I have been attempting to write a post since Wednesday, but other things got in the way and suddenly my birthday was upon me and then gone and I had still not written a post. This was not the post that I meant to write, that is being saved for another day now because my birthday yesterday has inspired me to write this one.

I guess you could say that small and meaningful things have given me inspiration.

As most of you know I believe that life shows you the way, I go with the flow, and I never plan too far ahead, because then I would be stopping things coming my way that I had not realised were even available to me. My birthday was not exception!!

Rich has been away with a friend and I have been here on my own since Monday. As usual I made myself a big long list of what I wanted to get done ( I don’t say have to, or must any more because then it just pisses you off and you don’t want to do it!) As normal my list was ambitious and I have come to accept that I never get my lists done because I just set my aims too high!!

But I did want to clean my house, we had found a fantastic mold spray and I cleaned all the mold from our bedroom, downstairs and also cleaned upstairs and downstairs (literally moved the furniture everything.)

The big plan was that I could then sit down on my birthday (yesterday) and just sew, knit, watch and old film, make my new range of hearts and stars – iridescent and sparkly I love them! To just do what I wanted without feeling guilty that I should be doing something else.

Yesterday came and I made my cup of tea (typically English folks I have to have at least  two cups of tea in the morning!) in bed and my friend Jan rang me on Messenger to wish me happy birthday. Then I happily spent time on Facebook looking at the messages from people wishing me happy birthday – little did I realise that was only the start.

Off I popped downstairs for another cup of tea and to open my only card from my sister, I was not sad it was my only card, normally I am not worried about cards, but when two more arrived later I was excited (it’s the small things.) When she rang as I was opening it and now I know why because she had thoughtfully put fifteen euro in the card because, as she explained, I had said how much I fancied scampi and chips and this would enable me to buy some! That small simple thought, not just giving someone money but noting that I really fancied something that is expensive to buy over here so giving me the money to allow me the money to buy it without feeling guilty. A small and meaningful thing. I was then on the phone chatting to her for two hours.

I went back to bed and had another cup of tea (I know folks! I am English) and snuggled with the Welshies; how can you resist a snuggle with two teddies? I am blessed – small things but so precious.

 

At lunchtime I got up, did a small tidy up and then took the dogs for a quick walk down the lane, looking in amazement at the now swollen river that flows at the bottom of the valley, (it is not normally visible but we have had so much rain here this winter all of the rivers have burst their banks!! ) and still marveled at the fact that I live here. Small things, but something that money cannot buy!

After my walk I sat down (with a cup of tea! Yes there is a recurring theme!) and started my sewing. But after only fifteen mins my mad friend Jan arrived clutching a card, bottle of wine, packet of crisps, biscuits and a gift for me – a beautiful mouse mat (perfect for a writer!) with moons and fairies on, she knows me so well; and that was the afternoon gone as we sat and put the world to rights with a glass of wine and some aperitifs (crisps or chips for my American readers.)

Now Jan does not have a lot, but she still wanted to give to me and that meant a lot, that small thing.

After she left I checked face book only to find fourty eight messages from people wishing me a happy birthday;  all of them meant so much because people had simply taken the time.  But for me it was the ones from people who I have never met but have made friends with via face book since moving here; these people are lovely supportive people who just want the best for others in the same way I do; and one particular message from an old school friend, whose husband died suddenly at the end of last year, the fact that she had taken time to wish be happy birthday really touched me – small small things for which I am truly grateful.

On messenger  had messaged from people from all over, not least one from my beloved husband singing me happy birthday – when my book comes out you will realise why Rich and I cherish the small things because we know what a huuuuuuge difference they can make to your life

And I will add here that this particular part of my blog is for a group of people who have recently joined it because some of them have said that we give them hope. This is one of the lessons you have to look at the small things, trust me I hope that when you read this my small action now will help you on your journey (sometimes over really rough oceans!)

I rang an elderly aunt who shares a birthday with me, my best friend Karen rang me to wish me happy birthday, as did my lovely husband and so before I knew it it was early evening already, I had not done any more sewing, not watched a film, not worked on any more of my hearts of stars, not done any knitting. Life had taken me on a completely different path to the one I planned to take, and I loved it and felt so loved by everyone’s small actions, and I had celebrated a wonderful, simple birthday, full of small things.

Then last night as I went to bed my son rang me via messenger to wish me happy birthday, and call me old!! Small things!

So I have decided that as my birthday is so close to the weekend I will make it a birthday weekend, we will have lamb chops instead of scampi (thanks Sis!). I will drink the bottle of Kiri Royale my dear friends have sent me and yey!!! Hubby’s home, the best gift of all.

Thank you everyone you are stars

Moisy

 

My Etsy shop – PetiteFrenchfancies