My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Taking a photo of a glorious ginkgo biloba tree.
2. HR in a somewhat … regal moment.
3. Always having enough food to eat.
4. Grandson Daniel on a weekend trip to New York, accompanying his Catholic girlfriend Amelie to mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and out of the blue being asked to help take up the offering!
Here’s what his mother texted me:
5. A quiet moment with Benny.
May you have some quiet moments of joy this weekend.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
To be honest, after Tuesday’s foreboding election results, I have had sad difficulty finding happiness. Until I realized, once again, that true happiness is in the small things of life.
1. Colorful fall chrysanthemums.
2. The belief that, no matter how dark it gets, there are sources of light.
3. Grandson Daniel winning Best Actor (for two years in a row now!) for his portrayal of Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love at the high school regional one-act play competition in Vidalia, GA (yes, the Vidalia of onion fame).
4. Riding the Amtrak train yesterday from Savannah over to Charleston, South Carolina for a wonderful day trip with Robert and ex-wife Donna.
5. My 24Kt gold-rimmed cocktail at the Charleston Place Thoroughbred Club after the harpist rudely took a break. (We had claimed squatter’s rights at the hotel by that time.)
What do you mean, you don’t believe me?!
May you find a spot of gold somewhere in your weekend ahead.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Our beautiful bride/neighbor Lexi kissing her groom outside the cookie store last week.
2. The ability to laugh. And continuous reasons for that joyful ability.
What do you have to laugh about today? 
3. Grandson Matthew and his Plant Cell School Project made out of household trash.
4. Going out into Washington Square near our place here in Historic District Savannah last evening to read, about 7 PM, and realizing, with the darkness, that it’s definitely getting later in the year.
5. Art!
May you have an artfully beautiful weekend ahead!
So a while back, grandson Daniel (young Savannah actor/singer—and now high school senior) played one of his most serious and evil roles so far. (And he’s been in over three dozen plays, since he started acting as a little kid.)
For this play, Daniel did not get a leading role. He was a supporting actor, the dastardly Mayor Josiah Dobbs, in Steve Martin’s very serious musical Bright Star.
Here he is (far left) in a light moment during rehearsals with his three best buddies, all in the play.
But Daniel’s character was anything but light. When the mayor’s son got a girl pregnant, Mayor Dobbs intervened and stole the baby from the mother’s arms. (More about THAT hideous heist in a minute.)
Robert and I went to opening night, and the play was VERY well done, especially for a high school performance.
The second night, too, went swimmingly.
But the closing matinee, well, was quite a different story.
Let me have Daniel explain. The short video below is actually part of D’s prescreens/prep for musical theatre college applications. For a portion called “the wildcard,” Daniel took a risk and decided to explain about what went wrong with the closing performance of Bright Star.
Yes, at least Daniel got to keep the head as a bizarre “souvenir”!
Next up, Daniel is Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love here in Savannah.
P.S. Here’s the feedback Daniel got about his “wildcard” from the folks he’s working with in New York:
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Flowers in our … bathroom.
What better place?
2. Swimming with my fellow.
(Okay, maybe HR and I are just standing lazily in a pool )
But look! Here I am doing a handstand … at %!^&*$ years of age …
3. Joyful birthday celebration with grandtwins Matthew and Madison.
And princess tenting with their little sister, Isabelle.
(It took me twenty minutes to get outta there.)
4. Making a Collard Casserole. (Yes, you heard that right.)
No collard leaf is an ugly colored leaf!
He’s just a little worn and brown at the edges. (Like me.)
5. Grandson Daniel at his “Last First Day of School.” He’s a senior at Savannah Country Day.
They have this tradition with the seniors driving onto campus while parents, grandparents, siblings, strangers, etc. yell and act foolish, waving posters and big head pictures.
Here comes D …
And here is D’s adoring crew:
Daniel is in the white t-shirt, leaning toward his mom and girlfriend.
Huh? What do you mean you can’t see Robert and me?
We’re sorta under the poster that screams “Daniel” (which I made, Thank You.)
But wait, here we are in clearer view …
See us? To the left of the Daniel sign.
Wait again, this is supposed to be about Daniel.
Did I just hear someone ask to see my award-winning poster in a close-up? Okay, here you go …
May you have an award-winning weekend ahead! 
Grandson Gabriel in a recent tournament down in Florida …
(G does not get that skill from me, in case you were wondering.)
I can’t remember the last time I actually jumped.
Can you? 
And at 72, why would I jump?
Maybe a teeny, tiny “jump” when HR sneaks up behind and tickles me. But that hardly qualifies as a legitimate jump, does it?
Grandson Gabriel participated in a basketball tournament up in Atlanta this weekend.
He’s a great jumper.
Perhaps I could learn a lesson or two from G.
I set forth an intention to look for ways to jump this coming week.
Join me?
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!
NealEnJoy 