One of Those Little Blessings!

It finally feels like Spring, well, Summer actually!  We are in the low 80's (F) and it's feeling mighty nice!  I made myself a cup of coffee and decided to drink it on the front porch, sitting on my glider.  As I was sitting there, something caught my eye above me.  In the corner on the ledge underneath the porch roof there is a new nest, with a mama mourning dove sitting on her eggs!  This is one of those little blessings that make me smile! 

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

My Blessings

A good start for the next chapter in my life is to discern and document the blessings in my life.  At times, I think we all forget to give them the proper appreciation they deserve.  So, my first "real" post of the year 2011 will be about the many blessings in my life.  They may not be all that exciting or life-changing, but they are what makes our lives worth living!  It goes without saying that I am grateful for my health, my job and my house, but they don't bring me the same kind of happiness like the following!

1. My family (my 2 adult daughters, my 3 year old grandson, my mom and my brother)
2. My few close friends
3. My pets (2 dogs and a cat)
4. My garden (both flower and vegetable)
5. The wildlife and birds and other "creatures" that visit my yard
6. The changing of the Seasons
7. Celebrating the holidays and special occasions with my family and friends
8. Watching and participating in my grandson's discoveries and milestones (seeing my grandson giggle over blowing bubbles or watching a funny video or the dog licking his face or feeding the fish or him asking to hold my hand when we get out of the car)
9. Creating and sharing my creations (my crafts, cooking, gardening)
10. Drinking a cup of coffee or tea on my front porch or in the backyard, relaxing, observing what's going on around me, such as the birds eating from the birdfeeder, squirrels playing, the dogs rough-housing or getting excited over the squirrels or talking with a loved one
11. Snuggling up with a warm blanket and a bowl of popcorn and watching a favorite show or movie
12. Picking the first vegetables of the season from my garden
13. Going for a ride on my scooter or the motorcycle on a warm summer day
14. Taking a walk and picking up nature's trinkets such as pinecones and rocks
15. When my daughters do something special for me such as come over and cook dinner

"May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets hold always a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you."

~Irish Blessing

My Return...

My Dear Readers:

As I had posted last year, I have been going through some personal tribulations which caused me to lose interest in many areas of my life.  I even posted what happened here not too long ago, but removed it as I'm not yet ready to reveal it to "the world".  I'm still dealing with it and I am still in the middle of making some major decisions.  That being said, I have made some other decisions in my life and that is to start "living" again.  Though my blog is not all that exciting and I have yet to really find my "blogging niche", I've decided to give it a try again.  Because of my personal ordeal, I'm looking at life a little differently these days.  I feel I have changed and not for the best, at least not right now.  I was in my own little world of naive happiness.  Not that I was naive, but, people in my life weren't who I thought they were, and boy, did their behavior and bad judgment alter how I see the world now.  In time, as the pain and disappointment fades, I know I won't be so hyper-cynical as I am now.  As I find myself again, I know I will become a stronger person for it.  There's a reason for everything that happens in one's life, good and bad.  And someday, I believe I will understand why this happened.  In the mean time, I have to start focusing on the good and simple things in my life.  It is time to count my blessings instead of fixating on the negatives.  It is time to start living again!