Ginkgo is marvel-worthy.
I saw him from a distance.
Could it be my buddy, Ginkgo?
Closer look.
Yes! I love this tree.
Ginkgo Biloba, aka Maidenhair Tree
A Monday of marveling to you!
Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?
Tag: Photography
Shhh … Silent Sunday 1/2/22
Five Friday Happy Bringers 12/31/21
Seriously? 2021 is on its last breath?! Quickly then, here are Five Final Friday 2021 Happies.
1. Robert taking FOREVER to “set the stage” before taking pics of my second (what was I thinking?) fruitcake of the season.
2. Daughter Amy winning South Magazine’s Greatest Nurse Award 2021.
3. The sky.
4. The lunch I “created” yesterday (from use-‘em-before-they-spoil leftovers) for Robert and me.
My vision had us sitting across from each other, looking lovingly into each other’s eyes, then casting our gaze downward to the edible art inhabiting the space between us.
Smiling, we would have no need for dishes, for cutlery. And why would we?! We had our hands, our fingers, our hearts, our culinary freedom. As if we were dining in an authentic Indian restaurant, we would both be silently agreeing with award winning chef Srijith Gopinathan of San Francisco’s Campton Place: “There’s a reason people use their hands to eat. It’s because food is very, very personal.” I could see and hear Robert whispering (no longer in an Indian restaurant), “Bon appétit, mon amour,” as he fed me a finger of (two-day old, slightly brown but still delicious) genuine Mexican guacamole … from Whole Foods.
Doesn’t this look, not just pretty, but personal to you? And yes, I know the ham salad from Monday looks a little runny, but still.
Well, here’s basically the pre-lunch convo between Robert and me when he saw the table.
Him: “Wow.”
Me: (Not responding, except in silent joy, awaiting his next compliment.)
Him: “Uh, aren’t you going to put that ham salad in plates?”
Me: Sounding upbeat, perky, as if I were offering him an invitation to the Waldorf Astoria for their Waldorf Salad: “Ha, ha. No, silly! It’s a communal lunch, but just you and me, reaching and using our fingers.”
Him: “Oh, okay,” staring at a couple of mayonnaise-y green peas sliding off the “sorta charcuterie board.”
But believe it or not, after that slippery start, we had a great and fun, if not 100% fresh, lunch. And I relented with two (small) salad plates.
5. Getting through (sometimes sailing along beautifully, sometimes barely moving) yet another perfectly imperfect year.
Have a meaningful final day of 2021.
See you next year!
One Word Wednesday: 12/29/21
“Daughters”
“Robert and …” #7
A blog category of pics I’ve taken of Hubby Robert and … well, just about anything.
Robert and an early foggy morning walk on River Street near us here in Savannah.
Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?
On this Monday after Christmas, I’m still Christmas-ing (and marveling) a bit. Here’s Savannah’s Troup Square near us, all decked out.
Savannah has twenty-two beautifully unique squares in our Historic District, where Robert and I live.
Troup Square is known as “The Jingle Bell Square.”
They even decorate their trash cans.
And benches.
Here’s to Troup!
12/24/21 Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks
For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Our Travel Tree & Georgia State Parks,” each day between December 1 and 25, I take a pic of a state park ornament on our Travel Tree and briefly highlight that park.
Mistletoe State Park (isn’t that a cool Christmasy name?) is located north of Augusta on the southern shore of Lake Thurman. The park gets its name from Mistletoe Corners, a nearby unincorporated township where people used to gather (maybe still do) to gather mistletoe during the winter holiday season. (I wonder if there’s a bunch of smooching going on at these gatherings. I’m trying to picture it.)
For some reason or other, which I didn’t have sense enough to really understand, Mistletoe’s Lake Thurman is one of the best bass fishing spots in the entire nation.
The only fishing which I’ve ever done is at those little carnivals or fairs or church basement fund raisers where a bed sheet is carelessly thrown over a makeshift clothesline, and an embarrassed adult stands behind the sheet with some cheap prizes. When the “fisherperson” throws her or his or they—it’s 2020!— fishing line over the sheet, back comes flying a little crackerjack-type prize clothes-pinned to your fishing line! I just LOVE fishing! TMI?
Now be honest, do we look like fishermen? Well, maybe Robert does, a tiny bit. I look like Forest Gump on a pier …
But the hiking was terrific at Mistletoe.
And we found little painted rocks scattered all around!
They excited me as much as anything has in years!
Oops …
The beauty of Mistletoe State Park …
Happy CHRISTMAS EVE!
Go kiss somebody!
“Joyful Christmas and Justice for All!”
Robert and I LOVE sending out Christmas Cards! We feel the practice (slowly disappearing?) is a way to pass along a little cordial and heartfelt “Soul of the Season.”
Our card for 2021. Here, we’re sending it to you!
Happiest of Holidays!
************
What’s the backstory for this year’s card, you ask? Well, I AM super holiday busy (it IS Christmas Eve you know) but if you absolutely insist, I’ll take the time from singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to Robert, and explain.
I get the disturbing impression Robert’s just not that into the song anyway. He hasn’t blinked since the first time I sang the verse about the eight maids a milking—which I keep messing up, so of course have to start over from the beginning.
Anyway, back in September, with the pandemic seeming to ease up a bit, we ventured out on our first you-gotta-get-on-an-airplane-to-get-there trip. We spent a gloriously laidback and uneventful week in the Poconos, then hopped over to Manhattan for another week. (Where were all the people?!)
One day we booked a guided tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, led by guide extraordinaire Rob …
What fun we had! And because of Rob, how much we re-appreciated our diverse nation.
When we meandered to the front of Lady Liberty, Rob suddenly threw himself on the ground (!) exclaiming, “I take the best pictures this way.”
And he was right!
Later, walking around Times Square, Robert found Statues of Liberty at every corner.
NOEL! from NEAL & ROBERT
JOYFUL CHRISTMAS 2021 and YES, JUSTICE FOR ALL!
Five Friday Happy Bringers—Christmas Eve/Family Edition 12/24/21
1. Robert’s and my annual holiday ritual of reading our beloved “A Cup of Christmas Tea” and “raising a cup of Christmas cheer to loved ones and family far and near.” (That includes YOU!)
2. Grandson Daniel singing “Hallelujah” with a chorus friend at the Savannah Country Day School Holiday Concert.
(Not that I’m a proud grandfather or anything.)
3. Having a fun early Christmas Luncheon Extravaganza (as I titled it) with ex-wife/great friend Donna at Savannah’s The Pirates’ House Restaurant.
4. Robert’s beautifully delicious and holiday-ish “Watermelon and Kiwi Breakfast Salad” sprinkled with fresh mint and nutmeg, and a side of pickled beets with jalapeño sauce and smoked paprika. (He sounded a little uppity to me when he explained the menu.)
The spiced oranges (we made last night) are pretending to lay low in the pic above. But are trying to steal the show.
5. And finally, recognizing and joyfully acknowledging that ….
Yes, they are. Look and you will see!
Blessed Christmas Eve to you.
NealEnJoy 