happy rural highway speed limit to the ex!

Here Jeff is, with his buddy Bob, from an earlier time.

(Thanks, Amy, for the photo loan!)

I called Jeff today, of course, and sang to him for his birthday60.

We had a nice chat, too!

He'll be escaping the brutal cold spell for Christmas.

He and Amy will be visiting Bob in Arizona.

That will be a nice bit of thawing out!

I would like to go somewhere warm.

As Calvin's mom says, "Heat is expensive", and boy, do I know it!

My new electric bill was almost three times higher than normal!!!

Still, it wasn't as high as it was at this time last year, so either the weather hasn't been as bad or I've been layering up more.

Trust me, it's the latter.

I'm wearing a wrap right now as I write.

One of the things I did today was prepare more "love in the mail", including this for him.

"That may not be a partridge

in a pear tree,

but I know it wishes you

the best year yet to be!"

These cards will be too late for Christmas wishes, but perfect for the New Year.

One of the other things I've done today is my daily visit to AARP to play games for points.

Get this: a topic that was perfect for today!

"Broadcasting Innovation"

Right place, right time!

I wonder how many of the 18 questions the former ballpark announcer of the Savannah Sand Gnats would have known?

I was surprised I knew as many as I did!

Now, time for a recent Zach Braff movie ("The French Girl") that promises to be funny!

Happy birthday again!

four women

"What A Difference A Day Makes" in "Early Autumn", when there is "A Time For Love".
"I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together"!
And I'm so glad to have heard Cynthia Utterbach singing all these songs, and more, this evening, in the company of the Eric Jones Trio.
She performed the above songs in the styles of several famous women, including Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and - surprise, surprise, surprise! - Carol Burnett, respectively.
There were three others included in her revue. One of those, Shirley Horn, was not one I knew, but I did enjoy the slow and sultry "Love Dance". That was easily the most risque song I've ever heard... or maybe my imagination is simply too honed from a life of reading.
(smile)
Billie Holiday, of course, is a woman whose singing I've enjoyed most of my life. "Comes Love" was not one I knew, but no matter when "nothing can be done". (Hey, listen to the song to get my little joke!)
As for Nina Simone, I had not been aware that she wrote songs. I am now. Thanks, Cynthia, for introducing me to "Four Women", a song exploring the vast diversity within the term "black" (which Nina referred to as "negro").
Thanks, also, for sharing this story about the songstress!
What a way to spend a Sunday evening!
Plus, this was my first time at the Mansion on Forsyth's Autograph Room.
I very much liked it - more room to dance and so many mirrors!
(smile)
Usually, the monthly concerts for the Coastal Jazz Association are held across the river, at the Ben Tucker Pavilion. I'm glad this one was here in town!
Plus, this was the fourth of these concerts that I've attended.
That means any others before September 26th will truly be free for me!
There are two scheduled and I already have them on my calendar.
(smile)
Remember when I renewed my CJA membership last fall?
I had been a bit shocked at the sticker price for singles: seventy-five dollars.
That's fifty percent more than someone who is part of a "doublet" pays - ouch.
That cost meant it would require me to attend four "paid" concerts - which are $20 apiece to the public - before reaping any membership rewards.
I have finally reached that point.

I had started off well, driving out to the venue on the golf course for the October event.
Jonathan Baptiste & the Urban Intellectuals were a sextet out of Florida and were surprisingly young.
"I Don't Feel No Ways Tired" was a toe-tapper tune to warm the blood on that cold day!
My favorite, though, was their version of "I'll Fly Away" -
thanks, y'all!
I wish it was recorded somewhere!


Off to a good start with my concert-going, I faltered the next month, missing the Tim Fischer Quartet in November. It isn't that I was busy on that Sunday, I just didn't want to venture forth in the cold.
December did not have a monthly concert.
January did and I was all set to get the new year started with the Mitch Hennes Quartet. However, that was not to be. I didn't return from Auntie Arlene's celebration in Virginia in time for the show.
How about February and the Ben Rosenblum Trio? Frankly, I was overbooked. Mi tres amigas already had me for the one-day-only Oscar shorts that Tomasz had curated.

However, I made sure to be there on the March date!
I was rather excited about GC & The Cuban Cowboys and so were others - their CD sold out before the show!
Such lively music there in South Carolina for this sunny day!
The small room was filled to over-capacity, but I still managed to dance to the beat.
What an excellent finish to my day across the river with my step-mom and nephew Conner!
(smile)

April was a miss, though.
It's not that I don't enjoy the Duke Ellington tribute every spring, because I do. In fact, I try to catch that man's music every chance I get. However, this was my only chance to see the Savannah Stage Company's one-time-only performance of their first musical this year... and I have no clone. That meant Forsyth Park, not South Carolina, for today's destination of the one and only body I have.
(smile)

May was certainly not a miss!
However, I missed out on any photographs because... I left my trusty phone at home.
I had a busy day planned and I was everywhere I should have been and intended to be, so that's the good part.
Attending the concert with saxophonist Tom Scott, backed by local favorites the Howard Paul Trio, was definitely a rewarding experience for me!

June was not meant to be a miss, but it was. I had looked forward to hearing the Joe Alterman Trio, as he looked to be a fun fellow! However, as it turned out, I returned from Florida, but my car did not. I guess I could have called someone for a ride, but who to call? Plus, I would have had to pay for their ticket.

I made it to this one, though, and it was wonderful!
How nice that I have two completely free concerts ahead!
The one in August features the Robert Louis Quartet, here at the Mansion again.
Then, in September, I'll have the 38th Annual Savannah Jazz Festival - woohoo! I especially look forward to Blues Night in Forsyth Park, where Sugar-Ray Rayford will be the main attraction.
(smile)
That'll be free for everyone, so I'll be sure to invite all I know!
I'll be sure to include my brother Smitty - he's a jazz fan, too!
(smile)

garden delights, peter pan, and aladdin

These were the flowers I had come to see on this hot day!
Oak leaf hydrangeas, they're called, and quite aptly so.
The huge leaves, each at least a foot long, are shaped exactly like those on oaks - just much larger!
They reside in the garden of Mary and Pat Prokop, in the back left section now.

I've become rather fond of these flowers, too.
They look to be on stalks, but that's an illusion.
Actually, gloriosa lilies grow on vines, so they need a trellis or they sprawl along the ground.
Pat told me they're very easy to grow...
so maybe I'll give them a try with my brown thumb!

This dahlia is quite gorgeous, even though it was
wilting a little in the day's heat.
Notice there are two varieties: this lighter, lilac
version, and then the much darker purple of those
in the background.

To my surprise, this crazy little pinwheel affair
is also a dahlia!
I would never have guessed that.
I'm accustomed to that flora genus being
more lushly petaled than this.

This annual event at the home of these fellow Asburians is mostly for folks to enjoy the great variety of lilies.
As well as the gloriosa variety, they also have:
soft summer nights, a cool heart amid pale pink ruffles;
over joyed, boasting a crimson edged in golden fringe;
splash of stardust, with its tiers of frothy salmon;
and firefly frenzy, which resembled bright yellow dragonflies darting about.
Plus, there are the many unnamed varieties that they

have created via cross-pollination.
I learned all this, and more, because I had the time to
sit and visit with them.
I was the only visitor in the afternoon, so we sat and
listened to the burble of the fountain and we talked...
about solar panels and 1970's thoughts about energy...
about shallow wells and blue clay caps...
about hurricane Matthew and their home in Michigan...
but, mostly, we talked about flowers.
I'm glad I was there to start my day!

In fact, I was there for nearly two hours.
I needed to adjust my travel plans and take a lunch
break instead - and I knew where I wanted to go.
I still had a Chili's gift card with three bucks on it.
This shrimp Caribbean salad was just the cool treat on
this ultra-hot day... and the gift card "savings" amply
covered the tip for Gypsy's superb service!

Now, to bounce out to the eastside of town!
Destination: the Savannah Children's Theatre.
It seems like forever since I've been there,
what with one thing or another keeping me away.
Actually, my last time there was last year.
Definitely time to for a visit!

I had been looking forward to this play and had initially planned to see it tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait!
"Peter Pan" drew me in, fairy dust and all!
Plus, I just love the songs in it...
oh! and the dancing! and the flying!
and the antics of Captain Hook!
What a delicious treat to beat the heat!
(smile)

Next up was a new event... or so I thought.
Not that UnderGo is not new - this is only the second year
existence of this outdoor local-groups-only music festival.
However, this was the first time I went to it, only I didn't.
This is Sue Gorecki's photo, from her venture there earlier.
By the time I arrived after five, everyone seemed to be on break, including the artists, both musical and visual.
Back to home to chill out, so to speak!

That is, until Barbara and Carolyn and Sandy
answered my call to a movie!
It must have been all the Bollywood in our
blood that drew us toward this desert adventure!
"Aladdin" was all that I could have hoped for...
and so much more!
Musical? You bet, with a baker's dozen sung!
Dancing? Yes, hallelujah, with skirts and scarves
and heels flying all around!
Romance? Not just one, but two tales of love!
Comedy? Most certainly, and a bit of intrigue, too!
And the colors... oh, my, the lush use of colors!
Not only with the clothing, but with the cast!
There was even one "white" man in the mix, played nicely as a comic foil.
Good for Disney for truly going international!
I'll be back again for this one.
Methinks we all will be!
(smile)

odd-ly free friday funnies

The Odd Lot gang has done it again!
For the sixth year running, they have won Best Comedy
Group of Savannah!
Last year, they had given an entire week of free shows
to the public.
Tonight's Friday Funnies is the sole freebie this time.
I'll take it, with many thanks!

The above has the six performers doing their best
at "World's Worst".
That included my "cat groomer" which featured the
person licking the feline.
Ack!!! Very funny, though!
Here, Chris Soucy, the emcee, was taping Justin's
response in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly".
The question which caused such hilarity?
Why are there no women in Odd Lot?

The blonde volunteer in this skit of "Dubs" is the audience member who had asked.
"Her" dialogue and voice, raspy like Harvey Fierstein's, was supplied by Darren, to much hilarity!
She portrayed a parachuting expert, taking two novices for a jump out of a perfectly good plane.
Hahahaha hahaha!

Speaking of that distinctive voice, here's Justin using it first, for 'Roxanne' in "The Dating Game".
(Warning: skits may not be shown in actual order. LOL!)
'She' was not interested in Bachelor 3, with Thomas as The Bard himself, who kept jotting notes for plays.
Chase's song lyrics as answers was not for her, either.
But 'she' definitely liked Chad as a captive man, buried up to his neck in an ant hill.

Sounds to me like she might like the b & d!
That means 'she' might have ended up like Chad and Trick did in this episode of "Half Life" with its general theme of "civil war".
Chad led with a a right slap for this abusive relationship skit that was a bit surreal for this tame improv group.
Trick did well as the one who "loved him anyway".
As I said, rather surreal.

This episode of "Press Conference" was also a tad surreal, but that wasn't on Chad.
Someone in the audience had requested that his character be famous as "the man who ate the whale that ate Pinocchio".
Rather tricky, but he did manage to untangle the clues.
Good work!
Now, for lighter stuff again!

For example, consider this rousing game of "Ding
Slips", with Thomas, Trick, and Chase.
They were tasked with using the audience's written
suggestions in the hat to unravel how to deal with
an accident at the sewage treatment plant.
Nothing but good, clean fun here, folks!

"Genre Change" was more of that stuff we so love!
The 30-second story about one applying for a job
had them perform it five different times, once as the original, then as a musical, a western, something else... and in kung fu format, shown here.
The musical was my suggestion!

"Five Words" is always fun, too!
Here, the two players are given a list of words they must use in a plausible manner during the skit.
Thomas had my "giraffe" and Justin had my "chartreuse".
Such fine use they made of them!

I think my favorite tonight may have been "The
Dating Game", as usual, but this "Slideshow"
was a close second!
In this skit, Chase has returned from vacation
and is regaling folks with the "photos", portrayed
in still frames by the other improv members.

Chase had been so very enthusiastic about going
to Easter Island!
He had been crushed to discover that there were
no rabbits there, none at all.
Only giant stone heads greeted his sight.
Oh, so sad!
Hahahaha hahaha!

Bear in mind that Chase faced the audience the
entire time.
That makes it doubly amazing that he and Thomas
were thinking along the same lines at the same
time, so the image of Thomas with rabbit ears
coincided with Chase's disappointment at no
spring-time hopping creatures.
Well-played, my dears, well-played!
Thanks for the show!

Now, I'm at the cinema with Carolyn and Barbara for "The White Crow".
It's the second film about a dancer in as many days!
And how do I know I was meant to be here?
There was a penny waiting for me in front of the cash register.
Right place, right time!
The pre-birthday60+1 celebration continues!
(smile)

ceviche, dos veces en una semana

La primera vez fue con mi amiga, Barbara, el lunes.
Esa es ella, sentada a mi izquierda en esta foto.
Llevo el top rosa, el pelo en cola de caballo, en el extremo derecho.
La mujer que hablaba era Maxine Bryant, poeta y rector.

El evento fue organizado por GaSoU, para su nueva serie Intellectual Encounters para ex alumnos.
Bajo el título de "Harlem Renaissance", Michael Benjamin habló sobre la historia y sobre W.C. Handy y Bessie Smith, entre otros.
Maxine leyó varias obras de Langston Hughes, así como algunas de las suyas.
El evento de la tarde fue muy concurrido y muy agradable.
Muchas gracias, Cheryl Ciucivech, por esta invitación.
(sonreír)
Los dos habíamos comido generosamente las uvas, las zanahorias y el hummus de la recepción, ¡pero estábamos listos para la cena!
¿Dónde debemos cenar?
Cuando ella sugirió Jalapeños en Sandfly, ese fue el ganador.
Después de todo, me he asegurado de que ella sea tan aficionada al ceviche de camarón como yo...
y ese es el único restaurante que lo sirve.
¡Buena elección!

Hoy cené en más ceviche, esta vez en los Jalapeños en Abercorn.
El físico eligió el restaurante porque no puede comer allí excepto conmigo.
Él no come ceviche ... pero él sabe que yo sí.
¡Qué hombre tan amable y generoso es!
Incluso pagó nuestra comida y me invitó a flan.
(sonreír)
Había comprado mi propio boleto de película anteriormente, usando mis beneficios de la Lista A *.
Vimos "The Chaperone", una película sobre una bailarina moderna llamada Louise Brooks.
Como le dije, había guardado esta película para ser específicamente con él, porque sé que le gustan los documentales y las piezas de época.
¡No sabía cuán oportuna era esta elección!
Había visto una película histórica ambientada en la Prohibición que la presentaba.
¡Lugar exacto, momento exacto!
Te doy gracias Dios.

yes, i'm listening

I almost went back to midtown after the maritime-themed birthday60+1 party downtown.
Yes, even though it was Wednesday and a PFS movie night.
I thought I'd figured out the "mystery" vampire movie - I suspected a Hammer production - and my plan was to do a touch-and-go at the 'Bean.
Once I realized I was mistaken about the film's identity, I stayed.
I'm so very thankful that I did!
Jack Palance was the star, in a 1973 movie for the British telly called "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (now known simply as "Dracula").
Such a handsome beast he was, too!
I can certainly understand how fair maidens might be drawn to his embrace.
But his heart belonged to only one - his long-lost wife.
Then he saw a photograph of Lucy, who could only be her, come back into the world after so long... and the chase was on!
Such a grand romance, a la 'beauty and the beast' style!
Right place, right time.
I am such a fan of Jack Palance, who was 54 years old in this role -
so this movie was truly one for me, with a romantic man similar to my age!
Right place, right time.
Here, though, is how I know this was no coincidence.
Jack Palance was born February 18, 1919 -
one hundred years after the S.S. Savannah set her course for Liverpool -
in England, where this film was made.
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God!

happy birthday from Ships of the Sea!

They even had a military band
to welcome me to the
birthday60+1 party!
And which one did they bring in
to regale this former sailor?
The Parris Island Marine Band,
of course, from Beaufort!
USN and USMC, together always!
(smile!)

Ostensibly, the event was billed as the "200th Anniversary Celebration" of the trans-Atlantic sailing of the S.S. Savannah.
The Propeller Club of the United States - Port of Savannah billed it as their annual "National Maritime Day" gala.
How are the events linked?
Maritime Day was birthed in 1933 by President F.D. Roosevelt to commemorate the day that novel steamship left port to create history.
How was she a unique vessel, something new under the sun?
She was a hybrid, a sailing ship powered by steam, with an eye toward future use as a passenger vessel.

Notice all of the bunting hung from the rafters of the North Garden Assembly Room?
Those decorations are a near-replica of the ones in Johnson Square one hundred years ago, for a visit by President Monroe for the first launching of the S.S. Savannah.
Very nice birthday party decor!
(smile!)

Oh, but before I wax on (wax off! There's a joke for the 1980's crowd!) about the party, there's one more thing about that incredible ship.
Robert Claiborne Morris, renowned artist and the communication director for Georgia Ports, had created two grand art works in honor of her historic crossing and impact on the future of sea travel.

That's him, in the above photo, smiling for the camera, in front of one of the two new pieces, ‘S.S Savannah: The Journey’.
I preferred his other piece, ‘S.S Savannah: A Wheel Within Wheels’.
Not only would it play nicely with my "Ocean, Tumultuous", but I do believe it would be right at home in my Ocean Room.
(smile!)

Oh! One more thing about that ship!
I almost forgot to mention the importance of holding the 200th anniversary here, at the Ships of The Sea Maritime Museum.
Before it became that, the 1919 structure was known as the William Scarbrough House and Gardens...
built for its namesake, a 45-year-old shipping merchant with an eye to the future and deep pockets...
who helped finance the ground-breaking S.S. Savannah.
Wow, I love interweavings!

Now, let's talk about the party from my perspective, i.e., how it ties in for my birthday!
I do appreciate that Governor Nathan Deal attended!
True, he was being honored as The Propeller Club's Maritime Person of the Year for his work to establish the Appalachian Regional Inland Port...
But it was a surprise for me, too!
(smile!)

The cocktail reception, which lasted throughout the
four-hour celebration, was delicious!
The Propeller Club even granted me a birthday beverage!
"I Am The Roadie" - such a nice lager!
And the food... oh, my, such healthy options!
Grilled broccoli and cauliflower, baked sweet potato wedges, black bean hummus - such delicious choices!
The shredded meat was excellent, too!

Several of my friends surprised me with their presence, too!
Sarah, of the Lunch Ladies group -
Lisa of the Boomers bunch -
Annie from Live Out Loud! -
Jim Moore, fellow volunteer at SMF -
Jackie, also an LL, a Boomer, and movie pal -
Marcia from LL and LOL!, as well as Travel Buddies -
Nick Harty, from my days of working at Smitty's Hardwood Floors -
how truly magnificent to talk and party with y'all!
(smile!)

bibimbap with peacocks and a green dolphin

That first item?
I'd be willing to bet you've never had it before!
The Sentient Bean had concocted this dish from sticky black rice, carrots, radishes, kale, cucumbers, and mushrooms, with a sunnyside egg topping it off.
Not for me, though - mine had their fabulous bbq tofu in its stead.
Magnificent fare!

No, this is not a photo of that.
My phone stayed home when I went out for the day, so I have no pictures to share, sadly.
That mass of eighty blue tickets snaking over the floor is my memento from the fundraiser.
Of the four prizes raffled off, I won none... but I did spend the evening with Ken and Mike and Sandy and Joyce and Bonnie and Don and Hai and Jim... and the honoree, Carolyn, of course!
P.S. I was right about the movie!
(smile!)
I had gone straight to the 'Bean after the monthly jazz concert from the CJA. It was over at the Ben Tucker Pavilion, across the Savannah River, and was, fortunately, not as crowded as the last one I attended. That was good, as I was a bit late!
I arrived just in time for the last number from their first set and the raffle during intermission. But I caught almost all of their second set, dancing through each song! I think Tom Scott, the renowned saxophonist, truly did appreciate that!
(smile!)
Actually, I know he did, since he kept looking at me and smiling!
So did the bassist and drummer for Howard Paul's band!
(smile!!)
Business Meetin' led off their second set and it was rather lively! Then came "On Green Dolphin Street", from the movie, which was definitely trickier, as its tempo kept changing. Not so with Victor Feldman's "The Chant"! I very much liked it! Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" sounded like another I would have loved for dancing, but maybe some other time, y'all!
(smile!)
Now then, you know where I went from there, as I've started this post in reverse chronology.
But where had I come from that I'd missed most of the first set?
Well, I was having my Sunday adventures at downtown locations.
That first stop on my day's itinerary had been for something literary.
(See what I did there? Rhymes to bring a smile!)
The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home was hosting "A Muster of Peacocks", an event I'd never, ever attended, even though I'd been a member in the past.
I'm so glad I was there and I look forward to sharing this group with Kevin!
He has begun writing a graphic novel, featuring a dwarf called Hearthstone. Over the past few weeks, he's shared the progress of the art, storyboards, and plot lines. Last Tuesday, after seeing "Tolkien", we adjourned to his place so he could show me a video he'd made with the pieces and some medieval metal music.
(Yes, I'm aware of the old line about "come up and see my paintings, wink wink, nudge nudge." This was not about that. Don't make it weird!)
So... where was I... ah, yes, Peacocks!
No, not those, silly rabbit.
These are the members of the Peacock Guild, a rather diverse collection of local writers who have banded together for the past decade to help each other write better.
When I say diverse, I mean just that. With a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds, their works ran the gamut.
Consider "Haint Blues" and "Fear Eyes" and "A Letter To My Niece". The first was a third-person voice about a woman steeped in Gullah, the second was told from the point of view of a 10-year-old boy moved to a new town and new school who was facing down a monster, and the third was sharing family history through an enlightened perspective.
Then there was the tale of a new priest administering to a conspiracy-theory Nevada man, a laugh-out-loud-sexy bit between an aging rock drummer and the bassist's daughter, and the father of a two-year-old trying to get the pacifier into the grasp of the Paci Pirate - those were all quite hilarious!
One of the readers was a friend I'd lost track of a few years back, when her husband was needing a kidney transplant. I made sure to go up and say howdy to Dawn Cordray so that won't happen again!
(smile!)
Then, I had a very pleasant surprise!
Yesterday, I'd been to the FOCCH website, as I knew they were fundraising with the Savannah Bananas. I purchased a ticket for that June 6th game, then also renewed my membership.
I was planning to come by this next week to pick up the ticket.
Instead, Cody walked up, smiling, envelope in hand, and told me she had guessed I would be present for the readings, so she had already prepared the goods for me!!!
She is certainly on top of her game!
Thank you for saving me that extra trip!
(smile!)

the envelope, please

Jim isn't saying what the fundraiser movie will be.
He has proffered this description in "DO Savannah", via his weekly column there.
"... a one-show-only screening at the Bean of my all-time favorite American comedy film of the 1980s. What is it, you ask? ...
Here are some hints, though: it’s a pitch-perfect farce of the highest order, and a thinly-veiled remake of “The Rules of the Game,” Jean Renoir’s masterful 1939 French dramedy about the romantic intrigue and tension between the wealthiest among us and their poor, overlooked servants. Though it made next to nothing in the single week it played in theaters it is beloved by film critics and fiercely loyal fans around the world like myself who believe it to be one of the funniest, raunchiest and most spot-on takedowns of that uniquely Southern California blend of mid-80s elitism and haughtiness.
Essentially forgotten since that truncated big-screen run at only a few handfuls of cinemas in the USA, it has never been released on DVD here in the states and is hardly ever shown on cable or satellite. In other words, despite boasting a phenomenal cast of award-winning character actors and leading men and women, it’s as close to being a lost film as can be."

My prediction of the film's identity?
It will be "Scenes From The Class Struggle In
Beverly Hills", from 1989.
I first saw the movie when he featured it in
the PFS Film Festival in 2010.
Jim has said it was his "all-time favorite"
from that decade and I totally believe it.
At the time, he was a 20-year-old junior
art-school student, majoring in film, minoring
in being a drug-using club musician.
I'm sure if I had seen it on its short-lived release,
I would have liked, too, but perhaps not as well as
its big-screen predecessor, "The Big Chill".
That premiered as a huge hit in 1983, when I was 25
and stationed in San Diego.
So, if I'm correct about this prediction, I'll still pay
for seeing the movie and buy some raffle tickets...
but then I think I'll take my leave.

After all, I'm truly going there for Carolyn's sake.
She is one of mi tres amigas and is in need.
My fifty dollars, which I have held tightly for almost two months and had designated toward my birthday60+1 money, will be donated instead to her dental fund.
Happy chewing to you, dear friend!
Happy birthday to me!

ricordi di avventura

Last month, when I was clearing house, I had finally hung this painting in the guest room.
I'd bought it in May of 2012, while in Italy with the nursing students.
Actually, I'd bought three paintings - perhaps for twenty Euros? - while in line to see The David.
One was of a gondola ride down the Grand Canal in Venice - that went as a gift to my BFF, of course.
Another, of the Tuscany region I believe, became a housewarming gift for dancing Kate.

This one has languished at my house, carefully stored while it awaited my decision.
Now, I know where it belongs: in my dining room, with me.
This painting of the Ponte Vecchio captures the enthusiasm and joy of that day in Florence!
I have "CBS Sunday Morning" to thank for helping me see that.
Nothing like an hour of stories about Firenze to remind me of its history, its craftsmen... and this 300-year-old bridge at its heart.

That structure has appeared in more than one hundred films...
and now I see it with my coffee every morn.
It's almost like I'm still walking there in Italy.
ti ringrazio, Dio.

widget, hobbit, and alice cooper, too

Want to take a guess where I was on this lovely May night?
Look very closely at this candle...
ding! ding! ding!
The home of the squirrel mistress, off the grassland of the Serengeti!
'Twas time for her annual "School's Out" party and this year it was a cookout!
(smile)

Sausages, fresh and hot off the grill, cooked by Christa herself!
She also had quartered potatoes, lots of tasty nuts (get the joke, squirrel fans?), and various chips.
Actually, though, the chips may have been from Steve, the token man at this party.
(smile)

Barbara and Sandy had brought deviled eggs, with olives for that extra zip!
Christa also had deviled eggs, but hers had bacon, too!
Lauri brought "Man-wich" dip (for real!), while her mom, Lynn, supplied a peach cream cheese dessert.
I brought the popcorn for the movie!
(smile)

Widget didn't bring anything 'cept his lovely little self!
Then again, he lives there!
Such a fun toy of a dog!
He kept on the prowl for falling bits of goodies, but we made sure he didn't get any "people" food -
just lots and lots of lovin'!
I especially did so during the scarier bits of the thirty-year-old "Pet Sematary" movie.
I'd never seen it, but they all had.
(smile)
I had invited Kevin to this party earlier. We had seen "Tolkien", at his request, for our Tuesday outing. He was interested in it as a writer; I wanted to see Nicholas Hoult, of my favorite zombie film.
(smile)
Anyway, after the movie, he and I had crossed paths with Laurie and Lynn. They had recognized my laugh, so they'd made sure to track me down.
(smile)
We'd all stood in the hall, outside the screening room, talking about that movie and various other things, including this upcoming party and its featured film. The three of them were even comparing notes on which version was better, the 1989 or the recent remake.
(smile)
I know how much the running bear likes hooror, so I had invited him along for tonight.
He had abstained, fearing it would be a hen party, rather than a sausage fest.
(smile)
Except for Steve's presence, it really was a hen party... but I hadn't realized how much of one until we were all talking about J.R.R. Tolkien and his books tonight.
I was the only female who had read - and enjoyed - "The Hobbit".
In fact, I was the only woman there who had read the book multiple times.
I was also the only one who had grown up with brothers in the house.
That probably explains my attraction to Tolkien's books.
He wrote of great fellowship between brothers-from-other-mothers.
He had not known of such until he was at college and became part of a group of four young men of like mind, accepting each other as they were, a "family" of their own choosing.
I truly do love such stories.
That's at the heart of my attraction to "The Big Bang Theory".
(smile)
Nice to know that my contribution to mi amigas is my appreciation of men as people!
(smile)