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.    

Telephone engineers!  I am so grateful for the nice fella who came on Saturday and got everything working again.  We had a fella come on Wednesday and he was obnoxious and rude and told me there was nothing wrong with our line.  I sure hope we don't get charged £50 for that call out because there definitely was something wrong!  Wrong enough for the guy on Saturday to spend all morning fixing it! In any case I was very grateful that he finally got it all up and running again.  It will take me a while to catch up on everything, but I'm working on it!

I am so very grateful for my castle and the King I share it with!  When Todd and I first got married, we lived in a one bedroom maisonette, thankfully on the ground floor.   A one bedroom maisonette is what they would call a one bedroom apartment back home.  (One bedroom, living room, tiny kitchen and bathroom.)  We had a woman living right above us who I think was a prostitute.   Different men all hours of the day every day of the week.   She didn't appear to have a job, but took a taxi whenever she went anywhere.   We were lucky enough to have a small garden out back.  Todd loves to sit in the garden and read.   He could never do that because of the noise which would be coming from upstairs, which was embarrassing to say the least. ('Nuff said!)  People would come to see her and they would stand in front of the window in our lounge and shout up to her.   She and her guests were always pitching the almost smoked cigarettes off the balcony out back and her lounge window out front, which would fall into our garden, on our heads, etc.  She often went out and didn't get back until 2 am and would wake us up walking over our heads in her high heels, and then the noise would start.  (Again 'nuff said!  She was very vocal!)  In any case we now live in what is a castle to us, with nobody over top and nice neighbors.  We are blessed, and we love each other. ☺  We be two very happy campers.



My Kitchen Sink Pasta Recipe which is kicking butt over on the Tuscany Now Blog.  I am still in the lead and have my fingers crossed.  It would be so lovely to be able to realize my dream of one day visiting Tuscany!  If you haven't voted, I would really appreciate it if you did.  But of course, only because you like my recipe and not just because you like me.  ☺

I had a lovely day at church yesterday.  The lesson in Relief Society was just beautiful as to be expected.  The Sister who was teaching yesterday is my favorite teacher and she never disappoints.  Her lesson was just wonderful.   Then Todd and I went into the Gospel Principles Class and another great lesson was taught.   Well fed spiritually again.   Then Sacrament meeting meant the confirmation of two lovely ladies who had been Baptized on Saturday evening, and the talks were fabulous.  The missionary sisters sang and it was beautiful.   Good feelings all around, but that is not what was the most special of all that happened . . .  as I was listening to the last talk, I was watching a young mum in front of me and her two daughters, and she was sitting next to her own mum.   There was so much love between the four of them, and I began to feel quite bereft.   Tears came to my eyes.  I so long to have that kind of loving relationship with my girls and my grandchildren . . .  and my heart really aches at times because I do not.   Anyways,  as we were leaving church to go out to our car, about halfway through the parking lot I looked down . . . and there on the ground was a heart shaped piece of white paper, about the size of a small hand . . .  and written on the middle of it were two words . . . in pink . . .  "Be Happy!"  Only a loving Heavenly Father could leave such a message in such a place for such a tender heart as mine which was aching and needed His touch.  I love these little "God-incidences" which only help to reaffirm to me that God is real and that He does care.   God is in all of the details of the embroidery of your life, both large and small.   He may sometimes feel very far away, but He is always there.  I am so grateful for that sweet sweet knowledge which helps to carry me always.

 My lovely slow cooker which meant that when we got back home after church and were positively starving we had a lovely meal which greeted us.   I had thrown in two small lamb steaks, some sliced new potatoes and carrots, a couple of shallots, some chopped cabbage, chicken stock, herbs and seasoning just before we left for church and it tasted sooooo good!  It smelled like heaven when we got in the door and we were not long in changing our clothes and spooning it out to feast on it.  I love my slow cooker.   It's the best.  I need to use it more often!

 

Each one of you, my lovely readers, my invisible friends.   I am so very grateful for your many kindnesses, and your friends, and your loyalty and love.  You are all so very important to me and you, too, embroider my life with joy and goodness.  You are like my special angels, and I want you to know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

I made something for you. It's a bookmark that you can print out and use.   I hope you like it.  Just a small token to show my love and esteem for each of you.

A thought to carry with you through today . . .    


✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ (¯`✻´¯)
                   `*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ.. 
"Courage is not the absence of fear,
but rather the judgement that something is 
more important than fear.
The brave may not live forever, but . . . 
the cautious do not live at all."
~The Princess Diaries II✫¸¸.·´¯`✫ ✫¸¸.·´¯`✫   

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Lemon Chicken Stir Fry.  Delicious and quick!

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