By Pattie Mihalik

My daughter Andrea is never one to sit still. She is always on the go, always in the midst of work, a big project or cooking one of her fabulous meals.

No matter how much she accomplishes in one day, she keeps pushing to do more.

I have a long-standing joke that she would disintegrate if she sat still for any length of time.

So it tickled me to get an instant message from her about her rewarding New Year’s Eve.

“We put on our pajamas, made a bowl of popcorn, and enjoyed watching TV together. I had forgotten how good something as simple as that can feel,” she said.

I can so relate to the pleasure of simple joys.

After all the holiday feasting and traveling we did, I made something I haven’t done in ages — I made a simple piece of toast and a perfect cup of tea. Glorious!

I had forgotten the simple pleasure of eating a piece of warm toast lathered with butter.

Normally, breakfast is yogurt and fresh fruit. Or, sometimes I pamper myself with a toasted English muffin with peanut butter.

Don’t know why I forgot about toast for so long.

On a cold night I occasionally like the simple pleasure of a cup of hot chocolate.

I love to cook, especially when I’m making something new or experimenting with an old recipe. Like many cooks, the food I make most often changes through the years.

Lately, I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of making different kinds of homemade soup. For years I’ve been making the same favorites, but I’ve come to enjoy incorporating new flavors to soup, especially curry. When I saw that a noted chef, Warren Caterson, was giving a special presentation on making soup, I made it a priority to be there.

If you enjoy soup but you don’t like all the chopping and simmering it takes, you’ll appreciate some of his timesaving tips.

I was surprised to learn he uses frozen vegetables and canned tomatoes.

If you’re interested, go on his website at www.chefwarrencaterson.com and ask him to send you his “souper ideas.”

There’s nothing like the simple pleasure of homemade soup on a cold day, especially when you don’t have to spend hours cooking it.

Here’s a simple pleasure that used to be a regular thing for many but it’s disappearing from the scene. I’m referring to the simple pleasure of sitting on the porch.

There was a time in bygone years when people sat on the porch after dinner and greeted each other when walkers went by.

Andy and I tried to do that each day.

We found that just sitting on the porch with no agenda often led to meaningful conversation or ideas.

The total relaxation of putting all activity aside and just taking time to sit on the porch changes the dynamics of our daily interaction.

What I found was if we didn’t take that deliberate time off from our busy lives we each did our own thing and we seldom made time for just sharing.

Some nights we just sat there with little or no conversation, just enjoying being outdoors together.

With more homes having air conditioning in the summer and temperatures dipping during winter months, many started spending less and less time sitting on the porch.

Some tell me they have too much to do to “waste time” sitting on the porch.

I have a busy life too because I tend to take on too much. But I make it a point of taking time to do nothing but sit on my lanai and watch the birds. Doing that for 20 minutes refreshes me and gives me more energy when I go inside.

Plus, just sitting quietly on the porch often leads to fresh thoughts and ideas. My husband, David, seldom joins me. He says he’s “not a sitter” and he doesn’t get a kick out of watching wildlife like I do.

Another of my simple pleasures is taking an early morning walk each day. It’s mental relaxation as well as physical activity that bode well for me.

My friend Jeanne isn’t a morning person, so we started doing late afternoon walks together. We give it a special twist by driving to different scenic parks, lakes or interesting views.

There are so many beautiful parks in every state. But for the most part, they are underutilized.

Jeanne and I make it a point to each come up with new areas to explore. We found the most stunning walking paths along a bay where the entire path is lined with oak and pine trees that offer shade on sunny days.

Yet we seldom see other people walking in that nature park.

I have to laugh when I do see other walkers because they are often exercise enthusiasts pumping their arms while they listen to music with ear buds. Yes, that’s a wonderful form of exercise.

But it also changes the entire experience when we don’t take note of the beautiful world around us.

“Mindfulness” is a big trend now. Taking time to savor everything we eat adds to the enjoyment of food much more than if we mindlessly gobble it down.

I’m glad that more emphasis is also given to savoring the world around us.

Enjoying simple pleasures is just another part of that.

What simple joys do you enjoy?

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.