Simple Joys in Life

 

December is upon us and Neil and I are easing back into life at Hickory Grove. It’s been restful and relaxing . . . everything that hospital life was not. We’ve been blessed with mild weather since arriving home, and we are drinking in the fresh air, sunshine and simple joys of country life.

Bird World

I’m sure the backyard photo above seems very similar to one I posted on January 1, 2022, but it represents one of the simple joys in my life: birds. This backyard view of Hickory Grove was the one I missed most during our long stay at Johns Hopkins. It represents peace, tranquility and my love of nature. Moments after taking this photo, the feeders were a blur of activity. Unfortunately my old iPhone 7 does not zoom very well, otherwise you’d be viewing a variety of bird photos. Hickory Grove is home to many wild birds, including nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, chickadees and at least five species of woodpeckers. Chickadees are my favorite, mainly because they are so entertaining to watch. Neil calls them “bully birds” because they chase away many of the other smaller birds from the feeding stations.

Morning Joe

While bird-watching from the kitchen window, I enjoy another simple joy in my life: my morning coffee. Coffee was hit-or-miss during our stay in Baltimore, depending on where I was each morning. Sometimes I had access to a Keurig in the outpatient clinic, so I would bring along my trusty travel mug, K-cup, sugar and creamer. Other days I went without coffee rather than brew an entire pot in our apartment.

You see, I am a “single-cupper”, so drinking coffee is less of a morning buzz for me and more of a savoring experience. I need to sip it while enjoying some sort of view. Unfortunately, there was never a window view at Johns Hopkins other than another brick building.

On our first morning back home, I opened the kitchen cupboard to find my favorite coffee mug. I have quite an assortment of cups and mugs, but my morning coffee always tastes best in the bunny mug. Our daughter gave it to me as a gift some years ago and it’s very special to me. Don’t you love that there is not only a rabbit on the outside of the mug, but also a tiny bunny inside? This mug also makes me smile because I think about our daughter’s two rabbits, Max and Charlie. They are forever getting into mischief!

Coming Home

This Christmas season, I am truly grateful for all the simple joys in life.

My concept of “home” has forever been altered by the events of the past year. Our plans last December were focused on finding a new home with a view that included pelicans and swaying palms. But plans change. I have no idea whether our former snowbird plans will ever come to pass. They may simply be on hold. In the meantime, Hickory Grove is our current home and I am definitely enjoying the view.