I really haven’t made it a secret that it is the simple things in life that tend to bring the greatest pleasure to my life.  Time spent with my children, tea and a good book, interesting conversation, gardening, a classic movie or a drive in the country all go a long way to contributing to a nearly perfect day as far as I’m concerned.  I enjoy burning candles, in the house and in the seating area of the deck outside, when the weather allows me to but I’ve been waiting for my two littlest ones to outgrow the curiosity that draws them to the flame.  I’d rather not have the fire burning than to have one of them singed.  So I’ve found other ways to have subtle scents throughout our house without having to worry one of the children will be hurt.

I have a small glass vase that I keep on my bedside table.  It’s filled with Lavender.  There’s something both calming and refreshing about the scent of lavender so that I lean back against my pillows, on a freshly made bed and just enjoy the way I’m able to allow my body to relax.  My mind wanders, perhaps I have a bit of a cat nap, but for that moment in time I am able to set my concerns aside and just enjoy feeling … happy.  

Next to the lavender, I have a book of poetry.  It’s a medley of different poets whom I enjoy reading and I let their words float around in my head before releasing them into my imagination.  I enjoy writing poems but I rarely, if ever, read my own work after proof reading.  

Another daily read I enjoy is my Bible.  I learn a lot about Jesus and his life on earth but he also models the type of close personal relationship I’m striving to have with our Heavenly Father.  My children often ask me questions about God and we pray to him for wisdom and direction.  I appreciate how open and direct my children are in their thirst to have more information about our Creator and I find to be able to effectively answer their questions, I need to read my Bible daily to know how to answer my children to their satisfaction.  

An open window during the first rain of the season has got to be one of the most peaceful moments of any day.  There’s nothing like fresh rain falling on parched earth to open up all my senses!  My window has been open since the middle of March.  The birds visit outside my window, eating from the bird feeders starting at 5am each day.  I have insomnia.  I try to be asleep by 9:00pm each night because I’ll be awake from 12:30am until 9:00am, when I may be able to sleep for a couple of hours.  The birds keep me company and I always enjoy their cheerful bantering, back and forth.

Pink roses remind me of my English Paternal Grandmother - she kept scented, decorative soaps in her bathroom.  The sweet, almost sickly, scent of the concentrated soaps reminds me of her because her clothing smelled of the soap.  I’ve been looking for some soaps and bath bombs to not only use, but that would delicately scent the air in our bathroom.  I heard a cousin had started a business so I looked for her shop on Instagram.  Her soaps are handmade and so beautiful.  The bath bombs fizz and bubble delightfully, and the scent doesn’t over power at all.  She makes her own lip balm as well.  I ordered a little bit of everything and have been using it over the last couple of months or so.  When using anything with a scent on my body, I’m always aware that someone I encounter may be sensitive to scent.  I need something strong enough I can enjoy what I’m wearing but it must not be overwhelming nor cause me to cough and choke on the smell.  These body products have become my guilty pleasure that I enjoy so much.  Google ‘Oceans and Pine Soapworks’ if you’re interested in learning more about the soap making skills of a lady who grew up in Prince Albert.  I’m biased as she is my cousin however, I’d tell you about her product even if we weren’t related, her products are just that good!

To me, simple pleasures are those that don’t take a lot of time and planning.  It can be the incidental things, like a dew covered spider’s web sparkling in the first light of the sun’s rays or a honey bee lazily spreading pollen from one flower to the next.  It might be a hummingbird resting on a bird stand as I refill her feeder or it could be seeing the tulips about to bloom when I thought the snow had killed the plant two weeks ago.  And simple pleasures can be inspired by something as insignificant as seeing a housefly sunning itself on a fence right before a robin snatches it up and takes it to her nest.  I find it so difficult to believe she might already have babies when it’s not even warm enough for me to plant seeds in my gardens yet… but the warm weather has me dreaming of planting in a week or two!

How ever you take delight in finding them, I hope you take advantage of moments that bring you simple pleasures.  Enjoy them and share them when you can.

Take care and have a great week everyone.