"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.
After four days of not being able to get onto the internet for any more than a few minutes at a time, or use the telephone, that moment when you realize you can finally get on line and stay on line! The internet is my main form of communication with my children. None of them have house phones, and it's very expensive to use a cell phone to call a cell phone internationally. They don't like me to call them on their cell phones anyways, because apparently you have to pay to receive a call in Canada? I don't know. Anyways, I felt very cut off from my family and now I don't. Whew! I also missed writing to you on here! This blog is a very integral part of my day! I just could not miss out on doing my Small and Wonderful Things post this week, so each post will be a day later so I can get all my most favourite writing exercises in for the week!
I would not look like this at the end of a marathon, would you? My dil does. She amazes me. she spends hours running every day, miles and miles. I think that is such an amazing thing to do. She appears to really love it as well. I was never a runner. I can remember the few times I ran as being really horrible and each moment I was running just wanting it to be over. I hated the whole experience from beginning to end. I am so not an athlete. (And it shows, lol) But I am grateful for children and children in law that are athletic.
This is Cameron feeding the ducks at the weekend. I think he is growing up very fast, but then he is 15 months old now. I am grateful for the internet which allows me to keep up with these different stages of his life. He is obviously now walking. He looks so grown up, and so much like his Uncle Bruce. He is like a little Brucie, but he always has been.
I could see the resemblence right from day one. There is no denying they are related, but then again Bruce and Cameron's mum (our Amanda) have always looked a lot alike.
I think my granddaughter is just delightful. She seems to do everything with complete abandon and enthuiasm. She is really getting into feeding the ducks. I have never been able to spend a lot of time with her, but from the photographs of her which I get to see and from the little time I have had to spend with her, I can tell that she is an enthusiastic participant of life. Always watching, observing, ready to experience things and get the most from each experience.
Some people might say how can you tell that from photographs? To them I would say that camera does not lie, and Maryn consistently looks totally amazed with life in each photograph I see of her. I have never seen one yet where she has not looked like she was totally participating in everything around her . . . she just looks "present" if that makes sense. I think that perhaps she is a bit like me. Or maybe that is wishful thinking . . .
On the up side of not being able to get online, I had more time to create artwise. First I did this one, Apples of Gold. I quite like it. I am selling the original for anyone who is interested.
I have decided to sell my originals now, and the reasons are two fold. First of all, I cannot really afford the ink anymore, or the paper to do the prints. Secondly, although my printer (which is not that old) is one of the most expensive and elaborate ones going, it doesn't do a good job of printing my art. There are always lines running through it and I cannot sell prints like that. It's an Epson and we paid a lot of money for it, but I am not happy with it at all. Live and learn.
I also got this one done. My sister says she needs to shave her legs. That is her old itchy stockings sis! I had itchy stockings when I was a girl, didn't you? They were filled with little nubbies that itched. Wool. Any ways I am selling the original of this as well.
Each piece is large enough to fit into a five inch by seven inch frame. Initialed in pencil on the front and signed on the back with the title of the piece, my autograph and the date. Make me an offer I can't refuse.
I had the priviledge of being able to listen and watch the Autumn General Women's Meeting of our church on the computer last evening. Well, we link it up to the television via an html cable. I love that we can do that. Modern technology is so amazing. All the women of our church from the age of eight, get together twice a year and listen to special talks and inspiration that is meant just for them. It's pretty wonderful. We are fed spiritually from on high in such a meaningful and special way. The music was just beautiful.
This medley from the choir was especially beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes to see the women of the church of every age signing in such a beautiful way, together. I hope you will listen to it. It's breathtaking.
The main speaker for the meeting was President Dieter F Uchtdorf. I love it when President Uchtdorf speaks. He understands women in a really special way. He has a wonderful way of connecting with the women of our church. I always get so much out of his talks. A couple of years ago he gave a beautiful talk entitled Forget Me Not. I was so touched by that talk that I was inspired to do a piece of artwork based on it. Afterwards Todd told me that I should send a copy to him of it. At first I thought, no . . . but then Todd really thought I should and so we went into town and bought a frame and I mailed a copy of it over to President Uchtdorf along with a letter thanking him for his talk. I did not really expect any response. He is a busy man with plenty of comittments. You can imagine my suprise when a couple of months later (when I was going through my cancer scare no less!) when a personal letter from him to me popped through my letter box. That an Apostle of the Lord should take the time to write me a letter touched my heart beyond belief. His last few words to me in the letter . . .
"I commend you on staying faithful to yoru covenants through times of adversity and discouragement. God has blessed you, and He is mindful of the desires of your heart."
They could not have come at a better time. Here was a leader of my church, one of the Apostles of the Lord . . . telling me that my Heavenly Father was cognizant of me in a special way. President Uchtdorf did not know the struggle I went through to be able to join the church, nor did he know the sacrifices I had made to stick to my choice to follow my Heavenly Father, but . . . my Heavenly Father did and He had inspired President Uchtdorf to say these words to me at just the right time. When I read them I knew everything would be alright both with my cancer and with my family . . . and those words that "He is mindful of the desires of your heart" . . . whenever I am feeling low, or despairing of my family, I read them again and I am reminded that I have a Heavenly Father who knows me personally, and knows the desires of my heart, so much so that He would make an effort to let me know this in an especially unique way. God is good.
I found all of the talks in this latest General Women's Meeting to be inspiring and soul enriching. I know that I will refer to them often in the coming months. I am so glad to know that I am a Daughter of a God who knows me personally by name, who loves me, and wants only the best for me.
And that is my small and wonderful things for this week.
Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Biscoff (Lotus) Granola. This is incredibly good!
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May your week ahead be filled with many small and wonderful things!
