As I’m writing this, a tropical storm is headed our way, and we’re also on hurricane watch. Since we’ve prepared as best we can, there’s not much we can do right now other than wait and hope that the impact is minimal.

And, as I often tell myself that worrying doesn’t change anything, I’m choosing to focus on other things; and what better way to do that than count my blessings, and think of the things that bring me joy, instead of the dreadful ones…

The older I get, the more I realize that it really is the little things that make big differences, so here are the things that are bringing me joy lately.

• Fresh flowers. Can one deny the joy flowers bring? Apart from my intention to bring some nature in from the moment we settled here, I also like to have some sort of flowers in our home, preferably long-lasting ones like carnations, or, at the very least, tropical-looking green leaves (I usually go for strelitzia, also known as the bird of paradise plant - they last for at least a month in water).

  
  

• Schitt's Creek. We have been watching a lot of drama shows recently, and, well, they were too much at times - we needed laughter. We tried other shows and movies, and they all left us disappointed as we’re really not into “raunchy” stuff; the recent entertainment seems to be all about that. After hearing so much about Schitt's Creek, we caved in and decided to give it a try. Ah, a breath of fresh air! It’s good, so watch it if you haven't already.

• Cozy mysteries and/or novels taking place in Italy. You must know my love for Italy by now, so it’s no surprise that I’ve been trying to escape there virtually as we’re still not keen on traveling internationally these days. The Cats and Dogs Cozy Mystery series has been quite entertaining and just the escape I needed lately - though I do have to admit that the murder scenario is getting a little old for me at this point… In spite of that, these are still captivating reads and I recommend the series if you’re also looking for some light reads.

  I also just finished reading Under a Sienna Sun, Escape to Tuscany #1, which again, was a pretty good read, and I jumped into the second book of the series last night - I’m not far enough in it to have anything to say about it just yet. For other captivating reads, check this post.

• Small gestures from hubby, like him making me lunch, or bringing my slippers in the bathroom before I shower (I always forget them), and other thoughtful things that just make a difference, and remind me how lucky I am to have him.

• Finding beautiful places nearby. Even though we’ve been spending a lot more time at home than we like, we love exploring places - that’s something that will never change about hubby and me. Getting more familiar with our new home state, one place at a time has been fun and brought us joy lately, as well.

What’s bringing you joy lately?

Until next time.

xoxo,

Em