Week Two

Hello, everyone. The last time we posted on our blog, we wrote about the Universoul Circus which we really enjoyed. Well, we’re still working around the house to keep everything straight. Our first task was to make the front lawn “presentable” which meant raking and bagging leaves for the better part of a day. Leaves from our lawn had been blowing on to our neighbors’ beautifully manicured, dried out (brown) grass. Jesse’s on-line course for Westfield State College takes up a good deal of time, but we’re still getting out to see things in the area when we can. We haven’t gone out as much as the last week, but we’ll fill you in on it.

On Saturday, the 14^th, we went to the annual Hilton Head Gullah Celebration. As you can see by clicking this link, and looking at the schedule of events, there was something for everybody. The focus was on arts, crafts, and traditional low country food. Vendors sold jewelry, art, demonstrated sweetgrass basket making, presented music, and so on. Because it had been raining, everything was held indoors that day; and that cut down on the number of people that came out. But it was all good anyway. While we were there, Jo talked with a few of the basket makers, most of whom were from the Charleston area. One young man, Corey Alston (pictured above), explained that men were the original basket makers. His work was beautiful and reasonably priced. At another stand, Jo asked another young basket maker if she new a Mrs. Manigault, a basket maker from Charleston who Jo’s sister, Ruth had met about 30 years ago. Would you believe, Jo was talking with Mrs. Manigault’s daughter, Mary Jane who said that her mother was now in a nursing home. Mary Jane also said that Mr. (Philip) Simmons, a blacksmith we had met on a road trip about 25 years ago, is also in a nursing home. Hopefully they are getting the best of care because they have contributed so much to our culture.

The next day (Sunday) we went to church at the Sanctuary of Savannah with our next door neighbor, Ouida Smiley, a widow and “Southern country girl” as she put it. That Sunday they had a 92-voice choir from Lee University do the whole service. It is interesting that their website doesn’t mention which “Lee” the school was named for. Hmmmm. The Sanctuary was “diverse,” fairly large, and had a real southern Pentecostal spirit about it. The folks there made us feel very welcome.

As part of the Black Heritage Festival, there was a production of Pearl Cleage’s play “Blues for an Alabama Sky” at Savannah State University. The attendance was good considering there was a basketball game than evening, and the acting by SSU students was excellent. The next night found us at Savannah State again, this time for presentations by Geechee Kunda, which is a cultural center and museum located about 45 minutes from Savannah. On this particular evening, they presented a series of short talks on the importance of appreciating one’s cultural heritage, historical displays, a ring-shout, and sweetgrass basket making. We plan to take a trip there soon.

To end the week we went back to Hilton Head to attend another segment of the Gullah Festival which was held at a building with an art gallery dedicated solely to featuring Gullah artists. There was also a performance by a local gospel choir, The Voices of El Shaddai (see note below). Their spirit was much like Goodwin's choir. At the Festival we met up and had dinner with Betty Davis and her husband, Coley. Betty is one of Jo’s Eastern Star sisters from Springfield who is down in Hilton Head for a few weeks. We were joined at dinner by Christina and Don Ford, a couple from the Springfield area who we’ve known for a long time. They didn’t know we were in the area, so you know they were surprised to see us. As the saying goes, a “good time was had by all”.

Well, that’s pretty much it for our travels for week two. Send us your comments, and look for our next installment. Peace and blessings.

Jo and Jesse

NOTE: To hear The Voices of El Shaddai, click here. Skip the Intro, click "Our Music" then "El Shaddai Audio-Video" on the left, then "Listen to the Voices.". They have some quirky sound effects, but you'll get to hear a sample of their music.

We just found another good sweetgrass info source. Try this link.