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. 

It's very difficult to be in a blind panic here at the moment. This was yesterday afternoon, looking South down the #10 highway.  We were plagued all night with a heavy smell of smoke as the wildfires burning south of us raged out of control. The air was thick with smoke and ash has been falling. It has felt very much like Armageddon.  I hardly slept all Saturday night because of the smell and the fear. 

At Cindy's place there were huge chunks of ash and burnt leaves falling into the yard. 

The sky was like an orange ball in the sky. I don't know what the other orb is. Perhaps the moon?  I have my bag packed. The car is loaded with water, cat food, litter, etc. My tank almost full of gas although I may go out today and top it up just in case.  

The fires are about 25km away, but it is moving rapidly. We did not get any rain from the hurricane, just high winds which exacerbated the fires.  We need help here in Nova Scotia. Our firefighters are exhausted, and it just keeps growing.  We also need rain. A little bit is expected today, but it will not be enough. We need some rain that will be prolonged and not a deluge as the ground is so dry now it would cause flash floods. We just need a gentle, prolonged, sustained rain.

My church is fasting and praying for help, rain, etc. I am grateful for the power of prayer and fasting.

It is hard to feel calm.  But I am trying.

Dan came on Saturday and scrubbed the siding of the hose, as well as my garage door inside and out.  The landlord came and did it the first year I was here, but nobody has come to do it since, and it had gotten quite bad. He did a wonderful job. While he was out there doing it, several neighbors came over wanting to know what he charged. I told him he could have himself a little business going there if he put up a notice on the bulletin board at the local shops to do handy work for local Seniors.  There re lots of us who need help with things, things that we are unable to do for ourselves. He is supposed to go tomorrow and do Jacquie's house for her and sweep out her garage. 

What a blessing it is to have someone to do such things for me.  I am grateful.

While Dan was working outside, Cindy was inside and she helped to trim the cat's nails. Also their flea treatments.  I keep the doors closed to the other rooms so that they can't hide under the bed.  These are not their favorite things to have happen to them. 

We thought we were done, but noticed that some of the flea treatment had spilled down Nutmeg's back so we had a piece of paper towel to clean it off. I had already opened the doors not thinking anything about it. As soon as he saw the paper towels, he took off into the bathroom and jumped in behind the washing machine and dryer. When he was a kitten and did that I would hang a towel over the back of the dryer, and he would crawl up it to get out. He weighs 17 pounds now and we had just cut his nails so there was nothing to grab a towel with.  And he couldn't turn around enough to be able to get enough leverage to jump back up.

Dan moved the washer out some to give him more room.  I ended up having to drop a case of Kleenex behind the washer so he could jump up onto that and then out of the space.  He looked so pitiful as I was looking down at him. His eyes were pleading "get me out of here."  

Never a dull moment. It's all go here.

So grateful we were able to get him out safely.

I was grateful for the opportunity to go to church yesterday morning and partake of the sacrament.  Even though I had only slept for 3 hours Saturday night, I was also able to give my talk. It was well received.  And I was just glad to get it over with.

I do enjoy going to church. It is a great way to renew my spiritual batteries and a great beginning to any week.

 

(source)

I am grateful for my wee little home. I don't need a mansion to be content.  I am thankful for all that I have and I know it is more than enough.  I long for nothing more than what I already have. It brings me peace and contentment. I lack nothing. 

I really hope and pray that it stays safe. 

Yesterday, it felt as if we were in a War Zone. It was a terrible feeling. I don't know how people cope.  I really don't.  As a planet. We need to smarten up. We need to just be happy with what we have and use some of that to help those people who have not.  We need to make peace, not war. To love and not hate. To share of our abundance so that everyone has enough. 

I really don't have a lot more to say this morning. I am grateful for what I am and what I have, for this life I am living.  For my family. For my faith. For my health and my home. 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

*Always walk through life

as if you have something 

new to learn and you will.

~Vernon Howard° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today, Ham & Cheese Quesadilla. This was simply delicious.

I hope you have a truly beautiful day.  Stay safe, be happy, be blessed. Please pray for all who are being affected by wildfires, etc. This is going on all over, not just here in Nova Scotia. Pray for our planet.

Don't forget!

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And I do too!