Over the weekend my daughter and I went to a few garage sales to see if we could find any hidden treasures. While we were out I found a wooden cuckoo clock from Germany. I would probably have passed it by, but I have such fond childhood memories of a cuckoo clock my mother had. I remember as a little girl waiting for the little bird to come out of the door and cuckoo. Oh, the delight!! So, when I saw this clock in a shoe box I had to ask how much & when she told me she would take $7, I knew it was worth that just in the memories it will create for my daughter.

Now, truth be told, I have no idea how a cuckoo clock works, so I began to look on youtube and see what I could learn. It was so fun to learn about something so foreign to me. I learned a few things, moved some chains, hung some weights and waited for anything to happen. It was a joy for my daughter and I to sit and wait for the little bird to come out and tweet. We lit up with excitement when it did & we waited twice every hour for it to happen again. It’s the little things…

Though, it cuckooed at the wrong time, SO we knew something had to be tweaked. I knew I had to find a professional to give it a look over & make sure the time would work correctly. I looked online to see if I could find anyone who fixes clocks. Believe me when I say that it was not easy to find someone. I believe it must be an ancient art of some kind. I finally found a guy & on his web site he proudly announced he has three generations of clock wizards. I could not wait to see & meet this man who still worked and made a living working with clocks.

My daughter and I visited his home yesterday. Oh, the fun!! We drove to his home & knew it was the house because there was a large clock in the front yard. Then on both cars in the drive way, each license plate said, “Tick-Tock” and the other “Cuckoo.” We delighted in their fun sentiments of what they do. We walked through the front yard and enjoyed the cottage feel of someone who you could tell enjoys gardening. We rang the bell and this very jolly man came to the door. We walked inside & marveled at all the clocks that were everywhere. And then, we had arrived just in time as the hour hands all hit the hour!! So many delightful songs, chimes, dongs…it was amazing. We all smiled at each other & I said, “Wow! How wonderful!” It truly was magical.

He then looked at our little clock & knew right away the little tweaking it needed. As he was looking over our clock I asked him a few questions about his work & he opened a hidden door to another room & there stood a very old clock from the 1850’s. I marveled at the thought of working on something so old & imagined the gears, saw the wood, the hanging weights, it was something to see. I asked him what the oldest clock he had ever worked on was & he explained that someone had brought him a clock from the 1600’s and he beamed as he shared how that was a fun one to figure out. You could tell he truly enjoyed his work and had a passion for fixing clocks.

He then told us a few ‘musts’ about our little clock & ended with, “but the most important thing you must do, you must give it a name.” I smiled in delight. I teased him right back and said, “So (I gestured and pointed around the room at his clocks) all of these clocks have names?” He laughed, “No, but I do love what I do. Can’t you tell?” I smiled and agreed. It was such a fun, unexpected visit.

I think life needs more moments of the “little things” that bring us joys. I think our day to days can become standard and mundane, but our hearts yearn for growth, to learn something new, to see new places, to meet new people, to try new things.

It was truly a joy to meet someone I would have probably never met if it weren’t for our little, seven dollar cuckoo!! Oh, the Joys!

 

Talking about little things, My Mom & Dad popped in yesterday to say hi. My Dad has seemed a little caught in the mundane & lately has been talking about doing a variety of things outside of his “usual.” My Dad has never been much of a dog lover, but he has seemed to try and enjoy my last couple dogs whenever he is around them. I came up with a great idea, I looked at my Dad and said, “Why don’t you take Teag (my dog) on a walk through the forest”(near my home).  I smiled inside knowing what a true adventure it would be if my Dad agreed. Teag gets a little CRAZY on walks. If he sees people, dogs, bikers, runners…he can’t help himself but to start screaming and wants to get them. It is embarrassing, loud & my husband has always hated taking him because of the drama Teag creates for everyone around him.

I waited for my Dad’s response & he looked at my little dog and said, “Do you want to go on a walk?” Teag always gets excited to go on a walk, so my Dad could not refuse. We grabbed the leash and off we went. The whole first part of the walk was quiet and enjoyable & then a bunch of people came out of nowhere. A family of five bikers, two people with dogs, a skate boarder and another biker. My Mom, Myself and my daughter all laughed as we watched my Dad get pulled, spun, tangled up with my daughter, doing all he could to control Teag. At one point he looked at me, “I don’t think I have ever walked a dog in my life. (sarcastically) I wonder why!” He smiled, “I can check this one off my bucket list!” My Dad was worn out & laughing. We were all laughing as my Dad began to strut up the trail, holding Teag’s leash and telling us “I’ve got this!!”

It was a great reminder that no matter what age we all desire challenge, change, the little things that step us out of our comfort zones and help us grow a little.

Cheers to the little JOYS! The little things that make our hearts swell with smiles!!

Enjoy your day!!  -H