This. Just this.

Little things are often enough to make me happy.

Not having to work on the weekend and be able to go on a family getaway certainly helps; and yes, family can get on your nerves sometimes... but they can also fill your heart with joy.

The supposedly all-day-rain forecast gave way to a few hours of sun in a clouded sky, enough to a few nature walks full of nature's little details.

Rain came, for sure. And plenty of it. But either indoors and outdoors brought moments of joy. Cooking traditional portuguese dishes, such as bacalhau com natas (codfish with cream), definitely counts as one.

Watching a little kid play with snow for the first time? Yes, also bliss.

And when indoor was the only way to go, outside meal time (which, by portuguese standards, can last a whole afternoon...)... a good book, and a cozy place. Just this.

The scent of a fireplace (one of my favourites and one that instantly reminds me of this place), and the crackling sound of the dry wood, are enough to put me in zen mode.

It's moments like these that make me think of how blessed I am, and how we sometimes spend too much time worrying about "problems" that are no more than life's usual stuff. Can't honestly complain, since I never have been the worrying too much kind of guy... but nevertheless, blessed I feel. And now is time to relax, enjoy the warmth, and recharge batteries.

Happy Easter everyone!