30 Days of Simple Pleasures

PART 1

Almost a year ago I too up a challenge that I saw on social media. Each day, for 30 days, I would record a simple pleasure. It really wasn’t hard. The hardest part was choosing which simple pleasure I would record each day. I will break this blog into 3 parts, of 10 days each. 

As mentioned, this is almost a year old. It has been fun and interesting to reflect back on the simple pleasures. I will add pictures throughout that may or may not have anything to do with the daily pleasure, but just something that makes me smile.

• February 16/22 – a surprise greeting card arrived in the mail for Mom and me. It was a Valentine’s Day card, from our dear friends who live year round in Florida. They used to live near us in Cape Breton, and we spent many an evening sharing food, and playing cards and dominoes. We enjoyed one another’s company and conversations very much. We miss them and love them dearly. Their card was beautiful in more ways than one.

• February 17/22 – I’m a creature of habit. I get up at 5:41 Monday to Friday. I put the coffee on, set the table, get my breakfast, walk to the road for the paper (unfortunately this no longer happens as the paper is no longer delivered) , spend 20 minutes or so online catching up on the latest sports and overnight goings on in the world. At 6:30 I turn on Sports Centre and see the highlights from the night before and knit. I spend the next 36 minutes knitting, as relaxation, before going to work. This is my morning ME time and I love it. A quiet time spent on one of my favourite pastimes. At 7:06, after the local news update, I put my knitting away and get ready for work. 

• February 18/22 – As I put on a lighter weight jacket, due to temperatures being warmer than usual, I put my hand in my pocket and found a toonie. I know. It’s just a toonie, but it was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t worn the jacket since last fall. 

• February 19/22 – Farm fresh eggs. We have not purchased store bought eggs in years. The past couple of years we have purchased our eggs from The Lilac Farm which is a local family run farm. In the early days of Covid, the three little girls at the farm put happy messages in the egg cartons. Messages like “we are all in this together”, “you got this”, “be happy”, etc. often accompanied by cute drawings. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs from a local farm. The three girls are growing up so fast.

• February 20/22 – Today is “RE” day for me. It is a special day that I have celebrated for the past two years. RE stands for refocus, rebuild, readjust, reset, reinvent, recover and most of all RELIEF. Today I made a chocolate macaroon cake and lemon brownies. And the best part is I shared them with special friends and neighbours who supported me through a rather difficult time. 

• February 21/22 – Coffee….yup, a cup of coffee. I used to be able to drink copious cups of coffee daily. About two years ago I lost my taste for coffee. I didn’t totally lose it but very rarely do I have more than one cup of coffee a day. But I love that one cup each morning. I enjoy each and every sip until it is gone. And I especially love it when it is in one of my many favourite mugs.

• February 22/22 – A surprise parcel arrived in the mail today. Inside was an amazing jigsaw puzzle and a scarf/shawl. It was sent by a friend as a thank you for something I had done. It was certainly not expected, but it was fun to receive. Mom and I enjoyed the puzzle , as puzzles are one of our favourite pastimes. I enjoy wrapping the shawl over my shoulders while knitting. It’s always within reach. There isn’t a lot of mail anymore, so it is fun getting special mail.

• February 23/22 – I had to take Mom to an eye appointment in Antigonish. I met up with an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in a few years. We spent a few minutes catching up and wishing one another well. I don’t have a picture of her, so I’ll post something that makes me happy.

• February 24/22 – A friend called me at work to ask if she could drop off a couple of jars of jelly. She arrived with more than a couple of jars. There were several jars of jams, jellies, sauces and a side of cinnamon buns. I have a weakness for cinnamon buns. Absolutely one of my favourite treats. We give this friend our quince in the fall and she returns the quince as jelly other treats too. 

• February 25/22 – There was a bit of weather that arrived during the afternoon. When it was time to go home, our vehicles were covered in a few inches of snow. One of my co-workers offered to clean off my car. Just a simple, nice gesture that was appreciated. No picture for this, so again, something that makes me happy.

I hope you enjoyed part 1. Part 2 will follow in a short time. Now, I challenge you to start your own 30 day challenge of recording one simple pleasure a day. Enjoy! I have continued this recording a pleasure a day as the last thing I do before falling asleep. Comments are always appreciated. Share your simple pleasure after reading if you wish.

All photos were taken by yours truly.