Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Ten on Tuesday - The Ordinary is Extraordinary

Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Seemingly Ordinary Things That Bring You Joy. This is a good one, Carole!

  1. My morning cup of tea. It's what gets me out of bed and I (almost) never take it for granted.
  2. My laptop. While I drink my tea, I use my laptop to check email, blogs on feedly, ravelry, goodreads, and even a quick perusal of facebook. It's an ordinary thing, but I love the connections with friends and family that my laptop allows.
  3. My cell phone. I've had a love/hate relationship with this device, but once again - it's the connections that are important. I can stay close to my kids by texting and when we talk on the phone I don't have to worry at all about the dreaded "long distance" charges. 
  4. Books. Books have always provided me with information, escape, and fun. As I get older, they continue to do all of this, along with showing me another side, another idea, another opinion, another way for me to think about things. Books and what they have to say bring me incredible joy, every day.
  5. My ipod. I have always been an avid reader, but my chosen format began to change about 10 years ago. I discovered Audible, got an ipod, and have been listening to audiobooks ever since. I still read on my Kindle and even an occasional "real" book, but my ipod allows me to listen to a book while knitting, walking, driving, grossery shopping, doing yard work, almost anywhere. I use my ipod every single day and it brings me abundant joy.
  6. The internet. I'm not sure I want to admit how important this is to my life, but there are days I wonder how I did anything without it. It allows me to make travel plans easily, find a pharmacy in Montana where the doctor in New Jersey can call in Justin's antibiotics for Lyme disease, research what changes need to be made to a recipe for zucchini bread if it's being baked in Fort Collins at 5,000 ft above sea level, and read Oliver Sacks' essays
  7. Knitting needles and yarn. I'm not a speedy knitter, nor do I knit complicated things, but knitting provides me with joy, creativity, something to do with my hands, a way to show my love for those I knit for, and a form of meditation.
  8. Pad thai. This amazingly delicious combination of ordinary ingredients - rice noodles, tamarind paste, chicken or shrimp, cilantro, chopped peanuts and lime - brings back lovely memories of enjoyable past pad thai meals and always makes me happy. 
  9. Peppermint tea. I've been happy to drink this iced during summer, and I know I'll look forward to nice warm cups of the same brew when the weather turns chilly. Tea, and a break to enjoy a cup, brings me joy!
  10. Autumn blooming clematis. I was getting in my 10,000 steps last weekend, and I smelled the loveliest scent on almost every street or trail I traveled. Once I started to look for it, I saw autumn blooming clematis everywhere. The heavenly fragrance and profusion of white blossoms was especially welcome as it's been so dry here that much of our flora looks dead or dying and almost nothing else is blooming. 

I'm a little surprised at the number of technology-related items (and maybe too many material "things") on my list, but while they are relatively ordinary, they all do extraordinary things. What ordinary things bring you joy?

10 comments:

  1. I love your list. It could also be my list. (Except for the Lyme disease part, which is rather disturbing. I hope Justin is feeling better.) Because I find much joy in all of those "ordinary" things, too. Pad thai. Mmmmmm.

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  2. I'm a recent convert to Peppermint tea and it's so good! I'll have to try it iced. Great list Bonny, and those techy items...they bring us the joy of connection!

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  3. Great list! My cell phone brings me joy. I have so much I manage on there. Lists, calendar, Fitbit, pictures. It definitely makes life easier.

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  4. I love you list - and especially peppermint tea!

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  5. your numbers 4 and 7 match mine! My phone would bring me joy if I had one - LOL! I want an IPhone - or whatever the phone is that allows you to get that watercolor app for your photos!


    Linda in VA

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  6. Where would we be without the internet!?! None of us would know each other let alone be friends. Love your list and every THING on it!

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  7. I love your list. We went to the Celestial Seasonings last month and it was fantastic. I love tea anyway, but I was super happy that the rest of the family got on board with the tea drinking, and they have continued since we returned from vacation.

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  8. this was an excellent topic - and I'm glad you had at least ten good things to keep your mind busy! I somehow managed an entire list without only one tech entry ... but the truth is I'd be completely lost without my phone and my ipad (and I even considered listing the buzz on my wrist when I hit 10,000 steps each day :-)

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  9. I agree with your list except for the pad thai....but then maybe if I ate it enough I would love it! I adore my cell :) that is my apron string to the kids!

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  10. So sad that autumn-blooming clematis is not hardy here...

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