Summertime Pleasures: Two Favorites From My Library

 

 Illumination taken from An Island Garden

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that READING BOOKS is my all-time, all-year favorite pastime and pleasure.  No one ever has to 'force' me to pick up a book or go into a library or bookstore! As the seasons of the year unfold, I often find myself reaching for certain books, indulging the desire -- and simple pleasure -- to read old favorites which for me, seem to echo the season we're in.

Here are two of my summertime favorites:

One

A Gift From the Sea

by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Ever since I was a little girl, there was something about the ocean that called to me.  Living inland, it's always a real treat to visit the west coast. I love the sound of seagulls and the crash of waves against stone walls. I love the smell of sand baking in the sun and air fragrant with water and earthy seaweed.

When I read Ms. Lindbergh's descriptions I feel I am there at the seaside with her. A wonderful read if you're sitting on a windswept sandy beach or if you wish you were!
 

Two

 An Island Garden

by Celia Thaxter
Childe Hassam, Illustrator

I first 'met' this author and book years ago when it was highlighted in a summer issue of Victoria magazine.  The book, originally published in 1894 and re-issued almost a hundred years later in 1988, is beautifully illustrated by Childe Hassam, American Impressionist artist. What a joy,  delight, a simple pleasure to savor on a summer's day. Here's how Ms. Thaxter opens her lovely book:

"Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof.  Take a Poppy seed, for instance:  it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter, hardly visible, a speck, a pin's point in bulk, but within it is imprisoned a spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break its bonds and emerge from the dark ground and blossom in a splendor so dazzling as to baffle all powers of description."

So I'm off to do a bit of reading amidst the burgeoning of garden blossoms and birdsong.  I'd love to hear about your own 'old favorites' for summertime reading!

Happy Day,

Brenda

xox

Things I'm NOT Doing Today

One thing I'm NOT doing today is blogging. Alas and alack... but there you have it. Sometimes when I fret about all the 'things' I'm not getting done, I'll joke that maybe I should put that on the list of things I'm not doing! Which, if you think about it, could become a most freeing kind of list.

Let's see, here's what's on my 'not doing' list for today. I am not:

• washing the kitchen floor.
• hurrying to finish a gazillion unrelated errands.
• running my finger along the piano keys to check for 'you know what'.
• cleaning out the freezer, the refrigerator, or the pantry cupboard.
• doing tomorrow's jobs today.

There, now I'm free to focus on -- and enjoy -- the projects I do have planned for my day. I can live my day free of guilt and filled with the beauty of anticipation instead.

Whatever you do today, I hope you make it beautiful!

Brenda

Simple Pleasures: Fragrance

Photo by Brenda @ It's A Beautiful Life

Just a few days ago a very dear friend came with a package all prettily wrapped. It was something she bought for herself, but felt she wanted to give to me instead ... a beautiful bottle of Iris eau de toilette from Crabtree and Evelyn.

It was funny how that all came about ... because a couple of weeks earlier my sister and I were at a function, and as it happened, a woman had to slip past us on a very narrow pathway. When she walked by, Sis and I looked at each other and both agreed ... what a treat it was to smell the soft but very feminine fragrance she was wearing.

That's when I realized it had been a while since I had allowed myself the luxurious 'simple pleasure' of wearing fragrance. Being more aware of people with allergies, I tend not to wear it as freely as I once did. But I miss it.

And then, almost as if God heard my heart's little sigh (which by the way He did), there was my dear friend handing me this lovely fragrance, saying she felt I needed it.

Photo by Brenda @ It's A Beautiful Life

The simple pleasure of slipping the bottle out of its box each morning to spritz a little has been delighting my feminine heart ever since.

Technology hasn't figured out how I could send you a whiff through cyberspace, but if you'd like a spritz of this, I'd love to send you a little splash on a book mark. Just e-mail me your address (you'll find my link in the profile) and I'll send you a simple pleasure. (Offer now closed.)

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Today, we're linking with:

Dayle for Simple Pleasures Thursday

Meri's Musings for Share the Joy Thursday

Simply Sunday: It's Still Safe

Miss Kitty loves to go outside. She's not as timid as she used to be, but I've noticed she still appears to be more at ease exploring the 'great outdoors' when she sees the garden door open. She'll often come and sniff the frame and when I ask if she wants to come back in, Oh no, I'm just checking that there's still a safe place to run into should it be necessary. Then she wanders back out.

Of course, like many of us who venture out into the wild, wild wood, she encounters her own kind of 'dragons'. They seem to be quite friendly, but for her these neighbor felines spells 'Danger, Danger'.

It got me thinking; sometimes God calls us to come out of our familiar spots into a place that isn't always comfortable for us. We may step out, one toe at a time, and we tend to keep a watchful eye on the door, in case 'there be dragons out there'.

I think the Psalmist must have felt that way many times, because he sure journaled a lot about it. If you read through the Psalms, they are full of comforting reminders that there is a safe place for us to run into.... That Safe Place is sometimes called a high tower, a mighty fortress.

It might give us the courage to step out into the unknown if we remember that He always leaves the door open for us -- we can run back anytime we feel the heat of dragon fire.

Oh by the way, here's a snippet from the Psalmist's journal: The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into him and are safe (from Psalm 18:10).

May you find that safe place today.

Saturday Sightings...

Spring has truly arrived at last.  Our yard is filled with birdsong and the garden is starting  to fill with the splendor of the season. Here are a few sightings today...

 

 

It was great fun to log on this morning and find a large pile of comments waiting for moderation.  It turns out the comments left during that recent Blogger 'mishap' have now been restored.  It was a nice surprise.  So thanks!

The most beautiful view is the one
I share with YOU!
~ Anonymous

Enjoy your weekend
Brenda

xox