A personal photo of the Sandy Hook lighthouse taken in October 2004. Viewed from the south end of the lighthouse, facing north. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was enjoying this morning soap from Brazil. Yes it is the simple things in life that make me smile. You know for the last few years when ever I travel I collect two things. Stones and soap. That is right. The first flight was to India. I went with a group to experience Darshan. It was a wonderful experience. I watched everyone else picking up really great things to bring home.  I looked at the ground and picked up the most amazing stones and geodes. I still have them to this day. I have a small collection of rocks from all over the world.

I am not talking about boulders. I mean pebbles that are still there. They are not big enough to be called rocks. Still they are colorful and I did not break apart the road or trail when I picked them up. I live in a very rocky part of  New Jersey where my garden seems to grow rocks on a daily basis. So taking one or two stones from an area is not going to create erosion.

The next favorite part of being in a country is buying soap from where I am visiting. Some countries have incredible soaps. They are light and fragrant. When I have visitors who come and stay with me that is the one thing that I ask for. Please bring me a bar or two of your favorite soap. It is simple and the memories that it brings up are wonderful.

Well I am in search of today. I am going to the Ironbound section of Newark which has a supermarket that may have what I am searching for. The reason I started this post was really to provoke in you what do you bring home from your vacations? Is it something simple like a feather or a sea shell that you found on the shore.

I had a visitor from Finland who stayed with us for two weeks. We went to the Jersey Shore which is amazing number one. She was really taken aback looking at the mountains one day and the ocean the next. She thought that New Jersey was what most people think it is. I guess we like it that way. Who would guess that the phrase the Garden State is still true. Well as we say here “Stay Away”. You would not like the beauty of the ocean and the magnificent coast line anyway.

Back to the post. Oona collected some shells that had washed up on shore. We carefully looked around and she found the most delicate small shells and polished stones. My guest grabbed them as if someone else might take them out of her hands. She smiled and said that her mother would really enjoy them as a memento of her trip.

It is the simple things that make me remember the good in life. When I visited Hawaii last year I enjoyed the coffee and a sun tan lotion call Maui Babe. I ordered it when I ran out. I have fresh coffee “imported” from Hawaii monthly. I know being a part of the US it is not really imported but I dream about Hawaii and the can still see the mountains and peaceful coast when I settle down with a cup in the morning.

So what do you take home with you when you go on vacation. How do you make memories? A book of matches? Its the simple things in life that make me smile.

Peace Denise