Getting Away

Two weeks ago I was hard-pressed to find many pleasures in daily life. I was stressed, hurried, not sleeping well, and generally cranky.
Then I went on vacation.
Not only did I go on vacation, but I went somewhere peaceful with a goal of spending part of my time doing fun things, and part of my time relaxing. I didn’t have internet access for most of the trip, and that turned out to be a blessing.
It’s so much easier to find pleasure in the smallest details when life is whittled down to the bare vacation essentials: a little shopping, some sightseeing, lots of naps and early morning sunrises, walks, time with my sweetie and our pup, and good food.

I wasn’t the only one, apparently, who found our cabin in the Ozarks relaxing. This little guy stretched out for a full 20-minute power nap in the middle of the afternoon:

Is it possible to overrate the benefits of a vacation? What a luxury to be able to slow down and notice the pleasures that are all around us.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

PS: See additional vacation photos on my other blog, Textile Traveler.

Story People

I just love Brian Andreas. He is an artist and storyteller who creates a line of work called “story people.” His work is charming, whimsical, child-like, and often profound. He combines words and drawings, and I just love them. One of my favorite Andreas writings is this:

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.

We love that story so much that we bought an Andreas story people print of it:

The story still haunted me until I created a frame for the love-o’-my-life with that “story” inscribed on it and her picture in the center, because it says more about how I feel about her than my own words could.

Andreas has a created a lovely website that shows off his Story People art and products available for sale, but you can also send e-cards from the site, engage in discussions through a forum, and sign up for daily stories.

If you need a little whimsical profundity (Andreas proves that this is not an oxymoron), a small life lesson, or an artistic motivator, stop by and visit Brian Andreas at Story People.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Strawberry Fields

We did manage to make it to Sweet Berry Farm this weekend, and we picked pounds and pounds of luscious strawberries!

The kids had fun picking strawberries; Izabel went for quantity over quality:

But Brandon ate more than ended up in his basket (once he was convinced that a little dirt never hurt anyone):

My son J.B. spent a lot of time finding only the most quality berries:

Everyone petted the horses and donkeys:

And oohed and aahed over the baby:

Mama Donkey fell in love with my lovely partner, especially after she fed her grass and strawberries:

After we got home, we used the last few ounces of our energy to make some strawberry preserves:

English muffins and strawberry preserves for dinner, then strawberry shortcake for dessert. Does it get any better than this?

And what did you find pleasurable today?

The Beauty of Food

I’ve been neglecting my blogs lately.

First there was the surgery, then the recovery (still ongoing, but going nicely, thank you), then general crankiness from quitting smoking (hurray for me, yes, but geez, how much fun can life be with no vices?). So maybe I’m not neglecting this one as much as having a hard time finding anything pleasurable in life right now.
But . . . I did run across this blog, and the photos are so beautiful they make even me—a confirmed vegetable hater—yearn for this lovely food: http://thaicookingwithjam.blogspot.com/

If the weather is nice, we’re going strawberry-picking tomorrow at Straw Berry Farm in Marble Falls. If we do, I think I’ll try the recipe for Strawberry Tapioca Pudding from the blog. Yummy!

Cool and Cozy Cotton

One of the problems with resolving to notice and enjoy more of life’s small pleasures is that it leaves less time for things like blogging.

I’ve been crocheting for almost 30 years, since I was pregnant with my daughter (wow, she’s almost 30!). I’ve only recently discovered, however, that I love cotton yarn. I made this discovery by accident; while shopping one day a few weeks before Christmas, I noticed some huge skeins of cotton yarn on sale for what seemed like a very reasonable price. I picked up a few of them, and crocheted this granny-square afghan for Christmas:

Not only was the cotton a dream to crochet with, I love the feel of the finished afghan.

So, I’ve developed a small obsession with cotton yarn. I’m not sure why I don’t buy enough to just make more cotton afghans. Instead, I buy little bits at a time, patiently explaining to myself that I don’t need more afghans, cotton or otherwise. Then I crochet small items that are even less practical and useful than afghans, such as

crocheted cotton cloths:

and flowers:

I tend to crochet more in the winter, so I’m hoping that over the next month or so my fascination with cotton yarn will wane, and that I’ll even have forgotten about by next winter. If not, I’ll be soliciting ideas from my virtual, online friends for ways to use cotton yarn.

In the meantime, I get a lot of pleasure out of the feel of this cool, cozy cotton.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

A Little Geekiness is a Pleasurable Thing

If it weren’t for all that mathematical equation stuff (and the fact that it helps to have an abnormally high IQ), I wouldn’t mind being a science geek. I think science is fascinating, and I’ve been blessed—or cursed, as the case may be—with an insatiable sense of curiosity about everything and anything.

So, I was thrilled when I discovered a show called “Radiolab.” It was by accident that I ran across this public radio treat from WNYC. During the holidays, my local public radio station replayed former broadcasts from Radiolab, and after hearing an episode that posited a theory connecting a feline parasite with Schizophrenia, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve spent many pleasurable and geeky hours listening to Radiolab podcasts, on subjects as varied as “animal minds,” lying, parasites (more fascinating than I ever could have imagined), laughter, blinking, and the placebo effect, just to name a few.

Here’s how Radio Lab describes itself:

Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility.

If you’ve ever felt the least bit geeky when it comes to science, or if you just have a curiosity about the world and how it works, check out Radiolab. You can listen to episodes on your computer, or download them to an IPod or other portable media player.

And what did you find pleasurable today?

Rainy Days . . .

A rainy day, Tazo Awake tea, a soft boucle-yarn crocheted shawl, and an Elizabeth Berg novel. Need I say more?

 

And what did you find pleasurable today?