Thursday, July 8, 2010

Simple Pleasures

Today really feels like the first day of summer vacation.  

No swim lessons.  

No swim practice.  

No meetings.  

Just time to do what we want.

Baby Bee and I were taking a little tour of our kitchen garden and we spied an enormous zucchini that we missed harvesting.  
These are all flowers I grew from seed in my kitchen cutting garden.  Sunflowers, lime green zinnias, bells of Ireland, cosmos, and double ruffled cosmos.

We picked a little bouquet while we were on our tour too. 

 All of these things brought to mind one of my favorite books of all time.
Do any of you have this book?  

It was published in 1992 and I bought it when Worker Bee and I had not been married very long.  What is so interesting to me is to see how these 101 simple pleasures have not changed that much from then until today......
Susan at Ash Tree Cottage just blogged this week about sleeping out under the stars.  We don't have fireflies in California, but when we visit family in Kentucky or Minnesota I could spend hours watching the fireflies.
And how many of us enjoyed the fireworks we saw on the Fourth of July?  
And how many of us want those beautiful blooming window boxes?
And next year I vow to grow morning glories and have one of my birdhouses on a pole in my garden.
Can you see this ginormous zucchini?  They grow crooked!
So here is our simple pleasure for today.  We will be making chocolate zucchini bread from this book and some chocolate chip cookies from Becky's recipe for chocolate chip cookies at Sweet Cottage Dreams.


Simple pleasures......


What are some of yours?


Today I'll be joining the party at Cindy's Show and Tell at My Romantic Home.  Hope you can stop by and visit some of the other participants.

If you are interested in this book, it's available from Amazon here.

25 comments:

  1. I've never seen this book! Thanks for the heads up! It looks wonderful.
    PS The zucchini bread sounds yummy.:)

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  2. what a cool book! lately i am needing DAILY reminders of the the simple things in life that can really make us smile. thanks for this wonderful post!!

    p.s. i MAY have gotten my foot in the door at a local Catholic elementary school!!!! i "ran" into the principal and "something" told me to ask her if she was doing any hiring... well, she is going to have a part time teachers aide position open, and possibly a preschool teaching job! she told me to "send her something"!!! IM SO EXCITED and HOPEFUL that this may be MY BREAK!!

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  3. I haven't ever seen his book either, but I love the morning glories...my grandfather grew tham and loved them dearly! I am going to try for a little gardent his fall and next winter! :):) I will have to look for this book!

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  4. Great post! We all need to take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life!!

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  5. I haven't seen this book but it looks like a winner. I can't seem to do anything unless it's simple in this heat and humidity!

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  6. I have that book and several others by John Hadamuscin. I love them all.
    Lovely post and lovely blog.

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  7. what a simply pleasurable post! Those pioc are wonderful to look at and your flowers are beautiful.

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  8. The book sounds lovely. I've often thought of writing something similar...seems my ideas always come late!!! Love your fairy gardens. My granddaughter and I made one awhile back in the yard under a tree. We found the neatest hole and built our garden around this. Several days later, however, we noticed that a SNAKE (non-poisonous, thank goodness) had decided to move into the hole. So the fairy garden was dismantled!

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  9. I don't have the book, but I love the simple pleasure of sitting in my hammock listening to the birds, locusts, crickets. Coffee in the morning out on the porch. Gardening.

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  10. The bouquet of flowers from your garden looks beautiful, and that book looks like a wonderful read!
    My simple pleasure is working in my garden and seeing the fruits of my labor. The same goes for being a mother. :)
    Have a wonderful day!
    Hugs ~ Jo :)

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  11. Ahh, simple pleasures...a cup of white chocolate mocha, a good book, and a comfy chair - on the beach! Well, I can usually come by at least 3 out of the 4! Beautiful flowers from your garden - I'm envious! Enjoyed meeting for coffee!

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  12. Sigh...
    This post was so relaxing.
    Thank you for that-
    Amazing,

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

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  13. Your flowers are lovely and homegrown too! I have sunflowers in my garden as well ... I took pics earlier. The book looks wonderful.
    I love your earlier post too!
    Hugs,
    Donna

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  14. yum, i wish i had some choc zucchini bread or choc chip cookies right about now!

    thanks for stopping by the cape on the corner, and your perfect candlestick is out there, i'm certain. good luck with your search!

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  15. That book looks great. I love the simple pleasures- especially since having my son. He makes my world slow right down:) p.s. I'm a new follower:)

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  16. I must admit, I can't tear myself away from the bright, beautiful and glorious flowers your GREW from seed!!

    Beautiful.


    LEGEND OF MARY'S BEAN is my Friday blog.

    Have a great weekend.

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  17. Glad to hear you are enjoying your summer.

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  18. Nice post - Thanks for sharing your book. When life gets hectic at times, it is nice to slow down and enjoy the simply things.
    Have a great weekend.

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  19. Looks really good what you have been growing there from seeds! Why is it that putting up a bird house is such a job? I have three here moving around the garden but never on a pole ..... ;-))
    OK, you wanted to know my simple pleasures. Well, one but maybe the most important is waking up, opening the kitchen door, watch the sky, go into the garden and sit with a sort of open mind on the verandah - doing nothing, thinking nothing, being happy with the day break.
    Have a happy day!
    Jacoba

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  20. What a refreshing blog!
    I'll be back.
    Have a great weekend.
    Karen
    Ladybug Creek

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  21. I do wish we had fireflies!! A simple pleasure is just to sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in....that of which we did this week. Joyful! The dogs dig it, too.

    Thanks for the heads up on the book. I'll have to check it out.

    happy baking!

    xo
    becky

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  22. Sitting out on my basement patio listening to the crickets, or on our porch while it is raining - I never get tired of the simple things even if I only have a few minutes to enjoy them.
    Thanks for the nice comment on my completed projects post!

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  23. Beautiful pictures! I love zucchini bread but have never heard of a chocolate version. Have a wonderful weekend!
    xo, Sherry

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  24. Oh, I love your blog!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Have a great weekend~
    Leticia

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  25. I have and enjoy this beautiful book. Your flowers are amazing too!

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Thank you for buzzing by and taking time to leave me a little note. I always enjoy hearing from my friends.