looks like Irwin was correct

Every time I went to the AMC cinema for the past four or five days, Irwin has talked to me about snow in Savannah.

Every time he did, I would protest that we would not be getting snow, not at 32 N latitude.

Nope, nope, nope.

Now, it turns out I was mistaken.

If Pat Prokop says snow will be falling, then snow will definitely fall.

 

The retired meteorologist isn't the only source for that news, of course.

Chatham Emergency Management Agency posted this on fb at 3 PM.

"CEMA Alert:
Winter Storm Warning
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM TUESDAY TO NOON EST WEDNESDAY
* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet
accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to one
quarter of an inch.
* WHERE...Coastal Bryan, Coastal Chatham, Coastal Liberty, Coastal
McIntosh, Inland Bryan, Inland Chatham, Inland Liberty, Inland
McIntosh, and Long Counties.
* WHEN...From 5 PM Tuesday to noon EST Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road
conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday
evening and Wednesday morning commutes."

 

Hallie of Louisiana - my sil's sil - tried to inject a note of humor, Cajun style.

Sneaux Bingeaux just may be a game I'd play, too, especially if Thibodeau and Boudreau were sitting in at the table.

I even already have several squares I could fill!

I have milk, I have bread, I'm dripping those faucets, my snacks are ready to be eaten up, and I have several cans of Progresso Chicken & Sausage Gumbo in the pantry.

Oh, yes, and the schools will be closed!

That gives me a lucky seven squares, including the free space.

Not a bingeaux yet, but getting there.

 

I plan to adopt Patrick Young's philosophy, too.

"If you choose

not to find joy

in the snow

You will have

less joy in your life

but still

the same amount of snow."

 

That sounds a lot like that Tibetan proverb I like about worry. 

"If the problem can't be solved, 

there's no use worrying about it.

If it can be solved,

worrying will do no good."

Last time I checked, I had no control over the weather.

I still do not have any control over the weather.

I only have control over my response to the weather.

That's why I watch the WSAV Weather Song, so I can stay in tune.

(smile!)

take a basketball to church day!

And to think: I dreamed I'd missed it!

"That doesn't sound like a real thing anyway. Are you sure you didn't dream about that?"

No, this really was "take a basketball to church" day! Well, it was for me. Remember that tag I'd pulled from the Angell Tree?

"I do. That tag for a sport toy."

Well, this was the last Sunday before the youth group delivers the gifts. Last night I felt like it was Sunday and I'd missed my chance to take the ball to Asbury Memorial. I went to bed trying to figure out how, and when, to get it to P.A.C.K. in time on Monday. Then, when I woke up this morning, I felt like Ebenezer Scrooge!

"What the fresh hell does that mean?"

Hahaha! As I told Candace Jenkins, I felt like Scrooge when I awoke and realized this was Sunday! I hadn't missed it after all! What a great start to the day!!!

"Hahaha! That's a funny story!"

That's what she said. I'd repeated the story to the police officer in the parking lot as I returned to my car and he thought it was funny, too.

"Very nice!"

And as I was leaving the church, Jan of VBS was waiting inside the door with an older woman. The car to fetch them home was on its way. So I stopped to chat and told them a story from yesterday. A guy selling a house security system came by and was pretty insistent. So I asked him to look at my car. "It's 23 years old," I told him. "Does it seem likely that I'd need a security system when my car is that old?" Amazed, he said, "23? That's older than I am!" The two ladies got a hoot out of that.

"Hahahaha!"

It all made me feel like an encourager, spreading verbal sunshine on this cold day. That had been the focus of Billy's sermon and I very much liked it. He spoke of Elizabeth, Mary's older cousin, as the one who Mary searched out when she found herself single, virgin, and pregnant, in danger of being stoned by the townspeople for what was regarded as a crime. The cousin gave Mary a new perspective on her condition. Sometimes, that's exactly what we need: a fresh take on what we consider an insurmountable problem. Very nice!

"Yes, it is. I just may listen to it again."

Me, too, though I must say it was extra nice to hear in person today. Now, there's a variety show on network TV and it looks to be similar to the 1940's show last Sunday. It's called "Byron Allen Presents: The Comedy & Music Superfest". Such a splendid name!

"It is! You'll have to regale me with highlights!"

must be wednesday, right?

In fact, I know darn well it's Wednesday!

That's $5 sushi from Publix for supper tonight, picked up on my way home from downtown.

 

Plus, I washed clothes late this morning at Suds, so I know it's Wednesday.

It only costs me $6.50 to wash and dry my laundry, as the washers are 25% off then.

 

So what was causing the confusion in the time between those two events?

I saw two plays today!!!

I happened to spot this flyer on fb yesterday and was elated: hump day fun!

Better yet, it was free!!!

It was also early enough for me to find parking before dark.

I wanted to be close to Yamacraw Center For Performing Arts, as the weather song has been hitting some very low notes of late, and I prefer to be snug at home when it does.

Still, the opportunity to support younger performers isn't often, so I went.

I'm so glad I did!

So many positive vibes in the air tonight, from the performers and parents!

First up was "The Adventures of Captain Potato", featuring a superhero who was "round and brown" - in actuality, a kid wearing glasses - with a sidekick named Spud.

His mission: to thwart the plans of Big Mouth and his feeder minions!

Very funny stuff from these third and fourth grade students!

 

Then came the other tale, "Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!" with another group of students.

The farmers had tasked two boys to look out for a wolf, even drawing them a picture - to the left - so they would be able to recognize the creature.

Very nice re-imagining of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", with the sheep being quite helpful at tricking the wolf when the boys botch their job.

All in all, there were at least thirty students who did the two plays.

Bravo, and brava, I say!

How very nice to see something from the students of Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts.

I'll have to keep an eye out for more from them!

What a nice coincidence that I happened to be on fb when that flyer popped up!

Right place, right time!

a clown, a basketball, and a zoom

"Ken, what have been part of Asbury Memorial Church this week?"

Absolutely correct!

Here's the clown, on the stage with Rev. Billy.

The clown is named Hank and he's holding a sign for Habitat For Humanity.

As a HopeBuilder with that organization for many years, I appreciated that!

I also appreciated that Hank had chosen the same color for his strip of cloth that I had.

Orange isn't something many folks would choose.

That strip of cloth is to remind me of the reason for the season, up to the point on Christmas Eve when it is laid upon the 'manger' of the nativity scene.

(smile!)

We had communion this first Sunday, too, and I expected the BIG Coffee Hour.

That was not to be, as the church Christmas party is serving as that meal together.

So, I made the choice to ascend to the stage in Holliday Hall to the Angell tree.

It contained cards for gifts to be purchased and taken to P.A.C.K. by our youth group.

After making several selections, I stayed with "basketball" after drawing it for the third time.

Sherry G and Kathy H followed my lead, also choosing "basketball" as the item to purchase and donate.

When I returned home, I checked for sales of that sports toy.

After all, they usually run about $40 to $50.

Target had these on sale for right at $20!

Better yet, they're signed by Caitlin Clark, an utterly amazing 22-year-old point guard!

I'm actually hoping this basketball inspires a girl to take up the sport.

(smile!)

Two down, one to go, and it's one I almost missed out on!

I had somehow fallen off the church email list.

Fortunately, I read the church newsletter on Sunday evening and saw that the annual meeting of the congregation by ZOOM was scheduled for December 3rd.

Fortunately, I didn't have anything planned on this Tina Tuesday.

Fortunately, Randy Cannady was still at the church office when I called for the ZOOM data.

He was able to email the information to me in plenty of time, too!

Thanks, Randy!

I was even able to read all the reports beforehand, so I knew what was going on.

I was so glad that the finances of both Asbury Memorial and Wesley Oak are going to be out of the red and into the black at year's end!

Considering all the roofs that have been replaced, as well as other big projects at both campuses, that's amazing news.

There's still one more big project: an elevator at Asbury.

That's going to take a huge sum of money... or maybe not.

I raised the question: "Is the elevator required for moving people or moving freight? Couldn't a dumbwaiter be installed instead?"

After all, the regulations for people-movers are much stricter than those for stuff.

Now, that will be investigated, so folks won't have to haul items from upstairs to the sanctuary and then back again.

Glad I was there to provide useful feedback!

(smile!)

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!)

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)

like reindeer bells

The difference is this: "New Music" affects just adults.

Unlike the bells on reindeer harness in "Polar Express", which most children lose their ability to hear as they age into more responsibilities, the tune played by "Coalhouse Walker" causes different responses in the grown folk who are exposed to it.

Some hear the "New Music" and cannot help but dance to it, accepting its different tempo and the different source of its maker.

Some hear "New Music" but are unmoved by it, preferring to ignore it.

And some cannot even hear "New Music", mired as they are in the past rhythms of their lives and those of their ancestors.

That was the beauty of the Savannah Stage Company's latest production of the musical, "Ragtime", first performed in 1996, about 15 years after the movie.

The show allowed us to fully appreciate the different affects of American music on people of the early 1900's, whether they were wealthy and white Americans, middle-class and black Americans, or poor immigrants from Slavic countries.

Contemporary images were used on the background scrim to draw parallels between today and the social attitudes of that time more than a century ago.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, people are people, now as they were then.

The difference is this: the number of enlightened ones has grown.

That's progress towards equality for all, slow as it is.

Depending on one's definition of generation, only 4 to 5 generations have elapsed between 1906 and 2024.

Only 6 to 7 generations have elapsed between the end of the American Civil War and today.

That adds a bit of perspective to the slow evolution of social change in society.

Social change does occur, though perhaps not at the pace some would like.

Some think that type of change is too fast, hence the election results this year, which will, in turn, lead to different changes for some parts of society.

We shall see.

Meanwhile, it's been good to see how far America has come, through the eyes of the characters in this musical, from the citizens of the time, all of whom were once immigrants, to the newcomers in search of a better life here.

There are a few nice touches along the way: "Tateh" jumping up and clicking his heels as he sang and danced; "Coalhouse" and "Sarah" leaning into each other as they began to dance; the shadows of "Coalhouse" and "Sarah" on the backdrop, with the flag waving beside them, as the story came to an end.

Very nice touches of grace.

I'll have to make sure and tell Jayme about those.

a trio and a deuce

Yeppers, my A*List dance card was a little shy of a trio for this week.

I could have seen a third movie today... but, I just didn't.

Tuesday saw me with a double header, and that was all I got.

"Conclave" was quite interesting, and rather timely, with America already neck-deep in the election process for a new POTUS.

"Conclave" centered on the election of a new Pope, after one dies unexpectedly.

Very nice to see Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rosselini again!

Here's the thing, though: it's billed as a mystery thriller, but there is far too little action to warrant that genre.

The beautifully filmed piece is actually a psychological character study, with the end result being this: the cardinals who would be Pope are just people, too, like the rest of us.

I wonder who else in that screening room walked out with that conclusion?

And what about the second half of that game card?

What a hot mess "We Live In Time" was.

Disjointed, trying to tell the story about a couple and their relationship by bouncing in and out of the present moment - yikes.

The highlight was the birth of their baby in a Texaco gas station bathroom after a jammed up highway prevents progress to a hospital.

Seriously, that was the highlight for me, the woman who had the tubal ligation for bday24.

It's almost worth seeing the movie for that one extended, cohesive, scene.

 

Last week's dance card was filled, even though AMC put the trio in the wrong order.

That one in the middle of the A*List?

That was the new Michael Keaton film, "Goodrich", about a 60-year-old man who chose his work over his family, not once, but twice.

Note to the casting department: a man in his mid-70's cannot pass for 60 anymore than Demi Moore, a woman in her 60's, can pass for a 50-year-old.

Stop trying to cheat Father Time and science.

Kudos to Mila Kunis, by the way, as she was fabulous as the adult daughter from his first family, now tasked with babysitting the two children from his second family.

I can understand why Carolyn really liked that movie and I'm glad she saw it with me.

That was on Monday, the 21st.

I didn't see "Saturday Night" again until the next day, for Tina Tuesday.

I don't know why it's in that first slot.

I had wanted to see if it was done in "live time" for all the behind the scenes, and my conclusion is: yes, it was!

Don't be dissuaded by the posted run-time of 109 minutes.

That time includes the length of credits post-film, as well as the length of the very first sketch - between Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi - of that first show.

That means the 90-minute pre-show clock is right on time!

Quite impressive!

Also impressive was "Venom: The Last Dance", seen last Thursday.

Tom Hardy not only starred in this one, but also co-wrote the script and co-produced it.

Get this: he's 47 years old and was knighted in 2018!

I guess that means I should call this Englishman "Sir", shouldn't I?

By the way, 2018 was the year he and "Venom" became buddies.

Nice!

I do hope to see this Marvel movie again!

bday6 for miss chlo!

It's hard to believe that little blonde running around is six years old now!

Was that first birthday party truly five years ago?

No 'bout a doubt it, as her Grandpa Ronnie would have said.

That's her to the left of the yellow table, with her Mom in the red dress, her Grammy in the chair at the end of the table, and her Uncle Michael heading toward the sidewalk where her cousins, Alyssa and Leila, are playing with her sister, Miyah. 

In the foreground is Mousse, getting his head petted by one of Nieve's hijas.

With a slight shift in perspective, here's a continuation of the scene just a moment later.

Chloe is helping Nieves with the heavy wooden chair from my first niece's kitchen.

Michael had started the grill, but Coach Willie has taken over and is cooking the burgers and franks.

Moussie is in heaven, still getting head scratches and neck rubs from the little girl.

As for me, I'm just enjoying the view!

The tables are all covered with cloths, the air is full of good smells and the sound of kids playing, and now I can visit with Christina and Melinda!

This was taken about an hour later.

We've all eaten to our stomach's content of burgers, hotdogs, chips, and even chili - yum!

Now it's time smack a piñata... or two!

That's become the highlight of the birthday parties these days, as the kids each take turns whacking the hanging container until it spills its candy guts all over the ground!

Miss Chlo, as the birthday girl, got the first three smacks, then everyone else took their turn at giving the rainbow piñatas three whacks.

In fact, everyone had taken their swings twice before the candy was freed!

By the time they were done with the second one, another hour had elapsed and it was time for me to head back to Savannah.

Daylight was fading fast and I have Dane Days!

As I told Alyssa and Leila, the dog is their  age and, like them, he doesn't like being in the dark, either.

They completely understood that, as they have been sleeping with the TV on since before their time living with me!

I would have liked to have stayed for cake and ice cream - I even had Lactaid with me! - but that's okay.

I'll just be sure to have double helpings next time!

But what I missed most was watching Chloe open her gifts and seeing her face light up. 

"Hope you enjoy the gift and that it reminds you of our vacation in Florida."

I do hope she enjoys the Minnie Mouse puzzle!

It has 24 pieces, so that shouldn't be too complex.

Plus, it will help her with spatial orientation as well as problem solving.

All good skills for everyone to have!

Okay, time to give Dane his "ice cream" treat for being a good boy while I was gone!

What a wonderful day!

And tomorrow I'll have pizza for breakfast!

That's because today was the third Saturday of the month.

In Papa John-speak, that means FREEDAY!!!

So my choice tomorrow will be either the Spicy Italian or the Fiery Buffalo Chicken - I'm a winner no matter which I choose!

Hooray!

(smile!)

voting, gas, sushi - check, check, check!

As I told everyone, on fb and by text, I was southside anyway, so I got it done!

The blood work to check on my thyroid had been compromised somehow, so the Savannah VA Center had me come by for another needle in the arm.

Afterward, I'd almost headed back to midtown when the thought came: maybe vote?

I checked: there was no line at the Southwest Chatham Library!

So, I have "secured my vote", as the Georgia sticker says.

Good for me!

For the record, I did not vote in favor of the convicted criminal.

If the President is to be caught in a crime, as Nixon was, then I'd rather that occur while the President is in office, not before he even moves into the White House.

Good for me!

Now, would someone please notify the political agencies so they will stop texting me?

Thanks!

Then I popped across Abercorn for gasoline.

Our governor's cessation of state tax on that product recently ended.

I paid $2.79 at the Murphy's gas station by Aldi's.

That's still a very decent price.

Here's a touch of perspective about that, garnered from a quiz on AARP.com.

Given the change in inflation between 1965 and now, a price of 30 cents per gallon then was actually only a slightly better deal than a price of $2.42 per gallon in 2024.

So, I have no issue with paying what I did this afternoon.

 

Next, I went over to Publix for milk and canned vegetables.

The former is never, ever, on sale; the latter is only $1 per can.

I'm determined to eat more beans and other vegetables!

I want to eat more seafood, too... especially fresh fish.

This Spicy Salmon Roll caught my eye, as it's been a while since I had sushi.

That had been a regular meal for me, once upon a time, when I felt wealthier.

SNAP let me have it today!

Hallelujah!

I honestly should have applied for Senior SNAP last year, when I turned 65 and my finances went downhill.

I need to make sure my friends know to apply for it, too.

 

Then it was time to check in on Dane.

I'm going to try to keep him on schedule for his twice-daily Zyrtec.

That's right, he gets Zyrtec in the morning and in the evening.

And not just 10 mg like I take - oh, no!

He gets 20 mg each time.

Wow.

So, since Dood and his wife are off on a cruise, the dog is my responsibility.

This vacation is for his 57th birthday, which will be next Friday.

My youngest brother looks like he's already on the ship, doesn't he?

Soon enough he will be!

(smile!)

now, and later

When I saw how the photo turned out, all I could think about was the candy.

 

Hahahaha!

 

I didn't even order a dessert this time!

 

Sure, I had the crunchy beef taco (as I call them), but rather than my usual order of one or two, I went ahead and got a trio.

 

I knew one would be going home with me... and they must have guessed that, too.

 

Why else would the folks at Jalapenos of Sandfly group them that way?

 

(smile!) 

It was so good to be there this week!

 

Helene had messed up our S&K Friday Fiesta time and we had all missed sharing this meal time.

 

I was just a little late, as I wanted to finish up the front yard.

 

I knew rain was coming, and it held off until I got the Ryobi back into the shed.

 

Even with the blade nearly on the highest setting, I'd barely been able to finish the other half yesterday.

 

I'm glad I was out there then.

 

I'd been out of sorts because my electricity was out until Monday.

 

Sonny Maness was driving by and stopped to chat, letting me know he still didn't have power.

 

He lives in my neighborhood, too.

 

And last night, while catching up on fb, I found out my cousin Lynn Lee, down in Waycross, still doesn't have power and is looking at next week before she will.

 

Nothing like a little perspective to make a person feel blessed.

 

Now, I think I'll watch a movie on Peacock - "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - and enjoy the fact that I have that option.

 

i thank You, God.

where i needed to be

Absolutely.

Off fb and at the movies, 

munching pepperoni pizza, 

watching two larger-than-life heroes 

save the world.

Right place, right time.

Perfect.

i thank You, God.

dawn and sandy and political shenanigans

I had meant to take a photo of my luncheon, but I was busy listening to Dawn.

That's why I have this photo of the elite dancing in the rain on the beach.

Every time I see it at The King & I, I wonder what music they heard there.

Perhaps the servants were humming their favorite song?

(smile!) 

Afterward, went to "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" at the cinema, to see it in Big D.

Such a humorous flick it was, too, being most careful to step into those old shoes and walk the path left back in 1988 for it.

So glad it had Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara keeping the pace!

Then I popped over to Savannah VA to speak in person with my PCP.

We have yet to catch each other about the thyroid ultrasound and I have questions!

I now have a phone appointment with her on Friday.

I also tried to speak with the optometrist, Dr. Urban, about my left eye.

As I told the nurse, I am wondering if a bacterial infection from water droplets that got into that eye when I was working in the yard in the spring might be the culprit for the decreased vision I now have in my good eye.

Part of the reason I wonder such a thing is due to Ian, the blind student I had, the one that led me to create my tactile periodic table.

His blindness had resulted from swimming in a dirty pond when he was 12 years old.

By the time I was done with those errands and one at the bank, it was time to meet up with Sandy for a movie!

I'm so glad I'd thought to contact her about "Reagan".

She is very much into politics and I knew she'd be interested in that hagiography.

How about that fancy new word, eh?

A hagiography is a biography of a saint, and clearly the Lifeguard was regarded as such, even though the tale was told through the perspective of a Russian spy.

That was smart: place the emphasis on Reagan's desire to end Communism, to make it the focal point of the movie.

She and I both liked it and popped over to B & D Burgers for dinner to keep talking.

And guess what I had?

An updated cheeseburger!

Actually, it was two of them, called Steakhouse Sliders.

I highly recommend them! 

I highly recommend those movies, too, as well as the third on my not-quite-completed AMC A*List dance card.

I already made my reservation for yet another viewing of "Deadpool & Wolverine".

That will be seen tomorrow.

I do know this: every time I watch it, I want to see "Deadpool" again.

That just may be what I see with my next Comcast $1 Movie Night reward.

But, not tonight.

Am I planning to watch the Presidential Debate between the Prosecutor and the Ex-Pres?

Interestingly, I started doing so, but lost interest.

LOL!

That didn't start out being a joke, but it just happened that way.

Seriously!

And, as much as I'd liked to watch the Blond Man get thrashed, I'd rather see the new movie that Comcast has given to me: "The Blind Side".

Positive messages, lots of Sandra Bullock, and football - yes, much better!

(smile!)

synchronized diving for sweet dreams

Oddly, I have no photos of that event in Paris.

That's a shame, really, because it would be nice to see again those hard bodies in the men's synchronized diving - oh, my, oh, my!

As I told my first niece, there's almost nothing but bare flesh bouncing, in tandem, on those diving boards and launching into the water below - my, oh, my!!

Then, the camera crews show the dives repeatedly, from different angles - my, oh, my!!!

Very sweet dreams, indeed!

Throughout the 2024 Summer Olympics, nearly naked bodies prevailed.

 

Here are nearly naked men, from all over the world, running.

As I told Christina, even with the shorts, most were so tight you could have counted pubic hairs, had they not been shaved off.

 

Here are nearly naked women, from all over the world, running.

They have on tighter, and fewer, clothes than the men.

 

Here are nearly naked people, from all over the world, swimming.

Sure, for this sport, "nearly naked" would be expected.

 

Here are nearly naked women, from all over the world, playing beach volleyball.

The odd thing is that when they played regular volleyball, bikinis were not worn.

Also, I never did see men playing beach volleyball, sadly. 

I did catch some of the fencing, as well as the motocross racing.

Those folks were so covered in clothing and protective headgear that there was no way to tell if they were male or female.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed watching those two sports.

Go figure!

(smile!)

religion at jalapenos of sandfly

I never know just what will be the central topic of conversation.

Who would have thought that the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta would become an airing ground for views on religion?

Isn't that a topic that's usually verboten, as it might lead to hurt feelings?

And yet, that's what the headliner was tonight.

And yet, we still left each other with hugs all around.

How very nice that we were all able to do that!

(smile!)

The three men here - my brother Smitty, then Mark and Jimmy, the brothers Kameron - stayed out of that discussion, as they tend to do.

Tony, my other living brother, sat beside Smitty and very much participated in the talk.

The others who participated in the talk of religious matters were women.

Becca, down on the far end, did not, as usual.

However, Betsy and my two sisters-in-law, Mary and Laura, certainly did, as they usually do.

So, got the picture?

Most of the discussion was on my end of the tables.

How did it all start?

Well, partly, I think it was due to our waiter.

His name is Jesus, pronounced the Spanish way of "hay SOOS", rather than the English "GEE suss".

I pointed out that in Spanish-speaking countries, Christ's name is pronounced the same way as our waiter's is.

I think that started things off.

Still, when the topic arose of our youngest nephew's upcoming First Communion, that really got it going.

That's a Catholic ritual, so Betsy, being Catholic, was talking about the meaning of that in her church, and the transformation of the wafer and wine into Christ's flesh and Christ's blood.

Our youngest nephew is Tony's grandson from Hope.

He seemed a bit shocked that they are Catholic, but he and Laura are attending the ceremony for Gilberto, who goes by 'Bert', just as I had for his older brother two years ago.

[I cannot go this time, as I only received the invite yesterday and have Saturday plans to help Christina move out of Chris' house.]

Anyway, the issue arose about them being Catholic instead of Christian.

Nope!

As our Grandpa would have done, I objected and corrected that misunderstanding.

I explained that Christians are classified as those who believe Christ to be the Savior, with further distinctions of being Catholics or Protestants.

Furthermore, I said that Protestants include all the other classifications as Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, et alia.

Oh, no, no, no!

And you know what the major argument was?

With the word "Protestant" applying to "Christians".

Tony was not having any of that.

i thank You, God, for Laura.

She looked up the definition of "Christian" on her phone and found what I said was true.

Then she looked up the word "Protestant" and again found I spoke the truth.

I hope that will give Tony some topics to discuss with his new church friends, to give him a different, and broader, perspective on being a follower of Christ.

Thanks, Grandpa, for all the discussions we had when I was in high school.

Thanks to those talks with you, and to my being in the debate club at Jenkins, I know how to have a discussion without the need to raise my voice.

That helps keep things on an even keel, without anyone feeling they are under attack.

(smile!)

Now, time to enjoy "Penn & Teller: Fool Us"!

How amazing that they are still at the Rio in Las Vegas, the same place that Paul and Cathy saw them with me so long ago!

Seriously... that was in 2010!

Such good times!!!

(smile!) 

blonde flowers bloomin'

If I'd gone to Hilton Head, I would have missed them...

and watching their delighted faces as they ran the spiral

around the base of the Japanese magnolia.

If I'd gone to Hilton Head for a movie... 

I would have missed seeing them dancing

in and out of the rows of tiny purple flowers

that run vertically in my front yard.

If I had gone to Hilton Head with the physicist...

that bag of blackberry brambles and sticker vines,

that brown bag with withered lantana of 2023,

that stepping stool would not have been there

for the blonde flowers in Mrs. Ansley's tree.

If...

then...

what tiny words for perspective.

If I had gone to Hilton Head...

I would not have been here...

right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

washing day!

Yes, I do realize there was a partial solar eclipse visible to us, and I even did a bit of watching that in the hood of my car, as I had the last time.

Mostly, though, today was a day of getting things washed.

That included me, of course, starting the day fresh from a shower.

Nope, no picture of that!

But I do have a quite nice shot of my clothes swirling in the washer!

Looks like some kind of abstract art, doesn't it?

I wonder if Owen Wilson's character had that thought as he looked at the machines?

Most likely not, as he had not been in need of a laverie in Paris at the time.

He was trying to find the bar that existed in that space 90 years earlier, only he didn't yet realize that he had slipped out of that time and space.

Where was I?

Oh, yes, getting things washed, and getting them dried as well.

That's what the dishes are doing, as a matter of fact.

They're drying in the broken dishwasher, after being hand washed by me.

There were five coffee cups, which means five days since I last washed dishes.

There were also two pots that were washed, but they dry in the oven.

And now what to do?

Write about it!

(smile!)