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.

 

(source)

"Endurance in the small actions is the power to 

change your life and the lives of those you love." 

This is how I try to live my life.  I don't always succeed.  Some things I do really well at and others, not so well, but I try.  That is what counts and even the smallest thing can make a world of difference to the lives it touches. I firmly believe that.

“May you see God’s light on the path ahead when the road you walk is dark. 

May you always hear, even in your hour of sorrow, the gentle singing of the lark. 

When times are hard may hardness never turn your heart to stone. 

May you always remember when the shadows fall, you do not walk alone.” 

I do not believe that there is any life on earth that hard times do not touch. It might even seem at times that we get more than our fair share of knocks.   Life is a bit, at times, like being in a huge rock tumbler.  The question is, will you use it to polish you or break you?  Hardships can become sacred experiences when we allow them to shape us into "better." 

I was thinking back on the lows of my life yesterday and tracing the goodness in each one of them.   For me anyways, there is not one that I wouldn't choose to go through again.  They have been faith strengthening and character shaping.  I have been able to see clearly that the Savior met me in my lows and helped me to shoulder and get through each one of them.

I am grateful for that.

 

Time spend with family. I really enjoyed the ten days I got to spend with my daughter.  It was nice to spend this time together with just the two of us.  We made silly faces on snap chat and cooked.  We played games. We watched television that we both enjoyed. We talked. We went out together. We shopped.  It was just nice. I hope that we get to do it again some day! I am sure that we will.  Tim is home now and she is all happy to have him back. I think sometimes, when you are married, a bit of a break from each other can be a very good thing. It is good to miss the ones you love from time to time. It helps you to appreciate them even more.

I have always found the sound of rain to be quite a comforting sound.  When I moved into my place here two years ago, I got myself a sleep machine. It is a small thing about the size of a clock radio and it plays sleep sounds.  There are 8 different sounds, white noise, crickets, a fan, waves crashing, birds chirping, etc.  I love it. I do keep it on either the rain one or the fan one, depending.  It helps me to fall asleep a lot quicker and to sleep a lot better.   I got one for Eileen while she was here.   Actually she had picked up one at the Superstore but it was faulty so I ordered her one just like mine from Amazon.  She loves it.   Raindrops are the perfect lullaby! You can't beat a good night's sleep.

How to have a good day.  Write down and make a list of all the things that you are thankful for.  It is hard to be blue when you are tracing the threads of goodness in your life, and we all have them.  My motto is that "every day may not be a good day, but there is good in every day." Dwell in and cling to the good. It beats the alternative.

Love this. I have a real heart for Dandelions.  I don't just see a weed, I see a million promises and wishes.   It starts as this beautiful ray of sunshine and then spreads its goodness far and wide with just a puff of air.  I know, gone to seed, they can be rather unsightly, but . . . 

I love my little home.  I love being here within its walls, nesting and just enjoying the warmth and coziness that I have managed to create around myself.  When I was a teenager I love the song "our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.   Our house, is a very, very, very fine house.  With two cats in the yard  . . .  I never knew that I would love living by myself so much.  I am not lonely.  I am not sure why. I enjoy my own company. I am comfortable.  I love puttering, creating . . . there are not enough hours in my day to do all the things I want to do.  I can remember feeling as if I would never be able to find happiness again.  I was wrong . . .  I am happy.  This is a happy home.

Real happiness is found in wanting what you already have, not in chasing dreams that may never come true. It is okay to have a dream, yes  . . . but true joy comes from being content  in the here and the now, and with what you already have.

Life is good.

A thought to carry with you . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*To be refreshed by a morning walk

or an evening saunter,

to be thrilled by the stars at night,

to be elated by a bird's nest of

a wildflower in the spring,

these are the rewards of a simple life.

~John Burroughs•。★★ 。* 。

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Meatza Pie. Its meatloaf but not as you know it!  Delicious, simple and quick to make.

I hope your week ahead is filled with abundance and a multitude of small and wonderful things. Whatever you get up to, don't forget!

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And I do too!