Small Joys Friday

Since life seems busy and uneventful and I keep hearing sad stories on the news, from friends or the local paper.....I'm going to make a list of the things that are bringing me joy lately:

• As always, my puppies: They are so fun and this time of year we get to go out and get lots of fresh air. I discovered a new off leash trail a few months ago and I go there constantly now. The dogs love running through the woods and I love getting fresh air, a workout and some time to myself.
• Coffee: again, no surprises here but I have been especially enjoying coffee lately. We just bought a new commercial grade coffee grinder. It was an investment for sure but now we'll be able to make anything we want! I also love the new Starbucks card (once you register it, you get lots of fun perks and I'm taking advantage of them). Sometimes a cup can make your whole day better too.
• Pictures: I just discovered that I can send in my film to Shutterfly and they'll post them to my account. They say you are lucky if you get one shot per roll of film that is really good....so here is to happy shooting!
• Books: I've rekindled my childhood flame with reading. I am not a super fast reader nor do I read anything truly lifechanging but it is nice to have some free time to curl up with a good book and just relax and escape into another world from my own. I just started the Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It will be intriguing to see where it goes.
• Oatmeal: perhaps it seems strange that a simple food would bring me joy but I've recently fallen in love with it. Tonight I had it for dinner and it was delicious. I put a healthy sized pat of butter on top (everything is better with butter), some brown sugar and slices of banana on top. It was comfort food at its best.
• Desperate Housewives: I don't know why but this show is truly addicting. We are on Season 2 and I cannot get enough. There are all the classic elements of a great show or novel: intrigue, mystery, murder, drama, love, humor, etc! I almost feel guilty liking it so much.
• Gardening/Planting: While I am far from any sort of gardener or avid yard person, I am enjoying slowly putting together pieces of a semblance of order. Last summer, in a completely crazy impulse, we tore out our whole front yard....big mistake. Over the early spring many many weeds have taken up home in our front yard. What seemed like a lovely blank canvas all of a sudden became an overwhelming mess! Now, some small pieces are beginning to come together. One plant, and plan, at a time. No promises yet though.

I hope there are some things bringing you joy. Often the world around us seems filled with negativity, sorrow, loss, unanswered questions, unfairness and the like. When we focus on the things that bring us joy, it doesn't take away those things but it definitely puts them in perspective.