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 from the past week which brought untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.   

 

The act of creating something beautiful.  This is the last piece of the puzzle.  Waiting for it to dry and then I can add it to the main creation.  The hardest part is the waiting  . . .  patience is a virtue I am told.  I am always working on mine. 

 

The way the  morning light shines through this stained glass window panel that my friend Sybil gave me.  Its of Bath which is very near to where she lives.  Right now she and her friend Mary are visiting with Lura and John in California and having a fabulous time. I am not surprised.  Lura and John are fabulous hosts. Anyways, I never look at this and the way the light shines through it without thinking lovely thoughts about Sybil  . . . 

 

The palm tree in our back garden is going to bloom again this year.  See that spike coming up at the top. Its going to be a bloom. The bees love it. 

  

The way the light shines through my glass birds, any time of day  . . .  I have four . . . I love each of them.  I especially love the Bull Finch, probably because I gave my mom one of these for Christmas last year and it was buried with her.  I got myself one as well . . .  like a special link between us . . . miss my mom more than words can say  . . . 

 

The Runner Beans are all in and waiting to germinate.  We planted marigolds with them because marigolds are not a slugs favourite food. We thought they would be a somewhat natural repellant.  Don't burst my bubble.  We have trays of bush beans, yellow and green, upstairs in the bedroom waiting to germinate also  . . .  We like beans. 

  

Over the door into my kitchen  . . .  where all the magic happens.  I love my sign . . . I have had it for a long time now  . . .  

  

New books  . . .  especially the creative kind.  Monique pointed me in the direction of this one and I fell in love.  Its filled with lovely little projects and will keep me busy for sure . . .  lots of lovely artistic exercises. 

  

Postcards to paint  . . . . 

   

Books within books and all sorts of different papers, etc.   Designed to expand your horizons  . . .  and fill your days with the joys of creating  . . .  

Creating is my happy spot. 

  

New books to read  . . .  a gift from a beloved friend.  Thanks so much Terri.  Watch your mail box.  The sponge was like magic.  

“But then Oma tells me of bread, of the six hundred kinds made throughout her homeland, white and gray and black in color. Loaves heavy with pumpkin seeds. Pumpernickel. Rye. All with long, dense names like 'Sonnenblumenkernbrot' and 'Roggenmischbrot'. Each word is music to her. She has never eaten a tinned bread bagged in plastic with a little twist tie, a pride she wears all over. 'It matters,' she tells me. 'Wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing.'
Whose bread I eat, his song I sing.”
― Christa Parrish, Stones for Bread 

 

I watched the Brene Brown special on Netflix earlier this week.  Then I watched it again with Todd. The Call to Courage.  "Show up, be seen, answer the call."  I loved it.  I will probably watch it again.  Its very inspiring.  The only failure in life is in not trying.  Don't listen to the voices that say you can't.  

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming."~Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 

How many of us actually fall short of living our lives because

we are simply afraid to try?  Afraid of what?  Afraid of who?

Sometimes even afraid of success. 

You need to break some eggs in order to make a cake. 

 

This art of becoming  . . .  you are never too old to become  . . .  smarter, better, holier, stronger, just more anything . . .  anything that is good . . .  this art should not stop until you die, and even then I believe you continue to become, to grow, to develop  . . . .  its an eternal process.   

American Idol.  We have been watching this on Netflix also.  How will they ever pick a winner.  They are all so talented.  I have my favourites and I could never choose between them.  They are all winners in my books.

  

Birthday boys  . . .  Jon turns 13 today.  It is hard to believe I have two teenage grandsons now.  I love them all.  I can still remember when my sons told me they were expecting sons.  The two oldest boys have the two oldest grandchildren, and they both turned 13 this year.  Since then there have been five more babies added to my quiver.   I hate being so far away.  I hope that Jon knows he is loved beyond measure.  I hope all of my grandchildren know that they are loved beyond measure, and not just by me.  Sometimes this world they are having to grow up in frightens me, and I fear for them, but then I remember who is in charge ultimately and I put my trust in Him.  

He knows the end of the story.  I still believe in happy endings, and happily ever afters  . . .  

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *The heavens will not be filled 

with those who never made mistakes.

~Dieter F Uchtdorf   •。★★ 。* 。

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Chilaquiles!  Simple and delicious.  Poor man's food.  The best.

Have a wonderful Monday.  I hope your week ahead is filled with plenty of small and wonderful things. Don't forget!  

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And I do too!