(Small Pleasures lists highlight the everyday items, activities and experiences which bring an extravagant amount of happiness to my life. Writing these lists is a fun practice of mindfulness that encourages gratitude for the abundance of blessing in my life.)
December was the typical blur of holiday preparation and eventual celebration. Recognizing the small pleasures among the big took more work than usual. It was worth the effort, though. The end result captures some of the ways I managed to protect my sanity during the most wonderful time of the year.
Small Pleasures: December 2019
- Klaus (Netflix original movie). This beautifully animated movie tells the story of Santa Claus in a fresh, delightful way. It’s poignant, magical, satisfying. Watching it with my newly married daughter made the experience even better. I recommend it, with kids or without.
- Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher. This charmer of a book lifted me out of a rotten reading slump and set me down in the middle of a quaint Scottish village during a December snowstorm. The story had everything I was looking for: engaging characters struggling through difficult circumstances but still open to friendship and love, an evocative setting perfect for Christmas, and a deeply satisfying ending. Winter Solstice was the perfect book for December and I’ve been recommending it to anyone who will listen. I’m also looking forward to investigating the rest of Rosamund Pilcher’s catalogue.
- The fresh scent of a live Christmas tree. The Fraser fir we bought as our Christmas tree this year filled our house with it’s lovely piney scent for days. That smell is the one I associate most with Christmas and I love it. (So do the cats, who basically live under the tree for the entire month of December).
- Watching Perry Mason with Jay. My husband and I get on these kicks where we focus on an old TV show and watch the available seasons/episodes over the course of several months. We did this with the original Star Trek series and have recently turned our attention to Perry Mason. I’m enjoying the show’s plotlines but I’m loving the peek into 1950s/1960s culture and style. Della Street is my favorite character. She’s a smart, competent, stylish and independent woman at a time when that was rather uncommon.
- Felt dryer balls. In an effort to reduce some of the cleaning chemicals I’m using in my home, I decided to try wool dryer balls in place of fabric softener. I purchased my set from Food 52 (the cool tones) and am very happy with the softness of my laundry. What makes the end result even better is the few drops of Mountain Rain fragrance oil (from the Fresh Summer collection by Barnhouse Blue) I add to the balls before I toss them into the dryer. Now my laundry is soft, smells wonderful and I’m helping the environment and our skin in one very small way.
Add numerous cups of hot tea and an excess of twinkling lights and you have my personal prescription for thriving during the hectic Christmas season of 2019. Do you have any small pleasures to share? Please do in the comments!
Rabbit Cake by Annie Harnett, narrated by Katie Schorr. There is a special place in my heart for quirky kids trying to figure out the world while navigating difficult circumstances. Elvis Babbit is on of those kids. She tells the story of her quirky family’s grieving process after her mother dies in a drowning accident. This book is funny, sad and pleasantly weird. The tone reminds me of The Bellweather Rhapsody or the movies Moonrise Kingdom and Little Miss Sunshine. I listened to this as an audiobook which I’m sure enhanced my enjoyment of it. Katie Schorr does an excellent job with narration. You absolutely believe you are listening to a curious and observant twelve year old girl.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. This YA novel has all the components of a fun fantasy/adventure: interesting characters, a well developed setting, a journey of self discovery and growth through adversity, an epic good versus evil battle, a bit of romance, and, of course, magic. And, the main character is a heroine. It’s a quick read and total escapist pleasure. In the right directorial hands, I think it could be a fantastic movie.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt is a weird and often very funny Western about two hitman brothers, narrated by the contemplative and compassionate brother, Eli Sisters (I loved him!). There is a dream-like quality to this story that made it feel like an epic but quirky myth or parable. That alone would be my reading jam but the unusual characters, strong writing and tidy ending (which I really loved here) cinched The Sisters Brothers as a Sleeper Hit. Plus, that cover art! One caveat – this is a Western about hitmen. As you can imagine, there is violence aplenty so consider yourself warned.
When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. This book explores grief, faith and relationships in a small town after a fatal car accident involving four cheerleaders. There are several secrets revolving around the accident that creates a surprisingly compelling storyline. Although there is tragedy and sadness, the resolutions are uplifting and positive; it’s sappy in the best kind of way. I also felt that the Christian faith was treated realistically and fairly. When We Were Worthy won’t win the Pulitzer, but it was a satisfying way to spend my time.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman’s retelling of the Norse myths are modern, accessible and funny. I enjoyed them so much! Allow me a disclaimer here, though. I had the pleasure of reading Norse Mythology while I was traveling in Iceland last summer which added significantly to my reading pleasure. There were so many nods to Norse mythology throughout Iceland, i.e., the Bifrost sculpture at Keflavik airport and Thorsmork (Thor’s Valley). I don’t know if I would have enjoyed this book half as much if I hadn’t been reading it after long days of adventuring in the land of fire and ice.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, narrated by Scott Brick. What a great book! I enjoyed it even more than the movie, mostly because I appreciated the more detailed look at chaos theory presented by Ian Malcolm which is only superficially addressed in the movie. The plot is propulsive; I was compelled to finish as soon as possible to out what happened EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY KNEW THE ENDING from the movie. That is a telling aspect of a great book. Jurassic Park isn’t high literature but it is a well researched and very enjoyable tale with a just a dash of mind tickling philosophy.
Off the Clock written and narrated by Laura Vanderkam. Productivity and time management hold a weird fascination for me, (probably because I’m uber-afflicted with 
The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett , narrated by Charles Armstrong. Take a stuffy English scholar named Arthur Prescott, place him in a medieval town with a famous crumbling cathedral and ancient library and add a delightful supporting cast and a few mysteries related to Arthurian legends. The result is The Lost Book of the Grail. While not a page-turning thriller, it is a delightful mystery that focuses on character growth, friendships and Arthurian legends. It’s also another book with a seriously satisfying ending. I enjoyed taking my time with it.
Whimsey Pie 