Posted in Encouragement

A Major Woman’s Race and a Minor Old Man

Today my beautiful Savannah hosted the inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon, with over 7000 female runners and about 140 males (well, they wanted to be inclusive).

The finish line, after the 26.2 miles, ended just outside our front door.

Looking out my second-floor window, I saw women of every ethnicity, age, body type and physical ability running, running, running toward the finish line.

Toward the finish line of equality.

Toward the finish line of a woman’s marathon being just as significant (more?) as a male-dominated marathon.

For some reason, I became obsessed with this race. Every now and then walking down my stairs out onto East Broad Street to see the goings-on.

A few hours into the marathon, Robert and I walked over to the finish line and added our voices to the incredibly loud “You-Did-It!” for a multitude of women (and a few men) from all 50 states and 12 countries pushing toward a physically difficult finish.

Later, after the race, young volunteers from the Every Woman’s Marathon team were walking around picking up trash and putting them in garbage bags. Outside our place, directly in front of HR’s little tree garden, a young man’s bag burst, and all the trash spilled out!

I saw this, looking (nosily) out the window. Robert suggested that I run down and give him one of our trash bags. I did. He was so very grateful, thanking me profusely.

I walked back into our hallway, and heard the young man say to his buddy, “That nice old man really helped me, giving me that trash bag.”

I’m fine with that, just helping empty the trash.

Because we have certainly created a whole bunch of trash over the eons.

But Truth still runs

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/15/24

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Scrumptious beignets at Huey‘s, a New Orleans style restaurant on the Savannah River near us. (Well, not literally ON the river.)

And to be honest, they are SO much better than the beignets we have had in New Orleans. 

And here’s HR, tackling the steep stairs heading back home.

I’m not sure why he looks a little pouty in this photo. He just had beignets, for goodness sake. 

2. Finding, at a Little Library (do you have those where you are?) over in Hinesville, Georgia, a delightfully funny children’s book that I used to read to my daughters when they were little ones.

3. The ability—and privilege—of being able TO READ. What a blessing!

4. Grandson Daniel singing “Bring Him Home,”accompanied by the Savannah Country Day School Orchestra at their Veterans Day assembly on Monday.

Here’s a fifteen second Instagram post:

5. Robert, ex-wife Donna and me, heading to our yearly beginning-of-the-holidays traditional lunch at St. John Episcopal Church here in Historic District Savannah …

St. John’s Green-Meldrim House next door, where the luncheon is held …

… has a fascinating history. Here are a few tidbits:

May a few tidbits of fascination find their way to you this weekend.

Posted in My Saturday Evening Post

My Saturday Evening Post: 11/9/24 “Sitting”

Sitting in Greene Square, one of my very favorite Savannah squares near us, reading.

It’s dusk; the sun has said goodnight.

And behind me is the church where Martin Luther King Jr. practiced his “I Have A Dream” speech before perfecting it in DC.

I’m still having difficulty processing Tuesday’s election.

But may America’s dream of “liberty and justice for ALL” somehow continue.

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/8/24

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

To be honest, after Tuesday’s foreboding election results, I have had sad difficulty finding happiness. Until I realized, once again, that true happiness is in the small things of life.

1. Colorful fall chrysanthemums.

Herb Creek Landscaping, Savannah

2. The belief that, no matter how dark it gets, there are sources of light.

3. Grandson Daniel winning Best Actor (for two years in a row now!) for his portrayal of Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love at the high school regional one-act play competition in Vidalia, GA (yes, the Vidalia of onion fame).

D now towers over both Robert and me

4. Riding the Amtrak train yesterday from Savannah over to Charleston, South Carolina for a wonderful day trip with Robert and ex-wife Donna.

Incredible lunch at Magnolia’s, one of our favorite fancy spancy Charleston restaurants

Donna and HR, relaxing in the Charleston Place Hotel lobby, pretending to be guests, as a harpist serenades them.

I wonder if it’s too late for me to learn to play the harp. 

5. My 24Kt gold-rimmed cocktail at the Charleston Place Thoroughbred Club after the harpist rudely took a break. (We had claimed squatter’s rights at the hotel by that time.)

What do you mean, you don’t believe me?!

May you find a spot of gold somewhere in your weekend ahead.