The little things we appreciate after missing them.

@thea09 (18305)
Greece
August 23, 2009 7:19am CST
I just had a shower in my own home, for the first time in months, with water pressure. That's the pressure bit which is the first time in months, not the showerThis summer the water has actually been off quite a lot but when it has been on it's been a slowish trickle. So to suddenly have pressure again was wonderful. It's a small thing in the scheme of things but I appreciate it so much especially as the heat has been hovering around the 40C mark for almost two months now. So what little things do you really appreciate after missing them?
6 people like this
13 responses
@rberon1985 (5359)
• Philippines
23 Aug 09
The things that i really miss is the fresh air in our province.As of this moment, I am in the city, working for myself and for my family as well. Here in the city, air is really polluted.Many people got sick because of this.Unlike in our province, fresh air will wake you up in the morning.i really miss it.It's been 2 years that I haven't been in our province, if i would have already a savings by the end of the year, I will visit our province.happy mylotting!!
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
I feel for you rberon, that must be terrible having to live like that without fresh air. I'm in a very rural area and while we have no air so to speak of at the moment, just thick humidity, most of the time we do. The best thing is just after the rain when the scent of the wild herbs seems extra intense. In the cooler months we often walk near the sea and can smell it in the air, and the countryside around the house smells of olive trees, wild herbs and wild flowers. I really hope you save enough to go back to your province soon and escape from the polluted city.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
23 Aug 09
I have missed having time to visit the local lakes this year. I work opposite shifts of my husband, so when I am home I usually just come online. Way too bad, I think. I love fresh, natural water, swimming and wading in the waves. I think that is why my knees hurt so much.
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
23 Aug 09
This is a simple one for me to answer straight off the cuff with no thinking whatsoever! I miss the RAIN. I've seen it rain maybe once in the last year and that was only for 10 minutes at a light sprinkle. I miss pouring, lovely smelling and beautiful sounding rain!
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
23 Aug 09
It always seems to be one extreme or the other these days?
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
Hi James, I can empathise with that one really. We are yearning for rain right now, just to clear the humid air. Rain once in a year must be intolerable, everyone always thinks they can live without the rain easily but it's not so easily done. Last winter we literally had torrential rain every day for 3 months and I swore I never wanted to see rain again, but the little bit we've had this month, over in less than a half hour, really makes one appreciate it, after months of draught. I just wish it could be a bit more evenly spaced.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
23 Aug 09
My own bed. A comfy chair. Pain free knees. ( I woke up close to pain free today for the first time in ages.) I appreciate cool weather, after it has been hot, and warm weather after a cool spell. Time with hubby, which we seldom get, is a thing I appreciate a lot. Being without something certainly affects our perspective on things. I think I need to try to be more appreciative.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
I agree with you Gertie, it's all those little things which don't actually cost anything. The pain was is the main one though so hope your knees keep a bit better, my mans been having some serious leg and knee problems recently and although he was masking the pain well the other day he really appreciated being able to walk across the beach to the sea without a pair of crutches. Cool weather sounds wonderful but don't think it's going to happen anytime soon and I hate to complain about the heat because I truly hate the cold.
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Aug 09
my kittiesi always miss them when i have to go somewhere. my own bed.i hate to sleep at friends or relatives for that reason,i'm just most comfortable there. a shower,definetly after bus travel.. i was on the bus 2 and a half days once in the summer,and boy did i feel nasty when i finally got there.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
25 Aug 09
Hi scarlet_woman, as you've hit the twenty response number I must say I don't think anyone here has mentioned anything that involves money, so it really is the simple things we appreciate most, quite amazing. I think I know what you mean about your kittens but never had a pet unless I count my spider who I do always check on when I return home, I got quite anxious about him last night actually as there was geko around him and thought it might eat him. I loathe gekos but the run too fast to sweep them outside. Totally with you on the shower thing.
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Hi thea! I can just imagine how wonderful that must have felt to have your water pressure back on again! That must have been such a terrible inconveinience especially being it was during the hot summer months! That would have just driven me totally crazy! We had just a few days of low pressure and I was nuts! I need to be able to take nice cooling showers in the Summer months, sometimes at least twice a day! And when there isn't anything you can do about it it makes it so frustrating! I do hope that things are going to be alright for you now and back to normal so you can once again enjoy your normal water pressure again!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Oh thea! I am so sorry! I feel so bad for you! I know how awful that feels! When it is hot all you want to do is run cold water and stand in the shower! I hope it will work soon!
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
Hi Opal, I'm afraid I spoke far too soon, not only did the pressure vanish again but so did the water, a regular thing this summer. It has been so hot this year that a shower feels good as soon as you've been outside, but after 9pm most nights there is no water so I've taken to just emptying a bottle of cold water over my head frequently.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
25 Aug 09
Thanks Opal, actually I'm hoping that all this nonsense of turning the water off every night will stop at the end of August. I live higher than the village and it is tourist season and most of the tourists stay in the village, so they're diverting the water down to the tourists first. They've never done it to this extent before though, every single night. As I expect it every night now I'm more geared up for it than if it was now and again. When I go up to my mans place though higher in the mountains water isn't an issue as no tourists and he has a huge wonderful shower with really high pressure and you can't get me out of there.
23 Aug 09
Well Thea you already know about my mobility issues, so for me the thing I appreciate the most is when I get a day where I wake up nearly pain free and know that all being well I will be able to get into town and do some shopping. I really do appreciate these days and try to enjoy every moment as when my mobility is too bad to get out I really miss getting to see different things and the independance of getting stuff for myself.
24 Aug 09
The strange thing is that with my problems I am unable to drive and honestly don't miss it. I've found that there is 99% of the time an alternative to driving and these days even being a passenger in a car is a less than enjoyable experience. All of which is strange as I use to love driving and was a big part of a previous job at one time.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
I'd be totally stuck without mine as town is an hours drive away and there are many things I need to go up there for, not least food shopping as it is a fraction of the price of locally. The bus service is not the best with only two a day. It's also the freedom to be able to get around again. I used to love the drive to town, then came to dread it and only did it as a necessity, and now enjoy it again. The road is one of the most stunning in Greek although now well liked by tourists who are frightened of the many bends looming over the sea but it is truly magnificent and the colours change so much with the seasons.
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
23 Aug 09
Thats great about the water pressure, trying to take a shower under a trickle of water is a trick to do. I once didn't have a shower in my home for 40 long days. we were getting work done on the bathroom and the guy doing the work had another job. I could take a shower at my moms but its not the same as your own shower. When you are without something that you are used to having, you realise how important it is. Like electricity, heat, water etc.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
Hi Polly, well obviously I should have kept my mouth shut as it didn't last long and now we're back to the more usual scenario of no water at all, wonder if that will make me appreciate the trickle tomorrow. 40 days to shower somewhere else is a long time, at least you had your mums to go to though. Amazingly this summer we've only had one day without electricity, they like to save that one for winter when we need it more.
• India
23 Aug 09
We Have to Cherish The Moments We Have Missed Out  - Cherish ..
One Thing In Life I Have learnt Thea .... Never to Feel the Loss Of What We Have Missed Out on In Life .. But What You Say Is Perfectly Right As We Cherish Any Feeling We Haven't Experienced In A Long time .. Might Be We Were Too Busy Trying to Do Something Which Was Taking Our Time .. We Should Cherish Those Lost Moments .. Do Have A lovely Day ..
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
Hi prash, so reading into that you maybe appreciate that you don't take the time to appreciate the little things, but don't waste your time worrying about things you can't have. A good philosophy to have.
@versio9 (329)
• Philippines
23 Aug 09
cold water. i miss cold water really when the water in the ref is not yet cold! and because it's hot in the place i live, i see to it that i put plenty of water in the ref so that when i need to drink, it has to be cold!
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
Hi versio, you are so right and I completely forgot about that one. When we've had no water recently, which has been frequently, the pressureless trickle which finally emerges from the taps is usually scalding hot from the solar tank baking in the sun on the roof. I have to clean my teeth with water from a bottle as who wants to do it in hot water, and sometimes it is too hot to get under the water in the shower. Both my fridge and freezer are bursting with bottles of cold water for drinking. If you have a freezer too try popping the bottles in there and you that way you get iced water.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
23 Aug 09
Hello Thea. Well, I love most things about life in Spain, but what I really miss is the postal deliveries. We have to either go and queue for the hour a day that the post office is open to get our mail, or pay 7 euros a month for a private mailbox. I know the postal service in England isn't brilliant, but at least you get it straight to the door! While we're back in England, it's nice receiving the mail daily, lthough we still have to collect it from the reception area. At least we don't have to queue for it or pay for it.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Aug 09
Hello Sandra, we don't have postal deliveries either but it doesn't bother me at all, the postman drops the mail at a designated spot such as the cafenion. In the higher isolated villages it will be at a taverna or cafenion, but even if I had a post box there'd be no way to persuade him up here. The only thing that bugs me about the postal system is registered mail. The postman will leave me a note at my designated spot to tell me I have reg. mail but he won't leave it at the post office, he drives around with it and the only time to get hold of it is by going to the post office at 2pm when he is sure to be there. On lucky occassions he might flag me down on the road and give it to me. Our system here does sound better though than your one in Spain as it does not involve queuing or paying.
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
24 Aug 09
Oh you got that right. The little things in life end up being a big thing when it is gone. We had to move into our camper after my husband got laid off from work earlier this year. I miss be able to decortate the house. Taking a bath in a tub rather than a shower all the time. A bigger oven to cook in. Now listen to this, you will think Im crazy. More floor to vacum or mop.All these little things are bigger to me know than ever.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
Hi rosepedal, it sounds as if you really miss the space in that camper, that must be a really hard adjustment to make. If it's any consolation about missing the bath I haven't had one in SIX years as just have a shower. I don't often miss one just sometimes I think it would be nice to soak for a few hours with a good book. And yes I do think it's crazy to miss more floor area to clean
@malpoa (1216)
• India
24 Aug 09
Here in our home we have our water pipes fixed to the wall, all facing west. So during summer it becomes impossible to use the shower or even water froma ny tap because it will be heated like hot water. Once I did almost burn myself with this water. So enter summer and we store water in all possible buckets. By the time autumn swings in our shower gets blocked because of oxidisation of the metal and calcium and iron deposits. So once the plumber repairs it, it is a pleasure to just stand and get wet with no effort of having to bath with mugs...Only one thing i like about summer is that i get to eat my beloved variety of mangoes and leechi, which is not available in any season. Most variety of fruits are available in summer... Anything which comes seasonal or once in a year are a pleasure to experinece after waiting for so long...There is this particular plant on the avenue just outside our home, which has its name as mayflower. Since my birthdya is in may I like to see this plant in full blossom right when i look out of my window.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
Hi Malpoa, I know exactly what you mean about the scalding watert, we get if from the solar like that, usually when the water has been off for several hours. uusally run it for a while in the shower and hope it cools off a bit but did almost burn myslef on Saturday and told my son not to shower as he could have hurt himself. Even if the shower water cools off the water in the taps in the basin is still to hot to use to clean teeth' and a bottle of water has to be used. It's no where near as bad as you describe though. I also look forwared to the seasonal fruits and had my first fresh figs last week and in another month the pomegrantes will be ready and then the grapes.
@vandana7 (98778)
• India
24 Aug 09
There are so many thea09. I come from India. I went abroad for a while. I returned on a Friday, and we pray to god on that day. We offer some eatables to god. Generally we go out and purchase it. As I watched the vendor selling it and smiling and making small talk with all of us, I realized that I'd not heard it for ages. And I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Where I went, our home was beautiful. We had large lawns, and a swimming pool. We had cars, and all the comforts. But I did not realize that this small routine of a vendor had become so much a part of my life that I was actually missing it.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Aug 09
Hi vandana, that's a lovely piece you just wrote and it just shows that it really is the little things we miss most and appreciate again. I would miss the little courtesties from here where everyone has a friendly greeting.