Happiness – Page 10

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/2/25

Posted on May 2, 2025May 2, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Sweet Tea, or as Dolly Parton calls it in Steel Magnolias, “the Champagne of the South.”

2. Walking by this “wall of green” covering a building near us here in historic district Savannah.

If you look closely, you can spot HR meandering in the lane.

3. Toenail clippers.

4. The absolute, joyful contentment that kitty cat Benny finds in (literally in) cardboard boxes.

5. Grandson, Daniel and his “Senior Bike Ride” this morning at his school.

On the last day of school (for seniors), Country Day has this tradition for their soon-to-be graduates to ride bicycles onto campus, where they are over-enthusiastically greeted by their families and loved ones, holding up posters and pictures and joyfully cheering (probably because those soon-to-be graduates will also soon be leaving home).

May you have something this weekend to scream joyfully about. (If not, just scream anyway.)

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/25/25

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Heavenly smelling Strawberry Blossoms and Fruit on a visit to Sonrise Farms near Dublin GA.

2. Reflection

3. The ability to walk up a staircase and to walk down a staircase. (Though it’s getting to be more of a challenge these days with my creaky knees.)

4. Grandson Daniel‘s 18th birthday dance at Miyabi’s Kyoto Steak House here in Savannah.

(You can hear Robert in the background, egging Daniel on.)

A pretty messed-up photo at the party but sort of cool in its own way.

5. The amazing spectacle I often see when I step out my front door here in historic district Savannah, a few blocks from the Savannah River …

… and pause before I head to wherever I’m going … to take in a gargantuan cargo ship heading to the Savannah port.

The purple through the oak trees? That’s a cargo ship!

I hope this weekend brings you a Cargo of Good.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/18/25

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Brilliant red blooms of the Fire Lily in a yard near us.

2. Enjoying a delicious and educational olive oil tasting at Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm near Glenville GA.

3. Making a very yummy Strawberry Pear Pie with fresh-picked strawberries from Sonrise Farms near Dublin GA.

4. Our skin, which wraps us up so lovingly.

5. This beautifully quirky little pillow on the couch in the waiting area at my therapist’s office.

(I wonder if it was strategically placed there to somehow assess or affect our mental health.)

May you have a Healthy Weekend ahead – mentally and otherwise!

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/11/25

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. The joy of very simple food.

A sliced russet potato, half an onion, a little olive oil and my homemade Cajun seasoning

2. The joy of … fancier food.

Oysters at my favorite Savannah oyster bar, *Sorry Charlie’s*

3. The incredible sense of taste! What a blessing.

4. Colorful trash cans on a visit to Greene Acres Farm in Cochran GA.

5. The color of not-quite-ripe strawberries.

May you have a ripe weekend ahead.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/28/25

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Walking to one of my favorite reading spots a couple of blocks from us here in Historic District Savannah on the bluff overlooking the Savannah River.

2. Being able to walk!

3. Friendly farm animals yesterday at Hunter Cattle Company in Brooklet GA, where we bought beautiful grass-fed ribeye steak.

4. More of Savannah’s Spring Beauty.

5. Looking for the Tree Spirits at various spots around Saint Simon’s Island (Georgia).

(I’m working on a post about the dozen or so “spirits” we found recently.)

May you spring into a Happy and Healthy Weekend ahead.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/21/25

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. The delicious simplicity of a good hot dog.

Slaw Dog, Hot Dog Alley, Saint Simons Island GA

2. Completing 1800 meditation sittings with my Happier app.

SURELY I should be a little more enlightened by now?!

3. The ability to … Stretch. I’m having some arthritis issues, and simple stretching often helps with the pain.

4. My old front door. It has welcomed us home many a time.

5. Benny needing his rest this morn (on my I’m-still-wearing-them Christmas jammies).

May you have a Merry Weekend

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/14/25

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. A small twig of rosemary I snatched from a mature bush and placed on our car’s dash.

A tiny bit of natural beauty and heavenly aroma.

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

2. This photo from daughter Emily on our family text thread this week …

And her accompanying comment: “Just me and my tiny lap dog.”

My response: “Can you still breathe?”

Emily: “Breathing is overrated.”

3. Truth I saw displayed on a church in Macon, Georgia, where we were visiting last weekend.

4. The ability to (still) walk up and down stairs.

Robert and I live in a mid-19 century building with steep, tiny stairs.

5. Pine.

May you find much happiness this weekend. Or at least a little.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/7/25

Posted on March 7, 2025 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 …