Places–I love the poetic resonance of that word. Some places are special; you had them growing up, of course you did. And do now. Magical places. Special because of their cocoonishness, or their broad openness. Their smell, or their connection to friends or family. Their lightness, or darkness. Their safety, or risk.
So I was aghast a few years back when I attended a writing conference at the Sea Turtle Inn in Atlantic Beach, FL, and one afternoon decided to skip the meetings and drive down memory lane. I headed south to Jacksonville Beach to find the motel where my family and I vacationed from about the time I was six or seven till I went away to college. It had those wonderful bedswhere you inserted a quarter into the headboard, and the mattress vibrated! For fifteen minutes! My mother, father and brothers would all hop on. Who needed the Ritz?
I knew exactly where the Horseshoe Motel stood. I had been there SO many times as a kid. But I started to doubt myself when I passed the lifeguard station and came to the ridiculously sharp turn in the road far beyond my memory motel location. I can be dense, so it took me at least three to-and-fro trips before I realized (admitted?) that the place had been demolished for a condo. Sad. A childhood place gone for good.
I live in beautiful downtown Savannah, smack-dab in the middle of the nation’s largest historic district, to be exact. I can hear the huge freighters blowing their bass notes at night …
… as well as the clatter of horseshoes as carriages tour past Colonial Park Cemetery across the street.
I love walking the Savannah streets, breathing history.
I don’t really have a backyard, in the traditional sense of the word. But, boy, do I have a backyard! It’s really a small alley, which runs behind the building where I live.
Even though it is communal, and somewhat small, there are hidden crannies where one can sit and read, or laptop, or daydream. It exudes a trace of otherwordliness, a fragrance of excursion. I step into my “backyard,” and suddenly I’m in Europe–Florence, Italy perhaps, trying to decide on which trattoria to frequent. I sit to read in its botanical wealth and am lost, not just in the book’s maze, but in the place, the green, the leafyness, the nowness of nature.
This place calls me to look up, to pause and see.
To view from unfamiliar perspectives and angles.
A tremendous perk of having place appreciation is that windows appear, and open (or shut), and allow you to see just what you desire to see. Or simply, and deliciously, to dream.
There’s power in place.
Both growth and potential growth. Both static and kinetic.
Sometimes sitting is all that’s needed in life. To embrace “is-ness,” accept “am-ness.” Breathing in, breathing out.
A sense and celebration of place, our place, they gift us with calm assurance that we are where we are, for good reason. That rhythm and movement take us (or keep us) where we need to be.
*
My backyard invites me to …
And such encouragement affirms the heart of this attempt at blogging.
Did last weekend’s Earth Day register in your world? After talking to a number of folks so far this week, I saw that many were not aware of the special day which is dedicated to raising awareness of our most precious natural resource. So I decided to repost my Earth Day post (silliness and all).
Since everyday should be Earth Day, here’s hoping you have a great EARTH WEDNESDAY with me!
One of the most FUN aspects of living in the beautiful city of Savannah GA is enJoying the wide variety of festivals and events celebrated in the city (Savannah Music festival, Jewish Food Festival, Asian Festival, that big green one in mid-March, etc.). Well yesterday heralded another great celebration–Earth Day 2012–held in Savannah’s living room, Forsyth Park.
Let’s be honest–so often we take this amazing planet for granted, like air, and forget that our Earth is alive–and continually giving us life. Indeed, our JOY as humans is inseparable from the health of our planet. I love the Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
I hope you have been taking the time this week to reflect on the beauty and generosity of our planet–and to consider ways to make her healthier and happier.
Last Saturday morning, I arrived at Savannah’s Forsyth Park about eleven, and the place was already packed with Earth Day-ers. For some reason (which I should probably discuss with my therapist) I headed straight for the little alligator and the big owl.
Confession: I stopped at the next tent initially because I saw a book being prominently featured, Holy Sh**: Managing Manure to Save Mankind by Gene Logsdon. (Should I start using it as a text in my comp classes?) I met a very cool guy named Andy Schwartz, founder and compost chief of Grow.Eat.Repeat., a Savannah-based sustainability organization.
Check out his fascinating and encouraging website at www.grow-eat-repeat.com. Andy also has a blog, so we’re blog brothers!
Next I ran into my buddy, the always hip, happy and upbeat Ellie Covington. (I want Ellie to help me buy some hats.)
Still sort of meandering aimlessly around the park (a major life strategy of mine), I saw these girls wearing tutus and fresh from their 5K run. Sometimes I don’t ask questions–I just try to go with the flow. (I noticed their breast cancer awareness ribbons, and then it hit me that they had participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I plan to run in it next year … or maybe walk.)
(I think they thought I was famous. I might have told them I was.)
Walking around a corner I literally bumped into Mrs. Helen Cobham who asked if I wanted to play a game and win some vegetable or flower seeds. (Actually I misunderstood and thought she said vegetables or flowers, not just seeds. And I don’t have a yard. But wanting to be nice on Earth Day and all, I thought, why not?) In the game I had to name at least two of earth’s cycles in order to win a prize.
Okay, now listen, let me tangent talk a bit and explain an issue I’ve had all my life. If someone asks me a question out of the blue, I go blank, like Lady Gaga at a beef gorging festival, or answer quickly and foolishly before thinking. For example, in the 8th grade by a MIRACLE OF GOD, I made it to the one-word final of the class spelling bee. I was given the word, “Georgia.” I knew I had won as I immediately jumped up and down and blurted out “J.E.O.R.G.I.A.”! Face beet red. But really, J and G are sort of alike.
Earth’s cycles? Hmmm. All I could think of was the word “motorcycle” at first and then the “cycle of life” and finally the “cycle of seasons,” which I knew HAD to be the right answer, so I yelled, “THE SEASONS!!,” like Oprah shrieking for her audience members to feel under their seats for a new Ipad. Helen looked at me with pity, and at the same time a man nudged me and pointed at the game poster board (I got the impression he thought HE was about to win a truckload of vegetables and wanted the competition gone). Looking at the board, I saw that the cycles (nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, etc.) were actually written in various sentences there. End result:
(Which, when all is said and done, makes me feel a little better about the spelling bee.)
Feeling on a winner’s high, I kept going, stopping in awe (really) at Elizabeth Conlon’s amazing display of herbs and vegetables growing from a tower planter device:
Here I am with two fun and friendly bread and pasta makers:
One of my favorite stops was a short visit with gentle-spirited and wonderfully encouraging (as well as talented) Matthew Cooper and his didgeridoos, the grand instruments in the pics below.
At one point I saw an empty tent booth, decided to take advantage of it, and offer a service of my own:
Oh, my service?
All I can say is I know a WHOLE lot of folks who are going to be sorry one of these days.
Seriously, I LOVED the message of the festival: let’s all take part in the loving care of our planet.
A hardworking fun group of eco-students from Savannah State:
Oh and I won the door prize!
(Helicopter rides available soon … with famous blogger.)
WHAT A HAPPY, HAPPY EARTH DAY!
P.S. If I missed any vendor that I visited with, and you would like your info added, please share it in the comment section, and I will make amends.
For those who are interested, I’m including a wonderful poem, “Planet Earth.”
Planet Earth
It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet, has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness; and the hands keep on moving, smoothing the holy surfaces.
‘In Praise of Ironing’, PABLO NERUDA
It has to be loved the way a laundress loves her linens, the way she moves her hands caressing the fine muslins knowing their warp and woof, like a lover coaxing, or a mother praising. It has to be loved as if it were embroidered with flowers and birds and two joined hearts upon it. It has to be stretched and stroked. It has to be celebrated. O this great beloved world and all the creatures in it. It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet.
The trees must be washed, and the grasses and mosses. They have to be polished as if made of green brass. The rivers and little streams with their hidden cresses and pale-coloured pebbles and their fool’s gold must be washed and starched or shined into brightness, the sheets of lake water smoothed with the hand and the foam of the oceans pressed into neatness. It has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness;
and pleated and goffered, the flower-blue sea the protean, wine-dark, grey, green, sea with its metres of satin and bolts of brocade. And sky – such an O! overhead – night and day must be burnished and rubbed by hands that are loving so the blue blazons forth and the stars keep on shining within and above and the hands keep on moving.
It has to be made bright, the skin of this planet till it shines in the sun like gold leaf. Archangels then will attend to its metals and polish the rods of its rain. Seraphim will stop singing hosannas to shower it with blessings and blisses and praises and, newly in love, we must draw it and paint it our pencils and brushes and loving caresses smoothing the holy surfaces.
One of the most FUN aspects of living in the beautiful city of Savannah GA is enJoying the wide variety of festivals and events celebrated in the city (Savannah Music festival, Jewish Food Festival, Asian Festival, that big green one in mid-March, etc.). Well yesterday heralded another great celebration–Earth Day 2012–held in Savannah’s living room, Forsyth Park.
Let’s be honest–so often we take this amazing planet for granted, like air, and forget that our Earth is alive–and continually giving us life. Indeed, our JOY as humans is inseparable from the health of our planet. I love the Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
I hope you take the time this week to reflect on the beauty and generosity of our planet–and to consider ways to make her healthier and happier.
Yesterday morning, I arrived at Savannah’s Forsyth Park about eleven, and the place was already packed with Earth Day-ers. For some reason (which I should probably discuss with my therapist) I headed straight for the little alligator and the big owl.
Confession: I stopped at the next tent initially because I saw a book being prominently featured, Holy Sh**: Managing Manure to Save Mankind by Gene Logsdon. (Should I start using it as a text in my comp classes?) I met a very cool guy named Andy Schwartz, founder and compost chief of Grow.Eat.Repeat., a Savannah-based sustainability organization.
Check out his fascinating and encouraging website at www.grow-eat-repeat.com. Andy also has a blog, so we’re blog brothers!
Next I ran into my buddy, the always hip, happy and upbeat Ellie Covington. (I want Ellie to help me buy some hats.)
Still sort of meandering aimlessly around the park (a major life strategy of mine), I saw these girls wearing tutus and fresh from their 5K run. Sometimes I don’t ask questions–I just try to go with the flow. (I noticed their breast cancer awareness ribbons, and then it hit me that they had participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I plan to run in it next year … or maybe walk.)
(I think they thought I was famous. I might have told them I was.)
Walking around a corner I literally bumped into Mrs. Helen Cobham who asked if I wanted to play a game and win some vegetable or flower seeds. (Actually I misunderstood and thought she said vegetables or flowers, not just seeds. And I don’t have a yard. But wanting to be nice on Earth Day and all, I thought, why not?) In the game I had to name at least two of earth’s cycles in order to win a prize.
Okay, now listen, let me tangent talk a bit and explain an issue I’ve had all my life. If someone asks me a question out of the blue, I go blank, like Lady Gaga at a beef gorging festival, or answer quickly and foolishly before thinking. For example, in the 8th grade by a MIRACLE OF GOD, I made it to the one-word final of the class spelling bee. I was given the word, “Georgia.” I knew I had won as I immediately jumped up and down and blurted out “J.E.O.R.G.I.A.”! Face beet red. But really, J and G are sort of alike.
Earth’s cycles? Hmmm. All I could think of was the word “motorcycle” at first and then the “cycle of life” and finally the “cycle of seasons,” which I knew HAD to be the right answer, so I yelled, “THE SEASONS!!,” like Oprah shrieking for her audience members to feel under their seats for a new Ipad. Helen looked at me with pity, and at the same time a man nudged me and pointed at the game poster board (I got the impression he thought HE was about to win a truckload of vegetables and wanted the competition gone). Looking at the board, I saw that the cycles (nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, etc.) were actually written in various sentences there. End result:
(Which, when all is said and done, makes me feel a little better about the spelling bee.)
Feeling on a winner’s high, I kept going, stopping in awe (really) at Elizabeth Conlon’s amazing display of herbs and vegetables growing from a tower planter device:
Here I am with two fun and friendly bread and pasta makers:
One of my favorite stops was a short visit with gentle-spirited and wonderfully encouraging (as well as talented) Matthew Cooper and his didgeridoos, the grand instruments in the pics below.
At one point I saw an empty tent booth, decided to take advantage of it, and offer a service of my own:
Oh, my service?
All I can say is I know a WHOLE lot of folks who are going to be sorry one of these days.
Seriously, I LOVED the message of the festival: let’s all take part in the loving care of our planet.
A hardworking fun group of eco-students from Savannah State:
Oh and I won the door prize!
(Helicopter rides available soon … with famous blogger.)
WHAT A HAPPY, HAPPY EARTH DAY!
P.S. If I missed any vendor that I visited with, and you would like your info added, please share it in the comment section, and I will make amends.
For those who are interested, I’m including a wonderful poem, “Planet Earth.”
Planet Earth
It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet, has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness; and the hands keep on moving, smoothing the holy surfaces.
‘In Praise of Ironing’, PABLO NERUDA
It has to be loved the way a laundress loves her linens, the way she moves her hands caressing the fine muslins knowing their warp and woof, like a lover coaxing, or a mother praising. It has to be loved as if it were embroidered with flowers and birds and two joined hearts upon it. It has to be stretched and stroked. It has to be celebrated. O this great beloved world and all the creatures in it. It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet.
The trees must be washed, and the grasses and mosses. They have to be polished as if made of green brass. The rivers and little streams with their hidden cresses and pale-coloured pebbles and their fool’s gold must be washed and starched or shined into brightness, the sheets of lake water smoothed with the hand and the foam of the oceans pressed into neatness. It has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness;
and pleated and goffered, the flower-blue sea the protean, wine-dark, grey, green, sea with its metres of satin and bolts of brocade. And sky – such an O! overhead – night and day must be burnished and rubbed by hands that are loving so the blue blazons forth and the stars keep on shining within and above and the hands keep on moving.
It has to be made bright, the skin of this planet till it shines in the sun like gold leaf. Archangels then will attend to its metals and polish the rods of its rain. Seraphim will stop singing hosannas to shower it with blessings and blisses and praises and, newly in love, we must draw it and paint it our pencils and brushes and loving caresses smoothing the holy surfaces.
1. Rainbows. I saw this double rainbow on my way home from work from Statesboro to Savannah.
2. Elephant Ears. (There’s a long true story here involving New Orleans, Cafe Du Monde, a fortune teller and late night. But that’s for another post.)
3. Learning how to be happier. And taking voluntary steps toward that goal.
4. Chilling out at Chili’s. Last night I went to Chili’s for those spicy chicken crispers (yum).
The visit was made more fun by running into Tiffani, a Chili’s worker extraordinaire (whom I had not seen in quite a while). Tiffani ALWAYS has a smile and a laugh. She radiates happiness. Here she is (and of course I had to give her a blog card).
Go Tiffani!
5. Being able to breathe deeply and feel the essence of life flowing in and out of my body.
Hey, hey, it’s wonderful Friday once again, and here are Five Things I’m happy about:
1. Today, enjoying so much a great lunchtime experience at Back in the DayBakery on Bull Street in Savannah. I’ve eaten there before (oh gosh, their cupcakes!) but noon today was especially fun and scrumptious. I ordered the meaty State Fair sandwich, two lavender cookies (yes, lavender) and sweet tea. While at the counter, I noticed a brand new Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook and learned that the owners are on a book tour and will be appearing on Martha Stewart on Monday. (I want to appear on Martha Stewart.)
Here’s cool and hip Stephanie serving the State Fair:
And here’s Stephanie with a couple of beautiful co-workers in front of the new cookbook:
2. Appreciating smart people who can do amazing feats like build bridges. The old drawbridge leading onto Skidaway Island was up when I drove out to visit my daughter this afternoon. A brand new TALL bridge is being built. You can see part of it in this pic I took from my car.
I just find it so amazing that the bridge is going up because of ideas and plans and drawings made by women and men. I need to be smarter.
3. We found out this week that Emily’s twins are one of each–a boy and a girl!
4. The excitement of the promise and newness of springtime.
5. Play
Have a good tasting, smart, twin-sized, playful, spring weekend!
Posted with Blogsy
NealEnJoy 