I thought I would share with you some things that make me smile. Since the death of my husband last November these smile bringers are doubly precious.
Pretty much any flower, and some weeds too, make me smile. Years ago I went to a garden center and asked for Jupiter's Beard. The plant expert said that is a weed. I thought "ouch, poor plant, now that is hurtful". When I lived on a farm the neighbor lady called these "Meet Me By the Gate"; also called Valerian. I always think of them as "Meet Me By the Gate" and think of Ann, my neighbor. The photo above has a bouquet of Canterbury Bells and Sweet Peas from my garden.
Song birds in my garden, the hoot of an owl in a nearby tree, and the pelicans soaring along our bay.
Feeling a refreshing breeze. I do not like to be too hot, so I welcome the cooling touch of a breeze.
Picking a vegetable from our garden, admiring it and eating it. For a moment I feel like a pioneer woman. I would like to have chickens here in my city yard and enjoy the photos of you blog friends who have chickens, horses, donkeys, pigs and all the farm critters.
Our cat Fluffy asleep on a soft new blanket. She does sleep a LOT. Cats by their example teach us to be relaxed; they are not worriers.
My dog Bounce adopted from the shelter in the fall of 2016. He is a fun dog and loves to go on walks three times a day so that keeps me active and outdoors. Note the red amaryllis blooming in May.
Watching comedies on TV. I have a new subscription to Acorn TV which offers great British and Australian shows. New ones for me now that I have Acorn TV are Ladies of Letters (my favorite), French Fields and Boomers. Acorn has a whole slew of mysteries and dramas and documentaries too, often on British history which I enjoy. Andy Griffith and the town of Mayberry are great places to visit via our TV and I watch this series on Netflix.
Flowers with what I imagine to be the scent of heaven. For me this includes lilacs, old fashioned roses like the Peace rose, gardenias, common heliotrope, jasmine, sweet peas and lemon blossoms on my two small lemon trees. I planted a heliotrope a year ago and my husband said that is a favorite scent of his so I just break off a tiny sprig and put it in a little vase to enjoy in the house. I recently read on a blog or Facebook that heliotrope is toxic to dogs so keep the plant where dogs can't snack on it. A nickname for this plant is "sugar plant" so I can see why it might attract dogs; the flowers do smell like sugar.
My list could be a very long one. Maybe I should write another book, ha ha.
What things bring you joy?
30 comments:
Terra.....reading this post made me smile ......and tear up. Have I been under a rock that I didn't know about your husband? I am so sorry.
Your peppers look just like ours and I can identify with that Pioneer Woman feeling.
Beautiful, Terra!
Pelicans on the bay . . . that sounds very nice!
Ironing tablecloths in the morning, window open, birds tweeting . . . love that!
Knitting and looking out the window at the trees greening out for the summer.
Meeting a friend for lunch.
Reading books by people who love Jesus . . . good stuff!
Happy Friday!
Terra, my mom says a weed is just a perennial gone amok. What makes me smile? The first shoots of perennials breaking through the earth. A freshly cleaned perennial bed. Granddaughters. Friends. Music. Seeing the deer grazing in the yard (that will change when they eat the perennials). My home. I could go on and on and....
I love Bounce! He's adorable!
I was inspired by you to write a similar blog post today. I hope you don't mind! 🌼🌻🌺
Hi Terra - lovely to see the things that bring happy smiles to you ... they are gorgeous the Canterbury bells and sweet peas ... used to get those for my mother, when she was ill. Fresh veggie or fruits straight from the garden - excellent ... and then the animals - always bring love in light into the home ... have a peaceful weekend with lots of smiles - cheers Hilary
There is nothing so lovely as a jug of flowers, it certainly makes me smile.
Sun on my face.
Looking up at white clouds in a bright blue sky.
Swinging.
Walking.
Listening to rain.
Babies laughing.
Reading your post.
Just to name a few.
Nature, great and small.
Flowers also make me smile. And dogs, and more flowers. Tis the season for flowers. I am so glad.
At the moment it is the sight of the swallows who have arrived and are swooping around the barn. How the farmer would have loved them.
The sweet smell of a tiny baby. (I personally thing they overwhelm us with good pheromones so that we can withstand the dirty diapers and sleepless nights.) Also love the smell of fresh bread in the oven, fresh-cut grass, and laundry right off the line. :) You always have the best topics!
SO many things make me smile - including this post!
This is such a positive, upbeat post and that makes me smile. My grandchildren make me happy, my pets make me happy, and the kindness that I see from people where I work at a food pantry give me hope that things will be Ok
The sun shine!!! I am sorry about your husband, I lost my dear friend of 26 years, and sometimes I think I am the only one who ever grieved! Now I am focusing on the good memories I have of her. Blessings!
Flowers give me joy too and I have lots of roses blooming right now. Happy Mother's day weekend sweet friend.
Yes, all those things please me too although I've never been nearer to a pelican than the TV screen!
I love that things remind me of other things; like you say, the smell of a certain flower reminds you of your husband because it was his favourite scent. I like the smells that remind me of my childhood when I was much nearer the ground than I am now. Every so often I catch the hint of a scent, usually from a week, that takes me right back to the days when I was grubbing around in the fields opposite my house, scrambling under the wire fences to get there and then enjoying looking to see which little animals might cross my path.
I love these things that make you smile. I don't know what some of those flowers are that you mentioned, so I need to look them up. Heliotrope? I've heard the name, but have never seen it that I know of...so I am learning something new here today. So glad you have such sweet little friends (kitty and Bounce) to keep you company and make your heart smile. Thinking of you today and saying a prayer that your day will be blessed with pleasant memories and more things to make you smile.
Family make me smile, my grandchildren especially.
Flowers always make me smile too,
All the best Jan
I admire you for searching out the things that make you smile, Terra. I try to do the same. We are a lot alike, finding joy in our flowers and pets. I'm looking forward to starting my gardening this week!
Jane x
The big things in life do not always bring the kind of joy the small things provide....fresh air, the music of the wind in the trees,
the laughter of children, the innocence of animals, the warmth of the sun on my face, the smell of fresh clean sheets....the little things are the best. So glad to hear you are at a point where you are enjoying the small things again.
I love the things that make you smile and they also made me smile. Fluffy and Bounce are so precious. You keep up the good fight dear Terra. hugs, LJ
The smell of flowers definitely. Being British born I love many of the British TV shows, though I haven't seen those that you mention. I will have to watch out for them, thank you for that :) We don't have Acorn TV that I know of, sounds like a great channel. There is a channel that shows a lot of British shows, but I think it is the BBC one. Lovely post, really enjoyed it and thank you so much for visiting Terra. I have enjoyed it here very much.
Add peonies to that list of scents I love. They are almost ready to bloom here and I can't get enough of them for the short time that the blossoms are here.
I love this post, it made me smile. I jumped over from Debra's blog !
I like seeing all these things that bring you joy cause they bring me joy too! Yes about relaxing cats....love you rescued your dog. And such pretty veggies
I love all those scents you mentioned - and have Valerian growing down the side of my garden on the Cornish hedge. Yes, it's a weed and prolific in Cornwall where I live, but it's beautiful whether pink, white or deep red. My friends had some in their garden, named their house after it - and their names were Valerie and Ian! I have never heard of it being called "Meet Me by the Gate" or even "Jupiter's Beard" but what lovely alternatives they are, especially the first one.
Thank you for posting on my blog - I have now become a follower on yours!
Best wishes - Rosemary (Rosie's Ramblings)
I'm glad these things bring you joy and put a smile on your face since your husband passed away. Jasmine is my favorite scent. Hearing the bird's song early in the morning is such a pleasure, especially when drinking our coffee or tea. I just did a post about California, and thought you might enjoy it since you're a California gal too.
Enjoy the rest of these May days, Terra.
love, ~Sheri
Smile? Oh, my choirleader in church, when he is in a good mood, and the rest of the choir for that matter.
The brilliant sunsets we are having.
Blackbird singing.
Watching some of my favourite films.
I am a quote freak, quotes from the bible, good books and films can make me smile anytime.
Kindness from unexpected people makes me smile
Some of my blogfriends frequently make me smile, like you
My family
I am glad that you can actually enjoy life a bit again! Blessings to you, Terra!!
I'm glad you can find things to make you smile after losing your husband. Keep smiling and be brave.
How interesting to have popped by your beautiful site!
Olympia
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