Simple Pleasures…
As per usual, I’ve been jotting down ideas for blogs this past week with the intention of picking one and writing. I chose the topic and was building it in my mind as I went about my daily chores and work. Yesterday as I was driving home from the city I realized it isn’t what I want for this particular blog. The problem? I didn’t have another topic to replace it that felt right. Then this morning I awoke and found myself thinking about this past week, in particular yesterday (Saturday) with a different perspective and that’s what you’re going to get here.
As I’ve written many times before this is my favourite time of year. The return to school, even after all these years, still sparks an energy in me that tends to quieten during the heat of summer. The weather tends to give us a reminder that fall and winter are coming before warming up for the last hooray of heat. Routines start up again and life seems to settle a bit. When I take the time to breathe it all in, I’m also breathing in the peace that a favourite time brings. There isn’t anything I have to do to make it happen - it’s a pleasure just to be within it.
Yesterday morning as I sat with my tea and looked around at the chaos of my kitchen, it hit me that I need some semblance of order. My world doesn’t have to be perfect (perfection isn’t an option!) but it does need to be “sorted”. I enjoyed my tea and my newspaper and then got started. This house still isn’t all figured out but I think I’ve done a particularly good job with the kitchen. It’s bright and cheerful as well as inviting. There’s still stuff that I’ll have to purge but for the most part, it’s how I want it. Getting my newspapers cleaned up, clearing off counters, wiping them down as go toward putting the chaos away. I can look around and feel comfortable again. I carried that energy into the other rooms and got them “straightened away”. For a mind like mine that runs at high speed most of the time, there is so much pleasure in having my physical space at ease. It grounds me.
Saturday afternoon was a home game for my football team. We were getting heavy rain for most of the day but, thankfully, my seat is under cover of a roof. Phew!! I was able to just enjoy the game on the field in front of me instead of having to be covered up and peering out of a rain poncho! And boy, did I have a good time. I know I’ve said it many times but I’m saying it again. I love Canadian football. It’s three hours of cheering and thinking only about what I’m seeing on the field. There’s no outside noise to intrude. My phone is not feeding me with concerns or things I have to do. I “watch” long distance via text with a friend out west and we have a great back and forth while the game proceeds. Yes, the game is a business and yes, I pay for the privilege of being in the stands and yes, I want value for my dollar. I love the game enough that I back my team during good and bad seasons. This season is the former and it’s so much fun. I sit in a section that’s primarily season ticket holders so we cheer together, celebrate with each other and feel like a community. I am so blessed to have this in my life and I will continue for as long as possible.
After my football game yesterday I was invited to a friend’s house. They are in the midst of moving into a new home and I got the chance to see the new place. I was truly so happy for her and her family. On top of that, I can see how good this house is for her and how amazing she will make it. (It’s a wonderful home even without her improvements!) I could see all the potential in the “bones” of the house, along with the changes that are underway. It really brought joy to know that a friend has found a house to call a home. It’s a beautiful, established neighbourhood and I know she will be truly happy. Knowing that a friend is happy brings me pleasure. While I was with one friend looking at her new house, another friend texted to say she and family were enjoying a tour through the Valley and had just left my hometown. You could tell from her text that they were having a great time and that brings a smile to my face. I think it’s so easy to get wrapped up in my own little world with my worries and forget there’s so much more out there. My friends reminded me this weekend that their happiness does make me feel good. My family were attending events and travelling this weekend and it makes me feel good to know that everyone was having a great time.
I went for dinner with my girlfriend after looking at her house and we went to a neighbourhood pub. Really good food, excellent conversation and great company. I was thinking of it as a wonderful ending to a great day. I was feeling not only relaxed but refreshed and isn’t that what a weekend is supposed to do? Relax and refresh and prepare us for the work week ahead? As I drove home with the tunes playing in my car I realized that my day didn’t end with dinner. The drive home was clear (the rain had stopped), the music was perfect and I was feeling really good. Pleasures don’t have to be events. We can get pleasure from the simplest of things - good music, a comfortable bed and solid sleep, a wonderful cup of tea to start the day. There are so many things that we can derive pleasure from and I love when I’m reminded of that. This weekend has been a relatively peaceful time (it got a little loud at the football game!) that was punctuated by smiles and laughter.
A friend told me I sometimes jump around a bit during my blogs. She isn’t wrong but I’ve seen it as “examples” of my chosen topic. Sometimes they go together and sometimes the only thing they have in common is the topic itself. Today’s blog is like that. Today I’m sharing a few of the simple pleasures that I was blessed to experience this weekend. My weekend isn’t done. Sunday has some special moments awaiting. I hope that you are able to point to some simple pleasures in your life and that you can take a moment to appreciate them as I am mine.
My new hibiscus continues to bloom steadily. It's so beautiful and always brings a smile to my face.
The newest addition to my bread board! A gift from a friend, this butter crock is so perfect for my kitchen! (See Mrs. McGarrigle's shop for other options. The bread is the best sourdough I've ever had. You can find it at Violets on Main when you come visit our little village. All bread board items, including the board were purchased at various craft fairs in the area. Remember to check them out this fall as small entrepreneurs can use your support and they create beautiful items!)