{"id":2390,"date":"2016-03-29T16:50:41","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T16:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/a-days-worth-of-simple-pleasures\/"},"modified":"2023-04-20T18:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T18:11:42","slug":"a-days-worth-of-simple-pleasures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/blog\/a-days-worth-of-simple-pleasures\/","title":{"rendered":"A Day’s Worth of Simple Pleasures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

Words: Ella Wilson
\nPhoto credit: Brent Cumminger, Bella Grace Issue 6<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

“For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014Vincent van Gogh<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A text from my college girl \u2014 my daughter \u2014 got me thinking about how I find sunlight in my day, no matter what the weather forecast is.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Daughter:<\/strong> Good Morning Mama! sun is not out, but I am. @class lu xo<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Find sun in your day \u2014 an Iced Mocha, try something new @lunch, sing lu xox<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I texted my girl a list of ideas and then thought about my own go-to list of simple pleasures. No matter what type of weather Mother Nature has in store, here are a few ways I add sunlight to my day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I love to start my day by adding Orange Marmalade on my toasted English muffin. I smile, as the muffin’s craters fill with butter and the citrus jelly dribbles and spreads. It tastes like sunshine on a muffin, which resembles the moon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I wash my face with a fruit infused soap. The lather and perfume are rich with the scent of berries and cream. I imagine I am walking a path in the forest and plucking wild berries, as the sunlight gently pats me on my head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: Lumina<\/a><\/span>, Bella Grace Issue 6<\/a><\/span>)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I gather herbs and put them into little vases on my windowsill. Their perfume entices me to find new recipes to try and plan a party. A pinch of their flavor brightens and adds magic to everything it touches.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I get my snail mail ready and write a quick note to someone I love. I add a quote. This one is a favorite:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“You are so much sunshine to a square inch.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014 <\/em>Walt Whitman<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I grab pouches of tea and tuck them in my purse. Earl Grey tea calms me. Midday, I have a cup of quiet reflection. It has become a daily ritual I enjoy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I keep a book with me at all times. Inside, I mark special passages with polka dot ribbons. Words connect my spirit and spark memories. When I need a bit of joy, I open the book and find a passage that moves me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If I follow through with my fitness plan, two or three squares of a uniquely delicious chocolate I found is my reward. This chocolate is dark and rich with a hint of crystallized ginger. The sweet n’ hot combination is a surprise and awakens my senses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Music connects my heart strings to my father. Recently, I had his guitar restrung. I sit and strum his cherished Madera, feel his presence, and hear his laughter. It warms my heart to sing a song he loved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: Evan Schneider<\/a><\/span>, Bella Grace Issue 6<\/a><\/span>)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Late afternoon, I take a nature walk with my puppy, Maggie. I notice signs in nature, the formation of the clouds, how moss looks like a galaxy of green stars, and the joy of a bird perched on a branch tweeting a song. I snap photos with my phone and try to capture my puppy’s joy, or take a picture of a special rock, a ladybug, or a flower getting ready to bloom.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the evening, I color. I gather beautiful colored pencils, an adult coloring book, and arrange the colors by theme. Today, I color flowers with a sunset theme: peach, poppy, mango, and lavender. It is a simple pleasure, which makes my inner child smile.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When I watch TV, I apply a rich moisturizer to my elbows, hands, and knees. It is a thick, almond, bee-scented cream. It reminds me of a candy I loved as a child called Bit-O-Honey.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Weather permitting, I go outside for a walk and say goodnight to the moon. If the moon isn’t out or the weather is stormy, I glance at a timeworn copy of Goodnight Moon<\/em> on my night stand. I cherish the cozy and warm moments shared with my kids, reading stories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally, I text my son and daughter goodnight. I know love is what warms my spirit and makes my heart shine. The energy of hope, joy, and love offer me the most pleasure in my day \u2014 no matter what the weather patterns in my life have in store.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ella Wilson is a mixed-media artist who tries to find calmness and beauty in various facets of her day. \u00a0Visit her blog at ellasedge.blogspot.com<\/a><\/span>, find her on Twitter and Instagram\u00a0@ellasedge, and visit her Etsy shop at\u00a0Ellasedge.etsy.com<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Words: Ella Wilson Photo credit: Brent Cumminger, Bella Grace Issue 6   “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.” \u2014Vincent van Gogh   A text from my college girl \u2014 my daughter \u2014 got me thinking about how I find sunlight in my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,128,131,129,130],"tags":[30,17,31,32],"class_list":["post-2390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-everyday-magic","category-gratitude","category-inspiration","category-lifes-beautiful-journey","tag-everyday-magic","tag-narrative","tag-pleasures","tag-simplicity"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}