Positively Tuesday-Bling

     Thanks for all the lovely comments and the community building yesterday. I've got some simple pleasures that developed in just a short time below. What I should be clear about, while I am mentally drained at days end, I love what I do for work and I believe I am very good at it. It's a good paying job, but not a wealth maker, and definitely a "in service" job. Part of why I am so blasted busy is people trust me, and respect my work. They have confidence that putting me on a task, it will get done, and the people who work with me will put heads down until we make whatever needs to happen a success. To know your skills and abilities, and be using them for better community good is a blessing. So while I might whine with all of you on occasion, know I am mostly happy in my work.

     I lose things-a lot. In particular, I lose earrings. I often forget to take out when I go to bed, and in the night the backing comes off. I lose them taking my scarf off, and there is a certain kind of earing  connector that always comes separate, and I can't even begin to tell you the number of earrings that have just fallen out during the day at work. I've asked DH not to buy me good earrings-sadly, I've lost many a pair with small diamonds or other precious stones. Not horribly expensive, but  enough that losing one made me cringe. When I have remembered to take them out when travelling, I've forgotten them on unfamiliar night stands. I know for a fact I have earrings left in two other countries, Belgium and the UK, and no less than four states! But I do like the look of earrings, particularly dangling ones and hoops. I like how hey add a little framing to my chubby, but elongated face. I like how they can be just the right accessory for an otherwise bland dress. As I've been trying to  find and share  simple pleasures, I though this might be a good place to start.

1. I bought the earrings above for an insanely low price of $5.94. They are gold plated so not cheapy cheap, but costume not precious metal. They're larger than I'd normally wear, but let's live on the edge and see if I can keep track of them since they're so big.
2. I  tweaked the French bread recipe to be more intuitive by dissolving the yeast separately in warm water then adding the dry ingredients. While still looking wonky, the taste was perfect. Crusty, but soft and mouth watering inside. This truly is the easiest bread to make. I think this weekend, I will give it a try for cinnamon rolls and pizza dough. If that works, heck, why did I ever think I needed a bread maker? Now a Kitchen Aid... 
3. Needless to say, dinner at my daughter's was a simple pleasure. We had great food and wine. I'm hoping with the Covid cases going down, soon she'll be able to socialize beyond family, coworkers, and a tiny friend bubble.
4. I need to invest in one of Vix and Jon's trash sticks, because game on! I think I sent my families application to adopt a park about 10:45, and shortly before 2:30 a women from the city called and asked which park we wanted, and said with our large size, could we take the bigger park. Yes, we can! I think this will be a great multi-generational activity my parents would have been proud to know we are doing as a family. I thinks a beer or two after might be a reward. 
5. My niece posted a picture of  my great nephew fresh from getting his drivers license! Last Thursday he had his appendix out. That's a trooper. 
6. A niece-in-law posted a  cute picture of her first grader doing a fundraiser read-a-thon. That's a cause I can get behind when a salesman is as handsome as this great nephew. Both 5 and 6 are the simple pleasure of still being a part of extended family life, even when we haven't seen people in person in such a long time. 
7. I was falling asleep sitting up last night, but then my youngest called and we chatted for well over an hour. Her classes are going well, but she is feeling the impact of a very pushed back spring break-this was the originally scheduled week. 
8. I tried something new for dinner last night-chicken lo mein. Not so much a recipe, but a bottled sauce, and it was declared a winner. Finding something new-anything new-and it being a winner makes me happy. 
9. The Keurig is on the blink again and the regular coffee pot needs to be declared a kitchen casualty. I resorted to pour over coffee and hearing the teakettle whistle (you don't get that with a Keurig) is a nice sound. 
10. Though the trails are a bit treacherous, pictures shared, snow is melting everywhere-even less after yesterday. Saturday the playground was packed with kids laughing and playing. My first though as a mom was, they will all be soaked and muddy, and then I remembered my own kids coming in, soaked and muddy, and very happy. 

     That's my 10 simple pleasures for this week. You all know my thoughts on Tuesdays-it's generally a day to get to the end of, but starting with a little positivity is a day brightener.