Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
The Beauty of Savannah
This past week I was able to experience the beautiful, historic Savannah, GA. What a treat, in deed! One of my best friends and I took the pony on a “girl trip” where we stayed three nights on Hilton Head Island and spent two days discovering Savannah. I had visited Savannah and Hilton Head one other time, several years ago, but was not able to truly enjoy it. I traveled there with a co-worker for a seminar on Hilton Head. We arrived a day early so that we could see Savannah, but it was raining and cold. Although we didn’t get to see much, what I did see was beautiful and I vowed to return someday when I could spend more time and see all there is to see! I finally fulfilled that promise to myself and it was even more wonderful than I imagined it to be. This time the weather was gorgeous and there was nothing to hinder our experience!
We started out Monday morning with the drive to Hilton Head Island. The accommodations part of the trip was my Christmas gift from Ron and Lisa. Lisa and I took the week and headed to the coast! We stayed at a nice little resort in a good location. We checked in and headed out for a late lunch and the chance to explore the island.
Our first stop was South Beach in the Sea Pines area. It is a lovely spot on the water with lots of shops and places to eat. We chose the Salty Dog Cafe for our late lunch. We both started out with some Shrimp Gumbo that was out of this world and some amazing hush puppies. Then, Lisa had a delicious looking salad and I had a basket of peel and eat shrimp. My first goal was satisfied – to enjoy some fresh seafood as quickly and as often as possible. Because, after all, when you go to a coastal island setting, you don’t eat spaghetti!!! (Inside joke – Mom is reading this and laughing at me.) We were so full that we didn’t even want to think about dinner! We had a perfect table overlooking the water and we watched a Heron walking along the docks looking for food and watching some guys painting the pier railings. I also saw what must have been a dolphin arch up out of the water for a split second and I saw it’s fin glide through the water for just a second before it went under water and disappeared. It was gone before I could express my surprise and get Lisa to turn around to look! After we ate, we wandered along the docks and checked out some of the gift shops.
NOTE: Any photos that you want a better look at can be enlarged by clicking on them to open them up – then click your back arrow on your browser to return to the blog post!
Then, we headed across the island to feed my love of lighthouses. I knew there was one to be found in Harbour Town, so that is where we went next. The lighthouse was pretty, but the rest of the area around it was the real treat. It is a peaceful spot on the harbour with several areas with rows and rows of rocking chairs to sit and watch the yachts, read, or just enjoy the beautiful day. I could have sat there for hours!!! The shops were closed, but we sat for a little bit and just drank in the glorious weather and relaxing atmosphere.
That was the perfect end to a long day of driving and exploring. We headed back to our room and settled in for the night. Tomorrow would begin our adventure in Savannah and we wanted to get an early start. So, a good night’s sleep was a necessary element to a successful day.
We got up early on Day 2 and stopped for breakfast at a really nice little diner — The Hilton Head Diner! Breakfast was really good and the diner was a very pleasant place to have a relaxing meal.
We drove to Savannah with plans to put our name in at Paula Deen’s restaurant (Lady and Sons) and then just wander around and see what we could find. It was a nice drive to Savannah with one exception! Anyone who knows me very well knows that I do NOT like heights and it makes me extremely nervous to be in a situation where I’m at a high elevation and don’t feel in control. This includes very tall bridges that I have not had a chance to get used to. Well – there is an enormous bridge just as you cross over into GA at Savannah (I think it is highway 17). We came up on it with no notice and no chance for me to pull over and prepare myself or switch to let Lisa drive. It was just there and I was committed to cross it whether I was ready to or not! The approach from SC to GA is pretty menacing looking, too – all twisty and scary. Going back, it was just like being on any other road that happens to have a bridge on it. But, headed toward Savannah – which was the first time I saw the bridge right smack dab in front of me – it is pretty darn intimidating!
This is the SC to GA approach to the Talmadge Memorial Bridge – I didn’t take this photo – I found it on the internet, but it shows how scary it looked to me as I came up on it!!!
This is me with the bridge in the background along the river front in Savannah.
Of course, I survived driving over the bridge, but the trip had me all broke out in a cold sweat and my heart pounding like a race horse! After I got on ground level and caught my breath, we headed to Paula Deen’s. Her restaurant is Lady and Sons and is located on the corner of Congress and Whitaker Streets. It is in a rustic old building and includes her restaurant and a store to purchase her many products. It is quite a place! They don’t take reservations for less than 10 people, but they do have a hostess outside the restaurant starting at 9:00 am so people can put their names in for preferred seating. During the height of the tourist seasons, it is the only way to get in! We got there right at 9:00 and there was only one person ahead of us to sign in. We chose a 1:00 lunch time. When we returned at 12:45, we were seated immediately and browsed the menu. We decided to eat from the buffet – a delicious assortment of fried chicken, baked chicken, baked spaghetti, Italian sausage, and several side dishes. It also came with our choice of banana pudding, gooey butter cake, or peach cobbler – we both chose the peach cobbler. I understand the buffet choices change daily. It was all so good!!! Just as you would expect!
This is me with the life-sized cutout of Paula Deen – looks so real, I could probably get away with saying it was really her! Oh, um, strike that — This is me when I met the sweet lady herself, Paula Deen!
Before and after lunch at Paula Deen’s, we just walked around. We went to the Visitor’s Center and gathered a bunch of brochures and just walked and walked. We covered the entire lower portion of the historic district. The entire historic district consists of a well laid out pattern of squares in four main sections – Along the Waterfront, The First Squares, Squares of Luxury, and The Booming Westside. On day one, we covered Along the Waterfront and The Booming Westside. We paid for a total of 5 hours of metered parking (3 hours parked near Paula Deen’s restaurant and 2 hours parked along the waterfront), so we were pretty much on our feet hoofing it around Savannah for much of 5 hours. And it was very enjoyable!
Just to show you how much I actually learned while I was there…….Savannah was established in the mid 1700s with the intent to provide a buffer zone between the Spanish pushing northward from Florida and the English colony of South Carolina. The original charter prohibited slavery, lawyers, Catholics, and hard liquor – all of which were eventually permitted in. The squares were uniquely designed to give Savannah a strong military advantage and are now lovely parks and memorials to the rich history. James Edward Oglethorpe started the colony with 4 squares and by 1851 it grew to 24 squares – 22 remain today.
Here are some of the sights we enjoyed on our walk through the lower half of Savannah on Tuesday:
The city is full of huge, gorgeous trees – I believe this is a Live Oak, which is the most common tree in Savannah.
City Market is a lovely courtyard area full of all kinds of shops and places to grab a bite to eat.
Horse and Carriage in City Market waiting to take some folks on a tour.
Me in City Market
One shop in City Market that I didn’t get a photo of was the candy store! I was turned on to fresh, warm pralines the day I spent in Savannah several years ago and knew I had to turn Lisa on to them, too! So, we went in to get a free sample. As she put that warm nugget in her mouth and let it melt, I watched her face and knew that I succeeded in making her a believer! We bought some to ship out to friends and family and a couple for ourselves. I’ve always loved praline anything – ice cream, cake, crumbles, etc….but there is nothing like a warm, freshly made one to send you straight to heaven!!! OMG — YUMMO!!!! I wish I took a photo of the huge taffy puller working away at making fresh salt water taffy, too!
Me sitting in Ellis Square, just down from Paula Deen’s restaurant. We sat there for a little bit to rest and wait for our lunch reservation (we were just a little early).
Corleone’s Trattoria — The Godfather is alive and well in Savannah!!! (See our reflections in the doorway as I took the picture? LOL)
Savannah Bee Company — a shop full of wonderful specialty honey and soaps! Smelled amazing in there!
The Cotton Exchange – a busy place back in the day! In the late 1800s, Savannah and Liverpool, England were the only two places in the world where the price of cotton was quoted!
Factor’s Row – known as the Wall Street of Savannah at the height of the cotton exchange.
Aside from the fabulous mansions, my very favorite part of Savannah is the River Front area. The wonderful old buildings with amazing architecture, River Road made entirely of cobblestone left by ships that used it to weigh down the cargo holds until they arrived to pick up loads of cotton or other exports, and the beautiful river. Here are some shots of the River Front:
Of course, with any historical city, there are monuments and statues…..Savannah definitely has its fair share:
Lisa with Johnny Mercer, Savannah native and famed composer – some of the songs he wrote include: “Moon River”, “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby”, “Jeepers Creepers”, and more. He also had an affair with 19-year-old Judy Garland.
The Haitian Monument – honors a group of 700 men of color from the Island of Haiti who fought alongside American and French soldiers during the Seige of Savannah in 1779.
Washington’s Guns – (known as George and Martha) – were captured from the British at the Battle of Yorktown and presented to the Chatham Artillery by George Washington during his visit to Savannah
John Wesley – the founder of the Methodist religion.
The African-American Monument on the River Front – depicts an African-American family with broken shackles at their feet and has a beautiful inscription written by poet, Maya Angelou
Me with The Waving Girl — this statue honors Florence Martus who waved a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night at all ships entering and leaving the port of Savannah from the porch of her home on Elba Island. It is said that she never missed waving at a single ship between 1887 and 1931.
A better shot of The Waving Girl with her dog, Wolf, a collie.
The Waving Girl waving at a tug boat passing by on the river.
The Gordon Monument in Wright Square – honoring William Washington Gordon, one of Savannah’s early mayors and founder of the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia.
On Wednesday, we started out, again, with breakfast at the Hilton Head Diner (find a good breakfast place, stick with it). Then, we went to Savannah and took an all day trolley tour. We got an “on and off” pass so that we could hop off and see things of interest and then get back on another trolley to continue the tour. We rode one trolley all the way around and planned out where we wanted to hop off. When the second trolley was about to start off, we got a surprise visitor:
Forrest Gump ran up to the trolley and hopped on and introduced himself with “Hi, I’m Forrest, Forrest Gump”. He was looking for where he was supposed to meet Lt. Dan. He waved at all of us and told the driver that he was out of breath because he just ran in from Alabama and was supposed to meet Lt. Dan at the Visitor’s Center. The driver told him he was at the Welcome Center, not the Visitor’s Center!
So, she showed him where he had to go. He said goodbye and apologized for not having any chocolates to offer us, but he ate them all!!! He then said he was late and Lt. Dan told him not to do anything stupid, so he had to hurry to meet him! He ran off with his arms a flailing. What a treat to get to meet Mr. Forrest Gump!
It was on the trolley tour that we saw all the wonderful mansions, beautiful homes, and quirky places that Savannah has to offer:
This is Mercer House — remember the statue of Johnny Mercer? Well, this was built by his Great Grandfather, Confederate General Hugh Mercer during the Civil War. The Mercers never actually occupied the house. However, it later became famous after Jim Williams, a Savannah preservationist, bought and restored it and allegedly murdered Danny Hansford in the study after a Christmas party. His story was the focus of the book and movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. Mercer House sits on an entire city block.
Owens-Thomas House – built in 1819 for a wealthy cotton broker, who lost it due to financial problems only 3 years after it was completed. George Owens purchased the home in 1830 and it remained in his family until his granddaughter willed it to the Telfair Museum of Art in 1951. The Marquis de Lafayette stayed at the Owens home during his visit during the Revolutionary War
Owens-Thomas House – south balcony facing President Street — location of a famous address by The Marquis de Lafayette where he spoke for 2 hours. America was a young, poor country at the time and Lafayette predicted in his speech that one day America would be a great nation and save the world! When American soldiers arrived in France during WWI and WWII, they honored that prediction by shouting “Lafayette, we are here!”
In the movie, Something To Talk About, Julia Roberts’ character goes out looking for her husband, played by Dennis Quaid, and finds him with another woman in this restaurant — they have a very robust argument in the street in front of the restaurant.
Hamilton-Turner House – This was the first home in Savannah to have electric lights. The tour guide told us that people from all over Savannah would gather in Lafayette Square across from the house just to watch the lights come on at dusk! It is now an inn and there are claims that the original owner, Mr. Hamilton, and his children still make frequent visits.
Kehoe House – built in 1892 for William Kehoe, a poor Irish immigrant who went from an iron foundry apprentice to one of Savannah’s most successful businessmen. Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe lived here with their 10 children and it remained in their family until 1930. It has since been a boarding house and a funeral parlor and is now an inn. Rumors say the inn is haunted by two Kehoe twins who died while playing in one of the chimneys.
One of many row houses along a tree-lined street
The story here, per our tour guide, is that a man had two daughters who fought over everything and were completely jealous of whatever the other had. So, he built them identical side-by-side houses so the wouldn’t have anything to fight about. But, rumor has it that they stood out on the front steps arguing about who would have which side of the house!!!
The Pirate’s House – originally a tavern frequented by pirates and sailors, now a restaurant – we ate a very nice lunch there! Supposedly, the book Treasure Island was inspired by events that happened at the Pirate’s House.
The Herb House – located right next door to the Pirate’s House – is said to be the oldest surviving home in all of Georgia. It originally served as the Trustee’s Garden’s gardener’s house.
A haunted drug store on the most haunted street in Savannah
One of many brick streets
A Sears and Roebuck house — for about $2000, this and similar houses could be purchased through the mail order catalog. The “kit” would arrive and the new owners would assemble the house per the instructions. The gentleman who purchased this home must not have done a good job of reading the instructions — the windows are all put in upside down (the straight sills are on top and the scalloped toppers are on the bottom)!!!
On one of our hop offs, we visited Colonial Park Cemetery. I was disappointed that the engraving on the stones was badly worn and most are no longer readable. There are only about 600 burial markers, but it is estimated that there are approximately 9000 people buried there – the graves even extend out into what is now the paved street. During the Union occupation during the Civil War, Union troops desecrated many of the graves, looting them and removing bodies to use the graves for their own soldiers. They even changed the dates on some of the stones in an attempt to be funny — some state that they actually died before they were born!!! There is a duelist grave site where many who died in duels are buried and a section where hundreds of victims of the Yellow Fever outbreak are buried.
Lisa at the entrance of the cemetery
Duelist Grave
An eerie shot, sure to give you the shivers!!!
Many of the damaged head stones have been cemented along the wall at the end of the cemetery
Another site on this same hop-off was The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. We wanted to go inside, but there were worship services going on, so it was closed to tourists. So, we just admired it from the outside. The colonial charter for Savannah prohibited Catholics from settling in Savannah because the English feared Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish in Florida than the English. Once the prohibition faded after the Revolutionary War, this Catholic Cathedral was constructed. It is a massive and ornate building with two tall spires extending into the sky.
The spires seen from the Colonial Park Cemetery
At the end of our day tour, we returned to Hilton Head and had dinner at Marley’s Island Grill – a great Caribbean grill restaurant! Lisa had a HUGE salad with grilled tuna and tons of veggies! I had Sugar Cane Scallops — big sea scallops fire grilled on skewers and drizzled with pina colada and kahlua sauce with a delicious veggie medley! YUM!!! Then, we went back to the room and packed up to leave the next morning. We headed out about 8:00 or so and drove most of the way home with the top down on the pony! It was a very pleasant drive home!
What a wonderful trip!!!! One we’re sure to remember for years to come! This all is actually just a teaser taste — we saw and did so much more — but, if I told it all here, what would there be left for you all to go see for yourselves????
Movie Review – Secretariat
I just saw Secretariat today via Netflix. I didn’t see it while it was in the theaters – not sure why – just didn’t. After seeing it on my TV, though, I really wish I had seen it on the big screen first. What a thrill it would have been to see that beautiful, powerful animal bigger than life on a wall-sized screen.
I knew I wanted to see this movie, at some point. I knew it would be a good story with interesting characters and a strong cast. I knew it would be emotionally charged. But, I what I didn’t realize was just how much I would love it! It was an incredible movie — beautifully told, exceptionally put together, and perfectly acted. I am very disappointed that it didn’t receive any Academy Award nominations — definitely a slight that should not have happened.
Of course, I knew how the movie would end. The history of this story is well documented. Plus, it occurred at the end of my junior year in high school, so I was well aware of the events through the news of the time. So, there were no real surprises. But, it still captivated me and kept me on the edge of my seat! My heart pounded as I watched each race in totally intense anticipation of the outcome, forgetting that the horse had the win “in the bag”. I sobbed through many of the scenes – the heart wrenching family related events, as well as the triumphs each race brought. But the true beauty of this movie was that it focused on family, legacy, tradition, and love. Yes, the main focus was the greatest racehorse that ever lived – Secretariat, but it also dug deep into what made Penny Chenery Tweedy so determined and driven to not give up even with the possibility of losing everything she held dear. Her love of the horses, her parent’s legacy, her dedication to family and tradition – all these things were portrayed impeccably and shined through to tell the entire story and pull it all together.
The casting was pure genius. Diane Lane was the perfect Penny Chenery Tweedy – strong and forceful, yet cultured and demure all in the same woman. John Malkovich was very entertaining as horse trainer, Lucien Lauren. Scott Glenn had a very small part as Penny’s father, Chris Chenery, who was weakened by dementia, but the influential man still shown through. Margo Martindale portrayed Miss Hamm, long time secretary and friend of the Chenery family. She was a real hoot at times, but also helped Penny identify her inner strength to know what the right thing to do was.
I really loved this movie. Again, I wish I had seen it on the big screen and perhaps I will someday. But, for now, I am just so very happy I didn’t pass it up altogether. I rate this one a huge A+++ and wish there was a higher rating to give it! Be sure to see it for the history, for the entertainment value, or just cause you love animal movies — whatever your reason for thinking you’ll enjoy it — you’ll be glad you did and probably find that you love it for several totally different reasons than the one that got you to choose it in the first place.
Movie Review – The King’s Speech
I haven’t been to the theater to see a movie in quite a while — since before the holidays, I believe!!! No particular reason. It isn’t because of lack of interest – quite to the contrary, I am still in love with movies. It isn’t because of lack of time – I’ve had several weekends where I had opportunity. It isn’t because the current movies don’t interest me – there are several that look like I would enjoy them. No excuse – I just haven’t made the effort to go.
But, I can say that most of the ones out now that I think I would enjoy are all ones that I think I could easily wait and see on NetFlix. And, while I still love the feeling I get from sitting in a dark theater watching a movie on that giant screen, I also find that some of the other experiences associated with going to the movies aren’t as appealing as they used to be. For instance – I used to LOVE movie theater popcorn! I believed it to be against some moral code or law to go to a movie and not have a bag of popcorn! Lately, the popcorn in movie theaters is less than desirable with a large portion (I’d go so far as to estimate 50% or so of the bag) made up of crumbs scrapped from the bottom of the bin, stale taste, and that oil they mistakenly call butter. I also find myself considering the cost more than I used to. Even with my practice of going to matinees and avoiding paying full price, it costs $7.00 to see a movie!!! And it costs more for the snacks than it does to see the movie! Case in point – yesterday, I went to Spring Lane Cinemas in Sanford to see the 4:35 showing of The King’s Speech. It cost me $7.00 to get in and $8.75 for a small popcorn (that was mostly crumbs) and a bottle of Dasani water! So — the two-hour excursion cost me $15.75!!! Outrageous!!! Luckily, the movie was worth it…..but often, I find it really wasn’t. Hence my feeling lately that I could just wait for NetFlix.
So, enough about how the experience of going to the movies is diminishing and on with the movie review:
The King’s Speech is up for, like, a gazillion Academy Awards. The previews looked good, it is based on a true story with historical interest, and has a prominent cast. So, of course, I was interested in seeing it. The critics AND Yahoo Users all rated it an A, which rarely happens — either the critics love it and most real people don’t or the critics hate it and most real people find it enjoyable. So, I decided to pay the $15.75 to spend two hours checking it out for myself.
What I got for my $15.75 was a totally enjoyable time. There are three Oscar worthy performances – Colin Firth as King George VI (nominated for Best Actor), Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), and Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) – and an absolute top contender for the Best Picture Oscar. I haven’t seen many of the other nominated films and performances, but I think it will be an injustice for some or all of these nominations to not be the ones to bring home the statue.
The story, if you aren’t already familiar, is of King George VI, the current Queen Elizabeth’s father, who had a life long struggle with a speech impediment – he stuttered. This was viewed as a weakness and defect that was not something a King should suffer from. Obviously, this was a huge problem when he was required to speak publicly and provide comfort and strength to his people. The movie starts before he becomes King – his father is still the reigning Monarch and upon his death, George’s brother, Edward, becomes the King of England. However, Edward is in love with an American divorcee currently in the process of her second divorce, which is strongly frowned upon by the Church and English Government. So, Edward abdicates the throne, leaving the role to a reluctant George. George’s devoted wife, Elizabeth, finds an unconventional speech therapist to work with George – Lionel Logue. The two work together so George can overcome his stuttering and become close friends.
It is a touching story and, even without the historical interest, conveys an important message. I found it to be a powerful movie with strong performances portraying endearing relationships – George and Elizabeth, George and Lionel, and George and his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. I highly recommend this movie and rate it a solid A+!
On another note – after the movie, I went to Cafe 121 for dinner and had Chef Hamm’s special for the evening – Shrimp and Scallop Scampi!!! YUM!!! The only thing that would have made it better would be to toss in some angel hair pasta….then it would have been beyond perfect! I took home a hot Caramel Apple Cider to sip through the rest of the evening. A perfect end to a very nice outing.
Just a quick thought
I notice that I haven’t posted anything on this poor neglected blog since my “New is Cool” post on January 18th. But, yet, I am getting a lot of visitors looking for my thoughts or finding me through searches for something other than my thoughts. So, to keep this somewhat current, here are a few quick thoughts for the day:
- So glad the Groundhog didn’t see any shadows yesterday…….anxiously awaiting spring!
- Got a teaser taste of spring, yesterday — high over 70 degrees!!! But, I was inside at work all day and couldn’t enjoy it! There is a sick injustice in that, for sure!
- Loving my new Wii…..but, need to get into a routine with it, if I am successful in using it for what I intended when I bought it – a way to increase my workout activity!
- Looking forward to doing something really cool sometime in February — will post the details after it happens!!!
- Gonna be a busy month! There are a couple of events I’d really like to participate in – the Annual CARA Dinner at The Steele Pig and the Temple Theater Valentine’s Event, but have so much other stuff going on, I’m going to have to pass on both……
So — there it is…..just a few quick thoughts unloaded!
New is Cool….
It always feels good to have “new” stuff, situations, experiences, etc. New is good, exciting, energizing, and….well….New! The last few weeks have brought an abundance of new to my life. Not all are things and not all are major stuff, but new, just the same! New usually means change and change is good – it snaps you out of a rut, gives you new stimulation, or just provides something new to think about.
The first new, of course, is a new year! 2011 — the start of a new year, new opportunities, new challenges. I didn’t make any resolutions this year. I usually do and, like most people, I break them before January ends. So, instead of resolving to not do something or do something, I decided to look for opportunities as they come and handle them as appropriate at the time.
This weekend, I got a hair cut and took care of my roots. So, I’ll have new hair for a few weeks – until the roots start to grow out and my bangs get shaggy and I need another trip to Marcello’s to renew my hair, again. I also got a few new tops at Burke’s Outlet this weekend, too. Burke’s Outlet is fairly new to Sanford and new to me, since I just started checking it out a little before the holidays.
My work life is full of new, too – lots going on!
I have watched some new shows on TV in the last week or so, too. Tonight, I saw the pilot for Kathy Bate’s new show Harry’s Law – looks like a winner! I also caught The Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network for the first time (not a new show, but new to me) this weekend – I know there are people out there who claim they can’t boil water, but there is this one lady in the competition who actually admitted she didn’t know the difference between a scallion and a scallop and, in fact, didn’t even know what a scallop is! Hhhmmm…..I’m thinking this might be interesting!
I’m trying Weight Watchers to see if it can make a difference in my health and WW has a new program – Weight Watchers Points Plus. It has done wonders for Jennifer Hudson – maybe I can get my mind in the right place to let it do wonders for me, too. Time will tell if this results in a new me!
The newest of the new goes along with the last paragraph….sort of. I finally gave in and got on the Wii bandwagon. I thought it might be a good way to burn some calories and have some fun and just plain do something new! I got the console today, set it up, and tried some of the sports games – I really did good at bowling right from the get-go, but tennis is going to take some figuring out! I am also planning to get Wii Fit, some dance games, and a karaoke game. I figure this will give me a new way to dance and sing around the house!
So, let the new keep coming – shake things up – new is cool!
Fun Songs
A song came on the radio on my way to the grocery store and, like so many old songs, it brought a flood of memories. The song? “King of the Road”, by Roger Miller. My Mom had a couple of albums by Roger Miller and my brother and I would play them and have a ton of fun with them. You see, although Roger Miller was a singer/song writer with some serious county music songs to his credit, he was best known for his novelty songs – and boy, were they fun for a couple of kids on an otherwise boring afternoon.
Kevin and I would act them out as we sang to them to create little mini play productions. We’d laugh and laugh over trying (and usually failing) to mimic the funny sounds he’d make in his songs. It had to have been a riot to watch us!
An example of one we fumbled over the be-bop sounds:
An example of one we loved to act out — we’d pretend to do all the things that he said you “can’t” do and then just do a jig-like dance during the chorus (sorry – this won’t come up in the post, but click on the “watch on youtube” and it’ll come up in a new tab):
The one I heard on the radio today was one we just loved to sing — we’d pretend we were on a stage and singing just as “cool” as Roger sang it:
These are, by far, not the only ones we loved — just what I think Kevin would agree were our favorites! But, there was also “Dang Me”, “Chug-a-lug”, and many more!
While thinking of those fun songs, some that weren’t from Roger Miller came to mind — we loved this one, too (give it a minute – it does get to the song):
Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs gave us lots to have fun with, too. A bunch would gather in our cousin, Gary’s garage and we’d have a pretend band. This one was one of our top numbers to do:
And, I can’t forget “Wooly Bully”!!!
OK – enough fun for now……
So much better than snow…
I had a white Christmas, but not here in Sanford and not as plentiful as it was here in Sanford! I went home for the holiday break and totally missed the record-breaking snow that blanketed the southeast. Oh, I saw it – through the many photos posted by friends on Facebook – but, missed physically experiencing it! There was quite a bit of snow on the ground in Albion and we had a brief dusting on Christmas day, so I did get to see snow on Christmas. But, the irony of it was that I went to Western NY – the Buffalo snow belt – the frigid north and saw much LESS snow than Sanford, NC had over Christmas! I was all worried about what I would encounter on my holiday trip and all the while, it was here that got blasted! Funny!
A small part of me – very small – is kinda sad that I missed something so historical (NC never gets any significant snow fall this early), just because it was unusual to get so much on Christmas and something I may never see again. But, I’m not a fan of snow – I grew up in it and saw more snow in my lifetime than I feel anyone should have to see…..or more to the point…..more than anyone should have to shovel, drive in, struggle through, etc.!!! So, I am not all THAT disappointed that I missed it.
After all, my holiday trip had something much better – something Sanford doesn’t have to offer me – FAMILY!
I had several Christmas celebrations and even my fair share of snow. The Weds evening before I flew north, Ronald, Lisa, and I had dinner and celebrated our Christmas together.
Then, I arrived at Mom’s the night before Christmas Eve and stayed until the morning of New Year’s Eve. There was only a few inches of snow on the ground – enough to cover everything good, but not be swept up into big drifts – but, Mom’s car hadn’t been cleaned off in quite some time, so it had a good 6+ inches of hard packed, crusty snow all over it! When I went out to go to the store to shop for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, I had to clean it off, first. It took quite a while to chisel the snow off the car – snow filled both my shoes (with no socks on), the knit gloves I took with me got soaked, I broke a fingernail, and I bruised my arm on the trunk when I slipped on the slippery driveway behind the car – but, I got it cleaned off so that I could go to town. Thank goodness there was no more accumulation while I was there and that was the only time I had to clean it off!
My brother and his family came over on Christmas Eve to have our Christmas. It was very nice – we had munchies and opened gifts and enjoyed the company. Christmas Day was just Mom and me – a quiet, relaxing day spent talking and watching movies together. I fixed a ham with a bunch of sides – nothing special, but very good. Then, on Sunday, my nephew, his wife and son, and my brother and his family came out and we had another Christmas celebration. This one was with the newest member of our family – my great-nephew, who will be one year old later this month. It was a joy watching Nolen get excited about all the new toys he got to open! But, the best toy of the day was actually a small egg beater (wire whisk) with a cute egg for a handle that was actually a gift for his Mom – he latched onto that and they couldn’t pry it from his hands!
Another highlight of the week was dinner with some of my high school friends. I so enjoy being able to spend time with them. It was a lovely evening and I look forward to the next time we can get together.
The rest of the week was spent just visiting with Mom – something I treasure and enjoy more than anything. She has had a tough year that ended with her second total hip replacement on November 1st. She isn’t fully recovered, yet, but is starting to turn the corner and doing quite well. I saw a huge improvement in her since I was there over Thanksgiving!
So, yeah – I missed the historic snow fall in Sanford, NC! But, it would have been far more tragic if I had missed spending Christmas with my family, seeing Nolen rip open gift after gift that revealed yet another new toy to excite him, discovering first hand that Mom is starting to show marked improvement after her surgery, enjoying an evening reminiscing with old friends, and savoring the peace that comes with being home for the holidays!
It is a new year, now – one that I hope will be much better than the last one for all who struggled through it. I wish everyone peace, love, good health, and happiness in 2011! I pray the economy is really on the upswing that analysts are predicting – the first stock day seemed to show some promise! And I hope the Farmer’s Almanac is incorrect in their prediction of a long, bad winter season!
Happy New Year!
Dreams
One of the Christmas gifts I received from Ronald and Lisa was a book on interpreting dreams. I was very excited to see it…..I have some strange dreams and often wonder what the hidden meanings are behind them. It is a THICK book – a “dictionary” of sorts – all categorized by key words in alphabetical order. I haven’t gotten into it much, yet, but I am sure I’ll enjoy it! The only thing that bothers me about it is that any I have looked up, so far, have a very negative connotation! Can all dreams stem from or be predictive of something bad that has or will happen? I’ll be digging deeper to prove that wrong, for sure!
One recurring theme that shows up in most of my bazaar dreams in some way or another is particularly disturbing to me – no matter what else is going on, this will most likely end up as a big part of the dream:
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I can’t seem to walk in dreams — whether I’m trying to walk or run — whether it is from or to something good or bad! My legs feel like huge, unliftable weights that cause me to not be able to move my feet more than a very small, painful step at a time. So, when I have to get somewhere in my dreams, I either crawl, inch along on my belly, or walk on my knees. OR – the more bazaar method of travel for me is to “swim” through the air. Yep, if I need to get somewhere fast, I push off and do the breast stroke through the air – so long as my arms keep pulling me through the air, like they would if I were swimming, I can continue to make progress – when I stop, I stand back up and am stationary!
The keys words associated with these all allude to bad things to come. Since they tend to occur quite often in my dreams – both good, bad, and bazaar dreams – I will take it all with a grain of salt. Afterall – if I had as much misfortune as it seems these dreams predict, I would be in pretty bad shape! And life is good……so……I’ll continue to have fun trying to analyze my dreams purely for the entertainment value. Unless, of course, if I start to find lots of good stuff in that book – then, I’m sure I’ll consider it “gospel”!
Sweet dreams!
Baby, it is cold outside!!!
Twenty-six years ago, I traveled to Sanford to visit my soon-to-be in laws over the Christmas holiday. It was fun going back to snowy Albion to tell everyone that I ran around on Christmas day in short sleeves and no coat! The weather was amazing! We moved here the following June and I took great pleasure in writing letters and calling my family and friends throughout the winters that I was experiencing warm, sunny days while they were being bombarded with snow! Yeah, we had a few pretty cold days and maybe a couple of flurries and the occasional ice storm, but, for the most part, the winters here were pretty incredible!
What happened? The last few winters have been brutal – albeit only for a couple of months (except this past winter when we had a major snow event three months in a row). I woke up this morning to let the girls out and it was 10 degrees – TEN DEGREES! And they are predicting snow tomorrow – in December! We usually don’t see any snow here until January!
Yeah, I know – I’m whining about some cold weather that probably won’t last terribly long and I was begging for it to cool down when it was so incredibly hot this summer! And after all, I grew up in the Buffalo snow belt – I know cold and I know snow and this really does fail in comparison! But – IT IS COLD!!!! Maybe my northern blood is finally thinning out to where I can’t take the cold anymore! Maybe I feel cheated because I got so used to the mild winters that the last few (and, so far, this one) are letting me down! Whatever the reason, I can’t help but scream out — IT IS COLD!!!!
Stay warm, my friends……and for those of you in good old Albion, where the temps are in the single digits and you’re buried in record snow falls, all I can say is: Hey, it is still warmer here than it is there!!!
Temple Review – A Christmas Carole
I had the best time today!!!! I had a really good morning at work and then the day moved from “good” to “great”! My group at work and a few other special guests (17 of us) all went to lunch at Sabatino’s and then attended the Thursday matinée performance of A Christmas Carole at the Temple Theatre. Lunch was filled with good food, great conversation, fun and laughter, and sharing. If it had ended there, the day would have been perfect. But, it didn’t end there – it went from “great” to “amazing”!
Temple Theatre’s A Christmas Carole is an original musical adaptation of the Dickens classic story of the magic of Christmas. It is filled with dancing, singing, ghosts, and, of course, Mr. Scrooge! The mix of traditional Christmas Caroles and new original songs written just for this production warms the heart. It is a fun-filled show that will appeal to all ages.
Terry Schwab does an excellent job of bringing the grouchy old Scrooge to life. He looks mean and weighed down as Scrooge goes through the beginning scenes with his “bah humbug” attitude towards life and, in particular, Christmas. Then he is light as a feather as he frolics with the people of his past during his first ghostly visit and when he completes the three ghostly visits and transforms into the happier, more charitable Scrooge. And, he is delightfully funny at both versions of the legendary Mr. Scrooge.
Chris Wright is always a delight when he appears in a Temple Theatre production! But, he is fantastic as Scrooge’s happy-go-lucky nephew, Fred. He steals just about every scene he is in with his whimsical song and dance routines and animated dialogue.
Steven Moore has a short, yet extremely memorable appearance as Jacob Marley. His booming voice, chain covered body, and ghostly appearance give him a menacing presence. And then he breaks into his musical number that provides Scrooge with a view of the nightmare that is his future if he doesn’t heed the messages of the three ghosts that will visit.
Temple’s own Michael Brocki plays Bob Cratchit with the trademark child-like appeal he brings to all the characters he portrays. I only wish he had more stage time in this one!
The rest of the cast did an amazing job, as well. The vocals and dancing were a joy to behold. The ensembles meshed together perfectly to create an atmosphere that would be thoroughly enjoyed on any stage, anywhere!
This production is touted as a new Temple Theatre tradition – it was presented last year at this time, again this year, and I hope will continue for years to come. Those who attended and enjoyed it last year will find it even more enjoyable this year – I sure did! If you think it will be the “same ole, same ole” – just a repeat of last year’s show, think again! There are new songs, new costumes, new sets, and new actors in some of the roles. If you are worried that the changes might ruin a good thing, you’d be wrong again! The changes are subtle improvements that bring more fun and enjoyment to the show. And, for those who didn’t see it last year – what are you waiting for? Take the family and experience the magic of Christmas in this wonderful production.
Want to go? You’d better hurry — the popularity is resulting in tickets selling like hotcakes! I’ve already got my tickets to see it again with a couple of friends at the final matinée on the 19th and I can’t wait!!!
The remaining show times are:
December 3-4 at 8:00 pm
December 5 at 2:00 pm
December 9 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
December 10-11 at 8:00 pm
December 12 at 2:00 pm
December 16 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
December 17-18 at 8:00 pm
December 19 at 2:00 pm
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