Savannah – Page 8

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 12/16/24 “Marvelous Bells”

Posted on December 16, 2024December 16, 2024 by Neal Saye

I’m marveling this Monday morning!

A couple of months ago, as I was aimlessly meandering through my Savannah Historic District neighborhood, minding my own business and thinking about who knows what, I came across one of those Free Little Libraries. Do you have them where you live? I love them! The Universe speaks to me through them!

This is my routine when I see one.

I stop. Gather my wits (which sometimes takes a while). And then sorta yell (if there are no mental health professionals such as my therapist Rubi lurking nearby):

“Okay, Universe, here we are again! What do you want me to read this time?!”

Well, this time it was “Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be.”

Isn’t this a pretty little book? And free! Straight from the Universe.

Even though I had never heard of it, I was THRILLED when I saw the book’s cover. (It doesn’t take much to thrill me.) Wouldn’t you be thrilled? No, you probably wouldn’t be. So let me explain. Have you had your morning coffee?

Savannah has twenty-two uniquely beautiful squares in the Historic District (more in other parts of the city). And one of HR’s and my favorites is Troup Square near us.

I have walked through Troup a zillion times. I like the quirky globe in the center.

But the THRILL came from remembering this historical marker in the square near the Unitarian Universalist Church …

So it seems that James Lord Piedmont, music director of the church in the 1880’s, composed “Jingle Bells“!

“One Horse Open Sleigh” was the original title.

Well, after the Universe graciously presented the book to me, I put it away in my bedroom closet. Wouldn’t you? No? Here’s why I did: Robert and I have this tradition of reading several holiday books during November/December. I wanted to wait till Christmas was approaching to find out about “Jingle Bells.”

I pulled it out yesterday, harassed Robert until he agreed to accompany the book and me to Troup Square to Holiday Read.

We sat on a bench facing the Unitarian Church …

… and I ardently read to a mesmerized HR the fictionalized account of Pierpont’s birthing “Jingle Bells.” (Eliciting only a handful of pitiful stares from Sunday afternoon passersby wondering why that old man was excitedly reading a children’s book to that obviously entranced non-child sitting next to him.)

[Perhaps I made up the “mesmerized” and “entranced” parts.]

But the book really is fun, especially the scene during Pierpont’s introducing his new song at the church’s Christmas concert. At the “Dashing through the snow” line, the children of the church throw up clouds of white feathers to symbolize snow (since warm Savannah rarely sees the real thing).

So There. That’s why I’m marveling this Monday morn.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/29/24

Posted on November 29, 2024 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. This old tree we saw near us on a Thanksgiving morning walk in Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery.

Do you see what I see on his trunk?

In the lower half, there’s a Big Bunny with gigantic upward ears!

And if you forget the bunny and look again at the entire trunk, there’s a Brown Monster with a three-pronged crown, green tongue and menacingly raised arms! Watch out!

2. On the other hand, here’s a quartet of happily handsome fellows: son-in-law Scott and three grandsons Jack, Gabriel and Daniel searching for the perfect Christmas tree.

3. A bountiful Thanksgiving Feast yesterday.

Robert, Me, Son-in-law Scott and Daughter Amy who hosted

4. Moments in life when you feel JOY.

5. And finally, I’m happily thankful for HR.

May you have a BIG weekend ahead!

Encouragement

A Major Woman’s Race and a Minor Old Man

Posted on November 16, 2024November 16, 2024 by Neal Saye

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

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 11/15/24

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Neal Saye

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 …