joy on a thursday morning

i was on the phone this morning with a good friend who was giving me an update on her mother. my friend is now sort of going through what i went through with grandma but with her mother. it seems her mama is just as cantankerous as my granny was. so really, it isn't surprising that when, during her interview for her care, when asked what things brought her joy, she pulled a witch-baby and snarled that she couldn't possibly answer that question. in retelling it to her daughters is was impressed that there simply was nothing that brought her joy and in that, her daughters and my good friend thought to themselves..."well how sad". on the phone we agreed that it was sad and depressing and then we ran through a list of very simple things that brought us joy. i have to tell you that we thought of many. here are a few:

*reading pictures books out loud for an impromptu storytime
*words that remind us of funny, funny times (awhaluva)
*waking up in time to see the pink sunrise
*greasy greasy dagla's fries
*finally finding a gas station while on a road trip
*drinking soda from bottles and straws
*finishing a really good book

just thinking of things that bring joy to my heart brings a smile to my face and a joyful dance to my thinking. i woke up at 7:30 and already have a small list of joyful things. even through this awful awful head/jaw ache that kept me tossing and turning all night, i can still find joy is simple homespun things. so here i will share, a few things from this morning that made me smile, made me stop and forced a little more joy in my heart...

the orangish light filtering into the bedroom
paper lanterns blowing in the breeze
dishtowels pinned to the kitchen window
glass bottles on the kitchen shelf
not pictured is the doris day song that came up on itunes that never fails to bring a smile to my face, the chiming bells that hang outside the window that only rarely get spun enough so they ring, the peep, peep, peeping of the wee birdies outside, the fierce hum of a bumblebee at it nestles in the hollyhocks just outside my window and finally, the fact that even though i am all full up of prescriptions and i would rather not take anything, the sniffer is working so that i can smell my morning iced coffee, the dish soap in the sink and that old timey oatie smell of my breakfast cereal. yes my friends, it is the simple everyday things that truly bring joy to my heart. have you had your joy this morning?