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Little Things

September 13, 2013August 25, 2015 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 2 comments
Little Things

I’m a day late with this, because yesterday after I got home from work I sat down to read “for a half hour.” Someone needs to remind me to just say no when I think something crazy like that when I have work to do because do I ever stick to my intended time limit? Nope! I always spend the rest of the night with my nose buried in the book. But it was actually the perfect end to the day. It wasn’t a bad day, just one of those days.

After I got to work I reached into my camera bag (which I’ve actually been using when I go to work lately because it’s the perfect size to carry what I need without being bulky on the bus) and poked myself on the wire support on the side that was sticking out. I poked myself right on the tip of my finger, which is conveniently where I hit the keys on the lower part of the keyboard while typing and is also in the perfect position to cause a lot of discomfort when I hold a writing utensil. After that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized that my outfit could have used a little more thought. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. But once I got a little closer to the mirror, I noticed that my bangs looked absolutely perfect. I didn’t do anything to them either; it was just that perfect moment that never happens where my bangs swooped neatly off to the side. My bangs were so perfect, in fact, that I was afraid to touch them all day for fear of messing them up.

A couple of weeks ago, Erika started a gratitude project over on her blog Chimerikal. She also has a link-up that’s been going on for two weeks. I participated in the first week but not the second, just because last week was a crazy busy week and by the time I got home on Wednesday I didn’t have the energy to write a blog post. But because of her project, gratitude has been on my mind throughout the last two weeks. It was perfect timing, because the last few weeks have been hectic and stressful and sometimes when life is busy it’s easy to become overwhelmed. It’s easy to start to feel down and cranky, so I always find that during these times in life it’s good to take time each day to think about what I’m thankful for. And throughout the last couple of weeks, I’ve found that on the busiest of days it’s the little things that help get me through. Things like:

— Perfect bangs without any effort.
— Chocolate Chai Lattes (iced please).
— Seeing Little One’s tail wag as soon as I walk through the door.
— The hugs my niece always gives me when she sees me.
— The fact that acorns are falling, even though Little One wants to eat them, because it means that autumn is almost here.
— Finally finding the perfect Chai Banana Bread recipe.
— Having the chance to bake, which is always therapeutic.

I don’t have any words of wisdom for you related to gratitude, because sometimes the old adage is true: It’s the little things that count.

If you have any thoughts about gratitude,

About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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2 comments

  1. Lisa Nagel says:
    September 13, 2013 at 7:34 am

    Yay for perfect bangs without any effort! šŸ™‚ That's pretty awesome! Oh and baking I agree is soooo therapeutic…I sometimes feel like I just bake myself into this other world – it's lovely! BIG HUG for stressful weeks šŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. Erika from Chimerikal says:
    September 13, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    Wow! I was just popping over to your blog to catch up with it — it's been a while, and I was so happy to see this post! Not only for that yummy picture and to just read what was going on, but then I was pleasantly surprised that this was a gratitude post! YAY!

    Gratitude really is about the little things, right? And perfect bangs totally count! :))) And taking the time to appreciate stuff in crummy moods is a mood-booster for sure.

    And haha — I totally do that with time limits for things I love, too. "I'll watch one episode of Scandal and then I will do the dishes." BAHHHHHH not happening.

    –Erika
    http://www.chimerikal.com

    Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

If only we always remembered to be in touch with o If only we always remembered to be in touch with our loved ones regularly; to tell them that we love them.

This thought has been on my mind the last few weeks as I’ve been in touch with one of my best friends almost daily. They’ve been navigating a scary situation.

But that’s what everyone says, isn’t it? Reach out to those you love. Tell them you love them. Don’t let a lot of time pass.

We all know that. We think about it sometimes. We hear about it when others are in crisis. We’re thankful that we aren’t the ones in crisis and we can remember this lesson through someone else.

But eventually we get caught up in life. Our daily ā€œI love you’sā€ are reserved for those we live with and sometimes we forget to text someone back… or it takes a few days to do so.

This week as I wondered why we don’t remember this more often I realized it’s probably a good thing. It’s a good thing that we can live life without worrying that tragedy is right around the corner. That would be an exhausting way to live.

It’s also good that we can get little reminders, sometimes not from our own life. So from someone who spent one week numb, another week weepy, and this week sad, remember to send your friends a text. Tell them you love them.
I took these in early January when the snow still I took these in early January when the snow still felt a bit magical, but right now I’m just ready to walk barefoot in grass.

When I was younger I used to imagine what it would be like if we got so much snow that it would be piled high above our doors. I wondered if we’d be able to create tunnels in the snow to move around in.

And this year might just be the year we find out. I’m kidding, of course, but at this point I feel like we’ve been buried in snow. We’re even on track to beat some snow records I think (the amount of snow and the number of consecutive days with snow on the ground.

So. What’s the weather like where you are?
February was here and gone in the blink of an eye February was here and gone in the blink of an eye but contained moments I’ll carry with me forever.
When it’s almost halfway through February and yo When it’s almost halfway through February and you still haven’t posted January’s recap. January was filled with lots of family time. šŸ’™
Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of 2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of so many dreams experiences. Whales. Cape Cod/Nantucket. Iceland. I saw musicals that have I’ve been dreaming of with Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and Six. 

It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
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