Simple Pleasures~ Some Spring Green

Living in a place that we can get up to 6 months of winter weather you sure appreciate green when it comes. But when outside doesn't want to cooperate ( like today...it snowed again) with your need for green... then you make it happen inside. My hubby was pruning the fruit trees on the homestead and picked me some desert plum branches to force. I learned a new trick this year. Put one tablespoon of bleach in the water and it will prevent any bacteria growth and you will have nice clear water in your vase as it buds. Earlier this week after we finished our dinner I noticed the neat shadow play that was happening on the wall. I really wished I was able to catch it better but I loved how the branches and the shadow was leaning into each other.

The time to enjoy a bit of green and shadow play was such a sweet simple pleasure after a long winter.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Spring is Starting to Pop Up!

A Tray of Leeks

I am so excited that I am starting to finally see signs of spring here. I have to admit to those who don't know this about me but I am not a natural lover of gardening. My hubby the gardener and he has slowly lured me into helping him. I do enjoy certain parts of the garden more than others. For example after planting and waiting and then the plants just... break forth out of the ground is such a simple pleasure of mine. It to me is a sign of hope and new life. New life coming forth is such a pure joy, if it be a new born baby, or animal, or plant. I loved the verse in the creation account in Genesis that mentions that God planted a garden. He didn't speak it to be but it said He planted it. That just shows the loving and caring side in our creator that I think is missed ohhh too often. I didn't catch that till I was in my 30's and I went to a woman's breakfast at church and a sweet lady who was the speaker drew our attention to that. Isn't our Lord so amazing. I hope that you take a moment sometime this spring and stand and be amazed at our Lord's creation and know that it didn't just evolve but was a gift from our creator who thought out every detail as a gift for us.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ A Touch of Red

When I was a little girl I LOVED the color red. I had a red carpet, red bedspread, and what ever else I could have to be red. Then I went quite a few years of being sick of red but in the last decade or so I have returned back to my love of red. I accent whenever I can now with red. Red teapot, knitted and felted hot pads, table clothes, mugs, tea towels, baskets. You name it I am looking for red. When we were planning the colours for "The House That God Built" ( I need to write a post on this blog to explain this title. ) I wanted a red wall but alas my hubby did not. So when ever I can I decorate with red I do. I am thankful that red has become popular again and it is making finding things easier right now. My simple pleasure is... a splash of colour, RED. ( British spelling for colour)

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ Brightness of Snow

Being a Pacific Northwest raised gal I have never grown tired of the novelty of snow sense I have moved inland. I love how it brightens everything around. It helps with the winter blahs so much. Each time it blows in a new layer on the tired old snow it is all fresh and new again. I can sit by the window and get lost in watching the flakes come down. Sometimes big flakes some times small. Sometimes they come down fast and sometimes slow. I also love how our Lord decided to make it that there are no two flakes alike. All unique and all beautiful...just like the way he created us. I also like winter for the time to slow down and ponder, to think of things that we don't seem to have much time any other time of the year. I also like to take extra time this time of the year to stitch projects, which create more time to think. I work hard not to create too much business so I can soak up this time. Yes, I try not to rush this time and enjoy it for what it is.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ Knitting in the Round

This week I took some yarn that I had hand dyed and then made a sweet gift ( a cowl) for a sweet friend. There is something so fun about knitting in the round. I added a bit of lace knitting to it but not too much because it would be lost in the texture of the yarn. I am very pleased how it turned out. I find when I have a lot on my mind and heart I tend to knit more. It is a very therapeutic way to sooth the nerves and mind. And a wonderful time to pray.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ Comfort Foods

In my previous post I was talking about my All In A Frump Day. And of course days like this a person tends to search out comfort foods. What is my comfort food? Cookies... and even better if it is chocolate chip cookies. Well to be exact it was Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. I think just going through the motions of mixing and baking the cookies help with easing and sorting out my emotions. Having the simple pleasure of the process of making and enjoying ( a few) cookies on a frump of a day.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ Reading That Feeds The Soul

It seems I have limited reading time so I have to pick my books carefully. During last nights visit with my oldest son and his new bride...Essie gave me a new book. It was un expected but very happily received. I have been wanting to read the Pilgrims Progress original unabridged edition for a long while. (I have in the past read The Dangerous Journey) I mentioned to my new daughter-in-love a future birthday gift idea to for a copy of a the unabridged Pilgrims Progress would be wonderful. Little did I know she would give me one that night. After spending a wonderful dinner and evening visiting with them we came home and I got everyone settled down. After the evening chores were done I got to settle down with a warm drink and a new book, *grin*. What a wonderful Simple Pleasure that is. Other than the Bible this book also feeds my soul. I hadn't heard of the book till I was a young lady reading Little Women. It mentioned Pilgrim's Progress in it. I asked my parents what book that was. My dad's response was it was a book that all kids were required to read when he was in school. Hmmmm just think what the world would be like today if that was still on the required school reading list.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

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Simple Pleasures~ Reading The Little House Books

I am going to start off my reflections in "Simple Pleasures" meme with something that I have enjoyed over the many years in my little homeschool. It starts when my boys have read through all the I Can Read books, Frog and Toad books, Owl books. Then, I have them read The Little House On the Prairie books with me. In the beginning (well for quite awhile) I read a paragraph and then I have them read a paragraph. Back and forth we go for the alloted time set on the kitchen timer. By the time the child gets through all the books in the series their reading is pretty smooth. I have really enjoyed this and building their reading fluency and heart ties with mom. I am getting VERY close to starting this ritual with my youngest boy. I can't wait to start. I am thinking it might be in a week or so. *grin* I can't wait to start.

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.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

To join click on the Simple Pleasures graphic and see what it is all about.

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