Formalizing/Small Pleasures?

[MikeBravo]

mmmm A lot of food for thought here.

I think I am missing some ritual in my life. Probably why it sucks at the moment. Ritual is what I think we are talking about here. In fact I don't really have any.

It must be important. I know my bedtime ritual is important. Good night

 

[sixties.nut]

Not Formal nor Ritual

More of a small pleasure for sure.

Once or twice a week, I like to ring up a co-worker and wait for them to answer. Then I quietly replace the receiver. From that reaction, whoever gives out the loudest howl, they receive the next call. lol lol lol

I wholeheartedly agree, It's those little things in life....

 

[MikeBravo]

Tea tastes so much better in pretty cups!

I think you make a good point there.

Last night I spent ages looking for the "right" teapot. It was only when I stumbled across the "right" tea cups that I got a different perspective

 

[Foofoogal]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap
so true. Small pleasures are everywhere.
---------------------

The bosom can ache beneath diamond brooches; and many a blithe heart dances under coarse wool.

 

[Shangas]

To me, establishing a style of dress that others would consider 'formal' but which I would consider daily attire, is no doubt, a great pleasure.

And it's fun to watch everyone's reactions.

At night when it's dark and I'm lazy and I want to write...I write with a dip pen and an inkwell.

At night, I like listening to OTR shows and 30s jazz.

Shaving with an old-style DE razor is certainly a great pleasure. A small one, but a fun one.

Winding up my watches each morning is a nice little pleasure. I like doing things that make me feel unique.

 

[MikeBravo]

To me, establishing a style of dress that others would consider 'formal' but which I would consider daily attire, is no doubt, a great pleasure.

And it's fun to watch everyone's reactions.

At night when it's dark and I'm lazy and I want to write...I write with a dip pen and an inkwell.

At night, I like listening to OTR shows and 30s jazz.

Shaving with an old-style DE razor is certainly a great pleasure. A small one, but a fun one.

Winding up my watches each morning is a nice little pleasure. I like doing things that make me feel unique.

I just realized that I miss a wind-up watch. It has been many years though. Just another little ritual I have lost

 

[4spurs]

I wear my father's watch and his belt; both are very old Navajo pieces that he wore for over 50 years before he passed away ten years ago. They look great with my Open Road and custom boots which I wear to work everyday to my office. Dressing in the morning for work is a pleasure.

Something else keeps me in touch with the simple pleasures; cooking from a creole cookbook written by a friend of my parents. I'll spend several hours making a good gumbo once a month; just shopping for the ingredients is a pleasure. I vary the receipe every time I make it.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

I think these sort of things are so important, in fact, they are usually what I blog about and encourage other people to adopt in their lives.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"Oh that first cup of strong tea at 5.00 am in the morning!"

 

[Edward]

I smoke maybe two cigars a year, in a really crazy year. More recently it's been closer one every 20 months.... I recently decided that I was going to return to my occasional pipe smoker days (something I did around 24). Not any more frequently than the cigars (that infrequently, I don't believe there are any health implications, something with which my GP seems implicitly to agree). Partly this is due to the fact that it will work out cheaper in the long run, given the cost of a good cigar nowadays, but it also is due to the allure of the ritual of firing up and maintaining the pipe.

 

[Adcurium]

Some rituals?

I accidently sent my response into cyber-space. My IT guy is probably reading it right now. So, I’ll try again.
I have a few rituals (some good, some not soo good) that keep me grounded. My life feels really complicated and busy. I’m sure not more than anyone else’s life but, we all handle stress in different ways and we all tolerate different levels. I started my own practice about 3 years ago and, since I’m the managing partner, I feel work hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles (my partners don’t seem to be as stressed about things as I am, but, oh well…). I have an awesome 13 month old daughter and I like to spend as much time with her as possible, so that means I need to take time from some other task in my life. Since my wife works also, our life spins out of control and it seems we constantly have a dishwasher that needs to be emptied, or mail that was never opened and read, or the lawn that needs to be mowed before friends come for a BBQ, etc. Heck, I’m actually upset that sailing season is here b/c I still haven’t had time to spend at the marina to get our boat ready for the water. Some days, I feel like I’m one conflict away from a heart attack.

So, I’ve changed a few routines. First, I trashed my plastic razor and shave goo for a double edged razor I inherited from my father. I make my lather in an apothecary mug with a brush each morning and while I need to wake 30 minutes earlier, this ritual becomes more important to me each day. I’m certain I failed the day before at being a great husband, a great father, a great lawyer, etc. But as I’m lathering my face I look into the mirror and remind myself that despite yesterday’s failures, I’m going to try again. I’m reminded that I’m a man and as I leave the house I need to kick open the door and get ready to kick a$$ and take names.
Secondly, I make it a point to get ‘lost’ once a week at one of our many cigar shops around town. It’s usually after court or a meeting with a client and before I head back t the office. I’ll duck into the smoke shop, silence my phone, ignore all texts and calls, and just sit quietly with a cigar while I concentrate on slowing my heart rate, relaxing and being human. After each puff I exhale smoke and stress. When I get back to the office and my wife finally gets me on the phone, I make excuses about being in a discussion with a client, or a judge, or about how my phone was in my briefcase which was in the trunk. I deserve “Me time”.
Lastly, within the past few months I really enjoy coming home from work, having dinner with my family then making a real drink after my daughter has gone to bed. I guess it really hasn’t become a ritual and it can be a bad habit but it forces me to sit back, put my feet up and relax despite the fact that there is laundry in the hamper, dishes in the sink, etc.

 

[vintage68]

I'm not sure where or from whom I heard it, but there's a saying that you should use the "good" china every day. That pretty much sums up my philosophy of small pleasures...

 

[Foofoogal]

Adcurium

Timely post. I saw on the news tonight that people under 50 are stressed but over 50 not so much. I know it is because they finally get it that they wasted many minutes for stupid people and stupid things. Really and truly.

You may take this or not but it is in me to give advice from time to time so here goes.

I feel sorry for younger these days as I really do not think our lives were that stressed out years ago. Phones, ipods, gadgets etc.
Way too much..
I am sure somewhere in this thread I mentioned that when our children were young we took spin way too seriously and thought we had to have it all right now. I remember the day when I said forget this. It was when I found myself trying to dress a kid from baseball practice clothing to dance clothing in the car one too many times. I felt like a hamster on a wheel.
One can do many things well but not all things well at once.
Enjoy the small things. Especially your family and baby. So little for such a short time.
Possibly discuss this with your wife and you both can come up with small pleasures and/or trade off time or do them together.
No one will take a cracker with them. I speak from experience as my honey has always been a workaholic but it takes its toll and finally we moved out of the rat race of Houston to shift down.
I know in this day and age also one has to stay ahead of the game though but continue to find small pleasures.
I definitely look forward to mine like taking a snack and/or tea or coffee at 3 in my china cup and others.

 

[Puzzicato]

I'm not sure where or from whom I heard it, but there's a saying that you should use the "good" china every day. That pretty much sums up my philosophy of small pleasures...

Agreed - we started using my fancy 30th birthday stainless steel flatware a couple of years ago and it is amazing how nice it makes dinner time! Just the weight in the hands makes a plate of sausages a real treat.

 

[Shangas]

Slowing down and relaxing and smelling the roses and drinking tea is important. That's why we have these small pleasures, such as drinking tea in fine cups, shaving with vintage razors, writing with fountain pens, winding up our pocket or wristwatches, smoking a fine cigar or...sleeping in a bed with a...very peculiar bedspread, Binkie!... lol ...

The world moves *much* too fast these days for my tastes. Much too fast by far. Kids have to be teenagers before they're even toddlers and technology is evolving too quickly. I despair at the sexualisation of children and teenagers today and the 'culture' and 'norms' which they're forced to adopt from pop-culture these days. I shun most modern technology because I find it evolves too fast to make it practical. By this, I mean that within six months of something coming out, it's outdated by something else. Because of this, I don't have a...

-Playstation.
-xBox.
-iPhone.
-Blackberry.
-iPod.

I have an up-to-date personal computer and a simple mobile-phone, and that's it with me, as far as electronics go. Everything else I use is mechanical and manual. Razor? Manual. Watch? Mechanical. Fountain pen? Manual. I used to have a laptop computer, but stopped using it as a portable machine because I soon realised that a typewriter is more portable than that thing ever will be. Not that I have a typewriter, but sometimes I think a mechanical typewriter wouldn't be a bad thing to have on my desk, for practical purposes, rather than anything else.

 

[Adcurium]

relaxing... good. Heart attacks... bad

Foofoo... thanks for the words! I'm with you on this. While I used to get into the office by 6:30 AM, I now don't get here until 9 b/c I like being there when my daughter wakes up, I like helping with breakfast, etc. And... it makes it easier for my wife to get out the door to work when I'm there to help. Granted, it doesn't help with the stress I feel regarding work. For me, the only way I can deal with it is to remove the source; get the work moved off my desk. But, I know spending time with my shorty is more important.

And I am agreement on using the fine china. We had been 'saving' our china for 'special occasions' but one day we just decided that any day above-ground is a special day. Still, we use 'every day' dinnerware more often b/c of the dishwasher, etc. but... we know the value in treating yourself the best you can, each and every day.

 

[John in Covina]

Using the good china, unfortunately the pattern of my mom's china is greating expensive and difficult to replace so I relegate it to special dinners. The plus is that using it infrequently heightens the special nature of the meal or as we descibe it China Pietism.

 

[Insp. Bumstead]

Something else keeps me in touch with the simple pleasures; cooking from a creole cookbook written by a friend of my parents. I'll spend several hours making a good gumbo once a month; just shopping for the ingredients is a pleasure. I vary the receipe every time I make it.

Making a good gumbo is a real pleasure. Every so often when I've accumulated enough bones for a decent stock, I know it's time to spend the better part of a waking day to make a gumbo from scratch. The beautiful thing about gumbo is that you can't cheat and you can't rush it, you just have to methodically build it in the same way that people have done since it was invented. Going through the ritual of simmering the stock, laying out the chopped vegetables, browning the meat, and darkening the roux is one of the most relaxing things I know how to do. Oh yes, and of course anticipating the company of the meal is an important part of it.

I don't know about "formalizing", but the "ritual" of archery practice is very relaxing. I take my stance, let the bullseye fill my vision, inhale, draw, and loose in one smooth motion. The repetition of a sequence of simple tasks to achieve the perfect shot puts me in a thoughtful mood.

 

[Foofoogal]

My honey tells me all the time the reason he has stayed married to me for over 34 years is because I make a mean gumbo. lol
That and my hidden charms.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

I went back to read my old reply and realized nothing's really changed here.

I noticed many speaking of china and I've recently decided to use my set everyday.

I decided because here I was using an $18 jadeite bowl ...while there, still sitting in the china closet, was that nice set of deco style china that cost less than the bowl!

Said that something was wrong with that picture and chose to start using it everyday...and I don't regret it. If things break...well that comes with the territory...just a part of life.[huh]