Posted in Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas: “Images of Peace” 12/21/22

For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Images of Peace,” each day between December 1 and 25, I share some of our photography that invites rest, peace, tranquility and love.

Peace, Baby, Peace

There isn’t anything more beautifully peaceful than a little baby (clarification: a quiet or sleeping baby, that is).

And what an extra special blessing our grandchildren are.

First Grandchild Daniel

Grandson Gabriel

Grandtwins Matthew and Madison

Isabelle Grace

Newest Grandchild Novah

Posted in Breaking News

Good News

Did you see this breaking news?

Yes! Wonderful!

Here are a few pics from my marriage ceremony with Robert back in 2016.

Daughters Amy and Sarah

Beautiful memories. And now it seems that our marriage will be protected.

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

P.S. But WHY, tell me why, would 36 Republican senators vote AGAINST codifying gay marriage? Against Robert and me being married? What is their reasoning?

Posted in Food Joy, Joy in Nature

Strong Spines

Over the valley and through the woods, gathering collards we go. 🎶

Walking in Habersham Village toward our favorite little bar and grill in Savannah, Robert and I saw this …

A mountain of beautiful pre-Thanksgiving collards! Being carefully pulled into our favorite little neighborhood grocer, The Red and White.

The sight brought a sudden jolt of JOY into my heart.

I love collards! They are deliciously beautiful. And they exude such leafy and cruciferous strength.

Collards greens have strong spines!

Posted in Delicious Joy

My Saturday Evening Post: 11/19/22 “I Miss Tomatoes”

About this time of year, every year, I fall into the “depths of despair,” borrowing a phrase from my very good friend, Anne of Green Gables.

Why so low, you ask? Simple.

THERE ARE NO LOCAL, SUMMERY, VINE- RIPENED TOMATOES!!!

The tomatoes you find at the grocery store this time of year are, to use part of Donald Trump’s newsy allegation, “fake” tomatoes!

They taste like … well, fake tomatoes.

Side Note: Please do not tell anyone that I agreed, even if just half agreed, with anything Donald Trump has ever said.

So what I like to do in mid-November is remember, somehow both sadly and joyfully, July tomatoes.

Here are a few memories of the Real Deals.

The vine-ripened beauties my parents always had on the table (along with “fried corn” snd candied yams) when I went home for a summer visit.

My Tomato Pies!

Tomato beauty.

I miss you, July Tomatoes.

Posted in Beautiful Savannah

Shipshape: “And I Sleep”

One of the unexpected joys of living in Savannah’s Historic District, just a couple of blocks from the mighty Savannah River, has been regularly seeing (and hearing) the massive cargo and container ships making their way into our busy port.

The Port of Savannah, the nation’s third largest seaport, is special because the ships leave the Atlantic Ocean, navigate their way inland about 15 miles to downtown Savannah, and pass directly in front of our busiest tourist strip on River Street …

It’s always fun to be on a walk along the river when a huge ship comes into view and watch the shell-shocked tourists gaping at the ships’ sizes.

Here’s a short video from last year when the largest container ship EVER came to Savannah.

And here are a few random shots of ships Robert and I have enjoyed seeing as we walked along the river.

Just the other night …

My shadow and HR

Others …

But, perhaps somewhat weirdly, the greatest Ship Joy of all to me is SOUND.

Robert and I will be in bed (most commonly with HR peacefully asleep and me slowly, slowly heading in that direction). But all of a sudden I will hear it. And perk up. Sometimes even sit up.

From a few blocks away, down on the river. The night ships. The sonorous, plaintive, somehow both exuberant and unexplainably sad horn, sounding from the ship, finally, finally making its way, exhausted, from who knows where into our little city … and past the sleepy little dwelling of Neal and HR.

Listen …

And somehow, that sound, time and time again, makes me realize that we can get from Where We Are … to Where We Need to Be. To a port of rest, to a place of quiet. To a place of, at least temporarily, no more movement.

And I sleep.