Gallimaufry

The view above frames a portion of Richmond's downtown district as seen from East Grace Street on Church Hill. Church Hill is the original site of the town of Richmond, established there by William Byrd II in the 1730's since it is the highest point overlooking the James River. Just off-camera to the left is the Richmond Hill Retreat Center, which was still the Monte Maria Convent when I moved to Richmond in the late 1970's. A Catholic friend told me back then that this was a cloistered order of nuns, and that only one nun was allowed contact with the world outside the tall brick walls that surrounded the property. It seemed so mysterious. Today, this is an ecumenical retreat, and the gates are open.

I've been staying busy lately, and haven't made time for blogging. My apologies for that; I've been visiting new AA meetings in addition to my regular rounds, and I am seeking a new sponsor. I know that I need continuing guidance on my journey to emotional sobriety. I miss my old sponsor, but he is gone, and it is time to move forward. I trust my Creator to provide the right mentor for me. For now, I feel the lack of a sponsor, which is a humbling reminder that I'm not better off trying to figure things out by myself. I keep referring to the sign I have at my desk: Don't believe everything you think. Whatever I think is a good idea usually begs a second glance.

One recent Sunday, Jeffrey & I drove down to Petersburg to attend an out of town meeting. It was a bright & balmy day, and we enjoyed the morning meeting at the Tri-Cities Clubhouse in Old Town Petersburg. We got a nice welcome from the regulars at the meeting. Below, an ancient streetcar that sits near the clubhouse is pictured, followed by the historic South Side Depot building. The depot is on the south bank of the Appomattox River, an area of bustling commerce in prior days, and you can see evidence of a long-gone neighboring building on the side of the depot. The adjacent structure was probably a tobacco shed. Note how the depot's windows were constructed based on the now-missing neighbor.



On our way back to Richmond, Jeffrey & I stopped at the Bellwood Flea Market, which now occupies the parking lot of the defunct Bellwood Drive-In movie theater. If you are looking for power tools of dubious provenance, fruit or vegetables from English-as-a-Second-Language vendors, or hand-tooled leather belts with buckles the size of serving platters, then your search has ended. Sadly, we both walked away empty-handed, but the finely-made doll baby below did tempt me. She reminds me so much of the granny dolls that my Great-Aunt Freda crapfted in an obsessive-compulsive manner out of dishwashing detergent bottles in the 1960's.


There's no real purpose for this post, other than to say hello, tell you what I've been doing, and to clean out the memory card on my camera. You'll be treated to a hodgepodge of pictures in no coherent order. So here we go...

When I visited Sheldon one afternoon, I discovered that it was Cereal Box Day for his cat, Sassy. What cat doesn't love a box or paper bag? Sassy was in high cotton with two cereal boxes to play with. Even with a large Cheerios box, Sassy cannot wedge her fat ass into it, but she does the best she can with her front half. The expression on her face says pure contentment. I think Sassy is autistic.




Speaking of cats, in the mixed-use neighborhood known as Scott's Addition behind my office building, there are several breakfast & lunch diners. I go to the Moore Street Cafe for breakfast fairly often, and beside the restaurant there is an office building with a resident cat as part of the staff. He is usually in the window, waiting for his co-workers to arrive. I don't know his name, but he wears a Superman pendant from his collar. I think he's deaf, so instead of saying hello, it's best to stick your fingers through the mail slot so he can rub up against them.


Sue's Country Kitchen is one of the neighborhood canteens serving breakfast and lunch. They make really good homemade soups. The place only seats 25 patrons, and it's run by a jolly fellow named Ike.


My friend Morris and I share an interest in local history, and we have been taking car rides throughout the city, exploring old neighborhoods, and being all-around looky-lous. Someone has to keep an eye on this city. We also toured the State Capitol recently, so maybe I'll post pictures from that soon.

Unlike me, Morris grew up in Richmond, and has been a wonderful source of local arcana. We will be driving by the most ramshackle looking church in a depressed neighborhood, and Morris will say "That church was built in 1859 and was the original First Mount Zion Pentecostal Holiness Church, before it moved to its present location at 321 Magnolia Street on May 16, 1947."

The next picture is of statuary on Franklin Military Academy, originally the East End Junior High School, on the eastern edge of Church Hill. The sun was setting, and the light striking the old school was beautifully roseate.

Several blocks away, we happened upon the splendidly renovated Robinson Theater, which operates as a community center after suffering through various incarnations including pool hall and disco. It was built in 1937, and named after Richmond's very own tap dancing Bill Robinson - who is more widely known as Mister Bojangles. We were amazed to stumble upon the theater, because it's in a very bedraggled section of Church Hill. It was like finding a pearl in a pig sty.




When looking at the Robinson Theater, a quick pivot of the camera lens shows Night & Day Chicken. This is a truer picture of what this neighborhood looks like today. After years of urban blight, Church Hill is a neighborhood in transition. In the last half of the previous century, this historic neighborhood housed the economically and socially disadvantaged. Now it shows signs of careful, respectful restoration. Meanwhile, corner stores selling beer & wine and businesses like Night & Day Chicken still dot the hill.


Just a few blocks south of Night & Day Chicken, a storefront window offers a message of goodwill.
Peace on earth, my friends.