Monday 13 April 2015

Small and Wonderful Things . . .

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 "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.

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Anemone which are blooming in the garden.    I know it seems early, but as difficult as it is to believe we are almost mid April now.   Things will really begin to pick up in the garden now, especially if we have the week ahead that had been forcast weatherwise.

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Likewise the blue Lobelia which is in our front garden.   Between that and the Camelia Bush it is making quite a show.   It is always so exciting to see things coming back to life in the Spring.  It does my heart good.

AND, the snap dragons have buds on them as well!

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The Young Women of our Stake put on a special presentation at our Chapel last evening called "The Woman at the Well."  I am so grateful for these special young women and their leaders and for the fine examples that they set for all of us.   It is nice to see young people  of faith participating in such worthwhile activities.  They are so very inspiring.  In a world that often feels like it is spinning out of control, events like this are very special indeed.

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Being able to spend time in the Temple with my beloved husband.  A day well spent.

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A Landlord who cares enough about us to put in new doors and windows and not put our rent up when he's done it.  This is our front door.   They are ever so nice and the noise from the outside has been cut down drastically and it's a lot warmer in here as well.     Not only that but he took the time out this weekend to redo the grout around the counter where the sink is in the kitchen and he and Billy came over and trimmed the back hedge where it was going a bit crazy.  I shall have to bake him a batch of cookies as a thank you!























It is hard to believe that our time of having this lovely young lady living with us is coming to a close soon.   She will be getting married in June and in preparation for that is now in the process of finding a home for her and her fiancee to live in.  We may only have her with us for a couple more weeks.   She has been a real joy to live with.   So pleasant and easy to get along with.   We have really enjoyed having her with us and we will really miss her when she is gone, although I am sure we will see her at church and I hope that she and her husband will want to visit us from time to time.  It doesn't always work out so well when you have a stranger come and live in your home.  I recognize that this has been a real blessing for us.  Grateful for that. She taught the lesson in Relief Society at church yesterday and did ever so well.  It is hard to believe that English is not her first language.   She speaks it impeccably and also with great authority.  She is such a special young woman. 

My life is always filled with a multitude of small and wonderful things.   Often far to many to count.  I am grateful for a heart that seeks out the miraculous in the ordinary.   Life is so much better when you can do that.

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥
Be glad of life
because it gives you the chance
to love, and to work and to play
and to look up at the stars.
~Henry Van Dyke
❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥

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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Irish Chicken.  So good!

Have a fabulous Monday.  I hope it gets your week off to a great start!  I hope your week is filled with a multitude of small and wonderful things!  Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!


8 comments:

  1. Enjoy your Monday Marie. Mine has flown as I am exhausted from all the moving of stuff. I don't mind people coming and taking things that are useful for them. I do mind people doing so and leaving a huge mess. People are not able to access the footpaths safely. Council workers will not collect stuff spread everywhere. Therefore I am tired of tidying up.

    Aside from that whinge today has been cooler and I am thankful.

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  2. It is grea that the garden is looking so good. what a lovely frint door Marie I am so happy for you you deserve good things...I had thought that your "girl" was going back home to Italy was it Italy she came from ? but now presume she is staying here ? Do you hope to get another nurse as a lodger,( it certainly would help with the finance)...I have a fairly busy dat ahead. at 8.30 taking a friend Roger for the keys to his new flat and then bringing him down to measure it for carpet etc. then of course being Monday Pam will be over around 10 15ish. hope I am back by that time...very dull and quite chilly this morning, had thought it was going to be warmer again...fingers crossed the forecasters have not got it wrong....again !!...have a lovely day... and I am sure your landlord would love your cookies xx

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  3. It's too bad that people are not a bit more careful in creating a mess Suzan, especially if they are getting something for nothing. (((hugs)))) xoxo

    THanks Sybil! She is staying here in the UK and her husband will be coming back here with her after the wedding. They are Spanish. It will be a steep learning curve for him as he speaks no English whatsoever. Have a lovely day. Would love to meet Pam one day. I feel as if I know her already and I am sure we would have lots in common! oxoxo

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  4. These flowers are so beautiful.I love their color.
    The door looks so "posh", too. I'm glad your landlord did that for you.
    Yesterday was Easter Sunday for us and we had a wonderful day with family and relatives. Today it's a warm and bright day,too.Let's hope it will keep this way.
    Have a lovely week!

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  5. That new door is a nice one for sure. Glad the rent didn't go up too. Sounds like a good landlord you have. We only have daffodils blooming here but I'm thankful for that. Hope you have a good week !

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  6. And you must get some nice elight inside! Very handsome door marie:)
    Happy for you..
    I am sure not everyone could have someone live withthem.no matter how nice the person..Good for all of you to have made this such a great experience..Pretty girl:)

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  7. Thanks Helen, I am glad you had a lovely Easter Weekend. It seems odd that it is a week later than ours, but it is Greek Orthodox right??? It has been cool here today, but it is supposed to get warmer as the week goes on I think! xoxo

    Thanks Pam. We have known our Landlord for many years. He's a lovely man. Our Daffodils are still blooming, but are on the wane now! xoxo

    Thanks Monique!! You are right it doesn't work with everyone. She's just so easy to get along with. We are blessed as it could have so easily been the other way around and that would have been just awful! xoxo

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  8. Oh Marie is that the door we'll be knocking on in just a few short weeks now? I can hardly believe we will be meeting soon. It seems as though we already are so well acquainted. I am so excited about this I just cannot even express it.

    What shall we do together? Besides talk and give hugs is there some place you'd like to go? Some special things we should see? If you are feeling like there would be too much walking or whatever we don't have to do a thing. We just want to meet you and Todd and Mitzi. You tell us what would be good for you.

    I am glad the weather is warming up now. It has been hard trying to figure out what to bring. We rented little cottage in Carmarthen, Wales. it is very close to where all my Ancestors lives. Of course everything is relatively close in Wales it seems.

    You once told me you have a Rice line in your genealogy. Me too. I bet we are cousins.

    Love you tons...cannot wait to see you!

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