Tingles for a Rainy Day

Saturday was a beautiful day. Sunday was a beautiful day.

Today is Monday….and it is raining. Dreary and raining. I need more coffee as my sugar high from the Dr. Pepper has just worn off.

On dreary days I sometimes like to look at something that makes me very happy. Something that just makes me sigh and all warm and tingly on the inside.

Oh yes, that will do it.

The other thing that for some odd reason makes me happy are the book shelves in my office.

I don’t know why it is, I just cannot say. They just make me happy in all their slightly jumbled bookishness. Perhaps it is because there are loads of tchotchke that reside there. Things that ended up on the shelves and have a place in my heart.

Or not.

Lets look shall we.

A Matchbox car from my nephew, Gregory. It actually lived in my garden from 2003-20012, moving from place to place. Gregory left it there originally when he was here for a family reunion. I would see it, pick it up, put it some place to take it inside and then forget it for another year. I FINALLY remembered to bring it into the house. It looks like it needs another car wash.

My original piggy bank from my growing up years. I used to love to hear the change in it and feel it get heavier and heavier.

Misc shells picked up from various times at the beach. I try not to do that anymore because, really, what do I need with more shells.

And yes, that is a real butterfly, although I do not know what kind. I walked out onto the driveway late in the summer and it was just laying there on the concrete, stiff with butterfly rigor mortis. It somehow has landed on my shelves where it is slowly dropping butterfly dust. I will get rid of it one of these days.

Various carved figures. The man with the pipe I bought, for a now un-remembered reason, in Oberammergau in Germany. The same town where the Christmas Nativity was purchased many years before. The donkeys are both from Israel, purchased at different times for me by the Pringle grandparents on their travels.

Ah this brings me a smile. It was given to HHBL by someone while on his first trip to Rwanda. A candle holder that is oddly shaped and doesn’t hold candles well but which reminds me of the light that I saw in the faces of children when we visited.

Salt and Pepper shakers from Cartoon Girl. They make me laugh so I keep them here rather than use them for their intended purpose.

A piece of Lake Erie drift wood with my name on it. These were place holders at Matt and Hannah’s lovely wedding.

And finally, some card games that I do not actually play. I had these same games when I was growing up. The originals were long ago given away in some cleanout or other. But when I discovered that I could actually order them from somewhere on the internet…..I did. Just for old times sake. Sometimes you just have to do that.

If your day is dreary outside go and find something to look at that makes you happy. I think I will go and stand in front of my book shelves and feel all warm and tingly.