savannah storytelling

Oh those lazy, hazy days of summer! Hot steamy days and warm sultry nights. Yes, sometimes it is very hot, but after the winter we had, we promised we wouldn’t complain about the heat. Remember that?

There is fun at the beach, the pool or picnics in the park. We can sit on the patio under a large umbrella with a cold drink of choice and enjoy the summer flowers. My gardenia bush is in full bloom and the aroma is wonderful. We wear light, comfortable clothes and kick off our sandals every chance we get. Ah, it doesn’t get better than this.

When I get this lazy and contended, my quirky personality wants to do something foolish. The other morning, as I was taking my usual walk at the mall, I had the urge to ride the carousel. The writer in me held back until the day I had my camera and a friend to take a picture. If I were going to do something silly, I wanted a record of it.

It was an exhilarating ride. I loved it. A few people stopped and stared at the crazy “mature” woman astride a painted horse, smiling and waving like an idiot. But it was fun and I’m glad I did it.

Have you ever wanted to do something foolish? If so, do it. Summer is the time to kick up your heels and have a laugh at yourself. Have you ever wanted to run barefoot through the surf at the beach? Do it. I did that a few years back. I hiked up my skirt, held hands with a friend and ran through the edge of the surf at the beach. We earned lifted eyebrows and smirks from several good-looking tanned teenagers, but what did they know? We had fifty years of experiences on them.

You want to learn to play the guitar? Why not? What about taking up bird calling? Or learn yoga or tae chi? Ever wanted to ride on a balloon? Just be careful not to do anything to hurt yourself. No sky diving or skateboarding for seniors. You wouldn’t want to break something. How about something simple but fun like taking a piece of chalk and teaching the grandchildren how to play hopscotch on the cement drive way?

I asked some friends if there was something foolish they wanted to do, but haven’t had the opportunity or the courage to try. I received some interesting comments. Here are a few: 1. Wanted to use blue fingernail polish but thought it was too young a look. 2. Thought about getting a tattoo but was too timid. 3. Wear a bikini at the beach but don’t have the nerve. 4. Fly to New Orleans to buy a real beignet and come right back. 5. Jump out of a plane with a parachute. All these comments were from women. Although I asked several men, they wouldn’t admit to something foolish they wanted to do. Loosen up, guys. You know there’s something foolish you want to do.

Have some fun. Summer of 2010 will never come again. Remember what Winnie the Pooh said: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”

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Last month, I welcomed negative comments and I got one very close to home. My 21 year old grandson, who will be a senior at the Journalism School at UGA next school year, disagreed about the sitcoms of today not being funny. He agreed that late night TV shows use sexual and dark humor, but thinks I haven’t watched the right sitcoms on prime time TV. He recommended “The Office” and “30 Rock”. I watched them both. “30 Rock” with Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin was okay. I could enjoy that one once I got to know the characters. ”The Office” immediately turned me off because of the jerky camera work. And, there is something about John Carrel that I don’t like. I think he has a sneaky look.

Obviously, response to comedy is generational. Thanks for your input, Zack. I think you will be an exceptional journalist.

The original article can be found at Coastal Senior HERE.

Thanks to Coastal Senior for the wonderful article about Kiki and the Statue of Liberty. To get the entire story “Family History sets sail in print” with pictures, click HERE or visit www.coastalsenior.com, click on July Issue and go to page 22.

I like to write about style and fashion because there’s so much to criticize. However, since I’m not an expert, I did some research in the newspaper and magazines to find out what was new and coming this summer and fall, Instead, I came across several very comical articles.

Our local paper carries articles by George Will, columnist for the Washington Post. He isn’t a fashion writer, but in a recent column entitled “Forever Blue Jeans”, he hit the proverbial nail on the head. To paraphrase Will, he writes that fathers with small sons dress alike- running shoes, T-shirts, and jeans. ( I would like to add, baseball caps) He considers this an example of arrested development on the part of the father. Will quotes writer Daniel Akst who has noticed the same thing. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Akst says “the modern trend toward undifferentiated dressing is symptomatic of deep disorders in the national psyche”.

Will writes that denim was manufactured for tough men who knelt on the muddy banks of streams during the California gold rush and for driving steers up the Chisholm Trail, not for men with today’s inactive life style. He goes on to say that denim is the infantile uniform of a nation in which entertainment frequently features childlike adults, such as “Seinfeld”, “Two and a Half Men” and cartoons for adults, such as “King of the Hill”.

So, the message here, guys, is put away childish things and dress like a man. Throw away the denim and the baseball hat. If you are not sure how to go about it, Will suggests this rule: “If Fred Astaire would not have worn it, don’t wear it. For women, substitute Grace Kelly.”

I would like vote for the return of the sexy fedora. Ah…shades of Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable…

The story that made me laugh out loud was in the March 6, 2010 Savannah Morning News. The byline was Ellen Warren, McClatchy Newspapers. I want to give the writer credit because I wouldn’t want anyone to think this is my idea.

Ms. Warren writes that women can look more fashionable and cut expenses in half by only worrying about what to wear above the waist. She goes on to write that when sitting in a restaurant, you are only visible from the waist up. In the office, sitting behind the desk, the same situation is true. So, spend your money on a really beautiful dressy top for the restaurant and a stunning blouse and jacket for the office. There were pictures long with the article, showing three different “Tabletop Dressing” suggestions. This woman was really serious.

But, you can’t stay behind a table or a desk all day? Imagine a woman getting up from the table wearing a fancy expensive top with cut-off jeans and flip flops on her feet. Or, the business woman coming around the desk to shake hands with a client, wearing the stunning blouse and jacket with cargo pants and running shoes. I bet that mental picture made you smile.

Another amusing article advised what style of bikini bottom a woman should choose. The writer said that having a round or square shaped derriere should determine the type of bikini to purchase. I would think the size of the derriere is more important than shape. After some sights I have seen at the beach, I say unless you are younger than sixteen or have a perfect body, forget the bikini altogether.

In conversation with some senior women at line dancing recently, one attractive lady (I’m guessing a size 10) said all she could find in the stores were sleeveless dresses with hems that stopped at mid thigh. (We can blame Michelle Obama for the sleeveless dresses.) Another woman said she loves pretty shoes, but the heels are so high, she cannot wear them. Why can’t someone make pretty shoes with lower heels? I am not sure where we can put pressure to have attractive clothes manufactured for our age group. Maybe we should speak with the buyers in the stores that we frequent.

It seems that fashion is like the weather. Everyone talks about it but does nothing about it….except maybe ignore it and laugh about it. One good thing, what is in style today will be out tomorrow.

The original article can be found at Coastal Senior HERE.

Publishing a book is like giving birth. First there is the conception, then almost a whole year of planning, worry, and uncertainty. When the time comes for the final push, there may be last minute complications. There is pain and anxiety that the finished product won’t be perfect as hoped. But when you finally see the long-awaited book and hug it to your breast, you are filled with love and joy to finally have your baby.

“Kiki and the Statue of Liberty” continues the story of Kiki and her family (“Kiki and the Red Shoes”) as they leave Athens, Greece and board the ship, the Nea Hellas, for the 14 day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to America. The whimsical illustration of artist, Sandy Branam, compliment the adventures of Kiki and her brother, Yannie. During the trip, Yannie climbs up a pole and rings the alarm which frightens the passengers and earns him a scolding from the ship’s Captain and Mama. Kiki loves to watch the waves rolling in the ocean outside her cabin window, but isn’t happy when the same rolling feeling is in her tummy. Kiki worries that her family won’t be accepted in the new country, but overcomes her anxiety when the Statue of Liberty welcomes them to America and sees Papa waiting for them at the dock in New York Harbor.

“Kiki and the Statue of Liberty” is a hard-cover book of 32 pages of fun to read text and charming illustrations. It’s accompanied by a CD of the story for the non-readers and is recommended for children ages 4-10. Both books can be purchased by contacting author, Bess Chappas, at 912-354-7688 or Savteller@aol.com. Or you may send a check for $18.00 plus $4.00 for postage to Bess at 459 Mall Blvd. #25, Savannah, GA 31406. If two books are purchased, they can fit in the same mailer so $4 postage will be charged only once. If you want the book(s) signed, please print the child’s name on the order.  If you wish to order the book online, it can be found here.

By the time the April issue of CS comes out, the sky will be blue, the sun will be shining and Savannah will look like a lovely lady wearing a crown of azaleas. This is the Savannah we know and love. What we had last winter was an aberration. Although, our cold temperatures cannot compare to the extreme weather experienced in many other parts of the country, our thin southern blood had us shivering and shaking in our boots. This was the winter that we won’t soon forget.

As I write this, it is the second week of March. When I look out of my kitchen window, my little courtyard is a wasteland. The large red geranium plant that bloomed the year around is dead. The Hibiscus is a mass of brown withered stalks. My two pineapple plants have to be thrown out. Even the hardy azaleas have brown leaves and I wonder if they will bloom. A row of clay pots sitting on the bench around the azaleas are empty. Surprisingly, my gardenia bush looks green and healthy. The only other plant that survived is scrawny rose bush that was protected by a wall. I have a lot of work to do out there.

Even though my courtyard looks desolate, my harbingers of spring have arrived. For the third straight year, around the first of March, a pair of doves has nested in a green hanging basket in my courtyard. The pair came together, scoping out the area. Mama dove first investigated the orange basket, but changed her mind and settled in the green one. She may have been confused because I switched the baskets last fall. I like to think this is one of the doves that hatched in that same basket last spring I am sure there are eggs in the basket but have not been able to take a look because there is always a dove nesting.

It isn’t always the female.  After a little research, I found out that the birds take turns sitting while the other flies away to eat and rest. Doves mate for life. They take their parenting seriously and raise more than one family each year.   Both parent feed the babies after they hatch and stay with them until they are strong enough to fly.

Last year I was able to watch the drama as the babies took their first flight out of the nest. The first baby bird spread its wings and flew over the courtyard fence. The second baby bird was smaller and weaker and didn’t make it over fence but dropped down to the cement floor.  The parent birds flew down and stayed on either side of the fledgling until it was strong enough to clear the fence.  No human parents could have shown more love and support.

I look forward to the doves each spring. For me, it’s a reminder of the miracle of renewal, both of the earth and of all the creatures in it.  Each spring when the earth re-awakens and renews itself, I am in awe of the beauty bestowed upon us by our Creator and I experience a personal renewal, in both body and spirit.

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Postscript #1 About the article in the February issue about friends and lovers, these are some suggestions sent by readers: soulmate, sother (combination of significant other), romomates (combo of romance and mates). Any others?

Postscript #2 I found a better link if anyone wants to contact Oprah (re: March column). Put in www.Oprah.com or www.OprahWinfrey.com There will be places to send a message. If not in the website proper, look at the very bottom where it will say, ‘contact us’.

I dreamed I was out town at a writer’s conference. I was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but my room was full of noisy people, laughing and talking. Even though I was wearing a nightgown and carrying a pillow, went out into the hall of the hotel. As it frequently happens in dreams, the scene changed suddenly and I was in a large auditorium standing in the wings of the stage. I had become smaller, the size of a child, and my pillow was more like a “Linus blanky”. Someone introduced Oprah and she stepped to the podium. She was big and she was beautiful. I wanted to get her attention so I called her name. Oprah ignored me but I was persistent and continued to call her. Finally, she noticed me and smiled that wonderful smile of hers. I went up to her and she gave me a big hug. There was something I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t remember what it was. She turned away to leave and I called out, “No don t leave. I have something to ask you!” But, she waved and went off stage and I knew it was too late. Then, I woke up.

When I am home in the afternoon, I turn on the TV to watch Oprah. The list of interesting guest can go on and on so there is much to learn from watching the Oprah Show. I also like and admire Oprah as a person. She uses her money, her show and her influence to help people. And everyone loves a Cinderella story, a story about someone from a disadvantaged beginning who makes it big by using talents and intelligence.

I’ve been thinking about Oprah a lot lately, thus the dream. I have a serious complaint about her TV show. I believe she has completely neglected the group of women in their seventies. In every show about women’s issues, women in their twenty’s, thirty’s, forty’s, fifty’s, and sixty’s are mentioned. Women in their seventy’s are never included. Why? Are we invisible? No, we are not. We are the largest group in that age category ever in history, and in a few years when more of the baby boomers kick in, we’ll be even larger. Some of us are still working; we are healthy, active, and creative. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

To give two examples, there was a program a while ago about the style of jeans women should wear at a particular age. The twenty’s through sixty’s were mentioned. What? We don’t wear jeans? In fact we were the first teenagers to wear jeans as a fashion statement. Recently, Rita Wilson, the actress, was on Oprah’s show. She spoke on how women should dress at difference stages of their life. Ages mentioned were twenty to sixty and women in these age groups modeled outfits. The seventy’s woman was left out again.

Since we represent a very large group of consumers, how can the Oprah Show overlook us? How can the sponsors of the show let it happen? Maybe it’s our fault. We have been silent and it’s time for us to speak out. I have written to Oprah three times. She probably never saw my emails since I never received a response. Whoever reads her mail didn’t take it seriously. I intend to write again and to send her a copy of this column.

If you are in my age group and agree with me, write to Oprah and express your feelings. You can make a comment on her website at www.oprah.com/contact us.html Click under ‘The Oprah Show” and it will take you to a link where you can email the producers. Any of you younger senior women can write, too. After all, you will be seventy one day. And you guys can write to support your wife, sister, or mother. The seventy- plus age women deserve to be recognized. Maybe we deserve a whole Oprah show just about us.

I found two addresses for those of you who prefer to write by US mail: Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Productions, P.O. Box 909715, Chicago, Il 60690 and Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Studios, 1058 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607. Phone: (313) 633-1000.

Since I am a writer and a storyteller, it should be no surprise that I am fascinated by words.  After all, words are the tools of my trade.  When I come across an interesting word, one that is very descriptive or just because I like the way it sounds, I copy it on a piece of paper and save in a file. Some examples are sobriquet, plink, antimacassar, chalet, and molten. I do the same for phrases that intrigue me. Here’s a three I copies recently: ‘the spiked foot of lightning’,  ‘His smile suggested a disdain for toothpaste’, ‘ terror ran through her like a river’. I don’t know what I am going to do with these words and phrases.   Use them sometime, I guess.

Once in a while, I run across a word that annoys me. Preternatural is one of these  annoying words.  I have seen it in books quite a bit lately. I just don’t like the sound of it.  Don’t run to the dictionary.  The definition is –beyond what is natural, strange, abnormal, inexplicable -. Why don’t they use strange, abnormal, inexplicable, or even just unnatural? I think writers use preternatural to make their readers think they’re really smart. Maybe I should use it.

Another annoying word is “boyfriend(girlfriend) when used by a person of a certain age. When we are in high school, we may have a boyfriend(girlfriend).  It’s still appropriate in college.  It can be used even up to forty years of age, but after that, I don’t think so.  I ran into an acquaintance recently. I don’t know her age, but she looked as if she has been collecting social security for a while. She introduced the man with her as her ‘boyfriend’.  The guy looked more like somebody’s grandfather instead of somebody’s boyfriend.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against love for seniors.  In fact, I am all for it. What I am saying is I think there is a need for another word to describe someone who is more than a friend for middle agers and older who are single. Therefore, I am enlisting the help of you, my readers.
Here are some words that can be used as an alternative:

1.  Friend: Yes, this can be used, but it doesn’t denote the intimacy that may be desired.        
2. Partner: I would wonder if this couple is close. This word sounds more like a business arrangement.
3. Significant Other: This clearly explains the relationship but it is too long and clumsy to my thinking. I would prefer a single word.
4. Companion: One of the better choices and may be okay but it sounds as if they are living together or married, and we’re talking about single couples dating.
5. Lover: This word is being used a lot in books.  If someone introduced me to their ‘lover’, my writer’s imagination would immediately see them in a compromising situation, and I don’t want that picture in my head.

Dear  readers, what do you think?  None in the above list is perfect.  Can you come up with a short descriptive word for single couples over forty?  We can begin to use it and eventually it may find its way in the dictionary. Webster’s Dictionary added over 100 new words in 2009. Why not our new word?

To quote Savannah’s favorite son, the late, great John Herndon Mercer, “Hooray and Hallelujah.”

On Nov. 28, two days before the deadline, I completed 50,243 words for the National Novel Writing Month Project, NaNoWriMo. If you think because I finished early and with a few words to spare that it was easy, you’d be wrong. There was much teeth grinding, hand wringing, head banging and un-lady like language along with the many, many hours at the computer.

Close to the end of the month of November, I was literally empty of words; I was “wrote out.” My purpose was to have a rough draft of a memoir about my mother, and, although I had written everything I knew about her early life and everything I remembered from the time I was old enough to be aware of her as my mother, I still didn’t have enough words.

I didn’t want to give up. I couldn’t give up. It would have been embarrassing since I had elected to share my project with the readers of Closeup.

I went back over the manuscript and added details, embellished the stories of Mama’s life, but it was still not enough.

I reached out to family, my brother and my three children, to send me stories of what they remembered about my mother.

My brother, Pete, and my number one daughter, Dori, came through with memories of their relationship with Mama. I got nothing from my other two offsprings.

What I received from Dori and Pete helped. I added their memories, in my own words of course, but it still wasn’t enough. On Thanksgiving Day, I was approximately 3,000 words short.

That evening, I sat at the computer and dug deep. Yes, I had recorded the facts, but where was the emotion? What did I feel about this woman who was my mother?

I wrote until late in the night. The next morning, I still needed 983 words. I took my mug of coffee to the computer and sat there and wrote until I was done.

According to the NaNoWriMo Web site, the total count of words collected this year is 2,427,190,537. There were 167,150 participants. From that number, 32,173 writers met the required 50,000 words or more and were deemed winners.

I am curious to know how many other Savannah writers participated, but I don’t have that information. I did read in the “stats” that Atlanta was one of the areas with a high number of participants.

Also, it was announced that $651,159 in donations has been sent in from participants. NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization.

What did I gain from this experience? I gained a sense of accomplishment that I could finish a difficult writing task. I have a manuscript, albeit very disorganized, that may be a book someday.

At the very least, there is now a written record of my mother’s life that my children and grandchildren can enjoy and pass on to future generations.

Will I work on the manuscript any time soon? No. I put the manuscript in a manila envelope, all 140 double spaced pages, and placed it on a shelf in my closet.

I don’t want to look at it for a long time.

Do I want to sign up for NaNoWriMo again? No way! But then, one should never say never.

Original article can be found here.

It’s Nov. 20 and I am two-thirds of the way to the finish line, writing a novel for the National Novel Writing Program, aka NaNoWriMo.

For those of you who didn’t read my article in the Closeup on Nov. 18, I should explain that I am attempting to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. It will be a rough draft only. In order to reach the target amount of words, I have to produce at least 1,667 words each day.

What will I gain if I do this? The personal satisfaction of completing a difficult project, 50,000 words toward a memoir that I want to write and, oh yes, NaNoWriMo will send me a certificate.

The last 10 days have been easier than the first 10 days. There was more time to write, as I wasn’t as busy and there was no computer crisis. I did have a cold last week. Even though it was uncomfortable for a few days, it worked to my advantage because I didn’t leave the house for a couple of days, therefore, I spent more time writing. Because of this, I made up the 542 words I was behind and have 1,600 words more than my target number for Nov. 20.

I’ve even had time to read the e-mails from other NaNoWriMo writers, giving advice and support. The e-mails were interesting, but not a lot of help. I found the one by Lynda Barry, who is a writer and artist, rather curious. She advises writing the novel by hand. She says that there is a kind of story that comes from writing by hand that makes the experience more lifelike.

She claims that the physical activity of writing by hand involves many parts of the brain which are used in story making, such as time, place, action, characters and relationships. She also advised not to read over what has been written for a few days; a week is best.

Here’s my problem with her advice: In writing by hand, the writer would have to eventually type the manuscript to send it to NaNoWriMo to be counted so that would take additional time, and time is of the essence with this project.

As for the second piece of advice, yes it is good to set your work aside and look at it again after a couple of days, but again, in this project, time is very important and quantity is more important than quality.

Lynda, your advice is good but not suitable for this project.

The book I hope to eventually write will be a memoir about my mother, Theodora Turner, who died last year at the age of 98. She was one of the thousands of strong and courageous women who left their families behind in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s and followed their husbands to America to start a new life. Many of these women never saw their families again because of World War II. They didn’t know the language and most were not well educated, but they worked to give their children more opportunities and a better standard of life.

I want to honor her, and the many like her, by telling her story. The problems she faced and how she adapted to the American way of life will be the theme of the book.

I have one concern about the next 10 days. I’ve been writing so fast since the first of November, that I find I have finished my story. Many times, in my hurry to produce the required number of words, I’ve written only the bare facts. Now, I have to go back to elaborate and put in details that were left out.

In the next 10 days, I need approximately 14,000 words to reach the 50,000 required amount. Will I be able to do it? We’ll find out together.

Can I write a novel in one month? This is what I’m attempting by registering on NaNoWriMo, the acronym for National Novel Writing Month. I heard about the program from a friend and checked out the Web site.

The rules are simple. I only have to write 1,667 words every day during the month of November. By midnight, Nov. 30, I should have 50,000 words. It has to be original work; no previously written work can be included.

NaNoWriMo was started as a fun project in 1999 by Chris Baty, together with group of 20 other writers in the San Francisco Bay area. In the second year when a Web site was built, 140 people participated. It has continued to grow each year. Last year 120,000 people registered. Out of that number, 20,000 writers finished with 50,000 words.

This is a by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach to writing. Quantity, not quality, is what matters. No, it won’t be good, but it will be a rough draft of a novel. Rewriting, refining and correcting can come later.

Motivational messages are sent by e-mail three times a week from staff or published authors. I haven’t had time to read those. Participants can contact others in the program to see how they are coming along or for support. I haven’t had time to do that, either. But I do sign into the program each evening to put in my total word count in a little box next to my user name.

The first day of November fell on a Sunday. Since I didn’t have any plans for the afternoon and evening, I wrote 3,129 words on that day. I haven’t been able to duplicate this number on another single day, because the first two weeks of November were very busy for me. I had already contracted with Live Oak Public Library to visit six schools to publicize their Children’s Book Festival held on Nov. 14. I had two previously scheduled doctor appointments, and my column for Coastal Senior was due.

To confirm Murphy’s Law, which says if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong, my desktop computer crashed and I have had to use a laptop, which I dislike. The keyboard is different and the prompts are all in the wrong place. It really slows me down.

Then, the sunroof on my car got stuck in the open position, and I had to take precious writing time to have it repaired. Of course, the everyday chores – like going to the market, washing clothes, paying bills and cleaning house – had to be done.

But I don’t recommend a white glove test on my furniture right now.

It’s now Nov. 10, and I am one-third into the program. I have written on my novel every day except the first Thursday of the month. That was the day my computer fizzled, and I had two school visitations. I should have 16,666 words; however, I am 542 words short. I believe that I can catch up because the rest of the month will not be as busy.

Even if I don’t, what do I have to lose? If I have only 25,000 words toward my novel at the end of November, it will be 25,000 more than I had before I started.

After Nov. 20, I will report on my progress during the second third of the NaNoWriMo Program. Wish me luck.