second thoughts

I was going to deposit Aunt Linda's check into my account, but I think I will simply return it to her instead.

I worked with Smitty on his taxes today and talked to him about the situation, with Tony calling her for money and then having her write to me on his behalf.
How did the topic arise?
Tony called Smitty while I was there, wanting Smitty to come over and take him somewhere.
He's been calling Smitty quite a bit, to ask for him to do this for him, or to buy that for him.
I told Smitty that Tony hasn't been calling me for such things.
Smitty was shocked to find out that, in fact, Tony hasn't called me since Thanksgiving.
Ever since Tony found out I was so poor, he has written me off.
I take that back - he does leave little comments on photos I post on facebook.
As for conversations, that isn't happening.

I reminded Smitty that Tony has rules he is supposed to be following at CTC.
There are rules that say no more stuff from outside CTC after that first care package with clothes.
Instead, Tony is wanting Smitty to buy him long johns and a coat and a phone card.
There are rules that say no visits with anyone except on weekends and national holidays.
Instead, Tony is wanting Smitty to come by and take him to lunch or take him to run errands.
There are rules that Tony is not to have more than twenty dollars a week for spending money.
Instead, Tony is wanting Smitty to come by and give him "ten or fifteen dollars" for who knows what.

Why hasn't Tony called me about these things?
Because he knows his Chinese-water-torture nagging won't work on me.
It vexed Mama greatly, as I told Smitty.
Smitty was shocked that Mama had caved to Tony's demands in order to make him stop nagging.
He had wondered how it was that Tony was able to get so much out of her...
and now he knows Tony is pulling the same technique on him.

I'll call Assistant Superintendent Locke tomorrow.
I want to make sure I understand the rules, the ones he himself told us last month.
I'm not trying to get my youngest brother in trouble...
I'm trying to make sure he doesn't go back to prison.

I'm proud of him for getting a job at Delta Metals. I don't know what kind of work it will be, but I know it will be preferable to twiddling thumbs at the Coastal Transitional Center all day.
I'm glad it's near the CTC, too, so he won't have to spend money on transport.

My concern, though, is that he is trying to run when he is supposed to be learning to walk.
I'll call tomorrow and talk with Mr. Locke, and perhaps also with Tony's counselor, Mrs. Barnes.
It'll give me some much-needed peace of mind and I can report back to Smitty what I learn.

Now, off to meet Kevin for 'Tina Tuesday', with dinner at El Potro, followed by "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" once more. (Yes, we just saw it on Thursday night with Carolyn, but it was late and he slept through part of it.)
Bye for now!

prayers for patience

Prayers for me to have patience, for Smitty to have patience, for Aunt Linda to have patience...
but, mostly, for Tony to have patience.
This is his opportunity to become reacquainted with the need to follow rules.
Thus far, he still thinks he is 'special' and that the rules will bend for him.
He also thinks he can use his brand of Chinese-water-torture nagging that he perfected many years ago when he was the last child still at home. Mama told me she would always relent and get him what he wanted, just to make him shut up about it.
That trick won't work on me... but it might on folks in Tallahassee.
Now that Tony has a phone, he uses it to call our aunt and plead his case.
Now, she has sent him even more money which he cannot use yet.
Time for me to let her know how the system TRULY works.

Dear Aunt Linda,
Thank you for sending more money for Tony. He was actually able to get his ID card for FREE, thanks to the Social Apostolate here. That saved him the forty dollars.
He will be good for money, thanks to you and me, until at least March. He is only allowed to have TWENTY DOLLARS PER WEEK while he is at the Coastal Transitional Center and not working. Once he is employed, the CTC will allow him to have more per week, depending on his pay, as well as his room and board and travel expenses while at CTC.
The MOST he is allowed to have per week, though, is the $20. He still had over $80 in his JPay account, which has been transferred to him now. Plus, he has the $100 I put in for him two weeks ago. They are trying to teach him about budgeting so that when he has a job, he can be more responsible toward his expenses.
Enough of that!
I look forward to Tony getting a job soon. Once he has been working for 30 days, he'll be allowed a 6-hour pass to spend out and about with me or Smitty. As it is, he has been allowed to attend church for the past few weeks and THAT is a great blessing. It not only allows him time away from CTC, but also gives him the opportunity to socialize with fellow Christians. I am so grateful for that!
Please do pray for him to gain patience and acceptance of rules. He continues to try to push the timeline set by the CTC. Smitty and I have attended the Visitor Orientation and are aware of the rules that Tony has to follow regarding money as well as any travel away from the CTC.
Much patience is definitely needed.
with my love for all you do!

holiday treats with the boomers!

Want to guess where we were?
Betty Bombers!!!
The "born in the 50's and 60's" gang
were having a massive meetup -
more than twenty people! -
to dine and admire the lights of downtown.
But first, to order!

And what a fine-lookin' young man
behind the counter for us!
Usually, young women are manning
the order desk -
nice to see equal opportunity here!
(smile)
Me? I had the fish tacos this time!

I had the pleasure of sitting with
Yvonne and Louis Serensky.
We know each other from No Kidding!
and also from Christa's parties.
They've been married 25 years now
As I would have been in October).
Yvonne had made homemade cookies
for dessert - I had a pizelle!

Then it was time to move on out
and walk off some of that good food!
Fortunately, the weather was warm
and the drizzle had long stopped.
Some folks, like karaoke Mike and drinkmaster Richard, opted to take their leave.
The rest of us headed into Forsyth Park,
walking and talking at a leisurely pace.

At the fountain, bedecked with red bows and greenery, we paused for a photo or two.
That's me, in my Chemistree sweater, between Karen Halloran (on the end) and Karen Sherman.
Moving to the right, there's Marsha Deere (with very dark hair), Jeri (new to me, but one of the first members), and three folks I don't yet know.
So, let's start at the right and work to the left now.
That's sweet Sue Gorecki, Diane Johnson (of 40+WSN), then Louis and Yvonne again.
i thank You, God, that I have this group in my life!
Merry Christmas, y'all!

dining with carolyn

I know you wont believe it, but I was trying for a rhyme.
It obviously didn't happen, but it was close!
(smile)
You know I've been on about holiday meals, right?
Well, on Tuesday, as you already know, I went to see "Coco" with Carolyn.
We were both in tears afterward - such softies!

In need of bright lights and happy memories,
we headed off to Sweet Potatoes...
to find they have moved to the Toucan Cafe digs.
But look!
All of my favorite paintings had moved, too!
Isn't this sunflower magnificent?
And I was sitting such that I could look at it
the entire time we were there.

Carolyn had to make do with other paintings,
but she doesn't look any the worse for it, does she?
Not hardly!
Especially as we had dined quite nicely
and had a bright and cozy time together!
I love talking with her -
she has more stories than anyone I know.
Perhaps being 71 is the reason for that?
(smile)

As for tonight, I'd been ushering again at the Lucas, this time for "The Nutcracker" as interpreted by the Madeleine Walker Coastal Ballet Theater. Joe Buttner, Joe Montesimo, and Judy Williams were there with me - very nice!
This version of the classic was subtitled "Sweet Dreams" - how could I not be right there?
(smile - the bfe will get it!)
As it turns out, I actually knew one of the dancers! The Norman's daughter, Francie, was one of the Arabian "coffee" candies. I had seen Lindsay come in, but had not recognized her mom or her son - out of context, you know.
I also had the chance to talk with someone else from the mid-1990's trivia folk: Stacy! She's remarried now and had two daughters in the show! Miriam, 12 years old (like Francie), actually had two roles: as one of Clara's guests in glittery gold gowns and as one of the Nutcrackers soldiers. Her little sister, Aviva, was a sugar plum attendant.
How nice to have seen them tonight!

Afterward, I bounced to the Trustees for "It's A Wonderful Life" - the movie, not the play this time.
Carolyn and I walked off afterward with lots and lots
of chocolate bars and candycanes, bought for
a larger audience than were there.
(Merry Christmas to us and thanks, Katie!)
Hungry for dinner, we headed for
the warmth of Betty Bombers, still open.

I chose the Chili Lime Tacos,
knowing it to be plentiful -
and with plenty of chips, too -
cRuNCh!!!
We stayed until almost closing time,
talking about the movie
and the young folk who had
never seen it before -
i thank You, God, that I've been
blessed with this story for so long!

too many words

Dawn contacted me earlier about her upcoming soup party.
Of course, she had already invited me at the BYOP party...
but she was using eVite to make it official.
However, it wasn't accepting my email address.
Silly site!
So, I gave her a different email address to use.

"I resent.", she texted back.

"LOL. Does that mean you are angry? Look at that last message. :-) " I said.

"What do you mean? Def not angry."

"Resent"

"Ah, got it. Meant I re sent it."

"Yes, dear. I just have too many words in my dictionary."

"You're funny!!"

:-)
Fun with texting: to be continued...

gingerbread and coco

I warrant that you think I have a typo in my title, don't you?
Assuredly, I do not.
"Coco" is the title of the movie I'll be seeing right shortly with Carolyn -
not the chocolatey beverage!
I don't know why I haven't seen the animated film before now, but so it is.
She and I will go dine somewhere afterward - perhaps to Sweet Potatoes again?
Who knows! We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
(smile)
As for the other substance listed above, here's an announcement:
Happy National Gingerbread House Day!!!
You didn't know?
Well, it says so right here so it must be true!
(smile)

To celebrate, Marcia and Jackie and I
met across the river at the Westin
to visit all their gingerbread houses.
Such a lovely day it has been
for such an adventure -
blue sky, fairly warm...
beautiful!

My favorite on the first floor was this log cabin.
You know what caught my eye?
Those delightful icicles dripping off the roof!
That's not to say I want icicles on my roof -
I'd rather the weather
not be quite that cold just yet -
but I may wake up to see them in the morning.
Brrrrrrrrr!

This was my favorite of the second floor's display.
Actually, it was my favorite overall!
The judges may not have agreed with me, but tell me this -
how many gingerbread houses have you seen
that feature a fishing net torn by an escaped mermaid?
I'll tell you how many -
zero.
Well, unless you mosey over to the Westin to see it for yourself.
I hope you will!
Now, excuse me, I've been taming lantana and stray wild cherry trees. I've already spent more than five hours on the task and have the side yard looking much neater. The three tall stacks of discarded bushes and trees will attest to that, at least until Thursday, when that all gets hauled away and I can start on more stacks from the rest of the front yard...
and then there will be the back yard...
but not right now.
I'm off to the movies, y'all!
Feels like forever since I've been to one!

christmas tree, o christmas tree

How do you like my Christmas tree this year? Very nice, isn't it?
I certainly think so.
As much as I like the tree I have had since 1989, I just didn't want to pull it out of the shed.
Between all of the rain for most of last week, and the subsequent cold temperatures that followed, I simply did not relish the notion of bopping in and out of the weather multiple times to fetch the three boxes into the house and then to lug them back out again.

How very lovely that one of the crafts at the Savannah Children's Theatre on Saturday afternoon was making these little trees! Plus, I got to see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for the third year in a row! Plus, I sang Christmas carols with the kids at the end and bounced in my seat "dancing" with them during the show!
Plus, I was joined there by Marguerite Dismukes and her daughter! My thanks to fb for helping us to coordinate that. She worked with my ex on radio, back in the day, and I've only 'seen' her on the social media. She saw my post about going to the play and responded. Nice to be seen in person, decorating cookies together and catching up!
Later that evening, I ventured off to Berwick Estates to enjoy a housewarming party with another fb friend! The bfe is renting a room out there now, from Erica and her daughter. He's helping with the mortgage on the huge five-bedroom home.
Guess what was on her tree?
Ornaments made by her pre-teen daughter? Well, of course!
But she also had a 'Bominable on it, too!
And, speaking of that sweet creature, Smitty brought me one yesterday for my front door!
Blessed am I!!!

Last night, I had the church Christmas party! I wore the cool new Christmas sweatshirt that my cousin Penny gave me and everyone loved it! How could they not? It features the Chemistree!!!

The party was fun, with 'Asbury Family Feud' being played between the 'Hospitality Family' and the 'Choir Family'. The questions were all Christmas themed.
"Fill in the blank: snow _____."
"What are the top five shapes for Christmas cookies?"
"What are the top five names for Santa's reindeers?"

Definitely lots of fun, not only for me, but also my table mates. I'm not sure, but I may have been set up... but that's fine with me! Martha is with the choir and was first to join me. Steve is a single guy, former news radio, now information technology. Mark is a father of three talented college graduates, one daughter and two sons.
Mark is also single and I've caught his eye several times of late.
The first was at a BIG Coffee Hour, some months ago, when he came up and introduced himself. I was trying to catch up with Bill, though, and missed out on knowing more.
Then we locked eyes again at the church dance a couple of months ago. He didn't ever approach me, though, and I figured I wasn't his type.
Then came All Saints Sunday. We again locked eyes... but I was on a mission toward the front, so I didn't join him on the pews toward the back.
Tonight, I had barely taken a seat at the long middle table when he bounded over and sat opposite me. This time, when he introduced himself, I responded warmly... and we talked and talked. Not just casual chit-chat, but real talk, about our past and family and careers.
I very much like his eyes.
I very much like looking into his eyes when we are talking.
I'll look for him next Sunday.
I hope we can sit together and learn more about each other.
He seems to be interested in me... and I like his eyes.
Meanwhile, I'll concentrate on staying sane and gathering holiday spirit...
get all of my plush reindeer friends onto the mantle...
that sounds like a winner!
(smile)

birthday miracle for Mama

Today, Mama would have been 80 years old.
What I had most wanted for this day was for me and my three brothers to be together today...
and, miracle that it was, we were!
Smitty and Mary had come by for me and we'd gone out to Greenwich Cemetery.
They had already placed a little tree by her marker - this time, silver and gold ornaments were added. Very nice!
We stayed out there for a little while, sharing remembrances of her, and of us as children.
When I asked if Smitty still had the phone I'd bought for Ronnie, he did, amazingly...
so off we went in search of our middle brother...
hoping for better luck in spotting him together than either of us had separately.
Smitty also called Tony, but his voicemail answered, so we both left a message.
And then it happened...
the miracle for Mama's birthday.
As Smitty drove slowly past the midtown Home Depot, there Ronnie was!!!
Smitty pulled over and Ronnie came up to the passenger side. We rolled down all windows to talk together, me and two of my brothers, all in each others company for the first time in more than two years.
As wondrous as that was, the miracle was not yet complete.
While we were all talking, Tony returned the earlier call!

With Tony
on the speaker phone
in the truck...

... and Ronnie
by the
passenger window...

... and Smitty
in the driver's seat...
and me in the back seat
behind him...
we were all together
in one space...
for Mama's birthday.

I am so blessed to have had my wish granted for this day...
i thank You, God.

I love you, Mama.
Now, I'm going to enjoy some of this brilliant sunshine and prune some bushes.
(smile)
A bit of gardening, just as you would have done...
(smile)

holiday party with pirates!

I'm not kidding!
I know you think I am... but here's the absolute truth.
As you know, each December, the College of Science and Technology hosts a holiday party to salute us for making it through the fall semester.
This year, they took it up a notch.
The celebration was held at... wait for it... The Pirates' House!
No potluck casseroles and salads this time around!
Not this time.
Instead, CST had sprung for the Clipper Buffet, at more than fifty dollars per person.
Wow.
Crab-stuffed flounder, salmon croquettes, fried popcorn shrimp, huge boiled shrimp, crab & shrimp au gratin, grilled sausage -
mixed greens salad, pasta salad, coleslaw -
corn on the cob, potato wedges, hoppin' john -
and for dessert, sweet potato pie squares topped with chocolate mousse, banana pudding, and key lime pie.
Wow.
None of the faculty or staff, past or present, had to pay anything at all. Those who wished to bring a spouse were only asked for a $25 fee.
Wow.
At the end of the party, we all went home with beautiful plaques which were engraved with the Armstrong Alma Mater.

As you see, mine is resting on my entertainment center.
I don't know if it will mean much to anyone who isn't an alumnus, like I am.
Bonafide Pirate, through and through, that's me!
Then again, maybe the plaque will hold a charm for those who taught there at the southside location of Armstrong State College, back in 1968. Folks like Cedric Stratton, for example.

In fact, here he is, talking with John Brewer, one of my favorite chemistry professors from my student days!
To the back, that's Todd Hizer, who will probably retire in a couple of years.

Here he is again, showing a letterhead to Yvonne Roach, who graduated from ASC with me.
Todd is behind her and John Brewer is to Cedric's left.
Behind Cedric, that would be my favorite physics prof from my youth, Morris Whiten. Oh, the crush I once had on that man!

These three women are current-day colleagues.
Donna Mullenax, to the left, is with physics.
Cathy MacGowan, a Michigander, is a couple of years older than me.
Lea Padgett, on the right, is clearly much younger than any of the rest of us.
That young man behind her is her husband, Cliff, with Brent Feske in the rear.

Here, we see Cliff again, as a continuation of the previous photo.
In front of him is Pete Zipperer, the man who taught CHE121, CHE122, and CHE201 alongside me, back in the 1990's and up to his retirement about 6 years ago.
Delana Nivens, in the red top and red hair, is the Dean of CST and was the host tonight.
And then we see Yvonne, Cedric, and Todd again.

Now, lest you think chemistry and physics
were the only topics represented,
here's a face you may recall -
my former calculus teacher, John Findeis!
It's always fun to see him!
And that's Suzy Carpenter bending his ear...
or maybe receiving one of his jokes!

What a lovely evening - I'm so glad Cedric was there, too!
He sat with me, as did my office-mate, Karen Evans and her husband John.
What a wonderful way to begin this weekend of events!