Tag: Encouragement

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/14/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Buying my first bunch of mid-fall Southern fresh collards at our favorite little neighborhood grocer here in Savannah, The Red and White.

With hog jowls, adding the flavor of yesteryear and Granny. Dinner tonight with Beef Brisket and my jalapeño cornbread.

2. Napping with Benny.

3. The ability to REMEMBER.

What is something you remember with fondness this Friday?

Right now I’m remembering how excited Robert was last Christmas sitting between Santa and Mrs. Claus.

And I realize I’ve had almost a year now to tell HR that there is no real Santa, but with that smile, I just can’t quite bring myself to do it.

4. Pain medication when we need it.

5. The glorious Introduction to the Holidays Robert and I experienced today at the annual Holly Days Luncheon and Bazaar hosted by the incredible women of St. John’s Church here in Savannah.

We’ve been walking across the Historic District for years now to experience this delicious snd elegantly festive day.

The lunch was held at the church’s beautifully historic Green-Meldrim House, which …

greenmeldrimhouse.org

I opted for the BBQ plate, HR the salad trio.

We were GREATLY distracted while eating our lunch because of the Huge Dessert Table right next to us.

I chose the Red Velvet Cake with homemade whipped cream, while Robert got the Guinness Chocolate Cake with whipped cream and fruit compote. (He’s fancy.). He asked for a tall glass of glass of Guinness to go along with it, but he did not get what he asked for.

And post-lunch we loved walking through the Silent Auction area.

Look! A Nanny Bench! (Truthfully, I had never heard of such a thing before.)

See that little railing on the left side. That’s where Nanny plops down Baby so she can snooze a bit while rocking the bench.

Speaking of sitting, check out this beautiful little window alcove.

Let’s get closer and into the light.

Do you think it would be okay if I sat down for just a sec on that gigantic comfy- and angelic-looking pillow?

By the way, it was the golden mirror for sale, not the pretty pillow. My silent offer of $4.99 didn’t get very far, darn it.

But we did pick up a couple of books …

… and some homemade vegetable soup for another day …

We were certainly Well Fed in Every Way at this year’s fun-filled Holly Days.

May you have a healthy weekend and be Fed with a substantial Serving of Joy.

Posted in Holiday Joy

A Saintly Sunday

Posted on by Neal Saye

What a terrific Day of the Dead 2025 Robert and I have experienced!

It all began with breakfast as we feasted on delicious Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) we had ordered the day before from local Mexican bakery/restaurant La Canasta Panaderia.

What IS Pan de Muerto? you may be asking. Here’s what Google told me:

Yum!

Then we went to our church, Asbury Memorial hrre in Savannah, for our annual All Saints Sunday service, where we remember the church members and other dear folks who have passed on during the past year.

At the front of the church, there was a large ofrenda (altar), and at one point, the pastor invited folks to come forward with photos or mementos of their loved ones.

I brought a little marble Last Supper sculpture I bought for my parents when daughter Amy and I were in Italy … 25 years ago. It sat on their mantle for eons until they passed away.

Here it is in the lower left, below photos of other folks 

This year Robert remembered his kitty cat Boopers.

Then tonight HR and I had our Dia de los Muertos supper, consisting of several of our deceased parents’ favorite foods: Maryland crab cakes, homemade vegetable soup and cornbread.

A wonderful and joyful heartfelt day of remembrance.

Oh, let’s not forget the special treats our folks loved.

Pork rinds (I know, not healthy, but my dad lived to almost 97), orange slices, black and white cookies

Posted in My Saturday Evening Post

My Saturday Evening Post: 11/1/25 “5 Weeks and Día de los Angelitos”

Posted on by Neal Saye

Robert and I had a quiet, meaningful couple of hours the other evening setting up our annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda (altar), remembering our parents and other loved ones who have passed on before us.

The time was especially dear for me this year because I thought to pull out some old files that, along with other paraphernalia, stayed for decades in my parents’ safety deposit box before they died (my mother in 2016 and my father in 2020).

In one file was the funeral information about a brother, Jimmie, who was born in 1946 and only lived for five weeks.

My mother dried and kept some flowers from his little grave.

In the little baggie behind the Celtic cross.

These old flowers are now 78 years ago—three quarters of a century!

I love the Day of the Dead season. “Nov. 1 is known as Día de los Angelitos, which honors the souls of deceased children, and Nov. 2 is Día de los Muertos.” usatoday.com

So today HR and I remembered little Jimmie and his brief life.

And that’s my Saturday Evening Post.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 10/31/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Making our annual ofrenda (altar) for Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebrating our loved ones who have passed on before us.

Remembering HR’s kitty cat Boopers.

2. Halloween coffee this morning at one of our favorite coffee bars here in Savannah, Origin.

And the baristas who made them …

Robert has (dis)ability to have complete strangers line up for photos sessions.

3. The fortitude to laugh and savor the moment, even in the midst of our current political climate.

4. The Halloween morning light teasing our steep 1840’s stairs.

5. Cool Halloween decorations here in Savannah.

May your Halloween Weekend be filled with Good Spirits.

Posted in Encouragement

Smashed

Posted on by Neal Saye

Taking the trash out into the alley behind our place, I ran into this …

“Uh oh,” I thought, “there’s a story here somewhere.”

A discarded (before Halloween!) strange-looking jack-o’-lantern hunkering down at the feet of a thoroughly smashed mirror.

I moved closer, snapping a few photos (I’m not sure why).

“How very sad,” I cringed, “and somebody’s in for some bad luck!”

“You obviously know not of that which you speak,” a crystal clear voice came from the shards.

I walked away, educated.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 10/17/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Fall and chrysanthemums!

2. The ability to smile, even just a little bit, even when we may not feel like smiling.

3. This lone October blossom on a leafless Lily Magnolia tree (aka as Tulip Magnolia or Tulip Tree) that Robert and I saw and marveled at yesterday.

Sometimes you just gotta go it alone.

4. Daughter Amy expanding her Savannah-based medical company across the Savannah River and over into nearby (and beautiful) Bluffton, South Carolina.

HR and I drove over for the ribbon cutting yesterday morn.

Robert and I made it at the very end into the little local news coverage …

The paparazzi will simply not leave me alone.

https://share.google/oQybdqM9iBeJARSbc

5. Robert and some hay.

May you sit in front of a joyful weekend ahead.