(click for the big pic)

The Mint Julep Queens address notes to each other “Dear Queen So-So” and many of us close our letters with a one of a kind closing such as, ”Yours in all that is Pomp and Circumstance,” “Reign On!,”  or “Keep Reigning!:).”  Jennifer says, “Time to Queen it up in Savannah, Georgia!” and now Lee Ann has a phrase- “Rock & Reign!”

One needs a special closing when one writes anything as Queen.  The more we do the more we need to remember to write those thank-you notes to the sweet commoners who come to our aid, who pay homage, or generally applaud our local Reign. We encourage Queens to develop their own unique letter closing so we can end our little notes with a flourish.  Just so you know, The Royal Wave need not be unique, since we do it in unison, a tab bit like synchronized wave with an attached British ”He-llooo” when riding in our carriage.  We want our waves to look alike, but lock step sameness in attire and literary voice is just too dull.  Maybe isolating the proper closing that expresses your own special Regal power will take some time and that is ok.  Better for your phrase to represent the real you, than to force it and come up with an incongruity or tacky.

I suggest that everyone needs a club name at some time in their lives, as well. You best be thinking about that too, if you do not have one.  Linda gave us the idea several years ago when she divulged that when she went clubbing, she went out as Aida.  It was just a whole lot safer she thought for folks to not know her real identity.  Queen Lee Ann has been an Mint Julep Queen for several years now and she has finally found the Closing proclamation “Rock and Reign!” since she ran the Rock and Roll Marathon a few weeks months ago.  It suits her.  And lucky girl, she has a new club name, too! 

So every four years we have a Leap Year lounge party.  I expect it will be so much fun that we will talk about it for the next four years.  The only really sad part about this, (and honeys, you can count on me to find the cloud attached to the silver lining)..the sad disappointing part is that so many MJQs will miss it. and they will have to wait another 4 years to have another chance to say they were there.  There at Mercury lounge, under an assumed club name, shaking their Royalty on the dance floor.

 Of 30 members, I would guess 8 queens will be totally excited to cut loose and hang out in a seedy bar dancing to some R & B. Luckily for me, the joy of putting a tiara on and wearing jeans and boots is not influenced by attendance.  Or the lack there of. 

Oh come on!  You know that you get all irked when so few queens participate.  Just face it.  What is fun for you is NOT necessarily fun for all.

The voiceinmyhead is speaking out of turn.  That is one of the issues I am working on and I feel that just accepting the lack of availability for Fun evenings out is part of learning to Reign. Learning that each Queen gets what they put into the group.  If they put in Royal spirit and Girl Power energy, they get that back.  If you sow little Diamonds of Fun, you will be handed whole Tiaras of Joy.

Oh my goodness.  I cannot stand that. <eyes rolling> Sooo syrupy sweet and Hallmark card of you.

It is not.  “I own Tiaras of Joy” is cool sounding.  I think it needs to be on a Jessica Kagan Cushman cuff bracelet at Bergdorfs.  Just think.  Acrylic resin for 150.00.  Or one of her diamond things for 1500.00.  Yep, that would be cool.  And so Royal!

How about “I am so Royal!”?

Oh my, yes!!! Fun Queens would get one and queens who never do anything with the group…NOPE.  So sad too bad. They do not qualify. So that cute bracelet would be like a prize for just being Fun loving:) They would have to attend at least 2 parties a year to get one.

Ah HA! there you go.  Back to normal.  Being controlling and judgemental again. My work here is done. Time for a little retail therapy.  What are shipping costs at Berdorfs??? 

But prizes for Queens?  I do not have that kind of cash.  Are you kidding me?

Well one day.  Just do some window shopping now and plan for the day when you have that kind of money.  Prizes for people who participate is a great idea. It is the reward/ gold star method of controlling behavior.

Encouraging. NOT controlling.  I am encouraging. Really. 

<yeah whatever> 

(These shoes are Queen Lee Ann’s.  If only this image could capture the twinkly lights that covered the straps!  Ohhh! Ahhh! -The epic cute-ness of it makes me dizzy. I need to sit down right after I pour myself a little drink.)  

Flashing shoes are remarkable.  Don’t you mean flash-y?  “Y” not ing???  Nope. I mean what I said.  These shoes are flashing with a little battery pack in the platform sole.  Since it is Leap Year this year and we need another Leap Year Lounge Party,  I want this type of thing to wear to a dark, old club.    

I can see it now. I would walk in with a swish of chiffon and glitter in my hair and my platforms all electric.  (Think of the sashay Renee` Zellweger did in ”Down with Love,” but in a big pouf dress.)  A really authentic R & B band would be playing in the corner.  Just making it all feel like New Orleans in the French Quarter, but better (’cause we are in Savannah, honey and in case you did not know, Savannah trumps New Orleans in the super Southern Icon department.  Or at least I believe it does.)  So anyway, back to me and my imaginings…these shoes literally flash and glow as I get to dance and flounce to my hearts content. 

One thing I adore about Being Queen is it allows me to forget the hardships of the week.  It gives my brain time that is free from worrying with the demands of my over scheduled life and listening to the self criticizing, agonizing inner voice, thevoiceinmyhead who keeps track of my To Do List.  The voice that asks me whether I have done enough, said too much, worn the right dress, remembered a birthday, put a thank you note in the mail, finished a report, sent the report to the right doctor, remembered to spell check the damn report, helped a child with autism, finished my billing, been kind to my children & husband, put enough money in the bank, done my share, eaten enough fiber, walked the dog, scheduled the dog’s fecal exam, emptied the dishwasher, changed my invisalign trays, or forgotten something.  The voiceinmyhead is constantly thinking I have forgotten something. 

Now wait right there.  You are making me sound like a nag.  I just hate to be late.  I do not want things to fall through the cracks. I hate for things not to run perfectly, you know. I am on your side!  I am the unpaid personal assisitant and you have lots going on, so someone has to worry about it.  I am just helping you out and you darn well know it!    

I know.  You are a big help. How about this.  Since I can’t pay you, why don’t you take some time off when I wear my tiara? It would work for both of us.  You always say it is too heavy and gives you a headache.

Hey that’s down right decent of you.  Sure! I would love a little holiday.  When will you wear your tiara again? I will plan a little vay-kay.  You sure you will be ok without me?  I mean I keep track of soooo much!  And that darn tiara does give me a headache. I got such a big ol’ pumpkin head with all this brain I got happenin’ in here…boy oh boy some time off. *giggle*

Yeah. I will be fine. We got an event on the 28th so that is time you can stop all the worrying and the lists for a few hours. Mint Julep Queens do not worry or work.  Queens flounce through the moment with peace and poise…and sometimes electric shoes. *giggle*

Cell phone pictures are grainy and shady.  That might be a good thing. So was this joint.  It was a fabulous time and total adventure with the commoners.  If fact, we acted common our selves and so we fit right in.

November 11th was Kelsey’s Membership photo op and Flounce Night.  We met at McDonough’s and she had her photo made on Drayton Street as the cars rode by giving us a really nice headlight effect in the background.  Paul Suszynski did the picture for her.  I cannot wait to see them.

We had one adventure after another.  All unique to the place, pace, and time.  A guy came up to Lee Ann and stroked her mink while informing us he was a hunter and tanned hides and prepared to prepare furs and this was a nice one.  Then he showed her the hole in his back pants pocket and processed to flirt with her for the first part of this night.  Another guy who looked like a famous celebrity came up to wish us well.  I will post his photo and you tell me, doesn’t he look like an old Mr Clean?  A Mr. Clean who has let himself go through the years and put on a few pounds.  Guess he stopped mopping or something. 

Then we went on a carriage ride with a sweet girl from upstate New york as our guide.  She tried to do the standard tour for about 5 minutes and then gave up, since we knew more about the city than she. One of the wonderful white horses was named King.  The other one was Cheney.  Cheney will only work with King.  He either has to pull the carriage all by himself or he will allow King to work by his side.  King had a really good ol’ horse personality I think, and when I came up to talk with him he nudged and nuzzled and Cheney got jealous and pushed him to try and get the spotlight on him.  King was misnamed.  He was more of a “George.”  Maybe in a stretch, King George. 

After wine that Lee Ann sweetly brought on the ride, we went upstairs to Billy(Lee) ‘S Place.  It reminded me of Emma Kelly’s place years ago.  A piano player and  a bunch of drunk old folks hanging around and singing.  Of course, I was rather over served myself and one of the Queens had made error in her cocktail orders and thought a Manhattan was a pretty drink, therefore ordered one.  The Pretty drink had her getting her beauty sleep by resting her head. We took a cab home and paid the price the next day.  I am writing a essay about the experience, but this blog entry will have to just let y’all know tad bit about what we did.  Who was there? and Did we have fun?  Lee Ann, Kelsey, Barbara, Becky C, Lady Katie and three of Barbara’s sorority chums from Ohio State were there.  I told u what we did. And yes.  We had Fun.

       Mary selected the Andrew Low House as the location of her photo for the membership directory. The flounce in October was one of the most diverse and unpredictable ones we have ever had. We meet the producer of a local movie.  We eat the pirates house olive puff Queen Ann brought along and we had hot dogs at a new deli on Broughton. The ones of Ann and her girls and of me and mine will follow very soon.

Planning for November 11 is going well.  I know the Arty Party is that night so lots of MJQs will miss the photo shoot with Kelsey.  Honestly lots missed Mary’s, too! The core group will flounce on and be the visual presence of Queendom in Savannah for the group.  Never fear.  

I can not believe it.  After months of waiting and months of wondering, the Morning Glory decided to bloom.  My dear husband, says, “Ye of little faith.”   I answer, “I had just gotten used to accepting its green leaves and its vines.  That was all I was ever going to get.  Seeing it. Accepting it.  Just a beautiful green vine.  And now it is so much more.  Wow.” That bloom is the Crown on the vine of life.

Goodness.  There’s an analogy hanging outside my window.  I can look up from the computer screen and see the plant whispering to me and the blossom yelling at me.  No, not yelling.  Yelling is way to loud and not flower-y.    It is a yell!  Yes, but it is a happy yell.  Like when you accidentally run into an old friend at the  airport that you have not seen in years, they squeal and yell out your name and run to you.  That kinda’ yell.  It is there to tell me to keep going.  Believe in goodness. Believe in beauty and believe in FUN.  Plus keep on writing.  Write because it is fun , (and goodness, I need that. )

Stephen says it is a sign. I started writing in May.  A collection.  An experiential collection of MJQ observations and stuff.  It was going to be one thing and it started turning into another.  It is my meandering green vine. 

Hurry up and bloom.  This vine thing is getting unruly. The voiceinmyhead is impatient.  It will bloom in its own time and I will find time to write when I find time to write. 

Oh good-ness! Now you are going all Zen on me. Fine.  I will shut up.  Good.  Give me some peace. 

Maybe I am the blossom.  What about that???  Did you ever think of that, Miss Queen-ie Smart-y pants?  We are the bloom and the crazy f*in vine climbing everywhere and making no promises. 

I am. You are. We are?  I mean, I am?  Yep.  C’est moi.   The voiceinmyhead wishes I spoke French. 

No hell I don’t.  You use too many pronouns for that mess.  And all the verb conjugation?  I am just happy you got this morning glory vine analogy crap behind us. I was about to sprout something ugly if it continued.  

(click for the BIG image)

So when we Flounced on October 8th, I was disappointed for a whole host of reasons.  All of them due to my dashed expectations.  To my mood and my lack of patience.  I still cannot get fake eyelashes on my darn eyes.  That is an exaggeration.  I can do it, IF and only if I have 30 extra minutes to deal with the glue and the placement and the eyeliner and the misery when the glue gets in the rim of my eye and I have to start over from square one.  Plus, add in the fact that I wear contacts and that complicates the mistakes when the glue does seep around past the eyelash base.  Oh you do care about that. I am just telling you to give you one tiny little window into the experience of that night. 

When we arrived at Ellis Square there was a freak show going one.  At least that is how I thought of it, since it not only looked like a carnival sideshow show, but it smelled like one, too.  The eau d’ horses’ urine and the cigarette smoke really destroy the ambiance.  Maybe next flounce I will pack a small travel size Diorissimo or Miss Dior Cheri.  The nosegay from the Victorian era is becoming a concept that I may embrace, now that I think about it…

Anyway, the show included a couple.  A man and a women who were fighting.  Or at least I thought so.  I thought so until I got closer and heard the guy tell the lady (right after he almost hit her and she fell to the ground) to “Just lay there. “  She did.  He told her, “Just lay there and be still. “  She did it some more.  Then she would bounce up and do a Karate Kid kick and they would circle each other sparring and hitting the air.  The she would fall and “just lay there.” 

I start feeling a tad dizzy from the obvious lack of charm that we are surrounded by.  The commoners were not just commoners.  They were extra common,  commoners. 

I love waving to the commoners and they love us, but I have decided Ellis Squareon Saturday night is too much like Bourbon Street.  Too tourista.  So the tourist element, at this time and at this location was not the level of tourist one finds in say…Charleston.  It was the River Street and Bourbon Street level of experience.  Not Royalty worthy.

But to return to the good thing that I am grabbing holt of.  (Yes.  I said it. Grabbin’ Holt of. It is a saying).  The freak show couple was not a really fighting and they were not paid actors.  The producer guy, Chip who come up and told us he was filming in Ellis Square had not hired the Fighting Couple to add color to his film, “Untouched.” After researching his name, I saw on his blog that he had found out the couples’ name and they were just being silly. So I have hope for his film. 

The Fighting Couple was completely on their own. They were free agents acting out their own peculiar fantasy in the middle of Ellis Square, just like the MJQs were.  So when I critique the fantasy, which I love doing by the way, all I can say is this, “Be Royal.  Wear chiffon. Spread Joy.  If you can’t do all three, do one of them. What are y’all spreading?” Looked to me like they were just spreading cra-zee….

(Queen Mary, 2004 Founding Member on the trolley after her photo shoot at the Andrew Low House)

I do not know the exact answer to this question.  I do know the world needs more laughter, more joy, and simply put, more FUN.  October 8th was a fun time.  It was not what I expected, which these gathering never ever are!  Honestly the MJQs are not the group that I thought it would become.  When we started this “club” (and I use that word very loosely)…when we started this “women’s only” club in 2004, I had visions of it being a vehicle for to me find dozens of like-minded, party loving, character creating, slightly outrageous, costume wearing, silly and fabulous girlfriends who would gather in one big ol’ loud party and romp through Savannah.  A Ya-Ya Sisterhood.  A Sweet Potato Queens thing. 

My expectation and my need for dear friends who love being Queens and returning to the childlike wonder of wearing swishy dresses drove my desire to keep this group a different kind of “club.”  I have learned to see  it for what it is and at times I still forget.  So I am reminding myself right now.  It is a group of diverse interests, diverse needs, diverse likes and dislikes.  One lady’s definition of a Fun Event is sitting talking to one queen all night long.  One Queen’s idea of a fabulous time is visiting MJQs over a light lunch and then returning home to children and husband.  Another needs to dress up in wild attire and is a driving force of Royalness, while yet another lady absolutely hates dressing up and does not like calling attention to herself. 

The Membership Directory Project is turning out to be different than my original expectations, too.  Just the way the MJQs themselves have formed a group that is unique, personal, and encompassing many different personalities.  The Project I started this year in June was to be a wonderful adventure of our escapades during the next 12 months.  I saw it happening with bubbling enthusiasm and excitement, as each MJQ had her photo made for the Membership directory.  I imagined each queen supporting the others when they had their turn to have a photo shoot .  I was projecting my needs onto the group again.  Silly me!

Today I am looking at a morning glory vine.  I see it outside my kitchen window.  Grown from seeds back in May, its seed packet advertised a glorious array of sky blue blossoms.  All summer I have looked at that big crawling vine and wondered what I could do to make it bloom.  Bloom, darn you! BLOOM!  It refused.  I have searched Google and asked gardeners.  Every time I look at it, the voice in my head says,”Why is that thing not blooming? What can you do to make it bloom?”  The vine coming out of the ground is the size of my thumb and the leaves are lush and tropical, all hanging in a thick canopy on the corners of the porch.

Today I see that I need to love the leaves for their beauty, for the shade, the texture and the simple greenness they add to the brown of the trellis, much the way I need to accept the Queens and the group for what it is.  It may not be packed with show stopping blossoms, but it is truly a miracle plant to have grown so much and to be so incredibly happy in the heat and humidity of Savannah hottest summer. The Queens are my morning glory.  Wonderful.

This does not mean however, that I have stopped looking for Blossoms on the Morning Glory. I just know I can’t make it bloom if it does not want to, any more than I can make the Queens be excited and enthusiastic if they do not want to be. We still need 5-10 new MJQs to keep the group growing and healthy.

Mint Julep Queens  Royal Fun

October 8, 2011 Mint Julep

(Meet at Lafayette Square to get on the trolley by 6:30)1. Queen Mary’s Membership Directory photo shoot will be 6:00 in front of the Andrew Low House on Lafayette Square, corner of Charlton and Abercorn.  Hopefully, we can do another Queen’s photo at this event. Who wants to have their photo done and where downtown do you want to go??? Also, a Jr. Mint Group photo would be nice to do.  We will probably not have another Jr. Mint Flounce until mid spring of 2012, unless another Queen bankrolls it. 

2.  We will get onto the trolley at 6:30 on Lafayette Square after Mary’s picture. If you are running late, call me 655-6007.  You can meet the trolley at another drop off. There are no true plans at this point other than; Trolley rental is for 2 hours until 8:30. Sunset is at 7:00, I believe. On the trolley, I will have a small cooler with small water bottles and wine and cups. The trolley is paid for.  The tip is not.  Please tip the driver if you ride with us. Sage and Selia and I will have dinner at some location and then head home after that.

3. IF you would like, bring a fun-loving enthusiastic friend or Lady in Waiting. Kim has invited Katie Leonard to several events and she has attended 2 gatherings. I have had Erica Rollings attend 2 events, as well. Barbra Coley has attended several parties. Who has never sponsored a queen? 

4.  Next photo shoot/event… Linda selects the date since it is her photo!

November or December, A Photo of Linda at the new SCAD museum and one other Queen at the location of her choice. Helpers and suggestions for this event are welcome!    

Kim- the swing at Cha bella – August 4 2011

LeeAnn – relaxing Cha bella  drink August 4 2011

Mary :Andrew Low House- Lafayette Square-October 8 2011

Linda – The new SCAD Museum November 2011

Becky C- Johnson Square- November 2011

Patty G- Johnny Mercer statue (December 2011 or Jan 2012)

Tricia –City Market Belford’s. Winter (Jan or Feb?) 2012

Lois -Owens Thomas house, when?

Annie - Forsyth Park- March or April 2012

Barbara G –Forsyth (March or April)2012

Dottie-Telfair