the opera and miss alice

No, this was not a kickstarter event.
Rather, "Alice Ryley" is an English opera about the Irish lass who became the ghost of Wright Square, right here in Savannah.
The sad story of Alice Ryley (aka Riley) occurred in the early days of Savannah's beginnings, back in the 1930's. A poor lass, she came to America as an indentured servant and worked for a cruel master, William Wise. She was in love with Richard White, an Irishman who had traveled on the ship with her and who was also an indentured servant to the evil old man. One day, the pair have had enough of the torture - and Richard kills their master.
Richard pays with his neck in a noose.
Alice would have met the same fate had she not been pregnant.
Instead, the jailors allow her to bear the child...and then she is hanged.
The story goes that she wanders Wright Square, where she met her fate, looking for her son.
Sadly, the child died shortly after she did.
The tale is oft told by the many tour guides that lead Savannah's visitors through the squares on dark evenings.
The primary reason the tale is so popular is no doubt because Alice was the first woman hanged in Savannah.
The one-act piece based on her short time in America was commissioned in honor of Sherrill Milnes' 80th birthday, as well as the 50th Anniversary of his career. That was in 2015, the same year that the Savannah Music Festival partnered with the Savannah VOICE Program to bring the two Puccini operas that I so loved!
The opera about Miss Ryley, written by Michael Ching, had its premiere performance at the Savannah VOICE Festival last year. Sadly, I was unable to go. (As I recall, it was held on a Wednesday evening.)
Fast forward to this year's SVF.
This year, the opera was featured on August 16th, a Tuesday, at 5:30 pm, in late afternoon.
A Tuesday!
That meant I could go!
So I bought my ticket to see this special piece performed for the second time ever.
That was two weeks ago.
Instead of attending, however, I was still on the shuttle, returning from the VA Hospital in Charleston.
There was no possible way for me to see the 55-minute opera.
So, rather than ask for my money to be returned, I am treating it as a gift to the festival, in honor of my birthday:58.
(By the way, it is the year of birthday:58 for the author of the opera, too!)
Here's hoping that my forty dollar donation will allow more VOICES to be raised in the glory of song!

hellyfish and kiteboarding, too!

It's been almost a year since the mailman brought it to me.
That's a mighty long time to tread water.

Today, I finally reached
the shallows, giving me time
to view my dvd copy
of the Golden Shovel-winning
"Hellyfish"!
Actually, I had viewed it
months ago, on my laptop.
That screen wasn't
large enough for
that much action.
I needed to have the
silver screen experience,
or some close approximation
of that.

This afternoon, I'm sitting at my first niece's house, waiting on the ice-maker repairman for her...and having access to her big screen television.
Beautiful!
I began with the final item on the menu: "Kiteboarding".
What a lovely three-minute segment! Mike Brady creates his own berms and literally shreds the wavefronts as he soars betwixt ocean and sky!
Thanks, guys!
Then I launched into the extras.
What a lot there were!
"Behind The Scenes" gave me some shots of the actors test-driving their running, leaping, splashing, and twitching skills, accompanied by the green screens. Fun!

"Visual Effects" was
incredible to watch,
but I have to admit
that I didn't understand
much of it.
Great music, though!

"Outtakes" and "Photo Gallery"
were next on my perusal list.
Those provided a new appreciation of the work involved in getting that perfect coordination between the action and the background. Also, I hadn't realized the triplets were played by one girl!


Then I dove right into the movie itself, once more. So much hot-blooded summer fun! Sure the jellyfish were horrific, as they normally are, but the scene was pure Tybee Beach, inhabited by folks I know or have seen before. There was JinHi Soucy Rand, as a "Wise Fisherwoman", made up as a weatherbeaten, cigar-chomping, crone on the pier! And that was Anthony Paderewski, as a slickster trying to score some action under a beach blanket! And I know I've seen some of those kids and that sea captain and that news chick before!
Good story, too! And the title sequence - beautiful! Having the lost nuclear bomb morph into a streaming jellyfish was so well done!

Animated story board end credits were a nice change-up, too!
Wow!
So, being so pleased with all I had seen,
I then clicked on something I never watch:
"Director's Commentary".
Usually, I loathe such things.
Talking over the movie? Pointing out plot items? Demystifying the aura?
No, thank you.

But, not this time.
As well-steeped as I was in the movie,
I actually enjoyed their sidemarks.
And I very much enjoyed
learning what shots were
pure serendipity at work,
not in the original script at all.

I tell you, the wait was well worth it.
Every last minute of it.
Congratulations, y'all!
I am so proud
to have been a
kickstarter supporter
of this project!
I truly am.

my invention's journey begins

I don't think I'm allowed to say much about it at this time, but...
I have created an educational tool for one of my students!
For Sale By Inventor is handing the research - for $598 - to see if what I have created may already exist, somewhere, out there.
The only reason I am pursuing this course of action is because three people told me I should patent my invention.
My rule of thumb is this: if three people give me the same advice but on separate occasions, then that advice should be regarded as solid and true.
I just wanted to let y'all know that something was in the works.
(smile)

atomic size matters to me!

Truly, I had meant to write last summer.
I truly did.
But I would get a few pages into the book and realize that I wasn't following her train of thought. I was rolling off the track like oranges off a messy stack.
Perhaps it was because I was on vacation.
But no, I don't think that was it.
Perhaps it was because I was busy with weddings in South Carolina and Tennessee.
Then again, I doubt that would have deterred me for this long.
No.
The true reason is this: I allowed the words to get in the way.
But I finally saw through the smokescreen that language can impose.
After all, re-purposing of language is not a new concept. Every field of study, every career, every line of work in the world has its own set of jargon.
But once I recognized that the Old French were correct in their assessment of jargon as "chatter", I embraced the new words Veronica was using. After all, the words themselves were not new, simply the way in which the words were used.
"Bigga bada boom," as Leeloo would say.
In other words, I caught the gist of what Veronica Berns was saying.
What a success!
That's all she was trying to accomplish with the book!
I encourage you to get your own copy of "Chemical Pressure and Its Applications to the Tsai-Type Quasicrystal, or... Atomic Size Matters" here.
Surely that title is no more daunting than "The Effect of Molecular and Morphological Structure on the Tensile Properties of the Linear Polyethylenes".
That was the handle I gave to my doctoral thesis, en route to my Doctorate of Philosophy in Analytical Chemistry.
"Molecular Shape and Size Matter" would have been more friendly.
But our actual titles had to have the jargon added for the sake of our peers, to make us sound smarter, to make us sound like we belong in that particular club or career or trade or ivory tower.
Clearly, she and I are both real people, living in a real world, and trying to communicate our passions to all and not just to a select few.
Good for her!
Even so, here are some words of advice for future readers of the book.
"Chemical Pressure" refers to the strain caused by atoms being too close together or too far apart for optimal (i.e., "low") bonding energy.
(Try to remember that nature loves low energy states, just like we do.)
When the atoms are too close together, the chemical pressure is positive and causes a spring-like effect to force the atoms away from each other. In other words, positive chemical pressure blows the atoms apart.
When the atoms are too far apart, the chemical pressure is negative and causes a vacuum-like effect to bring the atoms closer. That means that negative chemical pressure sucks the atoms together.
There.
Now you're ready to read, and enjoy, her entertaining comic approach to chemistry!
(smile!)

discovering catarium with oskar and klaus!

Hooray!
At long last,
I have read the latest adventure
of Oskar and Klaus!

Trust me,
I'm going to be careful
not to give away
any key plot points.
But I do want
to make sure you notice
the C.A.T. on the hill,
just like in Hollywood!
Very cool!

And here,
the little plant
that went to space
to remind them
of home
is busting loose and
growing like a weed...
or should that be
growing like an Audrey II?
(smile!)

The newspaper is
so very full of
actual news!
It even has a
reference to their
good friend,
Bigfoot!
But what I really
like is that new
element on the desk.
I wonder where that
goes on the
Periodic Table?

My many thanks to you adorable felines!
I look forward to reading this book again.
It truly holds a special place in my heart, particularly so as I am teaching chemistry to a blind student this summer semester.
New adventures, of the teaching kind!

(You can enjoy the books, too, by the way. Just follow this link if you are like Klaus and use this one if you are more like Oskar.
Then again, you may prefer to hear the first book, instead!)

changing lives, one pint at a time!

"Your donation is on its way to change lives."
That was the header on the email I received this afternoon.
No, they were not congratulating me for a financial donation.
I had given something much closer to my heart.
I gave blood.
How very nice to be reminded that money is not the only way to help others!
Here's the rest of the email.

"#RedCrossOnTheWay
Share Your Impact
Tell others your blood is on the way to help save lives.


Dear FAUSTINA,

Thank you for giving blood with the American Red Cross on 6/1/2016. After first ensuring that local needs were met, your blood donation was sent to Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, GA to help a patient in need. Your donation is on its way to change lives!

Every day, patients receive blood for a variety of conditions including life-threatening illnesses, blood disorders and traumas. Your blood donations are critical to helping save patients' lives.

On behalf of the hospitals and patients we serve, thank you for being a Red Cross blood donor.

Sincerely,

Mary O'Neill, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
American Red Cross"

DEEP kids in Savannah

(Please note that this is reposted from my usual blog. Why? Because, as a birthday gift for myself, I made a donation of $40 toward the DEEP Center and its encouragement of writing and thinking in today's youth.)

Such bravery on the stage of the Savannah Theatre!
Thirty-nine middle-school children took turns reading their story or poem in front of a full house.
Not all together, mind you.
Individually.
One on stage at any given time.
I was in awe of them.

I remember when I was that age.
I had written some haiku pieces and had been asked to read them at the next school meeting in the gym.
I had freaked out and broken down in tears.
The teacher relented and never asked me to do that again.

Fast forward forty-five years, to today.
I had noticed that the event was coming up and made plans to attend.
I haven't been for a number of years.
Why not?
Well, usually as soon as my grades for the semester are in,
I'm out of town!
Not this time.
I've been much more of a homebody since the hit-and-run.
So, this year, when "DEEP Speaks" rolled around, I rolled on into it.
Such a different venue since I had last attended!
Such a larger event than the inaugural one I had attended at Muse Arts Warehouse!
Both the writing group and the venue had been in their fledgling years in 2009. Or maybe it was 2010? I'm not sure which is correct, but I can tell you this: I bought a copy of every anthology they had. Then, I gave those books to nieces and nephews, to show them what was possible, even if you're just a kid.
Since that time, the program has grown quite nicely and now has some funding on a national level. Congratulations!
I lent my support by purchasing three of the four books by the Spring 2015 writers at the thirteen schools participating in the program.

This was the first book I selected for purchase.
Why did I choose it?
Was it because of the colorful art work?
No, although I must admit I do like the bespectacled pink octopus.
Was it because fishing is one of my favorite activities?
No, no, no.
I haven't been fishing since I was a child.
I never really cared for that sport.

Was it because I knew some of the authors?
No, that wasn't the case, either.
In fact, I knew no one -
I mean absolutely no one -
at this event or affiliated
with the DEEP Center.
I chose this book because
it featured the works
of students from Myers Middle School,
which had been my school
for grades 7, 8, and 9, in the early 1970's.

What about this book?
Did I go to any of the schools of the
authors in this volume?
Nope, I only went to the one middle school.
I did have nephews and nieces
that attended Hesse School K-8
and Isle of Hope School K-8.
But that is not why I chose it.

That unicorn on the cover.
The one with the kid on its back,
the kid reading a book?
Yep. I'm not sure how she's able
to read in the dark, but
younger eyes are better for that.
(smile)
The two dragons are a nice touch, too.
Oops! Make that four dragons,
including the two on the back cover.

And I suppose the dragon
is the reason for the purchase
of this third book?
Yes, indeed!
In for a penny,
in for a pound!
Also, the dragon seems so very playful,
doesn't he?
That emphasizes that reading is fun!

Quite honestly, I don't know why
I didn't go ahead and buy
the fourth book, too.
I simply resisted.
Perhaps if it had a mythical creature,
I would have relented.
Mayhaps I would have if the three schools
had been ones I knew.
After all, I have friends who teach at
three of the four listed on this tome.
Plus, I've volunteered at
East Broad Street School,
reading to children there.
No worries, though.
The Live Oak Public Libraries have copies of the books since 2013.
Maybe you and the kids might look up a tome or two this summer?
Could be inspirational!