CELEBRATING  ALL THE LITTLE THINGS
And all the big things.

We've had cloudy skies and dull days off and on since late last week. The sun may peek out for a while, then, whoop! back to the clouds. This back-and-forth weather wears me down. I get cranky (well, okay, crankier), nothing pleases me, and if there were a pity party going, I'd be the life and soul of it.

Maybe it takes days like that to make me recognize the little and not-so-little things that happen, the mood-lifters, the happiness reminders . . . .

Sharing breakfast

Take last Saturday. I'd been out for coffee with a friend, very early, and was home writing my journal for the day. Outside my window is a multi-hanger feeding post for various bird feeders.

Lately local cardinals have begun feeding at my big seed feeder--it has a standing tray so they feel safe up in the air on a level perch. Most often, they feed on the ground, their usual station. That morning, both Papa and Mama Cardinal came to eat. You know, Saturday morning, breakfast out. It must've been tasty, because he shared some seeds with her, feeding her. I'd never seen that before. Made my day.

Then back to the cloudy days and the grumps. Tuesday evening I went to visit my second daughter at work during her supper break. She brings me distilled water and sometimes samples of things she's baked or made--that night it was chicken-noodle soup (gluten-free) and a big flat package from her husband. It turned out to be one of his oil paintings, with the message: Happy Mother's Day. The background is a mix of indigo, green, and black, so the orchids stand out. He has an outstanding talent--I was overwhelmed by the work and the love that went into that painting, and that he made it just for me. It will hang with pride in my house.

Yesterday was another cloudy day--what else?--and, just to annoy me further, we had snow. Yes, snow, on April 22nd. I couldn't conjure up an antidote for that. Snow, really!

Then about 8:30 PM I had an email in my inbox from my co-founder of Heart & Hands, the knitting/sewing ministry at my church. She asked me to write something for the newsletter (deadline is this AM) about the picture on the bulletin board showing a new mom with her baby wrapped in one of the blankies we'd made and given to the local Neonatal ICU. What an upper! A picture of one of our blankies on a real baby. I'd only imagined them before, so knowing it went to a real little person . . . ! 

Since I hadn't seen the photo, I had to do some creative writing, but the draft I emailed to my friend was right on target, she said, so I emailed it to the newsletter lady.

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Today we have sun.

The cardinals are back--and he's feeding her again! Suppose she doesn't like to cook?

I'm still looking for a place to hang the orchids.

And the baby blanket I'm working on reminds me of the young mother-and-child photo on my church bulletin board.

The world reflects light and growth, love and connection. No time for the grumps, or pity parties. We might miss something great.

Almost finished...