It’s been years since I participated in Friday Fave Five by posting five things from the week that sparked joy. In the spirit of renewed appreciation for good old fashioned blogging and focusing on what is good and beautiful in the world, I’m going to join in today. It’s Saturday, so I’m a day late, but I trust you’ll grant me grace in that.
Fresh picked young beans. Fall garden cleanup is in full swing but my second crop of beans is just starting. Dropping by the community garden to harvest a few beans for supper was delightful.
Coffee and conversation. Whether in a favourite coffee shop (with safety protocols in place and observed) or at picnic bench in a park, time spent with friends is always a gift.
Chili simmering on the stove. I put a pot of chili on to simmer yesterday, early, because I had a ZOOM call scheduled for the time I’d normally be making dinner. I didn’t realize until this morning that I forgot to put beans in it and neither Gerry nor I noticed when we were eating it last night!
An afternoon walk. Gerry, Maya, and I took a stroll one sunny afternoon along the River’s Trail past a field where hay was being cut. Simply perfect. (I forgot to bring water for myself so that was a bit of torture I endured, but nonetheless . . . )
Pumpkin pie. We bought the first one of the season from Costco and it’s already gone. No regrets.
It’s true that as we intentionally put our attention on the bright things, simple things that are life-giving and joy-sparking, our outlook changes. Look for Friday Fave Five to resume around here. Maybe you want to try it too. Leave a list of your joy sparklers from this week in the comments. I’d love to read them.
Five wonderful observations. Chili this time of the year is comfort.
It is, isn’t it?! With or without the beans! (On the second day, I cooked kidney beans in the Instant Pot and added them to the leftover chili thereby extending the leftovers. Win!)
Lol. Glad I’m not the only one that forgets essential ingredients.
That sounds like a great practice to reignite!
Another flavour of gratitude journaling, right?!
We had chili this week, too! And a walk, but not on a river trail.
For me, it’s the little things that really make my week and I prefer to focus on those events to train my mind and heart to be grateful.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Willow. I appreciate your mention of the intentional practice of “training [our] mind and heart to be grateful”. It really does make a difference, doesn’t it?
This sounds like a good way to practice gratitude. I may join in with you one of these Fridays!
I’ll look forward to reading your list, Sherrey!
Joy sparklers – what a delightful phrase! And how warming to read your positive words about your experiencing today :). A lovely m eme to be joining in with. Here’s my five things … Baked apples rich in cinnamon-sprinkled raisins and glowing with a dribble of honey; a little video-clip of my fifteen-month old grand-daughter pointing to my photo amidst a display of many family members and saying ‘Dere!’ when her Mum asks “Where’s Nana?”; seeing the quote on my desktop “… the most valuable thing we have in our favor is our yearning” (Cynthia Bourgeault); watching the last soft apricot roses of the summer unfold; and editing photos taken during the day, reminding me of the simple and happy moments. May your day be full of blessings, Linda.
Oh, how I love your five things, Alexa! Each, in its own magical way, but especially the image of that video clip of your granddaughter. Simply priceless!
Thanks for your visit and I had to laugh at the chilli story. The sort of thing I’d do, especially if I was multi tasking!
I think we’re in good company in this!! Thanks so much for stopping by, Wendy.
Time with friends and time in nature are joy-fulling for me too! May you have more of those times this week, Linda!
Good to see you at FFF! Funny about the chili. It must be the time of year for it–my d-i-l brought chili and cornbread over recently. We like to save pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, but my son and d-i-l like them from the beginning of fall through Christmas. And if they serve them, we’ll gladly eat them! 🙂 The coffee and conversation and walk sound pleasant.
Thanks for stopping by, Barbara!