Little Bits of Sunshine by Cheryl Harper

I have a confession. I'm not very good at living in the moment. Are you?

So here are some "in the moment" things that make me happy. (I feel like I do posts like this all the time. It's almost like getting up from my desk to hunt down subjects for photos is a real breath of fresh air. I should do this more often.) If you're still buried under snow, I am so sorry. Springtime in Arkansas means tornadoes, hot afternoons, unexpected cold snaps, mud, and such beautiful days you have to stop and savor them.

1. Dinner with a friend. Stopping time to go for a plate of nachos with my best friend puts everything in perspective. Yes, nachos are part of the prescribed treatment.
2. Fresh air. There are about two months here to open the windows. April and May. Maybe October if we're lucky. I love these months. The pollen? It's better to never speak of that green menace.

3. Brown thumb? Who cares? I have one. I still pick up flowers at Lowe's and Home Depot like this will be my year.
4. Surprise yellow roses. Buying a house where someone with a green thumb once lived means surprises for at least one year. I can recognize rose bushes. Seeing beautiful yellow buds is exciting.
5.Nests with eggs. The hanging baskets I put up? Yeah, they're new homes, too. They'll never make it now, but those baby birds are gonna be something to see, right?


6. Unexpected deliveries. While I was working on a proposal for a story that I really like and hope I get to write, the UPS guy hurtled to a rocking stop in front of my house, trotted up the drive, and left this beautiful box of new books.
7. Sunroofs and sunglasses. The day job's quittin' time is made immeasurably better by the wind in my hair. Lots and lots of wind in my hair. I will not include a photo display of that one.


8. And this guy. He keeps it interesting around here. Spring means the squirrels are on the move and Jack is running patrols morning, noon, night, and midnight when I forget to close his door. It's a hard job. Here he is taking a break in some pretty purple flowers, both eyes on the gray-furred threat in the tree.

I hope you're feeling the renewal of spring even if you're digging out from under the snow. Tell me one thing that never fails to catch your attention, no matter how overloaded your day is.

Comments

  1. I loved this post, Cheryl, the second I saw the photo of that beautiful yellow rose because here in Ontario, we are definitely not feeling spring yet, after a howling ice/hail/rain/snow storm this weekend. But I enjoyed your spring vicariously through those great pics- especially the box of books! The few emerging spring blooms catch my attention here and soon there will be more.

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    1. I can't imagine facing weather like that. Hold on! Spring is coming!

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  2. Also enjoying the howling ice/hail/rain/snow in Ontario this weekend, but had to smile at the dog picture. Our dog is always on the alert for tree rats, and I have to say, those squirrels love to taunt him when they're just out of reach.

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  3. The first flower, absolutely, braving the last snow flurries.

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  4. "This is the winter that never ends. It just goes on and on, my friend..." Your bright pictures bring hope, Cheryl. Best!

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    1. Winter makes me so weary, so spring is a burst of hope. It's coming!

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  5. Great post, Cheryl! Dinner with friends never fails to brighten my day either. Even when I think I should cancel, I have so much to do, etc. It always recharges my batteries. On daily basis, it would have to be my dog, Lucky. He's a 17-year-old doxie who is now very blind and nearly deaf, but he's always by my side (or on my lap) and he's the light of my life.

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    1. Aw, Lucky! I love it. That bring so, so much to life. Give Lucky a kiss on his head from me.

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  6. A great post, Cheryl, and couldn't have come at a better time. Some days, renewal is a need.

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    1. Definitely. It's easy to get so worn down by the grind. Catching my breath seems impossible, but some days, there it is, right there. Exactly what I needed when I needed it!

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  7. That's exciting about bird nests. Baby birds bring even more life than flowers. If you let him, Jack will keep you living in the moment. We ran away from Alaska to Arizona to find spring, and it worked --a bearded iris is blooming here! We'll go back in a few weeks in time to plant flowers there.

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    1. That sounds perfect, Beth! I'd follow spring around the world if I could.

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  8. Great post! My biggest piece of sunshine is my granddaughter. She gets so excited when she comes to see us and sometimes she is so sweet, it just melts my heart.

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    1. Definitely a reason to focus on what's sweet and good in that moment!

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  9. Lovely post, Cheryl. And a great reminder to take in and appreciate what's around. Needed that! <3

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    1. So easy to overlook taking time to look around when we have our heads down to work. How nice it is to slow down a minute.

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  10. I love the yellow rose. My mother used to raise roses of all kinds and they were out always by Memorial day to make bouquets to take to the cemeteries where family were buried. I wish our desert was more in bloom. However, it's not buried under snow, so lucky there. Have your book with me on vacation. Looking forward to kicking back with a great read.

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    1. Oooh! Yay! Yes, it's one of those awesome surprises that come along now and then for me to find those blooms.

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  11. I love seeing Jack, and new Heartwarming books!! (I just bought and received A Home Come True. It’s no longer available at Harlequin, but I got a copy from Amazon ( : I’m not sure how I missed that one when it was released.)

    I always notice the birds in Springtime. When I hear them singing in the morning it just immediately makes me feel better. And when we are out and about, I notice when they’re around. Each kind have their own personality , and I find them interesting to watch.

    Congratulations on the upcoming new release.

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    1. Thank you, Laurie! Yes, I'm enjoying watching the birds feathering their nests in those hanging pots. And there'll be babies!

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  12. I'm in NJ and we had Spring on Saturday. It was 82 degrees (F), then the temperature dropped on Sunday back to the 30's and 40's and the rains came, along with 50-60 MPH winds. Today rivers of water are running down the street, BUT the forsythia is out. Maybe Spring will come.

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    1. Yes, we are caught in a whiplash of seasons right now, too, but that's pretty normal for spring around here. I'm trying to view it as progress and forget that it means summer is looming...

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  13. I LOVED this post! It's snowing here right now. Predictions are for 2 inches of snow. My forsythia bloomed on Saturday. I cut daffodils as they've been through two snowfalls since they bloomed this is the third snow. I love, love the spring. It's now my favorite season. But gee whiz. Last year it was late. This year even later. So, I'm buying more silk flowers for the inside of the house, but I'm still wearing sweaters to work!! Wind in my hair? Maybe in July.
    Can't wait to read your new book.

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    1. Yes, you have to make some spring! And in July, the wind in my hair will be all air conditioning at full blast. :)

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  14. My friends in Minnesota received 22 inches of snow this weekend...I'm happy I live in Mississippi. lol Love your list, Cheryl!

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  15. What an awesome reminder to live in the moment. It's so easy to get caught up in work and never look out the window to see what's going on. The weather here is perfect, for a few more days, anyway, so I'm going outside to enjoy! Also, love your book cover! Congrats!

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