A blog category about finding “art” in unexpected places and situations.
So recently HR (“Husband Robert,” come on now, you know that) made a simple but yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage patties (from local fresh-from-the-farm-meats 920 Cattle & Company, up the road from us).
“Neal, it’s ready.”
I morning-stumbled to the table … and almost instantly SAW THEM.
Twins. TWINS! Dressed in casual but elegant Sunshine Morning Yellow Rompers.
I sat down. Asked their names.
“Lisa and Liam, sir. Yours?”
“Neal.”
“You both look so cute,” I gushed. “And you smell just SO good!”
Oh, and just so you know, the previous name of the square? Calhoun Square, named after John C. Calhoun, a former vice president of the United States, who owned slaves and vigorously defended the institution of slavery.
“What he stood for is not what Savannah stands for,” Savannah mayor Van Johnson said.
Way to go, Savannah!
And Congratulations to Susie King Taylor!
HR in Taylor Square this morning. The old name markers have been removed, but the new ones are not up yet. Soon!
A new blog category examining the frightening, exhilarating processes of our inevitable aging.
So here I am, sitting in my ever-faithful study chair …
… re-reading Andrew Weil’s Healthy Aging.
I first bought and read the book back in 2005 …
… when I was a young 53.
And now that I am a young … 71, I am understanding Weil better than before.
SERIOUSLY? I was once 53?
For this first post in the new category, I’ll let Weil speak:
“To age gracefully means to let nature take its course while doing everything in our power to delay the onset of age-related disease, or in other words, to live as long and as well as possible, then have a rapid decline at the end of life.”
I like that Aging Agenda.
HR and I belong to a wonderful church here in Savannah, Asbury Memorial. Recently we lost our church’s matriarch, Miss Virginia, at 99 years of age. On Sunday we celebrated her long incredible life.
Miss Virginia sang in the church choir up until a month before her demise. She lived “as long and as well as possible.”
1. So Robert and I LOVE our local Bull Street Library. We are there FAR more often than normal people. Recently we discovered the library has a little program called The Spice Club. (I’m so glad it isn’t The Fight Club.) They feature a different spice every month or so. And they give you a little history of the spice, two or three recipes, and the spice itself!
Our first spice upon “joining” was Galangal. Okay, I know, I had never heard of it either. It’s a kissing cousin of Ginger. The recipe we chose to make was a delicious salmon dish.
The second spice … Black Peppercorn. We made two of the recipes. First, South African Chocolate Pepper Cookies. Differently Yum!
Here you go …
The second recipe, Citrus Melon Caprese with Black Pepper.
It was a hit! We will make it again and again.
We just got the latest spice … Dill. Here’s the little package you get each time there’s a new spice.
I think I’ll run for President of the Spice Club! Will you vote for me?
2. Our sense of Smell. Spices have such incredible aromas! Make a dash into your kitchen and take a whiff of two or three.
3. Dahlias.
4. The beauty of wood.
5. This fifth Happy Bringer may be a tad demented.
As you may remember from my “Hello Anxiety” posts, I drive about an hour north of Savannah every other week to see my therapist … “Rubi.” (What?! You don’t remember that?)
His office is in a beautiful old house on one of Statesboro’s main streets. And there’s something about the physicality and energy of the place that often grabs my attention when Robert drops me off. (On second thought, maybe I’m just trying to get my labored breathing to calm down a bit before “the talk” and more Neal-revelations.)
Well, yesterday I walked up the steps onto the screened porch and saw this:
Lo and behold. The vine (Virginia Creeper? Surely not a poison something or other!) had somehow trickishly/roguishly made his (her? Virginia’s?) way up through the porch floorboards and onto the innocent ivory rocking chair. WHERE CLIENTS/PATIENTS ARE SILENTLY INVITED TO SIT BEFORE VENTURING INSIDE.
Well, I had left my Hazmat suit back in the closet in Savannah, so I said No to the Sit and hightailed it through the door of the Amityville house to the reception area, locking the door securely behind me.
But there is something eerily wondrous, even edgy beautiful, about the determined little vine, don’t you think?
May you have a weekend Peppered with Joy and Peace.
NealEnJoy 