are you an artist?

That's the question that Cindy Liu - not to be confused with Cindy Lou Who! - asked me.

She's the leader of HA HA HA, a group that holds art workshops for seniors, and perhaps others, too.

One of her assistants took a photo of me, then printed it while I busied myself with a blank 5x7 card, coloring it in spontaneous fashion, as I do.

That means a Spirograph-type pattern emerged, right?

So, when the young woman brought me the sticker with me on it, she expected I would place it in the center of the paper, as most folks did.

Yeah, I'm not 'most folks', am I?

(smile!)

I folded back part of the sticker, then placed it in the lower right corner.

"Me and the Scribble Flower"

I really like it, and so did they, taking my photo with it to post on their Instagram page.

I'll have to look it up!

(smile!)

That wasn't the only 'masterpiece' I created today.

I also "Pansy Through A Rainy Window" in the 'flow' watercolors workshop.

That's one of the many workshop tables that were set up on the second and third floors of the Jepson for the museum's Free Family Fun Day for the PULSE18 exhibit.

I had hoped to be joined by some of my great-nieces and great-nephews, but their absence didn't stop me from participating in the creative bits!

(smile!)

Not that I was the only adult participating, nor the only older person having art there.

This moderated chevron design was crafted by ten senior veterans, using markers, cloth, batik, and paint at the Georgia Sheriff's Office.

What an appropriate image for former military!

 

That's just one of the pieces from this season's "Making Marks" exhibit.

All are fairly large-scale, with the smallest still using six squares of cloth knotted together to form an all-encompassing design.

I missed the opening night for this exhibit in December, due to the weather as I recall.

That's why I made sure to view it on Thursday when I came early for the PULSE opener.

 

The piece that had grabbed me then was this one.

I have to admit, the bright colors may have drawn me to it, but the title kept me there.

"Aphasia Tied Together With Hope And Love" -  remarkable!

How wonderful to be able to use imagery when vocal language skills are lost, n'est-ce pas?

"Making Marks" will be on display through April 5th, so I'll have to visit it again.

(smile!)

Meanwhile, it was 3 PM and time for the event I'd specifically come for today!

Tybee Ballet Theater had created dances to correlate to the works of two of the local artists who were part of the "Certified Humans" exhibit.

 

The first dance, "The Garden", had six dancers in black, descending singly down the stairs to each side within Neises Auditorium, to join together on the stage.

Throughout their descent and dance, Michael Betancourt's piece was projected on three sides of the auditorium.

Very cool!

The second dance also featured his work, but only projected on the front wall.

"La Fee Electricite" featured only a single dancer, clad in white, with enormous, flowing, sleeves that were swirled about in time with the music.

Such very graceful dancing that was, and exactly right for The Electricity Fairy!

That's her in the lower right, with her shadow reflected on the back wall... just follow the image on the floor between the two.

Very lovely dance... and I swayed in my seat the whole time!

(smile!)

Then there's the third dance, with James Gladman's "Cosmodities" projected on the three walls of the space.

That one didn't work for me.

The TEMU-derived imagery was so dominant that the three, black-clad, dancers were fairly well invisible.

Then again, maybe that was the point?

Perhaps.

It's all about perspective.

(smile!)

PULSE me, please!

I had not realized it, but this exhibit parallels my life AD.

 

"Are you meaning to say that PULSE began that first year after divorce?" 

Exactly so. The very first one was in January of 2008. This year's art and technology celebration is PULSE18.

"How very cool for the Universe to gift you this!"

I agree. Some years I've enjoyed more than others, finding sweet spots that I completely identified with. You know, like SWARM. I still find that to be my absolute favorite, though Jim Campbell has a work I very much like. The difference is that his piece is not interactive. In fact, none of his pieces are. When the engineer first started exploring his artistic nature, he did produce works designed for the viewer to actively participate with. The thing is, he didn't like the way people interacted! Funny, right? So, after a couple of years, he changed to a different style. That seems to correspond with his brother's death from cancer. I can understand how he needed a new perspective then.

"Most definitely. Death of someone close does seem to call for change. Back to the art, please. What was the Campbell piece you liked most?"

 

It's called "Eroding Wave". The piece physically consists of 3500 white balls suspended on wires to form a huge, three-dimensional, cresting wave of water. So, that's all static, meaning the balls do not move. Got that image of water that doesn't flow? Now, overlay that with dark images that swim through the light in all directions, sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs or trios. As a scientist, I really appreciated that wave-light particle duality of the piece!

"Very cool! Were the images projected onto the light balls, like onto a screen? Or did he use variation of light intensity in the balls as the image 'swam' over them? Do you know what method was used?"

Those are good questions that I cannot answer. I'd be very impressed if he used a variable current, which I'm sure, as an engineer, he would be able to accomplish. However, I think he had the film of the swimmers running on a screen. I do know that he obtained those images by filming a group of boys in a pool. He even had them clad in long dark suits, probably like the full-length bathing suit that Lauri wore. He spoke of that in his talk tonight after the opening reception.

 

"I take it that's him on the right in the above photo?  I recognize Harry Delorme there, talking with the students."

You're correct! The group of SCAD student council members was about to enter the exhibit devoted to Campbell's works. I was already within, having chosen to view "Thresholds Of Perception" before his talk. For the most part, his works are like watching a fish tank.

"Say what? That doesn't sound like much fun."

Having had fish tanks for a number of years in my 20's, I can tell you that watching the fish is actually quite relaxing. They're always in motion, but it varies. The swordtails are small flashes of color moving quickly at the top of the tank, while the pictus catfish are slow and sinewy as they graze the bottom. All the other fish traverse the whole tank as they swim in their continuous circuits. It's almost meditative!

 

"Hey, maybe you should suggest the bfe get a freshwater tank!"

 

Actually, he has a cat, remember? Odd that you brought him up, though. I think this is definitely an exhibit he would appreciate, as both a physicist and an art lover. I hadn't even thought of inviting him to this, but I don't know that it would have been worth $20 to him. The reception and lecture were free to me, of course, as I'm a member of Telfair Museums.

 

"Well, I think you should mention PULSE to him and invite him the next time."

 

I'll keep that in mind. Now, let me tell you about the food this evening. I made sure I was there at the stroke of 5:30, and such treats they had! That's a Thai Shrimp lettuce wrap on top, with little crunchy bits of peanut for texture - totally yummy and definitely my choice as the servers made subsequent laps in the Jepson lobby. The other is pretty delightful, too, as it's marinated mushrooms on toasted baguette. I had several of those, too!

"Those do sound very tasty!"

They were! Linda of the Lucas days came downtown from Georgetown and joined me, as did one of her former SCAD colleagues, Michael. I was able to cue them in to these delights, making sure the servers knew that our table was glad to help lighten their platters! Michael enjoyed the mini BLTs best. I liked them, especially those layered, buttery, biscuits used as the base, but they sure made a mess! Then again, maybe that's just me. (smile!)

"Well, it sounds like a lovely dinner and lecture for you. I'm so glad the weather held for you to go to this!"

Me, too!

i thank You, God.

banana ball and a*list, too!

"Those two things do not go together. Did you mean 'banana ball and youTube', or perhaps something else?"

Nope! I meant what I said and I said what I meant!

"Then you got some 'splaining to do, dearie." 

LOL! This ain't "The Jeffersons"! Still, I guess I should comply and let you know what's going on in March. I'll be going to Grayson Stadium with the four little blondes!!!

"That's wonderful!!! However did you manage that?"

Well, Christina had contacted me last week that Oatland Island was fundraising with the Savannah Bananas for the March 7th game. Did I want to go? DID I WANT TO GO??? "Yes," I told her, "I want to FOO @ Bananas with y'all!!!" So she bought me a ticket!!!

"Most excellent! I really like that phrase: Foo @ bananas. Hahaha!"

Me, too! Sounds like it'll be an amazing outing with them! But it gets even better...

"... because Michael has bought tickets and he and his girls will be there, too?"

Nope! Because I had promised Michael my five member tickets this year and Henry just opened the ticket exchange 'window' online... and March 7 was one of the dates I could swap my member tickets for!!! Hallelujah!!!

"How fortuitous!!! Who else is he bringing with his two extra tickets?"

I have no idea, they're his tickets, his choice. I'm just thrilled we will all be going together! Plus, we don't have to worry about wandering around looking for seats. These will all be over in right field in a brand-new seating area. It's still General Admission over there, but only folks with tickets to sit there will be allowed to do so. Woohoo!!!

"A new area past right field? That will sure be a different perspective for watching the game."

Yeah, like I actually watched the game last year. Remember? I had to watch it on youTube afterward to even see who had won! LOL!

"True, true. You had too much else going on!"

You got that right. And this weekend promises to be quite busy with PULSE18 and other events. In fact, that starts tonight, so I needed to finish up my AMC trio this afternoon. I only have one new dance on this A*List, but it's a very funny one, full of costume changes and misadventures! Keke Palmer is having "One Of Them Days" and it's hilarious! I hope to see it again next week, in fact.

"That A*List looks to be backwards then."

Hey, I can only show it the way AMC gives it.

"So you watched "Sonic The Hedgehog 3" again on Friday, then saw "Wicked Part One" yet again yesterday?"

Correct you are! And the only reason I went to Sonic again was for the 1000 Bonus points. AMC neglected to give them to me, but Tom made sure he added them for me. I had kept the ticket stub so he would have the proof. Gotta get those Bonus rewards! If I had known about the promotion last Tuesday, I would have seen Sonic instead of "Moana 2". No worries, though. I liked both of them!

"Very good. Hey, it's about time for PULSE at the Jepson, isn't it?"

Sure 'nough! Later chica!

haas ossabaw

What a different type of day this has been!

Rabbi Haas has started holding classes over at Asbury Memorial... in improv!!!

When I saw "Improv Fun & Games" in the church newsletter, I thought perhaps he would be performing for us.

Nope!

The nine of us there - me, Tim, Wayne, Tom L., Audrey, Marsha, Lynn, Peg, and Lenny - were asked to perform, with his guidance.

I think maybe they were prepared to participate from the get-go, but I caught up fast.

Good thing I took that improv training with Odd Lot back in 2012!

I was involved in three different bits.

That started with "gift-giving of worst gift ever" with Marsha as the recipient.

I gave her a bag of sand with dead flowers and stuff!

A little later, we did the same routine as part of "Half-Life", this time with me getting the mystery gift from her... and she re-gifted the bag of sand to me!

We did that in 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 2 seconds - hahahaha!

The next time, I interacted with Peg for "ABC", with us working out.

Haas let us go all the way through "J" with our sentences!

And for my last bit, I was with Wayne, with him as the teacher for adult ballet - that was fun!

Especially as he is quite old and I'm no spring chicken... and I was the student!

All told, we had fun for 75 minutes, and will be doing it again on February 4th.

I'll look forward to that!

Off to my next event of the day I went, trying to miss the 5 PM traffic southside.

That's because the "Ossabaw Night In Savannah" was at the Armstrong Center of GaSoU.

Here's what's surprising about that: the event was promoted by the Telfair Museums group!

That's how I knew about it.

Others there were regulars, like Pat and Roberta Johnson.

They've been here for these annual updates about the island for the past three years.

I met them when they came over to share the table with me at the reception.

What a lovely discussion we had about my name and the first time I saw it in Rome!!!

I'm so glad Tom Nelson had snagged this table, and doubly glad that he made sure to invite me!

In fact, he and I had a quite lovely talk, as it's been a few years since I last saw him.

We keep up with each other on fb, so when he pulled out the photo of his 3-year-old granddaughter, I was able to tell him "what a striking look" she has.

She'll go far with that unique face and her strong demeanor.

Who else did I see at that sumptuous reception sponsored by Gulfstream?

Oh, yes - Pete and Fran Zipperer!!!

They were getting their name tags at the same time I did.

I kept thinking we'd see other professors out there, but I didn't recognize anyone.

Oh, I take that back!

I'm pretty sure that's Joe Guy's friend, Robin, with that straight-edged haircut and gray shirt.

I didn't notice her until I downloaded the photo at home.

I took the shot for the red-headed man at the far left, speaking to us about "The Ossabaw Island Project, Genesis, and Of The Coast Of Paradise".

That's because he's Beryl Gilothwest, the grandson of the woman who once owned Ossabaw Island.

The island was deeded over to the State of Georgia during President Jimmy Carter's time as POTUS.

They didn't mention his recent death - at the age of 100, with flags still at half-mast - but they did mention a former council member who was one of those who died last year.

That would be Lainie Peterson, who I knew through Barbara as "her friend down at Tybee Beach".

Small world sometimes.

So what was the talk about?

Two artist projects from the past, as well as the new one that'll have its results debut in 2026.

Erin Dunn, of Telfair, is the one who spoke of that.

The highlight will be a movie, "Venus of Ossabaw", which will be screened on the exterior wall of the Jepson Center, as well as in the Neises Auditorium.

That should be awesome!!!

I'm so glad the winter has relented somewhat.

The WSAV weather song is picking up a stream of higher notes through Saturday!!!

Sure, it still features night temperatures that are ten degrees below our normal... but those are experienced mostly in the predawn hours, when I'm still toasty in bed.

Believe me, I'm grateful for the reprieve!

PULSE starts on Thursday and I love that festival of arts and technology at the Jepson.

I'm so looking forward to being able to go!

rockwell reception!

I know, that sounds like a party for the Flintstones!

Didn't Fred's boss have that surname?

Hahahaha!

Wrong Rockwell!

This little gathering was at the Jepson.

It seems like forever since I was at one of these!

Such classy little hors-d’œuvre we had, too!

That's butterbean hummus flatbread topped with ginger shrimp in the foreground.

The ball is mushroom risotto drizzled in butterscotch - that was definitely dessert!

Plus, there were mini-tacos of mojo pork - yum!

My thanks to the Wildflower Cafe for the catered affair... such a delicious tapas dinner!

Thanks to Vicki, too, as my dining companion there.

She volunteers at the SKIO aquarium!

(smile!)

That little feast, with me savoring at least three rounds of each nosh, served me well for the discussion ahead!

The museum has a new exhibit, "Norman Rockwell And Peers: Illustrating Childhood", with an informal Q&A between Erin at the Jepson and Judy Goffman Cutler, the woman who first drew interest to the original artwork done by illustrators of the first half of the 20th century.

Of those, Norman Rockwell is certainly the one I know best, remembering his covers on various magazines from my youth, as well as reprinted on calendars I've owned over the years.

That's Judy on the right, in pink, and she was so very informative about the history of Rockwell and other American Illustrators.

I guess so: she runs a museum in Rhode Island about what is left of their art.

Of the hundreds of magazine covers that Rockwell's art adorned, very few of his original paintings exist.

Those paintings were essentially regarded as drafts by the printing industry, and, once the image was set for the issue to be printed, there was no need to keep the painting.

Can you imagine???

However, that's the way it was.

Illustrators were not regarded as artists back then.

The only paintings that survived were ones that Rockwell, or other illustrators, kept for themselves or gave to friends.

Mind-boggling, isn't it?

I very much look forward to perusing the 20 canvases of his - as well as those of Maxfield Parrish, J.C. Leyendecker, Ethel Franklin Betts, Jessie Willcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth - on some other occasion, but I needed to rescue my car.

See, I had parked in a space that I knew wasn't valid, but I did it anyway.

I figured that if I got a ticket, I'd let that be my "local citizen" freebie from Savannah Parking Services for the year.

But guess what?

No ticket!

i thank You, God!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to enjoy a free musical!

Comcast has rewarded me with my monthly $1 Movie Night, which I'm spending on 2007's "Enchanted", with the fabulous singing of Amy Adams and James Marsden!

Seriously, who knew he could sing as well as play Sonic's adoptive dad?

(smile!)

traveling on frank's nexus

I do wish I had spent more time with Frank Stewart's exhibit while he was here for the Savannah Music Festival.

I kept thinking I'd "get a round TUIT"... so I never did.

I tried once, planning on having three blondes with me, but that plan failed.

I kept thinking the exploration of the decades of his work would be part of my annual birthday trip to the Jepson museum.

Nope!

It's leaving town on Sunday.

That's why I devoted this afternoon to taking in as much of it as I could.

 

This is when his long-standing fascination with photography first began, the origin of his time-traveling nexus.

The year was 1963 and he was 14 years old.

His mom had brought him for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, giving him her camera to capture the moment.

Here is one of his thoughts as a teenager.

"It was interesting to me that it seemed as many white people as Black people were there."

I found it interesting that he capitalized "black" but did not do the same for "white".

I also found this configuration of his original 9 photos very interesting, and wondered why it had been chosen and whether he had been the one who had that final say.

Interesting.

This was one of the first photos that really grabbed me.

Titled "Yokohama 2004", the blurb posted by the shot said he took the shot "to capture the repeating arcs".

So, what about it spoke to me?

At that spot on his nexus I flashed back to a moment in 2017, jumping straight from the present time and from my location at the museum.

That's when I took this snap.

Mi amiga Sandy and I had arrived at Myrtle Beach for our New Year's vacation, to find the highs in the 50's.

Nonetheless, we'd taken a walk along the boardwalk.

That's when I spotted these diverse geometric shapes and captured them on (digital) film and on my memory.

Nice time travel trip!

Back in the present again, I concentrated on continuing my journey to other images he had captured.

This was the next that stopped me. 

Why on Earth had he taken a photo of a dumpster and a target practice sheet and that white gate left ajar???

It was absolutely -because- of all the disparate items that he had paused in 2020 to snap it.

Very nice!

And, justthatfast, without clicking my heels or even snapping my fingers, I was sent back in time again. 

I don't recall the exact year, but it was between 2008 and 2010, with this new/old addition to my sunroom.

My BFF and her family had been down from the ATL.

I'd just had four windows replaced in the house, with the old ones left out in the back yard, waiting to be hauled off.

Sandra Lynn asked if she could have them, as she had a friend who refurbished them into art.

This is the one she brought back on a later visit, the one she and her daughter had made for me.

That piece of paper in the upper right is the note she had included for me.

As Frank had said of his image, "the only thing linking these items together is the frame".

Most def - although mine has loving memories as well for all its contents!

And like a rubber band snapping back in place, I was again in the Jepson.

What else might he have that would bring me a memory for my nexus to align with his?

Indeed, what else besides this limned image of a blind pianist whose music I have enjoyed at several SMFs of the past?

Specifically, I recall seeing Marcus Roberts in 2019.

The first time was April 1, during practice, when I was tending their "green room", and gave him my protein bar, to keep up his energy.

The second time had been four days later, at the performance of a piece he had composed... and the inclusion of whistling just for me!

Ah, such good memories!

Thanks, Frank Stewart, for mirroring my life!

#FrankStewartPhotoChallenge

plans changed for the better!

We were supposed to be meeting up at the Jepson museum, for Free Family Day and spending time with Frank Stewart's Nexus photography exhibit.

Nope!

The day was gorgeous, nice and warm with a little breeze, and a bit of an overcast to block the sun's heat, if not its UV rays.

That meant EVERYONE had the same idea, and those who had found parking were now walking out in front of cars trying to find parking, as well as bicyclists darting in and around.

I called my first niece, suggesting we head for Forsyth Park instead, go ahead and take in the SCAD Annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival.

So, that's what we did, hoping the South of Gaston Street area would be better than the NOGS had been.

Nope!

The day was gorgeous, nice and warm with a little breeze, and a bit of an overcast to block the sun's heat, if not its UV rays.

That meant EVERYONE had the same idea, and those who had found parking were now walking out in front of cars trying to find parking, as well as bicyclists darting in and around.

Sound familiar?

I called my first niece again, after hunting in vain for a place to put my car, asking if she'd found a spot yet.

Nope!

Off to Daffin Park we headed, to the swing sets and slides and such, sure that we'd be able to swing right on in and park.

Nope!

A Family Fun Day was in progress, with food trucks and police cars taking up all the spaces inside the park, leaving us the offside lot for Grayson Stadium.

Fine, that would be fine.

And it was!

That's Chloe and Miyah right there, having fun and getting their ya-yas out, just as the Rolling Stones would have advised!

Very nice!

We went to the Park's play area first, but the two little blondes said it was "for babies".

LOL!

They had espied the playground near the park office and wanted to go there, so there we went, and there we stayed for at least thirty minutes, with Christina showing off her "Ohana" tattoo bracelet and the girls chasing each other around.

Very nice!

Suddenly it was heading toward 5 PM and was way past lunch time.

Off to Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway for slunch and bathrooms!

Ah, much better, and we had a nice leisurely meal, sand electronic toys and gadgets, with our new waitress trying to keep up.

How new was she?

She didn't even know where the silverware was!

Hahahaha!

I know, that sounds like a joke, but it's absolutely true!

They went off to buy a gift for a birthday party they had after their time with Aunt Tina... but it wasn't long before they pulled up at my house! 

Bathroom break, and a run around the spiral at the base of the Japanese magnolia, and playing with a slug and a roly-poly, too!

Chloe found the critters, of course.

That girl has eagle eyes for anything on the ground, moving or not!

I wonder if we would be so enchanted with roly-polies if we used their real name?

Like, ew, a woodlouse...

Hahahaha!

maybe I'll win from this survey, too?

Perhaps I'll win this time, too.

The survey I just filled out has a prize card as the lure for some number of respondents.

Telfair Museums are part of a larger group, with each having visitation rights for their members.

The survey asked for fifteen minutes of my time to tell them how museums fit my life.

I guess they don't realize how much I enjoy them, especially the Jepson.

Here's how it started off.

"On behalf of museums nationwide, including the one that asked you to take this survey, thank you for taking time to share your thoughts.

Results will be shared with your museum later this spring, and with the broader museum field beginning in late summer.

This survey is a joint research project between the American Alliance of Museums and hundreds of museums across the United States and Canada."

So, I carefully answered the many questions that asked me to rank this activity versus that one, this display against another, et cetera.

Then I came upon this query near the end.

"Think back to one or two learning experiences you have had that have stuck with you. Where the information shared was meaningful to you, or the learning experience was extremely effective.
We'd like to know more about one of those experiences, such as:
    Where did the experience take place? Was it in school, on your own, in a museum, or some other place?
    What happened during the experience? That is, was it primarily the imparting of facts/knowledge, did it tell a story, did you do something, or was it something else?
    What made the experience so effective or meaningful for you?
    And given your answer, what would you like museums to do better to create more of these experiences for you? "

What a wonderful, meaty, thought-provoking question!!!

Here's my reply: "I have had many such learning experiences, but I'll talk of one from my youth. The Savannah Science Museum was located in midtown, making it easy to access. I spent much time there, fascinated by all the exhibits, most of which were interactive and hands-on. That's very important to me, that tactile engagement with the exhibits. The most impressive was the exhibit which explained how levers and pulleys worked, with me able to pull on the rope and feel the science in action. I know the children in my life are most engaged when they can touch the materials in the exhibits, or take part in classes where they can create something like the art in the exhibits."

I'll look forward to discussing the survey results when they're compiled.

Perhaps Calli Landre will even invite me in for such a talk!

(smile!)

dinner and talk from a photographer

Amazingly, I know this 72-year-old guy!

Frank Stewart has been a photographer for the Savannah Music Festival, as well as other events at the Lucas and Trustees Theatres, for maybe two decades, so I'd see him shooting those happenings any time I was ushering those venues.

Here's the thing: I only knew him as "Frank".

I still hadn't put it together until I saw him on the stage at the Jepson tonight.

He and Fred Moten, a 61-year-old poet with the 2020 MacArthur Grant, were having a conversation about art and poems and photographs, sitting not twenty feet from me, and I suddenly realized just how I knew him.

Wow!

Moreover, that's when I realized he was black, too, just like the poet.

I'd always taken Frank to be Italian or Greek from his coloring and features.

Wow.

That meant this event was also part of the SBHF35, like last night's theatre.

I'm also going to include my foray out to the Pin Point Museum in the festival lineup, too.

That makes three events already for Savannah Black Heritage Month!

Very nice!

I'm so glad I was there, as a member of the Telfair family of museums.

That meant the reception and talk, which had a ticket price of $20, was free for me.

I do so enjoy that word: free!

Here's the first course from this evening's repast: 

shrimp salad on toasted ciabatta.

The rosemary sprig helped give it a bit more flavor.

(Don't tell the Wildwood Cafe, but I much prefer the

shrimp salad at Carey the H.)

 

Mild as it was, I still ate four servings - lovely bread!

 

The second course was a bit messier:

chicken satay lettuce wraps.

However, they were absolutely delicious!

The peanut sauce was perfectly made,

with crunch still in the nuts.

 

I even taught the older woman at the table 

how to hold them to minimize drips...

and I helped myself to three servings!!!

 

The third, and final, course was compact:

mushroom risotto balls.

They had been injected with Korean bbq sauce -

oh, so very tasty!!!

 

Once the other two ladies got my vote of approval,

they made sure to hit up that tray on every trip,

just as I did...

all four times!!!

 

Such a delectable supper we all had!

I'm glad I had grabbed a table and shared it

with these two recent transplants to 

this beautiful seaport.

I hope we'll all see each other again at the Jepson!

None of us stayed after the talk to peruse the exhibit, "Nexus".

We all like to read those placards by each item,

and thirty minutes was simply not enough time for that.

Nope!

(smile!)

things learned at the jepson

1. Don't ask a literal-minded fish jokes.

 

Remember Big Mouth Billy Bass?

Now, imagine him enhanced with an Artificial Intelligence so he can respond to questions.

I hit him with a knock knock routine.

me: Knock, knock!

 

him: (after a pause) Who's there?

me: Orange...

 

him: (following a longer pause) Orange who?

 

me: Orange you tired of being up on that wall?

 

him: Well, as an animatronic fish, I don't really have the ability to get tired. But I must say, being on the wall is quite a comfortable spot for me. It allows me to interact with folks like yourself and provide assistance. Is there something else I can help you with?

Silly fish... but it did understand my use of "orange" for "aren't", so that was pretty amazing.

2. How to make a personalized light-up pin.

 

First, I used a sharp quill-like tool to etch a design -

one of my scribble flowers! -

onto a square of acrylic tile.

 

Then I taped a piece of black paper on the same side as the etched design.

 

I chose a green LED, folding one leg of the electrode to the back of the pin, with hot glue to hold it in place between the back and a disc battery.

 

The other leg of the electrode was then folded to the back, but not touching the battery until the design was to be lit up.

 

A tiny magnet served double duty, to attach the pin to my sweater and to keep the pin lit.

 

(Thanks, Rachel, for your help with this craft!)

 

3. Kids today have every bit as much imagination as kids in the past.

 

This wall was covered with creatures that were part of the "Making Marks" exhibit, modeled after the Ulysses Davis "Created Beasts" sculptures which I'd seen in the fall while waiting for the librarian.

 

Such a range of colors and materials used!

 

I especially liked these with the feather boa flourishes.

 

The fanciful names were fun, too!

 

I'm glad I had time to admire all of these while I was waiting for the AI-inspired movie to start.

 

4. Sometimes movies have the same names, but differ.

 

I was so sure that I had seen "Metropolis" some years back, but I assuredly had never watched this 2001 anime before.

 

It rather reminded me of "Wizards" with its interspersing of war and sweet moments.

 

What I most enjoyed, though, were the vocals from the Japanese students in the audience!

 

They were clearly familiar with the story and had no qualms about cheering and booing the various characters - very nice!!!

 

5. Never miss the opportunity to act like a kid.

 

One of the reasons I so enjoy the annual PULSE celebration of technology and art are all of the interactive exhibits that draw out the inner child of the viewer.

 

I had not realized that I was reflected on the mirrored wall until I recognized my jacket on my arm!

 

Then, I saw multicolored geometric shapes appear whenever I moved!!!

 

I bet I spent at least ten minutes trying to capture them on my phone as I sashayed back and forth!

Analog to AI: what a treat to quicken my pulse!

the librarian and her boy go to the museum!

Kristin's back in The 'Vannah... and this time she brought her son!

Landon's the same age as my twin great-nieces, and since they had so enjoyed the new Children's Art Museum, I invited these two from Indiana to be my guests at the Jepson.

Good call!

He maybe didn't like the exhibits where he had to read and couldn't touch, but he had a grand time with the CAM!

For two hours he played and had a good time, giving me and her time to chat about movies and TV shows and concerts and how many TV series Tony Shalhoub has been in.

 

That was very nice!
But by this point in their travels, two hours was about all Kristin could take without caffeine.

They'd had lunch with Amanda, then walked down Broughton to get ice cream before wending their way to the museum.

She was much more lively after a hit of iced coffee!

As for Landon, he'd been preoccupied with three quarters he'd found out on the street.

While checking out the museum store, he was absolutely ecstatic - like, seriously! - when he found this leather money bank shaped like a cat.

Seriously!

He really likes cats, but cannot have one due to his mom's allergies.

That means he is very fond of all things "cat".

LOL!

Perhaps I should have let him know that I'm a "cat"...

well, according to a fb meme going around.

Hahaha haha!

(smile!)

Now, they're back to Barbara's for dinner with her.

They'll be driving back to Indiana on Saturday, so I'm glad we had this time together.

Sure, I saw more of her in January, but she had no car, so I played cabbie.

I'm glad I was able to see the boy again!

The last time I did, he was just a baby.

This trip was to show him where he lived back then, to introduce him to Savannah.

Very nice!

Now, I have a musical to go to and must be leaving!

She and the boy, plus Barbara, will be going to it tomorrow, as I made sure they knew about this rare free offering.

Je souhaite that we could all go together, but I could not rearrange my Friday plans.

So glad to have shared this afternoon with them!

(smile!)

as calvin said: the days - and nights - are just full!

And it isn't even fall yet.

That's when the theatre troupes go back into action.

Plus, the Savannah Jazz Festival will ramp up in mid-September, and then all sorts of music and autumnal-themed events follow suit, following folks into that cooler night air.

I just need to remember to stick that mask into my back pocket, as COVID is again keeping company with more of us.

Yeah, that's right, it's still around, still sending folks to the hospital and the morgue.

Truly.

Remember XBB.1.5?

I started talking about that variant of the Omicron strain of the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus back in January of this year, not once, but twice.

Then, in April, I shared the news about its sweet-16 version, rockin' in the USA and worldwide.

Well, now there's a new model, XBB.2.3, and, like these other XBB variants, it spreads as quickly and as easily as the common cold.

That means you don't start having symptoms until three days after infection with it, i.e., three days after the person gifted it to you.

Wash those hands.

Avoid crowded places.

Keep away from folks not in your bubble.

Have a mask handy at all times.

Wash those hands!!!

I already know three people who have it.

Yes, that's present tense: have it.

Now, what did I say about the days and nights being full?

 

Yesterday found me at the Jepson with Michael, Leila, and Alyssa!

 

The museum was having Free Family Day to celebrate its Age of Armor exhibit and I had invited the Saturday morning family groups to partake with me.

 

So glad the Effingham contingent was there!!!

(smile!)

As well as saving the $45 it would have ordinarily cost for the three of them, they got to see live action from the medieval ages!

 

There were two 'living history' groups in the second-floor Auditorium to introduce the kids, and their folks, to the finer points - pun intended!!! - of weaponry then.

 

Schola St. George doesn't have a local chapter, but a group had traveled to be here, to educate attendees in the differences between the types of armor worn and the uses of the different weapons.

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) does have an active local branch in Savannah and they were quite enthusiastic about having others to spar against!

 

We were pretty excited about that, too!

 

An element of surprise is always a nice touch, not just for the fighters, but also for the cheering crowd!

 

And cheer we did!

Michael was on the 'blue' team and I was on the 'red' team, by dint of which side of the room we were on.

 

The first match was between Sir Ed, for blue, with a spear, and Sir Sam, for my team, with a dagger.

 

The second match pitted Sir Pietro of SCA, armed with sword and shield, against Sir Seth, wielding a pole axe.

 

Each pair battled at least three times, with each winning at least once.

 

My favorite matches, though, were the rapier fights between Sir Zacharius and Lady Jacqueline!

So much more elegant... and she won all five battles against him!

 

What did Alyssa and Leila think?

Their minds were on the trampoline party!

After about two hours with me, they were off!

(smile!)

 

Oh, but one very bright spot for me!

We had explored the new Children's Art Museum on the third floor before the medieval arts.

At some point after the battles, while we were looking at the crafts studio - where kids could construct their own swords and shields! - Leila came up to me excitedly.

"Aunt Tina, come see what i found!"

It was a lovely little park within the second floor area of CAM!

There was even a 'pond' with 'goldfish' and a wrought iron bench and so many flowers!

(smile!)

 

After a couple of hours at home, I bounced downtown again, this time to the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.

I was a volunteer usher again for SVF-11, for my second opera of this season!

As a cultural exchange with the Tokyo VIAA, we were in for a treat: "Madama Butterfly".

What a thrill - and a bit confusing - as the show was sung in Italian, as it was written by Puccini.

Japanese costumes, Japanese cherry blossoms, Japanese design, and not a single thing that was Japanese except some of the singers and some of the names of the characters they portrayed.

However, audience members had dressed in the most colorful, Japanese-themed, attire they owned!

What a lovely parade for me!

And guess who I saw and spoke with?

The 'Tis, of all people, and the cellist Yvonne (that's why-von, not eee-von), from my days at the Povie pool hall!

 

Plus, Liz Lang and Jessica Best, two I held dear from that SVF-8 season, came to watch!

Was there anything that surprised me about this particular opera?

Maybe 'surprise' is too strong a word.

At the end, Jeremy Brauner, the one portraying the US sailor who had bought Butterfly, a 15-year-old geisha, to be his wife while in port in Nagasaki, practically  had to encourage the audience to applaud his performance.

And just why was that?

In this #MeToo time in history, his character was one to be booed, one who took advantage of a young girl's heart and betrayed her love.

He was no Romeo... but all of this took place over a century ago, in a different clime.

Accolades I gave for a perfectly nuanced performance, to him and the entire cast! (smile!)

This morning was all about Miss Virginia.

Yes, that title is correct, as she never wed.

For all intents and purposes, she became a Protestant version of a nun in the latter half of her 39th year, back in 1963, devoting herself to Asbury Memorial Church and to Jesus, for sixty years.

Her favorite color was red and we were all encouraged to brighten the synagogue in that hue.

I wore Mother Pat's Hawaiian dress, a flowing, hibiscus red muumuu of a gown, perfect for summer, and perfect for this celebration a long life well-lived.

Her niece and her nephew were in town, too, and Rev. Billy was back on the stage.

He says we're going to honor her, and the other 24 Elderberries who were holding down the fort" for several years until 1993, thirty years ago when he started here, every year on this day.

What a marvelous idea!

As he read off the list of their names, some of the faces came smiling up in my mental photo album.

Nell Hagins.

Joe Hunnicutt.

Harold Wiley.

Elizabeth Lariscy.

And, now, Virginia Holliday.

I may not have known the majority of them, but I knew these, and am glad I did.

i thank You, God, for sharing them with me.

(smile!)

But my day was not yet done.

The Two Posts American Legion had a special meeting in the middle of this afternoon, in lieu of the missed one on Thursday night.

This time, we were meeting with the contractor, so I was sure, as an Executive Board member, to be present and accounted for... if a little late.

I'm glad I was there.

We have a date for the next phase: September 5th.

That's when the drains and water lines for the horseshoe bar will be dug and construction of the bar itself will commence onsite.

See that blue tape in the foreground?

That's the front edge of the bar.

The blue tape further back is for a cabinet, with another, for the liquor and such, along the wall.

We're hoping for a soft opening for Veterans Day.

I had been hoping for dinner with this meeting.

 

After 90 minutes elapsed, and 6 PM neared, folks began bidding their adieus, as did I.

Now, what to do?

How to finish out this weekend of diverse activity?

Dinner and a movie, of course!

Too late for anyone to join me at Carrabbas, but I certainly did enjoy every last bite of this Salmon Cappieri, loaded with capers and lemon flavor!

So satisfying!

Then to the "Blue Beetle" in BigD with Barbara!!!

What a fun romp it was, too, with lots of story to go along with the action!

The most fun, though, were all the superhero gadgets!

They looked like something a 10-year-old boy would have gleefully made, letting his imagination run free, with material choice being constrained by his finances!!!

Very nice way to end the day.

(smile!)