Hub and I continued the Our Town expedition last week by touring the F.Scott Fitzgerald home and the First White House of the Confederacy. Both were quite fascinating and worth the time, if only to do something different and put some knowledge into our aging brains.
Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived in the home on Felder Avenue for only a year, but they wrote portions of their novels "Save Me the Waltz" and "Tender is the Night" while there. Zelda Sayre was born and raised in Montgomery, graduated from Lanier High School, and had a personality that's been described as audacious. She met Scott at a weekend dance at the Montgomery Country Club while he was stationed at nearby Camp Sheridan. It took him two years, but he finally got the girl. The museum had many pictures, letters, and memorabilia from their lives. There are signed copies of their novels. Zelda's art hangs on the walls. The Gatsby Room took us on a walk through the roaring twenties and the movies that have been made from his famous novel. If there had been big band jazz playing in the background, it would have enhanced the exhibit even more.
The upstairs currently has two Air B&B apartments for rent that include a complimentary admission to the museum. My man-boys dad lived in one of those apartments in our college years, so I've been enamored with the home for quite some time. There are special events held at the home and Fitzgerald keepsakes for sale, so check out their website for further information. Did I purchase a piece of the wallpaper? You bet I did.
The First White House of the Confederacy provided a free, self-guided tour of President Davis' family dwelling. They lived there for only 4 months, but there are personal items and many historical artifacts from Jefferson Davis' life. I graduated from Jefferson Davis High School, but realized I didn't know much about the man whose name labelled a big part of my growing up years. He was born in Kentucky (what a coincidence), and grew up in Mississippi and Louisiana (hub's neck of the woods). He was a soldier, a cotton farmer, and then a Senator. His first wife died only three months after their marriage, and his second wife was the daughter of future President Zachary Taylor. They had four children, and the nursery in the house is adorable. The antiques and quilts were gorgeous, there is a lock of Jefferson's hair that was hauntingly alluring, and I discovered a slipper holder which left me wondering why I've never owned one of these clever items. Remarkably, I learned the house was built by William Sayre, one of Zelda's ancestors. That tied our museums together nicely, now didn't it?
Museums do not reveal their secrets if you don't read the information. Upon reading a description on a picture of Zelda's grandparents, I noticed they were from the same area where my dad grew up. This immediately sparked my interest to find out if we could be distantly related to Zelda. I've always been fascinated by her, I even named one of my dogs Zelda! If I was somehow related to this bold, creative creature, it would make quite the story. More to come on that investigation, I've hit some dead ends that require further research. You never know what you'll discover in a museum. I may be a distant cousin, thrice removed to Fitz!
Update on the keto, Atkins, Galveston, whatever you want to call it healthy eating plan: We made it through the first day without much trouble, until hub realized we couldn't enjoy the cute little ice cream cones Chappy's offers at the end of your meal. Luckily we had to pick up the new, healthy groceries at Walmart (this service has changed my life) before they closed, so temptation was avoided. We recommend the KETO offerings at Chappy's, they are delicious. Thank you for your ongoing support, and WELCOME to my new subscribers! Join the cool club at bethroperstewart.com and subscribe for free!
Fitz, JD, and KETO. Sums up my weekend.