The simple joyful pleasures of life

Hello Hello Silver Bloggers and everyone else hello!

I was looking through some posts recently and decided that I would join in the fun!

Help! Well more precisely Helping!

It has been a while since I participated in the Memoir Monday initiative that was created by @ericvancewalton
You can catch his original post here or the prompt for this Memoir Monday #48 (2/3-2/9) - What Simple Pleasures Bring You Joy?

First of all, I am going to draw your attention to this ...

I believe that as we get older, our tastes, our interests and even our needs change, not only because we have achieved many of those things, but also because we change and what made us happy before, does not make us happy now.

It is the opening sentence to a post from @nancybriti1 answering this prompt, and you can read her full pleasures in Memoir Monday #48 (2/3-2/9) - What Simple Pleasures Bring You Joy?

But it got me thinking. My simple pleasures when I was 20 or 25 are vastly different to what they are now!

Gone are the days of partying hard and working hard, the hardcore fights and following of rangers football club all over europe and the womanising.

Now it is all much more sedate! The birds are still there although they seem to be more of the feathered variety now!

So let's get this fluffing show on the road!

I have always loved to help

Although I am Chemical Engineer by degree, I, later in life took a Masters in Knowledge Management as I have always had a passion for helping people and sharing knowledge throughout my life.

When I saw this prompt and many of the posts, I thought I could reel off a load of one liners.

I like this
I like that
I love that
Oh I really fluffing love that!

But then realised that it would look like something you used to see in teen magazines.

And here we have this week's guest Tengo...

So Tengo what gives you pleasure?

Well readers, if you must know, what gives me most pleasure is waking up in the morning.

Generally I wake up the morning because my painkiller has worn off and my lower back is in pain.

But there is a pleasure in that pain! It means I am alive!!

Rather than make a list of things I am going to pick 4

Being out in the fresh air

This could mean walking in the woods, for example meeting our local wizard...

Or it could mean beachcombing on one of the local beaches, collect pottery sherds and mermaids tears for example.

Helping nature

Sometimes the local wildlife is grateful for some food. And why not feed them, they make such wonderful models.

Take Sammy for example?

Or the three pie children!

The beauty of this is that it is down to Hive. I use earnings from Hive to buy all the bird food, and squirrel food.

So by liking my posts you are indirectly helping to feed the wildlife!

So they and I say thank you, we appreciate you!

Helping people and sharing knowledge

Many years ago I first worked in Africa and boy oh boy did my eyes pop.

I was 23 and for the first time I stared poverty in the face. We in the west don't know how lucky we are.

Yes we can be homeless, but there are places to help, there are food banks, there are places that can give you a hot meal etc.

In Africa when I went into the jungle. There were shacks as huts, the kids just had holy underpants as clothing, shoes what the fluff were they.

I used to work three months on and one month off or on vacation. So I would come back with the two suitcases of clothes and things and at the end of the three months give everything I had to some of the kids and parents I met.

In the end I actually sponsored a brother and sister through school and ultimately university. The girl is a doctor in Paris and that made my day. I was tempted to say she was my purpose in life. Since she got that job, her whole village has been transformed with the money she sends home.

I try to do it on Hive. Someone who started Hive more or less the same time as me and has become somewhat of a lovable troublesome daughter is @deraaa , and together we have a project @mmonline where we have a website and trying to help people earn money.

In the process she is going to pick up wordpress and content editing and creation skills amongst other things and in turn pass knowledge she gleans onto others.

Being Merry

I have always loved to entertain and shudder to think how many parties I have hosted over the years in umpteen countries, not to mention the money I have spent on giving others a good time instead of saving for my retirement.

Ah well fluff it I live in the now. It didn't help that as a kid I believed I would not live to see 50. I never knew my paternal grandfather. He died when my father was 12 and I got it into my head that I would die like he did, a heart attack at 48.

Isn't it strange how things we incorrectly assume as a child have such a baring on us all throughout life!

I love Rangers Football Club, #rtid Rangers Till I Die!

When I was younger I followed them everywhere, but left that to the younger generations.

What we used to get upto there, you get arrested for now. Changed days!

Drink, I was the typical Scot and could drink and drink, now a glass of beer and I am fine. As a 25 year old it would have been a brewery!

But Cooking and eating has always been a pleasure of mine and what better way than to finish with a simple healthy duck salad!

Thanks for visiting I hope this brought you some joy!