Labor Day

Happy Labor Day - or hopefully the lack thereof for your day!

We're in Wildwood for the long weekend - today was the annual Neely Pig Roast, each year somehow tops the last - this was the best ever... in attendance: an 85+ crowd, live music, gobs of food, flowers, family, friends, a pack of dogs, and a solitary horse

I saw so many folks not seen for ages - old friends, neighbors, aunts, uncles, and of course with the extended Wildwood Neely clan: cousins!! once removed, twice removed, first, second, third - I soaked in all the good vibes & flitted around like the social butterfly I love to be - snapping pictures - making small talk - eating! - taking it all in - making memories - BEING part of something that is of great value to me: a multi-generational community

This recharges my batteries - in Richmond Hill I know practically no one - I feel incredibly isolated - I am only a shadow lurking, no one - to come home & be part of a group where I am known & part of the common memory feels wonderful - what it really is, is to be loved

Anyone read The Education of Little Tree ? - it was on the table in Granddaddy's den, just picked it up last night & starting reading...

'

my goofy child

Forsyth Park

We went to Forsyth Park today in Savannah hoping to meet up with some other mothers/children - we were quite late & missed the group, but did some great exploring around the park - it is HUGE - if you mapquest Savannah, it is the big green rectangle right in the middle of the city:

"Forsyth Place was the first large park created in Savannah. Stylistically, the park was influenced by the urban renewal of Paris in the nineteenth century, when broad boulevards and parks were created."

Anyways, at least we got out of the house today - I'm learning how to get around Savannah & found a recycling center to take our growing stash (appallingly enough, Savannah does not recycle either - WTF??, the center I found is run by a private company) - and found a Goodwill drop off to take the huge box of stuff I've decided I don't need anymore (you'd think eventually I'd run out of this 'stuff')

We visited Brighter Day for the second time today, it's akin to Phoenix or the Daily (of Athens) - I walked in and felt relaxed... a feeling of something I know - they have great prices on organic produce (99 cent/pound potatoes) - but like many natural foods stores, their dry shelf goods are sometimes overpriced

I'll be packing our bags to depart for Wildwood tomorrow - there's a little sadness as I think of being there & knowing I'm not going to see Eddie - (I always try to find he & Deanna to see what sort of trouble we can get into) - knowing he's not gonna be there to pick up when I wanna slip away & drive over to Forest Hill - that's gonna get me - an empty place/space where someone I loved is just out of reach

my child at the park

Nothing too exciting to report here... boring... still a little blah around here. Tired of unpacking. Tired of this routine already. Thought it'd be different when we got here. Same shit, different day. I'm working thru the red tape to get Levi in Montessori - still looks like another week to wait.

His sleep patterns are all wacky - maybe with the move, new bed, ect... we've had a few nights that resembled a newborn (or even worse) - waking us up no less than 15 times (we took two shifts each with him). Then, there's the emerging problem of even getting him to sleep - we've had two nights in a row now of tantrums & high pitched screaming.

Getting a few nights of decent sleep would do me wonders.

Day 8

I had a whole post ready to publish & due to a processing error the entire thing is gone now... errrr :

Just a quick recap: Aunt Belinda spent the weekend with us - a lovely visit & a great help watching Levi while we made some progress unpacking - I made my first visit to the beach today & found that Tybee is right at 30 miles from the house - which equates to about a 45 minute car ride - a little longer than I would have guessed but still not bad for an afternoon at the beach

We're making our first roadtrip from the new locale this weekend for the annual Neely Labor Day Pig Roast - and I promise some picture posts soon - just not making much computer time lately - I've gone from checking e-mail 20+ times a day (in Athens) to a quick check once a day here

Greetings from Richmond Hill

The internet & cable was connected today, so I'm finally back in touch with the world - and apparently there's a hurricane about to hit us...

After a harrowing Friday/Saturday, we arrived in Richmond Hill Saturday evening - I hadn't seen the house besides the few pictures Joe sent me & thankfully, I really like it

I've been here now for five days & I'm in a funk - feeling run down & grouchy - displaced & disoriented - I'm still thinking about Eddie's death - I'm finding even little setbacks here are frustrating - it's not helping that it's rained every day since arriving

And I'm ABSOLUTELY floored that our new county of residence, Bryan, has NO recycling program - not even the first collection site - those of you who know me, know that I am an ardent recycler - I was told there was a county recycling program & funding was discontinued for it - I cannot even fathom this - what wretched godforsaken place does not have recycling?

Checking in

I haven't gotten a chance to post in several days - the phone & internet have already been turned off at our home here in Athens - I feel lost without it - the UHaul is scheduled to be picked up on Friday - and we'll be loaded & ready to go on Saturday morn

The last days have been very difficult for me - a dear friend of mine was shot on Saturday and died Monday - I am going to Chattanooga tomorrow morning for visitation and a funeral on Friday - Eddie Vinson, only 29, shot and killed by his father

Craig's List junkie

I've been spending way too much time on craigslist lately - selling & buying - mostly furniture & it's very addictive - I parted with a couch this week & gained a bunk bed (full on the bottom, twin on the top - to add a few extra beds for you visitors headin' to Savannah!) -

Also, freecycling all sorts of random and bizzare items out of my attic - successfully I might add - for every item you're about to toss into the trash, there is someone out there looking for that very item!

Never freecycled?!??... check it out - there are local freecycles all across the country - it saves tons (literally) of 'stuff' from going into a landfill - everything from that half used box of dishwasher detergent to the concrete driveway you just broke up...

Insanity

It has been an absolute struggle to get anything done today... I'm packing boxes in the front room & Levi's got the floor vent cover off in the back room stuffing the ductwork with every toy he can get his hands on - I'm painting in the back room & Levi's eating dogfood in the kitchen - I'm sending emails & he's in the bathtub quietly pouring bathwater cup by cup into the bathroom floor... and so it goes...

This is week 3 of Joe's absence & we've got to make it to the end of week 4 before Joe returns & we MOVE!

Ten days left to go...

Saturday in Athens

one of my last - dry hot outside - cold six of Milk Stout inside - ran across an old cassette tape recording of Bill, Joe, Stoccel, & Jimbo - June & July 1998 - incredible memories - dancing remembering floating - where did those days go - did I realize how magical they were when they were happening - the fabulous musicians that group contained - dreaming hippies new Athens freedom no worries no stopping us

1998 at the Burntstone

Nicole & Joe - 1996 at Creswell dorm

Family

Recent family pic...