Tag: Beauty

Posted in Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 4/1/24 “Hodgepodge”

Posted on by Neal Saye

Marveling this Monday morning, as I scroll through a hodgepodge of photos from our Baltimore trip last week.

NATURE

ART

Walter Museum of Art

Reginald Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture

Even our cutlery at lunch in the Mount Vernon section of Baltimore was sort of artsy.

I believe that if we attend to our lives carefully, we will see much to cause us to pause and MARVEL.

Even a pretty floor.
Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/29/24. “Baltimore Edition”

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

For quite a while, Robert and I have been planning a trip up to Baltimore to visit a handful of his aging aunts and other relatives in the city and surrounding area.

Our early morning flight from Savannah landed in the Baltimore/Washington International Airport about 9 am this past Tuesday. What a shock it was to us when we turned our phones back on to see the horrorific news about the disaster of the Francis Scott Key Bridge about 15 miles away. And as we found out later, six workers were missing and presumed dead.

1. Ironically enough, first on our agenda before we checked into our Airbnb later in the day was to visit the gravesites of Robert’s mother in Maryland National Memorial Park …

And his father and stepmom in Arbutus Cemetery …

2. We LOVED going back to our favorite Baltimore crab cake restaurant, G and M.

3. Reveling in the ravishing Baltimore daffodils.

Here’s a fascinating little independent film I produced, wrote and directed titled “Daffodil Hunching.” (Watch carefully for my guest star.)

(HR didn’t know he was in the film.)

4. Seeing the beauty and truth of this Ukrainian Catholic Church across from Patterson Park in Baltimore.

5. Finding the coolest Free Little Library.

And three books!

I hope you’ve had a Good Good Friday and will enjoy a Great Easter Weekend ahead.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/22/24

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Touching a tree.

But not just any tree. a magnificent Longleaf Pine here in Savannah.

2. Last Friday on our way to Jacksonville, Florida for the weekend, stopping by Amelia Island for lunch at one of our favorite casual lunch haunts along the ocean, Coast at the Ritz Carlton. (We eat there, not stay there.)

My Catch of the Day Sandwich was simply incredible.

3. Grandson Gabriel’s sensational three seconds in a recent basketball game in Atlanta …

I’m afraid he doesn’t get that skill from me. ☹️

4. While we were in Jacksonville last weekend (to get away from Savannah‘s crazy St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans, if you want to know … we live on the parade route), we ventured over to Jacksonville Beach where my family vacationed for well over a decade back in the late 60s and 70s.

We visited the Beaches Museum there. And from their archives, I discovered the motel where my family stayed … the Silver Sea Motel! A mid- to lower-end motel with beds where you could insert a quarter and get a shaky fifteen-minute “massage.”

Such JOYFUL memories.

5. Our three little Travel Buddies who venture with us on all our trips.

We have given each other a variety of neat little stuffed animals over the years (i.e. gay), but these three have become our favorite. They go where we go. This photo was taken in the living room of our Jacksonville Airbnb. We loved the pink azaleas waving at us through the windows.

May this weekend you enJOY some JOYful memories as well.

Posted in Holiday Joy, Peace

Taize Two: “Bless”

Posted on by Neal Saye

Last Wednesday, I introduced the first of our church’s four Taize services before Easter. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out last week’s post real quick:

Taize

Tonight was beautifully simple and peaceful.

The theme revolved around the idea of our souls blessing God, instead of the usual other way around.

***************

“Bless the Lord, my soul,

And bless God’s holy name.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

Who leads me into life.”

PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Again, May Peace be your Portion

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/1/24

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. HR cavorting around in local bamboo.

2. This incredible salad from the other day. Do you know the joy of salad?!

3. Grandson Gabriel being a standout in the regional basketball championship for eighth graders here in Savannah.

And here he is continuing to hog the trophy.

(FYI: I yelled and clapped far too inappropriately loud at times.)

4. Having at least a dozen reasons to smile everyday! (What have you smiled about today?)

5. Savannah’s Perfectly Pretty in Pink February!

Okay, maybe I have more than five Happy Bringers this Friday …

6. Beautiful morning coffee and breakfast burrito at nearby cool and hip Origin Coffee Bar. (Because of course I know what is cool and hip.)

7. This animal-looking stump thingy Robert and I saw on our Fort Pulaski/Cockspur Island hike the other day.

I sorta wanted to hug him.

Weekend hugs to you!