Smiles

On the rare occasions that I am here, I talk a lot about the hard times (and I feel as if the last six or so months have had more than their fair share).  On the plus side, I have a new job for September (a story for another day but SUCH a source of hope for me) and with the longer daylight, I am starting to really feel as if things are turning around.  Today, I found myself noticing things that made me smile.  That may not sound like a big deal but I have been running so hard for the last while that I haven't had time to notice much of anything.  It's been such a treat today and I thought I might share some of my smiles from today:

1. Good reads - I love reading kids classics, especially ones that I missed as a child.  Pk and I are reading "A Bear Called Paddington" and my anglophile heart is loving it.  I plan to spend some time online tonight researching some new titles for us to share.  Needless to say, the Diana Gabaldon is NOT for Pk and I, that's my current guilty pleasure :-)

 2.  I adore my dogs.  Chelsea, my old girl, has a capacity to relax in a way that I wish I could emulate.  I keep finding her curled up and cozy and it never ceases to lower my blood pressure.

 River is our newest addition.  He's technically a foster dog that we have had through the rescue since August but I could never let this boy go.  He is always with me, not clingy or demanding but as I sit and type here at the computer, he is asleep beside me.  As I read in bed, he's asleep beside my side of the bed.  He's a very comfortable companion and I can't understand how anyone could possibly have abandoned this old gentleman.  I can't allow myself to think about his life before - either that someone might have mistreated him or that someone might be out there looking for their lovely old boy.  He seems happy here, though, and his loyalty means a great deal to me, especially on low days.

 3.  Aren't these lovely?  My good friend had these for me last Friday night when we had dinner to congratulate me on my new job.  It's a blizzard outside today and these flowers are like a hint that maybe, just maybe, there might be spring around the corner.

 4.  I had totally forgotten about this until today.  We are scent-free at work and while I understand and try to honour that, I find it a bit sad sometimes.  I'm a big "smell-girl" - I tend to be very aware of scents around me and having a gentle smell that is somewhat along the aromatherapy line really does a lot to lift my mood.  Since I can't wear scent to work, I tend to put it on at home for myself at the end of the day and I love the smell of lilacs.

 5.  Don't you love my new teapot?  I redefine the term "tea granny" and for me, drinking tea is much more than just having a beverage at hand.  I have been looking for a "just right" teapot for a while now and hadn't found anything.  We were up visiting the in-laws last week and I remembered that I had seen a display of colourful teapots in the window of a hardware store, of all things.  I went in and to my pleasure, discovered this apple green teapot and it was only $16.99 and it pours well (the true sign of a decent teapot).  They have lots of colours and it will be hard to resist another (the read one with white polkadots was really fun).

 6.  Finally, the best part of our day?  Being on March Break, not having to run and having the time to do the simple things that give us pleasure.  The kids didn't get out of their p.j.s until well after noon and much of the morning was spent tenting in the living room.  It was wonderful!  I'm sure, after several days of being home, we'd all be stir crazy but today, it was just what we needed.  I remember hours of fun tenting with my brother when I was little and this brought a big smile to my face.

What is making you smile these days?