Posted in Holiday Joy

St. Patrick’s Day Away

HR and I live in Savannah, home of one of the country’s largest (and rowdiest) St. Patrick’s Day Parades. We live directly on the parade route, which sounds terrific, and I suppose it was for the first couple of years.

But the parade (and even the days before) soon became somewhat of a headache, at least for us. Very party-oriented folks heavy drinking, property destroying.

So anyway, Robert and I get out of Dodge for a few days.

This year, we escaped to Magnolia Springs State Park and one of their cottages, a couple of hours north of us.

We didn’t have a parade, but we did have peace.

And color.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
That’s Robert in the distance, talking to the clouds, I believe. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day … Night 2026.

Image
Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 3/13/26

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. HR all excited about his new Canon EOS R100 camera.

Image

Image

Can cameras really cost that much?!

Image

2. Our great buddy Margaret being recognized at church for her 84th birthday.

Image

3. The ability to AGE. (It is world’s better than the alternative.)

Image

4. Chuckling at the important question in the bathroom at our Airbnb in Macon GA today:

Image

Image

5. The beauty of purple in Macon.

Image

Image

Image

Early wisteria!

Image

GOODness! The aroma.

Image

I hope your weekend smells good!

Posted in One-Word Wednesday

One Word Wednesday 2/11/26

Blocked

Take a quick look at this three-second video of Grandson Gabriel (#2 in white and green) in his high school basketball game the other night in Savannah. He attempts to block the rival player from scoring and falls flat on his back!

You may have to watch it a couple of times since the video is so short and G is so small.

Ouch!

G’s (painful looking) end-of-game block was called a charge on the opposing Savannah Christian kid and was a big part of Country Day’s win because the basket didn’t count, stopping them from coming back.  

And here are the players’ reactions to the win against perhaps their biggest “enemy.”

Image
That’s Gabriel directly in the center.

Image

Youth, energy and excitement!

Image

May we all win at something today!

Posted in My Saturday Evening Post

My Saturday Evening Post: 2/7/25  “A Farmhouse Goodbye”

So yesterday, Robert and I cleaned up the old farmhouse in Southeast Georgia where we have been staying for the last month while our downtown Savannah place was being renovated.

Did the last of the laundry (no dryer) …

Image

I actually enjoyed (well, for a temporary time) the sensation of hanging wet washing on the clotheslines among the Spanish Moss.

Image

We started loading boxes and bags in the kitchen for the return trip.

Image

Looked down and saw him …

Image

Benny in the Box.

Image

He was ready to go home.

Enjoyed our last fire (the place had no central heat).

Image
Image

Enjoyed our unusual but FUN time in the snow a couple of days ago…

Image

Image

Sampled the “attractions” in the tiny town of Springfield GA (pop. 2,874) …

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Our favorite Coffee/Bakery/Breakfast place …

Image

Image

And outdoor in January grilling and eating between the cold spells.

Image

Image

Image

A Joyous Adventure. Thank you, Universe/God/Whomever for Such a Splendid Stay.

Image

And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.

Saturday Evening Post
Saturday Evening Post
Posted in One-Word Wednesday

One-Word Wednesday 2/4/25

“Yes!”

Image
Y tree in the farmhouse yard.

I have this quirky (weird?) habit of noticing trees or bushes or sticks that are somehow divided into the shape of the letter Y.

Why the emphasis on Y, you ask?

Well, one time HR and I were hiking in the woods somewhere or other, and I was not feeling well. I might have been a tad frustrated at not feeling the way I wanted to feel.

I looked up from my self-pity and saw a bush that looked like a Y. Undoubtedly a very similar situation to Moses, the wilderness and the burning bush in the Old Testament.

For some reason, the Y bush made me think of the word “Yes.”

Which prompted me to think of what I wanted to be … Yes.

I wanted my health, my good health, to be “Yes!”

I can’t remember if I actually felt physically better after my Awakening in the Woods, but I do recall feeling better mentally. And maybe even laughing a bit at my childish wanting.

But the practice somehow stuck. And I see Y’s everywhere!

So …

Yes! … to good HEALTH.

Yes! … to daily opportunities to be KIND to others.

Yes! … to DEEP BREATHING and healthy lungs.

Image

Yes! …

Image

What would you like to say “Yes!” to today?

(P.S. I see Y’s in chicken bones too. Remember the pulley bone?)

Posted in Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 1/30/26

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. The Joy of Sharing a Meal with Friends.

Image
Peggy, Moi, Mike and HR at the very cool Public restaurant in Savannah.

Image

2. Oh my GOODness, Tuesday’s breakfast at Ally’s Bakery in Rincon GA, near the farmhouse where we’re staying while our place in Savannah is being renovated.

Image

Image
Perfect quiche with oh-my-GOODness pastry

Image
Made from scratch cinnamon rolls

Ally’s cakes and cookies are works of art. Check out some of her work/art on her website:

https://www.allysbakeryllc.com/

3. The amazing ability to SMELL! Walking into Abby’s the first time!

4. Laughing at discovering the outdoor shower at the old farmhouse where we are staying. The farm belongs to our friend Gordon who lives in Arizona but keeps his grandparents’ farm for visits to Georgia.

Image

Image

Of course it has been FAR TOO COLD try it out!

5. But wasn’t too cold for a tuna salad picnic outside the farmhouse the other day.

Image

Image

Image

May it be warm enough for you to bask in some Weekend Joy ahead.