Here's a funny animal pic. No reason, except that funny animal pics are a simple pleasure, that makes you laugh. I mean really... that's a dog and a cat doing a selfie...you got to admit, it makes you smile.
It's Monday, it's a holiday, the kids are off school, and only about half the people are off work but the atmosphere is still chiller than a Monday, and THAT is a simple pleasure. It's like Monday, on muscle relaxers, with a cocktail chaser.
I like the idea of concentrating on simple pleasures this week. I had a, not so simple, simple pleasure this weekend and it sets the tone for the week. One of my best friend's turned 50, and she had a surprise birthday arranged by her darling boyfriend. Planned months ago, the "plan" was that I'd fly in, surprise her, she'd think that my appearance was her surprise and then boom, she'd find another surprise when we took her to dinner and she found a whole table full of her friends. It was loads of fun, a simple pleasure to surprise a friend and help make her birthday special, but altogether NOT simple to do. I had to drive an hour and a half to SFO (in order to catch the flight that worked with my schedule), then I had to rent a car (but that's mostly because I'm controlling and would rather drive than rely on people to pick me up), then I had to navigate around Portland which is still buried under a foot of snow (which isn't all that much, but it was one of their biggest storms in forever and the city essentially shut down). I froze my butt off. All that is only to say, that efforts, even big efforts, are no big deal compared to the joys of simple things like spending time with the people you love. It was a treat, and reminded me that things like that are still the greatest joys we give each other.
I had a true sugar test this weekend, and I almost gave myself a pass because I remember Amanda had her sister's birthday as a "pass day" from the No Sugar January challenge, so I felt sort of legit in taking one myself. I was at a birthday party and I was tempted with sugar that would have squarely fallen within an exception-bday-pass. BUT...I wasn't really that tempted, and I was even less tempted because I knew that if I had one bite I'd just go hog wild since I was already off the wagon. I credit my psychological self-help tango with Gretchen Rubin for helping me understand I'm stronger with abstaining than with moderation. So, sugar free I remain. I did however, drink no less than 400,000 crushed grapes though, so I don't think I was actually all that healthy.
I'm excited to pay attention to all the awesome small pleasures this week, take special note and appreciation of them...starting with this fine Monday, but un-Monday, day.
Signed, ME {lv}
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