• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Women's Legacy Project
  • Home
  • About
  • How To Curate
  • Our Collective Legacy
  • Writing Online Memoir
  • Blog
Women's Legacy Project > Blog > CREATE > Blogging & Writing > Nice Days Normal Life

Nice Days Normal Life

Written by: womenslegacy
Published: June 13, 2014 -- Last Modified: June 13, 2014
23 Comments

I want to write something normal, not something heady, insightful, or politically informed.  I don’t want it to be about illness, depression, guns, or require a bunch of research. I have discovered some contentment has slipped in unbeknownst to me during the last couple of decades of life.
In the next week my husband and I will have been married 25 years.  Wow.  Never thought I would marry, have a kid, be a Girl Scout leader, or teach Sunday School.  Life unfolds in unexpected ways.

–––

Public Smiles

I need to write simple stories about shopping for dinner in Trader Joes with Hubby and asking him to get pre-pared green peas because I still do not like to snap the ends off after entire summers spent shelling peas and snapping beans as a kid.  I want to write about the woman with the beautiful white hair who was also choosing vegetables as we were, who broke out in a grin when she heard me say that.  She had shelled a fair number of peas from pods in her lifetime.  It is nice to make someone smile.
peas-2686_640

Kisses That Make It Better

I want to write about how happy it made me when my daughter Face-timed me the other day to ask me about a bad cut she’d just sliced into her finger.  We discussed stitches, cleaning, wrapping, and other things when I leaned over kissed her finger on the screen and told her it would be all okay.  She laughed and said that was exactly what she needed.  She is 24 and lives 1500 miles away, but sometimes she still needs Mom to kiss it and make it better.

The Scent of a Memory

I found peonies in the flower section of a grocery a few days ago.  It was wonderful.  I do not see peonies, lilacs or any of the flowers of my childhood in Arizona, period.  Every time I walked by them, I stuck my face into the bouquet and breathed in the silky sweet scent of my grandmother’s garden.

–––

I cannot wait to do a non-break-neck-edly paced road trip with the Hubby this summer to see sights and wonders neither of us has managed to visit in our multiple scores of years on the planet, and visit our kids and grandkids and finally make it to Niagara Falls.  It is good to get out of Arizona in the summer for a while, if you can.  This year we can.
Tonight as I write this, I’m enjoying the golden glow of this Honey Moon before the Solstice – and that is enough to fill me with a calm peace.
Sometimes we just need to stop and enjoy the little bits of regular days in a regular old life.
 
 
 

Categories: Blogging & WritingTags: anniversaries, family, here and now, memories, smiles, Summer

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org
Previous Post: « Organizing, Digital Hoarding and Brushes with Mortality
Next Post: A Nod to The Obligatory Fathers Day Post »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. revgerry

    June 13, 2014 at 7:17 am

    Nancy, thank you, you made me smile this morning. I am so happy that a bunch of peonies can dredge up warm memories and your daughter needed you to kiss her finger. When all is said and done, what else is there? Happy anniversary to you and Robin!!! Have please a wondrously relaxed and magical summer. Hugs

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 13, 2014 at 10:21 am

      Gerry, I am so glad I could bring a smile to you my friend. I hope the whole day is filled with them!

      Reply
  2. Julie Chenell DeNeen

    June 13, 2014 at 10:12 am

    This was beautiful. I love the imagery of the peas…though I like the ritual of snapping off the ends!

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 13, 2014 at 10:20 am

      Julie, my friend Carrie Newcomer sings about the depth of peace found in little daily tasks. Glad we have found each other through Chloe.

      Reply
  3. CityChick

    June 13, 2014 at 10:22 am

    “Sometimes we just need to stop and enjoy the little bits of regular days in a regular old life.”
    Life gets crazy and we forget that the truth in that quote there ^^^. Regular days are what makes life sp spectacular. NEVER let it get boring! Enjoy your summer.
    And congrats! The hubby and I celebrated our 25 this past Feb and will travel to Canada in September as a way of observation!

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 13, 2014 at 10:24 am

      Glad to find you can relate! And congrats to you too, in this day and age 25 is down-right astounding.

      Reply
  4. http://www.judyleedunn.com

    June 13, 2014 at 10:26 am

    Oh, yes. The peas. I remember the “snapping” tasks. And I love it when a whiff of something takes me back to an almost forgotten memory. For me, it’s Easter lilies, because the lily-like trilliums grew in the woods behind our house and we would always pick them to give to Mama when spring arrived. Happy summer travels!

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 13, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      Oh yes, I grew up at the edge of a wildflower wood, a temperate swampy goddess grove, where trilliums, morel, and endangered flowers grew. You must be a midwestern girl. If so you might like the images of a nature preserve next to where I grew up — link is just to a post I found on the place. I don’t know the author. http://unearthingmycreativeidentity.blogspot.com/2012/06/dygert-nature-preserve-whitley-county.html?showComment=1402686758101#c434157240036196294

      Reply
      • http://www.judyleedunn.com

        June 13, 2014 at 1:02 pm

        Nancy, Actually I grew up in a small logging town in the Pacific Northwest, on the edge of the Olympic Rain Forest. Very soggy and mossy and full of old growth trees. But, yes, lots of trilliums.

        Reply
        • Nancy Hill

          June 14, 2014 at 12:32 pm

          Temperate rain forest, temperate swamp; they are actually very similar in many respects.

          Reply
  5. Kim Tackett

    June 13, 2014 at 11:45 am

    ah, the joy of the regular day! thanks for the reminder (also, I love facetime with my daughter who also lives far away).

    Reply
  6. Cathy

    June 13, 2014 at 11:53 am

    I loved the easy, laid back feel of this post that, honestly, I haven’t felt since I was a child. I think that’s what summer is all about. Becoming more mindful of the feel of a summer breeze, the sound of crickets, and the smell of my short-lived peonies that were taken down because of the (stupid) rain!
    Life is made up of moments, and we need to stop the treadmill enough to enjoy it. Thanks for that marvelous reminder, Nancy.

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 14, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      Thanks Cathy! I’m glad you pointed out to me that my style matched the content. I had not thought about that. See what we notice when we slow down a bit.

      Reply
  7. Lois Alter Mark

    June 13, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    Beautiful, Nancy. Great way to end the week. I, too, am exhausted by feeling a need to rant about so many serious issues. This is a perfect reminder to acknowledge and appreciate the little things that are so important. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 14, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Exactly Lois. I still have to remind myself that to do my best advocacy work that I have to step back and recharge, regularly.

      Reply
  8. Transitioning Mom

    June 13, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    Thank you, Nancy, for helping me pause and enjoy the easy, the simple, and fragrance of fresh peas and peonies. It’s always so easy to jump on life’s highway and forget there is always an exit we can take and leave the break-neck pace behind, even if just for a bit. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 14, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      Yes, we have the power to control our own engines, throttles, and cruise controls!

      Reply
  9. Carol Cassara

    June 14, 2014 at 6:03 am

    Snapping peas is a lovely memory for me. Thanks for it!
    Carol
    http://carolcassara.com/mediumship/

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 14, 2014 at 12:38 pm

      I actually remember some very good times shelling and snapping and eating fresh produce straight out of the ground, even if I did tire of the task after a few hours of prep work for preservation. I am glad you found a happy thought, that is one of the main reasons I write. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Chloe Jeffreys

    June 14, 2014 at 11:32 am

    Absolutely love this, Nancy. You’ve reminded me how much I need to stop and smell some flowers from time to time. It’s times like you’ve described–the trip to Trader Joe’s, Face-timing with your kid–that make life worth living. Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 14, 2014 at 12:39 pm

      Cherish the ordinary. It is the easiest aspect of life to overlook, and what we most miss when we cannot access it. You are most welcome.

      Reply
  11. Tammy

    June 16, 2014 at 11:36 am

    The little bits of the every day are the BEST parts! I so agree with you… on all of it!

    Reply
    • Nancy Hill

      June 16, 2014 at 11:38 am

      Thanks. Noticing the little bits can make a BIG difference!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Ending, and Beginning
  • For Our Daughters
  • Stand and Write
  • Context and Little Things
  • A Month is Just a Month… as Time Goes By
  • Processing Two Very Different Deaths
  • A Dehydrated and Delusional Friend Found Wandering in 100° Heat
  • About Women’s Legacy & Hill Research
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Archives

Powered by
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
View my Flipboard Magazine.

© 2023, Nancy Hill, Women's Legacy Project of Hill Research Services, LLC

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT