Smiles on the Way Home

There are days you can't buy a smile.  And then there are days where a smile awaits you around every corner.  Little delights, happy surprises, unexpected beauty, bits of grace.

Today is, of course, one such day, which is exactly why I am blogging about the things that are making me smile.

The first is the fall color. 

Yes, it comes every year, but it never ceases to make me catch my breath at the height of the season as I drive by tree after tree in delicious shades of burgundy, mustard, gold, caramel and fiery red.

As if the brilliant colors weren't enough, I pulled into my favorite grocery store and found large, sweet blueberries for $1.78 a box . . . in South Carolina . . . in November!!

  I ate an entire container while doing my grocery shopping, giving the cashier quite a shock as she scanned a clear, empty box among my groceries.  And gave me odd looks.Things were definitely getting more cheerful by the minute.

The mailbox offered up a yummy taste of the upcoming holiday.      As is my custom, I will probably not use one recipe or put into place one decorating idea from this magazine.  But I will read it from cover to cover and somehow it will seem to me that I have invited "Martha" to my home to help me with the holidays and I will, therefore, be quite fabulous at all holiday endeavors.

To top off my trip home, as I pulled into the driveway and looked down the yards and yards of khaki-coated fence boards, I could see that a neighbor's flower, discontent to stay in her own small yard, had squeezed through the boards and was blooming with all her heart in my own backyard, bringing yet one more smile for the day.   Small gifts to savor.  Good gifts. 

Pieces of joy.  Bits of grace.