Some of life's little pleasures....

As inspired by Handbag Passion and The 5 Senses....

These are a few of my favourite things....

I always say to myself if showering was a hobby I'd be chair person of every committee in the land.... For me there is nothing, I mean nothing, quite like the hot, powerful, sprinkles and sprays coasting through my mane of hair, down my neck, over my shoulders until my entire body is covered and enveloped in roasting, hot, fresh, clean water..... Awhhhhhhh....... Sensational.... Every hotel I go to the first thing I inspect in the room is the shower head.... Taking a shower, sampling various shower heads on holidays is akin to visiting the city's master monument.... It's part and parcel of my break. When I build my own home I've planned a power shower with a rain forest head and jets coming out from both sides, big enough to shower a family in.... It's the only piece of the structure I've actually given any thought to!

Next would be after all the hard work is done, the tedious sewing or gluing or cutting or sieveing and putting the finishing touches to a cake, a cup cake, a cushion, setting the table and laying out all the food art for visitors, placing the napkins, lighting the candles, selecting the music - the finishing touches....

When my car is newly cleaned and tidied and I forget I have it all cleaned and I get in it to run an errand and realise that it's spotlessly clean, smelling of whatever perfume I've sprayed on the car seats, choosing an album on my phone, pressing play and starting the engine....

New York - not one of life's little pleasures more one of life's greatest joys..... I remember vividly the first time I stepped off the escalator coming up out of Penn station, madison square gardens to my left, the Pennsylvania hotel straight ahead and looking up to see all the skyscrapers, the husstle the bustle, the street traders, the sheer untouchable magic dancing through the air, your first glimpse of times square, haggling in china town, the carpet underfoot in macys, central park to yourself on a cool, crisp January morning. Pure heaven.

The peace, safety, calmness, hope and warmth of a silent, empty church - with a pew all to myself - one or two others - the smell of incense, the warmth of a near by radiator in this big old high ceilinged church, saying my prayers, lighting a candle and knowing the prayer is being listened to.

Being totally lost consumed devoured by a terrific book - lying to my boyfriend saying I'm reading to the end of the page when really I can't stop till the end of the book! Believing the characters have become real, the feeling of positive expectation that something wonderful will definitely happen for them come the final chapter - The Help is one such book....

After a long week when all jobs and appointments have been attended to and lighting all the candles, turning off the lights, sharing a pizza with my boyfriend and pressing play on a great uplifting or entertaining movie - last one I watched a couple of week's ago was the 90s version of the Secret Garden..... Well worth a watch.....

Getting off skype to a good friend who is living away, having heard all of their tales of what the land they live in is like, the people, the culture, their day to day life and remembering that wondeful warm feeling of real good solid love and friendship and connection more powerful than all the thousands of miles of waves that separate us....

Browsing through Avoca at all the pretty things, the security guard saying hello to me because I'm a window shopping regular....!!!

Having great chats with a couple of my good friends....

Catching up with an old friend over tea in Starbucks on Dame st, or bewellys.... Sitting there for two hours lost in good conversation drinking stone cold tea....

Having a random chat with the lovely lady who runs the local post office - the one on the n11 in kilmacanogue - the two storey house is covered in butterflies that her late husband fell in love with whilst on holidays in France....

Getting into and being enveloped by all the lukewarm water of a clean swimming pool, feeling your body carve its way through the beautiful refreshing water.... Stepping out and into the hot strong bubbles of the jacuzzi and having it all to yourself.....

Spending the day in Dublin city going to all my favourite little shops, heading in early when the streets are deserted and you steal a look up at all the intricate little statuettes atop of the old buildings, going for lovely lunch in cornucopia and heading home to enjoy your warm abode.

Going for a walk around killiney and dalkey and admiring all the beautiful houses and gardens and view of the bay and the mountains.

The warmth of the new stove my parents got and being so cosy I can't leave the room....

Having an amazing night's sleep and waking up feeling rested and relaxed and smiling effortlessly.

Life is what you make it - how do you make yours?

Xxxx