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 been terribly cold this weekend. Right now, it is -8*C/17.6*F but the weather app says it feels like -28*C/-14*F. So pretty cold.  I am grateful to have my little house to keep me warm, and a warm jacket to wear when I go outside.  January.  It's a cold, cold month.

 

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Sunday dinner with Cindy, Dan and Dad.  My sister cooked some really delicious mini meatloaves yesterday along with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was really delicious. But her meals always are.  I don't really go for the food; however, I go for the time spent with family.  I love my family very much.  It's just nice to spend the time together, whenever it is. Dad will be 91 on the 17th. Who knows how much longer we will be able to enjoy dinners together like this. There was a time when I thought that I would never get to see him alive again, so getting to spend time with him at all is an extra special bonus.

 

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Winter itself is a special blessing. Oh, I know it is cold and dark, but it also affords us the opportunity to do things that we don't have time for during the rest of the year.  During the warmer months many of us are busy with gardening, etc. Winter gives us permission to kick back and relax, with good books, good music, a bit of armchair travel on the telly.  We can plug all of our fairy lights in and enjoy them for longer, light the candles, put on the fire and they all add a beautiful glow to our homes that we just cannot appreciate as much in the lighter months.

Hearth and Home are Winter's gift to us.

 

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Is there anything more beautiful than a male cardinal in the snow?  I don't know.  They are pretty special.  And the white of the snow makes their colors pop even more.  A delight for the eyes and the soul.

 

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I am grateful to live in a place where I do not have to shovel the snow.  Yesterday morning as I walked across the street to Glenna's to go to church there was a guy here shoveling all of the snow from the driveways and doorsteps. I am so grateful that I don't have to do that myself.  I don't know how I would cope!

 

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Church on Sundays.  I don't always feel like going. Sometimes I have to make myself get ready as I would rather stay all cuddly warm in my little house, but I do go and I always feel better for having done so. Being able to partake of the sacrament and renew my Baptismal covenants, take His name upon me.  Being able to worship with the Saints. Sing the hymns. Listen to the testimony of others.  Spend some time amongst like-minded people.  It's all good, and I am all the better for having spent the time.

 

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Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and marking it as a day separate from the rest of the week.  This is a good thing.  A day un-marred by other things.  A day to focus on the things of the spirit rather than the things of the world. A day of rest. It's a good thing.

It is not just our body's that need rest from the world, but our spirits do also. Keeping Sunday holy and un-marred gives our spirits the time they need to rest.

The second hour of our Sunday services are given over to lessons and discussions. I love that time spent with the Saints, being able to freely discuss the things we believe and are studying in our own time.  This is a time when we can talk about our faith and beliefs without having to defend them. It can be quite wearisome to feel like you need to be on the defensive all the time when it comes to things which are a matter of faith.  Faith should not be a bone of contention, but so often, at least here in North America, as Latter-Day Saints, we are seen as crackpots.  That's kind of weird really since North America was settled by people seeking to be able to practice their faith in peace. Many faiths came here to do the same thing.

 

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I love this. I like to think of my home as being a place of Welcome. I hope that it truly is and that anyone who comes to my door, and is invited in, feels welcome here.

 

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I am really loving my candles. I love them all year long, but I especially love them in the Winter months when they give off a special glow.  I use scented ones. Soy wax, not paraffin.  I am finishing off the Christmas scents at the moment, and then I will crack open some new ones.

Plying the needles and hooks in the winter months.  You don't mind having a growing blanket on your lap as it helps to keep your lap warm. Wools and needles and winter.  A triune of comfort.

 

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The warmth of lamplight on a winter's afternoon . . .  so cozy.

 

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East, West, Home is best.  Home Sweet Home. Faith. Family. Friends.  It's all good. I am blessed.

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛“Understand me,

I am not like an ordinary world,

I have my madness,

I live in another dimension 

and I do not have time for things

that have no soul.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Charles Bukowski° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Mom's Barbeque Sauce. It's a simple thing really. I enjoyed some ham leftover from the holidays braised in it.  You can do spareribs, chicken, etc.  Its a simple sauce that is very easily put together. No fuss. No muss.

I hope you have a beautiful day and week filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things which bring you joy.  Be blessed.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!