Common Miracles : Week 88
“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” - Pema Chodron
I love when I “discover” something. I don’t mean anything too adventurous, just simple everyday things that I stumble upon (or am reminded of) that make life a little more happy. Here’s a few from the last few weeks:
- longer days and later sunsets. Since I love being outside, daylight savings has always been a bit of a challenge for me. But this past week I realized that it doesn’t get dark out until a little after 6pm. For some reason that simple shift from 5:15ish to 6pm has made it so much easier to get outside in the evening for just a while. I really, really missed watching the sunsets and taking a few minutes to get some fresh air in evenings.
- sweet potatoes. For some reason, I was convinced that I REALLY did not like sweet potatoes. I had them a few times as a kid and couldn’t get into their taste- I think I was too “set” on the idea that potatoes were supposed to be buttery and salty or something. But a few weeks ago I had some sweet potato fries and it was like a whole new world opened to me. Now I can’t get enough of sweet potatoes in all forms. (And they are healthy- extra bonus!)
- chunky, soft yarn.
- Downton Abbey. I heard and read that Downton Abbey was AMAZING, etc. and I planned to watch it but wasn’t in a hurry. For some reason I assumed because it was a period drama, it would be dark and a little fussy. It is AMAZING. Tom and I have watched one episode each evening for the last week (we just finished Season 1) and I’m just in love. Not only is the show well-written and compelling, it is probably *the* most beautiful thing I have ever seen on television. Every single scene looks like a John Singer Sargent painting come to life. It’s bright and vivid and the costumes are just stunning. I don’t know what I will do when we run out of episodes to watch.
- sheets are much easier to change if I remove the comforter and blankets COMPLETELY from the bed rather than just throwing it over the footboard. Yes, I know… very much a DUH!, but such a timesaver. Instead of wrestling with the sheets and trying to get them all tucked in for ten minutes, I can now throw them on the bed and have them be tucked in a matter of minutes (as long as a certain male tabby cat does not decide to try and “help”).
- opera. Well…. maybe. I’m still not a fan of dramatic opera with all the flourishes and heart pounding and ladies in viking hats and things like that, but we recently watch the movie Liberal Arts (charming- you should watch it) and there was a beautiful song (I’m talking life-changing, at least for me…) on the soundtrack that made me rethink opera.
Click to view- working in quiet. I get a little uneasy in pure silence (plus, I have very loud neighbors), so I always assumed that I worked best watching a movie or something on Hulu. I realized last week I actually work best when there’s just background music or noise… Gracie watching TV, quiet music, etc. It allows my mind to wander (or not) and it feels a lot less like I’m being AMBUSHED, in a way. Like my thoughts and ideas and creativity has a chance to percolate instead of being lost in the drama of something I’m watching. I need to explore that a bit more.
- making bracelets. I’ve made about thirty bracelets in the past week. I forgot how much fun it is when I can just focus on the colors and textures of the beads that call to me rather than stress about what people might like to buy.
- seed catalogs in the mail. I’m kinda focused on established plants right at the moment (orchids and hibiscus) but seek catalogs… they make me swoon. I love looking through them and getting inspired.
Have you had any “happy discoveries” lately?
Common Miracles is a project I started in May, 2011 to examine and discover how gratitude works in everyday life. To find out more about Common Miracles please visit the very first post about this project, located here.