Keeping this short today. I have several things I want to accomplish, and odds are they won't happen (LOL), but I can plan!!!!
I was just thinking about all the little things in life that make me smile and bring me joy. Sure, I am blessed with all those wonders - like family and friends, being given a new day, health, my pets, my home, etc.
Those things we just don't think about very often. That we take for granted.
The hummingbirds came back the first of July (a month late) and they have been flitting around the flowers and feeders
The last groundhog of the neighborhood has been relocated as of Monday. So glad that worry is gone
I ate my first real tomato of the season. YUM
As I was washing windows, I smiled - because Coogy likes to get in the windows and 'talk' to the outdoor kitties. He leaves little smears! I would sure miss those
I can go out and pick food from my yard! How neat is that?
Barrels both got full last weekend with the rain and I am using rainwater for plants
Bees are hovering about the cucumbers. Lots of blooms, no cukes. Lots of males - so hoping this means there are female flowers and the bees are taking care of business
Walking through the yard and smelling the flowers
The tulip tree seems to have stopped its leaf release until fall!
OH goodness, the heavy trash truck came Tuesday for the first time in 4 months!!! There has been stuff sitting in the alley all this time. UGH!! It is all gone!!!!!!! YAY!! Happy dance here
My kitties. They are waiting at the side door every morning at 6:30 for Momma!
Lying in bed and listening to the birds every morning before dawn and getting kitty kisses!
I have some pretty decent neighbors
Love watching my squirrels play. There are many young ones, and they are a hoot to watch.
I have seen virtually NO pigeons for a week! Don't understand why - but I love it. All other birds are here.
Happy that I like simple things! My tastes are pretty simple and my needs and wants are few.
And following yesterday's post - I have enough!!!!
There are so many tiny little things in this world that bring joy and laughter and smiles. They don't need to be huge. I can just stand outside and listen - and I hear kids somewhere playing, birds singing, squirrels chatter, the wind through the trees - and YES, even traffic, sirens and planes - but that is OK. It is all part of my everyday life.
What little things bring you to a smile or a laugh? Have you taken time lately to just totally enjoy the small stuff?
It is the small stuff that make up some of our best moments!
We have relocated 3 groundhogs so far..they keep coming. I hate trash too sitting out. I'm glad your alley is clear and looks better now. It's the small stuff that relieves our stress.
ReplyDeleteThose hogs are a pain!!!! Last summer there was 7 relocated. This year was 5, 1 racoon, and 3 opossums so far! UGH. I sure do feel for you!
DeleteThe alley looks so much better. Yes mam, it is the little things!
What a lovely post! Sounds like you embrace your beautiful home and take amazing care of it. You also appreciate your neighbors! Lovely. Far too many people complain complain complain and don’t take care of their homes so they are eye sores!!! How great that you are such an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteSweet words. My logic, is this is mine and I paid for it - why would I not take care of it! I have never understood people that let things go and have junk filled yards. I realize some can't physically do it any longer - but many that just isn't the case.
DeleteI do love my little home and yard. It is work - but worth it.
Thank you for your kind words.
QUAIL! Moms and Dads are letting them out of the nest now so they run around the yard! They are so dang cute. Some families are up to 13 babes and yesterday's appearance was only 4. Hub and I call them "popcorn quail". You know, like popcorn shrimp? They are tiny-like the size of a quarter when they first come out. Sooooo much fun to watch them. Quail "run" twice daily, feeding and dirt bathing......And OMG they grow so darn fast it's miraculous!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday :-)
How totally sweet that would be. I have never seen a baby quail. Do you raise them or are they in the wild?
DeleteThat would be so neat to watch.
Isn't nature amazing?
I watch the hills around us as the seasons change...leaving out and budding out in the spring, then lush green all summer then to the beautiful fall hues. What joy!
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the tomatoes and sweet corn this time of year. Luscious treats. Definitely brings smiles.
Watching the dogs romp and run outdoors. I have one that loves to leave doggie kisses on my low front windows. I smiled when you cleaned yours after kitty kisses. Our pets bring such joy! They love us on our good and our bad days.
A surprise email or text from friends or family. Or even a note in the mail. Sure makes me happy.
Husband picking a bouquet from the garden and bringing them in to give me. Better than a trip to the florist and no bill to pay later.
The water in the shower. I think often how fortunate I am to be blessed with clean and abundant water for my daily needs and pleasure.
I could go on and on...I have been so blessed! I had someone share this that their pastor had shared...God blesses us daily...it is our job to notice! I often overlook the abundance...but I daily make an effort.
Oh yeah...all you that read this blog and Cheryl...not saying you are little...just saying you are a blessing and bring me abundant joy!
Nature is beautiful and amazing. Our pets are the best. They give so much love and affection.
DeleteHow sweet that hubs brings in flowers - much better than a florist. Yes, we are blessed. I like that - it is our job to notice!
I am blessed by all of you - you have no idea how much.
I find my little joys around my home, too. The animals! I have a little green island in 3 big trees. Feeders, baths, etc. My humor this morning was me! I was completely mesmerized watching a mourning dove having a bath. Below was a momma robin feeding her baby. Then my lap felt warm and I realized I had tipped my coffee cup and dripped on myself!!
ReplyDeleteOur home and yards and all the nature just gives joy. Oh no, I hope it wasn't too hot! Had to chuckle though - I have spilt things on myself and what a mess. Of course, I am a natural clutz! LOL
DeleteDebby, in the early dawn hours, I've been enjoying watching wild baby bunnies frolicking out front and the songbirds getting off to a busy morning. Of course, the multitudes of flies I could do without. LOL!
DeleteNot a small thing but the partners who wanted to sell the vacation house were voted down. We will keep standing our ground!
ReplyDeleteOne small thing that I love is little sticky hand prints on our glass storm doors after the grandchildren have been here.
I really adore the song of the cicadas in the woods at night. It means summer here in the South.
Less traffic in the neighborhood since gas has gone so high.
Great neighbors. Neighborhood children riding their bikes past our house. The happy voices of those kids in their swimming pool.
Eating in our screen porch.
Our little granddaughter giving me a thumbs up after enjoying a meal that I cooked. So stinking cute!
Bird song, especially in the evening in our woods. We say the birds are singing themselves to sleep.
Hubby going out to get us breakfast biscuits this morning.
Being retired!
A good meal made from ingredients in my pantry stock.
A half gallon of yummy Blue Bell ice cream given to us last weekend.
A grocery ad with great deals on things we use.
This upbeat blog! Thanks for keeping it a happy place to go!
YAY - keeping standing that ground!!!!
DeleteI hear the cicadas at night - I love that sound. Like a chorus for the fireflies dancing around.
I can just see your granddaughter giving a thumbs up!
All such lovely and sweet things. Being retired - huge one here!
Aahhhh thank you!
Hummingbirds, the smell of the air after rain, talking to family and friends, a good book. I love my simple, little life and know how blessed I am to have it. Another great post from you. Thank you. Lynn Ewing
ReplyDeleteIsn't it something? Blessed beyond blessed! A simple life offers so much and yet, so many miss out.
DeleteThanks Lynn
I haven't been feeling well this week (bronchitis), so I have a slightly different perspective than most weeks:
ReplyDelete-A cozy bed to rest in
-A gorgeous view, even when I'm stuck in bed (I can see our lovely back patio, with a pool & an orange tree. The orange tree always makes me so happy.)
-Cool drinks, to soothe my throat
-Lots of healthy options in the fridge to make smoothies, drinks to keep my hydrated
-Over the counter medicine that we already have at home, and I can quickly grab & feel a bit better
So sorry you have been sick. Please get to feeling better quickly.
DeleteIsn't that neat - even in illness, you are finding many wonderful and simple things that make your day better. I love that.
HUGS
Hope you're feeling better soon. I was sick twice in June and can appreciate everything you listed. Well... except for the view with the orange tree. My view was of pine trees.
DeleteSuch a wonderful post today, Cheryl. As always. Love reading about everyone's simple pleasures and little things that bring happiness.
ReplyDeleteLike Linda, I'm always grateful for clean, hot and cold running water. Add all the soap products we have to keep ourselves, our dishes, our laundry and our homes clean. Not to mention machines that do the work for us! There are actually billions of people on earth who don't have access to those simple luxuries.
There are sunrises and sunsets. Watching all the seasons pass. Being able to see and appreciate every small nuance. My eyesight may not be what it used to be, and I might need readers more often, but I can see. All the beautiful things. How awesome is that?
Having the ability to buy, prepare and eat food. It may not be fancy by any means, but we're not going hungry, even for a day, and that's a HUGE blessing. Cooking for others makes me happy.
My list could go on and on. Stopping by here for a visit throughout the week makes me happy, too, but it's so much more than that. You all keep me going more than you know. --Elise
I sure second all of the above-mentioned!
DeleteElise, I feel the same way about this place. The past 3 1/2 years this little group has done more for me than they could possibly know. It has helped give me purpose again.
DeleteTurning the faucet and wahla water - amazing and wonderful.
Many simple things are INDEED luxuries that much of the world does not have. We are very, very fortunate.
I love that we all have lists too long to mention!!!!!
God is good!
I'm just home from a short visit with my daughter and grandson. The little things I'm grateful for are sweet hugs from that growing boy, time to play at the beach and park, my son watering my containers while I was away, an old but reliable car that gets me there and back. Oh I can't forget a very happy cat Saku who welcomed me home.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. I am sure, without doubt, that you had a very enjoyable trip. He is growing leaps and bounds at this age. Too soon they grow up and things change. Wonderful family, wonderful pets, wonderful life!!!!
DeleteA beautiful post full of reminders of what's important, Cheryl. So, thank you! This week has been a tough one, as a high school friend was found on the floor by a mutual friend, luckily still alive. She hadn't been heard from in a few days and our friend thought it best to do a well-being check. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital and had surgery this morning, now in ICU. So, I'll start by saying that having friends who keep an eye on each other, even from a distance, makes me smile. I think passing away at home alone is a fear all widows and single seniors may have, and this past week has shown me the kindness and compassion in my hometown and online community. Although we have busy lives, it's that little thing, checking in on a friend who may need a little attention, that made me smile. I am also blessed to live in a safe neighborhood, where I have walking paths and a pond view to bring me peace, especially at sunrise and sunset. Listening to the birds -- chickadees, robins, yellow finches, red-wing blackbirds, cardinals and more -- singing their songs in the morning and bullfrogs in the evening, brings a smile to my face. I'm thankful to have wonderful herbs and vegetables growing on my deck, and a comfortable place to watch them growing, while enjoying a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea and reading a book. Fresh crisp sheets on the bed and puppy toys all over the floor ... nose prints on the sidelight windows (and lots of barks) let me know I'm safe and protected (even though he's all of 22#). And, having access to fresh berries, cherries, and zucchini added a smile this week. The smell of some of them baking this afternoon will be an added plus. Probably the biggest plus is having the basic knowledge to use and preserve this bounty, and looking over an assortment of canning and preserving books -- including the new Ball book I received for my birthday -- always makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad someone thought to do a wellness check. That would be dreadful. Poor gal. I sure hope she ends up doing well and retuning home. Yes, that is very scary to anyone living alone. We ALL need someone to check after us daily. I know that may sound intrusive, but it is important.
DeleteI lost a niece who went into diabetic coma alone and died. She wasn't found until about 7 days later by her landlord. It was horrible.
So many simple and wonderful things you posted. Fresh food, a cold tea, a book, and yes, knowledge. We each grow each day, and that is really something to be thankful for.
Life is such a collection of wonderful things.
What a lovely post. We all need to be reminded that we have enough.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yep, just appreciate it all - even the little stuff.
DeleteSo much to be grateful for! One day it was a doe walking through the yard... I wonder where is the fawn? One evening it was a bear coming up the driveway when I went to call in the cat. Today it was a flock of wild turkeys - 2 adults, maybe 5 medium sized chicks (teens?) and half a dozen littles. So cute! Two new yellow squash on the squash plant. :) Bean vines with blossoms and I saw an itty-bitty bean too! Yes, I really do have everything I need. Thank you, Lord!
ReplyDeleteMaryB in NC
Mary, what a neat place you must live in. How neat to see all those animals IN YOUR YARD! (well maybe except the bear).
DeleteAll those bity veggies will soon grow up and by yummy in your tummy!!!! Blessed indeed!
Nearly every morning a robin comes to the bird bath in the front flower garden and boy does he enjoy himself! He takes long baths and gets the water so dirty I have to change it for the next bird. Then he sits on the edge of the bowl and shakes himself dry for a looooong time. He makes me laugh!
ReplyDeleteThey are so much fun to watch. I usually have robins and blue jays taking baths. They are just a hoot to watch. Today I had sparrows taking baths!
DeleteThis is a good reminder to be thankful! I started a thankful journal after my Hubby’s back surgery in March to help me stay focused on the good things! He’s had a difficult time of it so I thought it might be helpful for me as his caregiver. My goal was to list at least three things every day. Some days that was a challenge, other days, my list was longer! It’s truly the simple things that can lift my spirits, especially since we’ve been more house-bound,except for doctor apts. Some of the things I’m thankful for are:
ReplyDeleteThat Hubby is Slowly getting some better (we’re seeing the surgeon again tomorrow, as this didn’t turn out like it should have!)
Our three precious grandchildren!
Your blog, as well as others I read!
Watching the birds on the bird feeders
The azure blue sky on sunny mornings
Our cooler summer temps! (Mostly 70’s this year so far, in the PNW!)
Sitting on our back deck in the mornings with my coffee and reading my devotionals
My wind chimes
The yellow swallowtail butterflies that flit through the yard
My purple “night sky” potted petunias and little purple violas that self-seeded in a pot of succulents on the deck.
That after an unusually chilly, wet spring, the veggie garden is finally taking off!
I could go on and on! The more I look for things to be thankful for, the more I notice! It’s a good lesson, especially for the times we are living in! Thanks for reminding us of this and for your upbeat posts! It’s always a joy to read them and the comments, too!
Blessings,
Nana C.
Nana huge prayers for your hubby that he continues to improve and regains his health quickly. It is hard being a caregiver - but it is also probably the most rewarding thing as well. My hubs got to where he couldn't walk at all - he was always on the go before. I really thought he would be so depressed. He just made the best of it and he was probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. He loved watching the critters out the window and he learned about computers and he really did entertain himself. Just to let you know - that all things are possible.
DeleteEverything you mentioned sounds just so lovely. Especially those grands you mentioned!
We all just need to work at this daily, because yes times are different and we need all the HAPPY we can muster.
Thank you! Blessings to you both. Keep us informed!
One thing nearly everything everyone mentioned has in common is that these are all no cost or low cost. All you have to do is look for them with an open heart.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, this and yesterday's blog posts have been simply the best! Lots to think about and very uplifting. They even sparked discussion with my husband (who has finally quit asking me who Cheryl is-LOL)
You are right!!!! Thank you for pointing that out to each of us. Isn't that something - the things that bring us so much joy and peace are FREE! That is pretty darn neat.
DeleteOh my goodness, that is hilarious about your hubs! Well, tell him Cheryl says "hello" and "I hope he has a great evening"!
I think that it is really nice to hear that the subjects here go farther than just between us - but our families too!
I love that!!!!!
A shower in the evening after a hot day in the garden, greeting my little dogs in the morning and letting them out to explore new smells, a good cup of coffee to drink while reading the Scriptures, tending to the chickens with the Urban Farmer are just a few of the joys of my days.
ReplyDeleteLove it. I love the smell of rain and the smell of freshly mown grass. Simple and clean smells. I would love to know what goes through the minds of our pets! That would be something.
DeleteSimple and happy things!
What a lovely list of the simple every day things that make you happy.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks. I think we all enjoy the simpler things in life. They bring happiness.
DeleteA wonderful post... a wonderful life.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Yes, it is wonderful and God is good.
Delete