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.

Sunday dinners with family.  I am so grateful for a sister who invites me over for dinner every Sunday. I really enjoy being together like that as a family. It means the world to me. Its not about the food, although that is always delicious, its about just being with each other, and sharing each other's company. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I am so blessed to have the family that I do.

 

(source)

Church on Sundays.  I love going to church on Sundays. The congregation at the church I go to now is very small compared to the one I left back in the U.K.  In fact is is a Branch rather than a Ward.  Most Sundays we may only have about 30 people. But it is a warm bunch of people and a group that feels intimate and like family. It is hard to get lost in the bunch.  I have some very close old dear friends in that bunch that I really love dearly. 

I love being able to partake of the Sacrament each week and focus on the Savior in a special way.  To take His name upon me again and to recharge my spiritual battery for another week.  I have been saying this for years, so nothing new here. 

Sunday night, romantic movie night. This week I watched The Best of Me on Netflix. I really enjoyed this although it had me blubbering off and on. Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. I had never heard of it before.  Mind you, it has been years since I have watched romantic films. I am enjoying old films now that I had never heard of or seen in the past.  They are all new to me!  This one was really well acted. I highly recommend it if you have not seen it.

 

My cozy little home. Every night when I say my prayers I thank God for the blessing that is my home.  I have not forgotten how it felt to not have a place to call my own and to be dependent upon others for a roof over my head, or the  joy I felt when I was given this place to live in.  I hope I never start to take it for granted. It really means the world to me and I am grateful for it.  The windows of heaven were truly open when they poured out this blessing upon me.

The gift of humility.  I am so grateful for parents who cultivated humility in us.  Imagine how much you miss out on in life if your life is filled to overflowing with self and with ego. I think that being humble and being grateful is the best way to live your life.   I am not more than the person who stands beside me, neither am I less.  We are equal souls on a journey through mortality . . .  doing the best that we know how to do on a journey which none of has taken before. 

Yesterday after church, Glenna and I were charged with going to visit a lady and bringing her a meal. I was a bit nervous about going to visit her as I did not know her at all and I am by nature a very shy person. I had also been told she was a bit of a "prickly" individual.  It ended up that we are actually related, but I can't remember now in what way. She was from Inglisville which is where my mother was born and she knew all the old Aunts, etc. What a small world it is.  She remembered my Great Aunt Orabell, or Ora as she called her, as being a very kind person.  

What I had been fearful of turned into a blessing.  I also got to enjoy some extra time with Glenna which was nice.

I am still basking in the glory that was my son being here to spend time with me.  It was such a special time for us and I know that he enjoyed every minute of it as much as I did. We built a memory with each other that will last a lifetime.  I really was blessed by those few days.   I hope that I get to repeat the experience with my other children.  I have been able to spend time alone now with Doug and with Eileen.  I am hoping that Anthony will be next.  I have no real hopes of even seeing the other two and their families, let alone spending time alone with them, but miracles do happen.  I pray always for a reconciliation. I am just grateful that they are safe and happy and alive.  If they ever do darken my doorway I will kill the fatted calf.

I cannot believe that already we are facing the end of November and that Christmas is less than a month away.  This year has slipped so quickly off the calendar.  I am so grateful for the month of November and the gift that it was.  As I get older I take less and less of life for granted and recognize each day given for the gifts that they are to me.  As I am fond of saying, every day may not be a good day, but there is good in every day. I try always to acknowledge my blessings and to cultivate my feelings of gratitude for each and every one of them.   Life is so much better when you see the glass as being half full.  My cup is not just half full, it truly is filled with abundance.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

*To care for those who

once cared for us

is the highest honor ° * 。

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Scottish Tattie Soup. This was so delicious.  I took some over to the lady we visited yesterday along with some homemade biscuits.   I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did!

I hope that you have a truly wonderful and blessed week to come.  May your lives be filled with abundance.  Don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!