Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen... something. Well those may not be my most favorite things, but I was thinking earlier today about what they would be if I made a list. Very quickly I realized that it was next to impossible to limit the numbers of beautiful and wonderful things in my world to one simple list. I remember being at a book store several years ago and coming across a book that was basically just a list of a thousand wonderful things in life. Simple everyday things along the lines of those raindrops and whiskers. It's all too easy to get through our day and completely have missed experiencing any part of it. "Getting through" just shouldn't be the goal. We need to live in our days and make them count, especially in simplicity and everyday activities. It's easy to celebrate vacations, but when we stop and look around, there is so much to celebrate all around us. Take 60 seconds and think through the things you have today to be thankful for, that are worth noticing. I immediately think of my family, the love we share, health, freedom in a country I love, and being blessed with a creative spirit. After the major things, I like to just look around me and see the simple things that bring so much joy to my day. Like the white ceramic cupfuls of beautiful Prismacolor pencils on my work table, a stack of antique french books that I treasure, a very welcome cool breeze at the end of another hot Southern summer day, a new-to-me green purse with the cutest little clovers on it that my sweet cousin passed my way, my fuzzy slippers, and the list goes on literally infinitely. Are they life-changing items that will go down in history in their importance? No. They're just part of the simple, everyday treasures that make me smile when I notice them, and they are so worth the attention. One of the most beautiful things about blogging is the heightened attention we tend to pay to our days when we think about sharing it with others. I've noticed this already in my own life, and I've read so many other bloggers who have experienced the same thing. So, I intend to start giving them the attention they're due. Today, I say I am thankful for joy in simplicity and I see how very blessed I am.
My first installment to my new list is: my cowboy boots. I'm from the south, and cowboy boots are fairly common place here. But these are special. They're so perfectly broken in and through the years they have molded themselves to my feet in the way that only great leather does. I love the detailed stitching on them, and the pride that went into making them is obvious. I love the way they affect my posture when I wear them, and I love the sound they make when I walk across a wooden floor. They're both sexy and tough at the same time, and they make me what to jump on a horse and lasso something. Mostly I love the memories I have in them, and how they remind me of my family and my culture. I think I'm gonna go grab them and take a stroll right now actually. And maybe go lasso something.
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