Ten on Tuesday: Ordinary Joys

10 Seemingly Ordinary Things That Bring You Joy

1. A perfect fresh peach- sometimes there is nothing quite so delightful. I have been known to horde the fresh peaches for myself
2. The smell of fresh bread-is there anything that feels more like home than that smell. I'd much rather the phantom smells my brain throws at me be this instead of burning
3. Squaring a box perfectly the first time- doing geometry on a large scale by oneself can be tricky, but the sense of accomplishment one has of doing it right on the first try is delightful. Especially when one does it while in labor.
4. String music- I played violin years ago (and not very well). I have never lost my love of the sound of strings. My latest delight has been the Piano Guys, 2cellos, and Dallas String Quartet. I will often put them on sleep mode on Pandora.
5. A perfectly starched drop- I might have talked of this before. I find something beautiful and Zen in an untouched freshly starched drop. It is nothing and yet at the same time has the potential to be anything and everything.
6. Color- I just delight in color of all kinds. Different colors appeal to me at different times. The only meditations that seem to work for me are the color ones. I really don't know how to explain how color touches me but sometimes it just reaches into my soul.
7. The sound of rain on the roof and of thunder- I love the sound of rain on the roof and I could listen to a thunder storm forever.
8. The laughter of my children- it used to be that the first thing I would do when I got home from a day at work was to just tickle my son to hear his laughter. I love listening to the two of them work themselves into a fit of giggles. I think it is time to renew my old tradition. We could use a lot more laughter in our lives.
9. Listening to my husband's heartbeat when my head is resting on his chest- What more is there to say?
10. Getting lost in the act of creating art- whether painting or sewing, drawing or knitting. Spinning is so meditative...I really must trade my wheel for a double treadle so that I can spin again. I've been know to get so absorbed into my work that I forget to eat and sometimes even sleep. The time that I had to work retail was one of the most miserable of my life. The paint lab at the conference always makes me twitchy because I want to be there painting too; not just standing and guiding others. I could never give up my art, and the day that I can no longer create is the day I truly lose myself and who I am.