Our Week Begins

On  Sunday, Captain John rented a pontoon boat and we took a 3 hour tour!  He allowed each of the 3 boys a turn at the wheel!  They loved it!  

Isaac at the helm.

See Peter peeking out driving!

The young Chen’s headed for Charlotte leaving we six seniors unsupervised in their house. We ate at Crab Shack and the hush puppies were the best ever. 

In the morning we headed to Harbortown to visit the lighthouse and the beach.  I thought these were jellyfish but have been told they may not be. 

“Small, gelatinous balls are washing up by the thousands this summer. Often called jellyfish eggs, they actually aren't related to jellies at all. They're called salps, barrel-shaped creatures that pump water through their bodies and filter out the phytoplankton that is their food.”

Never too old to learn something!

Tuesday was an awesome day for us.  Friends who have moved from TX and now live on the GA/SC border drove up to visit.  We went to an outdoor restaurant on the water for lunch where boats were being lifted in and out of storage on forklifts!  The food and company were great.  We talked for hours.  They had been invited to have dinner and spend the night.  They did stay for dinner but needed to return home later in the evening.  It was a most enjoyable day!

Our next outing was to Bluffton where we enjoyed a terrific breakfast with great wait staff.  We visited the Church of the Cross and Heyward House, neither of which were open due to Covid.

Tybee Island was our destination on Thursday and we drove through beautiful Savannah to get there!  What a beautiful beach area.  And it was crowded!  We visited  the lighthouse complex where half our group climbed the stairs inside the lighthouse.  We viewed a film on the history of the 4 lighthouses that served this area.  The current one is still in operation and can be seen for 20 miles.  

Special to me was the bedroom set in the keeper’s house.  It was exactly like the set, still in use by a great niece, that I grew up with.  Ours had a round stool at the vanity that I would reach out for through the bars of my crib and pull it over to climb out!  It was all veneer wood and the only other one I have ever seen.

We ate at Fannie’s on the Pier and then visited the Battery which served as a Fort and other things throughout the years. We returned home to fix a “fend for yourself” dinner to empty out what was in the refrigerator.  There was still a lot left!  

On Friday, Deborah and John left in the wee hours of the morning.  Gus and Melissa were up at 5:15 to send them off.  We slept through their departure.  When everyone was up again later, we drove back to the Skull Creek Boat House restaurant we had been at with Jacquie and Al on Tuesday.  The outside seating along the May River with the boats being removed from and to storage had been so entertaining that we wanted to share it with our hosts.  

Storage levels, empty forklift, at the water’s edge, moving a boat to the water.  It will be lowered, started and driven out from the dock.  The forklift is then lifted, driven backward and gets the next boat.  

We stopped at a small store in a strip mall on the way home.  Then after drying and folding the two loads of clothes we had in the laundry, everyone but me took a nap.  I have enough trouble sleeping without taking a nap!

We are leaving for the airport in the morning.  It has been a terrific week.  This has been our second time to be invited to this lovely Hilton Head mini mansion.  There are three master suites and a bunk bed kids’ room.  We have lots of room to spread out in the public rooms and have enjoyed playing cards each evening!

Heading to Hilton Head

Marleah picked me up Thursday, a little after 9, and we headed to an event center for the annual (except for last year) Installation of our new President, Board of Directors and Executive Board.  It was our first maskless, buffet served meal.  What was served were individual servings of sushi, finger sandwiches, kabobs, shrimp, fruit kabobs, mini lemon tarts and eclairs.  Wine and mimosas were served too.

They had a wonderful and fun program.  Many were honored and it was such a delight to see so many friends after a year.  

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My friend Leora, also an RVer and Marleah who has been a friend since my first few months here in Texas.  

Friday we packed our things, I wrote out several birthday cards, tried one more time to get paperless billing for the gas company and went paperless on the cell phone bill.  Then we went out to dinner!

We left for the airport about 10:30 and had no problems parking, shuttling or going through security.  Ted was able to have an empty seat next to him but I was across the aisle and two young girls sat in those and promptly fell asleep.  

We picked up our rental car, a Cadillac, which doesn’t look any different than my Jeep Summit.   In fact all recent SUVs look alike.  We made our way from Savannah to Dennis’s house in Hilton Head and then promptly left for the Harbortown  golf course to gather up the troops to have dinner at the Clubhouse.  The group included Gus and Melissa, their son Dennis and his wife Liz plus their boys Ethan, Isaac and Peter.  Joining us for the week was Deborah and John, Melissa’s old friend and neighbor. 

 

Calm Week Approaching

As predicted, things were pretty calm.  Friday it rained all day and Ted was working a shooting competition (and getting really wet) so I read my books.  Saturday we went to church and Mia’s Restaurant for dinner.  Sunday and Monday were more of the same calm.  But Ted did buy me two petite knock out roses and planted them for me for Mother’s Day,  

My girls were all together in FL and met up Friday at Disney Springs to eat at a restaurant/piano bar where they have befriended one of the piano players.  Kara was on the west coast for a business meeting then moved to Saratoga Springs at Disney.  Saturday they had dinner at Kristin’s and flew home that evening.  Kelly and Pat celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary.  Sunday they moved to Tampa and Larry and Kristin went too. 

Tuesday I went to work at the Thrift shop.  It was so enjoyable to chit chat as we worked.  I have missed my volunteer work with CWJF.  Three young Mormon girls, here on a mission trip from Tonga and Utah, came in as part of their mission work.  We had a great conversation and took a photo for our newsletter.  Wednesday was to be my one free day and it turned out to be followed by three more!  

Ted received a call a few hours before we were to leave for Brenham on Thursday to have lunch with Gus and Melissa who were visiting in Austin. The railcars he was waiting for were to arrive.  He went downtown immediately and they NEVER came.  Friday was our community theater night but Gerre forgot and made other plans.  So we all changed our tickets to Saturday.

We saw Cabaret and it was so powerful.  The cabaret scene where the Nazis are exposed is a big song and dance routine where applause would ordinarily be plentiful.  When the music stopped, they all gave the Nazi salute and the theater went dead silent.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Everyone understands now what transpired and it was the biggest assault on mankind ever recorded.  The ending was equally as thought provoking.  Four huge  6 x 8 mirrors were rolled out so we all could see ourselves in the audience.  There was a break between mirror 2 and 3.  One by one the Jewish people who had been identified in the play pulled off their break away clothes exposing concentration camp clothing and walked between the mirrors and “disappeared.”  Then others who had not been identified (we had no idea) did the same thing.  And then the curtain came down with all of us looking in the mirrors at those seated with us.  We were the world watching back in the 40s who sat there and did nothing!  I have never experienced anything like this.  I remember seeing Cabaret both as a stage play and a movie without feeling so disturbed.  But of course then I never thought we would ever be in danger of such loss of personal rights as we are experiencing now.

Sunday we attended Cirque Italia.  We chose a 4:30 performance assuming it would be the least crowded, and eating about 7 would be available.  The tents were pretty well filled and we waited only 10 minutes to eat afterwards at Joe’s Italian.  It was a circus without animals but plenty of acrobats, jugglers, clowns, arrows (not knife) throwing, etc.  The balance and strength of the entertainers was mind boggling.  The best guy was the acrobat who balanced on round things with 7 skateboards on top with a board across it all.  He was also way up high!  Our dinner was delicious as always.  All in all, a nice afternoon.  

Monday, Ted had to be at the newspaper to check the elusive rail cars.  We were up at 5:30!  We had a carpet repair guy coming to cut out a stain from my dining room carpet and then I played Canasta in the afternoon.  I never won a round and sat at the same table all day because only winners move!  But I got my $1 back for having low score.  There were no big mistakes, my partners and I just didn’t get the cards!

Mary had to leave right away and Michele took the photo!

Tuesday I was in charge of Nancy’s Shanghai group while she and Jack were out of town.  We play at a restaurant, stopping midway for dinner, then finishing up.  I had one bad hand that kept me from winning! But everyone said I did an excellent job in Nancy’s absence so that was being a winner in my book.

I had to have a follow up urine test and blood draw for a thyroid panel on Wednesday morning.  Ted had used a special grout cleaner and brush on our two bathroom floors and when I returned I stripped the bed and pillows all the way down.  I put new pillow covers on the pillow forms and laundered everything along with the 4 rugs from our bathroom.  A little spring cleaning!

Tomorrow is the CWJF Installation Luncheon.  Marleah is picking me up!