Missing the Lunar Eclipse

On March 2nd, my family and I went outside to admire the moon and cloud coverage. We were also trying out Papa Bear's new camera. The sky was so beautiful! We made a pact to watch the skies the following evening to see the lunar eclipse. Unfortunately, we all got side tracked and forgot :( Below are a few photos from Friday night. I am including a photo of me in the batch only because my 6 year old took it and he is insisting I display his work too.

JI Basketball News

The City of Charleston's Youth Basketball Season ends with a STING!!!

Mary began playing basketball on a City of Charleston team since the age of six. This year her team was "The Sting" and they came in first place with a 10-0 record. Not bad considering the team only has 6 players and the league plays 3 on 3. The coaches went out of their way to make certain that skill levels and age groups were evenly divided so that everyone gets the opportunity to improve their skills.

The biggest problem in Charleston Youth Sports is getting girls interested in sports. The second biggest problem is getting parents to participate. Many of the coaches become coaches out of necessity. Most of the coaches move up and around the leagues with their children. Mary's coach handled three teams himself. How admirable considering the enormous amount of time he gives for these kids. Does he get a break now? No way! Softball combines begin tonight.

Mary finding a way to get by.....

The Generals charge through the seen Victorious!!

Miles began his basketball career at the age of five. Admittedly, he was a little to young for the sport then. Much to my chagrin, many of the other parents looked on him as comic relief. Yes, he really climbed the back wall during a game, and the other kids mimicked him and he could provoke an on court dog pile. One time a young referee carried him down the court to get him in position more quickly - after which he purposely modified his antics to get that repeated. His favorite thing was to pull his shorts up past his underwear and spin in circles until he would fall down.

Thankfully he is older and clowns around much less. He does like to be the one with the ball as opposed to the alternative.

One thing I do like about the younger leagues as that when one team scores, both teams score. This is supposed to keep the competitive spirit down so the kids can have fun while they learn the game. Secretly, though, all the kids are keeping score over who made which baskets.

As soon as it comes down, that ball is mine!

Did someone say a trophy party?!

Mary on Mary

Mary just completed her report on Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. Mother Jones was initially chosen because Mary found her name while skimming through the index of her social studies book for an idea. She liked the fact that Mother Jones referred to herself as a hell raiser. Mary's teacher confided that this was the first time any student has chosen Mother Jones as a famous American topic.

Along with the written and oral report, Mary had to depict her famous American using a paper doll. I was reading through her note cards and noticed that she mentioned that her doll is how she imagined Mother Jones looked in her 40's when she began wearing velvet and lace. I asked whether the doll really looked like any woman in her 40's. Mary replied, "Sure, why not?" I then asked her whether the doll looked older or younger than her teacher and suggested that her oral grade would be much improved if she aged the doll by another 20 years.

Ben Franklin by Miles

Both of my children have famous American Projects due this month, which partially involved making paper doll depictions. My six year old decided his project would be on Ben Franklin. He has to write a short paper, read it out loud to the class, and present his doll.

What you can't see is that there is more clay than just the hands, feet and nose. My son decided it would be more interesting to have a clay body to fill out the clothes. Only the face was left from this folly. The result is his doll does not lay flat. It's hard to tell in this photo until you notice that the hands do cast a shadow.

Next, as soon as she finishes, will be Mary on Mary Harris Jones. My daughter is very proud of this choice and she seems to be developing quite an activist spirit.

On Being Alive & Falling in Love

Tonight I went to happy hour with four coworkers & Mom after work. A few weeks ago my office of twelve decided that we would meet together regularly on Thursdays. It's not required, just a time to get to know one another informally. Anyone can join us, so Mom eagerly looks forward to Thursdays so that she can have an hour or two with me to herself. We seem to migrate toward Fatz in North Charleston where Pat, the bartender, can be heavy handed with his pours He is also friendly, easy to talk to, and is ready to assist any whim of trivia. Mom said if she were just forty years younger she would be all over him.....good gracious!

Anyway, tonight I was talking to a colleague who is one of two cancer survivors in the office. He was telling me about how he constantly hears people moaning and groaning about trivial matters. He is good with pep talks and turning negative moods around. His approach is that life is hard, and he feels that what irks many people is irrelevant when you look at the full spectrum of possibility. If you wake up alive, it is a good day.

Yeah, I know there are bad things out in the world. If it bothers you enough to complain, then act! If you do not like the politics of the day, then vote, get involved, run for office, but don't complain and do nothing. OK, I have already gotten WAYYY off my intent in writing this post. The intent is I am alive. It is a good day. In general I am a positive thinking person. Talking to another with a positive attitude made me consider everything I have for which I am very thankful.

In a nutshell I am a positive person because I have the most wonderful family in the whole world. On a daily basis I vividly recall the summer I fell in love with Papa Bear. I worked with him for a year at the Mills House before we dated. He ran the Best Friend Lounge and I handled the Front Desk and weekend Night Audit. We both worked late and were serenaded most nights by Carroll Brown.

I remember our first date was the summer of 1992. We met at AC's after work, and then went to Frankie's diner. It was the first time I had ever had a beer with French toast. I remember receiving a kiss as a test to see if I was OK to drive. The second date was over a bottle of champagne that we shared while watching the sunrise at Diago Park on Folly Beach. Diago Park is near the old Coast Guard Station...where recent complaints of erosion have been made by new residents who are in denial about what beaches do....prior to their building a house past the dunes, there was a sign in the parking lot leading to their house that once read "Diagonal Parking". For years this sign was faded and torn in half leaving only the words "Diago Park".

Oour third date that continues to make me smile. We met at Marianne's and spent hours staring into each others eyes while talking silly love struck talk where pasts, present and futures merged together in a queasy blur. We moved over to the Best Friend Lounge to listen to Carroll and ignored all of the raised eyebrows of wonder regarding the hows and whys of our being there together. Then we walked and walked all over downtown. We admired and critiqued the window displays of every antique and art dealer we passed. When we turned onto King Street, I dragged him giggling (err, I was giggling) over to the old Woolworth's building to show him my brick. Back in the mid-80's, Mom bought me a brick for Christmas. It has my name on it and was on a far end lined up with the second "W" in Woolworth....when Woolworth's was still there. Because it was on an end where tires often run over it, the top surface was becoming smooth. You could still just make out my name. Papa Bear got down on his knees and kissed that brick. OMG! How can you not love someone who kisses your brick?

The only time he ever topped this was about five months before we were married. He stopped and bought me flowers from one of the lady's near the market. He asked her if a love spell could be put on those flowers. The flower lady laid hands and words on those flowers, then looked at him real serious like and told him to be careful - for whoever he gives those flowers to would have no choice but to love him forever. I tell you that I love Papa Bear because he is the most wonderful, handsome and considerate man I have ever met - now you can believe it is a magical love spell if you want. I would stake that it is partially the magic of falling in love in Charleston and partially a sense of finding exactly that person you never imagined you'd find.

The Art of Blogging

If you were to visit my downstairs bathroom, you would find three prints which I have seen so often that I rarely give any of them much thought....until two nights ago. Two nights ago I was dozing off for the evening when I thought I fell over a brilliant idea. It was a potential blog name for Papa Bear. Papa Bear has a gift for the written word, but he is an awful typist. If he were to blog it would be because I set his blog up for him, but all the conditions would have to be absolutely perfect to entice him to hunt and peck in his own virtual world. I really thought I had found the perfect title, but I was wrong....oh so VERY wrong!

In an effort to distract you for just a bit, I will introduce you to the two prints in our very tiny bathroom that were never up for consideration in the name game. The first is your typical floral print as shown below:

Written along the bottom is Pisci Odorosa (Physh family) Usually found in wet situations. Blossom has slightly scaly texture. Not suitable for long lasting arrangements.

This picture has an off-white border with an oak trim. It appears to have been purchased from Tidwell Art Gallery at 321 King Street. There is a signature on the back that is not decipherable. I believe the signature has everything to do with the frame and nothing to do with the print. I know that Papa Bear received this as a gift from his sister over 20 year ago. I queried "Pisci Odorosa" just moments ago and wound up with this eBay listing for a 1973 book entitled How Does Your Garden Grow? Nonsense Flowers...it was the only listing......ummmm...I pressed the Buy It Now! Button.....AAACCCKKKKK!!! $14.99 + S&H just seemed like a great deal considering the situation. I've decided I can either create my own art from the prints, add it to my book collection next to my Edward Lear A Book of Nonsense or give it to Papa Bear's sister as a present somewhere down the line. I think I've caused enough damage here. Let's move to the next picture:

This is Mary's favorite picture entitled "Ce que c'est practique!" ou "How Practical". It is printed on Kodak High Gloss paper and was purchased from Petterson Antiques, 201 King Street after 1986 and before 1992. I do not know the history of this, but an interesting detail I did just discover is that the frontside of an envelope was used to make a paper backing for the frame. On the backside of the envelope is scrawled Sure doesn't get any closer than this! Does it! -Daniel G. Petterson. Inside the envelope is a wedding invitation to his marriage ceremony with June Elizabeth Caldwell on 12/28/1986......does anyone know if he ever got married?

OK, so on we move to the last picture which may be more widely known than the other two.

This one is called The Frugal Repast by Pablo Picasso. It, too, was a gift to Papa Bear over fifteen years ago.....and what a cool name for a blog! He could feed us whatever size morsel he cared to, or not. Ah, but I never realized his feelings surrounding this print. His analysis of the scene was one of imminent separation. He sees a man clutching his love. Her glass is full and she doesn't need him. His glass is empty, the empty wine bottle is on his side, he desperately needs her, but the tighter he holds her, the more likely she will leave. With this depiction in mind there is no way Papa Bear would ever blog on a site that generates such negativity.

I still like the blog idea...oh well. I am in the process of redirecting the scene above as I see it. I think, like all art, you bring to the viewing your own baggage. How you see the art is based upon what was going on with you when you first considered the art. As this is the first week that I have actually considered this piece of work, I am still open to impressions about it. What I see is a couple who have been together for a long time. They are very comfortable together. The is woman burdened - maybe someone close to her has died, or she has just been laid off or her last child has left home or perhaps it is just late and she is tired. Whatever the case she has no appetite. The man is trying to console her. His hands are holding her gently. The bottle of wine is on his side because he just poured the last bit of wine in her glass. The man is looking away because he is distracted. It seems that both are waiting.

I think I see mutual contentment in this work because I am content in my own relationship. Without looking up anything on the periods of Picasso's life, what do you see?

Butler Family Reunion of 1917

I am posting the below photo for Naomi. It was taken three years before she was born. She is about 87 and is my 1st cousin 3 times removed. I understand that she has recently viewed Rose Butler's photo album and may be able to identify a few of those folks that I could not. I am hoping that seeing some of these faces will put a smile on her face and warm her with memories.



This photo is a copy of the original. The names of everyone here is listed on a piece of cardboard behind the photo along with a note that partially reads: "names written as Coreta Geiger Weekley gave them on 7/15/81 at reunion. Taken at George & Augusta (SPECK) Butler's house in Sparta, Ohio in August of 1917 at reunion. Walk in front is made of wood and spreads across & around house to outhouse. Barn in background belongs to them." There is also mention of notes on the original photo from the 1935 & 1939 reuinions listing the passing of 11 & 18 family members.

Coreta, my great grandmother & Naomi's 1st cousin, identified her family as follows:

Bottom Row L-R: Donald Hatton holding John Wesley Butler (Naomi's brother), next Hazel Reed, Dorothy Scarborough holding Chester Scarborough & Hoy Reed, Aunt Mary Geiger (Coreta's sister, I think the writer was taking liberties here), Floyd Shepard, Enice Shepard, Mom-Coreta Geiger- 14 yrs old.

2nd row L-R: Al Scarborough & wife Lizzie holding Lloyd Reed, Dan Butler (cousin) & wife, Great Uncle John Butler (who our uncle was named after) Mary E. Butler, Guorge & Augustus (SPECK) Butler, Uncle Henry E & Aunt Bell Butler (2nd wife of Henry), Kate Kraft

3rd row L-R: Aunt Luella & Uncle William Butler (Naomi's parents), Lena Ryan Duff (raised by Clarence Butler), Annie & John Reed, Clarence & Ora Butler (son of Henry E. Butler), Rella & Aunt Stella Hatton, Oren & Mildred Scarborough (mother of twins), John Trease & wife Ritha DIll, Burt Kraft (Lady on 2nd row's son), Grandpa & Grandma Shepard (Coreta's mother - Rose Butler Geiger Shepard & stepfather William Shepard who she considered her father - the writer is taking liberties again)

4th row L-R: Uncle John A. Butler, Kenneth Trease, Ray Butler (son of Henry E. Butler)

I'm not certain when my print was made. I am only hazarding to guess that it was reprinted in 1981 for members of that reunion when Coreta identified everyone. It is slightly fuzzy, but if any relative would like me to - I'd have absolutely no qualms with sending a reprinted reprint.