Simple Gifts

When the amazing Christina over at Soul Aperture said she was hosting another Simple Things day, I knew I wanted to play along again.  

Here are just a few of the simple things for which I am thankful:

~oatmeal with brown sugar~vintage post cards~knowing that when hail is falling like quarters from a jackpot (as it was today in the photo above), my best friend and I will wait out the storm together~homemade lemonade

~the secret world of the terrarium Marlowe made me~a day that's sunny and dry enough to play tennis~rediscovering a stash of letters from a childhood pen pal~ferris wheels

~penny jars~seeing my husband's harness boots by the door~Virginia's strawberry-rhubarb jam~second chances~the roof over my head and the skylight that lets me see the stars

~eating popcorn and re-watching the Harry Potter films in preparation for the new one~seeing a red-tailed hawk this morning just outside my window~coffee ice cream~campfires

~the way strawberries bring a blush to a bowl of cream~the scent of lavender~an email out of the blue from a long-lost friend~the sound of Scout's purr (a little engine she is)~trying again

~strangers who say hello on the street~singing along to 80's songs~cinnamon toast~wooden bowls~Queen Anne's lace~curling up in a quilt with a book and a cup of tea

~forgiveness~old keys that long ago lost their doors~playing Scrabble with my family~the scent of cedar~mix & match dishes in a camp kitchen~sea-polished stones~typing this list~the candle that's burning on my desk~the rain (softer now) that's falling outside my window~my love, who lies near me, fast asleep. 

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life 

which are the real ones after all."  

~Laura Ingalls Wilder