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Little Wonders

Sep 25th 2007Nicole Jordan
Nicole JordanGoddess Readers Speak Out

Usually I love to read blogs that are fun or informative, but sometimes I’m in the mood for a sappy one – and this is definitely a sappy one.

If you’ve listened to the radio recently, you may have robt.jpgheard “Little Wonders,” the latest song by Rob Thomas, formerly the lead singer/songwriter for Matchbox Twenty. I sigh over the lyrics to that song, especially a couple of lines of the chorus: “Our lives are made/ In these small hours/ These little wonders.”

Hearing those lines started me thinking about what makes a great day for me. And I realized that it doesn’t have to be a fab vacation in the UK. It doesn’t have to be winning the lottery. It doesn’t even have to be making the New York Times bestseller list, although that is indeed terrific. A few “small hours” can make my day great.

Just give me my horse, a green field, a jump or two, and sunshine. Or wine and dinner with good friends. Or time to read a new book by a favorite author. Or a work session where the words just seem to flow from my fingertips to the keyboard and computer screen. Or a walk in a misty rain.

For my dh, who’s a rabid skier, a great day is a steep mountain, a foot of fresh powder, and blue sky. Or in summer, a hike in the mountains among all the gorgeous scenery.littlew.jpg

So what makes a great day for you? Do you need special events or are you happy with small things? What little wonders do enjoy in your daily life? And do you like sappy blogs once in a while?

45 Comments »

45 Responses to “Little Wonders”

  1. Lisa H on 26 Sep 2007 at 6:32 am #

    I love sappy blogs!

    What makes a great day? Children behaving—no arguing. Husband behaving —takes me out to dinner.
    Baby sleeping — a nice long nap.

    Me getting to take a walk, and spend time reading.

    That makes a great day for me!

  2. dbrown3400 on 26 Sep 2007 at 6:34 am #

    My little wonder is really a “little wonder” as I am going to be a grandmother for the first time. I’m really excited as I waited a long time to hear this “big news”. I waited until the baby was past the crucial stage to make the announcement. I guess superstition or something held me back. But Jes has seen and heard the heartbeat, a phenomenon I didn’t have, I don’t think, 29 and 24 years ago.

    I found a website that shows pictures of every week in the development of each week from conception to birth, which I describe to Jes since her computer is down right now. We spend hours on the phone planning baby car seats, cribs and other things that won’t be necessary for months, but it’s so much fun.

    Looking at those pictures and corresponding them with the development of my grandchild is truly a wonder.

  3. Sherri Erwin on 26 Sep 2007 at 7:13 am #

    Congratulations on the impending grandmotherhood! How exciting!

    Thanks for the sappy blog, Nicole. I’m a big sap. My eyes well up at almost anything, really. My kids are always making fun of me. Sometimes just being with my family makes it a perfect day. Other times, a perfect day is when everyone else leaves for work and school and I’m home alone with my coffee and keyboard for a good five or six hours before they all come back (it’s only perfect when they come back, even if I do cherish my hours alone).

  4. cail on 26 Sep 2007 at 7:19 am #

    congrats on the upcoming grandchild!

    for me its the long walk/ hike on a crisp fall day, an evening with friends, cuddling with the boyfriend, reading a good book uninterrupted, watching the Yankees win, and a million other little things.

  5. SuzyQ on 26 Sep 2007 at 7:47 am #

    Ahh yes, the kids behaving – that can make my day! I love it when they giggle because they make me giggle too. Other things like sitting on the beach with my feet in the sand reading a good book, taking pictures on fall days, having a nice dinner with friends and family or just enjoying the night and a glass of wine with my dh.

    Congratulations dbrown on your grandmotherhood!

  6. doglady on 26 Sep 2007 at 8:46 am #

    Congrats grandma to be!! That is indeed a wonder. Because I live so far out in the country I am surrounded by those little moments. There is a huge pond at the top of the road and there are always ducks there. The man who owns it is a jerk, but he loves his ducks. When I drive home and have to stop to let a mother duck and her ducklings cross the road it is just magic, especially if there is a straggler and mama has to go back and get him, fussing all the way. Sitting on my porch on a Sunday morning, sipping some Earl Gray and watching the birds at the bird feeders arguing with the squirrels in the trees. Seeing the wild turkeys at the bottom of my pasture early in the morning. Opening my back door and having all of my rescued dogs come to the gates of their runs to tell me good morning. I cannot save all the unwanted dogs in the world, but these dogs have a big, secure dog run, a nice warm doghouse, good food, fresh water and a mama that loves them. They know that.

  7. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 8:54 am #

    Children behaving? That would definitely make a great day, lol! Giggles would make it even better. And that’s wonderful about your new grandkid, Donna!

    >>> a perfect day is when everyone else leaves for work and school and I’m home alone with my coffee and keyboard for a good five or six hours before they all come back

    Boy, can I relate, Sherri! Karen Hawkins may be able to write through a tornado, but I love that quiet time.

    Crisp fall days and sitting on a beach are fab, in my opinion! And dogl, that’s a precious story about your baby ducklings. We have quail around our house, and the babies are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ll bet your pooches think they’re in heaven, having you for a mom. That is so great of you!

  8. Sabrina Jeffries on 26 Sep 2007 at 9:07 am #

    Any day when the writing goes well is a great day. Oh, and I DO love sitting on my deck in the fall and spring. It’s so pretty out there!

  9. Karen Rose on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:01 am #

    How to choose - good writing day, kids behaving, sitting on the deck sipping tea. All are great.

    I think sitting on the beach sipping TAB after a book’s been sent to my editor and put to bed, listening to the waves… That’s a good day.

  10. Karen Hawkins on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:29 am #

    My favorite time? Sitting on the front porch in a thunderstorm, sipping hot tea or coffee and enjoying the show. Such a beautiful, electrifying, and yet calming experience. I love storms.

    And congrats, to our grandma to be! How AWESOME!

  11. RachelG on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:50 am #

    Sitting on the beach or boat with the sun on my face.

    As for kids behaving, mine are all in their twenties and I’m still waiting for them to behave.

    Rachelg

  12. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 11:58 am #

    A little thing that goes a long way is when a random (and nice looking) guy opens the door for you when you’re still five steps away from the door and waits on you to go in before entering himself. Very nice, indeed!

  13. Meg on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:12 pm #

    Before my husband passed away we would try to schedule our days off together so that we could spend them with wach other. We would usually sleep in then get dressed and spend the day out of the house. Go to lunch, do a little shopping (with a long time spent at the book stores), and if lunch wasn’t too big we would have dinner, drinks, and dessert, finish up with a walk on the beach under the moon (weather permitting), then come home and enjoy either our books or each other. I miss those days a lot.

  14. MarthaH on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:13 pm #

    My favorites; In the summer, it’s sitting on the patio in the early morning having coffee and listening to the birds; or in the evening enjoying a cool glass of sangria and watching the sunset (or at least until the mosquitos get so bad that they drive me back into the house.

    In the winter, when it’s minus 30 degrees (yes that’s winter in Canada) there’s nothing like being inside, cosy beside the fireplace with my hubby, relaxing at the end of the day and watching the snow swirl around outside. Hhhmm, that sounds like the beginning of a hallmark card - doesn’t it?

    Lastly, listening to babies/toddlers or just children in general laughing. Their laughter is just so innocent, genuine and carefree.

  15. cail on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:19 pm #

    actually, a gentleman made my grandmothers night last night- it was her 85th birthday and we went out for dinner at a very fancy NYC restaurant. Not only did one of the managers decide to wait on our party of 9, he also presented my grandma with a dessert, and the restaurants cook book, signed by the author/head chef as a birthday present.

    she will certainly remember that night for a while

  16. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:20 pm #

    Meg, that sounds like the perfect day to me. Those were always my favorite days when I was still married. The days we just spent together doing little things all over the place. Add a bookstore to that and I’ll call it wonderful!

  17. colinfirthfan on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:25 pm #

    Hmm! A perfect day - Would be one in which I could read my book all day without any interruptions until I am done. Then I would want my DH and kids to come back home. :-)

    Today started out not too perfect but might be heading towards perfect - my 7 year old actually sat down to work on his homework packet before he left for school!!
    (It started out not too perfect since my 3 yr old woke us up at 5:30!!)
    I hate early mornings since I never go to bed early.

    Suzanne, please come to NorCal for book signings.

    KarenH - to answer your q from yesterday - I too though JR Ward would be too dark for me but then I read Dark Lover and it completely sucked me in. I love the way she writes the interaction between the brothers. It is so real!! I HIGHLY recommend trying it out.
    Another author who writes awesomely - Suzanne Brockmann. I love her Navy Seals Troubleshooters Team 16. Relationships between the members are so real to me (I have only read the first 4 books so I have plenty to go :) )

  18. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:27 pm #

    Colinfirthfan, is Suzanne Brockmann similar to J.R. Ward in her writing?

  19. colinfirthfan on 26 Sep 2007 at 12:37 pm #

    Similar in a very broad sense. Each Navy Seals books has a WW II sub plot plus the relationship between the Seal Teams and there are on-going stories of various characters running through the books. Also, of course there are various terrorists running around. I find them absolutely fascinating.
    JRW highly recommended them which is why I started reading them. The first book is - The Unsung Hero.
    Here is the link to the excerpts:
    http://www.suzannebrockmann.com/Ballantine.htm

  20. Ronlyn on 26 Sep 2007 at 1:19 pm #

    for me it’s really the little things that make a great day. Getting a good nights sleep (although that’s not a little thing with a 3 month old in the house), having a clean house, a good cup of coffee. I love the quiet of getting up before everyone else and sitting outside with my coffee & just watching the day wake up. that’s one of the things I miss from when I lived in MT, being able to hike up into the mountains and just listen to the quiet.

  21. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 1:19 pm #

    Thunderstorms, sunshine, walks on the beach, birds singing, a cozy fire, kids doing homework w/o being told…. those all can make great days!

    Meg, those are wonderful memories of your hubby… and I hope you still have a few little moments, even though they’re not longer shared.

    And those little unexpected kindnesses sure warm the heart! Cail, love the story about your gma!

    It’s the craziest thing, I can feel good for quite a while if I get a smile and “have a nice day” from a salesclerk or a perfect stranger.

  22. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 1:24 pm #

    And as for JR’s Brotherhood books, they are great, with fascinating, larger than life characters and super sexy alpha male heroes. But to be a big fan you should probably like dark, edgy supsense and vampires. She’s created her own unique vampire world that does seem very real.

    NicoleJ

  23. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 2:08 pm #

    I don’t know, Nicole. I’m not a huge fan of vampires, but I fell so hard for the brothers I was licking my canines! lol Her books are very edgy, though. Some of the plot lines are hard to take, and they drag you through some serious emotions. But, I guess that’s why I love them so much.

  24. Cookiedough on 26 Sep 2007 at 2:31 pm #

    What makes my day is getting an email from either twin son I gave up for adoption 20 yrs ago. Any day they say a simple hello just makes me melt and the emails that come with pictures- well, I just cry.
    I used to get report cards and photos from their mom, but getting to talk with them is just so special. We’ve been doing that since they turned 13.
    sigh.
    I just brought everyone down didn’t I?

  25. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 2:36 pm #

    Wow, CookieD, that is a wonderful story!! You made me smile, not bring me down. I have close friends who had to give up children for adoption and they say there’s always a hole in their lives and hearts. But if they know their children are healthy and happy, it helps heal the loss. Don’t know if that’s true for you, but it must be great to be a part of their lives.

  26. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 2:37 pm #

    Oh, cookiedough, I bet that is special! It’s wonderful that you are on good terms with their mom, too. If I ever did adopt I’d want it to be like that.

  27. Cookiedough on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:11 pm #

    For a long time I would just miss them terribly.
    Yes, knowing they’ve had such a healthy and happy home life has helped so much.
    They’ve grown into such great young men as well. I was young but I knew what I wanted for them, so chose their parents myself. It was very new in those days to have an open adoption. It worked out so well for us.
    One day we’ll meet face to face, but I’m letting them set the timetable, no matter how much I want it.
    thanks so much for the supportive words!

  28. Jami Alden on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:28 pm #

    the first sip of coffee in the morning, and the first sip of wine in the evening.
    and daycare. I love daycare.

    And wow, Cookiedough - that’s an amazing story - sounds like everything has worked out as well as one could possibly wish.

  29. colinfirthfan on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:34 pm #

    I guess JRW’s books are as dark as some of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books. They are definitely edgy.
    I just started reading V’s book. :)

    My perfect day: Staying home and reading V’s book

  30. Suzanne Enoch on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:35 pm #

    I love a cold, rainy day with a fire in the fireplace — which rarely happens in So California. *g* Those are always my very best writing days.

  31. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:40 pm #

    Yay for you ColinFirthFan. I hope Vs book doesn’t disappoint you. It’s probably my least favorite of all of them, but still good.

  32. Karen Hawkins on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:41 pm #

    Cookiedough, my son lived with his father for a short time after my divorce and then I let him finish his school year with my parents. He’s with me now, but it was a very difficult year. It’s tough not having your kids with you, no matter their ages or the circumstances. I’m so glad they keep in touch! It does make the rest of your day seem magical!

    I’m thinking a good day for me might be a cuppa Earl Gray and a JR Ward book. :) Thanks for the rec, colinfirthfan! I’ll let you know it goes.

  33. Cookiedough on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:46 pm #

    I’m having a pretty perfect day today..no work today- a nice nap and reading Suzanne Enoch’s new book.
    oh and youtubing it, finding fun clips to watch: so far found Battle of the Network Stars and Carol Burnet bloopers..Tim Conway cracks me up every time. small things amuse small minds.

  34. Claudia Dain on 26 Sep 2007 at 3:59 pm #

    I’ve been spending the days lately just thinking about how happy I am. Little things, driving a car I like, lunch with friends, the way the sun slants through the trees. It all makes me happy and I keep reminding myself that it makes me happy.

    The coffee mug I use to hold my Diet Snapple says “We do not remember days…we remember moments.” So true.

    Cookiedough, I was adopted! It was a closed, state adoption and every so often I think of my birth mother and thank her for the sacrifice she made to give me a better life. My life has been fantastic, and it all started because she put my needs in front of hers. It takes a heap of love and self-sacrifice to do that. I know my parents were continually grateful for the Gift of Me! *G*

  35. twolilhahas on 26 Sep 2007 at 4:35 pm #

    Claudia, I love the cover of your Courtesan’s Daughter. Very nice!

  36. Meg on 26 Sep 2007 at 4:54 pm #

    Now that you mention it, Suzanne, I love rainy days too. I think I am the only one in my family who does. Everyone else wants to sleep if it is raining. I like to sit and listen to it curled up with a good book and some nice hot chocolate. I don’t have the luxuary of a fire place, but that would be wonderful!

  37. Ellen La Sap on 26 Sep 2007 at 5:03 pm #

    I read this question this morning and actually said “oooooh yesssss” out loud. I knew I would have something to think about all day on the road.

    By now, you all know that laughing has priority over breathing for me. I’d be fibbing if I didn’t own up to thinking of some very funny little “perfect moments.” They gave me great laugher through out the day. I couldn’t wait to come home and share the laughter with my favorite goddesses.

    Then I read all your responses. They are all beautiful and I wish each and every one of you millions and millions of those moments in your blessed lives.

  38. Ellen La Sap on 26 Sep 2007 at 5:05 pm #

    I meant laugh Ter

  39. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 6:20 pm #

    Oh, I can’t wait to get Suzanne’s Touch of Minx (what a fun title!) I plan to make a bookstore run tomorrow!

    And I also can’t wait till The Couresan’s daughter comes out next week! I can see why your pub might want to market it as a trade paperback first, Claudia. It sounds like Phillipa Gregory fans might really enjoy it. And that is so lovely that you are so happy these days. And being adopted makes you special!

    As for you, Ellen the Sap…. I thank you for your gift of laughter!! Laughter can make even the worst days brighter. There have been many comments of yours that just make my day. So do PLEASE share your funny perfect moments! We all would love to hear them. And they’ll be perfect compliement to all these poignant stories we’ve been enjoying.

    NicoleJ, the bigger sap.

  40. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 6:34 pm #

    And Meg, I love rain, too! And I appreciate it even more since we moved to Utah where it’s so dry and we fight drought so much of the year. I don’t think I could live in Seattle all year round — the lack of sunshine would get to me — but I sure do miss the rain in Atlanta. And the green grass. My horses miss it, too!

  41. Claudia Dain on 26 Sep 2007 at 7:14 pm #

    Thanks for the kind words about Courtesan’s Daughter! I love hearing it; it makes me so happy. LOL

  42. Dot C on 26 Sep 2007 at 9:55 pm #

    My mr and I went away for the weekend. And although Saturday evening was punctuated by dancing, drinking, great friends and company, it was the small moments during the night and next morning that made me fall in love with him all over again. When we snuggled at night and I realized how warm he is, that he is my back….or when we walked hand in hand the next morning to go wake up our friends. We stayed at an inn that had a very conservative church group staying there. LOL, as we walked barefoot and disheveled across the dew drenched grass, and they gave us the evil eye for being such obvious sinners, he sang his little song in a high voice - “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so…” Just to make me laugh and to make them look away. Or when he took me on a drive to find breakfast, and wanted to show me breathtaking, startling views of a crystal ocean under a perfect cerulean sky, and we talked about our secret dreams…those are my little meaningful moments.

  43. Nicole Jordan on 26 Sep 2007 at 10:20 pm #

    Wow, Dot, that sounds so lovely. And your Mr. sounds like a wonderful guy. Definitely romance hero material. Secret dreams…. just makes my heart melt!

  44. pri.r. on 27 Sep 2007 at 4:39 am #

    gaaahhh i love this song!!…

  45. Cookiedough on 27 Sep 2007 at 11:18 am #

    Karen, that must have been so hard for you with your son gone. Such an emotional time to begin with!
    Claudia, thank you for telling me about the other side of adoption. It helps.