Day 3: Simple Pleasures
“Look at the sea, girls—all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn’t enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.”
L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)
French toast: My roommate and I teamed up for breakfast. She mixed together egg and milk, then I dipped slices of sweet white bread into the mixture and slipped them into our heated skillet. Melted butter and sugar perfected our french toast.
French hymns: Although I couldn’t understand the words, I recognized the hymns at church and sang along. Jesus’s peace and love never needs to be translated.
Pain au chocolat: I bought my first French pastry: a delicate, flaky bread filled with chocolate. Sitting outside of a bakery on the street corner, I wrote in my notebook as the pain au chocolat dissolved on my tongue.
Washing clothes: In the pricey laundromat a block from the hotel (4 euros to wash one batch of clothes!), I sat next to strangers and watched my clothing swirl around the washer. Water sloshed against the glass door.
Peddling through the park: My friend and I biked through an enormous park across from the beach. We paused by a rectangle pool of water with fountains. Behind it stands the château that donated the impressive front “yard” as a park.
Churros at the beach: During a quick beach trip, two of my friends and I bought about a dozen churros with a plastic cup of melted nutella. While standing in line, I watched churros being made for the first time. The man squeezed dough through a machine that reminded me of a play-do icecream twister. I’ve honestly never tasted a churro as life-changing as the ones I had today. 4 euros well spent.
Sautéing spinach?: At 9 p.m. I washed some leafy greens I’d bought at the grocery store. Probably not spinach, but close enough. In olive oil, I sautéed the “spinach” with onions and cayenne pepper, and added freshly squeezed lemon. Bon Appétit!
Hanging out clothes to dry: I unfolded some racks in the hotel room and stretched out my newly-washed clothes to dry. My roommate[image error] propped the fan beside them.
Ticking watch: When it’s quiet, I can hear the ticking of the watch my grandpa gave me. It’s a beautiful watch with
roses engraved on the face. A brown leather band holds it to my wrist: a simple reminder that I am loved.
Looking at the sea: It was a gray, cool day, but still we biked to the beach and swam out into the sea. Although I missed the clear blue sky we’d enjoyed all week, I found pleasure in watching the silver-blue waves lap toward me.
L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)
How often do we concentrate on getting places and doing things that we miss out on the quiet, beautiful things of life? I found a sweet pleasure in the simple things this Sunday.
When we enjoy the beauty of simplicity, then we will truly find adventure in every day. Remember the joie de vivre (the joy of living). Life is full of beautiful things.
In honor of June 10, I’m listing the top 10 Simple Pleasures I cherished during today.
French toast: My roommate and I teamed up for breakfast. She mixed together egg and milk, then I dipped slices of sweet white bread into the mixture and slipped them into our heated skillet. Melted butter and sugar perfected our french toast.
French hymns: Although I couldn’t understand the words, I recognized the hymns at church and sang along. Jesus’s peace and love never needs to be translated.
Pain au chocolat: I bought my first French pastry: a delicate, flaky bread filled with chocolate. Sitting outside of a bakery on the street corner, I wrote in my notebook as the pain au chocolat dissolved on my tongue.
Washing clothes: In the pricey laundromat a block from the hotel (4 euros to wash one batch of clothes!), I sat next to strangers and watched my clothing swirl around the washer. Water sloshed against the glass door.
Peddling through the park: My friend and I biked through an enormous park across from the beach. We paused by a rectangle pool of water with fountains. Behind it stands the château that donated the impressive front “yard” as a park.
Churros at the beach: During a quick beach trip, two of my friends and I bought about a dozen churros with a plastic cup of melted nutella. While standing in line, I watched churros being made for the first time. The man squeezed dough through a machine that reminded me of a play-do icecream twister. I’ve honestly never tasted a churro as life-changing as the ones I had today. 4 euros well spent.
Sautéing spinach?: At 9 p.m. I washed some leafy greens I’d bought at the grocery store. Probably not spinach, but close enough. In olive oil, I sautéed the “spinach” with onions and cayenne pepper, and added freshly squeezed lemon. Bon Appétit!
Hanging out clothes to dry: I unfolded some racks in the hotel room and stretched out my newly-washed clothes to dry. My roommate[image error] propped the fan beside them.
Ticking watch: When it’s quiet, I can hear the ticking of the watch my grandpa gave me. It’s a beautiful watch with
roses engraved on the face. A brown leather band holds it to my wrist: a simple reminder that I am loved.
Looking at the sea: It was a gray, cool day, but still we biked to the beach and swam out into the sea. Although I missed the clear blue sky we’d enjoyed all week, I found pleasure in watching the silver-blue waves lap toward me.
Of all these simple things, there were countless more, and I am grateful to God for giving me another beautiful, blessed day. Gray skies and all.
Life is always worth living.
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