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.

Today we remember them. The sacrifice of life by many for the freedoms we almost take for granted on a daily basis. In Blacon where I lived in the U.K. there was a special section of the cemetery that was given over to the graves of Canadian and other allied Soldiers.

 

It does not look like many, until you consider that this is just one of many, many cemeteries in the world which holds the graves of those who gave their lives to protect the freedom of others, in not just one but in two world wars.

In 2014, the Tower of London was surrounded by ceramic poppies, each one commemorating a life sacrificed. Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was a public art installation created in the moat of the Tower of London, England, between July and November 2014. It commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and consisted of 888,246 ceramic red poppies, each intended to represent one British or Colonial serviceman killed in the War. A sea of red and that only represented the lives given during one war. 

A red sea of remembrance . . . the sight was astonishing. Especially when you realized that each poppy represented one life in one war . . .  and there were so very many of them.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row, 

 That mark our place; and in the sky 

 The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

 We are the Dead. Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

 Loved and were loved, and now we lie, 

 In Flanders fields. 

 Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

 The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

 If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

 In Flanders fields.

~John McCrae

Today I remember and honor the lives that have been spent throughout the years in wars for Freedom. Always remember. Never forgotten. Never taken for granted. I remember and honor them.

The opportunity I have each week to go to church on Sunday mornings and fellowship with the Saints.  To partake of the Sacrament. To remember the Savior and take His name upon me. I am so grateful each week for this opportunity.  I am grateful also to have always lived in countries where I have enjoyed the freedom to workshop God as and how I wish to do.  There are many in this world who are not able to worship in freedom.  May I never take this gift for granted, and may I never demean the rights of others to do the same. May I always be respectful of the worship practices of others.

 

(source)

The leaves are all but fallen now from the trees where I live. Very little remain on the branch and the ground is carpeted with them.  Whilst still on the tree we were treated to magnificent colors . . .  reds, ambers, golds . . . and yet now, on the ground, they all look brown.  Funny that.

People scramble to rake them up.  I see some lawns with bags and bags of them standing by the edge of the roadway waiting to be picked up. 

As a child I loved to play in the fallen leaves, much to the chagrin of the adults who had so laboriously raked them up. In my mind's eye I still play in them.

 

(source)

We have had some very chilly days, and I have been grateful for the warmth of indoors and my little home.  My heat pump is keeping me nice and toasty.  On Saturday on the way back from the funeral there was actually a bit of snow and sleet falling and pelting against the car. A tiny taste of things to come. It seems too soon, but, if we are ever to see the springtime blooms again, we must go through this season of cold and rest.

 

(source)

I had to get a new printer.  Cindy and I went to Walmart on Thursday, and I picked one up. I am grateful that I have the means to do so. An unexpected expense, but thankfully I have savings.  I finally got it set up and running on Saturday.  It took this addled brain of mine at least half an hour trying to figure out where to plug the cord into it.  I looked that printer over and over, turning it upside down and every which way.  They don't come with instruction booklets anymore.  Anyways, I did finally figure that out, but then  . . .  I had to try to figure out how to put the ink in. 

I have never had a Canon printer.  

Do you think I could figure that out?  Heck no.  I knew where it was supposed to go, but I didn't know how to put it in.  A part of me was afraid of breaking it.  I called my sister.  I said. "I need help." She hopped in her car and came down. We got the ink put in, and now it is working.

I am so grateful that I have a sister who comes without question when I say, "I need help."  Everyone should be so blessed.  And that is what she is, aside from being my best friend, she is a special blessing in my life. I am so thankful. 

 

(source)

I live a very simple life, and I try to celebrate it each day in whichever way that I can. I am living a life of abundance in a world where many do not.  I have enough.  Enough to eat. Enough to wear. Enough to be able to pay my bills.  Enough love. Enough to meet all of my needs, physically and mentally.  I am truly blessed, and grateful for the many blessings which attend my life.  A life lived in gratitude is not a bad thing. It makes like richer.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day.

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

 *As we express our gratitude, we must 

never forget that

the highest appreciation is 

not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John F. Kennedy° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing. This Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing Recipe is the perfect Thanksgiving or holiday side dish to serve with your roast turkey. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Filled with bags of flavor and lots of goodness. 

I wish for you a week that is filled with an abundance of the things which matter the most in life.  Be happy. Be blessed. Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

 

And I do too!