The little things…

[Chicory Blue]

Yo.
I’m feelin’ low again. It’ll pass, but in the interim, I’m accustomed to two things helping:
1. All those wonderful little things that are just *good* no matter how lame the big picture is, and
2. Empathizing with other peoples’ joy

So. Maybe a thread for just… Stuff that’s real nice?

off the top of my head, I’ve got…

- Morning coffee. Whatever the day holds, there’s at least going to be a few minutes of hot, soothing loveliness.

- Looking at watercolor paintings. How do people make something so pretty? I tried once and just made a mess. I think they’re wizards.

- Finding a snail. They’re so neat. Imagine being that slow? It makes you wonder how they ever got where they are. Their shells are pretty.

- A dog. Just great. A+. Good dog.

- When there’s a package for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s something mundane, or that you knew it was coming because you paid for it. It’s a package and it’s for you. That rules.


I’ll add more as they come to mind. In the mean time, please, share yours? I want to imagine your joy. <3

--^@

 

[bass12]

Wildlife in general - even in the city. There’s a local park I sometimes visit where I’ve seen deer, marmots, raccoons, foxes, chipmunks, squirrels, a rabbit and various birds including falcons (a couple of times up-close). And black-capped chickadees. I always love seeing (and hearing) them black-capped chickadees. Visiting that park helped keep me sane during the worst of covid.

 

[Killing Floor]

1,000 miles from home yesterday I got a doorbell cam notification. 2 little birds doing a dance for about a minute. Been dealing with a cold and all I could to is smile. I’m hoping it means someone has moved into my birdhouse.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

All the animals in my yard saying, "Hi!" as they come or go by.
Deer, goats, chickens, humming birds...

Nothing better than coming outside and a flock of chickens come running and occasionally flapping their wings trying to fly in excitement coming towards you from across the way.
You can hear "Ride of the Valkyries" in your head.


Oink, oink, moo, moo.

 

[Plake]

I can look at the the ocean or mountains for hours completely content.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Coinkydinks, spoonerisms, spoons, sand, sunshine (on a rainy day), words, warmth, wellness, willow, water, streams (of consciousness), story, song, sound, timber, timbre, tambourines, names, nature, nurture, creatures, couches, comfort, coffee, clouds, proof, peace, awareness, kindness, worth — I've a lovely little violin — ironicoinkydinky, neologisticklish, everything in the OP Loveliness … I got snuthin, in spades.

​

 

[BadSanta1281]

That first cup of coffee.

Cold pizza for breakfast.

Hitting one pure golf shot with an old forged blade.

Being able to walk on the beach ten minutes after leaving the house.

When our neighbor leaves a flat of fresh organic strawberries on our front porch.

The cat three blocks away who always comes running when he sees us walk by his house.

My 27 year old Toyota truck makes me happy every time I get in it. When I bought it in 1996 I told my wife that I'm going to be driving this truck when I'm an old man. Prediction came true.

 

[Chicory Blue]

Wildlife in general - even in the city. There’s a local park I sometimes visit where I’ve seen deer, marmots, raccoons, foxes, chipmunks, squirrels, a rabbit and various birds including falcons (a couple of times up-close). And black-capped chickadees. I always love seeing (and hearing) them black-capped chickadees. Visiting that park helped keep me sane during the worst of covid.

1,000 miles from home yesterday I got a doorbell cam notification. 2 little birds doing a dance for about a minute. Been dealing with a cold and all I could to is smile. I’m hoping it means someone has moved into my birdhouse.

All the animals in my yard saying, "Hi!" as they come or go by.
Deer, goats, chickens, humming birds...

Nothing better than coming outside and a flock of chickens come running and occasionally flapping their wings trying to fly in excitement coming towards you from across the way.
You can hear "Ride of the Valkyries" in your head.


Oink, oink, moo, moo.

Glad to see you guys are enthralled by animals too. They are delightful.

A few years ago when I was living in Paris, Tx, I’d periodically get a random chicken in my yard, a wayward goat munching my lawn, and once I was even blessed with a visit from an escaped pig flanked by an entourage of two chihuahuas, who must have felt bulletproof beside their new gang boss.

Utterly blessed.

I can look at the the ocean or mountains for hours completely content.

In my final philosophy course in college, my professor described “the sublime” as being best described as something so incomprehensibly vast in scope, complexity or power that it could exalt or destroy us without ever noticing we exist. This always made me think, would’tchaknow, about mountains and the ocean first and foremost- just the absolute definitions of “heckin’ big stuff” in earthly terms. The ocean in particular gives me goosebumps with its profound vastness and depth, and I think nothing really shakes me quite so much as a big ol’ silhouette in the water. Also ocean waves are mad fabulous sleep sounds.

Coinkydinks, spoonerisms, spoons, sand, sunshine (on a rainy day), words, warmth, wellness, willow, water, streams (of consciousness), story, song, sound, timber, timbre, tambourines, names, nature, nurture, creatures, couches, comfort, coffee, clouds, proof, peace, awareness, kindness, worth — I've a lovely little violin — ironicoinkydinky, neologisticklish, everything in the OP Loveliness … I got snuthin, in spades.

​

This post is poetry and I adore every word.

That first cup of coffee.

Cold pizza for breakfast.

Hitting one pure golf shot with an old forged blade.

Being able to walk on the beach ten minutes after leaving the house.

When our neighbor leaves a flat of fresh organic strawberries on our front porch.

The cat three blocks away who always comes running when he sees us walk by his house.

My 27 year old Toyota truck makes me happy every time I get in it. When I bought it in 1996 I told my wife that I'm going to be driving this truck when I'm an old man. Prediction came true.

A beautiful collection of delights. Love to hear it. <3

--^@

 

[Tom Bomb]

You are too kind.​

 

[CletusMarley]

I got up extra early this morning and got a fire started and put a pork shoulder on the cooker. I sat with my coffee as I was dialing in my temps. I love when the whole porch smells like pecan smoke . Lol

 

[Tom Bomb]

​

 

[hbarcat]

Looking at the night sky through a telescope or binoculars.

I got into astronomy when I got a small telescope for Christmas at age 6. Since then I've had many scopes (a couple large ones) but right now I only have a 5" table top Dobsonian.

It's pure joy taking my grandkids outside and watching them marvel at the moon and Saturn and star clusters.

 

[gln1955]

One of my favorite things to going out on our property in the spring and seeing all of the buds break with new growth. The world waking up after a long hard winter sleep. We built on a corn field, so most of those trees and shrubs I planted but many others just found a home here on their own and they're most welcome too.

 

[murphy]

my cat...and all cats

 

[blastoff99]

Well for one thing, seeing you post here. It's been awhile and I wasn't sure if we should be worried or not

 

[dwm74]

Looking at the night sky through a telescope or binoculars.
View attachment 4943723

^ This. Been into astronomy for most of my 61 years and despite any chaos the world brings into my life, a night outside, under the stars, makes all that heavy stuff vanish for those couple of hours.

Observing a remote star cluster, galaxy, or a nebula as it silently 'hangs' in the cosmos, brings a peacefulness that is unmatched by just about anything on Earth. Makes you wonder if any creature living in those faraway reaches of the universe might have their telescope out, looking back in our direction.

 

[kesslari]

As others have said, critters. Our parrots bring me lots of smiles and laughs and joy, as do the dogs and cats. And the deer and skunks and other critters outside.
The trees - I love sitting out and seeing them.
Talking with a good friend.
Playing a great groove.

 

[MJ5150]

Mine is hokey compared to some of the others, but my little thing is the joy I get when I hop in my truck and the cabin lights work. It makes me smile every time.
I recently replaced some of the OEM cabin lights in my 2002 Dodge Ram with LED lights. Some worked, some didn't, they didn't turn all the way off, they buzzed. It was hours of trial and error, but now they all work great.

-Mike

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Coffee and pets are great.

 

[BadSanta1281]

I forgot to mention waffles. Waffles make me happy.