Monday 7 July 2014

Small and Wonderful Things . . .



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 "The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard  

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life.   It's the small things in life which truly mean the most.  Simple abundance . . . it's the best.     


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I tried all day yesterday to call my sister and mother so that I could wish my sister a Happy Birthday.   Sadly I was not able to get through as the storm called Arthur had knocked out all of the power in the valley, which meant that not only were they without power but also our Eileen and Tim, and our Sara and Bruce.


















This is the beautiful Linden Tree which was in my mother's back garden.   As you can see the strong winds have blown it over.   I am so grateful that it was not one of the trees which are much closer to mom's house, and that everyone is okay.  


















My sister and her partner Dan take a lot of bicycle rides and walks along the old railway lines which have been remade into a hiking path.   There seems to be a lot of damage there as well with trees having been knocked over etc.   I wonder how the Valley's apple crop will have fared.  

I am just glad that they are all safe and sound.   I will probably call later today.   I was really concerned yesterday as my brother had told me he was unable to get through, but that when he had spoken to my mom on Saturday she had sounded weak.    She will be 82 on Wednesday.

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I do this every morning.  I am one of those lucky people who always sees the glass as being half full.  I cannot imagine being any other way.  Yes, I am a Pollyanna type of person.  Some people find this as annoying.  Thankfully Todd doesn't.   I just don't see what is to be gained from looking at anything from a negative point of view.  Does it not only make what may not be so pleasant a whole lot worse than it needs to be??  I am grateful to be a half full kind of a person.























Mine is the sunlight, 
mine is the morning, 
 Born of the one light 
Eden saw play. 
 Praise with elation, 
praise every morning, 
 God's re-creation of the new day.  

I am grateful for all of the sunrises I get to see each morning.  Grateful that I am an early riser.  This means that in the summer months I do not get to see the sun set as I am also an early to bedder . . . but in the late autumn, winter and early spring of the year, I am blessed to witness both.  I have never been a sleeper-inner. Once I am awake I want to be up and about the business of my day!  I guess I just don't want to miss a moment of it!

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I was going through photos yesterday and came across this one of the boxes in the back garden when we were un-packing after our move back to Chester four and a half years ago.  Thankfully a couple of the missionary elders came over and helped Todd to flatten them all and stack them so that he could take them to the tip.  We were so grateful for their help.   One of them was Elder Joseph Craig.  He was Canadian, from Alberta.   He actually came back to see us last year with his wife.  It is always nice to see one of the Elders again after they have finished their missions and see how well they are doing.  Elder Chris Sorenson came to see us as well.  























I actually have this photo of both of them when they were on their missions.   As you know we love having the missionaries in our home.  They are surely one of the small and wonderful things in our lives.   As we are both converts to the church, the missionaries have always had a large role to play and we have both always been very grateful to each and every one of them for what they do.  It's nice to know that it also works in reverse and we are always so very happy to see them again in later years.


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Found this photo of the side board as well.  It has never been so tidy since!  We just have too much stuff.  I am trying to cut back and get rid of things, but it's a long process of trying to decide if we love something or need something.  Everything else just has to go.  I can be somewhat painful to let go . . .  but it can also be very cathartic!  

And I guess that is all of my small and wonderful things for this week . . .  I have only one thing left to share and that is this wonderful quote which I heard last night when we were watching something on the television . . . and I thought that is so true, but it is a beautiful truth.


"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."
~Robert Frost

Home is not just a place or a house or a country or anything like that . . .  home is love and acceptance and peace.  I am grateful for mine.

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . . Baked Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta!  Pour moi!

Have a wonderful day!

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I wish for you a week filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things!



 

18 comments:

  1. Enjoy your day Marie. I have spent mine trying to convince my brain that I can and will do this degree…what a paradox…trying to convince myself I can do a degree about dementia.

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  2. haha Suzan, you make me laugh! I know you CAN do it and do it well! Have a great Monday! xxoo

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  3. I have spent about four hours today in my one text book and on the university site. It seems odd to be studying full time online.

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  4. Happy Birthday to your dear Mom. I'm hoping the power is soon restored there and you can talk to her. A couple of weeks ago we had a storm that downed lots of trees in our area and went without power here for quite a few hours. We sure do miss it when we don't have it. Hope you have a wonderful Monday.

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  5. I don't think I would be able to study online Suzan! I get distracted too easily!

    Thanks Pam. They got their power on late last night apparently. Thankfully everyone was okay. You have a wonderful Monday too! xxoo

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  6. I remember seeing pictures of those two missionaries! Kyle and Chris Sorenson were companions too. I'll have to show that picture to Kyle when he gets home from the movie theater. Sorry about the storm that caused outages and toppled trees, etc. Glad your family are all safe and well. That's scary! Nice sunrise picture. It reminds me of the beginning and end scenes in 'Pride and Prejudice' (The version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen). I love that movie! I wake up happy too Marie and when I make sure to have a morning prayer, and ask Heavenly Father to help me organize the affairs of my day, it goes so much better. :-D Love ya!

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  7. I am so grateful that your family is all OK. I know what it is like to clean up after trees. We had an ice storm when we lived in Spokane and we lost a lot of huge Ponderosa trees.
    I love having the missionaries over except in Utah we don't get to do it very often. It is nice when you get to see them again after their mission.
    I try to the kind of girl that sees the glass half full. I usual wake up happy. I don't know that I jump right out of bed to start the day. I like to think for a while.
    I need to go through some things an de-junk a bit and get rid of some things; but I have a hard time doing that.
    I to am grateful to just be home. I love it in my home.
    Blessings, love and hugs for you!

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  8. Val, they are the only two which have come back to see us! It was such a thrill! I have not seen teh film with Keira Knightley! This may be our first thing we don't get on about. I can't stand Keira Knightley! Oh No! I don't know what it is. She just rubs me the wrong way. As much as I try to like her, I can't. :-( Love you too! xx

    LeAnn, thanks so much! I suppose that you don't get the missionaries because there are so many members? I am then grateful that we are not so many here as we do get to see the missionaries often! xxoo

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  9. Marie, About the Pride and Predjudice movie with Keira Knightley. Really it isn't so much the actors that makes me love this version. I love what Director, Joe Wright did with it. The scenes are really so nice in all the shots. The first time I watched it though, I didn't even like it. But saw it differently the second time. It's one of those relaxing movies that women usually enjoy. :-) xo

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  10. I may have to grit my teeth and watch it again Val! haha What bothered me most was the awful wig she was wearing. I kept seeing her short hair showing at the edge of it at the back on her neck. Just me, but these kinds of things irk me, lol.

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  11. Marie, that was some storm. I'm so glad no one was injured. We've had two pretty severe hurricanes here in New England in the past couple of years that have done lots of damage, especially to those living near the shore. I hope everything is cleaned up and communications back to normal soon.
    As for your quote, that is from "The Death of the Hired Man." I grew up in Maine and have visited in all the New England states. Robert Frost speaks volumes in his poetry. I am tearing up just thinking of some of the other lines in that poem. If you haven't read it, do. "Brown's Willy Nilly Slide" is another of my favorites by Frost.
    Well, happy glass full days to you. I'm so glad I found you.
    Carolyn

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  12. Carolyn, if you can believe it I have some friends back home that are still, some 4 days later, without power. There was not a lot of rain, but the wind was really wild. I am hoping to call my mom today as it is her Birthday. I will be sure to look up those poems you speak of. I love poetry! Thanks so much! I'm feeling pretty glad you found me too! xxoo

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  13. xoxoxo - I was thinking about your thumb. I hope you get an answer and a treatment soon! Keep us posted. That must be horrible.

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  14. Still waiting Carolyn! I actually broke down and took a Tramadol today which I hate to do. I called yesterday and was told minimum two weeks to find anything out. It's disheartening and very wearing!! xx

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  15. Oh, my! That is unacceptable. If it gets really bad, do you have 24-hr clinics you could go to just to make sure it's safe to wait?
    I'll keep you in my prayers!
    C
    I have arthritis in both knees, and I don't like having to take ibuprofen, but I have to. Most days I can get along on two, but yesterday was a 4-tablet day. I have a stronger arthritis pill, but I only take that if I'm experiencing lots of inflammation.

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  16. Carolyn, I have osteo arthritis in both hips, knees and my lower back so I know what you are talking about. I have 4 tablet days as well. Isn't getting older fun! xxoo

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