -

and I had $10 in AMC Rewards - 

plus another $7-something on a gift card -

so all I paid was $11.15 for the four tickets.

(smile!)

We were all looking forward to Miyah and Chloe having their first experience in the Big-D screening room, too!

That didn't happen, though, due to projector issues.

No worries, though!

We still got to see "Moana 2" in another screening room, and just 30 minutes later than it would have been.

Also, we each received a pass that can be used for any movie, any time, at any AMC!

Those are like gold!

(smile!)

After the movie, rush hour had begun so we hung out in the parking lot until a drizzle came along.

The girls ran and got in the van.

My first niece and I sheltered under the lift gate at the back of the van.

And that's when it came out...

when we least expected it...

the chrimiyach!!!

A three-headed beast with fierce faces!!!

Oh, no!!!

Hahahaha!!!

What a fun way to end our outing together!

(smile!)

pack attack + 2!

Time for a little something different!

I'm not just talking about the charity event we helped with, either!

Yvonne - that's her, talking with her hands, like I do! - and Toni and I had expected the Operation Thanksgiving Pack Attack to busy us until about 7 PM this evening.

Nope!

Thanks to the large turnout of volunteers, and the orderly method of the process, we were all done, and out of there, before 6:30!

That even included carrying the tote bags out to the cars that will deliver the food tomorrow!

Trust me, all that effort had worked up an appetite, too.

But, where to dine?

It was Monday, so the nearby King & I was closed.

How about Cici's or Chili's or Jason's Deli?

No, no, and no, were Yvonne's responses.

Plus, I know Toni prefers to go to locally-grown businesses.

Then, it hit me: The Narra Tree!

I've been wanting to go to this Filipino place since it opened and cannot ever seem to find someone to go along.

That wasn't the problem this time!

Both of them were ready, willing, and able to take a taste!

So, that's where we went, eventually closing down the place.

That was funny, as they were open until 9 PM!

 

We each ordered something different, then tried a little bit of what each ordered.

You know - like we all would have done at Chinese restaurants in our younger days.

What a lot of fun!

I had the vegetable-only Chop Suey, Toni had Pancit with chicken, and Yvonne had roast meat with fried rice - such a great variety.

Then we each ate every bit of the food.

I mean, every - last - bite.

No doggie bags for this bunch!

Then Yvonne surprised us by paying the entire bill.

Say what?

She was buying Toni's since her birthday was coming up, so she treated me, too.

Many thanks, g'friend! 

We'll have to do this again soon!

a visit with SamJ

Honestly, it took me a few minutes to find him.

I have it in my head that his gravestone is in the third row from the lane, but that is wrong.

His is in the second row, and only about halfway down the lane.

The photo is taken looking toward the lane.

That big rock was most likely placed there to help others find him, as I do not remember having seen it in the past.

I straightened up the area, taking away a huge bag of debris from the area.

Those little glass beads were scattered across another grave, but I collected them to brighten up his name plate.

Samuel Marquieth Johnson, gone fifteen years now.

He would have been 58 this year, just a year younger than my youngest brother.

I've surrendered my post as administrator of his facebook page.

Bob WIley and Perry Foster are still administrators, so he will still have someone to make posts and check on fb status updates.

I just cannot have that responsibility anymore... but I will still tend his grave from time to time, just to make sure his name can still be read by those who love him.

He was a good friend, and I still miss our Thursday outings.

need to laugh on a cold day!

That's why I took myself to see "The Curious Savage" again this afternoon!

This is the scene near the end when everyone is in the parlor except two people.

The first missing is Mrs. Paddy, suspected of turning off the light and making off with the bearer bonds that had been hidden in the teddy bear.

[I know that's got to be an inside joke for the playwright!]

The second one missing is Miss Wilhelmina, who has gone in search of the artist.

The doc is on the phone trying to find out if any of the security or other staff have spotted the artist anywhere in the building or on the grounds.

"Nope", had been the general consensus, incensing the Senator.

Truly delightful!

I'm so glad I decided to see it again!

And what a nice delight to come out of the matinee and find daylight still!

 

It had been a long, cold morning, dipping into the 40's yet again.

Fortunately, my house had stayed in the low to mid-60's...

which is still a bit brrrr to me.

But the day was bright and sunny, so that's why I threw myself out at 2 PM.

Good for me!

Jelks Auditorium at SavArtsAcad was a bit cool, but no cooler than my house...

and it was much more entertaining!!!

I even went to Aldi's on the way home, hoping my depleted SNAP card was loaded...

and it was!

Hooray!

Spanish rice with black beans and Rotel for dinner!

Now, to cue up "Out Of Time" as my evening entertainment.

I love this Denzel Washington thriller, so I'd recorded it last weekend.

He's a not-yet divorced police chief having an affair with his girlfriend from their high school days, and finds himself forced to try to keep one step ahead of being found out while his not-yet ex works her arson homicide case.

Woooeee!

(smile!)

forever young

"That's not quite right, you know." 

What's that you say?

"In the play tonight. Drinking the spring water didn't make them forever young. It made them forever the age they were when they first drank it. That's why when 'Jessie' saw that 'Winnie' was about to drink from it, he stopped her."

Oh, you're talking about "Tuck Everlasting", the play at Savannah Children's Theatre.

"Correct. Is that not what your post title referred to?"

Kinda sorta. I actually took that phrase verbatim from retired police officer 'Arthur Dales'. When speaking to 'Mulder', he said, "Baseball keeps you forever young." I took that as a fitting reason to have watched "The Unnatural" when I got home last night from the play. That made it not a coincidence that I chose to finally watch that episode I'd recorded a couple of months ago.

"Right place, right time. Yes, I see the correlation, but the play posed a deep question. That's why you decided to see it after all, as you've had some serious health issues with your heart since you last saw it in October of 2018."

That's right. That was 6 years ago and all was well and I was recently retired. Savannah Stage Company performed it then, with Taylor Rigsbee as the 10-year-old 'Winnie' and Carson Schem as 'Jessie'. I remember it well, even though I never wrote about it.

"How odd. You seem to write about everything now!"

I know it must seem that way. It wasn't until fb reminded me of a post I left there about it that I realized I had no written record here of having gone. That's not to say I don't recall the play, though. I have definite memories of that story and the questions it raised. Would I choose immortality, knowing it meant I would see all who I loved age and die? My answer back then had been a resounding "No". If I were to become immortal, it would be because immortality was thrust upon me, as it was for the Tucks, as it had been for the title character in "The Age Of Adaline". None of them had the option to choose that path in life. None of them even knew they were immortal until they realized that years had passed and they were not aging.

"Yes, the townspeople actually brought it to the Tucks' attention, accusing them of sorcery. Sure, they were up in the home of Adirondack bluegrass, and the year was 1793 when they drank the spring's water. That meant it was early 1800's when folks around there noticed none of them changed. 'Miles' was a 22-year-old husband of two small children; they changed and grew, but he remained the same. His oldest was only 7 when his parents moved away from that town, taking their sons, 'Miles' and 'Jessie' with them."

That's exactly what I was saying. The immortal ones had to leave ones they loved who had remained mortal.

"Well, they could have taken others to the spring, let them drink, too."

Why would 'Miles' want his children to remain their ages forever? Because that's the way it would work. Their minds would grow and change with their new experiences, but their bodies and appearance would be forever that of little children. That's like that movie last month with the little girl who was turned into vampire. Not being able to grow into a woman made her become bitter and even turned her against her Sire.

"Oh, that's right! And she had been about the same age as 'Winnie'. Come to think of it, 'Winnie Foster' was the same age as your twin great-nieces."

Correct. So, even forever-17 'Jessie' knew that it would be wrong to just let her drink from the spring without first letting her know what that would mean for her life. That's why he took her to his mom. 'Winnie' had not believed him when he said he was 104, because he still looked 17. She would not accept that 87 years had passed with him not aging.

"In her defense, it was 1880 when they met. She lived in a small mountain town where life moved slowly. She met 'Jessie' when she ran away to the nearby copse of woods near her Granny's home. She thought he was just a teenage boy until he started throwing all that math at her. She didn't know he was being honest with her. Then she met his parents and brother and realized they were telling the truth. The Tucks knew that she was too young to drink that special water, as she would be trapped forever in the 10-year-old body she currently had."

Yes. But, before the Tucks left town this time, 'Jessie' gave the girl a vial of the water. He wanted her to drink it when she turned 17 so the two of them could live out eternity forever young. At the time, she promised him she would.

"Yes, but did she keep that promise?"

Again, in her defense, she was a 10-year-old girl in 1880. Her best friend was a toad that lived in the garden. She used the vial of water to save its life when it was attacked by a neighbor's dog. I can certainly see Leila or Alyssa doing the same thing to save the life of a pet or another animal.

"Point made. But why didn't she refill the bottle from the spring?"

Who knows? Perhaps she couldn't find the spring again. Perhaps she simply forgot about it. Perhaps she had intended to refill the bottle when she got older, but was unable to do so. Perhaps she fell in love and forgot about 'Jessie'. We don't know. And the Tucks did not return to that little town for 70 years. They missed seeing her again by two years. They would not have known what happened in her life had it not been for the tombstone, which proclaimed her as a beloved "wife, mother, and grandmother".

"Oh, poor 'Jessie'!"

I'm sure he was fine. I know the actor, Trey Wilner, gave me a big hug after the show.

"Is that him in the two photographs? Wearing the overalls and hat?"

Yes, it is, and that's 'Winnie', played by Isabel Hollingsworth, there with him. I told him I was very impressed with how well they captured the joy of life, as well as the responsibility of knowing they had to protect others from their immortality. I should have asked if he was already 17 or not.

"That would have been interesting. I'm sure none of the others would have had the chance to play their age in this piece."

That's true. This was done with no adults, just students. Lila Allen and Eli Chapman did beautifully well as the parents, who would have been forever in their late 30's or early 40's, well aware of the immensity of being suddenly immortal. Hailey Morris played the other brother, having once known the responsibility and joy of being a parent. I thought Hailey did well at incorporating that loss into 'Miles'.

"Indeed he did. They all had that extra depth that you wouldn't expect from teens."

Not true. I know that well, as I see it with every performance there at the SavChTh, as well as at the other schools where I go for theatrical entertainment. I've posted this show, as well as the one from SavArtsAcad, on my fb page, to encourage others. I've even recommended the musical from SavStageCo in that post! I do hope folks will see all three, as I have. Nothing like hearing others' stories to bring understanding to your own.

eek...

Having seen no sign of the rat since Tuesday morning, I thought it was maybe gone.

I'd even started cooking at home, instead of only eating packaged foods from the store.

Just in case, I've been turning off the heat in the kitchen when I went to bed, too, and blocked off my bedroom door so none of that heat escaped.

Plus, I've kept up with the peppermint oil refresh every night.

My house smells like a candy cane bakery.

(smile)

Last night, I decided to move the electric rat trap from the sunroom to the kitchen.

I placed it right up against the cabinet, right in front of the doorway out to the hall.

A noise in the kitchen had brought me in, while watching "Ghosts", but it quelled after I banged on the cabinet doors and barked.

Yes, barked, like the big Year of the Dog person I am.

No more noises was reassuring, but not by much.

I slept pretty well, even so, snug in my secure room.

This morning, I got up late, as the temperature dropped to the 40's last night.

As the coffee was brewing, I noticed a flashing green light on the rat trap.

I made a mental note to contact my brother and ask about it, then turned on the heater and made a cheese and egg wrap for breakfast.

Then, as was eating and watching "The Price Is Right", I heard a noise.

The crowd was cheering, so I thought it might have been a high-pitched person...

but I knew it wasn't.

I continued eating my breakfast until I was done.

Then I got dressed and went into the kitchen.

 

Yes, there was definitely a rat tail sticking out of the electric trap, just as Smitty had said there would be. 

The green light that had been flashing was off.

It must have been signaling that the creature was within.

I unlocked the front door and pulled it ajar, then I very carefully picked up the trap and set it outside on the front porch, then closed the door.

Ugh.

Now what to do?

I contacted Smitty to let him know the trap had finally done its job.

I think I was hoping he would come and deal with its contents.

Nope, that didn't happen.

So, I dealt with it, emptying the rat into the kitchen trash bag, then depositing the whole thing into the garbage can outside.

I took the trap back inside and placed it again by the cabinet.

Then I washed my hands.

Hopefully, that ordeal with a house invader is done...

but, just in case, I'll keep an ear and an eye open for the net few days.

savages!

"Oh, no! Has the rat chewed up something?"

 

LOL!, No, not little vermin. I haven't seen any sign of the space invader for a couple of days now. And that's very good!

 

"Then, what are you talking about??"

 

The play I saw at the Savannah Arts Academy tonight! Their 16-member repertory troupe chose "The Curious Savage", a play from the 1950's, and it was magnificent!!! Jada Banks directed it and she was even there for the intro tonight! I'm glad I was there, as she will be in her role in "Ragtime" for every other performance.

 

"How wonderful to see her again! What was the play about?"

 

It was a comedy, set in the decade of my birth, and they used clothing of that period. Moreover, they changed clothes from one day to the next, to mark the passage of time. Very nice idea, that, as it allowed the cast plenty of outfits to play in. This first scene is in Act 1, and has the inhabitants of The Cloisters in the social room.

 

"The Cloisters? Like, Jekyll Island?"

 

Same name as that resort, but, like I said, these were inhabitants, not tourists. From left to right are Miss Wilhelmina, in blue; she's the nurse. Then there's Florence (with her baby doll), Hanni, Fairy May (standing on a chair by the bookcase), Jeffrey, and Mrs. Paddy in the rightmost pink chair. They have all gathered there because a new inhabitant is due to arrive and they are waiting to meet her.

"Very nice! But weren't Paddy and Hanni men in the original play?"

Yes, they were, but Calliope Cooper and Brooklyn Barton were excellent in the roles of the list-spouting artist and the tone-deaf violinist.

"Hey, I was just asking, in case anyone was confused. Carry on, dear."

Thanks. So, as I said, the inhabitants were awaiting a new arrival. They were hustled into the hall as the Savages arrived, though. Here they are, the four of them: stepson Samuel, stepdaughter Talia, and stepdaughter Lily Belle, with the widow Ethel sitting in the pink chair with her teddy bear. (smile!) Then there's Doc Emmett and nurse Wilhelmina rounding out the picture. Quite confrontational, isn't it?

"For sure! I take it that Ethel didn't want to be there?"

Correct! The three stepkids - a failed judge, a pushy Senator, and an oft-wed pseudo princess - want the ten million dollars left by their father. However, it's tied up in a memorial fund set up by widow Ethel, who believes it would be better used to grant "the desires of people desperate to be foolish", as deemed worthy by the fund managers (a mailman, a veterinarian, a gardener, and the widow).

"What an interesting idea: granting wishes of ordinary people! Sounds a lot like something Fliss of Kickstarter once did and that Fliss of Nerdfighters of Kiva still does."

Oh, yes, nice catch! I hadn't drawn that parallel until you said it!

"You're welcome. Now, how did the story turn out?"

Oh, please, I don't want to spoil the fun! But, if you've seen "Trading Places" or "Brewster's Millions", then you know how crazy the thought of free money can make folks! And I'm not speaking of the asylum inhabitants, either! Very funny story!!! Kudos to the entire cast!!! Kudos to the stage and costume crew!!! Kudos to the lighting and sound crew!!! Who knows, I just may go see it again tomorrow night or Saturday afternoon!!!

"Seriously???"

You betcha! And it was only $5 for me, as a senior or as a veteran. (smile!) it's still a steal at only ten dollars. That's the best price in town for live theatre!!!

no magic, just illusion

Well, that was mostly true for this week's A*List collection, even that last one.

That may sound strange considering the identity of the "Screen Unseen", but it's still true.

Given that "Gladiator II" started this week anyway, drawing in a crowd for a special screening of an 'unknown' movie seemed a bit of a ruse.

At least it was only $6 for anyone without an A*List to take the dance.

Those other two movies were actually viewed for free by me.

I saw "Anora" on Tuesday, and watched "Wicked" Wednesday (i.e. tonight).

Somehow, my A*List was not working on those two days!

So, Alicia gave me the free pass on Tuesday, and Jackson did tonight.

I suspect the issue is this: they were entering me in as a "Senior", as they should.

However, AMC currently has my order status listed as "Adult", having inexplicable changed it from the correct "Senior" earlier this year.

I'll test that theory the next time I buy a ticket at the cinema.

I had not problem placing orders online for those two movies a few minutes ago, as is evident in the photo above of my trio.

How to know those are scheduled for tomorrow?

No check marks to denote they have been viewed.

Illusion, plain and simple.

So, just why was "Anora" not magical, just illusion?

That was the name of the dancer-escort at Club HQ who fancied herself as having won the romance lottery when she married a wealthy Russian's RPG-addicted son.

Ah, but she was no "Pretty Woman", and he was no Richard Gere-type businessman.

Lots of sex, lots of money flashed around... but all illusion, not real.

It certainly was not the "romantic comedy drama" it was billed as.

 

Then there's "Wicked: Part 1", seen at its "Early Access Fan Event".

So many fans turned out that they had to move it into the Big-D screening room!

The cinema also ran out of the LEGO kits, so I missed out on that.

Still, I'd watched "Defying Gravity" on CBS last night, so I was totally pumped for the movie!

Based on the 2003 Broadway musical, I was very excited to hear Cynthia Erivo sing!

Such a voice she has!

However, the beginning of the movie was dark, starting with 'Dorothy' having already accidentally killed the Wicked Witch of the West with water and 'Glinda' bringing the official word to Munchkin Town.

Very dark scene.

It just felt wrong to me, longtime fan of "The Wizard Of Oz" that I am.

I'll be sure to tell my first niece about that off-step.

I'll also tell her that this is -NOT- appropriate for her girls or the twins.

They already seem to believe that mean-spirited is okay as long as one is seen as pretty on the outside... which describes 'Galinda' throughout much of the movie.

Yikes.

Plus, the character is blonde, which certainly wouldn't help the four great-nieces to dissociate their identities from hers.

That said, the movie musical was very good, having several touch points from the 1939 movie classic for those of us who know that by heart.

I loved every scene with 'Elphaba', and I loved the Prince, too.

And Jeff Goldblum... he was magnificent as the magician who knew only illusions.

In fact, of everyone who inhabited Oz, 'Elphaba' was the only true magician, as it turned out.

Say what?

It's true.

But see for yourself.

Again, I very much enjoyed the movie, though it certainly cast a different light on some of the key characters.

Nonetheless, I plan to see it again.

In fact, as I already have reservations for it and the Russian movie tomorrow, I'm planning to stay for at least part of the 2 PM "Wicked"...

but I will certainly not see the other one again.

 

This WSAV weather song is no illusion, though.

Just a pure and simple indicator that Savannah is transitioning from fall to winter.

Just look at that nasty little dip... ack.

Down, down, down into the low forties for the next three mornings.

I am so blessed to be retired and not expected to be out in that cold!

Plus, according to the Farmers Almanac, the weather on November 21 sets the tone for the coming winter.

Does that mean the temperatures will be able to struggle up from those lows at dawn to reach the mid-60's for mid-afternoon?

I just may be okay with that.

We'll see how it goes.

(smile!)

luncheon with chem nerds!

I almost said "nerdesses", but I think it would be regarded as non-PC, so I didn't.

But I don't believe that Yvonne or Lea or Nicole would have objected one whit!

I have no photo of our group, so my dining choice will have to do.

That's the BEP Wrap, one of the specials at the kayak Kafe Midtown today.

In other words, the black-eyed pea pattie, with avocado and other healthy options, in a tortilla and served with a side salad.

We met just before noon, meaning I'd had breakfast not an hour earlier.

That meant half my entree went home with me for later!

And the conversation?

It started out with talk of children between Yvonne and Lea, but by the time we were all finishing our meals, we were firmly entrenched in chemistry matters.

That went on for an hour!!!

Even after we paid our tabs, we sat and talked and talked!

I very much enjoyed that... and was glad, once again, that I retired 6 years ago.

Yvonne is still very new to retirement, but I hope she'll find her joy soon.

Suzy Carpenter retires at the end of this semester.

That will make Lea the lone female chemistry instructor on the Armstrong campus.

Wow.

How very different from the days when I was there.

update on the unwanted visitor

So, when we last tuned in, the rat was still leaving a mess for me.

That was on Sunday.

Monday morning found another mess, but not quite as bad.

The mess was also in the sunroom, not the kitchen, so I counted that as progress.

I placed an empty peppermint oil bottle by the back door, in case it had used that as a egress from my house. 

I also made the hallway redolent of that oil, to dissuade the vermin from entering that area.

Tuesday morning greeted me with this sight, again in the kitchen.

No sign of the beast on the counters or the stove, so that was reassuring.

No sign of it having gone near the bathroom or hall or open Ocean Room.

Good, good, and good.

I made sure to stop by Food Lion on my way home from appointments at the Savannah VA with my optometrist, Peter Urban, and my nutritionist, Elizabeth Carley.

I bought four more bottles of the peppermint oil.

I came home, after seeing a movie, and heard no little rat noises.

That's because I left the TV on, as well as lights in the sunroom and kitchen.

Good tip for the future.

Then I pulled out the cotton batting and threw it away.

It looked like the intruder had left its scent all over it... ugh.

Taking a clean cloth, I laid a double layer of lavender-scented anti-static sheets in its center, along the length, then folded the cloth by thirds.

Perfect for laying under the kitchen cabinets!

I also sprinkled some peppermint oil on the fabric, too.

Then, I reinforced the placement of the cloth with plastic yogurt containers from the recycling bag, then braced the red plastic container at one end and the heavy glass bowl at the other.

I'm hoping to wake up and find no change to this barrier.

I'm also going to leave the bathroom light on all night.

What about the electric rat trap?

The rat hasn't touched it once.

I've moved it to other areas, but I'm leaving it in the sunroom.

Here's hoping for future peaceful nights.

That would be a nice change.