What's your daily simple joy?

[Sun-Moon]

Mine is having frothy milk in my coffee every morning. Lived 40 years without knowing the simple joy of warm frothy milk until a trip to Switzerland. Bought a small froth machine as soon as I got home. ☕️

[marble falls]

1. Feeding the cats, washing the dishes by hand, reading DU while waiting for my wife to get up so I can grind the coffee..

... life is magical with ritual.

[markie]

10. as an atheist going to seminary

I found the most enlightening class I took was "The Transformative Power of Ritual"

[Woodwizard]

2. Hearing my cat bat something across the floor at 5 am

Reminding me it is time to get up. He will also jiggle the dresser drawer handles if nothing handy to smack around.

[Groundhawg]

3. A pour of good rye whiskey

[markie]

4. going out

to greet my chickens, open the coop door and let free range for the day....

[tonkatoy8888]

5. Two things

Coffee and the NY Times crossword first thing in the morning.

Cooking dinner while drinking a couple of beers and listening to music. Right now, I'm working my way through the operas of Handel. For opera/orchestral music lovers I highly recommend Julius Caesar.

[Drum]

7. I couldn't agree more on Handel's Julius Caesar...

I was in an opera production of it, and it was a month of glorious rehearsals and performances. Priceless.

[Redleg]

9. I saw a production of this at the University of Nebraska

some time in the late 90s. It was wonderful. One of our college staff people had a leading role and she was fantastic.

[tonkatoy8888]

12. A recommendation

Moscow Chamber Orchestra/Christopher Moulds, conductor

A surprisingly special orchestra and the cast is phenomenal. Especially countertenor Ayren Nussbaum-Cohen and soprano Amanda Forsythe.

[Sun-Moon]

16. I love how this thread

Morphed into Operas!

Nephew is a tenor and it really is good to see the topic be discussed..

[ultralite001]

6. Coffee...

The rattle of beans in the grinder
The “wur” as they grind
The set up of the carafe
The aroma of freshly ground beans added to the filter
The scent as water creates the “bloom”
The tinkle as the dark magic liquid is produced
The excitement while stirring the slurry in a favorite mug
The satisfaction pouring the coffee
The comfort w/ that first sip, first whiff, first swallow
For one moment, all is right w/ the world + I can do anything…

[Redleg]

8. Coffee in the morning

I can't start my day without it. I do have a hand frother that I use on weekends when I have a bit more time to relax and really enjoy my coffee.

[TommieMommy]

11. Hugging my cat, feeding my cats and watching the squirrels

[Mad_Dem_X]

13. Spending time with my dog

and, of course, coffee.

[lucca18]

14. Having coffee in the morning, while waiting for "Rusty the squirrel" to stop by for his breakfast of walnuts!

I open the sliding glass door, he sticks his head in, and I hand him a walnut.
He climbs up the arbor to eat the walnut, and then comes down for more!
❤️

[Skittles]

19. my mum had a squirrel like that she named Basil

once when she was busy and Basil was at the front door, I gave him a walnut as she instructed.......then I yelled to her, HE'S STILL HERE and she said, "WELL YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM MORE THAN ONE, HE'S A BLOODY SQUIRREL"! (yes mum was a Brit)

[lucca18]

20. Love that!

[AllaN01Bear]

15. i have many. just being alive is one of them and running my model trains is another.

[electric_blue68]

17. I enjoy (when not overcast) the sunset from my window and....

Last edited Fri Jan 16, 2026, 01:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Long post, but it was wonderful, and soothing (as I wait for this to happen again) to recall this Nature's procession.
.
Our ALP has a sweet, tree filled backyard (within a enclosure of buildings on a super block) including 3 flowering trees: 2 kanzan cherry trees, with the fancy, pink blossoms, and a white one idk what it is.

I'm on the 3rd floor facing the mid-upper tree crowns. I love watching the decidious (non-conferous) leaf buds swell. Having taken a zoomed photo last week - buds are still tight.The beautiful bright, even shiny light spring green of the new little leaves, slowly growing, turning a more "apple" green, then eventually over 2 months or so turning summer green. The sunlight glitrering on the leaves. I can catch a glimpse of the kanzan pink flowers at very lower corner of my right window, and see the white one across the yard.

As long as it's in the ?upper 50°s+, and not raining, or below ?93°-ish (not too humid) I'm out there on a bench under -the trees with a book, yarn work, even a bit of simple jewelry wire working for the very least a half hour, more often 1 - 2 hours. Also taking photos, too. Who'd have guessed I'd have a backyard in my later life! 🥰🌳🌳🌲🌳 It is glorious!

But now (just remembered) I have a *New Summer Ritual*. Something prompted me to think about fireflies last summer. Ah, I think my sister told me of seeing them in her right outside, big park.

So, I went down at dusk. And, yes there were fireflies! Saw 2 of the 3 kinds (orange, yellow, or green) of color flashes. And I took a video! 🩷
Going to make sure I get out there every, or every other night (weather petmitting) to watch them. Nature's extra magic!

[Rebl2]

18. My kitten

we adopted last year. We thought when our previous cat, who we loved so much, passed away, we would never get another cat. I am so glad that we did! She has been a joy and so different from the other cats we have had😊!