



My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Realizing last Saturday night that I can, as Cher so desperately wished, turn back time.


2. Embracing (well not literally) the Joy of Candles! Especially autumnal pumpkin spice-smelling candles.

(My heart was a bit broken recently when I discovered that pumpkin spice really has nothing to do with actual pumpkins. It’s called “pumpkin spice,” of course, because those spices are frequently found in pumpkin pie. Wouldn’t you think someone my age would know that?)
3. The ability to smell. (Well, most of the time.)
4. Our little potted Japanese Maple (aka JM), stubbornly refusing to admit that it is now FALL.

Here’s our little fellow about this time last year …

I haven’t shown the photo to JM. I don’t want to rush him and be one of those parents who cause their kids to develop “hurried child syndrome.”
5. And finally, this is a follow-up to my post the other day about finding those little Jesus figurines (!) on the gas pump at Kroger. Remember?

Well, yesterday HR and I went to Publix for our weekly It’s-Wednesday’s-buy-one-get-one-free shopping spree.

We were minding our own business, when lo and behold, I looked down at the BOGO queso and saw …

Wait. Look closer.

See Him?!

Yet another Little Jesus! Seriously!
I made Robert snap a photo for documentation (quickly, because people were beginning to stare.)

Somebody must SERIOUSLY be on a mission here in Savannah.
And may you complete a Serious Mission to find some Autumn Happiness this weekend.
Pulling up to the gas pump at Kroger this morning, I got out of the car …

Walked closer to the pump …

Closer still …

A tad closer …

And I saw Him/Them …

Someone felt I needed … a little Jesus.

I agreed. So I filled up my tank — and walked away with Him.

Marveling this morning at how much DELICIOUS JOY a little box of autumn chocolates can bring.



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.




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

And the baristas who made them …


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.

A blog category about finding “interesting decor” in various bathrooms I’ve come across.
So yesterday, Robert and I drove over to Bluffton, South Carolina to attend my daughter Amy’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for expansion of her Savannah- based medical company, Coastal Care Partners.
Afterwards, we had lunch at our VERY favorite fried chicken restaurant on the planet, Cahill’s Market and Chicken Kitchen. (I love its name.)

Cahill’s is a working farm.



At my age, I always pay careful attention to the whereabouts of the nearest restroom.
Restroom? Do you really rest in a restroom?
And here are a few other synonyms for restroom …

Bog?! Jakes?!
Anyway, before leaving Cahill’s and driving back to Savannah, of course I had to visit the, the … garderobe.
And look what I Halloween-y found!



I left the, the … watercloset, relieved and in a bit more of the upcoming holiday spirit.

Robert and I drove up to Atlanta last weekend for the city’s 2025 Pride Festival and Parade. This year‘s theme was …




So Robert and I joined 999,998 friends on the sidewalks of Midtown Atlanta (two blocks from our neat little Airbnb) to watch seemingly endless bands, floats and various parade entries saunter down Atlanta’s famed Peachtree Street.




If you know, anything about Pride celebrations, you may be wondering why Atlanta Pride is held in October rather than the traditional month of June. It’s a Southern thing: the weather is simply far too hot in June.










There were quite a few political candidates running for various offices marching in the parade. But interestingly enough, all Democrats, not a single Republican bothered to show up and support gay rights.



The parade and the day exploded with joyous fun, camaraderie and much inclusive love.

As you probably know, Monday night gave us the beautiful Harvest Moon of 2025. And while I didn’t have any crops that needed to be harvested in the bright moonlight (as was done yesteryear), Robert and I did go on a wonderfully invigorating and insightful “Harvest Moon Hike” with about ten other moon watchers at nearby Skidaway Island State Park here in Savannah.


“The moniker harvest moon indicates that it’s the full moon event closest to the autumnal equinox, or the first day of fall. Historically, the moon’s bright light helped farmers complete their harvests for the year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.” cnn


“This moon will be the first of three back-to-back supermoons this year. A supermoon happens when the moon reaches perigee, or its nearest point to our planet, making it appear larger and fuller.” cnn
One of Robert’s photos:

And some of my sad attempts …




… which I ended up sort of liking and am now calling “artistic.”
“Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky
Shine on, shine on harvest moon”

