Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Simple Joys

Doesn't this image just speak to you of peace? It is from a site called Amolife and I just loved it and wanted to share it. I love looking a clouds and feel it is one of the simple pleasures of life and apparently others feel the same ways since there is an organization called The Cloud Appreciation Society.

I have a problem sometime with getting to sleep and when I do I often compose blog posts in my head while waiting for sleep(wierd I know). I know that over the last couple of months I haven't posted often but like a lot of middle America right now we are struggling financially and sometimes when I feel weighted down with worry I find that I just don't have a lot to say. I still visit each of you though I need to comment more because you all inspire me so much..It has been over these many months that I have come to a conclusion and that is that if we look back to ourselves as children we will find the simple thing that still bring contentment to us as adults and most often these things are not expensive.

As a child growing up I didn't have many material things but we had a local library and from a very early age I went every week. I think from this came my deep and abiding love of books and the written word.Literature and Books have always been my solace and comfort when I was sad or lonely and my magic carpet that took me on adventures to exotic places and peoples and still does. I am happiest reading and this hobby costs very little and is available to everyone who has a local library.

The other great love of my childhood was being outdoors. I lived in a rural area and when I was a tween spent most of my summer days in the woods looking at plants,animals, birds , the sky and listening to the symphony of the wind in the cathedral of pine trees in my native south. I think from this comes my love to this day for the outdoors, birdwatching ,gardening and just observing nature and the world around me.

In the present day I find that both of these still give me the most pleasure outside of my family and animals and both cost very little .

I think it would do us all good to search our souls and find that place as a child that we were most happy and try to find that simple joy in our adult life.It is what I am searching for this summer. What are you searching for this summer?


"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."~Thomas Moore, 19th century poet

I just post a book review over at The Mermaids Bookshelf stop by and take a look.



31 comments:

Rosezilla (Tracie Walker) said...

Hi, Yolanda, how have you been? Good to hear from you again. I loved this post. I too love clouds, books and the great outdoors. And the price is right, lol! Thanks for the book reviews. I'm reading David Copperfield at the moment, because I'd read it when a child and didn't really like it, but my sis said she likes it, so I thought I'd try it again now that I'm old enough to appreciate it.

Sherry said...

Once again I read a post of yours and I feel so connected to you -- as if you read my mind or share dna with me!

I had no idea there was a cloud appreciation society...but why shouldn't there be? There are societies for just about everything!

I too sometimes have difficulty falling over to sleep as I compose blog posts and things I'm going to write...in my head...and then have to tell myself to stop!!

And my love of libraries and books was established at a very early age. I still get a little shiver down my spine when I enter a library!!

Deanna Bland Hiott PhD, MSN, RN said...

I love the above comment! You have such a lovely blog; thank you for visiting. I'll be back... :)

Connie said...

Great post! Books and nature go hand in hand...I love nothing better than to sit in my swing...book in hand and listen to the birds "chattering" looking at clouds and playing with our puppy.

I am taking the time to relax and be okay with doing "nothing" It was a rough Winter!

ds said...

Hi, Yolanda,
Thank you for the nice comment you left on my blog. I really enjoyed reading this post (who knew there was a Cloud Appreciation Society--I will check them out!). Between this and your other blog, I will definitely be back!

penny said...

Yolanda, your blog is beautiful and I loved this post is wonderful.
I enjoyed the reflective sky in the water. its a splendid photo.
Thanks for your visit...

Olivia said...

Hi, Yolanda, thanks for your comment on my blog. Are you nearby? I'm in Olympia. xo, O

Unknown said...

Yes! Wonderful! Looks like an HDR - very nice!

Kim Mailhot said...

I think many families will be spending the summer appreciating and celebrating life with simpler things, enjoying each other's company instead of things and I also think that many of them will come to realize that this economic wake up call is just what we all needed to remember what is important in life...that's how I hope to spend most of my summer - enjoying the clouds going by with my loved ones gazing up beside me... ;)

Carver said...

This was an excellent post Yolanda. The photograph is so beautiful and I agree about finding those things we enjoyed as children. I have always enjoyed reading and the outdoors too and am happy that I still derive much pleasure from both.

Judy Merrill-Smith said...

Yolanda, you are a wise, wise woman. I too love nature, and have always found it very healing. And books were my great refuge as a kid. Have you ever read/done The Artist's Way? A lot of it focuses on what made you happy as a child, because that child is still inside you and it wants to come out and play!

Olivia said...

Oh, I'm then about 3 hours or so north of you in Olympia, WA (two hours north of Portland). I thought you might be closer...even here :) The Pacific Northwest is pretty big!

bichonpawz said...

Hi Yolanda, Thanks for stopping by my blog...I'm going to have to check out the sites that you mentioned!! Very inspiring!!

SandyCarlson said...

Outdoors and the library--two of my favorite places, too. Our library was very modern inside, and I always felt like I was in a very cold place, but it was huge and bright and so full of books....

Joni said...

I'm the same way. As a child, books would take me to far away adventures as I sat in the crook of a favorite tree in the middle of an orchard. I'd look pretty silly scaling up someone's peach tree now, but books are forever and thank goodness for public libraries. That's the best part of summer...cramming in as many books as possible. I also remember one of my favorite "free" things to do was paint rocks...a friend or two and we could paint rocks all day.

Pyzahn said...

What an amazing photo -- great discovery!

I have a similar sleep problem, but kinda in reverse. I get so enthused about blogging that I can't sleep. Pondering what to write gets me revved up rather winding me down.

I appreciate your thoughts on the little things in life. When I started expressing gratitude, my life shifted in spectacular ways.

Thanks for visiting Prattle and for your kind words.

Unknown said...

I love this post & agree whole heartidly with everything you said.
Reading is magical & very cheap entertainment & I have always loved to watch clouds. I remember laying in the grass looking up at the clouds changing shapes.

Kay said...

Hello Yolanda, Thank you so much for your visit to my blog. I really appreciate your happy words. I love this photo you posted and your heartfelt words. I grew up in a rural area too and I wish I could have had the same for my own kids.

karen said...

clouds, books and nature - I can relate to the love of all these! Sorry things are not so cheerful for you at the moment, it's no surprise that you don't feel too inspired to write in your blog. Yes, it is so great to know that there is lots of inspiration and support in the blog world x

Veronica said...

Hello Yolanda, Thank you so much for visiting and for your gracious comment too! I love your clouds - so peaceful and calming. I wish I could say the same about the clouds here right now as they are thunderstorm clouds, full of lightning and heavy rain... and it's cold! LOL. With warm wishes to you from Suffolk, England, Veronica xx

Lydia said...

Wonderful to read you again, Yolanda. I want you to know that you always inspire me.
Now, you ask what am I looking for this summer? And I realize that I am looking for better organization in my life with one goal in mind: to have more time for reading. One of my focal points in this organization is a smaller portion of our large backyard, the part closest to the house that is basically all rocks because my husband thought that would be easy maintenance for our two large dogs. It's proven to be a disaster, and the moonscape is so un-FengShui that I have grown to hate it. Just beyond this point are our three giant Sequoias, bird feeders, birdbaths, so there is much beauty surrounding me. It's just this one patch. I want it to be a place of retreat, where I can sit and read and admire the hostas and flowers that exist in my mind!

Boy, you really got me going with this post!

Beth said...

I think for all of us who are avid readers, there exists a precious childhood memory of a local library. I certainly have one.

rochambeau said...

Hi Yolanda,
You have your priorities straight !!

Many Blessings to you!
xox
Constance

Carolynn Anctil said...

So true and something I need reminding of every so often as my days fill with busy-ness. What am I looking for this summer...probably the same thing I always seem to be reaching for...peace and direction. Both are making themselves more available as I learn how to recognize them.

*Hugs*
Carolynn

Tracy said...

Hello, Yolanda! Finding you via Christina and her fun Simple Things event...you have a beautiful, soulful blog, and this post is especially moving. You say..."I often compose blog posts in my head while waiting for sleep(weird I know)..." Not weird at all, I do the same too! My life is so rich and full, and most days I am bursting with love. My grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago though, and I'm taking a little time to heal my heart with that. So this summer will be a bit slow, savoring the essence of things, and letting new dreams grow... Happy Days, and thank you for this post. :o)

christina said...

it's the smallest of things in our childhood, that grow so closely with us.

Beautiful!

; )

xo

Susan said...

You know, I agree with you. Looking back to simpler days - childhood - is calming and does bring peace, especially in stressful times like these. I share your love of reading. What a great gift books are!

Shell said...

I do love books too, Yolanda. The picture made me just take a deep breath of it's beauty. I do love clouds and thank you for talking about the Cloud appreciation society. I'm going to check them out right now.

stephanie said...

It's amazing how much we can gain from stopping and thinking and finding those things that truly make us feel safe and happy. The best thing in the world is finding comfort when we are full of fear.

Thank you for sharing! And also thank you for stopping by my blog.

Stephanie

Jac said...

Oh! Libraries are one of my big big loves, I can't believe that we have such wonnderful places where we can take books out for free! What could be more fantastic than that? My earliest memories are being a child and wandering around the library - just the smell of the place was amazing!

Bimbimbie said...

That cloud photo is spectacular.

Library and nature are two of my favourite places to be. Yesterday I was thrilled to have won a beautiful book on Trees through a monthly draw at my local library.

It's winter here now so I'll be searching for a warm spot to snuggle down with a book. I also enjoy audio books which takes me back to childhood and that magical comforting thrill of being read to before going to sleep*!*