Friday Treats

Honestly, today started out Not So Great.  The normal quiet morning of tea + writing + exercise went fine, but a late-morning orthodontist appointment threw off our usual routine, I noticed a fresh layer of grime on the basement floor (with a dog, two children, a garden, two cats, and now--CHICKENS--there is truly no end to the fun or the messes), our geriatric dog somehow got too excited and had an accident, my patience was running low, exhaustion began to set in (I have gotten  6 hours of sleep for several nights in a row, and that's not quite enough), the orthodontic situation is complex and may require *surgery* (?!)....you get the picture. One of those days--minor irritations that felt major.

So, in my attempt to see silver linings in the clouds, I submit a list of treats that occurred in spite of the not-so-great bits:

*Seeing a friend in Kroger as soon as we walked in, one of those people who just always makes you smile because she's lovely and real. We chatted over the vegetables for many minutes!

*A delicious hour-and-a-half nap that restored my energy. The older I get, the more I value a well-placed nap.

*Three squares of dark chocolate. PG Tips.

*Vacuuming.

*Hanging laundry out on the clothesline and enjoying the gorgeous view, the sunshine, and the shade of my beloved red maple tree.

*Noticing that the coral bells are blooming, the hostas are thriving, and the pink azalea is rioting.

*Setting the sprinkler in the shade of the pin leaf oak, and letting my children run through it.

*Wearing my oh-so-comfortable jersey dress from Boden and my green linen shoes.

*Our chickens!  They are adorable, delightful, charming, endearing.....you name it. They're it. Love, love, love.

*Curry for supper.

*Children's sweet words and faces.

*Weeding my pretty flower beds.

*Tucking the chickens in for the night and taking the laundry down as the evening settled and the tree frogs began their chorus.  So quiet and soft and beautiful.

Suddenly the day looks like it was pretty nice after all.  See? It worked!