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.

  

Watching General Conference together as a family.   I know Mitzie doesn't really understand anything that is being said.  She's a dog.  She does understand, however, that what we are watching is important to us, and if it is important to us . . . it's important to her.  I love that.

 

I love this thought and it's so true.  It's a tiny thing.  It's a simple thing.   Faith is a real power, action . . . not just an expression of belief.   Faith without works IS dead.



Bloom where you are planted.  I don't know who it is that first said this, so I can't give credit where credit is due.  It may have been Mary Englebreit, but it may not have been.  Even she may have pinched it from something else.   It is a simple thing however . . . blooming where you are planted.  If you wait for a better time, or better circumstances, a better place . . . it may never happen.   True joy comes from making the best with what you have, where you are now, and right now.  Tomorrow never comes.  Don't waste your todays waiting for a better tomorrow.   Be a better YOU now!



Lemon Pie.   I love it.   I want to bake one today.   It's my favourite of all the pies.  Seriously.   I do happen to love all pies . . . but Lemon Pie?   If I could only take one pie with me to live on a desert island . . . it would be lemon.



Being thankful makes a big difference in a person's life.   Its turns everything into a blessing or a gift and it's such a simple concept, and so easy to do.  It was Paul who admonished us to be thankful in all things in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

“When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God” 
~Alma 37:37

Gratitude is a life changing concept.   It changes life for the better.



Greek yogurt.  Low Fat.  With fruit in the corner.   All natural.  I love the stuff.  It's better than ice cream.  It is better for you than ice cream too.    You feel indulgent when you are eating it, but it's good for you.  It's win/win all around.



Hugs.   Real hugs.  Virtual hugs.   They cost nothing, but they mean the world.   Where would we be without hugs.  One size fits all.   You can even hug yourself if there's nobody else around to hug.  I love hugs.  Mitzie hugs us with her head.   She pushes it into us, and it feels pretty wonderful.   Doggie hugs are some of the best hugs ever because you know they come straight from the heart.



Buttercups.  They'll soon be here.  I can feel them in the air. Tis almost the season of yellow and nothing brightens the heart more than a field of buttercups.   Did you play that game when you were small . . . the one where you hold a buttercup up to another person's chin and ask them "Do you like butter?"   If their chin glows yellow the answer is yes.  Of course their chin will glow with the yellow reflection of the buttercup . . . but as a child you don't know that.  We just know it's exciting to see if someone else loves butter too!

 

Loving and being loved back.   It's not a big thing.  It's not even hard to do.  I think it is one of our most basic of instincts.

 

 Love is a good thing.



Spring blossoms.   They just do the heart good.  They make your heart sing.  They make your heart smile.  They make every day a brighter day.  They are the promise of good things to come.



Stars . . . they're millions of miles away but they always make me wonder . . . and wish.  Who has never wished on that first star that appears in the night sky, or that last one which disappears of a morning . . . or the one that streaks across the sky as it falls to the earth . . . wishing on a star.   It's a good thing.  It contains all the wonder of childhood and the promise of hope.  I always wish on stars.   And sometimes my wishes even come true.



Clear counter-tops.   We have a very small kitchen.  It very easily gets crowded and cluttery if I am not careful.   The sight of a clear counter-top may seem like a small thing to you, but it's a big thing to me, and the sight of it makes me feel pretty wonderful.   For some odd reason however . . . this only lasts for a few hours and it begins to get cluttered again.  Sigh . . .

What small and wonderful things do your heart good?   I'd love to hear about them!

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

"There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them.  But they are there for a reason.  Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there."
~Paulo Coelho

 

Baking in The English Kitchen today . . . tasty Asparagus Tarts!

I wish for you a wonderful day filled with lots of small and wonderful things!