The Little Things No. 12

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,

How are you all doing this week? I’m not going to talk anything news today because I feel that we’re all already so overwhelmed with information, but I hope you’re all holding up alright. It has been a rainy week here in Connecticut. I’m still working every other day at the office and unfortunately all the rainy days have coincided with my days off. It is dark and dreary in our apartment on rainy days as we don’t get enough window light even on the sunniest days. I’m doing my best to make do and stay cheerful.

I’ve started doing 15-30 minute yoga workouts with Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube in the mornings. My cat Madeleine really loves it and lays down underneath me when I’m trying to focus. Makes it difficult to keep my poses, but she sure is a cute distraction. We’re actually thinking about adopting another kitty very soon. Almost two years ago now my elderly cat, Mister, passed away and Madeleine has been alone ever since. She gets really distressed around other cats sometimes. We think she got beat up a lot when she was a stray on the streets because older and bigger cats really intimidate her. Yet, she got along with Mister just fine and she has been really distressed when we leave her alone during the day. When we brought Madeleine home, Mister wasn’t too impressed with us, but he was so sweet with her. She was hissing and him and backed herself into a corner so he laid down right in front of her and rested his head down on the ground to show her he wasn’t a threat until she stopped hissing at him and eventually worked up the courage to come up to him. We don’t think Madeleine will be as compassionate to a new cat. However, we think it might be time to get her a companion as she is still a very young cat and she gets so lonely and bored when we’re away for the day or a weekend.

We’re thinking a younger cat would be less intimidating and as the vet said it appears that she may have had kittens in her youth, she might have motherly instincts towards. younger cat. If you have had experience bringing a new cat into a home that already has one, I would love to hear your story in the comments and what you did to make the meeting and transition smooth.

I’ve been attempting to be more creative with my extra time, baking a little bit and mixing up our usual meal recipes. I have also taken to wearing a mask when around other people when I need to run to the post office or the bank for work. I never in a million years thought that wearing a black mask to a bank would be appropriate and I feel a lot like a bank robber in my getaway car when I pull up to the teller window.

Wherever you are, I hope you are managing to find some joy in your days. What are you thankful for this week?

This week, the little things that have brought me joy are:

This kale chip recipe.

I invented this recipe a few years ago and I haven’t made it in a while. You can find it by clicking on this link here. So good!

My #Quaranteam.

My quanteam is, of course, my husband Matthew and our cat Madeleine. Matthew even cut my hair this week as my ends have gotten really split and were breaking off. He does a great job cutting his own, but my hair is a completely different story. He did a good job!

My spring wardrobe challenge.

Yup, I’m still working on this. It has been really difficult because it is still so chilly so I’m still wearing mostly pants with winter sweaters, but the nicer weather will be here soon.

I have also received a DM on Instagram form my grandmother and her best friend Kathleen asking me for more Instagram stories, especially about books. Sp once a week I will also be sharing more book recommendations as well as the stories behind some of the books on my bookcase. This week I’m highly recommending Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and the poetry of Nicki Giovanni.

This month I am also celebrating my three year blogaversary!

I started taking photos on our spontaneous drives many years ago and three years ago I had the idea of sharing our mini adventures, photos, stories, and travels on a blog. My Connecticut Charm series was born and I suddenly became a lifestyle blogger along as a wedding photographer. I’ve learned that taking photos for myself really helped me develop as a professional photographer and I have grown in new ways since I started my blogging journey.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

With appreciation,

Courtney