Grandson Daniel and his good buddy Aiden, after completely failing to be able to stay on their feet and ice skate at the civic center here in Savannah …


Grandson Daniel and his good buddy Aiden, after completely failing to be able to stay on their feet and ice skate at the civic center here in Savannah …
1. Holly.
I think that Christmas can absolutely not be Jolly without Holly.
2. Robert’s little homemade birch Christmas card-hanging thingy.
3. The ability to wake up each morning and see. SEE! I can look on the other side of the bed and see HR sleeping soundly. (Well, more truthfully, actually HEAR HR sleeping soundly. Whew.) I can look out my window and see the ancient Live Oak tree branches swaying in the wind. I can walk out of the bedroom into the hall, kitchen, living room, and see our modest collection of art, family heirlooms and comfortable rugs …
I can see! What an incredible blessing. But I so often take SEEING for granted.
4. My World Famous Hambone Soup, made from the hambone left over from our Christmas ham.
Oh, and with my jalapeño cornbread.
5. The Truth of this quote …
“The destination of life is this eternal moment.” Alan Watts
I truthfully hope you have a joyful last weekend of 2022.
1. Walking through our local mall the other day, HR and I came upon our grandson Daniel, fresh from a haircut nearby, aimlessly meandering around, waiting for his mom to pick him up. We confiscated him and took him out to lunch at Chick-fil-A.
Family Joy. Daniel is especially excited because he just got the part of Marius in a local production of Les Mis.
2. Our deliciously sweet tradition of getting a tin of peppermint bark from Williams Sonoma.
3. Having expectations, hopes, dreams, things we still want to accomplish during our short time here.
4. This nutcracker.
5. My early Friday morning view right now from the couch.
May you have an abundance of beautiful holiday views this weekend.
1. Our new turtle ornament!
2. Savannah holiday wreathes near us.
3. Our fingers. Our toes. What a blessing.
4. The incredible beauty of the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s annual “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.” Each year it gets better and brighter!
A little video featuring some of the musical lights hanging from the tall garden trees.
5. The cutest holiday grandchild in the history of grandchildren.
May you have a holly jolly weekend ahead.
1. Seeing this display at Fresh Market snd thinking it was giving me life advice …
(I still think it’s pretty good life advice.)
2. Having a delightfully laidback and peaceful post-Thanksgiving meal with two of Robert’s children.
3. The color green (my favorite).
4. Last night’s Design District Holiday Walk here in Savannah.
With the fanciest and most beautiful hors d’oeuvres I have ever seen.
5. HR’s fall-hearty and yummy chicken casserole the other night.
I hope your weekend casseroles around beautifully for you.
HR and yours truly. Lying in the Sheep Meadow. Central Park. NYC. 2016. Our very first trip to New York City together.
“These vagabond shoes ….” 🎶
My weekly list of a few “joy inciters” in my life. A Friday Gratitude Journal, of sorts.
1. The beautiful bottlebrush plant we saw recently on a walk here in Savannah.
What a cool and fitting name! And it’s SO friendly. It colorfully whispered in my ear, “You know, Neal, Christmas is coming! Joy to the world!”
2. Pine. Oh, the glorious appearance and aroma of pine!
3. Comfortable shoes.
4. Always having enough food to eat. (I so often take that blessing for granted.)
5. The beach.
May Peace shine on you this weekend before Thanksgiving.
1. More Savannah fall sidewalk beauty to process.
2. Speaking of beauty, a beautiful little turtle I filmed (10 seconds, watch it!) at the education center at Sapelo Island this week. We really hit it off.
Let’s call her Autumn!
3. Unique walkways.
4. Today. Simply having TODAY. What a reason to rejoice!
5. Spanish moss and Robert.
May you have So Much to love this weekend!
1. HR and I having a low-key Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) dinner on Nov. 2 in honor of our parents.
2. Our little beautiful, pink flower, (I’m not sure what it is), just outside our door, which just keeps blooming, even now into November.
3. The ability to talk, to express, to communicate.
4. Grandchildren trick-or-treating …
5. Wreathing Autumn in Savannah.
May your weekend be wreathed in Joy!