Monday 5 March 2018

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 from the past week which brought untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.


When the insurance for an electrical appliance pays out. My new dishwasher arrives today. Yay!  No more sponge Bob square pants for me!  To be fair my old Zanussi was a real work horse. It got used every day and sometimes more than once a day.  I sure had my fill of handwashing the dishes over the past couple of months. (It seems my old OLD dishwasher gave up the ghost when the electric one arrived four or five years ago now.) In any case, I will be so happy to see the new one put into day and have it working!  Yay!  Squeaky clean dishes again! 


Fresh Homemade Meusli Bread.  I made it using a recipe I found here, who had adapted it from a recipe she found here.  It is soooooo good.  I will be posting my experience with it on the blog this week.  In the meantime I am enjoying it!  Yum!  I baked it yesterday.  I haven't toasted any yet, but I have enjoyed a few slices, just slices, unadorned and un-toasted and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's plenty of yum!


Spring  . . .  it is coming. It won't be long now.  I love British Springs.  Daffodils and Narcissi spring up all over the place, in great masses.  It is so beautiful to see.  The little fat bumble bees, they are the harbingers of spring. When you see them, spring is springing! 

  

I love these DVD's.  They are so charming.  Beatrix Potter always charms.  I could watch them over and over again  . . . 


There is such a sweet and gentle spirit that attends them.  Todd likes them too.  I am grateful for a husband with such tender tastes, and a gentle heart,  who likes the same things that I like.  It is a tender mercy from the Lord for me. 


Having a good night's sleep.  I get up between 5 and 5:30 every morning.  I am not sure why. I never need an alarm clock. I just wake up. Sometimes I have not slept very well during the night, but when I have had a good night's sleep it is a great feeling. To awake refreshed and ready to face whatever the day brings.  Yay!  I dream an awful lot. Not sure what that says about me. 


This is soooo true! 

  


My father's "bum" chin.  I have it, and so do four of my five children, and I see it in almost all of my grandchildren. Family traits that are passed on down through the generations.  They are a special thing. 


A daughter who loves me and wants to talk to me and who does talk to me every single day, even if we are 2000 + miles apart.  I am so grateful for  this oldest daughter of mine who makes this special effort every single day. It means the world to me. We don't talk about important things really. It is just chit chat, sometime silly, sometimes meaningful, always a blessing.  I love this girl of mine.  I love all of my children. Out of all of them, she is the one who has had the most challenges to overcome, and they are not things that will ever get any better. Developmental challenges are great mountains to climb, but she has climbed them, and continues to rise.  Out of all my children, she makes a great effort to communicate with me and I do so appreciate that.  She is extremely loyal and she loves me very much. Of that I have NO doubt whatsoever. I will never take this for granted.  She is a special blessing in my life.


These two that I get to share my lovely life with.  I am so blessed.  God is good.  I was talking to my mom yesterday and we were talking about how fast time goes.  I was saying that Todd will be married 18 years this year and that is almost as long as I was married to my ex (only 4 more years to go to match it) and how fast time flies. It seems like I was married to my ex for longer, but it isn't really.  I think the difference is that I raised a family with the other  . . .  I said to mom, I haven't had to squeeze out any children with this one and she laughed and said, no, but you have a lovely dog together.  And that is true.  We do have a lovely dog, and a lovely life together. ☺


So grateful for my mom and dad.  They were not perfect, who is.  But I know they loved and love me.  They always did their best for us.  I appreciate that.  I really do.  To have both a mother and a father and to be loved and cared for in a safe environment.  That is a real blessing in life. 

  

I love this picture of my father and I sleeping.  I think I was probably about 4 years old.  Holding my favourite book at the time.  This is just a precious, precious photo. My father is so young here, only in his 20's.  He is 84 now. 


I have had a beautiful life.  I truly have.
For that I am always grateful.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *.˛.
Let your smile change the world,
but don't let the world 
change your smile.   •。★★ 。* 。 


 

BOOK OF MORMON CORNER

Today's Reading - Mosiah 14:1-15:9 
Question - What stands out to you in these verses about Jesus Christ?  
 
ThoughtsI feel my Saviour's love 💛 I have read chapter 14 and the phrases in it before. But reading them this time they meant more to me. Not that they didn't have meaning before, I just felt it deeper in my heart this time. I think as we grow closer to the Saviour this happens. I love this quote I saw this morning 'Where sin runs deep, His love runs deeper'. I've written it in my scriptures next to chapter 14. 
 
Tommorrow's Reading (Day 114) -  Mosiah 15:10-31 
Question - What have you learnt from the reading today? Who does it say are Christ's seed? 
 
 
 
In The English Kitchen today, Crispy Baked Sweet Potato, Corn & Bean Flautas.  These are soooooooo delicious and healthy too!
 
I hope the week ahead for you is filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things. May you be richly blessed.  Don't forget!
 
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And I do too!  
 
 


8 comments:

  1. Hi Marie, what a lovely post, you have a lovely family and are definitely blessed!

    Amen to the dishwasher!!

    I hope you have a wonderful week and can get out a bit now the weather is improving. I've got a busy week, nothing in particular just lots of little things! Lot's of love xxx

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    1. Happy busy is nice Kate! I am washing a load of dishes now! It opens itself when it is finished! Fabulous! (We did a test run first!) love and hugs! Xoxo

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  2. Such a happy post! Happy for YOU:) Yay!..And it's not even Spring..I love winter..but now..that I was teased w/ a touch of warmer weather I want it back!:)

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    1. Thanks Monique! Just a few weeks now and spring will be springing! Yay! Xoxo

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  3. Finally a day to get that dishwasher back. A new one will surely work! Like you I have had a beautiful life with so much to be thankful for too ! It is always good to think about our blessings and not our woes.

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    1. I love how you share your blessings also Pam! You are a ray of sunshine! Xoxo

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  4. Hi Marie!

    This is a happy post! I'm so glad that your dishwasher is working and scrubbing away on those dishes!

    So many things to be happy about...it's almost Spring, and Muesli bread and Beatrix Potter! All this things make me smile!!

    I have to say, I may have shed a little tear when I saw the photo of you and your dad, so very touching. What a wonderful blessing that you have that photo! And the photo of Todd and Mitzi, priceless!

    I really think you do have a very wonderful life, how fortunate you are to have people who love you, and you love them...and their bum chin! Your daughter is adorable.

    This post made me happy!

    Isn't it so amazing that we are so loved by the Savior?!

    Much love to you sweet friend!

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

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    1. We have so much to be thankful for Barb. Much better to dwell on that than the negative! Love and hugs to you Barb! xoxo

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