Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 12/29/23

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Our little cabin on Lake Delano at F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain GA over Christmas weekend.

2. HR grilling bbq chicken thighs while I watch comfortably from the cabin porch.

3. Speaking of grilling, driving to Dowdell’s Knob near the state park to see where FDR had a stone grill overlooking the Georgia hills.

Cool statue of FDR, the only one showing his paralyzed legs without braces.

Here’s the … “grill.”

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT LOVED TO PICNIC HERE, AND HE HAD THIS GRILL BUILT. IT WAS FILLED IN TO PRESERVE IT.

F. D. R. Warm Springs Memorial Commission

Well, it ain’t a Big Green Egg.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

4. The Joy of Travel.

5. Surviving the hilly and creek-crossing 4.2 mile Cascade Falls Hike (a part of the 22 mile Pine Mountain Trail) on Christmas Eve.

May we all have Reason to Smile as we hike toward the end of 2023.

Posted in One-Word Wednesday

One-Word Wednesday: 12/20/23

“Mistakes”

On our recent anniversary trip to Atlanta, for some reason I kept making “mistakes” as I took photos.

Like these at the Atlanta Botanical Garden …

Or these from our Airbnb balcony with a great view of Atlanta’s skyline …

And even though they are mis“takes” …

… they are still kinda pretty.

All mistakes aren’t ugly.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/24/23

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. This incredible Christmas Cactus in the hallway of our local YMCA.

2. Continuing our tradition of putting up our Travel Tree on Thanksgiving night.

Each ornament is from somewhere we have visited over the years.

3. The ability to smell. Especially during the holiday season!

4. Having a cozy spot to read and touch toes with HR.

5. Pretty blossoms reaching down to pose for photos with Robert.

May you find a cozy spot to enjoy this weekend.

Posted in Holiday Joy, The Joy and Wisdom of Children

Neal’s Post from the Past: “Gratitude Turkey”

Here’s a post from over a decade ago, starring my young grandson (five at the time), Daniel.

I picked up Grandson Daniel (5) from school yesterday, and, hopping into his back seat, he excitedly showed me his just-completed Turkey Basket (well, that’s what he called it anyway). 

As I soon learned, the turkey project was two-fold: first the cute little construction paper turkey itself.  But as you can see in the pictures below, the front housed a nifty envelope (basket?) which held little gratitude or thanksgiving cards. 

For each note, Daniel and his classmates completed the statement “I am thankful for ____ because …” for their family members.

What a joy!  Little ones expressing their thankfulness so sincerely.  Below Daniel explains to me that his plan for Thanksgiving Day consists of waiting till “all the guests” have eaten “some of their turkey” and then “hand out the slips.” 

And he did just that–for all fourteen of the folks at the table.  His mom helped him with some of the spelling, but the sentiments were exclusively his.

Here’s mine:

“I am thankful for Abu (that’s me) because he helps with decorations.”

(Okay, maybe that sounds a bit strange, but the day before, we had decorated for Thanksgiving with some outdoor lights.  And a month earlier we had carved two jack o’ lanterns.)

What Thanksgiving Joy!  We really all do have so very much to put in our Turkey Baskets.

[For more on “Abu” see “My Favorite Word Is Abu!” post.]

Posted in T-shirt Tuesday

T-Shirt Tuesday: “Savannah Wildlife T-Shirt Series” #9

So a while back, I did a short series of T-shirt Tuesdays with cool wildlife T-shirts I saw at the Savannah Wildlife Refuge gift shop.

Recently we went back, and I snapped a few more photos. (With a few folks staring at me for pulling the T-shirts off the racks and positioning them for my photo op.)

Today … the Beautiful Butterfly.

(This butterfly looks so much younger than my poor old hands.)

Let’s try to get out of our cocoons today.