Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

"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.

The view outside my window this morning. All is calm. All is bright. We did not get all of the snow predicted this weekend, so that is good and today is supposed to be snowless as well. (We shall see.) It is very cold however, so indoors is the place you want to be.  I am so grateful for a warm and cozy home to shelter in.

 

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No snow yesterday morning meant I was able to get to church without any problems. Glenna and I go together. I always enjoy the drive there and back. We chat about everything under the sun. I never really knew Glenna before I moved back to Canada, although she had been a member of my church congregation prior to me moving over there. When I was staying at the Motel upon my return, she came to the motel with some flowers and a card to welcome me back. (Properly masked of course.) That was such a sweet thing to do.  And then I ended up moving into a house across the street from her and discovering we are cousins and becoming friends.  She is such a sweet lady with a heart of gold.  She is the card/note/letter giving person. She writes notes, cards and letters all the time.  If someone is missing, she is the one who will go out of her way to drive to their place and make sure they are okay. She is a dear friend and a wonderful example.

 

Another friend from church had a little pot of soup and a roll for each Glenna, Jacquie and me yesterday. She said she had made a big pot of soup for her and her husband and thought that we three single ladies might also enjoy some of it.  That was such a kind thing to do and it is delicious. I have known Connie for over 26 years now. I believe she is also distantly related to me. (Everyone who has family who has lived in this Valley for a long time is related.)  Connie also used to work in the same section as my mother did on the base.  She was in Supply I believe, and in the forces. She is a really sweet lady and dear friend as well.  My, am I not really blessed to have such dear friends in the church.  The soup was delicious and came in very handy as I was not going to my sister's for supper last night. It was such a kind and generous gesture on Connie's part to gift us with it.  But that's Connie. She is just kind, kind, kind.

 

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Every son or daughter of God can gain a deeper,

firmer, or surer knowledge for themselves.

~Kevin G. Brown,

The Eternal Gift of Testimony

Our Relief Society Lesson was based on this talk yesterday and it was a good one. It was my favorite talk of all the talks given in the last General Conference and I read somewhere that it was considered to be the top talk given by most members of the church. I loved it from the get-go so it was a great talk to have a lesson on. My friend Christine is the teacher in Relief Society. Yes, another dear friend of mine. We have known each other for over 26 years also. I have served with her in Relief Society as well, when she was Relief Society President and I was one of her counselors.  She is an excellent teacher and has such a good heart which lights up every lesson she teaches.

When she was giving her lesson, I thought about how not too long after I had joined the church, I went up to visit my sister in Ontario for a bit and my (then) husband told me I couldn't come home unless I agreed to leave the church. Initially I agreed that I would. I remember my friend Christine calling me at my sister's place and we talked for quite some time. She told me when she called that it would be the last time she would be allowed to speak to me as my husband had requested that nobody from the church contact me or my family ever again. I cannot remember what we spoke about, but I remember telling my husband when he arrived that he might be able to stop me from going to church, but he would never be able to stop me from knowing and feeling that what I knew and felt in my heart to be true was true. That he could not take away my testimony of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the end, once we got back here to N.S. he did relent and allow me to go to church, but nobody from the church was allowed to call the house or come near. 

I cannot, as I said, remember what Christine and I spoke about, but I know that whatever it was, it helped me to stand up for my testimony, and I will forever be grateful for that. 

 

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Facetime on a Sunday afternoon with my son Doug and his family.  I love it. Doug had a day off yesterday and he had told me earlier in the week to message him. I usually am a bit reluctant to do that because I know the kids work hard and have busy lives and I don't want to intrude on their time with their families. But yesterday I took a chance and did message him.  We had a lovely talk with each other. He was making a shepherd's pie for his family.  It looked delicious. All of my sons love to cook. I think that is because their father loved to cook as well. His specialties were soup, bread and spaghetti sauce. Those were the things he loved to cook.  Anyway, they saw their father cooking from time to time and of course I loved to cook also, so they couldn't help but end up loving to cook as well. Eileen also loves to cook. I do not know about Amanda.

Anyways, facetime on a Sunday afternoon with a much beloved son and his family . . . priceless.

 

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My sweet little gingers.  I do so love them. One or both of them are never very far from me. I could reach out and touch Cinnamon right now if I wanted to. She is curled up on the carpet right next to my desk.  I don't know where Nutmeg is at the moment. He didn't even come out for his treats when we did treat time.  He is probably sleeping under my bed or underneath one of the dining room chairs.  Having those two in the house means I am never alone. I always have someone to talk to and keep me company.

My life is full of blessings.  It has not always run smooth. I have had my fair share of troubles, but some things have remained steadfast and ever present and have filled my life with untold joy.  Faith, Family, Friends and home. Those are the things I have never been without and the things which are the most precious to me. I am blessed beyond measure.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Always remember you have within you

the strength, the patience & the passion to

reach for the stars, to change the world.

~Harriet Tubman  • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。 

There is nothing really new in the Kitchen today. I have decided not to work on Sundays anymore. (i.e. cook and write for the blog, etc.) Anyways, I am re-sharing an old blog post that I redid for today.  World's Best Baked Chicken.  This chicken is moist and delicious. The recipe simple and foolproof.  

I hope you have a beautiful day and a wonderful week filled with lots of small and wonderful things. May you be richly blessed.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!