small & simple joys

Saturday, November 29, 2014



the new nest of down & flannel ... missing from photo are Oliver & Virg (my constant cat companions ;-) 

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. 

 Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. 

This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays. 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Yah ! Ralph, he's another favourite of mine.

Since moving to Lunenburg 2 weeks ago today, I've been  practicing  a combo of living in the moments and scheduling myself to the hilt. I call it planned spontaneity ;-)

I have a loose plan for each & every day, a small want to-do list with terribly exciting (seriously), small joys such as go for a walk up & down a few hilly streets, bring in firewood, make soup, do my 26 minutes of yoga routine, write & address 5 Christmas cards and I spend the biggest chunk of my days working on my current, quite time consuming, collage & paint-a-thon gift & home decor project (one day very soon to be revealed).

I begin my every day around 6am with coffee (on a timer - hooray !) & journal writing/planning in my new cozy bedroom nest until 7:30. Then up yoga, breakfast & I try to be at my desk and cutting bits of paper, glueing etc by 9am. I plan my errands post office, groceries etc around my walking time. I aim myself somewhere & walk to & from that place. This is a perfect walking community with the extra added benefit of being tremendously great exercise as it's so darn hilly. Up & down, down & up, past all the beautifully painted historic homes & almost always with a view of the sea. I've been enjoying not cooking dinners and have been instead sipping on mugs of soup or eating crackers & cheese and/or peanut butter at my desk each evening, though I always plan lovely dinners with lots of left-overs when the Prince & young Samuel arrive for their weekly visit. When I have a project on the go I try and stay working away at my desk until 8-9pm. Back to the nest avec those dear, sweet cats + my current book and/or a little NetFlix.

My days of late are completely filled with a series of small & simple joys.

7 comments:

  1. Your nest looks soooo cozy and I love those wood floors! I need to try and get in a better routine than I have been of late. I like yours! Your walks sound wonderful and such good exercise on those hills. I have been perusing your recipes and there are some I have to try. Everything look so delicious!!

    I think you chose and outstanding place to move to. It is beautiful! I am about ready to move to Canada!!

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  2. I love your lil' nest and that wonderful quote from Ralph.

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  3. Really AWESOME!!! Love your comfy nest you have made there!

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  4. It is good to have simple joys in our lives, they are the most enduring.
    Dear Susan your new 'nest' is so beautiful in that golden light, I can imagine how lovely it would look in the morning light and perhaps filled with sunshine throughout the day. Being a great fan of colours and textures, I just love your pillowcases and bed sheets they have a retro look to them and those wide floorboards are just wonderful. I think I can see a cat curled up on the bed in the second photo.
    Love to all
    xoxoxo ♡

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  5. "small and simple joys" . . . is there any better way to live? loving your nest, your "planned spontaneity" and your ralph. lol ((hugs))

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  6. A wonderful schedule methinks! :) enjoy that nest and all those walks. We love walks...even if in our rather townie area. :)

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