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.

 

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It's so quiet in here.  My heat pump has always made a lot of noise. When you go to my sister's place you would never even know that hers is on. Mine started making even more noise last week, so much so that I had to call the maintenance people. It finally gave up the ghost on Friday, but with the super cold temps it would not have been able to do its job anyways.  It is very quiet in here now. I am relying solely on my electric baseboard heating. I will worry about how to pay for it when I get the bill. I can't be cold, and I can't risk my pipe freezing.  Apparently, there are no electricians available to do the work of repairs. What a world we are living in these days. No Doctors. No emergency room. No plumbers. No electricians to do repairs.

But I have a roof over my head and am sheltered from the cold and I have plenty to eat. It could always, always be worse! I am not complaining!!  I am enjoying the quiet.

For all the wind and snow and cold freezing temperatures this past weekend, I did not lose my power. Many were not so fortunate and had to endure some of the coldest temperatures we have had in ages without any power or heat in their homes.  I was blessed to be able to be warm and sheltered.   I didn't even get dressed on Saturday. I just layered up. My father did lose his power for a time, but he just went to bed and read under the blankets.  Some people didn't get their power back on until yesterday morning.  My thoughts and prayers were very much with the linemen that had to be out there in that bitter cold and wind working hard to get the power back on.  I was so grateful that our power here in my little area stayed on.

When I bought this little rocking chair, I had thought that perhaps one day my youngest son's little boy would be able to sit in it. That hasn't happened but look what I have sitting in it now!  She is so cute.  These two little munchkins of mine sure keep me busy!  I am never alone, and I am loved so much by them, which of course is a love which is greatly reciprocated by myself.  We are a family. It might not be a conventional family, but it is my family, and I am grateful for their love and companionship.

They do keep me busy!

 

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My friend Glenna and I were able to make it to church yesterday morning. There were a lot missing, but that is to be expected when we have bad weather.  The roads were a bit greasy when we left to go, but the temperatures had risen by the time we left to come home so the roads were quite clear by then. It was nice to be communing with the Saints, partaking of the sacrament. It was fast and testimony meeting. The first Sunday of the month is given over to the members sharing their testimonies.  It is my favorite meeting of the month. I did not get a chance to bear mine, but I will now.  I know and love the Savior and I know that he knows and loves me too. I feel his presence every day in small and simple ways and sometimes in larger ways. This life was not meant to be an easy row to hoe. It is hard and very difficult to navigate at times, but I know that we are not alone in any of it. He meets us in the highs and in the lows and is with us in all of it, the small things and the big things. I am grateful for that.

I was able to get to my sisters for dinner last night. It was lovely. She did a roast chicken, with stuffing and roast potatoes, gravy and green beans. Jello and whipped cream for dessert. The best part was being with family.  I love my family very much, and am grateful that they try to include me and spend time with me. I am blessed.

My daughter Eileen posts anti-Mormon stuff on her facebook page all the time now. I don't know where she is getting it, but I suspect it is probably this new church she has been going to.  I am not sure what her motivation is in this. Perhaps they are telling her I am going to hell and she is trying to save me. I have told her that I find it hurtful and disrespectful, but she doesn't see that she is doing anything wrong. It is hard for me to ignore it, but I try my best. 

I do not understand it when people who believe in Christ seek to undermine the faith of others who believe in Christ simply because they choose to do it in a different way to them. I do not think things like this draw people closer to Christ. If anything, it serves to drive people away because they see Christians as being judgmental and unloving.  I do not think that is what Christ wants.

 

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February is the month of love.  We need to be spreading love wherever and whenever we can.  I don't necessarily mean the hearts and flowers kind of love. I mean the kind of love that shows others that we care about them.  It could be a phone call, a note or an e-mail to someone you have not spoken to in a while.  Just something to show them that they are not alone and that someone cares. I am so blessed to have a next-door neighbor who stays in touch with everyone on the street. She tells me that when she gets up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she always checks out her front window to make sure everyone is okay.  If there is a bad storm she calls to see if I am okay.  I know she does this for everyone. We should all be so concerned about our neighbor.  Again, I am blessed. I call her sometimes too, so it is not a one-sided thing.

I was grateful for this little electric fire this weekend. It not only puts out a bit of heat, but it looks cozy as well.  That was a smart purchase on my part. Oh, how I miss my little electric fire that I had in the UK. It looked just like a little wood stove. It was cute. I wish I could find one like that here.

My life is filled with too many blessings to count. My cup truly does runneth over with abundance.  I am grateful that I am a person who is cognizant of this. Just imagine how much I would be missing out on if I wasn't!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

  ˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

 ˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*The one who falls 

and gets up 

is much stronger than 

the one who never fell

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today, 5-Ingredient Chicken Enchilada Bake. Simply delicious. If you are a fan of TexMex flavors you are sure to enjoy this.  Sized for 2 to 3.

My heart and prayers go out to all those who have been affected today by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.  Also, BC, and I hear there was even an earthquake in Southern Ontario. Stay safe people.  

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And I do too!