The Little Things No. 11

The little things really do add up, which is why every Friday I want to end the week on a positive note with appreciation for the little things in my life that make up a greater sense of joy.  I hope you join me today in appreciating the good, no matter how small.

Because this is about appreciation rather than perfection, I’m not only including my professional quality photos, but some cellphone snaps as well. You can expect to see a more candid look into my life every week with my The Little Things blog posts every Friday.

Dear Friends,

This week I have felt more sloth than human. With all the rain, my migraines acting up out of nowhere, and my mood feeling dampened, I spent much of Tuesday moping around my tiny apartment all day. I did a few dishes and some laundry, but that was it. How are you doing this week?

My mood is starting to lift again. Matthew, even though he is an essential worker and still leaving home every day, has been crawling the walls at home. Not literally, of course.  He feels trapped, even though he isn’t really. It is more of a mental block. I get it, I really really do. Everything is closed so if you actually wanted to go somewhere, you can’t and these times feel scary because they’re so unknown. So while he is settling in, I am too in my own way. I feel that this quarantine has been better for my mental health than I imagined. Turns out, my body and mind just needed the time to rest and do nothing. I had to let out some of the darker emotions instead of repressing them. No pressure, no “having to” do anything. I wish it came with less of a risk for people, but I’m learning to simply be, just as Matthew is in his own way. I’m learning to sit with my feelings and not have to “be on” all the time. Can you relate?

I find myself often wondering what good can come from this. My father called the other day, worried about the collapse of the economy. Sure, it is important in a way, but I find myself asking, “Is it really?” The U.S. economy is based on a capitalistic and outdated model. It is often measured by GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which sounds like a good measuring tool until you realize that is is based on how much money people have to spend. Every time there is a disaster; a building burns down, a car crashes, a funeral needs to be paid for, or someone gets sick the GDP goes up. It measures spending, especially over consumption and disasters, but it doesn’t measure true wealth, happiness, health, or prosperity of a country. Maybe it is time that we come up with a new model based on equality, education, the environment, medical care, and better values. We would probably be in much better shape right now if we did. I find myself wondering if we could all learn from this and better ourselves. I have seen this entire experience as a return to kindness and what truly matters. Because at the end of the day our earth and our communities are more important than material things and large corporations. Wouldn’t you agree?

I hope that you and your families are safe. What are you thankful for this week?

This week, the little things that have my attention:

The Mary Tyler Moore show.

I have season one on DVD and I love the show. The episodes are short, funny, and the theme song is the perfect pick-me-up. “You’re going to make it after all.”

At home massage.

Before all of this started I wanted to book myself a massage to help me with stress and flushing toxins from my system. With Matthew and I bickering a little more than usual because we’re not getting out, I decided to have a massage night. I thought it would be a healthy way to spend time together and reduce stress. You too can plan a massage or spa day at home. There are also many benefits to self-massage if you are prone to stress, aches, or migraines.

Asarai face mask.

Yup, the ads finally caught my attention. I’ve been getting them on Instagram (and ignoring them) for months. But then I was actually looking for face masks for home and this caught my eye. I was looking for a little at home pampering and all of the reviews I found online were incredible. This face mask is truly lovely and it feels so lightweight. The only thing is that it is very difficult to wash off and it can stain your clothes if you’re not careful.

This final tin of Trader Joe’s Green Tea Matcha.

I’m down to my final tin. I’ve been making myself a matcha tea latte as a special treat at home every once in a while.

Daffodils.

They’re finally here and every where. We went for a drive and strolled into the daffodil field in Litchfield over the weekend as our social distancing Easter celebration.

Letters from friends.

I’m so blessed with wonderful and meaningful friendships. I received two letters this week from my thoughtful friends. I’m going to be writing a few out myself this coming week. It brightened my day so much that I truly believe we should all take a moment and write out a positive message for a friend and mail it out to them. You with me?

What are you thankful for this week?

With appreciation,

Courtney