Tag: Reflections

Posted in The Artful Dodger, Unexpected Art

“The Artful Dodger“ #25

Posted on by Neal Saye

A blog category about finding “art” in unexpected places and situations.

So Robert and I were at Whole Foods today shopping for a few (emphasis “few”) things: his deionized water (don’t get me started), dried porcini mushrooms (don’t get me started, again — one of his recipes) and my white balsamic vinegar, which I REALLY needed for an incredible salad dressing that I have fallen in love with. (I’m a retired English professor, so I know better than to end a sentence with a proposition, but who cares? I’m retired.)

We were successful with finding the water and the white balsamic vinegar. And all went well until we got to the checkout counter.

For some reason when we tried to scan the white balsamic vinegar, it said “Price cannot be resolved” as if we were in some United Nations mediation.

The delightfully beautiful clerk went to try to figure out what the “Resolve” issue was. She came back, beaming and said “It’s free!“

Our (my) white balsamic vinegar when we got home, proudly standing on our counter.

So then (we’re back at Whole Foods now) we went onto our next item, fresh Turmeric!

Okay, explanation. I have been having a bit of an issue with high blood pressure lately. I have been trying to incorporate both fresh ginger and fresh turmeric into our diet.

I put the turmeric down on the scale thingy.

Walked a little closer.

Walked a little closer still and saw her.

Do you see her? She’s walking to the left with a healthy gait. Encouraging me!

HEALTHY ART! AT WHOLE FOODS!

Posted in Insanity

Seriously?

Posted on by Neal Saye

WTOC, Savannah

Seriously? Look at those words. Why aren’t they celebrated instead of obliterated?

“Compassion” needs to be Cremated?

“Diversity” needs to be Destroyed?

I pray: “May the Horrendously Evil Trump Regime soon be Painted Over before our wonderful nation promising freedom and liberty for all be destroyed.”

“Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.”

Posted in My Saturday Evening Post

My Saturday Evening Post: 1/11/25 “The Highest Bidder?”

Posted on by Neal Saye

So back in 1985 I started saving my yearly/monthly calendars.

I’m not sure why.

So that makes … what? Forty years in 2025.

I suppose it started out as just a way to remember birthdays, appointments, to do’s and other important (or unimportant) dates I was prone to forget. This was before the days of “Siri, remind me ….”

But it morphed into jottings of my hopes and dreams, my frustrations, my successes, my problems, my New Year’s Resolutions (difficult to look back over today), my very … non-Facebook life.

As I skim through the pages of years/years of pages, I see emerging themes: family, children, travel, career, wife, ex-wife, coming out, husband, grandchildren, parental deaths, medical issues, joy, sorrow … Life.

I’m not sure what to do with them. Leave them to my daughters? Burn them?

The National Enquirer? People Magazine? The highest bidder?

Here’s to my new calendar for 2025 and whatever it may bring.

May your 2025 calendar be filled with Good.

And that’s my Saturday Evening Post. 1/11/2025.

Posted in Life and Death

Rest in Peace

Posted on by Neal Saye

So today I took down (a tad sadly) our Travel Tree.

If you have followed my little blog for a while (and why on earth would you not?), you may remember that Robert and I have a second, smaller Christmas Tree which we call our Travel Tree. All the ornaments are ones we have purchased on our various travels.

As I cleared the little white tree, my eyes kept resting on a couple of simple ornaments.

And I didn’t want to hurriedly take them off. So I let them hang around a while longer.

HR and I have visited Plains, GA, hometown of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, a couple of times, appreciating the small town that birthed such a tremendously kind and humanitarian couple.

May President Carter, as he is being laid to rest this evening next to his beloved Rosalynn, finally Rest in Eternal Peace, after a long life well lived.

Posted in Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 1/6/25 “Small Kindnesses”

Posted on by Neal Saye

Marveling this Monday Morning at the simple and beautiful truth of poetry.

Small Kindnesses

By Danusha Laméris

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead—you first,” “I like your hat.”

Danusha Laméris’ insightful poem asks us to notice and cherish the many “small kindnesses” we exchange with strangers as we move through the world. Though quick, these moments have the potential to fulfill our shared need for compassion.