Ordinary

I'm reading the most fabulous book right now. I won it on a blog giveaway a while ago, you probably remember me mentioning it. It's called 'The Gift of an Ordinary Day' by Katrina Kenison. After having the book in my possession for several weeks I suddenly realized with much delight that it's actually signed personally by the author! "To Kathy~ Wishing you many wonderfully ordinary days! Katrina Kenison"

It's been an eye-opening book, one that I have already shed some tears over and smiled wide, happy smiles over. In the very first chapter I decided that it would never be a book that I'd pass on to anyone else and I pulled out my pink highlighter and began highlighting many, many, many parts. So many wonderful thoughts and ideas that I just wanted to be able to go back to and find easily. Don't get me wrong - I would highly recommend this book for any Mom and will very likely buy copies for friends -- but this highlighted copy I will keep for myself. Forever. ;)

I know for sure I will share many, many quotes/thoughts from this book in the coming days/months/years. But for now, here is just a small sampling.

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." ~~Thomas Moore

"I don't think anyone 'finds joy'", writer Dawna Markova observes, "Rather, we cultivate it by searching for the preciousness of small things, the ordinary miracles that strengthen our hearts so we can keep them open to what is most difficult."

"And it may be too that happiness is really a state of mind we choose for ourselves, a way of being that we cultivate from one moment to the next, rather than the result of realizing our ambitions or acquiring whatever it is that we think we most desire." ~Katrina Kenison

I'll be sharing more soon! But for now I've been enjoying the simplicity of long summer days watching my daughters swim while I immerse myself in a book on the deck. I'm embracing the 'ordinary' and enjoying every minute of it!