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.




Watching Mitzie run through the back garden.  She loves it so much and it just makes her so happy.   All winter long it is far too wet and muddy back there for her to be able to enjoy this.   She has to be content with merely looking at it through the gate from the patio side.  It cheers my heart to see her bounding up and down the length of it, sniffing and exploring.  When she is happy I am happy.



I found this old photo on the computer earlier this morning and it just brought a huge smile to my face.   It's Sister Jones and Sister Wagner last year eating pumpkin spice cake after dinner here.   They were so thrilled to see the candy corn on top of the cake!  (It's a North American thing.)  We always enjoy having the missionaries in our home and spoiling them a bit.   These girls were extra special.  Okay . . .  I say that about all of them, but it's true!  Feeding the missionaries and having them in your home is a small thing and it's pretty wonderful.



Bruce and Baxter watching the hockey on the telly.  My son really likes the Boston Bruins.  He gets right into it.   He was the only one of our boys that we could afford to put into Hockey.  We just did not have the money for the other two.    Bruce was a bit older than most kids when he started.  He was about six or seven I guess.   Most boys start at four or so.    He made up for lost time though.  He might have been shorter and smaller then the other boys but he could outskate them all.  He was like  a flea on the ice.  So fast.   It used to make my heart smile to watch him enjoy himself so much.  He still plays hockey, but with the old-timers now, and sometimes he coaches.   It's hard to think that he plays with old-timers when he is only 25 himself.



This is the Preston England Temple of our church.  As you know I love to go there with Todd.   We try to go at least once a month and more often if we can.  It's not always possible.   We plan on going on April 7th.  That is the day Todd's son is being buried and we thought where we cannot be at the funeral, we would like to be at the Temple.   Not everyone can go into the Temple.    Not even all Mormons can go into the Temple.  You need to have a special piece of paper called a Temple Recommend in order to go into the Temple.   This piece of paper says that you are "worthy" to go inside.  In order to be worthy to go inside, you have to be living your life in a certain way.  There are two sets of interviews that you need to go through in order to get a Temple recommend.  One at a local level given by a member of your local church leadership, and another by a member of the area church leadership, called a stake.   When you have one it is good for two years at which time you need to be re-interviewed and deemed worthy.   Mine runs out at the end of March and so yesterday I had my first interview for a new one.  I think yesterday was probably one of the most spiritual Temple Recommend Interviews I have ever had.   I am still basking in the glow of it and the special feelings which accompanies it.   It makes me happy to know that I am worthy to go inside this very sacred house of the Lord.  It makes me even happier to know that my husband is also worthy to go inside and that we can go inside together.



The first of our Sunday Church meetings each week is called the Sacrament Meeting.   It lasts an hour.   It is during this meeting that the Sacrament is blessed and passed, and we sing hymns and listen to talks which have been prepared and are delivered by members of our local congregation (which is called a Ward. )  Anyone can partake of the sacrament.  It is an opportunity to remember the Saviour and His gift to us via the atonement in a special way.  It is also an opportunity for us to privately renew the covenants we made when we were Baptised.  I love this aspect of our Worship meetings . . . this special time of reflection.  It always touches my heart in a special way.    I am so grateful for the opportunity to take time out of my busy life to just sit and quietly reflect on my blessings on Sunday mornings.  I know you don't have to go to church to do that . . .  you can do that anywhere, anytime . . . but it is especially nice to be able to do it together with a body of other believers who are also there because they feel the same way as you do about the Saviour.  It helps to strengthen my own testimony.  Many of us live in communities where we may be the only believer on our street or neighborhood.   Being able to gather together like this on a Sunday morning, helps us to know and feel that we are a part of something which is larger than our street or neighborhood.  It cheers my heart to look around me and see all of the families . . .  parents, grandparents, children . . .  good people.  It feels like family.  It is family.



The Forsythia is budding.   I can't wait until it is all in bloom and our fruit trees are all in bloom.  It won't be long now.  All of the Hawthorne are in bloom and even local cherry trees are in bloom.  It's such a pretty time of the year.  Everything is fresh . . . tender . . .  the trees all take on that green flush of early spring.   It's just such a beautiful time of year.



Outlander.  I was thrilled beyond measure to note in the TV Guide for this week that Outlander is coming to our telly screens here in the UK, via Amazon Prime . . .  FINALLY!!!  I am so excited about that.  It is a series based on the books by Diane Gabaldon.   (Dragonfly in Amber, etc.)   I am so looking forward to this series.   It seems like I have been waiting forever to be able to see it.   I am so happy about this.  Can you tell???



Being able to create.  I love sitting at my work desk and seeing what comes out.   I had a very productive day on Saturday.   Just sketches at the moment . . .  looking foward to colouring them now and bringing them to life.  I think this act of creating is one of the things in my life which brings me the most joy . . .  be it writing, or painting . . .  sewing, colouring . . .  baking and cooking.  And yes . . .  even cleaning.  I put my heart into all that I do.   I think that when you invest your heart into anything . . .  it becomes more meaningful and precious.  I love my life.  All of it.

And that's my small and wonderfuls for this week.   I hope your life is full of many small and wonderful things too. 

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .


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He has made everything beautiful in it's time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
Yet they cannot fathom what God has done
from beginning to end.
~Ecclesiastes 3:11
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There is somethign sweet brewing in the Kitchen today  . . . sweet and salty  Easter Bark.  So good.

Have a wonderful Monday and a beautiful week.   Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!