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 Heroic Heron.
Some of Robert’s photos of herons …
May we not be afraid to get our feet wet today.
HAPPY WET-FOOTED TUESDAY!
Definitely marveling today.
Robert and I are up in Atlanta for a week celebrating our Seventh Wedding Anniversary.
We’re staying at a very cool Airbnb with a terrific view of the Atlanta skyline from our balcony.
Other than sitting on the balcony, we’ve seen a beautifully moving performance of A Christmas Carol at The Alliance Theatre …
God blessed us everyone!
And The Nutcracker at The Cobb Energy Center …
(Do you think at 71 I’m a bit too old to become a world-famous male ballet dancer?)
For our anniversary dinner, we went to the beautiful Atlanta Fish Market.
Afterwards, I went to the market section of the restaurant and bought HR a good-sized fish for our anniversary—and then had our picture taken in front of it before it was iced and wrapped to be taken home.
Tonight we head to The Atlanta Botanical Garden for their FABULOUS Garden Lights, Holiday Nights outdoor lights display.
Come and go with us! Help us celebrate 7.
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, the 11th Day of Advent … MINDFULLY DECORATE.
Here are today’s instructions:
Some people adore decorating the house for Christmas, while others cringe at the thought of it. Wherever you put yourself on this scale, this exercise is designed to encourage a more involved and rewarding decorating experience.
The first step is to approach the task as though this is the first time you have ever put up Christmas decorations. Disregard any prior routines and consider anew which decorations to put where, and why.
Be fully present in the moment as you decorate. Examine each decoration before you put it up. Notice each detail of it – how it feels in your hands, how the light shines off its surface, what aspect of Christmas it represents. Think about each item’s existence, sitting in a cupboard for most of the year then coming out in December for its time to shine.
Give care and attention to the Christmas tree. Study its shape, smell its scent, touch its needles. Lovingly dress it in your chosen decorations.
Be aware of your thoughts and emotions as you go through the process of decorating the house. Do you start to feel anticipation for the coming days? Are there any decorations that instigate a fond memory from the past? Embrace these feelings as they happen.
By immersing ourselves fully in a task like this, we realise how much can pass us by when subscribing to a standard routine.
(Since we’ve already finished our decorating, I had to alter this meditation by thinking about our holiday decor.)
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, Day Five of Advent … “STUDY A CANDLE.”
Here are today’s instructions:
Candles are ubiquitous at this time of year and a mainstay of many a Christmas display. But how much time do you actually give to observing them?
Sit in a comfortable, peaceful place indoors where there is nothing that can distract you. Place a candle in front of you and light it. For five minutes, your task is simply to stare at the candle. Study everything you can about the candle, the flame and how it makes you feel.
Try to stay completely still and breathe slowly while maintaining your gaze on the candle. Watch the flame as it dances and flickers; is it beautiful, relaxing, hypnotic? Observe the wax melting at the top of the candle.
What other senses does the candle engage? Does it give off a scent? What emotions does it evoke?
Stopping your mind from drifting for five minutes is a tough challenge. Don’t feel bad when your mind wanders – just acknowledge where it is going and gently bring it back to the candle and the moment.
This task helps you train your mind to channel its focus and to stay in the moment. With practice, you will experience the sensation of full awareness on the flame, as the rest of your surroundings fade away.
A sampling of our candles over the years:
May you see Light this day.
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. SO enjoying last night’s Savannah Telfair Museum Christmas Tree lighting and Design District Holiday Walk.
2. Our wonderful (and often taken-for-granted) EYESIGHT.
3. HR’s nickname … Squirrel.
4. Washington Square at dusk. We live just off Washington Square in downtown Savannah. (Savannah has 22 extant squares, and ours is the northeast most one near the river.)
It’s one of my favorite places to read or rest.
5. Underrated beauty in fall’s scraggly bushes.
May you find lotsa beauty this weekend.
“Hello”
Ottawa Farms, Bloomingdale GA
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 Sensational Sea Turtle
Here’s a cute cousin of the sea turtle we saw at Hunting Island State Park in SC …
May we all think long term and age gracefully.
NealEnJoy 