To the Class of '91, To Make Much of Time

GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may go marry:
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.

-Robert Herrick, "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time"

Last weekend was a lovely one in Savannah. The temperatures were spring-like, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and we were busy meeting a friend for a casual Italian dinner, walking the dog around the park and seeing Merle Haggard in concert. But my weekend was irrevocably dampened when I learned that a high school classmate -- only 38 years old and the mother to two young girls -- was killed in a single-car accident back in our hometown.

A month or so ago, another classmate formed a Facebook group page dedicated to celebrating our twentieth high school reunion this coming October. All of a sudden, the messages of where and when to have a party shifted to funeral plans and flower arrangements. It's unnerving, being faced with the death of a peer.

In all honesty, when the notice went out about our twentieth reunion, my feelings vacillated between indifference and apprehension. The awkwardness and rejection of seventh grade came roaring back. Will I be accomplished enough in my career? Will old schoolmates judge me because I'm on my second marriage? Let's not even discuss the extra pounds and gray hair that two decades can add to a person. But in this tragic event, I have seen old classmates -- some best friends and some mere acquaintances -- reach out across time and geography to offer words of condolence and support to each other. In short, we have rallied around each other.

Our class was a small one -- 76 people -- in a private school. Many of my classmates and I shared the entire primary education experience with each other, from kindergarten to 12th grade. And while I learned later to appreciate the small-classroom benefits of a liberal arts curriculum, I don't know that I ever have truly appreciated the shared experiences I had with those other 75 people. Until now.

Despite our small class size, we are an amazingly diverse lot. There are those who are married, divorced, with children and child-free. We have a doctor, lawyer, computer programmer, writer, veterinarian, restaurant owner and stay-at-home mom. Gay, straight; Christian, Jew and atheist; conservative, liberal and all shades in between. Hell, we even have a Canadian in our midst.

But here is the fast lesson I have learned within the past 72 hours. It doesn't really matter that we think differently from our former classmates or that we have all taken different life paths or someone wasn't cool enough to sit at our lunch table in the seventh grade. We shared something together that could only be experienced in that place and that time. By virtue of that, we will always be like family, in a strange sort of way.

Because in the end, life happens to all of us. We get laid off from jobs, divorced from our spouse, struggle with an addiction or cope with a problem child. But we also get promotions, get married, overcome adversities and welcome new life into this world. And in both bad and good, we should remember to reach out to our parents, husbands, wives, friends, children, and yes, even those childhood friends from a lifetime ago, and let them know how very much they are valued and loved.

Choppin' Broccoli

My ma's winter garden has been somewhat lackluster (maybe because I like to laze on top of it?), but one thing that has recently sprouted is the broccoli. Click to enlarge and you can see the little broccoli florets peeking out at you.

Did you know that half a cup of cooked broccoli satisfies 80 percent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily dose? In addition, it’s a key source of vitamin K, which helps blood clot properly. It was also named one of the 30 healthiest foods by Real Simple magazine.

My ma likes to steam broccoli and dress it with a little lemon juice, but she said next time she is going to try roasting it, like her friend Miss Jenn suggested. Real Simple recommends tossing it with olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper and roasting it at 375 degrees until tender. Sounds yummy, even to me!

The Lady of Savannah

Civil War forts one weekend, drag queens the next. That's how we roll in this house. Last night my ma and her friend Shelly went to see the true Lady of Savannah -- the Doll, The Grand Empress, Miss Chablis.

The Lady Chablis was one of the characters in John Berendt's bestselling true crime novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. She even played herself in the movie version of the book and penned her own memoir, Hiding My Candy. The Lady now performs about once a month at Club One downtown on Jefferson Street.

But the thing I found most interesting about Miss Chablis was that she has an 18-year-old toy poodle named Totsie, and he usually performs with her. Last night she said Totsie had retired and was not feeling very well. So I'd like to send get well wishes to Totsie from Sadie.

By the way, this is my Ma's favorite scene from the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It's not the best quality, but you'll still enjoy it.

At Ease

Not too many people know this, but the basset hound is a highly-skilled watch/guard dog. Why, just this morning, I heard some folks outside while they were still on the sidewalk. Of course I let my Ma know this by barking incessantly. I guess my bark scared them off, because they knocked hurriedly and didn't even leave a Watchtower for me to read.

For being such a good watch dog, I'm taking a little nippy nap. But I still sleep with one eye open.

Exploring Fort Pulaski and Savannah History

Last weekend was a lovely January day in Savannah - sunny, not a cloud in the sky and right around 60 degrees. We decided to go on an "adventure," albeit a local one. Between Savannah and Tybee Island, right off of Highway 80, is Fort Pulaski. Since I had never been and it had been nearly 10 years since Peter visited, we decided to explore the old fort that is now maintained by the National Parks Service.

After the War of 1812, President James Madison ordered the construction of coastal fortifications to protect the United States against foreign invasion. In 1829, Fort Pulaski began being built, first under the direction of Major General Babcock and later under Robert E. Lee, fresh out of West Point.

In 1833, the new fort was named Fort Pulaski in honor of Kazimierz Pulaski, a Polish soldier and military commander who fought in the American Revolution under the command of George Washington. Pulaski took part in the sieges of Charleston and of Savannah.

Wooden pilings were sunk up to 70 feet into the mud to support an estimated 25 million bricks. Fort Pulaski was finally completed in 1847 following 18 years of construction and nearly $1 million in construction costs.

Walls were 11 feet thick, thought to be impenetrable except by only the largest land artillery- which at the time were smooth bore cannons. These cannons had a range of only around a half mile, and the nearest land (Tybee Island) was much further away than that. It was assumed that the Fort would be invincible to enemy attack.

From 1847 until 1860, Fort Pulaski was maintained by two caretakers. It was then that South Carolina seceded from the United States, setting the Civil War into motion. Preemptively, Georgia Governor Joseph Brown ordered Fort Pulaski to be taken by the state of Georgia. In February 1861, Georgia also seceded, joining the Confederate States of America, and Confederate troops moved into Fort Pulaski.

The following December, Union forces were able to move into and build batteries along Tybee Island, having been abandoned by Confederate forces because it was thought Tybee was too isolated and unprepared for a conflict. On the morning of April 10, 1862, Union forces asked for the surrender of the Fort to prevent needless loss of life -- an offer that was swiftly rejected.

With 36 guns, including the new James Rifled Cannon, Union troops began a long sustained bombardment of Fort Pulaski. The new rifled cannon fired a projectile that could go farther (4–5 miles) than the larger and heavier smoothbore cannonball (.5 mile.) Within 30 hours, the use of the new rifled cannon had breached one of the fort's corner walls. Shells now passed through the fort dangerously close to the Fort's main powder magazine. Reluctantly, Colonel Olmstead surrendered the fort. Only one Confederate soldier and one Union soldier were injured in the attack.

Following the surrender, and with the Fort securely in Union control, General David Hunter, commander of the Union garrison issued General Order Number Eleven, which stated that all slaves in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina were now free. President Abraham Lincoln quickly rescinded the order, but later issued his own Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. At this time, Fort Pulaski was made a final destination on the Underground Railroad as slaves throughout the area were freed upon arrival on Cockspur Island.

Interestingly, members of the 48th New York Volunteers stationed at Fort Pulaski played baseball to pass the time, and one of the first photographs taken of the game of baseball was captured at Fort Pulaski in 1862.

New Year, (Not So) New Sadie

Hello, everyone, and happy new year! I am sorry I have been MIA over the past couple of months, but my ma and pa have been very busy, with renting out my old house in Macon, shopping for the holidays, traveling to see friends and celebrating the New Year. However, we are all back in the swing of things now.

January 1 was not just the start of a new year - it was also my fifth birthday! Yes, every year my ma says I am getting to be a big girl so it is time to start acting my age, but it is hard sometimes. Here is a picture of me with a toy Santa brought me:

And here's a photo of me with my toy just a few days later:

My ma says I can't have anything nice, but that's not true. I'm just curious about that squeaker and how it works. Nevertheless, I have a few resolutions for 2011 that I am going to work really, really hard at achieving.

1. Take care of my toys.

2. Go on daily walks.

3. Love my ma and pa and try not to constantly remind them that f-u-d time is coming up.

That reminds me - it's almost time for supper.