Into Summer

Shortly after my last post extolling our great weather, South Carolina set records! Not in education, healthcare, or anything benefiting the populace, but in the weather. Over the holiday weekend, Beaufort was the hottest town in the country exceeding 100 degrees. The following week, Bluffton received the highest rainfall in the country. The sky just opened and it poured. I heard that we received between 5-6 inches in a few hours. Since then we have continued to get moderate amounts of rain, which we really needed. Lawns were getting burn spots and the lagoons were really down, so things do look much better. 

There isn't a lot to report since my last post, but I just wanted to touch bases with everyone. As I look at my calendar, I've been busy but mostly with regularly scheduled events, groups, friends, etc. Chis and I took in a good movie, Red Joan with Judi Dench, followed by a good meal at our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. Then her friend Sue, whom I've gotten to know, visited and we got together for a chatty dinner. I regret that I didn't get myself together enough to invite them over to see our Africa video (though Chris had already seen it and twice might be too much!!) as Sue was very interested in our trip. She has the link but it might be more fun watching it with others. 

Yesterday I did just that with a few neighbors. I have two neighbors whom I don't know well ask about the trip as he said it was on his bucket list. So, I invited them over, along with Lynn and Tom (neighbors and friends) and Tippy and Kieran. I'm not a great entertainer but this seemed casual enough for me to manage and enjoy. No sooner had I gotten the food and drinks together than I receive a call from Dolores saying they couldn't come!! Bill had hurt his neck/back and couldn't come, so I encouraged her to come on her own, which she did. I just thought it would be a good opportunity to answer any questions they might have...anyway, we had a good time and Tippy and I enjoyed seeing it again and reliving parts of it. I'll send the link to Bill and if he has questions, he can find me.

At a recent Drinking Liberally, I was surprised by this cute gift from my friend David! Needless to say, he knows and likes Rosie, so the gift may actually be for her. It seemed a shame to stick it in a cupboard, so I am using it as a little cactus garden.

Our Drinking Liberally group has grown or, more correctly, split into two groups.....one in Bluffton and one on the island. So now every Wednesday of the month one can eat and drink with liberal thinkers. I'm still planning to go twice a month and rotate between the two groups as there are people in both groups with whom I'd like to remain in touch. This week the HHI group had 24 people show up, which is very good for the summer when people have lots of things happening.

I was invited to a fun cocktail by one of the ladies, Myla, on the Liberal Ladies steering committee. She isn't here full time and just felt she wanted to get to know us better. She's a very vibrant personality and as it turns out, she has won a Tony Award for producing Pippin!!  She continues to be involved in that type of thing which is why she is out of town so much. Her husband happens to be Larry Kramer, the former publisher of USA Today. One interesting thing about living here is that for a place its size you run into a lot of interesting people.

After finishing our trip video, I had a burst of energy and got a lot of things done around the house. That is totally unlike me so I had to ride the wave as long as it lasted. I got rid of two rugs and replaced them with fresher, better-looking ones - in the process pulling something in my neck! Assembled and donated all of my cat supplies, including the cat condo, which is the best one I've ever seen. The people at the thrift shop sent an email to tell me they had sold it that very day......and I had to practically beg them to pick it up because it wasn't "furniture"!!!  I knew someone would love it. I  also got rid of lots of stuff like these cameras, long outdated but difficult to throw away because they bring back fond memories of Thailand!! Am I the only one who holds on to this type of stuff.....I've got loads of it. In any case, I hope the mood strikes again.

I also put up this little birdhouse outside the sunroom. Before our trip back in mid-March, there was a little bird that kept fluttering at the sunroom window. He wasn't smacking into it, he was fluttering against it, would peck at it and even light on the screen. I just thought he would eventually go away, but Curtis even commented on him while he was petsitting. When I came home, he was still here. So, I went out and bought this little colorful birdhouse and put it where he fluttered most....and for the last week, he hasn't been around! Well, buddy, that's the best I can do. You are going to have to figure out the rest!!

File this under Who Would Have Thunk It!  

Little Bluffton is having its first Pride Parade on Saturday! While some of the local liberals will be in Columbia for the state Democratic convention, the rest of us need to show up for this. Somehow Facebook has gotten wind of it and is supporting it and about 4 other similar small-town events. Thus ⇩

Almost all (too many!) of the Democrat candidates are showing up for the SC Dem.convention so MSNBC is covering it all day Saturday. I'll be glad when we get down to a serious number and have a better idea of who will actually run against trump. 
Pauline, who is in the States visiting her family, just called and we had a nice chat. She is hoping to stop by here on her visit next year, which will be nice. I'm also looking forward to seeing Cheryl next month and Melodee in the early fall. Jan also mentioned visiting in the fall so 2019 is shaping up to be a good year for visitors, which I like.
On a less happy note: Tippy was on her way home from the mountains on Monday and texted me to ask if I wanted to join her for a glass of wine when she got to Bluffton. Naturally, I agreed, just expecting to chat and catch up. Her real motive was to tell me that her throat cancer had returned. I was stunned....and couldn't imagine how she felt! Her local doctor wanted to wait a month but she proactively sought a second option at MUSC, which has one of the leading throat clinics in the nation - who knew?? She is there today in prep for a biopsy in early July. She is her usual cheerful, optimistic self and has a great outlook, as well as a massive support system with everyone already offering to help in any way. As anyone who has experienced or cared for someone with health issues, there is a helpless feeling about it. Tippy has everything working in her favor and it is a matter of helping her get through it and back into action. We/she has more places to see and people to meet. I'm holding positive, healing thoughts for her.

Africa Video and Back to Real Life

Yea! I finally finished the video of our Africa trip and life can resume! To be honest, I wanted to stay home and do nothing until it was finished, but life intervened and I had to do other things. They were things I normally enjoy doing, but it takes a while to get Africa out of your system. Tippy and I still talk about/marvel at some of our experiences. So, I'm happy to share this with you and I apologize that it is so long. It's 48 minutes long, which is ONLY a little over 2 minutes per day of our trip! To be a little enticing, this video is narrated - by a voice that does not sound at all like me - but it's me!! Please tell me that my voice does not sound this way to you!! The good part about it being narrated is that I can tell you some of our stories, which I hope you will find amusing. Also, I have included a few photos and videos from others on our trip, and there is one (by Sandy Greenberg) that looks like it is out of National Geographics! Let me know if you can tell what I'm talking about. There is also a panoramic shot of Cape Town (also by Sandy)  that is stunning and really shows the dramatic scenery/weather/atmosphere of the town. Those are toward the end of the video so I hope it will encourage you to see it all. All I can say is that if you have any inclination to go to Africa, DO IT!  You will be amazed!

One of the revelations of our trip was how much we have altered the natural rhythm and timing of the world - to the detriment of the planet and ourselves. It was really wonderful to be cut off from all that burdens us and to plan each day based on the sun and the temperature. I didn't want to come back to life as we know it; although, I am appreciative of having a welcoming neighborhood and good friends within it. We have also had great weather since our return. Even this late into May, the mornings have been very comfortable and we are still in the 80s. We are supposed to have two days in the 90s this week, so the heat is coming, but it has been wonderful to put it off this long.

My little, baby girl had an accident. We were walking on Tuesday morning and she got two nails on her right, back foot caught in a crack and pulled them until they were bleeding. I thought she had gotten something stuck between her pads and it was only the second time I checked that I realized they were bleeding. I was afraid they would have to be removed but the vet didn't want to do that unless she absolutely had to, thus the bandage. Rosie put up with it for two days, then began to actively work at removing it. She got it off and I wrapped it again. That one she got off in record time, so I took her back to the vet the day before she was scheduled. She thought it looked well enough to leave the bandage off. Rosie's also on antibiotics for a few more days and we will both be happy with that is over.

She and I also had a close encounter with an alligator along one of our usual walking routes. We were along one of the golf holes (#7) and Rosie was sniffing up a hill near the cart path. I was daydreaming in la-la land and paying no attention. One of my neighbors was walking her dog toward us and yelled, "Donna, alligator!" It took me a minute to locate him and he was about 30 feet ahead of us, on the cart path, preparing to cross the road. I got a tight rein on Rosie and started backing up slowly - not wanting to make a sudden move and wanting to keep an eye on him. Thank goodness, he was intent of crossing the road! Also, thank goodness, my neighbor was there!! We could have stumbled right into him if she had not yelled. I am always alert and on the lookout for them near lagoons but this was a big wakeup call. It is the time of year they move around and you never know where they might be. No more daydreaming for me!!

Major announcement: I have dropped my cable service, finally! My bill for cable, phone, and internet had reached $250/month. To make matters even worse, we are held captive. Hargray, the local service, made early agreements with almost all communities when they put in cable that they would use only Hargray, so there is no competition. And, without our approval (or even discussion) the Crescent re-upped with them! I had been meaning to go to streaming for a while and that tipped me over the edge. Two of my TVs were "smart" but old enough to require a FireStick, but that was quick and easy to install. And what I really love is that all of those messy cords go away. If anything, the picture is sharper. I'm really pleased with it.....should have done it long ago!

I'm going to do you a BIG favor and not get into a political rant today! Most of you, if you've listened to our news lately, can probably guess my state of mind. Things just get stranger and stranger, worse and worse. Who has a spare room for let??

A Quick Update

Well, I had hoped to post my trip video but it is taking longer than usual......and I know you're waiting with bated breath!!  I have SO many photos, plus one of the guys set up a place online where we could all share photos, which means I have even more to consider! The actual process of putting them together in a slideshow is slow (for me) even though I love doing it. I now have other things kicking in so am going to have to take a break from it.

It's my fault. The first week and a half I was home I did nothing except the essentials - mail, bills, laundry, cooking, and just nesting with my sweet Rosie. I loved it! I think it was my resistance to returning to reality. It was when everything started to kink in - meetings, appointments, social activities - that I decided to also start my slideshow/video!! That was really what I wanted to do, but now things (Liberal Ladies newsletter, volunteer work, etc.) are happening that I have to do. My solution is to write a brief note today and then get busy on the newsletter, hoping that I can get back to my photos soon. 

While we were still on our trip, Tippy was contacted about teaching an OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) class about her Africa trips. She asked if I'd co-teach with her and, although I don't enjoy speaking to a group, I agreed, mostly because it will allow us to relive our trips! So, at some point, we will be working on another presentation.

For those of you who know Reyna, she is having her baby tomorrow (5/8). I'm taking her to lunch today before it all happens tomorrow. I'll also provide breakfast for Mr. Walzant and Nancy while she is in hospital, as well as visiting her when I can. She has been uncomfortable for weeks and will be happy to have it over. I hope all goes well.

Mini-owl

I haven't been a total hermit, I Thai-ed one on with Chris one evening at Thai Smile, which gave us a good chance to catch up. Tippy and Kieran got me out to an art show at Honey Horn, which was a great opportunity to enjoy nice weather. From there we went to Wild Birds for a  show-and-tell about owls, which was fascinating. The speaker was very good and even had three small, pygmy owls, which I didn't even know existed. The shop has two resident cats and one of the larger owls couldn't keep its eyes off the cat. It was fun to watch. 

Owl watching cat!

We have been having nice weather since our return but we aren't looking forward to the heat of summer. It's in the high 80s and pretty warm in the afternoons, but the mornings are very nice. That's when I try to give Rosie a longer walk.  Needless to say, I missed that girl. The house is also empty without Mama Mia. She always greeted me in the morning when I came into the kitchen for coffee. She was a head-butter so I would bend down and we would butt heads! It's only when someone, person or pet, is gone that you realize the many little things you miss about them. 

Unfortunately, our political situation did not improve in our absence. If anything, it is worse. I saw Tom Steyer when he was here and still was not convinced impeachment was the way to go, but now with Barr's behavior, I think it should be done. At least one party needs to stand up for law and order, checks and balances, moral integrity.....and for just doing the right thing. Even knowing that the Senate will not impeach trump, the case still needs to be made.  What a mess!

I know there was something else I wanted to tell you but, for the life of me, I can't think of it. A mind is a terrible thing to lose!! So, I guess I will leave you with an adorable photo of Rosie......or a photo of adorable Rosie!

She's on the verge of being naughty!

Back Home After Another Fabulous Trip to Africa

I'm starting this without really knowing how I can adequately describe our trip. One would expect it to be much like the last one, but it was different in many ways. Each country is unique and has something wonderful to offer. This time the camps were more remote and we were without TV, wifi, etc for three weeks - totally unplugged, and it was wonderful!  We also had closer interaction with animals. They actually came into our camps at night - elephants, hippos, monkeys, impala, baboons, etc. We were walked to our tent at night and could not leave it until we were awakened by someone who checked the path and let us know all was clear. 

Before I tell you our animal experiences, let me say that we had a great group. Everyone got along well and interactions were easy and amiable. Tippy and I met Marilyn and Sandy (Boston) our first morning in Johannesburg and quickly agreed to a city tour together. The high point was the apartheid museum, which was so well done. Our favorite installation was a series of quotes from Nelson Mandala on several color-coded topics. There were bundles of rods in corresponding colors. The point was to choose the quotes that resonated with you, select a rod in the corresponding color and place it in one of several holders. When I finally get my photos organized, they should give a better representation of what I'm trying to describe. We also went to Mandela's early home (across the street from Desmond Tutu's), Soweto, and had local food at a restaurant nearby. We had a knowledgeable guide and I'm so glad we got to see some of the city before starting the tour. Others on our tour were from Arizona, California, Connecticut, and two Southern ladies from Waynesville, NC, and Decatur, GA.  There is a good chance our paths will cross again and it would be fun to compare memories of the trip.

The tour began and ended in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, but we didn't see the Falls until the end of our trip. We saw them from afar as we transferred to Kashawe Camp in Hwange National Park. We had a day of game viewing and then a day of visiting a local village and St. Mary's Primary School. The villagers gave us a good tour of their village and described their daily life. The school was a special treat as we had time to talk with the students. We were amazed at the cleanliness of the village and all of the countries we visited. There was no litter anywhere. When we were on game drives and needed a bathroom/bush break, we were given bags to put the TP in rather than leaving it behind!! 

It was one of the first nights that we had an animal encounter in camp. Many of us were having trouble sleeping in the beginning and I was "hovering", as I call it - as much awake as asleep, when I heard what sounded like two huge explosions of flatulence! I then got a strong whiff of urine. I knew something was outside, so I got up (3:30am) and looked out the window. Sure enough, elephants munching on bushes between our tent and the next one. The amazing thing is that they are quiet, just munching. I'm just standing there watching them when the guy in the next tent blasts his air gun, which is to be used for threatening (life or death!) situations. At the sound of the air horn, the elephants begin trumpeting and running away.....toward our tent. They got away safely without damaging anything. We hated that they were frightened because they weren't harming anyone, and Charlie, who fired the air gun, got a lot of ribbing the next morning!

View from our cabin on the river.

From Kashawe we flew to Lufupa River Camp in Kafue, Zambia.  We landed on a dirt runway that was a great game viewing spot at night when the animals took over the runway. This was one of my favorite camps as it was right on the river - lovely and relaxing. The camp also had a great guide, Isaac. He knew everything about animals, birds, and plants associated with the river, then at night, he would tell us about the constellations! Amazing! One evening we took a cruise and had sundowners as we watched the sun set. It was here that we could hear hippos swish in and out of the water as they grazed at night. We grew to enjoy all of their grunting and guffawing at night. It was also this camp that had their own resident warthogs - Lulu and her kids, who slept under the porch of cabin #4! We were also surprised one lunchtime when we had lunch out in the bush. They brought everything out to us and it was like something you would see in a movie! Food was cooked on the spot and we even had a bar. It was amazing! As we were sitting there, an impala and a warthog ambled by....can't get much better than that!

After three days at Lufupa River Camp, we flew to Baobab 2 Camp in Chobe National Park. Botswana reminded me a lot of Tanzania, which I loved. It was definitely greener than Zimbabwe and Zambia and had rivers and streams flowing through it. It also had more animals and larger herds than we had seen thus far. Our camp had a small watering hole and in the evenings the baboons, impala, etc. would come for water. In addition to our usual game drives, some women came in one afternoon to show use their woven baskets. It was interesting to learn how they got their colors, and their products reminded me a lot of the basketwork done here.

From Baobab 2, we went to Saguni Lodge in the Okavango Delta. Certain times of the year this area floods, but even with low rainfall over the last year, there were still fingerlets and channels weaving their way throughout the area.  One afternoon we explored the delta via mokoro, a dugout boat powered by a man with a pole. We were at eye level with hippos, crocs, etc. The high point was when we came upon a herd of elephants crossing the stream. The matriarch stood on one bank and kept a careful eye on us until all had gotten across. She then crossed. It was amazing and before I could video it, my camera battery died!!

It was here that we had a sudden storm one night. We could hear the wind growing and suddenly it blew a lamp and glass off the bedside table. Tippy and I hopped up to close the windows, then realizing that we probably should allow the air to blow through, just not as much as before.  Tippy pushed her bed closer to mind to get away from a window, but I suggested we leave space between them in case we needed to hunker down between them if things began to fall. It was really that bad. To make matters worse, our bathroom had a tarp over the top and one side of it came unanchored and whipped back and forth with the wind. The next morning we reported the damage and the camp manager offered us an upgrade to an executive cabin. It was wonderful to see how the other half live and we were situated right on the lagoon. We heard hippos cavorting all night.

This part of our trip drew to a close in Victoria Falls, and we finally get to see them. Some in our group did the helicopter ride but we did the river walk. The falls generate so much mist that we were issued raincoats. The falls could be heard and the mist seen long before we actually saw the falls. Needless to say, they were amazing. The video shows only one section and there were something like 12 viewing points over about a mile. In addition to the falls, I like the town of Victoria Falls. We spent much of one morning at the colonial Edwardian Victoria Falls Hotel. It was truly from another time and absolutely beautiful. The town also had lots of shops of various quality and it was fun to browse. Our final meal was a dinner cruise down the Zambezi River. Although it rained, it was still a nice evening.




It was here that two couples ended their trip and the rest of us went on to Cape Town, which we really loved. I'm so glad we added this to the original trip. We did the usual things - Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Graden, the Boulder Beach penguin colony, the waterfront, etc. We also had one day of wine tasting in a very scenic area. The whole area was beautiful and dramatic. We had a nice morning on Table Mountain and, by the time we were leaving, clouds were coming in and hovering over the mountains. The scene almost seemed to change by the minute.

Random thoughts:

• You might think that if you've seen one animal, you've seen them all. Not so - the zebras in this area have a white, black and beige stripe, so they generally appear darker than those we saw in Kenya and Tanzania. The giraffes also appeared more muted in color than those we saw last year. In every country, we saw animals we had never heard of....and birds, birds, birds!!
• In all of our camps, the common lounge and dining room were open on three sides, which was wonderful. It gave us a great feeling of being part of nature. We had several "loos with a view" - private, but with an open window that looked right out into the great beyond.
• Like last year, the food was outstanding. There were three vegetarians in the group and we were well cared for. We would have an early breakfast, stop for tea, coffee, and cookies around 10am, then lunch. Since it was hot, we had free time from lunchtime until around 3:30, when we would have another snack before a game drive. We would end the game drive with sundowners as we watched the sun go down. Then, back to camp for dinner. Needless to say, I didn't lose weight!!
• It is always a treat to just observe the animals. I was pleased with my camera and I have loads of photos. This time we did get to see a leopard up close and personal, as well as 8-9 lions sleeping under a tree after a kill. Elephants are always amazing to see, and warthogs are among my favorites. 
• I also met my role model - Alice, 86, from San Francisco, with her 79-year-old man-friend of 40+ years, Henno. They never missed a beat and were delightful to be with. She kept referring to us as "you kids" which delighted us all. They were amazing.

I know I'm leaving out so much but I hope to better tell the story when I get my photos organized. Paulette, one of our group from Arizona, is an archivist and took copious notes, which she will share with us. That should be a great roadmap for putting photos together. I'm looking forward to reading it and reliving the whole thing! We were not disappointed and each day was a new adventure with so much to do and see. I would go back again!!

Before I share a few animal photos, the trip did start on a sad note. Mama Mia stopped eating again and I was in great turmoil the week before leaving. I knew I couldn't leave her care to Curtis and most likely she would not be here when I got back. So, on the Thursday before our trip, I had her put to sleep. It is such a difficult decision to make and I was a weepy mess. I ran into a neighbor at the vet and she sat with me until they called us into the office. If it had to be done, I wanted to be with her and not leave her to strangers. It was not easy for her and I hated that part, but I was with her. Since being back, I looked at photos I took of her before I left and I realized I probably should have done it sooner. I didn't have time to think about it  much while on the trip, but the house certainly seems empty without her. 

Packed and Ready to Go!

We're getting excited! We're within a week of departure on your trip to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Tippy worked in Florida for three weeks and got home last weekend, so we got together for final planning on Monday. We were so giddy that the waitress at Olive and Fig kept saying, "You ladies are so cute!!" I think by "cute" she meant silly, but we were in a good mood. From there we went to AAA for Rands, all of which made us feel that it's actually HERE!!

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to being able to totally unplug from the craziness that is America, to enjoy the beauty, the animals, the people, the excitement of a total change. Yesterday I found myself even looking forward to the food!! Unfortunately, southern Zimbabwe was recently hit by a cyclone that wreaked havoc and we aren't sure if that will affect us. I have confidence OAT will look after us well so am not worried about it. 

You can guess that my major concern is leaving Rosie and Mama Mia for that long. I've alerted the neighborhood that I'll be away and asked them to douse Rosie with lots of love and affection....as they usually do!!  Mama Mia is more of a concern in a different way. She is very frail and I've tried to treat her with things of than hemp oil (Cosequin, Rescue Remedy and something for her skin and coat), but it isn't working as well. So, I've gone back to the hemp oil, which the pet sitter will not be able to administer, and have ordered a hemp product in capsules that can be sprinkled on her food - which she may or may not eat!!  That's the best I can do and I hope it works.  I'm sure they will be okay but I will miss them.

In preparation for a 16-hour flight (from Dullas in DC directly to Johannesburg), I've loaded some audiobooks on my phone.  Thanks to a friend (Rhonda T), I've begun using audiobooks as a way to detach from 24/7 MSNBC. I leave one TV on with the sound off, so as not to miss breaking news (!!!), and I listen to an audiobook - and I'm really enjoying them. I've used them before on long car trips and am not sure why I never considered it for general use. I'm also more productive as I can just take it with me wherever I am or whatever I'm doing around the house.

A slight update on our movie experience - we made the local paper!!  One of the ladies wrote an article and got it published HERE.  It was met with comments and ribbing around the neighborhood and, if anyone wondered about my politics, they know now!

No good deed goes unpunished!
Reyna was away for a week and her daughter's birthday fell during her absence, so Joann came by and asked if I'd help make cupcakes for her class. How can one say no?? So, we went to the grocery store and bought supplies and she concocted grand plans for colors, sprinkles, the works. I was to pick her up on Saturday at 1PM for the project, but when I got there, she had gone to a dance practice - not her practice, but her cousins. So, I went home and thought I'd go ahead and back the cupcakes and frost them (plain frosting). The won't be the grand scheme, but they will be cupcakes!  Around 2:30 the doorbell rings and it's Joann. She takes one look at the cupcakes and bursts into tears - "they're white! I wanted colors!" Yada yada yada! I tried to be sympathetic but finally, I pointed out that we had a plan and I was there to pick her up at 1PM. "but I wanted to go to the rehearsal" - well, you got to go AND you have cupcakes. "But they aren't' the colors I wanted" - well, had you been here they would have been. Since I only had about half of them frosted, we colored the other half. By the end of the event, she was in better spirits and I'd already begun practicing saying "NO!"

That's about it for now. I just wanted to touch bases before leaving, but be prepared to be bored with photos and stories when we get back. If it lives up to the first trip, it will be spectacular. We will only have wifi in the evening and in the lounge, but I hope to post photos on FB as I can. In the meantime, take care of one another and be in touch as you can.

I will leave you with this little FB exchange with Bob Smith in Thailand on the occasion of his birthday. It started my day (March 13th) with a laugh.

Thanks to all my friends who sent Birthday greetings for my latest milestone on March 12. I can't believe its 72 years this time around - that's my physical age of course - my mental age is considerably less and getting lower all the time, currently hovering around 12!!!

Donna Morris A belated very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'm surprised to learn that you and I are the same ages - 72 and 12!!

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  Bob Smith Thanks, Donna. It's great being these ages, isn't it? 😃🎉

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  Bob Smith BTW: There's a new rule (I just made) that states you have to deduct your mental age from your physical age. So that makes 60. And we know that 60 is the new 40. So there we go - - - - - - Prime of Life 😉

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  Donna Morris Bob Smith, sounds reasonable to me!! I'm going to be using your rule from here on out.
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15 Minutes of Movie Fame!

Yes, we did get our 15 minutes of movie fame, but before I tell you about that, I want to share another wonderful birthday experience. Well before my birthday, Chris asked me to save January 29 for a day in Savannah as part of my birthday celebration. The day rolled around and it was wonderful. I loved that the whole day was planned by Chris and I didn't have to think of anything!  That in itself was a treat. We left here around 10:30 and went to a great fiber art exhibit at the Jewish Center. It was enjoyable to see and we could take our time and enjoy it. The artist, Urban Jupena, was from Chris's home area and she went to school with him, which added to our curiosity and enjoyment. From there, we had lunch at The Vault, which was new to me. It had formerly been a bank and maintained that decor/theme. It was trendy, with delicious food. We observed that one nice thing about being in Savannah is that there are lots of young people around, mostly SCAD students, and how much we enjoy interacting with them. We then went to the Ships of the Sea Museum, again new to me, for a second exhibit. This exhibit was only about 6 pieces or so, but I enjoyed seeing all of the model ships of old. Our final stop was at Lulu's Chocolate Bar! How's that for a great want to end the day! We headed home around 3:30 just as it was beginning to drizzle, so even the weather cooperated. It was truly a delightful day.

The day before we went to Savannah, I had a dental appointment, to which I was actually looking forward! For more than a week I'd been having pain in my right jaw, especially in the morning when I had to gently get it mobile before even brushing my teeth. As it turns out, I'd been grinding my teeth at night!! I attribute this to trump as I had no other reason in my life to grit my teeth --- just another symptom of trump dysplasia syndrome!! The dentist recommended an over-the-counter mouth guard, which made an immediate improvement.  I'm still using it most of the time but I don't expect to have to permanently, but I am very happy to have relief from the discomfort.

I mentioned last time that we (Liberal Ladies) had received an invitation to be to be extras in The Glorias movie, the life of Gloria Steinem. As the time approached, we hadn't heard anything so we were beginning to doubt that it would happen.  Our Steering Committee Chair inquired about it and was told that our services would be needed, they were just trying to get everything organized. We were told that we needed to come dressed appropriately for summer in 1977 in Houston!!  Some took that as a serious assignment. I just looked in my closet!! We were to wear our best outfit and bring 2-3 extras. So, the day arrived and we drove to a parking area behind the police department, where a shuttle took us to the location, the Savannah Civic Center. We went upstairs where we did paperwork. From there we went to wardrobe, hair, and makeup. At that point, we were welcomed by the Director, Julie Taymor, of Lyon King fame! She was very kind and told us that the idea of the movie came about as she was with Gloria Steinem, Madeline Albright, and others, watching the 2016 election returns come in - and the deflation they felt. The movie is independently financed and they hope to be able to release it at a time when it will have the greatest impact. Julianne Moore is playing Gloria and Bette Midler, Bella Abzug, though we had no idea we would see either. In any case, Julie Taymor was very welcoming and down to earth. I was amazed at how many of the staff and crew looked like they had been dressed straight out of the thrift shop. Everything was very casual and low key. 

The first thing we had to do was put our extra wardrobe on a table and let the wardrobe people look at what you had on and what you brought. In my case (and Chris') we were okay with what we had on, which tells you a lot about my closet!! Kathy, who had enthusiastically spent lots of time in thrift shops and wore a trendy outfit of the period, was asked to change into jeans and knit top. Tippy was also asked to change from a conservative dress and sweater to pants and a loose top, so go figure what they wanted.  From wardrobe, it was to hair and makeup. My hair was okay, but I spent a lot of time in makeup - the woman had her work cut out for her. The artist who did my makeup was from Charleston and another from Atlanta. We learned that they put out a call for those people just as they do for extras, minor players, etc. While they did our makeup early on, several remained on set for touchups throughout the shooting.

From makeup, we went to the set. We did not nearly fill the convention hall, but somehow they will make it appear that we did! It was interesting to see where they placed people. We thought we would all sit together, but that wasn't the case. The crew would look around and say "you two ladies go sit on the other side of the aisle" and just move people around with no scheme we could comprehend. Initially, we were placed so that there was quite a bit of space between groups of us. As the day progressed, we were seated together near the podium.  Late afternoon, Bette Midler arrived dressed as Bella Abzug (but wearing her bedroom shoes!) to film her speech scene (close up). There were several takes and we were cued to cheer, wave signs, etc. Somehow, I really lucked out and was seated on the very front row, looking straight up at Bette! Once her take was good, she left to our applause. Everyone was very respectful and not intrusive, so I didn't get any photos, which makes me want to kick myself now!

Following Bette's scenes, we did various crowd scenes - voting on various platform issues from the convention. We were reacting to the vote on the sexual preference issue on which the majority approved, so they walked around and designated those of us conservatively dressed to stand to vote against it. On another issue, the original response was about a 60/40 break so they asked everyone who had birthdays between January and August to stand. If it appeared to be about 60% of the group, they were good to vote yea, unless they wanted to relocate people. It was all very interesting to see. On one occasion, one of the crew pointed to me and asked me to go onstage and sit in the third chair. I went up to applause from Tippy, Kathy and those they had recruited as my fan club! I was settling in when another crew member came up and asked if I was in their wardrobe or my own clothes. When I told them they were mine, he said I couldn't be on stage! So, I disappointedly returned to my previous status. After that scene, another crew member directed me on stage again, but the original guy came by and told him I didn't have on their wardrobe. My claim to fame stifled again!

Somewhere in the midst of everything, some Liberal Ladies began to filter out. They said that any of us who wanted to stay for the full day's filming would be welcomed to do so....and that we would be paid. I'm guessing that this was around early evening. I had come for the full duration, so Tippy, Kathy and I signed up, not knowing that this would go one until 3:30AM!! Probably around 9 or 10PM, we broke for "lunch". We ate with the crew except they had one menu and we another! Even so, we were all surprised at how nice and friendly the crew was. When I was prevented from sitting on the stage the second time, I jokingly said to the crew person that I would give him my clothes if I could sit onstage, and he said he'd given that up as his NY's resolution and was trying not to dress as a woman anymore! One recommended that we not tell our friends we were in a movie because the hours we'd spent filming would be only a few minutes in the film and we'd be hard-pressed to recognize anyone. They were all very pleasant, even as the night progressed.

After "lunch" we went back to filming. This time it was a scene with Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem, so we got to see both stars - and this time Bette had shoes (and Bella's iconic hat) on since it was a full shot. This is when my starring moment came. This time Julie Taymor was looking around and pointed to me and asked me to go onstage and stand behind a row of seated ladies. This time no one objected!! So, as Bella and Gloria took the vote on the ERA Resolution, I am onstage to their left!  When it passes, they move to the right of the podium, hold and raise their hands, as we cheer, hug, chant, etc. I have no idea whether or not I will be in the movie, but I certainly had a better shot at it than I ever expected. Once that scene was done, we had several more to do before winding up at 3:30AM. Once over, Julie Taymor thanked us again. Oh, for the final scene I was seated about 4 rows back and the young lady who sat beside me just happened to be Julie Taymor's assistant, who had come in from Chicago. She, too, was very warm. I told her that I was surprised that Ms.Teymor seemed like such a nice, low key kind of person. She confirmed that and said that most of her top people were of the same temperament, making it a good working atmosphere. That certainly seemed to be the case to us. I really expected it to be more chaotic. While there was a lot of time sitting around for set-ups, etc., it was all done efficiently and without angst. Once home, I Googled Julie Taymor and, though I knew of part of her theatrical career, I was unaware of her varied and diverse early life growing up. Definitely a good read HERE. Anyway, she left a very good impression on all of us, taking the time at the end of a long day to thank us again for helping out.

So, at 3:30AM we went upstairs to collect our things and sign out. There was a shuttle waiting to take us to our car, and we made our way home. I got in at 4:30! That's definitely a long day and a late night for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was especially nice that Liberal Ladies could be a part of this particular film. I talked with several ladies from Savannah who do this regularly, which would be fun. All in all, it was a totally enjoyable experience.....and it was great to share it with friends.

Unfortunately, I got very few good photos, so this will mostly serve as a reminder for those who actually attended the event. It may give you an idea of the setting.

As a little historical background, I found THIS ARTICLE informative. Tippy read the Resolution topics to us as we were driving over; and, while we feel we've come a long way, there is much left to be done.

I just got off Skype with Eileen in the UK and we were both saying that we don't know what we do with our time, but we seem to stay busy. I'm still doing Liberal Ladies' newsletter, Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate's website, and have now volunteered to do their newsletter also. Someone stop me from volunteering!! Add to that, the meetings that are required, other groups like Drinking Liberally, Lowcountry Indivisible, Democratic Club, and just normal gatherings with friends, and my calendar fills quickly. I'm lucky to enjoy it all and to be able to share with such great friends.