Words on a Simple Life

Late on Sunday afternoon, when the rain briefly stopped raining and the sun peeked out, we pulled coats on and strolled ten minutes up the road to visit our town's local castle. You know how it is, you live somewhere a while and quite often don't really think to do the touristy things sitting on ones own doorstep. Don't really think to pop along the street and have a mooch around a 900 year old medieval castle (one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England, apparently) which stands very conveniently at the top of the High Street.
But on Sunday the castle was open for free to residents of the area and so along we toddled, and mighty fine it was too.
As with all fine Tourist Attractions, as well as the ancient attraction itself, there is also a lovely looking tearoom and a souvenir shop. It was the latter which we decided to call in to, even though visiting these sort of shops with eager Little People can be something of a strain. The Pester Power is enormous, the sudden desperate need for Castle Pens, fridge magnets, badges is urgent. I got away with limiting the purchases to two very small soft cuddly toys @ £1.50 each and a bag of chocolate raisins, but boy, it was hard work getting Little Fingers to leave the other merchandise alone.

Anyhow, I am babbling, I am sorry....get to the point Lucy, chop-chop!  Yes the point of this is to tell you about a little book I spotted in the castle souvenir shop and purchased for myself. Its called "Words on a Simple Life", by Helen Exley and can be found here along with other delightful sounding titles in the same series.

If you click on the top picture there, you'll be able to read the description written on the back of this dinky little book :: it's basically a collection of images and quotes, celebrating the "quiet joys of life".
Now this is not normally something I would go for, I have never owned any books of this nature before. But something about this little golden book really touched me.
I keep coming back to it's pages, keep reading and re-reading the words :: words on a simple life. These words are so appealing, so meaningful, so wise, they touch my heart. Yes, they do!

Take these daffodils for example. So very simple.
A bunch of 20 stems cost less than a pound.
They can be purchased without guilt, brought home and enjoyed wholeheartedly.
To me, they capture the essence of living a Simple Life.
The joy they bring me is immeasurable. Priceless.

I have split them up and distributed them around the house....

....simply displayed in an empty milk bottle on the hall shelf to make me smile as I pass through one of the most stressy times of my day (getting Little People out the door at 8.30am with polished shoes and all relevant school paraphernalia).

I've also put little bottles holding a few blooms on the kitchen and bathroom window sills, for providing joy when ones hands are in the kitchen sink and brushing teeth.

And beside my bed too, for providing joy when I drift into my dreams at night and greet the day each morning.

It seems somehow so luxurious to have flowers beside ones bed, don't you think? Yet so simple at the same time. I would urge you to go out today and buy yourself a small bunch of flowers to put beside your bed, Arrange them in a little jar, a pretty mug,or a small vase and enjoy the pleasure they bring.

I thought over the coming days and weeks I might share some of the quotes with you from this little book. Some are very short, just one sentence, some are longer. This is one of my favourites, it was written by a man called Thomas Dekker (c 1570 - c. 1641), so he was around dispensing wisdom a pretty long, ancient time ago...

"To awaken each morning with a smile brightening my face;
to greet the day with reverence for the opportunities it contains;
to approach my work with a clean mind;
to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things, the ultimate purpose toward which I am working;
to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart;
to be gentle, kind, and courteous through all the hours;
to approach the night with weariness that ever woos sleep and the joy that comes from work well done -
this is how I desire to waste wisely my days."

Have a great day everyone, waste it wisely.....
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Comments

[aneela]

Oh! another darn gorgeous post. Methinks it is the beautifulness in YOUR mind that can so completly appreciate the serene wisdom of your book.

[Jen]

I too am not one to buy "those kind of books," but I've purchased several of Anna Quinlan's A Short Guide to a Happy Life for friends as gifts. It's an amazing little book. You should check it out.

[Nina - Tabiboo]

I couldn't agree more, flowers should be everywhere in a home, even the toilet!! Why not? They brighten every corner, however unusal, though my poor garden does suffer this time of the year now on in until winter again!

Nina x

ps. I really do not sit at my computer all day, but weirdly I think I'm sat here at the same time your sat there!!

[Shelley in SC]

Oh, I love the quote and the beautiful accompanying daffodils. Lord, help me to live this way! I think I'll print out the quote and put it up on the wall behind a cheery vase of my own daffs!!

[Mrs. Jane Doe]

I agree about the flowers too but Lucy...your post about just running up the street to your ordinary CASTLE for a visit???!!! ~giggling~ Cute post!

xo

[carolyn]

What an inspiring quotation and what an inspiring post today, thank you.

[T Langley]

Oh, I don't need encouragement to put flowers by the bed. Rooms come alive when you display flowers in them. Lucky you living so close to a castle.

Tracey

[Julie]

how inspirational. Shall look forward to seeing some of the other quotes. And flowers around the home are definitely one of life's greatest joys.

[Niki Jackson]

I love seeing your beautiful photos, so inspiring! Thanks for sharing. Niki xxx

[Anne Bebbington]

Daffodils are such a source of abundant joy for so little financial outlay :o) and they look so good in that milk bottle

[Nathalie]

Wow. Such nice quotes, but Lucy remember your 'simple' words have brought us joy too.
And then I haven't spoken 'bout the great eye candy and lovely recipes you share with us.

Once again you succeeded to make my day ; )

Thanks so much

[Josie-Mary]

How lucky to have a castle at the end of the high street. I treated myself to some daffs this am but they wouldn't all fit in the jam jar, I have some left but I wasn't sure where to put them....now I know...they're going beside my bed right now!!! :)

[Julia]

I love daffodils! I love your photographs and Im inspired by the words in your delightful little book!

Julia x

[kitschen pink]

Oh I'm a sucker for those little books of wisdom! Love them. Looking forward to sharing yours! Here's one - do not put flowers by your bed if they give you hayfever in the night... Lovely, thought provoking post as ever. Lovely to be able to pop in. t.xx

[cathleen]

I love the pure, simple, happy, and lovely Lucyness of this post! I am looking forward to my garden full of spring blooms...I always put a vase of Lily-of-the-Valley or Lilacs by my bed for sweet dreams. Lovely quote, Lucy, thanks for sharing it.

[alisonb2]

I am going now to waste wisely the remainder of the day! Thank you Lucy!

[Kieren]

Dear Lucy ...you are a credit to young women and an amazing example as a Mother.. i love that you are able to be a stay home Mum so was i .. we chose to have less money/things etc , also you are leading by example so your children will impart to there children too.
I have made your bag love love it ...did yours turn out big mines huge! used style craft wool but now have 17 balls of Rowan all wool which is best wool, ? or the all seasons cotton ..yummy colours ..i have made loads of teeny tiny corsages ..i have mades flowers for years but not so tiny so thankyou .. and last year i did 10 large throws in 3 row stripe. several rainbow festival blankies for my daughters friends !! a labour of love for sure
I have the book now that you used for your ripple which pattern did you use
I so enjoy your blog as you remind me of me .....way back ..drop by my blog for a visit some day Kieren x

[dottycookie]

What a coincidence - I put a vase opf daffodils by ny bed just this morning. I love themn - and I grow them every year especially for cutting.

[PinkCat]

I am loving daffodils this year. I like the surprise that when you buy a bunch you never know what combination of yellow they will be. I had some lovely pale butter coloured ones and currently have bright yellow with orange trumpets on the piano and mantlepiece.

Such lovely words too! The way I feel today I am far from 'approaching my work with a clean mind'. Oh, weekends and holidays just can't come too soon!

[Stacy]

The daffodils are gorgeous! I would love to have some by my bed, but I'm afraid the cats would nibble on them :-)

Maybe I'll get some for my desk at work instead. Thanks for another beautiful post!

[Thimbleanna]

Haha! I'm thinking reading blogs is a very wise waste of time, as one runs across little gems like what we find here! But...but...what castle? Who doesn't love a great castle???

[Marie]

Your daffodils remind me of a poem by William Wordsworth...

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Beautiful enjoy!

[simone]

That looks like my kind of book! Good old Thomas Dekker, what a lovely quote. I would love to meet these people from the past and learn from their wisdom.

[Miriam]

To follow your blog every day, makes me feel good and ralaxed!!! As you feel with your daffodils and reading your little, new book. Why don't you make a book with your blog and coloured pictures???
Sorry for my English, if I don't explain well what I mean, but as I wrote in another comment, I am Italian.
Miriam

[Liz Lee]

Hi Lucy. Thank you for the verse and the daffs. It was lovely to sit and read your blog after spending the day at work doing what seemed like moaning all day. I'm off to get some daff and brighten my bedroom.