If

If all my kids were grown up and I had a little time on my hands, I would…

Write more songs.
Hang out with Old Man.
Read, read, read.
Play my guitar.
Travel with friends.
Fix up my house.
Learn to crochet.
Watch more movies.
Host cook-outs, parties and other get togethers.
Spend time with my kids.
Explore the world with Old Man.
Learn to play my hammered dulcimer.
Cook fancy meals and invite people to share them with me.
Join a book discussion group.
Hang out with my friends.
Sleep when I’m tired.
Wish I still had little kids.

What would you do?

Today’s Pleasures

Praying with my family before the kids left for school.
Talking to my mom.
Quiet.
Running into a friend at 7-Eleven.
A five dollar loan when I found myself at the gas pump with no debit card and an empty gas tank.
Sweet iced tea from McDonald’s.
Listening to Ben talk about pre-school.
Lots of computer time.
An unexpected visitor.
Being understood.
Good information.
Making a schedule.
Left-overs for dinner. Didn’t have to cook.
Funny IM conversation.
Anticipation.
Good neighbors.
A cuddly baby.
Little boy hugs.
Walking and talking with Old Man.
Love all around me.

My Favorite Things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

A little background for you. When my youngest sister was a little girl she used to watch The Sound of Music every single day…at least one time! I think I might know that dang movie by heart. There’s no way it couldn’t have rubbed off on me, and what happened this afternoon is proof of that.

Today has been a particulary gloomy day for me – at least so far. Nothing I wanted to happen has happened and a few things I didn’t want to happen have happened. I’m stressed and a wee bit lonely. Poor me. There’s a certain tactic I’ve used for years that almost always helps me when I’m feeling this way. I simply make a list of all the things I’m grateful for and read over it a few times. It rarely fails to lift my spirits. I’ve posted several such lists on this blog – usually titled something like, Simple Pleasures or Today’s Pleasures. It hadn’t occured to me to make a list today until I’d hummed this stinkin’ annoying song that was stuck in my head for a couple of hours. When it dawned on me that the song was My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music I thought, “Whoa, the Lord really does work in mysterious ways!” I think Someone out there was reminding me, in the words of the wise Jiminy Cricket, to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative”. I think I’m going to take the hint…or the nudge…or is it a slap? and make myself one of those lists…or rather, write myself one of those songs!

My Favorite Things

(Sung to the tune of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music)

Laughter and children and love all around me
Quiet and good books and my friends and family
Music and singing the songs that life brings
These are a few of my favorite things.

Good conversation and learning and growing
Hope and acceptance and moments of knowing
Warm sweet caresses, the joy that they bring
These are a few of my favorite things.

See there? I feel better already!