I love this photo from this afternoon. Grandson Daniel, young Savannah actor/singer, hugging my ex-wife Donna, his Nana, after performing as the (really, REALLY) bad guy in the musical “Bright Star.”
My Saturday Evening Post: 2/24/24 “Nana”
Tag: Grandchildren
Countdown to Christmas: 12/24/23 — “Sing a Christmas Song”
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, the 24th and last Day of Advent … SING A CHRISTMAS SONG.
Here are today’s instructions:
Activating your body, mind, breath and voice, there are few activities that involve you more comprehensively in the present than singing. Your task today is to sing a Christmas song.
Don’t worry, this need not be some grand solo performance to an audience – it could be singing carols as part of a group, an a cappella version in the safety of the shower, or simply singing along to a song on the radio – wherever you choose to sing, all that matters is that you give it your full attention and really go for it.
Feel the breath in your chest and the vocal vibrations in your throat; hear the sound of your voice; follow the patter of the melody, consider the meaning of the lyrics. Feel the various emotions involved, both in the tone and message of the song and in the personal feelings you get from the activity of singing. And most of all, enjoy singing for singing’s sake, for the fun and expressive act that it is.
Singing engages you completely in the moment and can be as relaxing as it is exhilarating.
Here’s a short video of grandson Daniel and his girlfriend Amalie singing “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” at a Savannah Ghost Pirates ice hockey game last night …
May your Christmas 2023 be a Song of Joy.
“The World Is Big, But Little People Turn It Around”
Looking through a file recently, Robert came across a CD with a Christmas music video grandson Daniel did as a project with his voice teacher. Daniel was eight at the tine.
Here’s the video:
Jump from 2015 to today …
Pretty Accident
I have had more than my fair share of “accidents” involving placing my cell phone in the front pocket of my pants. More often than not, pocket dialing far too many folks on my contact list.
I don’t know why my cell phone can’t simply behave himself like our old telephones used to do. They certainly never “accidentally” land-lined my primary care physician multiple times in one day … on his personal number. But then again, I think it was the doctor’s fault for giving me his private number to begin with. What was he thinking?
Last night, however, I had a “pretty accident.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cellphone, which was inexplicably showing me the tail end of my “Recents” photo album …
But I wasn’t mad at myself this time. I thought the “accident” was kinda pretty, with its pinkish, bluish purple.
Oh, and that girl in the black outfit toward the bottom is grandtwin Madison, dressed in this year’s Halloween costume—Wednesday from The Addams Family.
But how on earth did I manage to “pocket dial” “picture taking” … multiple times?! And how did those colors become photos?
(Maybe I should non-accidentally text the pretty, colorful pic to my doctor.)
Five Friday Happy Bringers 10/27/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. HR and I live in Savannah’s Historic District just off Washington Square (Savannah has 22), a few blocks from the mighty river.
This past Saturday, our square and ward held our 7th Annual Bathrobe Brunch. In memory of a local Washington Square resident who would wear his bathrobe out in the square, sit at a particular bench and work on his day’s business pursuits.
We wear our PJ’s and bathrobes, bring brunch treats and socialize up a storm.
Robert and I (well, I) chose a mismatched Halloween theme this year.
SUCH SAVANNAH FUN!
2. And later the same day, enjoying the Savannah Pride Festival.
3. Shoes! Aren’t they wonderful?! You don’t have to go barefooted. Do you own any?
4. Grandson Daniel winning the Best Actor award at last weekend’s South Georgia regional one-act play competition for his role as Peter in “Peter and the Star Catcher.”
(Not that I’m a proud grandad or anything.)
5. This very cool autumnal season.
Happy Last Weekend in October!
Five Friday Happy Bringers 10/6/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Fall doors here in Savannah.
2. Onions!
3. Green life.
4. Our incredible ability to set goals and make plans.
5. Granddaughter Madison climbing, climbing.
May you climb up to a terrific weekend ahead.
Five Friday Happy Bringers 9/8/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. The Terrific Tomato Tart Robert and I made this week with tomatoes from nearby Davis Produce.
2. Watching the Braves beat the Cardinals 8-5 at Truist Park last night.
3. The ability to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves so seriously.
4. Grandson Daniel “being all shy” singing The National Anthem at the yearly kickoff celebration of the United Way of the Coastal Empire at the Savannah Convention Center.
Practicing the day before …
The event …
You can hear him here …
I asked his mom, Amy, if Daniel gets nervous at large events such as this.
“He’s not the slightest bit nervous. But I am a wreck until it’s over.”
5. Living in a world with so many wonderful books to read. Here is the current novel HR and I are reading together. Robert does most of the driving, so I read aloud. This is our 178th book together.
(May the book banners be banned.)
And may your weekend ahead be a personal anthem of joy and freedom.
Five Friday Happy Bringers 6/30/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Radishes.
2. Billboards sprouting up around Savannah featuring grandson Daniel as Raoul in the Savannah Theatre’s upcoming production of Phantom of the Opera.
The production opens July 7.
3. This week walking one of the trails (by myself, quite unusual, R and I are usually together 24/7 ) at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge near us.
4. My Feet
5. Air conditioning.
AIR CONDITIONING!
May you have a cool weekend ahead.
Five Friday Happy Bringers 6/9/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Attending friends Pat and Mary’s annual Backyard Garden Party.
2. Making homemade vegetable broth from (organic) veggie scraps.
3. Our incredible bodies which accompany us on this earthly trek. And are always trying to move us toward wellness. Thank you, Body!
4. HR’s sautéed shrimp salad.
5. Granddaughters Madison and Isabelle starting the local library’s summer reading program.
May your weekend ahead lead you to beauty of some kind.
NealEnJoy 