The 'Blogging Guru' has made a great suggestion. Part of the 'simple pleasure' blog should include an opportunity for people to vent. Not major grievances, just minor, daily drags. For example:

1. When letting somebody move into a lane of traffic it really irks me when they don't wave 'thanks'
2. When my husband thinks I'm done eating and there's a little piece of something that I really want he'll finish it before giving me first right of refusal.
3. When I go an entire day with something between my teeth and NOBODY tells me
4. When my children yell at me

I guess I could go on forever but will stop here.

I hope you will contribute to the Daily Drag Poll.

Thanks,

Hope

V pleasures

Victoria's Simple Pleasures (in no particular order):
Playing with a child.
Getting a shampoo or massage!
Sleeping with my cat snuggled next to me (extra points if it is a nap during a storm!)
Having a really good workout.
Wine-- the smell, the taste, the look, everything.
A new book from one of the authors I follow waiting for me at the library.
Feeling healthy!
A clean house.
Playing with a puppy.
A homemade cheeseburger with grilled Vidalia onion on a toasted Kaiser with dijon and ketchup!
Getting together with the girls in Milwaukee!
Helping someone.

Reminder:

Last spring I had the opportunity to attend the National Art Education conference in New Orleans. I was able to see the devastation that hit that city. Three years later things there is still so much work to be done. There are neighborhoods, ninth ward and St. Bernard Parish where demolished houses still stand. Skeletal structures, which used to be houses, still stand, with the 'X's above the doors, signifying the amount of bodies recovered after the storm.

Part of my visit included a screening of the documentary, Katrina's Children. On this third anniversary of the most devastating natural disaster that has hit our country I am reminded of the people who suffered the most, the children. If you have the opportunity please see this movie. Remember who was affected the most and what we can do to help bring about change!

Hope's Dailure:

This isn't a daily pleasure but I really enjoyed listening to the Democratic convention speakers last night. I was moved by Michelle Obama's speech!

Just one

I enjoy reading a charm bracelet I have that says:

Live the Life you Love
Love the Life you Live

It reminds me daily to appreciate everything
that I have.

Jane

The Simple Pleasures that I take Joy in Today:

1. Snuggling up with our daughters Malti-pom at night

2. Walking 2.7 miles with no pain in my knees

3. Celebrating 25 years of marriage in June

4. Being happy about celebrating 25 years of marriage!

5. Making a commitment to my health

6. Loosing 4 inches off my waist as a result of my commitment to health

7. Watching my Aunt with Alzheimers be her old self when she played with the retired     greyhound at her Assisted Living Home. (Bless her soul)

8. Having evolved enough to enjoy the simple pleasures each day brings ;-)

9. Did I mention my kids?  23, 20 and 13.  Today they bring simple pleasures....tomorrow they   could be bringing home more dogs! (Especially my 23 yr old, who has two already....,and           moved  home!!)

10. Knowing that tomorrow is a new day and I can follow my dreams

Hope's list of detestable chores:

1. Cleaning the filters on the air conditioning vent
2. Cleaning behind the toilets
3. Folding laundry
4. Unloading the dishwasher

I know this is supposed to be a blog with lists of simple pleasures but I just couldn't resist. I mean, after all, my days aren't ALL full of simple pleasures!

Hope's Dailure:

I really enjoy watching my husband, Jordi, work with his aquariums. He's reading all about the fish and plants which are 'living' in our house.

Hope's Dailure:

1. Listening to rain on the roof, at night, in bed.

Antonio Zangaglia's Simple Pleasures:

From across the Atlantic Ocean, (by the Adriatic Sea), here's a slightly different outlook on the pleasures of everyday life:
Thank god it's 5 a.m. at last. I can get up and start get moving again!
Driving to work although it's a weekend day (it seems like I can't find myself a decent, regular hobby like everybody else!).
Finding out that, unlike most other qualities, common sense grows with age.
Discovering, to my utmost surprise, that my wife Cinzia might actually be wiser than I am.
Discovering (with a little fatherly disappointment but great relief indeed) , that my 20-year old son Marco might actually be less daredevil than I was at his age.

We saw the movie Christina, Vicky, Barcelona last night. I really enjoyed it and think it's one of the better Woody Allen movies I've seen in a long time. The cast included: Javier Bardem, Scarlet Johansson, Penelope Cruz. Eye candy!

Philip Yenawine's Simple Pleasures:

Okay, okay....
1. My son consulting me on life issues
2. Seeing him as wonderful parent
3. Kisses from my granddaughter, blown or planted
4. The New Yorker
5. The New York Times crossword puzzles
6. Getting better at Spanish

okay Hope, since I also believe the beauty in life is in the details, here are mine...
1. Cappucino at the French Bakery early in the morning
2. My daughters smiling or laughing (about anything)
3. NPR
4. A soulful moment/conversation with a friend
5. A really great, long, hard bike ride to Key Biscayne
6. Anything mother nature makes

Robyn Wolf

Cordelia's List:

1. Looking at the stars while swimming the backstroke every morning at 5:00
2. Listening to the violin being played on the metro rail by an individual with cerebral palsy
3. Laughing with my niece
4. Learning from a growing plant

Cordelia Faye

Hope's added pleasure:

1. Taking a dance class, 2x a week, with my daughters, Sophie and Elisabet. What a joy!

victors list

1.tennis *1girls!
2.skateboard
3.paintball
4.hanging out with freinds
5.being out doors
6.jack!$$ stunts

Renee's simple pleasures:


A bitter sweet summer makes me appreciate:
1. Opening the front door to a sunny, hot morning and the Rocky Mountain news on my porch.
2. Savouring my 15 minutes of coffee time alone before the day begins.
3. Watching my father make it through another day.
4. Seeing my daughter appreciate her first 800 page book.
5. How Harley Davidson has such a grip on my husband!!!

Margaret's Simple Pleasures

1. The euphoria after a tough work out.

2. Watching sail boats race, especially if my children are sailing them.

3.  Making the first footsteps in fresh snow.

4.  Learning something new.

5. Reading.

6. Eating vanilla ice cream with fresh, super juicy peaches in August.

7. Taking pictures.

8. Watching my children as they finally "get it".

9. Hugging my husband.

10. A nice glass of wine.

Our endeavors that treasure our daily pleasures

Good days are brought by good hearted people.

My mornings include a small dog that sleeps more then I do sometimes and a woman who is very special to me. Here is a small list of what we all enjoy.

1. Having a tea and being outside if its not snowing with a smoke.

2. Walking around and tidying up the house here and there

3. Calling the Girlfriend to make sure she got to work on time and making a plan for the day

4. Reheating my tea as it is cold at this point now

5. Making the bed and maybe stare at my phone to see if there is any one else I should call... usually no one.

6. Thinking about my dog that is at my mothers who I miss and wish I could have him with me but he is a happy pup with mom... for now I guess. (my dog is very important to me)

7. Looking at my watch as time for me shortens but I still do not seem to get it into gear.

8. Sitting on the couch ignoring the fact that I have to get ready in about two minutes or I will be late.

9. Finding something else to procrastinate with ....

10. Noticing I actually had something really important to do and rushing to accomplish it before I actually am late.

11. Getting dressed followed by forgetting I have to make a lunch. Then I try and rationalize not to make one because I can buy one but then I waste my pennies which could be saved.

12. Hurrying to make the damn lunch and get out of the house asap.

13. Having the rest of the cold tea in the car as I drive getting every red light possible

14. Making it to work with seconds to spare and getting on the computer to right my babe an email saying I made it to work on time and will see her at days end.

15. My girlfriend receiving the email. 

So those are some of my and a couple of her endeavors that treasure the daily pleasures in our life. There is a lot more within the week. Walking the two dogs and making long distance phone calls to family or cutting lawns for my family while spending time with them etc... I will leave it for another day.

What are yours??

JT

Sophie's Simple Sweet Pleasures:

1. having a good dessert
2. being with friends
3. playing tennis well
4. listening to music
5. having animals around
6. painting my nails
7. dinner with my family
8. buying clothes
9. swimming
10. watching movies
11. reading

The response to 'Simple Pleasures' has been wonderful.  I would encourage everyone to send out the blog site to all their friends and family.  I am not very good at putting images on the blog but if you can figure it out, please, by all means, attach one!

My simple pleasure for the day, or my 'dailure'(word combining daily and pleasure) includes getting into bed at night with a book that I am really enjoying.  Right now I'm reading The Story of Edgar Sawtell and I'm not REALLY enjoying it.  But because it's for our book group, which meets on Sunday I am pushing myself.  What a difference a good book makes!

Amended August 12...Went to book group on Sunday and the facilitator drew from Hamlet. The paralells were so interesting. I found the book to be so much better after hearing those connections!

Ronald's Simple Pleasures

1:R.O.H

2:Paintball

3:Sleep

4:Eating

5:Hanging out with Friends

6:Movies

7:The Beach

8:Tennis

9:Music

10:Skateboards

Alan's SImple Pleasures

1. being loved

2. family

3. chuck norris

4. chocolate

5. tennis

6. soccer

7. friends 

8. phone

9. video games

10. youtube

Hope's new dailure

I received a gift certificate for a 'spa' day at one of the local House of Put-Yourself-Together, so I went and got a mani-pedi and a facial and then I'd had enough and noticed there was a schedule for dance classes.  I was so excited because it said, "Street Dance".  I took this to mean it wasn't:  Pilates, aerobics, yoga, kick-boxing, etc... I thought, 'great a unadulterated dance class', a class for

'pure' movement, with music.  Something where I don't have to worry about whether I'm 'hitting' my abs, butt, upper biceps, lower biceps, quads, blah, blah, blah.  

I dragged my 17 year old daughter and the woman teaching the class, probably in her 60's, with tatoos ALL over her body, came out and in a raspy, whisky-like, voice, proclaimed to be our teacher.  There were only four in the class.  But when she put on the music and started moving, with eyes closed, I knew I was home.  I LOVED IT!  And so did my daughter.  In spite of the fact that neither one of us knew what we were doing and we were tripping over one another we had a wonderful time!

What a pleasure!  We are going back.

Pam's list (amended)

I thought of another simple pleasure today: the smell of clean laundry as you fold it (guess why…I only have about 8 more loads to go…but at least this train of thought has led to it being a more pleasurable sensation!)

Pam's List

1.At the top of my list is being with my family ON VACATION because normally we all go different ways.
2. sorry to be like Hope and Sally, but that first sip of coffee with the morning paper is sublime.
3. sitting with Dennis on our outward facing love-seat each night watching the sun set while we drink a bottle of wine
4. running while the morning breaks
5. cooking big meals for an appreciative family (plus girlfriends)
6. watching my kids play sports
7. watching Charlie play guitar and sing his own songs

Josh's Simple Pleasures (age 15)

Falling asleep to a movie

Playing tennis

Blasting the radio in my room

First sip of oj in the morning

Watching new movies with friends

Chris's Simple Pleasures (age 16)

1. Playing tennis

2. Hanging out with friends

3. Spending the night watching movies with a bag of candy

4. Going out for a drive by the beach

5. Finding the cheapest gas

6. Being out on the water

From Elisabet (age 17)

1. Blasting a good song on in the car
2. The first sip of orange Juice in the morning
3. lounging on a floating device in the pool
4. waking up to text messages or phone calls from friends
5. Buying a cute dress and then wearing it out
6. checking my facebook and seeing comments or messages
7. Hearing my mom say she's proud of me
8. mixing cereals with fruit
9. Watching back to back episodes of Lost with my little sister

I love listening to music, everyday, and I forgot to put that in my original list.

Hollis' Heavenly list of Simple Pleasures

1. Smelling the flowers (Ha! Making you laugh.)

2. Provoking a gut-busting laugh from Spencer-man.

3 Reading my people magazine every week.

4. Having Mike unexpectedly offer to let me sleep in while he gets Spencer.

5. Having my family all together. (Parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc.)

6. Listening to Wait Wait (Not to copy you or anything.)

7. Still fitting in to a size 4 when I try on shorts or pants.

8. Settling into a movie with a big bag of popcorn

9. Hearing from an old friend via e-mail.

10. A great dish of guacamole accompanied by an equally good margarita

11. Getting together with my old writing group to talk, but also to write and laugh.

Very nice idea!

Here's my list:

1. Really enjoying the book I am reading. Right now it is The Power of One, a novel.
2. Guilty, sweet pleasure: watching Jon and Kate plus Eight and loving those babies from afar.
3. Avocado on a delicious home-made whole grain bread as a snack, yum!
4. Making my kids laugh.
5. Going on errands with my hubby, aka my best friend.

July 29, 2008

Herb's simple pleasures:

1. A swim in a good, warm enough lap pool with my snorkel
2. A really well made, Italian Tiramisu
3. Finding, photocopying and printing the best works of cartoonists such as Arno, Price, Booth, Gluyas Williams, Mary Petty, etc., and especially good New Yorker covers in color. Then mounting them on my bathroom wall, and rotating them when one gets too old.
4. Biting into a big, ripe, juicy peach
5. A really fine glass of red wine (not sure that should be on the “small” things list)
6. The smell of pine needles, especially if in the North woods.
7. Watching seagulls glide and soar, barely moving their wings
8. Confusing a dog by whistling like a bird through my teeth (doesn’t always work)
9. Reading an especially well written, elegant sentence—or better yet, a cluster of same.
10. Great jokes, of late years mostly from you and Norm Hyman via e-mail
11. Writing a good chapter, letter or riposte (the latter, mostly to Dan Maguire).

July 28, 2008

I sent out an email on July 26, 2008, asking friends and family to make a list. I was just curious because in these days of austerity, cut backs, lay offs, sky rocketing gas prices and general corporate greed, it seemed like a nice idea to have a list of the small things that we all can 'afford'. The list consisted of 'simple pleasures', things that we might do on a daily basis that give us joy, nothing extravagant or expensive. I wanted people to be frank, in other words, if they really enjoyed smelling the roses, great, but it had to be 'real' pleasure.

My list started out pretty small but after viewing some wonderful responses I decided to 'try' out some of the responses. So here's my amended list:

1. my first sip of coffee in the morning
2. swimming laps and breathing deeply
3. fresh berries on my cereal
4. checking my email messages first thing in the AM
5. reading the NY Times
6. reading The New Yorker magazine (sometimes I don't get to issues for months but I can always find a new article)
7. listening to my son try and figure out a song on the piano
8. dinner with my husband and kids (even if we have heated discussions)
9. getting an email from somebody I haven't heard from for a long time
10. walking to the ocean especially when it's early morning and the water is like 'glass'

There have been many additions....thanks to friends and family. I'm hoping that I will get more idea from other people's lists.

Thanks,
Hope

Carly's list

well, because I'm only seventeen, my list is slightly different.

1 fixing and re-doing my myspace to reflect me and my interests.
2 driving by the water on a daily basis and enjoying the view.
3 downloading and making new CDs for my car.
4 and when my mom and dad tell me they love me and are proud of me.

:)-carly

Ooooh....manchego!

Sally's List:













1. Laughing with my kids. I love it when they make me laugh and am so glad they both have a great sense of humour.
2. The first bite of that egg, bacon and cheese kolache after my long run on Saturday mornings.
3. Chocolate
4. Like Hope, that first sip of coffee in the morning, especially when I'm the first one up and no one else is around.
5. A glass of good red wine with a slice of Manchego
6. Curling up on the sofa with a good book, a little dog, Siena, on my lap and a big one, Sophie, at my feet
7. Fresh flowers in my kitchen
8. Breakfast in bed

July 28, 2008

You got me thinking...

PEGGY'S LIST:

Here are some of mine -

• A Grande non-fat Latte in the morning
• Floating in the pool after a run
• The view from the top of the Rickenbacker bridge
• Walking my dog
• Movie popcorn

July 28, 2008

A word from the Bay Area

1. watching my dog while he's "dreaming" (running, barking in his sleep)
2. my husband making me dinner
3. finding my book club book at the library
4. hearing Jon Stewart make some obscure Jewish reference
5. getting an acknowledgment wave from the other driver

(This one is for Betsy. I've witnessed it. It makes her really happy:)
6. finding the cheapest gas price in town

July 29, 2008

One possible list...

1. Hugs from my husband

2. Watching my dogs run, just because they love to run

3. Sliding into a bed with clean sheets, right after a shower

4. Looking at a bowl of home-made fettucine w/ fresh clams and knowing I get to eat it all up

5. Feeling cold water run on my head when I am really hot

6. When I watch a baseball game on TV, hearing the crack of the bat hitting a ball

7. Snow...just about anything having to do with snow... especially getting out and walking in a massive storm

8. Buying a bag of popcorn, a cup of soda and walking into a dark theatre to see some film (works best if the film is a good one)

July 28, 2008

From a 1st cousin, once removed

1- Watching the chipmunks, squirrels and a multitude of birds out side my window as I sit and knit.

2- My two cups of cherry chocolate caffeine free coffee in the early morning with my paper.

3- A quiet time at 3:00 a.m when I can't sleep to read my email and answer.

4- Riding in my car by myself running errands when no one is looking for me.

5- Doing cool downs in the water after Water Aerobics class.

July 28, 2008

Thanks, Hope

KRISTA'S LIST:

1. The sight of the stream at the end of our street

2. The flowers in by back yard; right now the butterfly bush is in full bloom covered with butterflies.

3. The whinny of the horses across the street when it’s dinner time, and my dogs talking back to them

4. Hitting tennis balls

5. Dove ice cream bars covered with almonds

6. My back porch now with an outlet to work outside….and keeping in touch by email to those who anchor me in all this junk.

Hope, THANK YOU for doing this. Rough week.

July 28, 2008

Jill's List:




















1. First sip of coffee
2. Martini
3. Reading the New Yorker
4. Picking up and reading the NY Times first thing in the morning
5. Watching the sun rise and set over lake Michigan (the reflections in the evening)
6. Watching Judge Judy
7. Meandering around a market checking out whats good to eat with my eyes
8. Playing ball with my dog
9. Making people laugh with my stories of every day happenings.

Posted on July 28, 2008

Cecilia's list:

Simple pleasures
1. Using a new pen or refilling an old favorite and using it for the first time in ages
2. Discovering a new song that speaks to me
3. Wednesday night spinning at the Biltmore
4. Rare- medium rare cheddar cheeseburgers with fries and a beer
5. Driving from Key Biscayne to the Deering Estate along Main, Ingraham highways and eventually Old Cutler on a cool fall day with the windows down and the radio loud
6. Golf on a sunny day
7. Reading a good book with my dog curled up next to me
8. Beach days
9. Drawing and painting things that make me laugh
10. Hugging old friends
11. Text messaging
12. Soy steamers with a shot of hazelnut in the morning
…and so many more.