Monday 21 July 2014

Small and Wonderful Things . . .

  photo SMALLANDWONDERFULTHINGS_zps0c49db7e.jpg

 "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.  


 photo 8117673616_5d02c44b7d.jpg 

I love these early mornings which I have all to myself.   The only ones here are me and you, my invisible friends . . .  and Mitzie of course.   I am alone with my thoughts with no interruption . . .  save a wet cold nose ever now and again nudging my shins, reminding me she is still there.   A quick tickle behind her ears and she is happy and goes back to sleep.

I sit here in my chair and pen my thoughts . . .  three hundred and sixty five days a year, or as close to it as I can get.   Each morning through the window in front of me I watch the milk float glide silently down the street as the milk man delivers little pint bottles to all of his customers . . .  and they still clink as they did when I was young.  A sound that has never changed.

These days the back door stays open in the mornings . . .  it is warm enough to do that . . .  and the morning chorus from the sparrows which live in our hedge delights me with a melody that only they can sing and that I feel pretty blessed to hear.  Be it ever so.

The only other sound is that of my fingers tap tapping on the keys in front of me . . . yes, I am one very blessed woman . . .  and a part of that blessing comes from the fact that I know it to be so . . .

 photo Picnicstothewoodscopyright.jpg

After reading Susan Branch last evening my thoughts were given over to picnics for a time.  My mother was not a picnicking type of person.  She hated insects of any kind and has spent her whole life in pursuit of trying to keep them out of her immediate presence.  She did not do picnics.  I spent a good portion of my childhood longing to go on a picnic.   Sometimes my begging would get the best of her and she would fix me little peanut butter sandwiches, wrapping them up in waxed paper.   An empty jar would be filled with cool-aid and the whole lot put into a paper sac and I would take myself off on my bicycle into the woods where I would picnic on my own beneath the birch and elm and oak . . .  surrounded by wild flowers, moss and bird song.  I don't think peanut butter sandwiches and cool-aid ever tasted so good, or ever will again . . .  no matter how many times I try to replicate those moments.  They are safely tucked away in the recesses of my mind, to be taken out and revisited with the rose coloured glasses of memory every now and again . . .  eternally seen as  golden moments . . . and perhaps it is best that way.

The closest we ever came to having a picnic as a family was one summer when we were visiting one of my mother's cousins in Vermont.   They lived in a large old rambling farm house at the top of a hill and we ate supper that first night at picnic tables in the back yard on the top of that hill, bathed in the warm light of a setting sun as we feasted on potato salad and fried chicken and green bean casserole.  Nothing had ever tasted as good before . . . or has tasted as good since, and I doubt it ever will.   Memories make things taste ever so wonderful don't you think?  You can never hope to match the flavour of a happy memory, and I guess that is as it should be.

 photo SAM_5496_zps5e652128.jpg

The fuscia are full of little pink globes just waiting to burst open and delight us with their presence and beauty.  They are one of the later arrivals to the summer ball.  They like to make an entrance I guess and do not want it spoiled by having to share the attention of their arrival with anyone else.  They do it so very well. . . . but right across from them are the budlia . . .

 photo SAM_7992_zps41abca32.jpg

whom I'm afraid do steal the show, especially when their dance partners are these beautiful peacock butterflies . . . who have decided to delight us two years in a row now.   We are so very blessed.  Oh yes we are . . .

 photo SAM_8024_zps988c450d.jpg

Our summer garden is so alive . . . it hums and buzzes beneath the sun and delights the soul at every turn with scent and sight and sound.  It makes one feel quite quite happy to be alive.  Joy doesn't cost a penny . . .  and there is joy in every moment of every day to be found . . .

 photo SAM_0354_zps8e92af6a.jpg

It is not found in huge gestures and events . . .  but in the small and wonderful things . . . and special moments which surround the heart which actively seeks them . . .

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ (¯`✻´¯)
                   `*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ..
"There are only two ways to live a life.   
One is as though nothing is a miracle. 
The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~Albert Einstein  ✫¸¸.·´¯`✫ ✫¸¸.·´¯`✫

 photo SAM_6033_zpsd266294e.jpg 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  a delicious Bumbleberry Cobbler.

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░L░O░V░E⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════      

Have a fabulous Monday.  I hope it is filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things!


8 comments:

  1. Good morning Marie. There is a lot to say but no time. Enjoy your day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am intrigued now Suzan, wondering what all you have to tell me! You enjoy your evening. xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Many of your thoughts today are the very same for me. I love these summer mornings when all is quiet and the door is open to enjoy the view outside. That butterfly you pictured is quite unusual and so colorful. I've never seen one like that here. Maybe it's particular to your area. We do have many that visit us here but none like that. Hope you do have a wonderful Monday!

    ReplyDelete

  4. Gardens bring so much contentment in so many ways..

    Your cobbler looks delish and you brought back a great memory of lunch in a brown bag to eat in the woods or wherever with friends growing up:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pam, it is a peacock butterfly. I reckon it is indigenous to the UK as I had never seen one prior to moving over here and I was here 12 years before I saw one of them myself! I hope you have a wonderful Monday too! xxoo

    They do bring me a lot of joy Monique. I know they bring you joy as well. I just knew you were the type of girl to have brown bag picnics. You is my kind of people! ☺ xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  6. No matter what you write; it always brings to mind memories.
    My mother on the other hand loved picnics; almost to a fault. Now that I look back I loved them too. We don't do them very much anymore; but after reading this one; we will go on a picnic this week.
    I loved your garden and flower pictures with the butterflys and birds.
    I loved thinking about your peaceful mornings; I envy that I think.
    I was telling my hubby just today that we needed to eat breakfast on our patio once in a while and I think I need to go out and do some morning reading; thanks for your inspiration today.
    Blessings, love and hugs for you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The eloquent way you describe things past and present makes me take a deep breath and relax. I feel like I am walking into your world for just a little while. :-) xoxo
    PS. I felt a bit sorry for that little girl taking her peanut butter sandwich and Cool-ade out alone to the woods. Awww! I want to give little Marie a big hug and sit down and join her. Of course I'd bring a lovely chocolate cake to share with cream! Even the bugs can have their own piece. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks so much LeAnn, for your lovely comments. You are a treasure. It would be lovely to eat breakfast outside together, but alas Todd never gets up util about 4 hours after I do! Yes, he is a layabout and sleeps til nine most mornings! xx

    Oh Valerie, you do make me smile. I have always enjoyed my own company and have never minded being on my own. Of course things are twice as nice when shared however! Chocolate cake would be nice! xxoo

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!