Small Pleasures with Annie West

We talk about the need to celebrate the good things that happen in our lives and over the last few years I've made a conscious effort to do just that. The celebration might not be large scale with bubbly and a big meal. It might be a coffee date with someone I care about or a walk in the sunshine or a morning reading. I was musing about the importance, not just of celebrating, but of appreciating the smaller things in life that make me feel good, when I went searching for a photo I'd taken on a trip. In the process I noticed this series of photos I'd taken on the same day. They weren't of anything big and impressive (like the photo I'd been searching for) but they made me smile. They took me straight back to the pleasure I felt when I took them, the delight I felt at what I saw. So here are a few of those small pleasures.

 

Just looking at this window makes me want to curl up on a window seat and pretend to read while actually just letting my mind drift. I like the light from the water (there's a moat outside) on the ceiling.

Speaking of ceilings, isn't this just lovely? I know it's not simple. It must have taken a whole lot of work to do this, but I suspect a lot of people didn't even bother to look up and see how marvellous it was.

And when I looked down I had to smile. Some dog had walked across the hand-made tiles before they were set. When I walk by the lake there's a cement path which has tracks made my a bird meandering along it, taking its time looking for tidbits. I love those prints!

And look at the way the light plays on the floor - I love it.



I also love curves, particularly in buildings. This has such a lovely sinuous shape.

 

I also love mythological creatures. At first I thought this was a dragon but maybe it's a salamander. I don't really care - he just caught my eye.

 

I've always been a sucker for feeding waterbirds. Aren't these gorgeous?

And who has a tower in their garden wall? I spent ages trying to work out what it was. An outdoor loo? A guardhouse? A garden shed? An impressive dog house?

 



I'm so glad I came across these photos. They made me remember not only what this place looked like, but also the quality of the light and the scents and the sheer delight of being there. It's reminded me to take stock of the small delights that make life so good, like the smell of freshly ground coffee, the feel of autumn in the air, the magpies warbling early in the morning, fresh-mown grass, laughing so much you have trouble stopping, or having a friend call you long distance just because they were thinking of you.

 

What are some of your small pleasures? What's making you smile right now?

 

In a shameless brag I have to add the fact I'm also smiling about these two - my April book 'The Sheikh's Princess Bride' which I adored writing, and my first ever anthology of three stories all by ME(!), called 'A Royal Scandal' out in May.