Small Joys #sol22 2/31

I love being a person who easily finds joy in lots of things. Sometimes I feel like a perpetual toddler–eyes wide to take in the dazzling world, unreasonably pleased by all the small things. Here are a few things that have brought me joy lately:

The astonishing colors and patterns of tree bark
How bright and silent the city is after fresh snow
The vanilla cupcake smell of my favorite cat Chipotle (to be fair, everyone else says he smells like a cat but I always catch notes of vanilla cupcake when he leans against me)
Finding a book I was just thinking about buying already on my shelf
Checking off the last item on my to-do list
Extra ice in an iced coffee
Completing the daily Wordle
Jorts the Cat
The bursts of color that Detroit’s many murals provide in winter
A collage of old stamps on a new letter from a penpal

What small things are bringing you joy?

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My theme for Slice of Life 2022 is finding inspiration in the writing of others. Each day I plan to find my slice in someone else’s words or forms. Today, I was struck by the wonderful observation of a seven-year-old in a post from Megan’s Mindful Minute: “Well, you do find joy in lots of things.” What a high compliment! Be sure to visit Megan’s blog and discover some of her “small joys.” Thanks for the inspiration to write today!

Posted

March 2, 2022

slice of life

Elisabeth Ellington

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30 responses to “Small Joys #sol22 2/31”

Clare Landrigan (@ClareLandrigan)

March 2, 2022

Checking the last item off my to-do list is one for sure …. for me candles burning when I first wake up, daffodils in every room in March, and my dog curled up beside me as I write in the early morning hours.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Beautiful list of small joys! I challenged myself NOT to include cats in my list, since they’re such a given for me, but of course I couldn’t resist. I can’t wait for daffodils!
  
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Terje

March 2, 2022

The small list of ordinary celebrations is heart warming to read. “Checking off the last item on my to-do list” – is such a satisfactory accomplishment.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  It’s surprisingly satisfying to have a completed list!
  
  Reply
margaretsmn

March 2, 2022

Thanks for reminding me to collect small joys. It just makes life a little happier.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Yes it does! I try to take photos of my small joys as well so that I can have a little dopamine boost simply by scrolling through a few photos on my phone!
  
  Reply
Patricia J Holloway

March 2, 2022

Thank you, I think I have found inspiriation for today’s slice! I like lots of ice in my drinks too!

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  So glad you found some inspiration here! And someone will probably find inspiration in your post as well–a whole cascade of slicers inspiring slicers!
  
  Reply
  1. Patricia J Holloway
    
    March 3, 2022
    
    That’s a picturesque scene, a cascade – love it!
SOL 2022 Day 2 – A Space for my Creative Efforts

March 2, 2022

[…] What small things bring joy? Today I was inspired by another wrtiter’s post. You can read it here: https://thedirigibleplum.com/2022/03/02/small-joys-sol22-2-31/ […]

Reply
arjeha

March 2, 2022

We all need to find joy in the small things happening around us. Thanks for this reminder that joy is there if we open our eyes to it.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  The small things are my favorite! I feel like a squirrel, running around each day collecting little tiny treasures!
  
  Reply
rdicarne

March 2, 2022

Thank you for sharing and for the reminder. Finding those small joys helps us to keep life in perspective. It is so easy to focus on the negative. I will be collecting my small joys for the rest of the day.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  I hope you found some wonderful small joys to collect today!
  
  Reply
Trina

March 2, 2022

That bark is beautiful! I think that the true gift is noticing what brings us joy!

My small joy this morning was one of my kittens snuggling up against me with so much love.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  That is always the best kind of joy–kitten snuggles!
  
  Reply
  1. Trina
    
    March 3, 2022
    
    I didn’t realize how much I would love these kittens!
Leigh Anne Eck

March 2, 2022

It’s the small things…

I know I already said this, but I love what are you are doing with your post inspiration!

Reply
1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Thank you! I’m glad to have a focus to keep me on track (and to narrow the possibilities each day), and it’s a fun way to highlight and honor other writers.
  
  Reply
Melanie Meehan

March 2, 2022

A great list of Joy, Elisabeth! I love the picture of the bark!

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Isn’t it beautiful? I really need to figure out what kind of tree it is.
  
  Reply
Ramona

March 3, 2022

What a month we’ll have as we follow the inspiration you find in the writing of others. I’m hoping there will be some cat pictures!

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  There will most definitely be cat pictures galore! It had been so long since I last blogged that I couldn’t remember how to add photos to my blogs! By the time I figured out how to get the tree bark on here (and failed to resize it to a smaller, more normal size), I was too exhausted to add more lol.
  
  Reply
jarhartz

March 3, 2022

You are an inspired inspiration. I love your list and I have no doubt Chipotle smells like vanilla cupcakes. My cat smells like licorice. And sometimes rosemary.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Licorice and rosemary. Of course! What a beautiful detail!
  
  Reply
carwilc

March 3, 2022

I read this post too, and thought it would be fun to try some day. You have captured some really magical sensory images.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  Thank you! I realized as I was writing this that my joys tend to be very visual and olfactory.
  
  Reply
Susan Kennedy

March 3, 2022

Great plan for the month. As always, you are an inspiration. Love the idea of listing our joys. Tucking this away for a ‘rainy’ day. I want a cat that smells like vanilla cupcakes.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 3, 2022
  
  My family assures me that I am deluded by love for Chipotle and there is not even a hint of cupcake. But just this morning I sniffed his neck carefully and yep, there it was! Vanilla cupcakes!
  
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karpenglish

March 4, 2022

OMG, I do love Jorts the Cat. When I read the initial internet post about him, I literally laughed so hard that I could not speak and had tears rolling down my face! It was very therapeutic. Also, I totally believe you that Chipotle smells like vanilla cupcakes. We have a new cat this year, and she absolutely completely smells like cinnamon roll frosting. I think it is the same waft of vanilla you get! Everyone else thinks I am nuts, of course.

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