Glory Days

I've posted that when Terry and I travel we take along CD's of "Road Music".  For a few years we subscribed to satellite radio but discovered we like our own choices better. So, on our Charlotte trip, we were listening to a "Greatest Hits of Bruce Springstein" and his song "Glory Days" played.

Glory Days

I had a friend was a big baseball player

back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside sat down had a few drinks
but all he kept talking about was

Chorus:
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days

Well there's a girl that lives up the block
back in school she could turn all the boy's heads
Sometimes on a Friday I'll stop by
and have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby well they split up
I guess it's two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times,
she says when she feels like crying
she starts laughing thinking about

Chorus

My old man worked 20 years on the line
and they let him go
Now everywhere he goes out looking for work
they just tell him that he's too old
I was 9 nine years old and he was working at the
Metuchen Ford plant assembly line
Now he just sits on a stool down at the Legion hall
but I can tell what's on his mind

Glory days yeah goin back
Glory days aw he ain't never had
Glory days, glory days

Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
and I'm going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it
but I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but
boring stories of glory days

The third verse isn't sung on this 1985 video, but resonates so much now because of all the closed automobile factories.

We've all know the sports jock that lived his best days in High School.  The one voted "most likely...." but it didn't happen for him.  We've seen the woman still wearing the same hair style she had at 17, but now she's 35, or 45 or 55.   

It got me thinking about my own glory days.   Do I count High School as one of them?  Sure!  Dates on Saturday nights...Football games and dances... Mom bought my clothes and  paid my bills. ....Glory Days.

Looking at the road I traveled, I would say my first marriage was not the best use of my time... accept I came out the winner in that too, because I walked away with a precious little girl.  

Terry played football in high school and college.  He was a marathon runner when we met.....Glory Days

After we  were married, he gave that up.  Too time consuming and we had our younger girls.  I distinctly remember knowing those were "the good ole days".   Three daughters to share memories.  Sippy cups and security blankets.  Soccer and basketball games. Family dinners and vacations,   School clothes shopping, and prom dress hunting.  Senior pictures and college graduation.    Glory Days.........

Now that my mother has been gone for 5 1/2 years, and I have moved 5 states away, I long for those family get togethers.  The many holidays, summer cookouts, graduation open houses, Birthday celebrations.  Any excuse and all excuses just to get together to spend time with one another.

  Glory Days....

When I took my break from blogging, my sister ( YFS - Your Favorite Sister)  thought I needed to plan a trip.  I needed to do something to shake the doldrums and cobwebs out of my brain.  So we did. 

 My Mother and Father both only had one brother each. Both have passed away.    They, in turn, have one child each. (Actually my Mother's brother has another one when he was in the Air Force, stationed in Scotland, but we have never met her.)  After not seeing either girl for decades ( they both live in other states) my sister tracked them down this winter.  Thank you Facebook. 

So, in June, my sister and I are meeting in Tampa to spend a few days with one of the cousins and her family.  I believe she is about 15 years younger than us.  She is married and has a young daughter, about 8 I think.  See, I really do need to know her better.  We will spend a couple of days at a hotel on the beach with her and her Mom, that we both adored, for "girl time", as well as at her house.  ( The Uncle and Aunt divorced... long story) I have not seen the Mom since I was about 20 years old.  After that, my Uncle brought our cousin to Michigan for a visit when I was about 40... She was a teen.

My sister is planning on inviting my father's niece, the other cousin, up to Michigan from her home in Missouri, sometime this summer too.  She really wants to hear the "growing up" stories about her father (who passed away when she was a teen)  from my father..his brother.   I  would like to be there for that too.  We'll see how that works out.

This is a whole new experience.  Connecting with long lost relatives and vacationing with my sister.  You know what this sounds like to me?  Yep, you got it.

Glory Days

What "Glory Days " do you most cherish?

On the Road to Charlotte

We are back from "Jersey Boys"  and had a wonderful weekend...weather and entertainment wise.  I usually travel with the camera in my lap as we drive along so I can snap shots of interesting things we pass.  I've mentioned in the past, that flying by something at 60 miles an hour does present me with a few issues.  By the time I say, "I want a picture of that" we are half a mile past it, but I did manage to slow down my speed demon enough to get some interesting pictures.

Does anyone know why there are so many doors in these trailers?    We're stumped.

My daughters would probably think there was a time I could have won this.  The Hollerin Contest at Spivey Corners, North Carolina and it's "National" too.

I've posted about other local events our small towns host.  I've been to all kinds of festivals, but this one is new to me.

Being fairly new to the south, I was not and am still not used to seeing grave markers or stones in fields or close to the road.  This one was in a tobacco/cotton ( I've read both now)  field, all around it was planted.  Close, was another one.

Standing in one spot I was able to snap both of these pictures.  At least this one had a fence.  So, I wondered about that lonely marker, all alone in the field and had to go check it out.

Looks like Lizzie didn't make it back here to lie beside her husband, but I did find a article ( good ole google   that says she is, in fact, buried next to her husband.  Mr. Lee was a black man that farmed the these fields for years.  The other stones, it says, also have the last name of Lee on them, but no first names.  Puzzling isn't it?

Tomorrow I'll share our Diners, Drive ins and Dives experience and a couple of other things.

Happy Birthday to My Baby Girl

She may be 27 on February 12th, but she will  always be my baby girl and Daughter #3.  She was born on February 12th, but we came home from the hospital on Valentine's Day.  She was my best Valentine ever!

From the moment she could talk this child has kept us in stitches with her crazy since of humor.  Here, she's shell hunting and came upon a jellyfish.

When big sister Rachel was a little worried about spending the night with a girlfriend, Allison volunteered to go with her.   The other Mom was fine with that. They often did, and still do things as a team. 

All together, Me,  Sarah, Daughter #1, my Mom and Rachel and Allison about 1998

At 18, she( the laundry lady)  worked at the Michigan Renaissance Festival with this thief and wench.

After high school and deciding college wasn't for her, she took off on a great adventure.  The little girl that was not afraid to leave home, left Michigan, at 20, for the Teton Mountains of Wyoming.

She spent 4 years traveling back and forth for the "resort" season, but the year she got this photo, she had worked through the winter and experienced all 600 inches of snow.

Allie under the antler arch in Jackson, Wy. She had been home since October for the winter, and then got an offer for a year around position at the Lodge.  Terry drove out with her so she wouldn't have to go alone and then he flew back.  When the season was over and she was missing her family, Rachel flew out and drove home with her.  Little did I know she would then drive it alone the next year.  (That's just not good on a mother's nerves.)

After she left the mountains in the west, she lived with us a while in North Carolina and worked in a restaurant on  the ocean.  Not even the Marines playing volleyball on the beach  could keep her there.

Now she's back in Michigan,working and  sharing a home with Rachel and Tuc.   She inherited one of my traits and that is, we adopt people.  I know of one Christmas, right before she left in April for Wyoming, she was working at a Daycare.  One of the single moms lost her job the week before Christmas.  Allison took her entire check and bought Christmas presents for the 3 children because the Mom had no money.    Allie will go out of her way and inconvenience herself, before she would let down a friend. 

For the girl who's not afraid to wander......

Happy Birthday Allie.... I miss you.

New From Old

I have been playing around with a mixed media art form that has inspired me to take and go in different directions,

Back in the summer I found a couple of old photos, one a tin type, at our local flea market.  I later found old doilies, post cards, an old book, pearls, a broach I had for ages, and various other pieces.  This is what I did with them.

It's a glimpse into a past era.

Now I have been on the hunt for photos and postcards I can use to tell the stories of days gone by.  I have a couple of pieces from the mid 1940s WWII time.  I need a photo of a soldier of that decade.  I'll keep looking.

I can take the same idea and use broken wine bottles, corks, wineglass pieces,  old china, teacups, etc, and go in all different directions.

                                            Right now I have these 2 beautiful young ladies.

The back is blank.  There is no hint at what was going on in her life or when this was taken.  I'm thinking it was a communion day, but she seems a little old for that.  Her shoes are very fancy indeed. 

The back of this one does tell us something, but I have no idea what language this is or what it says.  The only thing I can see is April 1918, in the left bottom corner.

Both of these came from an antique shop near Charleston.

Maybe there is a slim chance someone can read it and tell us something about this little girl in black.

 

Road Trip Home

We left Savannah bone weary and sore footed.  Driving toward Myrtle Beach, I spotted this gas station/grocery store/home.

It is on a main highway, but still, out in the middle of nowhere.  I wonder how they make enough to keep it going.    Not a customer in site.

Being a northern transplant, this was not a sight I had ever seen. 

So on to Myrtle Beach we went.  Murrell's Inlet, Surfside Beach, and on we drove, passing Seafood Buffet after Seafood Buffet... $19.99 - 2 for $29.99 , etc. 

Planet Hollywood - Myrtle Beach... Are they closed?  Where are the cars.  Ok, it is Wednesday.  Maybe that's it.

Hard Rock... hmmmm... not many cars is there?

By now it was about 5pm and I was hungry.  We had not had much of a lunch and I wanted seafood darn it.  We put a buffet address into the Garmin and off we went...only to find it closed. And so was the next one, and the next one.  Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday....This was Wednesday.My stomach was grumbling and so was I. Okay, let's just go check in to the hotel.  The attendant graciously told us, go down the road, Captain George's Seafood Buffet is open.  Yay!!

We found it easily enough and there were cars in the parking lot. 

In we went.

This was the first of, I believe, 6 islands of food.  It looked like a Vegas Buffet.  OUr very nice hostess seated us and said these fateful words, " Our buffet is $31.00"  each.   Why Terry looked at me for direction I don't know. To me, there wads no question.  I headed straight for the King Crab.   He  went for everything else.

I have never had blue crab.  I don't know how to crack it or haow to eat it, so a very nice waiter came over with one to show me.  I learned it is a lot of work for very little meat.  He did say it is alot more fun with beer and friends.  Okay.

I don't know what to do with these guys either.  I'm not good with food that stiff has their heads attached.  Cut the head off of my fish too.  I don't want the whole lobster... just the tail please.

                                         I love steamed oysters, but these were raw.  I can't do raw.

                                   Love at first sight.... Crab and shrimp, only because there was no lobster.

There was also all kinds of fish, chicken, pork and desserts.  Oh, yes.  My husband has a sweet tooth.  I saw on his plate alone, German chocolate cake, cheesecake, baklava, banana pudding and chocolate pudding.   I have that "off" button that tells my brain, you are full... stop.   Terry doesn't and he admits he doesn't.

So, as we sat  there, with tea and coffee, the waitress came over with our bill.  Terry looked at me, took big breath and said, very quietly "I'm gonna throw up."   The mother in me took over.  I said, very lovingly, " Get out of here.  Go outside. Go! now!"   My first thought was not that he was sick.  It was you are not going to do that in a dining room.  Get out of here!  

He slowly stood up... actually, he was afraid to move, but he said once he was moving he felt much better.  So he's not allowed to go to buffets anymore.

These buildings are in Swansboro,  close to Jacksonville, N.C. and we're almost home.

Whenever I see these old gas station ? store? buildings, I think of the movie " Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe."  I wonder what kind of life it had.

Bonaventure Cemetery

The residence of Bonaventure began in 1762.  It was a 600 acre estate located about 3 1/2 miles from the Savannah colony.   The first Bonaventure Plantation burned in 1771.  It was soon replaced with a brick structure. The second house burned somewhere between 1803 and 1817.   The "story" about it says that when the fire started, the owner was having a dinner party.  He was informed by house staff they needed to vacate.  He then asked his guests to pick up the table/ or their wine glasses and proceed onto the lawn where they continued with their party while watching the fire.  Somehow, I doubt this.  The property was sold 1846 to establish a cemetery.

Angel on the gate post.

Bonaventure has long been known for the massive live oaks with the arched limbs, covered in moss.  Many are over 250 years old, having been planted by the second owner.

                                                                 Little Gracie Watson

"Little Gracie Watson was born in 1883, the only child of her parents. Her father was manager of the Pulaski House, one of Savannah's leading hotels, where the beautiful and charming little girl was a favorite with the guests. Two days before Easter, in April 1889, Gracie died of pneumonia at the age of six. In 1890, when the rising sculptor, John Walz, moved to Savannah, he carved from a photograph this life-sized, delicately detailed marble statue, which for almost a century has captured the interest of all passersby." From About.com

Gracie, some say, can still be seen as a blue orb, moving about the upper floor of the bank that replaced her home.  Because police kept getting calls that someone was in the building, the currant owners have installed a pink light so Gracie's blue orb can't be seen.

The bank from our Ghost Walk.

 When the cemetery first opened, some Savannah citizens had their deceased relatives relocated from other burials spots to be interred here.  As time went on, it became a game of keeping up with the Jones on which family had the biggest and most impressive statues.  There was a statute passed that only graves purchased before 1943 can have more than one monument. 

You're right if you are a fan of  Midnight in the garden of Good and Evil,   that this is the cemetery featured in the both the book and the movie and where "that statue" used to live.   

The 50 inch tall " Bird Girl", who had been standing for nearly 50 years, drew such  attention after the book and the movie it was moved to the Telfair  Museum of Art.

The Wilmington River flows by  the back of the cemetery.  Some say this is the river Johnny Mercer had in mind when he wrote "Moon River".   He's here too, resting along with other family members. He also wrote "Old Black Magic", "Come Rain or Come Shine",  "In the Cool, Cool, Cool, of the Evening" and my favorite, "Days of Wine and Roses"

We were here about 90 minutes.  There were few people milling about. A couple of others, like me, taking pictures.  The trees are enormous and covered in moss. To me, it is so picturesque.  It was also very quiet, very haunting, and very beautiful.

Hello Savannah

James Oglethorpe came to Georgia in 1732 from England, with 114 people he had arranged freedom for from debtor's prison.  He had lost a dear friend in debtor's prison some years earlier.  He also forbade lawyers in Savannah because a lawyer was responsible , he felt, for sending his friend there to being with.  For Savannah he thought a judge was good enough.  During the first year, one half of these people died. there were outbreaks of yellow fever and malaria.  A cemetery was needed immediately.  That began Savannah's relationship with the dead and buried.

When the city was designed, it had 24 square park areas.   Today there are 22 remaining squares all with names and personalities. like Forsyth Park,(The Victorian area)  Wright Square, and probably the most well known is Chippewa Square.  This is where a certain movie was made showing a young man sitting on a park bench eating a box of chocolates.  Around each square are streets so it's easy to navigate and easy to get great views of all the beauty.  One of those cross streets, however, has been paved over that first cemetery of settlers.  oops....   So too has the old Jewish cemetery been built upon. 

The Kehoe house was built in 1892 for $25,000, by William Kehoe, owner of the iron foundry.  So, what do you do when you want to show off your iron making wealth?  Everything that is painted white is wrought iron. ( And most of Savannah has wrought iron trim.  I thought I had seen a lot in Charleston.  That pales in comparison.  It is gorgeous here.)

More than a century later, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe and their 10 children was sold, in 1980 to Broadway Joe Nameth for $80,000.  He wanted to make a "Gentleman's Club" out of it.  That was not going to happen, so, as the story goes, in 1989, he sold it for  $530,000.  I also heard $250,.000.... so the truth probably lies somewhere between.  He did all right anyway.  After it was sold, the new owner renovated and turned it into a Bed and Breakfast, as it is today.

I had to show you Paula Dean's Lady & Sons Restaurant.

I had heard that it was buffet and part of it is.  You can order off a menu as well.  Go on line to see the menu.  To me the buffet looked average for $15.99.  On the dinner menu is a Chicken Pot Pie for $18.99.  I had no desire to eat there myself.

The Mercer-Williams Home was built by General Hugh Mercer, Great Grandfather to composer Johnny Mercer, in 1860.  The building was interrupted by that war so it wasn't completed until 1968.

In 1969, Jim Williams,an antiques dealer,  (any fans of  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil   remember this?) bought the empty house and took 2 years to restore it.  Then there is that whole other thing that happened there.

                                                              The Forsyth Park Mansion.

It does have 126 guest rooms and suites. The hotel is open for us tourists to go into but we didn't.  Maybe next time because I can not find any history on that house anywhere.  Maybe one of you know something about it.

Broken glass on a wall to keep out spirits.  Slaves from the western coast of Africa and from Haiti brought their spiritual beliefs with them.  One being spirits will not cross water so they mixed lime with natural dies to make paint the color of the Caribbean water.  It was then painted around windows, porch ceilings and door frames.  Sometimes even the underside of floor boards.  The lime deterred termites and mosquitoes, therefore saving many from malaria and yellow fever.  Even today, wasps will not build a nest in a porch ceiling painted blue.  They think it is sky.

  The old Candler Hospital.  Founded in 1808 as a seaman’s hospital and poor house, Candler is the oldest hospital in the state of Georgia. The original structure, which has been empty for nearly three decades, was once used as a Union hospital, as well as a hospital where hundreds of patients died of Yellow Fever. It has also been used as an insane asylum.   There was a tunnel connecting it to Forsyth Park, where they illegally buried many yellow fever victims, so as not to worry the people in the city, about the epidemic. ( I don't know what they told the relatives of those missing family members.??)  In the last few years, the Savannah Power company was burying lines when they found graves of dozens of bodies, also believed to be yellow fever victims.  I did find information that there were or are plans to develop the space for retail and condos.  Seriously?  Who is going to line up for that space? 

Colonial Park Cemetery the oldest ,still in use,  cemetery in Savannah, began in 1750. (after that other one was full)   More than 700 victims of the 1820 Yellow Fever epidemic are buried here.  "There are also many victims of Savannah's  dueling era of 1740 and through 1877. Many of the duels left a number of men dead from what one source calls acts of "too much honor." 

There are 2 orbs captured here, in the Colonial Cemetery, from our Ghost Tour.  One is just below the Spanish moss and the other is to the left.

We did the 90minute walk with one other couple about our age and the guide.  She told us to take 3 photos at a time for comparison.  These are my second and third photos, of this shot.  Looking at them while on the camera, the orbs are blue, not white like lights.   Weird, huh?  They have moved.  I took a lot of photos through our walk and didn't get anymore.  The other man with us got more.  I think his camera was better 'cause we were both clicking away. 

To me Savannah is a beautiful mixture of gracious manners, fabulous homes, sweet tea and wrought iron.  It goes hand in hand with an acceptance of spirits, ghosts and superstition.   I did learn that if your grandmother visits you long after she died, you do not call her a ghost.  That's just rude.  You know who she is.  She's your Grandma, not a stranger.  Maybe not your whole grandma,but a shade of Grandma, so you have a Shade in your house, not a ghost.  Now I know.

So on that note, tomorrow we go to Bonaventure Cemetery, just outside the city.  It's a perfect place to visit with Halloween near.  To me, it is hauntingly beautiful.