Flat Phoebe has certainly had some adventures today! John decided that he was hungry for a spaghetti lunch at Fazoli's so we all piled in the car & off we went! John had his spaghetti, I had lasagna, & Flat Phoebe had a slice of pizza : )
On our way home from the restaurant we decided to stop for a special treat. The weather was so warm & sunny that Flat Phoebe wanted to play for a while. She was very excited to get to climb this little tree!
And here we are getting our special treat ... frozen Cokes! Flat Phoebe chose to have the frozen Mt. Dew because the yellow color matched the color of her hair : )
Tomorrow we will be heading to Lexington! I wonder what fun awaits us there?
"And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place beside Me, & you shall stand upon the rock, & while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock & cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away My hand & you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Exodus 33:21-23
Isn't it exciting when you read or hear something that you've read or heard for years & then suddenly you "get it?" Not only do you "get it," but it takes your breath away! It's like "Wow! Look at that! How could I have missed that?!?!?" You want to tell everyone you know about this jaw-dropping revelation you have had. That is how I felt (& still feel) after reading the account of Moses being hidden in the cleft of the rock in Exodus 33.
As I have mentioned previously, I have been reading a book by Joyce Meyer, Secrets to Exceptional Living - Transforming Your Life Through the Fruit of the Spirit. I am not a Joyce Meyer junkie, but throughout my life I have encountered very few teachers of God's Word to whom He has given such amazing insight.
I just so happened to start reading this book in the midst of my 3-1/2 weeks of waiting for the mail order pharmacy to approve & send me a much needed prescription. (You can read my post about it here if you missed it.) I reached the chapter on goodness sometime during Week 3. The Bible refers to 9 fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Joyce talks about each one. If you are like me, there are times in your life when you feel in need of something more so than at other times. This year I recognized a need for peace in my life, so I was anxious to read the chapter devoted to that fruit. The chapter on goodness, not so much. My thoughts were "I know what goodness is; I know how to be good to people," but of course I still read the chapter & I am so glad that I did!
As I mentioned above, for years I have heard/read the account of Moses being hidden in the cleft of the rock, & I understood this simply as that ... an account of something that happened to Moses ... but it is so much more! Rather than me telling you what Joyce had to say, I am going to just copy her words here for you to read them yourself. I don't believe I can say them any better.
_____________________
Joyce talks about God being good to us. She then quotes Exodus 33:21-23 & says ...
"I read that Scripture for a number of years without really understanding it. Then one day God suddenly gave me a revelation about those verses.
In essence, He said [to Moses] 'I'm going to hide you in the cleft of the rock over there...' which I believe represents Jesus because we are hidden in Christ. He went on to say 'I'm going to pass by, & I will put My hand over you so you can't see my face.' In other words, 'You cannot see me coming. Once I pass by, I'll remove my hand & you will be able to see Me from behind.' My understanding of this passage is that as a Christian you can be in desperate trouble. Perhaps you've been waiting & waiting, & God has been moving toward you every second of each day with the answer. But you can't see Him coming. Remember we are hidden in Christ. Even though our need has not been met to our satisfaction, we're in Christ. Therefore, we're safe in that place. In Christ, there's a certain kind of provision for us. It may not be everything we want, but it keeps us. It helps us. It gives us what we need to get through the situation. As the Bible says in Psalm 91:15, God will be with us in trouble & deliver us. Many times before God delivers us from trouble, we have to be satisfied with Him being with us in trouble. We don't see God coming, but at all times He is moving toward us. You may not have yet seen the goodness of God manifest in your life, but keep in mind it's moving toward you."
"God is telling us that we will not see Him coming, but we will certainly know when He's been there."
_____________________
And that sums it up really. No matter what we are going through, God is aware of it & He is protecting us ... hiding us from harm ... as He comes toward us to bring us our answer, our deliverance, His comfort, whatever our need may be. There is no need for you to worry. All you need to do is know that He is taking care of whatever it might be. He "has your back" : )
And this is just a small part of the chapter on goodness! I pray that someone else reading about this will have a "wow" moment like I did : )
A visitor has come to stay with me for a while & I would like to introduce her to you. Her name is Flat Phoebe. My youngest granddaughter & her teacher sent her to have a little adventure with me so you will be seeing posts about her over the next 3 weeks or so : )
Flat Phoebe arrived this morning & she was so excited to meet Sophie! She asked me to take a picture of the two of them together. Sophie is happy that Flat Phoebe is visiting because now she has another pair of hands to pet her : )
I'm looking forward to introducing Flat Phoebe to cross stitching while she is here. Maybe we will do some knitting as well : )
I am currently reading a book by Joyce Meyer ... Secrets to Exceptional Living - Transforming Your Life Through the Fruit of the Spirit.
If you became a Christian & were discipled like I was (not very well), you probably thought these 9 traits were gifts that God gives to anyone believing in Him. On the one hand this is true; on the other hand, not so much. God does indeed give these traits to us, but they are given to us ... planted in us ... as seeds.
Everyone knows that when you plant a seed, you don't just throw it in the ground any old time, never give it another thought, & then one day, voila! You've got an apple tree! Seeds need certain conditions for their growth. They need the right temperature. They need good soil. They need the right amount of water & light. When they begin to sprout, they need protection from the harsh rays of the sun. When weeds start to appear around the plants, these weeds need to be removed. The plants might need to be sprayed or dusted with pesticide at times. You might mix some plant food in with the soil around the plants to nourish them. In order for the fruit of the Spirit to grow in our lives, the seeds & the sprouts & the plants need the same sort of diligent attention as earthly fruit, flowers, & vegetables.
I don't know about you, but I want to be a person who shows God's love to others. I want joy & peace in my life. I want to be patient. I want to be kind & good & faithful. I want to be gentle. I want to have self-control. However, wanting these traits does not mean they are going to develop in my life on their own. They are planted inside of me. They are planted inside all of us who are Christians. We just need to nourish them in order for them to grow.
How do we nourish the fruit of the Spirit so it will grow in our lives? Joyce says "The fruit of the Spirit is not about how we feel, but about what we choose to do." Our love grows when we purposely show love to a family member who seems to be on a mission in life to annoy us. Our kindness & patience grow when we are kind & patient with a new salesclerk who is a bit slow & confused about the job. Our joy grows when we deliberately choose to be joyful in the midst of trying circumstances rather than wallow in self-pity. Our faithfulness grows when we keep a promise we made to a friend last week to do something for her today, & we follow through with that promise despite the fact that we just don't feel like doing it today.
Joyce says that of the 9 fruit listed in this passage, love & self-control are the bookends. We cannot develop any of the other fruit without first developing love (wanting to be joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, & gentle) & self-control (choosing to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, & gentle ... despite how we feel).
I encourage you to do a study of the fruit of the Spirit & to commit to develop the fruit in your life : )
I received the most wonderful & thoughtful gift package from Anne (Doll's Musings). Have you ever seen such a beautiful pin pillow? Can you see the little bead accents & all the specialty stitches? Yes, ladies & gentlemen, you read that correctly. Specialty stitches. On 40 count no less! Anne says this is a BBD design & she chose it for me because she knows I love strawberries : ) And you know what? She slipped some lavender into the stuffing! It smells heavenly!
She also sent me a lovely piece of fabric which will work perfectly with Americana pieces, a very pretty card, & two luscious teas! Today I tried the Coconut Black Tea, a flavor her DH loves. Yum! She also sent one of her favorite flavors, Strawberry Rose Rooibos. I'm looking forward to trying that one tomorrow : )
Thank you again my dear friend! I love everything : )
I do so love receiving an order from The Silver Needle! Why, you ask? Just take a look!
Whenever I've purchased something from TSN, it has always arrived wrapped in pretty or festive paper. It's nice when a shop takes the time to make things special for their customers : ) They have always included some kind of free gift with my orders as well, but more about that later. For now you are probably wondering what goodies lurked beneath those pretty papers. Wonder no more ... here they are ... all Olde Colonial Designs : )
Left: Pyn Purse Cushion Kit
Right: Needlework Garden Snip Basket Kit
Waste Knot Want Knot Chart with backing fabric & embellishments
Waste Knot Want Knot basket
A Needlework Garden & Needlebook Chart Pack with backing fabric & embellishments
Lidded basket
Suggested linen & threads
My photos aren't very flattering. You can click here in order to view them on TSN's site.
I ordered another Olde Colonial Needleworks set but it had to be back ordered.
The Silver Needle also sent me a little gift ... a pen with their store name & logo ... but I neglected to take a photo of that. It's a cute one though : )
I'll maybe share a few other goodies with you tomorrow. For now, I want to show you my progress on Snow Angel ... my SAL with Sally.
Yes, it's wrinkled. Yes, it's wonky. It's a WIP. I'm not going to run upstairs & heat up the iron every time I take a picture of some unfinished design so excuse me if this offends you : ) I think I have a good chance of reaching my goal to finish this by the end of March. All I have left to stitch is a pet & a yard full of snow along with some flakes falling down here & there.
God gave me this verse this morning. It was indeed a word in due season ... a wonderful gift : )
I have read & learned so many wonderful things in my study & devotion time this week that I have had a difficult time choosing just one to share with you today. I never thought about our inheritance from God before. I've known that He gives us many gifts when we surrender our lives to Him: His grace, His forgiveness, etc. I just never thought of these gifts being an inheritance ... but they are.
I am reading a book of evening devotions ... Ending Your Day Right, written by Joyce Meyer. One of last week's devotions was based on Ephesians 1:11. Joyce titled it "Enjoy Your Inheritance." She writes as follows:
"As a believer, you are meant to enjoy your spiritual inheritance. Life presents many challenges, but you must recognize what is rightfully yours through placing your confidence in Christ. You don't have to live on an emotional roller coaster, feeling up one day & down the next. Instead, you can live as Christ lived, with a sense of peace & security that comes from knowing who you are & Whose you are.
Until you make the decision to claim & live in your inheritance, the enemy will continue to rob you of what Jesus died to provide you -- His righteousness, peace, & joy that prevail even in the midst of turmoil & confusion. So calm down, cheer up, & learn to enjoy the inheritance that is yours through Christ."
When you mention the word inheritance to someone, they will most likely think of a person dying & leaving their money &/or worldly goods to another person. This is, of course, a correct definition. However, Merriam-Webster offers a second definition: "the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations."
A condition or trait. We can inherit a condition or trait, good or bad, from our parents, grandparents, etc. For example, a bad temper would be considered a bad condition or trait, & a good work ethic would be considered a good condition or trait. We can also inherit a condition or trait from God. We can inherit His peace & joy. We do, in fact, inherit these things. To paint a word picture, we have a Last Will & Testament (the Bible) which tells us that God gives us His peace & joy when we surrender our lives to Him. As Joyce says, we don't have to live on an emotional roller coaster, feeling up one day & down the next. Peace & joy are bequeathed to us. We just have to take them.
While looking for the above scripture card image, I found this one referencing Ephesians 1:8 & got quite a kick out of it.
I would rather have peace, joy, contentment, & all the other things God gives me than all the money & riches the world has to offer. Remember my link to a Jim Reeves song on YouTube a couple weeks ago? I've got another one for you & will follow it with the lyrics. The title of the song is "I'd Rather Have Jesus." I love this song. I hope you will too : )
"I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold.
I'd rather be His than have treasures untold.
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land.
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hands
Than to be the king of a vast domain
& be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
this world affords today.
I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause.
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame
I'd rather be true to His holy name.
Than to be the king of a vast domain
& be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
this world affords today."
I wish you all peace, joy, contentment, & a very blessed Sunday : )
My devotional for last night referencing Philippians 4:4 turned out to be a preface for my day today. Here is a brief excerpt.
"Twice in this passage the apostle Paul
tells us to rejoice. If you wait until
everything is perfect before rejoicing...
you won't have much fun. Live in the
fullness of the joy of the Lord by finding
something to be glad about besides your
current circumstances. You must learn to
derive your happiness & joy from the Lord
who lives inside you."
I am certainly having a lesson in this teaching today. I have been trying to get a refill of a particular medication from my specialty mail order pharmacy since February 21. It is a necessary medication, pretty much what you'd consider a life or death kind of thing. I won't die without it but my quality of life would not be good. I have gotten the runaround from what now totals 9 pharmacy representatives these past 2-1/2 weeks, each of them with a different excuse/story. The one I spoke with at 8:30 this morning ... I could tell as soon as I started talking with her that she wasn't going to lift a finger to help me. In fact, she told me they had never received a refill request from my doctor's office so they just closed my file! I got off the phone with her & immediately called my doctor's nurse who assured me that all the necessary paperwork had been faxed to the pharmacy. When I called the pharmacy again to tell them this, rep #9 responded by telling me "there's no record of it" & then saying that she'd give this information to the person in charge of my file. There is one particular person in charge of my file? This was news to me. I asked if this person would call my doctor's office regarding the fax & was assured that they would. I then asked if this person would call me afterward to let me know the status of my refill. I was assured that they would. I won't hold my breath.
I will be calling the specialty pharmacy again this afternoon but I will ask to speak with the supervisor this time. If we lived closer to Kansas, I'd hop in the car & drive to the pharmacy to meet with someone face to face ... the previously unknown to exist person in charge of my file perhaps. I have 3 days' worth of medication left.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!
This looks just like me rejoicing while sitting in front of my laptop!
If I was younger ...
& thinner ...
& my hair was thick & brown ...
& my neck skin wasn't sagging down onto the keyboard ...
Here is an update of my progress from last Thursday on the Snow Angel SAL I'm doing with Sally. I didn't get in as much stitching as I would have liked, but the border is almost complete now. If all goes well, I'm thinking I might be taking my last stitch by the end of the month. Sally & I already have another SAL lined up for when this one is in the bag : )
I was very happy to capture the following photos last week when we were experiencing good weather (snow, freezing rain, cold) rather than the mid 60s we're having today & the low 70s predicted for tomorrow. Doesn't Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal make a lovely couple?
I have been rereading the Book of Psalms this year ... a few psalms each morning. I finished the book sometime last month, then decided to read through it again. Slower this time. Seeking to absorb each thought. Jotting down verses or passages that particularly call out to me, saying "you need to apply this particular verse to your life," or "here is a prayer that says what's in your heart." I have been writing them down in a little notebook where I can easily refer to them, meditate upon them, & memorize them.
When I read the verse above, I immediately added it to my notebook, thinking "what a lovely little prayer!" When I continued reading the psalm, however, I discovered that there was a particular reason the psalmist was praying these words. He was not simply asking for God to do something nice for His people. To be gracious to them & bless them & make His face shine upon them so that their enemies would leave them alone, the number of their cattle would increase, or so that Obed the potter would give them a discount on bowls & water jugs. I had seen only part of the picture. The entire picture is this ...
Do you see it? The purpose of this prayer is not for personal gain or blessings of any kind. The purpose is for God to do these things for us so that His way may be known upon the earth ... His saving power among all nations. The purpose for praying this prayer is to bring Glory to God!
Sometimes we need to get our focus off ourselves. What is our purpose for being here on earth? Is it to have a big house, a fancy car, & closets full of clothes? Is it to go to the gym for several hours each day & spend money on plastic surgery so we "look good?" Is it to seek fame or notoriety for ourselves? No ... our purpose here on earth is not to amass possessions, try to make ourselves appear 35 when we're really 65, reach the top of the ladder in our chosen profession, or seek fame & the adoration of millions. Our purpose is to love God, & to live our lives in a way that will cause others to love Him as well. This is the whole picture.
Just a short post this morning. Yesterday I started packing some things into moving boxes for my excruciatingly long desired & still hopeful move far, far, far away from The Devil's Playground. Will it happen this year? That's up to God of course, but I really hope the two of us are on the same page about this : ) I also started putting other things into Goodwill boxes or sales boxes. I will be continuing to do this today but wanted to do this short post first.
First off, per my invitation on Thursday I have added a Wish List page. I have also republished my For Sale or Trade page. You will find the links for these pages underneath my header photo. The Wish List is a bit lacking, I'm afraid. The reason for this is that if I see something I want, I usually buy it right away. I added a few "likes" to the page, however, & will update things as changes occur.
Also, I've been noticing that a lot of stitchers have been posting about quilting on their blogs recently. I thought those of you who have been doing this might enjoy seeing a blog post I did in my early blogging days (June 2011) about quilts I've made. You can access it by clicking this sentence.
I sure do miss this bed! We sold the entire bedroom set before we moved here. "New house, new furniture" was my motto at the time but it turns out I hate the new stuff. So much for the grass being greener.
One more thing for all you crochet buffs or wannabes. I have a set of 4 Boye aluminum crochet hooks, sizes F-I, a small pair of snips (comes with the hook set), a booklet of 12 crochet dishcloth patterns, another booklet of 12 dishcloth patterns in both knit & crochet (7 are for crochet), & a few balls of either Sugar & Cream or Peaches & Cream cotton yarn which I will give to any of my followers living in the continental US who is interested in having them. All items are unused & therefore in excellent condition. If more than one person is interested, I will draw a name out of the trusty Rubbermaid container. Leave a comment on this post no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, March 13, telling me if you'd like to have these things . If more than one person is interested, I will do the drawing the following morning. If you are a no-reply blogger or do not have a blog, make sure I have a way of getting in touch with you.
You know what I've been wishing lately? I've been wishing that everyone with a stitching blog would have a Wish List available.
A separate Wish List page would be ideal ... accessed by clicking a tab at the top of your blog or by clicking a link on your sidebar. However, even a little mini Wish List visible on your sidebar would be a good thing. Naturally you would need to keep your Wish List up to date.
I know what you're thinking. "The Easily Influenced Stitcher doesn't have a Wish List!" Well, I'm going to be working on one & I am extending an invitation to you to do the same! I think I will even offer a prize here! If you currently have an up-to-date Wish List on your stitching blog, or if you create one now like I will be doing, make a comment on this post. I'll throw all the comments into a hat, draw out the name of someone, & that person will win a fabulous prize! I don't know what that prize will be yet (this thought just came to me as I'm writing this post) but I will make it worth your while : )
The deadline for updating your current Wish List or adding a new one to your blog will be Sunday, March 30th, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I will draw a name out of the hat (Rubbermaid container actually ... things are always high class here in The Devil's Playground) on March 31st & announce the winner that day : )
NOTE: This invitation is only open to all my current followers as of the date & time of this post. Do not publicize this invitation on your blog ... not in a post nor on your sidebar. I am not looking to grow my "fan base" by giving something away. I never have & I never will.
I hope you have fun making your Wish List ... & good luck in the drawing : )
I'm actually posting this in a timely manner! Here is my progress on Lone Elm Lane's Snow Angel from this past Thursday.
I finished the tree with the bird sitting in it.
The question I'm about to ask is one that I have asked every year since I've been blogging. No one ever seems to be able to help me although one person tried, but when I clicked the link she gave me, my computer was bombarded by bugs. I know it wasn't her fault ... some flukey thing happened there ... but what a trial that was! Anyway, I am looking for cross stitch design software. I used to be a cross stitch design contributor for a magazine back in the 80s. They enjoyed publishing my designs & I enjoyed submitting them. I used graph paper & a pencil to chart them. I have a lot of design ideas jotted down & am always thinking of more. I'd really like to work on them. I have attempted the graph paper/pencil route again but I don't know ... there has to be a better way. I'm not looking to chart school photos of my children or a photo I've snapped of birds at our feeders or something. I just want simple design software. Can anyone suggest something?
We had an ice storm & some snow last night. This morning it's snowing & windy. We don't have a lot of snow (typical devil's playground fare) but it actually covered the porches! It has never done that in all the time we've served our sentence here.
Usually I'd be tickled rainbow (tickled pink just doesn't describe the extent of the joy I would feel) to have weather like this, but I am supposed to be at a dental appointment in Louisville today. That's not going to happen (the office is closed). I had to reschedule the appointment in January when I was sick & had to wait 2 months for this one. I guess I'll have a bit of a wait again. Ah well.
John went out to feed the birds first thing this morning. Usually they fly away & then come back when he is done, but this morning they began converging on the feeders even before he reached the garage door.
We're supposed to get another 1-2 inches today. John will like that because I will be a model of peace & contentment : ) Keep warm, keep safe, & have a blessed day!
You know how sometimes you are exposed to the same sort of theme over a period of time? For example, you may be worried about a family member who is ill. While attending church on Sunday morning, your pastor will preach a sermon centering around Matthew 6:34. On Monday morning you read your morning devotional which has the title "Fear not." On Tuesday your friend asks you to go to a bookstore with her. While there, the first book you notice on display is "Overcoming Fear, Worry, & Anxiety." Then you're at the grocery store on Wednesday, & wait ... what's that song you hear playing over the store's speaker system? It's Bobby McFerrin singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"
God is trying to tell you something : )
I looked up the synonyms for fear, worry, & anxiety. They reference each other. They are all the same thing.
The Bible is filled with verses where God is telling us to "fear not," "do not worry," & "do not be anxious." I read a quote recently by Isobel Kuhn who served as a missionary in China from 1928-1950. Mrs. Kuhn said "The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan sent to confuse & weaken us."
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a Welsh protestant minister from 1927-1968, said "I do not care what the circumstances may be, the Christian should never get agitated...never be beside himself...never be at wit's end...It implies a lack of trust & confidence in Him."
Trust is what it's all about. We have no reason to fear, worry, or be anxious if we truly trust God & believe what He says in the Bible. If your adult son & his friends are determined to drive 200 miles in what is predicted to be bad weather to attend a concert of some sort, you should not worry about what could happen but instead pray, place their safety in God's hands, & trust Him whatever the outcome. If you find a suspicious lump in your breast, you should not worry about what could happen but instead pray & make an appointment with your doctor, trusting God whatever the outcome. If your husband loses his job, you should not worry about what could happen but instead pray as he seeks alternate employment & trust God to provide.
Concern for these things is not a sin, but dwelling on them ... allowing your concern to grow into hours/days/weeks/months of fear, worry, & anxiety ... is. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, "It implies a lack of trust & confidence in Him."
I am not fearful, worried, or anxious about anything in my life right now but I know that these emotions are lurking right outside my door. For this reason, it is good to memorize Bible verses. Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." When we memorize verses from God's Word, the Holy Spirit will cause them to come to our mind when fear, worry, anxiety, or any other negative emotion is attacking us.
What prompted me to write this blog post this morning was a song I listened to yesterday while revising my DMC floss storage system. I hate how it turned out, by the way, so I will be revising it again today if not going back to the old system. Lots of work involved here, but that's a story for another blog post : ) Anyway, I was listening to a CD of old gospel songs ... "Sunday with Jim Reeves & Eddy Arnold." Most of you are probably saying "Who?" These were popular singers back in the 1950s. I'm told that when I was a baby, I would be mesmerized when Eddy Arnold was singing on TV, & that when he was no longer visible, I would cry! He is a great singer, but I don't think he holds a candle to Jim Reeves. Jim Reeves has the smoothest, most calming, pleasant voice I have ever heard. This CD included a song of his that I hadn't heard for many, many years. Decades probably! I was overjoyed to hear it again. It's called "Where Do I Go From Here?" I am sharing with you the only YouTube video I have found. The words appear below.
Where do I go from here?
What fate is drawing hear?
Touch my heart & guide my lips in prayer.
Through the grace of God alone
I'll cast aside these fears I've known
& lift myself from the depths of deep despair.
Lead me through the darkness
& through each gloomy day.
Take my hand, oh, precious Lord,
& help me on my way.
Give me strength that I might find
Abiding faith & peace of mind
& I won't ask where do I go from here.
Incidentally, I know nothing about the book I mentioned above, "Overcoming Fear, Worry, & Anxiety," except is was a good title for my subject : ) I'm guessing it's a good book as it has a 5-star rating on Amazon.com. You can find it here if you are interested.
I love God, spending time with my husband of 48 years, a hot cup of tea, a hot bowl of homemade soup, a hot fresh loaf of homemade bread (do you see a pattern here?), cross stitching & a few other crafts, early mornings before the sun is up, sitting by a burning fireplace, snowy winters, crisp fall days, peace & quiet, wearing jeans & sweatshirts & funky socks. There's probably some other stuff too : )
