the simple things.

I'm glad today is one day out of many drab January ones that we celebrate the simple things.  Thank you Christina, for this brightening idea that will illuminate all the small wonders and cast a large shadow over the petty unimportant January-ish things that rule this time of year.

First, to combat the dread & gloom we have some flowers.  A simple affordable solution to pull you through a grey day.  I don't know about you, but whenever there are fresh cut flowers in a room my eye is inexplicably drawn in to them.  They have a force all their own. 

Snowflakes falling gently down.  My children smiling at me and spouting a random "I love you." Hot chocolate.  Cold lemonade.  Palm trees swaying.  Steel drums playing.

It is caring for your basic needs, quite simply.  Enjoying the ritual of bathing, and all the fluffing that entails.  The powder, the tweeze, the combing and the perfuming.  Make yourself pretty and you can squash the dreariest of moods away.  Next put a record on.  Yes a real record but if you don't have one then play some of your favourite music.  I like to listen to a variety of things, including this, this & this.

Catching a street car to an art store.  Having coffee & laughter with friends.  A chick flick.  Big baggy sweaters & jeans.  Shopping for used camera supplies online (you can save a mint that way).  Shopping for anything online.  Music. A pretty skirt.  A painting you saw on Etsy that you just loved (it was painted just for you I would imagine.)

Connecting with old friends in a most unique way, finding you have more interests in common now that you are adults.  Three hour phone calls that feel like five minutes.  Plane trips.  Beavertails. Opening brown paper packages tied up with string, and learning that it was packed with love, encouragement & well wishes for you.

Postcards from across the globe.  The smell of black magic markers & satsuma oranges. Coming home from school (remember?) and your mum was there with freshly baked cookies & a hug. {And if that wasn't you, do it now for someone you love and heal that wound.} Coming home (now) and finding your husband has done the laundry & made supper (amongst the million other things he does for you and the children on a daily basis). ...{Actually come to think of it, everything my husband does is for us he is entirely selfless.  He adores doing, and helping.}...

Mason jars with flowers randomly tossed in.  Sunny windows.  Breezy curtains.  Coconuts. Sand between your toes.

The way you feel after yoga.  Or running a mile.  Or stretching...! Words cannot describe the great feeling exercise brings.  It clears the mind, brings a certain peace to the body.

Stillness of a gallery.  Becoming one with a painting so that you could just crawl into it and live there. For me, it is this series of paintings in Washington D.C. It is in four parts, displayed in the National Gallery of Art.  If you have a chance to visit any city this year, choose Washington in the spring, all the galleries and museums of the Smithsonian will leave you breathless.  Many happy trips have been taken there with the kids, and they love it so much.

Love.  Love. Love.  As simple (yet complex) as it gets.  Love is all.  It is everywhere, infused into everything, everyone (yes, everyone) and conquers all it's true.

xoxo Happy day, enjoy your own simple things. Thank you Christina, for hosting this lesson in gratitude.

Comments

[Jill]

Glorious! What lovely words to read with my morning coffee :) Thank you. This made my day :)

Love to you Gilly!
xoxo <3

[Se'lah]

oooh...the random i love you's from the children. swoon!

so glad i stopped by today. you brightened my day.

xo

[Sherry]

Will you do me a favour??? Keep this and then email it to me on January 1st, 2011 so that I can refer to it every.single.day for the month of January to keep my head above water. I've copied it to my word but I'll want that gentle reminder from a friend. Love you much...you make the world "make sense". xo

[Cyndy]

Good morning, Gillian! I come to you on the wake of Christina's love. You were right ~ she should call her blog Beautiful Soul ~ she is amazing. Thank you for your lovely list ~ all of my senses are aglow!

[Sherry]

Oh oh yeah...I've never had a Satsuma orange. Guess what I'm going to be looking for when I go out??? :)

[Gillian daSilva]

They are small & juicy Sherry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_(fruit)

Kensington or St.Lawrence markets probably have...hey!! Let's do a photo trip soon, and we'll fruit shop at the same time. :)

[Dawn]

What a precious list. No, my mom wasn't there with cookies and a hug...and I was surprised how much your suggestion touched me. Thank you.
I love your blog, and your profile picture with the magic wand...I will certainly be happy to follow you on your blogging journey. :)
xo country girl

[Marilyn]

Each simple things list reminds me of yet another simple thing to notice. Thanks for sharing your simple things. A three hour phone call that seems like minutes and a postcard from around the world brought smiles to me this morning.

[Steve]

THIS is just what I've been needing. -sigh- I feel inspired to go and create now. Thanks Gil.

[Gigi]

Yes, yes, yes, Gillian! Oh, and Washington DC in the spring is perfect. I used to live down there. The cherry blossoms alone make it spectacular.

Your list is brimming with love and creativity, just like you, my friend. Catching a streetcar to an art store--now that's something you and I should do together sometime . . .

xoxo Gigi

[christina]

"catching a street car to an art store" sheer love, sweetheart. and the photo... deep sigh for such beauty placed on a window sill.
i send you love and as many flower sill hugs you can carry
one love
soul~

[marion]

Brilliant list, just wonderful! I love that you said the stillness of galleries...I hadn't thought of that but it does feel like sacred space.

Check out www.postcrossings.com - it's a fun site where you can sign up to send and receive postcards from around the world - adding to the joy!

your site, your words are just beautiful, thank you!

[Preeti Shenoy]

Superb picture Gillian! And an even more wonderful post!

I agree 100% about Yoga and about Love :)

Nice choice of music too :)

I dont know why but your feed fetcher does not seem to be working. I have put a link in my blog to your site and it shows the update as 'four weeks ago'! Do check and set it right.

xo xo
Preeti

[Angie Muresan]

Oh yes! What bliss this list is. Children, love, postcards, yoga... I adore your list!

[Stephanie]

Such a perfect way to drag us out of these dark January days....oh yes to yoga, biking, stretching...it stretches my body and soul.

another simple pleasure for me is visiting your simply beautiful life here.

x..x

[Tracy]

LOVE... that's my favorite one too! :o) Thank you for your celebration today, Gillian ((HUGS))

[Account Deleted]

oooh, goodness....
listen
one of my simple pleasures
is looking at the Shutter Sister photos
{{ as linked there on your right }}

truly.

this collection of fine camera capturing
ALWAYS and without fail
makes me
smile ---->

:-)

with pleasure at what i find there.

{{ sometimes--as with life--
the more you take away,
the more beautiful a thing becomes,
don't you think? }} }}

[pam aries]

Ahhh..yes ,my wealthy friend, you have said it all. Wish you were here..the wether has been phenomenal.

[Relyn]

I think I'll pick five or six things from your list and get busy making myself happy.

[Sheila @ Tempus Fugit]

It touches my heart that you remember the cookies and the hugs.
Much love,
Mum
xx

[Gillian daSilva]

TypePad HTML Email

How could I forget?
I was going to ramble on about the fresh
bread too, and “Snuggle Time!” and all of the other countless
lovely things you did for us, but I’d be here all day…..xoxo
 

From:

[Tara Bradford]

So many DELICIOUS cures for the winter blues here. Lovely and comforting. Miss you! xoxox

[Jeaux]

I don’t have a pretty skirt :o( I do have a rather striking sarong. Wearing that usually lifts my mood. Probably because I’m at some out of the way beach when I wear it, though.

"...that will illuminate all the small wonders and cast a large shadow over the petty unimportant January-ish things that rule this time of year."

Yep. Stah.

[Dinners & Dreams]

Gillian, I really really like your writing. And your new Facebook profile picture. And all the simple things you talked about. Happiness is really within reach with small things we sometimes take fir granted. Thank you SO SO much for a most inspiring post.

xoxo

Nisrine

[Kim Mailhot]

Enjoying the wonderful of the simple little things today ! I am glad you are too.
Happy End of January to you !