Little Pleasures

So here I am in bed again, becoming more feverish as the seconds tick past.

It seems my pattern to narrowly avoid getting sick while everyone else suffers their flus and viruses, only to succumb to them in the end.

Mmm...tea.  I've grown a new appreciation for tea here.  With honey.  Yummy.  It's the little comforts in life that get you through, isn't it?

I'm learning that, lately.  God is a God of comfort, and there's nothing inherently bad about pleasure.  I mean, God is the source of every good gift, right?  He made the things which give pleasure, made our brains with different parts and different functions in order to feel pleasure.  So, I have God to thank for the tasty treat on my tongue, and all the ways he makes life beautiful, even when it's challenging.

So, I'd like to give God a tribute for all of the little pleasures he's given me to carry me through hard times:

Flowers...Kiev's underground streets are full of shops with gorgeous flowers.  The smell is fresh and alive, such an aroma-oasis in a city filled with pollution and second-hand smoke.  The colors and arrangements are beautiful, and there are varieties which I never new existed.  I'll try to remember to take pictures and add them later. (Sept, 29th, Just added the pic below!)

Rain...it washes everything, makes things grow.  It freshens the air and cleanses my soul.
(Fuzzy brain makes cheesy rhymes, but when has cheesiness ever been a crime?)

On that note, thank God for corny humor.  You may disagree, and that's okay, but I find it simplistic and refreshing, and innocent.  :)  There's no pretense or insult in a corny joke!  (Not one that I've heard yet.)

Cancellations...I often don't know when to stop, to slow down, and just rest.  I think I feel guilty or unproductive, which may lead to bouts of sickness like this.  I was going to cancel some English-tutoring lessons today, but it turns out the client had to go out of town anyways, so they canceled for me and I get to rest for another week without guilt.

Irish Step...I tagged along with a friend to an Irish Step class last night, and we both agreed that the music is impossible to resist.  You just can't stay unhappy listening to Irish step music!  Try it!  (Sorry for the video--don't watch if you get motion-sick or have epilepsy.)




So, thank God that, even in Kiev, I can learn to Irish Step, something I've always loved to do (joking around at dances), but never actually considered pursuing.  Maybe I'll keep attending class and come back to America a Russian River Dancer.  ;)

Well, this post is long enough, I think.  I'll post again soon.  (I have plenty of time, at the moment.)

What little pleasures are you grateful for in your life right now?