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.



As you know I call my mom every Sunday.  Yesterday was no different.  My sister took a picture of my mom while I was talking to her.  All dressed up and made up for Sunday  It meant the world to me to be able to see my mom like this.



When she first answered the phone she was watching squirrels outside the window chasing each other and quite enjoying it.  That made me happy too, to be a part of that . . . to hear her happiness.   I look over at the small table and I can see Todd's and my photo sitting on top of it along with some others, and beneath it the rock I painted for my mom for Christmas, must be about 20 years or so ago now, if not longer.  Seems like a whole lifetime ago.  That's a teddy bear my sister crocheted for my mom a very long time ago sitting on top of the TV stand.  My mom has a new tv.

She looks happy.  Content.  Life is good.   That makes me very happy.

 

Finished projects.   Those make me feel good.  I make myself finish things now.  For many years I was a starter and not a finisher.  That has all changed.  Now I always finish what I start.  It is a struggle to change a lifetime of habits like that, but it feels good when you do.   I am not entirely sure it turned out the way it was supposed to, or if all the waffles are the same, but that's okay.  It is for washing dishes.  I don't think they will care and I expect I will get better at this knitting lark as I go along.



I think this is going to be my next project.  A little knitted bunny.  It's a Debi Birkin pattern.  Just deciding on colours now.

 

 I was cleaning up the other day and something caught my eye. I pulled this out from beneath the side board in the dining area . . . it made me smile.  It reminded me of the Saviour's birth and Tatiana's visit, Christmas day with the other missionaries and a lot of other lovely memories of this past Christmas.  It just warmed my heart to no end.  It's funny how that goes . . .  these little tiny blessings, become even greater when you let them.

 

I was looking out the back window this morning and my eyes lit upon these little bluebirds on the window sil and my heart smiled again.   Kathy.   These remind me of Kathy and a lovely day we spent in Chester together . . .  shopping, laughing, and eating bad pancakes.  (How can anyone get those so wrong!)  I miss her, but its super nice to have these to remind me of her and all of the lovely times we spent together as friends, as sisters in the Gospel, as Missionaries.



Her eyes might make her look like she is a sad doggie, but she is really a very happy doggie.   Every morning at about 6:30 she nudges me and I sit on the sofa and she jumps up and we have a bit of a cuddle . . .  she butting her head into me (that's how she hugs) and curling into me and me patting her on the rump.  Its a little dance of unconditional love and then I say to her . . .  "Do you want your breakfast?" and she stops and looks at me, her ears all perked and then she jumps off the sofa, looking at me, tail wagging.  I walk into the kitchen . . .  her wet nose butting on my calves with about every step of the way.  She stops at the door and sits and waits.   I pull out her morning bowl and drop in her morning breakfast and then put it on the floor.   She watches me the whole time and once it is on the matt in front of the sink, she comes over and begins to eat, her tail wagging the whole time.  She always pauses for a second and looks up at me . . .  as if to say thank you.  There is much comfort in our  morning routine.  It blesses me in untold ways . . .

And that's my small and wonderfuls for this week!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
I learned that courage 
was not the absence of fear,
but the triumph over it.
The brave man is not he 
who does not feel afraid,
but he who conquers that fear.
~Nelson Mandela
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spiritual Enlightenment 

 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Chicken Cordon Bleu.

May your week ahead be filled with an abundance of small and wonderful things. Along the way, don't forget . . .

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 And I do too!