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.

Being able to partake of the Sacrament, renew my Baptismal covenants and recharge my spiritual batteries every Sunday.  I love this aspect of my faith.  

The talks yesterday were really wonderful, as was the lesson in Relief Society.  Everything was really wonderful.  Can't wait until next Sunday.  

Spending the weekend with Eileen. I picked her up on Saturday and we came back here. We did her laundry, spent some time together, cooked a nice supper and then settled in for movie night. We watched Pollyanna and thoroughly enjoyed it.  More of the same on Sunday, except I went to my church and she watched hers online. It is just good to get to spend time together.  I am so grateful to have had these last six months to spend with each other and get even closer than we always were. We are best friends.

I am grateful for how well she is settling into her new apartment. She is still a bit nervous, so very to be expected, but she is doing great. I am proud of her.  She is walking to town and back each day, which is good, and cleaning up behind herself, which is also good. She has a very busy week ahead of her this week, including her first gyno appointment tomorrow. I hope it all goes well.  She also has her People's First craft sale on Saturday so I am hoping she does well with that also.

She got some mail while she was here from Karen in Indiana. Thank you so much Karen, your kind thoughts and wishes put a smile on her face. So very appreciated.

That's another small and wonderful thing  . . .  the many kindnesses of others.

 

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Sunday dinners with the family. Eileen and I really enjoy these. Yesterday my sister cooked the most delicious Lasagna and had a lovely salad.  We enjoyed strawberry shortcake for dessert. It was all so good, but best of all was the company.

That Bailey (Sheila's dog) is getting on so well and is very happy there. My sister will say to him, "Go get your stick." and he hops up and dashes to find it and bring it back. He does the same with his other toy.  He's so cute and has such a lovely personality. Its been very good for him to be with them. It will be a wrench for him to go home at the end of it all I am sure.

Sheila continues to do well. She is down in Digby at rehab now. That is also a great blessing.

 

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I am slowly getting things better organized around here.  One day at a time. Each day I pick one thing and then do it. Nothing large, just small and simple.  That's how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

I just have to keep myself from refilling the spaces that I create.

Mormon Channel Music.  You can access it here.  In a world that is filled with negativity its nice to have a place I can go to and find beautifully uplifting music. It is not all hymns and church music.  They also play a lot of beautiful contemporary music, with a positive message. Its calming and reflective.  Its nice to have a resource like that. Its just nice and invites a beautiful spirit into my home.

Being able to read and my love of reading. I get this from my father. Of all the lessons I have learnt in life, learning how to read is the lesson which has served me best of all.  I cannot imagine not being able to read.  It opens up worlds untold and takes you places you could never go otherwise. I cannot imagine the struggles that people experience when they cannot read.  I think it must be very life limiting. 

I am so very grateful that I was born and brought up in a time and a place where I was free from war and pestilence, famine, drought, etc.  I have never known real hunger or fear.  I have never felt truly unloved.  I had the priviledge of a free education all the years of my childhood, and free health care also. I was born into a loving home with two parents who loved and cared for me. I have never experienced true tyranny. Only peace.  I have always had the freedom to do, think, believe what I wish to within the bounds of the laws of the countries I have lived in. Laws which are based very much on the ten commandments and Godly principles.  As a woman I have always had the right to vote and a voice. I have never experienced racism of any kind.  I never take any of these liberties and blessings for granted. I know that much of what I have enjoyed throughout my life came at a cost. A cost which I am ever grateful for. 

 

The beauty of every day things.  Ordinary things. Simple things. Tender mercies. Small blessings. I have a very abundant life. To be able to experience the magic in the ordinary is a gift I hope I never take for granted. 

The ability to choose the positive most days. I know that there are many, many people in the world who struggle with this either through mental illness or depression.  I have low moments.  Everyone does. Thankfully I have always been able to shake them off and move forward.  I know this is a great blessing. 

Abundance.  I am surrounded by it. I have all that I need in this life.  Its all in the perspective. I am wealthy in the things which truly matter, and then some. Life is good.  

The gift of time and the ability to use it wisely!  Although I am not sure that I always use my time as wisely as I should.

Prayers and answered prayers. They may not always be answered in the way we expect, but they are always answered.

The capacity and ability we have to bloom every day, right where we are planted. What a wonderful opportunity this is.  A gift we can unwrap every single day of our lives.

An abundance of warm sunny days.  Not complaining, no matter how warm it gets. I know they will all disappear soon enough.

Having found the peace that passes all understanding.  I can never truly express how very grateful I am for this . . .  

Friendship.  Near and dear . . .  or far away.  Little pieces of my heart reside in a multitude of places, and small pieces of their hearts reside in mine.  It's pretty special.  

Waking up this morning and being able to unwrap another gift of today  . . . I try not to take my days for granted and treat each day for the gift that it is.  I think as you start to get older, you realise that each day truly is a most precious and wonderful gift.  I am grateful for my ability to treat each day as "My favourite day."   Even the not so good ones. 

And with that I will leave you with a thought for today  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man

and inhaling the spirit of God.

~Edwin Keith  •。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen  . . .  Easy Crock Pot Chocolate Fudge Pudding.  I did one of these at the weekend for Eileen and myself and updated the old post. Its a great way to enjoy a lovely chocolate dessert in the summer months without putting on the oven.

I hope you have a beautiful day and that your week ahead is filled with an abundance of small and wonderful things. Don't forget! 

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 And I do too!