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.

Eileen and I 

back in about 1986 or so

I was one of her Brownie Leaders

Happy Owl, that was me even I don't look so happy

Weekends with Eileen. (I like this old photo of us together. She was crossing her eyes to look silly.) We had a fairly quiet weekend. I had a lot of pain issues so we did a bit of shopping at the grocery store after I picked her up to get her drinks and treats and then came back here. I cooked us some supper. We watched a nice movie in the evening. An old favorite of mine. "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes."  Eileen likes it too because there are children in it and she likes anything Margaret O'Brien is in or Shirley Temple.  

I didn't get to church because of my pain issues so I watched my church on Zoom and Eileen watched hers on YouTube.

Then we polished her silver. My father had given me a case of silver cutlery. I gave it to Eileen but it needed polishing. I bought the silver polish and she brought the silver over with her and we both sat here in the afternoon polishing it up and it looks nice and shiny now and she knows how to do it herself next time it needs doing.  So a bonus skill learned!

She did some of her Diamond Art in the afternoon. I worked a bit. We made supper, ate supper, watched a bit of TV, etc. 

A fun time for us both.  She will be going back home later today.

Normally we would go to Cindy's for a family dinner on Sunday, but Cindy took this Sunday off to go golfing. Eileen had seen my recipe for Sweet & Sour Chicken Nuggets on my EK Facebook page earlier this week so she wanted me to make them for us for our supper. We made them together and enjoyed them with some steamed rice that I cooked in my rice cooker. We also had some frozen broccoli with it.  Let's just say, she is a fan.  That makes me happy.

 

(source)

(I love how this picture looks like angels standing in the woods.)

Being able to attend church online via Zoom. I am able to still sing the hymns, hear the prayers, etc.  Yesterday was Fast & Testimony meeting so I was able to hear the testimony of others. It always strengthens my own testimony to be able to hear the testimony of others. They are so uplifting.

An old paramour of mine happened to be there and he bore his testimony. One of the things he said is you don't have to believe in God to live a good life you just have to live your life as if you did, in faith that one day you will believe. I liked that. Sometimes believing comes hard, or can seem next to impossible, but living by righteous principles and teachings can be a lot easier, and eventually you never know, Belief may come, and if it doesn't, well . . .  you have still had a good life.

I wasn't able to bear my testimony in church so I will bear it here. 

I am one of those who has a strong faith and belief in God, my Heavenly Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ. I don't need to see them to feel their presence in my life. It has been evidenced to me in a bazillion little and large ways.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and cares about me. He knows me by name. He knows and counts every tear, and every hair on my head is numbered, as are my days. I may not be fully able to comprehend how this is so, but I know and believe that it is. I know that I am beloved by my Savior Jesus Christ and that there is nothing I can experience here on earth, both the good and the bad, that He doesn't already know and understand. He knows because He felt it all, all of our pain, our sorrows, our failures, our joys etc. in the Garden of Gethsemane. I can get myself through anything because I know He has already trodden the wine press, and He will succor me throughout my trials, because He has already been there. He is intimate with every detail of our lives, and He loves us anyways, enough to give away His life on our behalf.  Enough to help to carry our burdens if we will let Him. Enough to walk beside us every step of the way through this valley of tears that we call life.  His love has helped me to be able to forgive the unforgiveable. And I know and believe that He will be there with me at the end, when I finally will be able to see Him in person. As the song says, "I can only imagine what my eyes will see when His face is before me . . .  

Surrounded by your glory 

What will my heart feel 

Will I dance for your Jesus 

Or in awe of you be still 

Will I stand in your presence 

Or to my knees will I fall 

Will I sing hallelujah 

Will I be able to speak at all 

I can only imagine 

I can only imagine . . .  

I know I am not the only one who feels this way.  God is good. 

 

(source)

Warm and sunny summer days. There is a part of me that wishes that I could go for long walks and enjoy the sunshine. Walk along the beach, etc. I am grateful that I was able to do those things in the past and the memories of doing so sustains me. I will be able to do this again one day when I get to the other side.  In the meantime, I can enjoy the warmth of the sunshine on my skin and the sight of it as it lights everything up. The way it parties on my front deck and tickles my flowers.  The way it trickles down through the leaves of the maple tree in my back yard and dances upon the grass.

Only a few weeks will pass and summer will be all but over. The days will be shortening quickly and the nights will start to visibly draw in and be cooler.  Summer will be on the wane.  I will enjoy it while it is still here with us, and try not to complain about the humidity, even if I really don't always like it.

 

(source)

There is so much in the month of August to look forward to.  The gardens are giving of their abundance this month. Peas and beans, potatoes, corn, early squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers, raspberries and blueberries, carrots, onions, peppers  . . .  the peaches are showing up in the markets now.  Soon it will be apples and pears  . . .  

How blessed we are to live in a country with such abundance. When I was young I used to put away a lot of it for the winter months. That is no longer practical for me, but the impracticality of it doesn't stop me from enjoying the blessings of it now. And I do.

My two furry companions. They are always with me when I am at home. Nearby at least for the most part. My cozy companions. I love them so much. They bring a lot of joy into my life.

I am really enjoying the hummingbirds at the moment. They have gotten even more active at the feeder and the battles have begun. So fun to watch.

My family . . . I am so grateful for my family. For their love. For their company. For their presence in my life. I love them so very much and consider them to be one of God's greatest gifts to me. They may not be perfect, but they are perfect to me.

 

Friends in real life and invisible friends.  All of the love and support I get from each one of you and them. It means a lot to me and I am very thankful for it all.

Life is a beautiful blend of ups and downs and highs and lows. I am so thankful for all of it. Faith, family, friends, home, talents, etc. Life is good.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*The Sun shines on everybody.

You just have to keep believing.

~Dontrelle Willis

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Chicken Shawarma Bowls. Quick. Easy. Delicious. The perfect bite. At least for me anyways. A bit spicy, but not overly so. Very simple to make.

I hope your week ahead is loaded with an abundance of small and wonderful things. Be blessed. Don't forget!

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And I do too!