the crane's journey

Today has been filled with little pleasures.

An afternoon film with a message of hope.

An afternoon visit with an feisty friend.

An early evening jazz concert.

A fried chicken dinner.

All in all, a most welcome sail, on a calm sea, from isle to isle of delights.

The film was part of the JEA's 11th Annual "Joan and Murray Gefen Memorial Savannah Jewish Film Festival". Usually, I am able to view most of the films, but this time, I have only seen two (of ten total) of the afternoon or evening screenings.
This post-lunch film, "Igor and the Cranes' Journey", followed a young crane named Karl on his first migration from Russia to Israel and points beyond. That uprooting was echoed in the transplantation of 11-year-old Igor from his home in Russia to a new country, a new school, a new language. Worse yet, he had to share all of that with unfriendly Israeli middle-schoolers.
There is also an exploration of father-son, mother-son relationships, as such a film would, and should, also have.
But the focus is on the imprinting of the crane onto the young boy.
The film lends new meaning to the line from one of my favorite movies: "If you build it, he will come". Knowing the young crane had lost both parents, the boy enlists the aid of his classmates and cleans up a pond in a field, transforming the area into a welcoming winter home... and transforming his classmates into friends.
One boy did all of that.

I followed that up with a visit to Marlin Brown.
That's when I took the above photograph of the artwork with the cranes. The presence of the piece served to confirm that I was in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.
Marlin began her year with a brain aneurysm. I found out on Saturday, via a mutual friend in our philosophy group. Bonnie had written that Marlin was at Hospice House.
I found it amazing that she had survived the aneurysm.
I had attempted to visit her there on Sunday afternoon, but she was sleeping.
I was committed to seeing her one more time.
I'm glad it was today.
She looks incredible! Her headful of wavy, platimum blonde hair was intact and well-groomed, her skin was tanned and healthy, and I could tell at once that she knew who I was. She is very weak, physically, and easily tires, but her mind is sharp.
Amazing!!!
I had brought this photo with me, just to jog her memory or to share with any of her family who were there. It was taken August 29th, 2009, when the former Beer Guy, aka Frank Dinan, was in town for a visit. There she is, in her pink jersey, cutting up and enjoying the game!
The news today is that she is to be moved to a rehab facility to get her muscles back up to speed after more than three weeks on her back.
A rehab facility!!!
Amazing!!!
Now, I can look forward to seeing her bouncing around Grayson Stadium in April, when my boys of summer come out to play.

The jazz concert was at Bonaventure Chapel.
Yes, at Bonaventure Cemetery.
As an awareness raiser of a new organization, Families First Funeral Care & Cremation Center.
What timing, n'est-ce pas?
I had garnered two invitations to the event, from my church colleague Scott West and from the 40+ Women's Social Network. Still, I almost backed out, simply because I was home after a busy afternoon, and thought I wanted to stay there.

But I'm glad I went! I found my meetup group fairly easily, as the crowd had thinned out for this last hour of "The Art Of Living".
I had also arrived in time to hear "Blue Moon" by the local jazz trio, courtesy of the Coastal Jazz Association.
Very nice!
That was followed by "Makin' Whoopie", another favorite tune!
Right place, right time.
Again.
I even met a new transplant from San Francisco who likes Bollywood films and lives out in Pooler. We exchanged numbers and I look forward to her as a movie buddy!
I departed with a lighter tread, whistling "Satin Doll".

I had started the day with the birds, so how best to end it?
Why, with the moist and delectable fried chicken from Sisters of the New South, of course!
The Home of Soul Food.
Yeah, definitely appropriate.
(smile)