Tag: Flowers

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/7/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Watching this beautifully tall and obviously-in-love couple leaning toward each other at Amerson River Park in Macon, GA yesterday. (Robert and I were taking a walk, waiting for time to check into our Airbnb.)

May they live happily ever after.

2. Finishing a fascinating novel about the timely subject of trans men and women. Both hilarious and heartwarming. I’m so glad we found the book.

This is the 198th book Robert and I have read together.

May we continue to be able to read what we want to read in this nation – and not only what “the government” wants us to read.

3. The ability to feel — physically feel. I have been struggling with more arthritis pain than usual lately. Frustratingly, in several areas of my body. And I’m a big baby when it comes to pain.

As I was moaning and groaning recently, HR reminded me that at least I can feel. Some people can’t even do that. After fighting off the urge to inflict pain upon him, I realized he is right.

4. Once we settled into our Airbnb (three rooms of a crumbling but still beautiful Southern mansion in Macon’s Old Town), we went out onto the huge shared front porch …

… and were promptly welcomed by the Friendly Neighborhood Greeter.

5. Our Travel Buddies (who go with us everywhere) hovering under the tulips HR picked up to brighten our Airbnb.

May you pick up something to brighten your weekend ahead!

Posted in Beautiful Savannah

There’s a Story Here Somewhere

Posted on by Neal Saye

Walking through Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery this morning with HR, we came across this bench.

There has to be a story somewhere. Is the story’s central character Mary Helen Ray, whose name is on the bench?

Or maybe one of the nearly 700 folks who died during a yellow fever epidemic in Savannah: “The most macabre bit of history involves a subtly tweaked fact on a historical marker about the yellow fever. According to the marker, ‘nearly 700’ victims of the 1820 yellow fever epidemic were buried in a mass grave, but historical records allegedly show that exactly 666 people are buried in the grave. Nearly 700, indeed.” savannahnow.com.

Here’s a link to an interesting story about Colonial Park Cemetery: 

https://www.savannahnow.com/story/lifestyle/2021/08/04/savannah-history-cemeteries-colonial-park-yellow-fever-deaths-graves/5476392001/#

Oh, and for extra credit, here is Robert sitting in a bunch of ginkgo biloba leaves at one of the entrances to Colonial Park Cemetery …

That’s probably a story in itself.

Posted in Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 2/10/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

Marveling this morning, remembering our beautiful visit to the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville, FL last Friday.

It is one of our favorite art museums anywhere, but this time, because the weather was so beautiful, we decided to simply hang out in the gardens.

Pink camellias

Robert and a BIG oak tree …

Me, pausing by a reflection pool …

HR too …

See him?

Roses in February.

The gardens make up the “backyard” of the museum, along the mighty St. John’s River, with downtown in the distance.

MARVELOUS!

I think it’s important, perhaps now more than ever, that we finds things that cause us to pause and marvel.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 1/17/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Squirrels in our living room!

HR’s nickname is Squirrel.

2. The beauty of aging wood.

3. Clean water to drink. I SO take this incredible blessing for granted.

4. Our wonderful morning hike yesterday at J. F. Gregory Park down in Richmond Hill, about 45 minutes south of Savannah.

The park is home to a huge series of canals built in the 1800s (by enslaved persons) for rice cultivation. The canals flow into the Oveechee River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Seriously?

5. Flowers. We usually buy an inexpensive bouquet or two each week, divide them up and spread them around the house.

Flowers, like food, are essential to life.

Wait, I just realized you can see me taking that picture in the mirror.
Our study window, looking out over Savannah’s busy East Broad Street

May this weekend flower you with joy. At least, a little bit.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 1/10/25

Posted on by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. My Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Basil Soup.

With HR’s gooey Habanero Cheese Toast.

YUM!

2. Heated homes for cold winter days.

3. This Peanuts blessing I received the other night. I pass it on to you.

4. Reading Ina Garten’s fascinating memoir.

(Do you think it’s too late for me to become a world-famous, multimillion dollar celebrity chef?)

5. The memory of this little silk arrangement of spring daffodils in the downstairs winter bathroom of our Airbnb at a recent stay in Baltimore.

(It doesn’t take much to make me happy.)

I hope it doesn’t take much to make you happy this weekend.

Posted in Seasonal Changes

Approaching Autumn

Posted on by Neal Saye

Approaching Autumn often finds me in what I call (probably foolishly) my Melancholy Joy Frame of Mind or Temperament: 50% Despondency at Summer’s Goodbye and 50% Delight at Fall’s Coming Orange Cool.

And as I find myself getting close to Autumn this year, I realize that I too—and not just 2024—am in my September Stage of Life.

Approaching Autumn pulled no punches this morning when I unexpectedly ran into her in, of all places, the shared second floor hallway of our old Savannah apartment building.

About a week ago, Robert had placed a beautiful, summery-looking orange day lily with several blossoms in one of the hall windows.

This morn, when I opened our front door and walked out into the hallway, I saw her there in the window. Approaching Autumn herself.

I walked over cautiously to her. 

A bit dismayed at what I saw, I clumsily asked, “What’s going on? You don’t look like summer anymore.”

“Neal. It’s time. I’m Falling.”

“ I still don’t get it,” I complained. “You can’t just out of the blue … BE Fall. You are Summer.”

“Do I look like Summer now?”

I stood for a bit … stuck. In between seasons. HR growing anxious behind me to get on with our breakfast date.

Approaching Autumn, sensing my frustration, asked, “Weren’t you an English major in college? Didn’t you read Frost? He understood. Let him remind you:

I can’t say I completely and lovingly embraced her/his explanation. But I did find a melancholy beauty in its Truth.

I started to walk away when Approaching Autumn spoke her last: “And just so you know Neal, you don’t exactly look like summer anymore either.”

But she smiled as she made the comment. I released some pent-up tension and paid her back with a new season Melancholy Joy smile of my own.

“Let’s go,” I said to Robert.

And with creaky knees, I tackled the narrow 1850s stairwell and headed outside into yet another new day.