Simple pleasures

Ah. The windows are open, a fan gently whirls, and birds sing their evening praise as the sun begins its game of hide behind the backyard trees. I love times like these.

I also like unexpected pleasures. On yesterday's run, I spied some beautiful flowers growing along side of the country road. I couldn't resist. I stepped into the ditch and started pulling at them. The stems did not break easily, so there I was, running down the road with a handful of flowers, roots and all. I'm not sure if I delighted more in the flowers or the strange looks I got from the few people whizzing by in their cars.

When I smell the scent of freshly cut grass, my mind goes back to my dad and his riding lawn mower. He loved to come home from his dental office and climb onto that tractor. It soothed him. It made the pressures of a solo practice disappear for awhile. Maybe that's why I anticipate my sessions with our lawn mover.


Then, there's the quiet of my house. I'm fortunate to work from my humble little office. It certainly is convenient to grab my coffee and head upstairs to work each morning. Heading down the stairs for a snack has its advantages as well. I can dress up, dress down, or not dress at all when I head to work. (OK. Scratch that last comment. The visual picture is not pretty and hardly what I intended to say.) Anyway, though I sometimes have a hard time leaving work upstairs, I enjoy my situation.

Feelings and memories are wonderful: The warm spring air, the scent of wildflowers, a garden becoming crowded with green, the churn of the pool pump motor, the gentle lapping of the pool water, the energetic bunny that scampers across the driveway, the drone of a plane hidden behind billowy white clouds, the pop-pop-pop of tar bubbles bursting underfoot as I run along warm country roads.

I love this life and it's simple pleasures. Thank you, Lord.