“Blessed is the man who can enjoy the small things, the common beauties: the little day-by-day events, sunshine on the fields, birds on the bough, breakfast, dinner, supper: the daily paper on the porch, a friend passing by. So many people who go afield for enjoyment leave it behind them at home.”
~ David Grayson, The Countryman’s Year
Things that made me happy in October:
Taking Elsie and Elanor to visit Mema in the sunroom, while the boys played in the sandbox and Papa burned leaves
Leaning over to show Papa a picture and smelling the smoke in his hair
The first brushes of amber and gold in the Ozarks
A Table Rock sunset
Camping in our little family pop-up
Pouring coffee in a thermos and going fishing with Jared just after sunrise
Silver Dollar City—pulled pork, Powder Keg, a thousand pumpkins, kettle chips on a stick, and an Arbour Seasons concert
A morning lakeshore walk and Bible study
Pancakes and campfire bacon and eggs
A long train ride through the trees, Jared and I
Afternoon lake swim and paddle
A Sunday morning worship service with the church group in camp chairs
Tim and Stacy taking me out for a few hours and teaching me how to trout fish
On a cold, fall morning, a playdate with Barrett and Lila; playing tackle football and making acorn pies
Sammy’s Bridal Shower Hoedown, complete with sloppy Joe’s, line dances, and twenty ladies lined up for a Nerf-gun-slinging duel
Coffee, breakfast, and Galatians at Johnny and Amanda’s kitchen table
A full Lord’s Day of teaching, violining, worshiping, talking about the hard things and good things with sisters in Christ
Digging up daffodil bulbs with Papa Larry and replanting them down at the pond for our wedding pictures in spring
Double date breakfast with Dad and Mom at First Watch
Visiting Ann, the quiltmaker and widow who remains faithful in trials
How Jared bought me 60 daffodil bulbs to plant hither and thither around our Arkansan home, between the pin oaks, flanking the bench swing, at the feet of the pines, and around the backyard trees we can see from the kitchen
College football
Playing the piano as folks filtered into church on Sunday
Coloring during evening Bible study with Violet and Vance
The first few renovations on our home: mopping the kitchen, wiping down the cabinets, ripping up carpet, hammering tack strips loose, and busting up tile till our backs were stiff—how love builds things
Looking around our home-to-be to see where the light hits at different times in the day—especially how it fills up the breakfast nook in the late afternoon
Picking out kitchen pots and pans
“The Lost Art of Porch Sitting,” by Sean of the South
Driving up the mountain to visit Don and Bo
Don in his cowboy hat, saddling up horses for us to ride, teaching us how to brush, lead, and reign them; how he commanded them without a halter, saying “Gee” and “Haw” and how they followed him with a gentle respect
Fall Harvest Festival at Vesta: horseshoes, corn hole, kids in costumes, hot dogs & potato salad, and painting kiddos’ faces in the churchyard on a cool evening, cows out grazing in the pasture beyond
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