The Little Things No. 15

The little things really do add up, which is why every Friday I 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,

As the leaves are bursting atop the trees, the spring flowers are beginning to wither away. I’m feeling a sense of peace this week. While it looks like most of the nation is preparing to reopen again, Matthew and I are still planning on laying low for a while. At work I’ll still be going in only a few days a week until further notice. I don’t know what is going to happen to my late summer weddings (I’m a wedding photographer), but I do remain hopeful that the future looks bright and I plan on being cautious when I do photograph weddings again. I even ordered a bunch of fabric masks. Because there is such a shortage on medical masks, I’m not going to buy any. The only people who need medical masks right now are those in medical fields or who handle food for the public.

How are you holding up this week? Last night I social distance read in a park on a picnic blanket in Collinsville overlooking the river. Connecticut has so many cute little down towns, especially along the rivers, lakes, and the shoreline. Matthew has a goal to ride his bike 500 miles by the end of the summer and he is at a pretty good start. While I was reading by the river he was out checking off several more miles on the bike trails. We’re very blessed with incredible bike trails in Connecticut; scenic journeys through the woods, down towns, and even over bridges like the Simsbury Flower Bridge.

This week I am so thankful for the turn in the weather towards warmer days. I’m also finding appreciation in:

My new font for the blog. I finally found a font that looks stylish and “live lovely,” while also being easier on the eyes to read as well. I was very happy with myself yesterday when I finally made the change. What do you think?

My daily walks. With all this nice weather I have been doing my best to go for walks every day and to keep my body moving. I really do miss my gym classes and I feel that I should be working out more, but I’m taking this time in my life as a period of calm and compassion. Time to take off the pressure off. It’s still a little sad to see everything shut down, and all the signs outside are a little surreal. This is a snap of the church down the road from me that I walk past every day. I liked the “Prayer, not panic,” sign.

This book. Seriously, Anne of Green Gables is bringing me so much joy. She reminds me so much of myself as a kid. I’m only reading a small chapter or two at a time.

Feeling like myself again. Without the pressure to constantly succeed, to do, and to hustle; all I have left is myself. And I’m liking myself a lot right now. When life becomes simpler, it really does bring out the best in us. I’m feeling more creative and happy these days and I’m also letting go of past pains to find joy in the present.

This sounds silly, but I finally found a way to revive and preserve my white linens, clothes, and shoes! I normally avoid whites because they stain, but I really love them. I bought a fold-able washing tub for our apartment to soak my whites before washing them. Hot water and baking soda really does the trick. Good thing too because I get these white sneakers pretty dusty when I go out. The washing basin was worth the small investment because now I don’t need to replace our sheets, shower curtain liner, or white t-shirts as often.

What little things brightened your week?

With appreciation,

Courtney