July - A Busy Month

Well, another month has flown by as we approach mid-summer with eager eyes on the fall! While it has been hot, it has not been as uncommon to us as it is to other parts of the country and world. Even so, climate change has me concerned about what lies ahead, especially for coastal areas like ours.

It has been a busy month and civil rights seemed to be the unplanned theme. On the 7th, Rhonda and I met at the Coastal Discovery Museum for their art display Benya: Faces ob de Gullah Geechee featuring many of the local Gullah people who have contributed to our community over the years. It was very well done, though smaller than expected. I had never been to the museum before and we tried to cover the grounds, but it was sweltering. We did find a shaded spot on one of the two piers to sit and chat for a while before completing our tour. It's definitely a place to keep tabs on for future offerings, as well as going back to tour the grounds in more accommodating weather! 

The following Tuesday (7/11), I made a quick trip over to Ridgeland to see an exhibit by Kirkland Smith (wife of James Smith who ran for governor). It was called (In)disposable Art and was composed of disposable products. All of the pieces were striking from a distance and as one approached you were struck by all of the disposable items that created the image. It was very unusual and captivating. It would have been a short trip if I'd just stopped there, but there was a second fractals exhibit (a form of algorithmic art created by fractal objects and representing these calculations as images). That, too, was interesting. As I was browsing, people started to arrive and the curator asked if I was going to stay for the presentation, which I didn't even know was happening. As it turned out, the presenter was Cecil J Williams, who is a noted civil rights photographer and who has his own museum in Orangeburg, SC. He is now 85 years old but you would not know it by his acumen, recall. and stamina. According to him, young people in Orangeburg were doing peaceful protests in Orangeburg before MLK became noted for them. In fact, before a protest in Birmingham, MLK asked 3 people from Orangeburg to come to B'ham and talk with them about what they were doing. These protests eventually led to the Orangeburg massacre in which three students were killed by SC Highway Patrol while trying to integrate a bowling alley. Another sad tale of our history. Mr. Williams was very informative and I was glad I stayed. It was an unexpected addition to my trip over.

On the 20th, Rhonda, Tippy, Kieran, and I had a day in Charleston. The purpose of the trip was to see the newly opened International African American Museum; and, for me, to give Rosie a day with Miss Ann to see how it would go. We had a leisurely drive up and luckily there was a parking garage within a block of the museum. It is a lovely museum and beautifully done with lots of interactive displays, personal accounts, African artifacts, and so on. The entryway alone, with 4 large screens on each side showing diverse scenes, was difficult to leave! One room was dedicated to our local Gullah Geechee culture and their contribution to our area. The was also a section on the slave trade and another on areas of the world where Africans have gone and impacted the culture. One of the most gripping displays was Ashley's sack, which was a sack containing a piece of clothing, a lock of hair, and pecans - gifts from a mother to her daughter who was being sold away from her! Heartbreaking! It was really sensory overload and well worth another visit. We were very fortunate to find Saffron Restaurant and Bakery within easy walking distance, where we had a leisurely lunch before heading home. We made a quick stop at Old Sheldon Church ruins, which the others had not seen. It was a very good day and Rosie seemed to love being with Ann, so a win all around.

Finally, this past Thursday (7/23), I went to Frampton Plantation to see the traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman by Wesley Wofford. This has been on the calendar all month but I kept moving it back until I was in a crunch to see it before it leaves the area. Frampton Plantation is not an estate, it's more of a plantation house and grounds. The house is mostly a shop with a few relics scattered here and there. The grounds are quite charming with a fountain, a bottle tree, some informative plaques, and thick local vegetation. The statue was impressive and well worth the short drive up. As I've traveled up and down I-95 over the years, I had no idea this little spot was there.

Of course, interspersed with this were gatherings with friends. Tippy and I got together for lunch. Chris and I made a trip to Savannah for Indian food at our newly discovered restaurant. We got together again when Chris's friend Sue visited from Milwaukee. She always plans her trip to coincide with Drinking Liberally, so we met up again there! Maria and Mark had a few neighbors over on July 4, which was a delightful evening. A few weeks later we went to see Oppenheimer, which was very well done and thought-provoking.

On the 3rd when I was walking Rosie, one of my neighbors had a big trump sign in his window following a party the night before. You can imagine how that struck me.....the day before Independence Day! Maria and Mark stopped as they were leaving home and I mentioned it to them. Maria said that if it was still there when they got home, she was going to email our HOA management company. I went for my walk and decided to drop by their office on my way home. They were closed until the 5th. Even so, I emailed them, too, and the sign finally came down (almost) on the 7th. This sign has been there all along but at the bottom of the window partially covered by shrubbery, so he didn't remove it, he just lowered it again. Each day that I walked by that, the more it gnawed at me. So again, I "updated" the office. I told them that neighbors had been tolerant of the sign when there was so sign of discretion, but after the events of the holiday, I for one had lost that generosity of spirit. If he was asked to remove the sign, he had not. If he had not been asked to do so, I would like to be informed so as to have a better idea of how rules are interpreted and enforced. Two days later the sign was removed.  

I finally managed to check out the photos from the UK Aramco reunion and I saved a few photos of friends from those days. This might bring back memories for former Aramcons. I know the gathering at the table immediately took me back to Abqaiq golf club events! Enjoy!

 

I leave you with one of my favorite photos of Allan and myself on the 10th remembrance of his death. Yes, ten years! This was taken at the Bahrain Golf Club and it's a good photo of both of us in our younger days......and I always loved the flags!  That was just one of the many memories we shared. I received a lovely note from Jean, Allan's sister, and Victoria, his niece, posted a nice family collage on Facebook, which I reposted. It meant a lot to hear from friends who remember him so fondly and with whom we shared such a special part of our lives. That would make Allan happy, too! Thank you all for thinking of us and remembering Allan with such warmth.

Halfway Through the Year!

 It's already July, which means we're halfway through another year. It's only one more thing my mother was right about! She always said that the older you get, the fast time flies. Of course, as a kid, that meant nothing. As an older adult, now I understand fully!! 😄

June 3: This month has been a hodgepodge of low-key activities, beginning with a morning at the park with Democrats. Summer has not hit us until this week, and the get-together was on a beautiful, clear, comfortable morning. Dems, Dogs, and Donuts was a welcoming event put together by our local Dem. headquarters as a fundraiser. Unfortunately, there was a small turnout. What you see in the photos was about it. I bid on two items up for auction, placing the lowest bid and getting both! One was a nice basket of doggie treats, mostly too big for Rosie, so I bid on them with Felix and Henry across the street in mind. The second was a handmade ceramic bird feeder. Within a few hours of getting home, I received a call that I'd won them both and I could pick them up from a lady in a nearby neighborhood. In the process of fetching them, I learned that she had made the birdfeeder, had recently moved here from Seattle (political culture shock!), belonged to Liberal Ladies, etc. We had a nice chat and I expect to be seeing her around. Well, while I enjoyed the event, it was stressful for Rosie. She is the queen of her neighborhood, but take her anyplace else or socialize with new dogs, she's easily intimidated. I think she was happy to get home.

June 6: Tippy and I had lunch plans on the island, and since it was scheduled later than usual, I went in early to explore the newly opened Shelter Cover Sculpture Trail. It goes right along Broad Creek, which is quite scenic, and all along the way are various sculptures by local artists. While all of them are not to my taste, it is an interesting theme for a nice walk. There were information signs about the creek and related items, as well as QR codes where you could access information about the artists, as well as poems related to the art. I really enjoyed it, though beforehand I found it difficult to find specific info about the trail - how long, where it begins, etc. The info I got said it started at the Veteran's Memorial Park, though you can start anywhere along the way. For my plans that day, it would have been to my advantage to start at Shelter Cove Park, but I had no way of knowing. Anyway, if you're looking for a nice little walk, it's well worth the visit.

June 18: We (Rosie and I) took off to find Whitehall Park, a newly opened park in Beaufort. It was tucked away in a nice neighborhood right on the marsh. It was a spacious park, with lots of trees, Spanish moss, picnic tables, etc. We pretty much stuck to the perimeter as that was the most shaded area. You can see a long walkway in one of the photos, and that led to what looked like a large wooden pier/deck out over the marsh (which you can scarcely see in another photo). It was too unshaded to explore with Rosie in tow, so it might be worth checking out again.

Why am I doing all of these weird and wonderful things? For one reason, since Covid, I've been a homebody far too long and am trying to get motivated to get out more. Secondly, I've been here so long - 25 years - that I've been there, done that - all of the festivals, parades, groups, clubs, etc.! So, I'm looking for things that I have not done or seen. The good news is that they are happening, I just have to be aware of them! So, when I see something, I add it to my list. Also in that effort, Rosie had an afternoon with Miss Ann, a neighbor who dog sits in her home. I arranged this when Maria, Mark, and I were going out to lunch one day, so it would be for only a short time to see how it worked out. My goal is to work it into something that will allow me to get away for a day or two. The photos were sent by Ann to let me know how things were going, and you can see that Rosie seemed to make herself at home! The funny thing is that the following afternoon on her walk, Rosie took me to Ann's! We're standing in her driveway, with Rosie pulling at the leash to rouse Ann. I knew Ann sometimes took an afternoon nap and was not going to interrupt. In the meantime, Sandy across the street calls Ann and says, "Ann, are you at the house? Go to your front door!" As soon as Ann opens the door, we're running up the driveway to say hello. Needless to say, I think it all went well and we have another full day scheduled with Miss Ann later this month!

This rowdy bunch is our quiet, sleepy Drinking Liberally! On this particular afternoon, we had 39 people attend, with no prior warning. You can imagine the calamity that ensured. They were even moving tables from inside out to the porch! It seems that Margaritaville found us and everyone showed up! It was a fun evening and nice to welcome new people. And again, the ladies were surprised and delighted to learn about Liberal Ladies and other such groups. Our next meeting was much more in line with our usual summer attendance, but it did include some Margaritaville people from the previous meeting. Hopefully, that will continue.

I do have another tale of my walking microcosm at the Lowcountry Presbyterian Church. One day a couple of weeks ago as I was doing my three laps through the parking lot, I noticed a man sitting on the bench on the front porch of the church. His was tucked away behind a row of hedges with his bicycle propped up on the wall beside the bench. I didn't pay much attention, but as he just stayed there, I became a bit concerned. So, on my last lap, I said hello and asked if everything was okay. He said yes, that he was just resting his weary bones. I said good and that he had a cool place to do it, and then went on my merry way. Later that afternoon, I took Rosie there for her afternoon walk (because it's shady), and the man was still there! Now I am really concerned, so I text Lynn, who is a member of the church. She contacts the minister, who informs us that he is a homeless man who shows up there once in a while! So, Lynn joins me to pick up a burger, fries, and a drink to take over to him. To see him, there is nothing to make you think he is homeless. He remembered me from the morning and was very appreciative of the food. He said he was starting a job at Dunkin Donuts on Monday, but he has been back at the church two days this past week, in what appears to be the same clothes from our first meeting. Sadly, there is no shelter here for homeless people, and I don't think the church is reaching out to him, though he is literally on their doorstep! I give him credit for finding a protected, out-of-the-way location to rest, I can't imagine spending a day on a bench with only my own thoughts and no food, water, facilities, etc. It's another sad commentary on our society.

One of the two women who were instrumental in rescuing Rosie posted this photo on Facebook as a memory from 8 years ago, saying she wondered how she, Baby Ruth at that time, was doing! You can see the post HERE. First of all, I've never seen Rosie's ears in that position, so I know she was in pain. From reading the post, learned that she suffered from broken legs and pelvis for days before she was rescued and given care, though I think the lady tried to get help for her. I also learned that Mark Robinson, a local radio personality and animal activist, played a part in her story. He was the one to tell Jennifer Smith of Noah's Ark about her, and they are the group that took her on and dealt with all of her issues. Without them, Rosie would not be with us! Needless to say, I am forever grateful to everyone who helped her. I posted my thanks along with a more recent phone of a graying Rosie eight years later. I'm so glad it had a happy follow-up!

As always, there have been the usual get-togethers with Chris, Tippy, Rhonda, Lynn and Tom, and Maria and Mark, with most of these being over food. Chris and I are getting together for dinner today at Okan, a new restaurant with a West African influence. Its chef started with a food truck that received lots of notice and honor, so we're looking forward to checking it out. Maria, Mark, and I have also discovered a new (to us. I don't know how long it's been around) Indian restaurant in Savannah that we really enjoyed. I'll be sharing that news with Chris as she is my other Indian food connoisseur!

I'll leave you with some local wildlife. Deer must be plentiful this year as I've seen them three times on the road out our back gate, and one has wandered into my yard in the afternoon. I spotted the armadillo (butt view!) one afternoon as I was coming home. They're usually nocturnal. And of course, Rosie is still on squirrel patron.

I hope this finds everyone doing well and enjoying the summer. Love to all!💖