Robert and I were at the Hinesville GA Library yesterday, and I came upon this little poster.
BOOKS! What a Blessing. What would we do without them?
The book I’m currently reading …
The book Robert and I are currently reading together …
And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.
I was thrilled to find beautiful heirloom tomatoes today at our favorite produce stand here in Savannah, David Produce.
As the photo above suggests, I LOVE tomatoes!
So what should I do with this beauty?
Since we had our traditional holiday hotdog for lunch …
… I decided to tackle something a little different for dinner.
It was delicious!
And that’s my Saturday Evening Post.
The magnificent Southern Magnolia is in her full blooming glory this spring here in Savannah.
For a couple of weeks now, as we drove or walked by one, I would say to Robert, “We should get a few blossoms for a little arrangement.”
But the ivory white beauties always seemed to be above my humble reach.
Until one day as I was driving us home, HR semi-yelled, “Neal! Pull over!”
A couple of small magnolias with a few blossoms I could possibly get!
I plucked several and brought them home.
And how beautiful and aromatic they were …
… for the first couple of days.
But Day Three told another, darker story …
What?! Why?!
Staring forlornly at my Brown Bouquet, I immediately thought of Robert Frost:
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.
*********************
Thanks for the encouragement, Frost!
But I know he is right, and I know that I really did enjoy them for a couple of days.
But why did they and I “sink to grief” so quickly?
Google AI told me:
“Magnolia petals are highly sensitive to bruising, temperature changes, and handling. When picked and placed in a vase, the oils on human skin will quickly turn the delicate white petals brown. Additionally, the exposed, pollen-heavy blooms are prone to rapid shock, wilting, and bruising from air exposure.”
Oh no! Why didn’t I Google earlier? And what could I have done differently?
AI answered:
“To make your blooms last for up to a week, follow these quick-handling tricks:
Wear gloves: Handle the stems and petals using floral gloves or a clean cloth so the natural oils on your hands don’t transfer and cause bruising.
Strip the foliage: Remove most of the leaves along the stem, as they steal moisture away from the flower. Leave only the 4-5 leaves closest to the bloom.
Dump the pollen: Turn fully open blooms upside down and gently shake them to remove excess pollen, which otherwise speeds up decay.”
********************
And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.
And that’s my Saturday Evening Post.
Do you have certain plants that for whatever reason are special to you? Maybe it’s their beauty or uniqueness or the nostalgia they evoke.
I do. And one for me is the Oakleaf Hydrangea. Are you familiar with it?
I first saw it quite a few years ago in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. But I called it by the wrong name for years. I just made up a name and started calling it Big Paperwhite. (Similar to Adam and Eve naming the various animals in the Garden of Eden, I imagine.)
It wasn’t until about a year ago that I finally had sense enough to use my iNaturalist app to identify the plant.
Lo and behold, iNaturalist corrected me and informed my that my attractive plant is the Oakleaf Hydrangea.
I was glad to have the right name but a little disappointed that I had to start calling him by the new, well correct, name.
And yes, the leaves do look like a bit like oak leaves, I must admit.
But don’t you think the individual little flowers look a tiny bit like the Paperwhite Narcissus?
Oakleaf even comes in different colors …
So now you (AND I!) I know.
But just between you and me, I still occasionally call him “Big Paperwhite,” for old-time’s sake.
And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.
This national one-day party held the last Saturday in April celebrates independent bookstores across the country online and in-store. Through exclusive books and literary items, contests, cupcakes, and everything in between, it’s a party you don’t want to miss.”bookweb.org
To celebrate, Robert and I ventured over to one of our very favorite local bookstores here in Savannah, The Stacks.
We had a grand time connecting with other book lovers.
The Stacks very neat website:
https://thestacksbookstore.com/
And that’s my Saturday Evening Post.
Today Robert and I joined thousands of other Savannah area patriots by participating in our third No Kings Day protest here in our hometown.
Please allow this sampling of creatively truthful protest signs and banners be the text for this post.
We felt honored to be a part of this peaceful, nonviolent and exuberantly hopeful crowd of patriots who so love our United States of America.
We kept running into folks we know. Here’s good buddy Critter. Isn’t that the coolest name?
And that’s my Saturday Evening Post.
So yesterday, Robert and I cleaned up the old farmhouse in Southeast Georgia where we have been staying for the last month while our downtown Savannah place was being renovated.
Did the last of the laundry (no dryer) …
I actually enjoyed (well, for a temporary time) the sensation of hanging wet washing on the clotheslines among the Spanish Moss.
We started loading boxes and bags in the kitchen for the return trip.
Looked down and saw him …
Benny in the Box.
He was ready to go home.
Enjoyed our last fire (the place had no central heat).
Enjoyed our unusual but FUN time in the snow a couple of days ago…
Sampled the “attractions” in the tiny town of Springfield GA (pop. 2,874) …
Our favorite Coffee/Bakery/Breakfast place …
And outdoor in January grilling and eating between the cold spells.
A Joyous Adventure. Thank you, Universe/God/Whomever for Such a Splendid Stay.
And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.
Recently Robert and I were driving back from a day adventure at the fascinating Webb Wildlife Management Area in Garnett, SC when we looked off to the right and saw this …
Yes, I know, the scene is difficult to see clearly. So HR pulled to the side of the road, and we walked nearer.
But the brush was SO thick, and we couldn’t get very close.
Two old cars hidden in the woods.
There has to be a story here somewhere.
And that’s my hidden-story Saturday Evening Post.
NealEnJoy 