Spring is Here 2024

Well, I can't start another blog by saying, "Where has the time gone," but, where has the time gone!?! It's been over a month since my last post, and in that time Spring has arrived. We're in the 70s and 80s, with everything abloom. This is my favorite time of year, without question. One of the things blooming is the bush to the left, which I think is ligustrum. They are everywhere in my neighborhood and they smell heavenly!  Last year, a friend gave me enough amaryllis bulbs for both my front and back yard, and they were beautiful, too. It's really a wonderful time of year, and I hope it lasts a while before we jump into the 90s with humidity.

Our Covid group (Chris, Lynn, Tom, and I), enjoyed Easter lunch at Chris's. It was the first time we'd been together in a while, and it was fun to catch up. Each place setting was decorated with a Pysanki egg from Poland, which we got to keep. No two were alike and all were intricately decorated and beautiful. I had heard of them but had never seen one, so it was a special touch.

There have also been several interesting programs that I attended. Building Bridges Across Time and Race was presented by Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate and Campbell AME Church. The speakers included Mia McLeod, a descendant of enslaved ancestors and one of the 5 female state senators (from both parties) who received the Profiles in Courage Award for standing up against the anti-abortion bill eventually passed by the SC Legislature. Another was Margret Seidler, who, when exploring her family genealogy, discovered they were slave traders in Charleston. Unfortunately, Polly Sheppard, a survivor of the Mother Emanual massacre, was unable to attend due to family illness. Needless to say, the topic was heavy but very thought-provoking and informative.

The second was Antisemitism Today presented by an organization out of Charleston - another timely topic. Lowcountry Presbyterian Church was packed, which was good, but when they asked who identified as Jewish, the majority of people raised their hands! The people who already knew antisemitism firsthand filled the room, and people who might benefit from learning more were virtually absent! That was disappointing (especially since antisemitic incidents in SC increased 93% in 2023), but the program was informative.

Chris and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at Okan, a newish restaurant in Bluffton (I've mentioned before). The name means heart or soul, and the cuisine is West African, Caribbean, and Lowcountry/Gullah. It was advertised as a Garden Party and the food was all vegan. It was to be held outside but, sadly, was rained out. Even so, it was beautifully set up inside. It consisted of four courses with wine pairings, all of which were delicious! We were not disappointed! There is also a funny story. Chris and I arrived early and were sitting at a table outside. Two other single ladies wandered up and we invited them to join us. We're chatting away and I look up to see Sally, another friend, arriving. I jump up to greet her and, as it turns out, the two ladies are the friends Sally was meeting.....and we discovered that we're all Liberal Ladies of the Lowcountry! That added to the joviality of the evening. 

Since my last entry, I've also reconnected with longtime friends. Carolyn, in France, and I did a WhatsApp video call that was lots of fun. She had figured it had been 20 years since we had seen each other. Needless to say, we couldn't catch up on 20 years in an hour, but we gave it our best! I hope we can do it again soon. I also heard from Sharon, a friend from my synagogue days. When I worked there, she would bring her lunch and eat with me once a month. We continued that after I left until Covid, so it has been years since we dined together. In the meantime. they sold their home and moved into a continuing care community. They invited me over for lunch, as well as to see their new digs, all of which were very nice! We had a good catchup and have scheduled another lunch for May.

I keep mentioning my sweet neighbors. Well, on our Friday morning walk, Kurt opens their front door and invites us in. Turns out, they have just gotten back from two weeks out of town during which both were sick and not feeling their best. They had tickets for Cabaret at the May River Theater for THAT night and wondered if I'd like them! It's been years since I've been to May River Theater and thought it a bit bold that they would attempt Cabaret. It was surprisingly good! The first audience row had Kit Kat Club tables in front (as well as two audience couples sitting at tables on stage). The costumes were impressive and the club regulars mingled with the audience as we arrived, as you can see from the bare-backed cast member in the photo. I was also surprised at how risque it was for little, ole Bluffton! Even though I didn't have time to rustle up a partner, I was glad I went and will put MRT back on my radar. I sent the photos above to Kurt and Norma along with my thanks. I was in the second row with a perfect view of it all.

Lastly, but certainly not least, my sweet Rosie had another vet visit. She was having something like acid reflux that wouldn't go away. The vet did a blood panel and everything was okay there, so he gave her two meds - one for nausea and another to resolve the upset. The second med upset her bowels big time! I contacted the vet, who recommended giving it to her every other day. Before doing that, I left it off for a few days until her bowels were back to normal. The first day I gave it to her again, her stomach was upset again, so I stopped! I'm putting a probiotic on her food, which seems to be working, thank goodness. She's around ten or eleven now, and you can tell by the photo that she wasn't her usual perky self. It breaks my heart to see things like this cropping up.