A weekly round-up of various things that provided me with joy and happiness.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Discovering this very cool observation tower on Skidaway Island near Savannah.
2. Wildlife to observe.
3. Being able to hear. What a blessing.
4. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast!
5. Spices
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. This incredible pizza Robert and I devoured at Ricciardi’s Pizzeria in Richmond Hill GA.
2. This sheet of flowery wrapping paper …
… which wrapped a bundle of supplies I need for a summer memoir writing course coming up in June.
More about that adventure later. 
3. The ability to get out of bed each morning.
4. Completing 2222 meditation sessions on my 10% Happier app.
Wouldn’t you think I’d be a tad more guru-ish by now?!
5. The beautiful spring lights outside daughter Amy‘s next-door neighbor‘s house.
May something light up beautifully for you this weekend.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Robert and summer flowers.
2. The ability to make plans.
3. Enjoying the yummy hotdogs at Atlanta’s iconic Varsity.
4. My new little thrown-together “side garden” in the alley beside our old place.
5. Robert’s incredible Chicken with Herb de Provence the other night.
It smelled great and tasted even better!
May you have a great-tasting weekend ahead.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. This very cool, quirky restroom in The Sentient Bean coffee house in Savannah.
2. Early voting on Monday!
3. The wonderful gift of the ability to read. (Not everybody can.)
4. A fun “inFARMation” stop at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough GA.
5. Having a blast at Truist Park as the Atlanta Braves played the Detroit Lions.
I hope you have a winning weekend ahead.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Discovering new Little Free Libraries. (Do you have them where you live?)
This one is in the Vernonburg neighborhood of Savannah.
2. The amazing ability to see light.
Here the morning light is favoring my side of our little study.
I especially love the light and shadow on my Yes Stick.
There’s a bit of a story here. For some reason, years ago, as Robert and I were hiking in the woods somewhere, my eyes rested upon a small fallen tree branch shaped like the letter Y.
I was going through a difficult patch of life at the time and I thought, “Yes! That stick is reminding me that I can say Yes! to so many things, things I already have and things I desire.”
So I picked up my Yes Stick and hiked with it for a while, saying “Yes!” time and again.
I kept up the practice, and on another hiking adventure, I picked up the one you see in the photo above. Robert told me to give it to him. He brought it home, varnished it, and we put it above my desk.
So that you have it. My quirky, slightly weird story of the origin of my Yes Stick.
I challenge you the next time you see a stick (or anything) shaped like a Y, to pause and say “Yes!” to something you love or have or desire.
3. Our imaginations.
4. Robert’s new glasses, which look gargantuan in this photo at Savannah’s Midtown Sports Bar the other night as we were watching our Atlanta Braves.
5. My spiky ball, which so helps my ongoing lower back pain.
I hope you have a Helper of some kind this Beautiful Spring Weekend.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. For some reason this hole in an old piece of wood at the top of a wire fence at a local farm made me smile a bit and think.
Sometimes it’s what’s NOT there that somehow wields its way to the center of attention.
2. Sticking to that line of thinking, one morning this week. I woke up, looked at our breakfast table and saw that Robert had cleaned up a bit a little flower arrangement that was moving past its prime.
It made me smile again, perhaps with a melancholic edge, appreciating the beauty that was, and in a way, still is.
That little morning moment also made me think of Frost’s oh-so-truthful poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Note to self: Enjoy it all while I still can.
3. Accidental photographs that somehow express a surprising hint of beauty.
4. Salt and pepper.
5. Robert and Benny.
May you have Plenty to Love this weekend.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. These incredible crab legs at the Tin Fin seafood restaurant near where we are staying for the week in Effingham County GA.
I just opted for a pound, but HR got the “All You Can Eat” Tuesday night deal.
2. Making new friends at Hunter Cattle Company near Statesboro GA.
Especially a friendly cow I named Betsy.
Here’s Betsy and HR co-starring in a little independent film I produced and directed, Good Moo Hunting.
3. Enjoying our last fire (probably) of the season at the farmhouse in southeast Georgia where we are staying this week.
4. The amazing ability to remember.
5. Sensational cinnamon rolls from Ally’s Bakery in Rincon GA.
May you roll joyfully this weekend.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Palms on Palm Sunday.
2. Savannah‘s azaleas. As usual, they are glorious this spring.
3. I’m grateful for a back … that can hurt.
Two weeks ago today, I had my fourth lower back procedure in the last seven months. This time an RFA—radiofrequecy ablation (whew), “a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat from radio waves to temporarily deactivate nerves sending chronic pain signals to the brain, commonly treating spine and joint pain.” (Thanks, AI.)
Frustratingly enough, I am feeling no relief. The typical time period before feeling if the procedure was effective is 5-7 days. This is day 14. 🙁
But you know what? What I do feel is Gratitude that I have a back that has the ability to hurt.
So there, Universe!
4. Finding yet another Free Little Library! This time across the street from Savannah’s beautiful Daffin Park.
Do you have these little treasures near where you are?
What a Joy of Surprise.
5. My little Easter/Spring displays in our apartment.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. The beautiful Cherokee Rose that HR and I found along one of the hiking trails at Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah.
2. This Lovely Yellow at the Savannah Botanical Gardens.
I love my iNaturalist app, which helps me to quickly verify plants I see along life’s way.
3. My only complaint about all this springtime beauty would have to be the heavy overlay of pollen upon Savannah. So I am thankful for my Allegra, Flonase, and redi-melt Claritin.
4. My nose—even when it glows with springtime allergies.
5. Non-humans.
We all need a bit of Escape from People now and again.
Make you escape to a fun and healthy spring weekend ahead.
NealEnJoy 