Five things that made me happy today – 6/4/22

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

Dennis Waitley

1. It was in the low 50s when I woke up with sunshine and blue skies. The on-shore flow definitely kept the temperature down with a pretty stiff breeze of 10-20 mph. It managed 65 deg by early afternoon but it’ll have a hard time getting to the promised 68 before nightfall.

2. I played hooky from church this morning, and Big Al and I went to OddFellas for omelets. I love their breakfasts, but unfortunately they only are open for breakfast/brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

3. We picked up the Safeway order on the way home. We have plenty of milk, eggs, and lots of veggies and fruit – corn on the cob, asparagus, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, etc.

4. I’m so pleased that Al and I made the decision to relocate to the Pacific Northwest, and particularly to Franke Tobey Jones in Tacoma, Washington, when the time came to find our forever home. I love the view out my window of green leaves and ancient trees. The way the wind blows the shadows, and the way to sunshine picks out individual leaves to highlight is mesmerizing and calming at the same time.

5. I’m looking forward to a calm, restful afternoon reading my current book, and watching my current series on streaming TV.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 6/3/23

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. 

John Muir

1. It was 47 deg when I woke up, with sun and clear skies. With the sunny skies, the temperature warmed into the low 70s. Perfect weather.

2. I’ve been thinking about how much joy the electronics in my life bring me. I can read books in my Kindle, and then, read the same book on my phone. I can watch murder mysteries or other series on my iPad while I’m working out, and then pick up the story on the TV in my living room. I know people say “the Web” knows too much about me, but I’m okay with that in return for all the pleasure the internet brings to me. I’ve always liked being an observer rather than a participant.

3. I’m finished with all my required steps for the day, after a time at the Wellness Center.

4. We each fixed our own sandwiches for lunch today. I made a tomato and onion sandwich on Killer Dave’s Power Seed toast. It tasted like summer to me.

5. The rocking chair in the sun on the back porch is luring me into spending some time reading this afternoon.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 6/2/23

The reason life works at all is because not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day. 

Anne Lamott

1. Sunny and cool this morning – low 50s. It’s warming up with sun shining brightly, and says it’s going to get to 72 deg before evening.

2. Happy Birthday, to my sister who is 4 years younger, but who always thought (growing up) that she was my age.

3. I went over to the Wellness Center and, lo and behold, my personal trainer had come back to work after being out all week. We didn’t do any training, as he had a lot to catch up with, but I’m glad he’s better and didn’t give it (whatever it was) to me.

4. We had pork chops, cinnamon applesauce, corn on the cob, and fresh asparagus for lunch. I say keep it coming as long as fresh corn and fresh asparagus are available.

5. Even with all the rain we had this spring, it’s pretty dry. I’m trying to keep the planters on the porch alive by watering. I hear the sprinklers turn on in the wee hours of the morning to keep the grass green. They’re already starting to have fires in Canada and the smoke has drifted into the center of the country. So far our on-shore flow has kept most of it away from us.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 6/1/23

Chaos does not have to destroy us. The old world is certainly dying, but the shape of the new world struggling to be born is not yet determined. 

Heather Cox Richardson

1. It was cool – upper 40s – when I got up, with clear, sunny skies. I have hopes of 69 deg this afternoon, but so far it’s only mid-60s. It looks pretty, though.

2. I’m still a little weepy over the end of Ted Lasso. Maybe its popularity will convince the writers and producers of TV shows that people LIKE feel-good entertainment.

3. I’m acknowledging pride month in honor of my two trans grandkids, and my lesbian granddaughter. You can mess with me, and you can mess with my kids, but if you mess with the grandkids, watch out for Mama Bear!

4. It’s Thursday, so, of course, we had Burger King Burgers for dinner today. It’s my one junk food indulgence of the week.

5. My leg that I fell on a couple of weeks ago is almost completely healed. The bruises have mostly faded, and the swelling is much diminished. There’s still some stiffness in my ankle that the swelling in the knee seems to have migrated into, but it’s also better. Baby steps…

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/31/23

In appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred. 

Fred Rogers

1. Upper 40s this morning with clouds and grey skies. The sun came out around noon and the temperature clawed its way into the low 60s. Still too cool to sit outside comfortably.

2. I managed to get my Intentions for May written this morning.

3. While I worked out at the Wellness Center I listened to HCR’s Politics Chat. She always makes me feel much better about the state of the country and the state of the world with her grasp of history and her level-headedness. I’ve been pretty worried about the debt ceiling deadline looming, and the fact that our federal checks came yesterday reassured me.

4. We had chicken, corn on the cob and fresh asparagus for dinner today. I love me some corn on the cob!

5. One of my friends from church called me and we had a nice chat. I’ve been worried that they were going to discontinue the “church on line”, but she reassured me there were volunteers who were willing and able to step up and continue it. It was lovely to hear from her. My introvertedness tends to isolate me if I’m left to my own devices.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/30/23

I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when and if we are ever given a second chance.

Ted Lasso

1. Upper 40s and cloudy when I got up. Much cooler today – it’s mid-afternoon and we’ve barely broken 60 deg. I was glad I could work out at the Wellness Center, instead of having to walk in the cold.

2. We looked at Matthew 28:16-21 in Bible study this morning. It’s sometimes called The Great Commission, where Jesus tells his disciples to carry on his work. It’s interesting being in a class with folks who are fairly new to Bible study. So much of what we do is really old hat for me, but they bring a fresh perspective.

3. We had accidentally left a car door in the ajar overnight Sunday evening, and the battery was dead yesterday when I went out to use it. Today, Al took the car down to the Toyota place and had them check it over, and we dropped a hefty sum on a new battery. It’s running fine now.

4. I had a tunafish sandwich with the tuna left over from lunch on Saturday. Big Al fixed himself a skillet of corned beef hash (or as I call it – dog food).

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. I’ll enjoy talking to them, although I’ll be very jealous of the fresh vegetables my Arkansas sister is getting. Her season is about three or four weeks ahead of us.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/29/23

May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.

Peter Marshall

1. Drizzly, grey morning with a temperature of 50 deg. The sun FINALLY came out about 2:00 pm, and the temperature warmed up into the high 60s.

2. Today is Memorial Day. I remember that Memorial Day was a time when we went to the cemetery to clean up and/or put flowers on the graves. Memorial Day started as Decoration Day, when ex-Union Army families and ex-Confederate families decorated the graves of the “glorious dead”. Al, who grew up in Western Pennsylvania also remembers going to the cemetery on Memorial Day to “clean up” in the days before perpetual care was the norm. 

3. I fixed hot dogs and potato salad for dinner in honor of Memorial Day, even if it was still pretty cold outside.

4. The laundry is all washed, dried, delivered, folded and hung up.

5. We’ll meet in the Gazebo for Gazebo Group this afternoon wearing jackets. After all it IS the unofficial beginning of summer. We’ll lift a glass or two to those who are no longer with us.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/27/23

Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again. 

Katherine May

1. It was cool and cloudy when I got up – 54 deg. The sun came out before lunchtime, and it warmed up nicely. 64 deg by mid afternoon – headed towards 69 before nightfall.

2. I really miss a friend who died earlier this year. She was an “experienced” Air Force wife as I was just trying to find my way in the military culture. She actually functioned as a surrogate mother for me and surrogate grandmother for my sons. Our husbands were stationed at England AFB in Louisiana at the same time, and I was a Girl Scout leader for her daughter’s troop. As fate would have it, we kept being stationed close to each other, sometimes at the same base. Memorial Day brings up lots of memories of our time in the military, and she’s in my heart today. As a card carrying introvert, it’s hard for me to make friends, and she was my oldest friend who wasn’t a relative.

3. I went over to the Wellness Center and worked out for about an hour on the NuStep. My bruised leg is a little less swollen every day, and the color is fading.

4. We had tunafish salad sandwiches for lunch today. Al loves that.

5. The nice weather and everybody talking about cruises and vacation travel has given me a rash of envy. I just wish my bank account could handle a long trip.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/26/23

Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.

John O’Donohue

1. Clear, cool morning, 55 deg when I got up. The sun has been out and warming us up nicely all day. We should be in the high 70s or low 80s by nightfall.

2. We had our last lesson in the Journaling class. It was a good class and I feel reassured that generally, you, gentle readers, are able to benefit from my blogging that functions more like a journal for me.

3. I brought Al home from the class, and then went over to the Wellness Center to meet with my personal trainer. We were able to fix our schedules, at least for the summer. He worked me over pretty well.

4. Ham, sweet potato, and yellow squash for me, with lima beans for Big Al for dinner. It was a good summery meal.

5. The Chef will be doing a “Buffet” once a month for the first 30 people who sign up. This is replacing the Chef’s Table that our previous chef (four or five years ago) used to do as a special meal. I’ve signed the two of us up for it. Antipasto Salad, Shrimp Scampi, Fried Ravioli, Chicken Marsala, Baked Penne Pasta, Assorted Breads and Dessert.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 5/25/23

People who believe in absurdities will eventually commit atrocities. 

Voltaire

1. Mid 50s and beautifully clear when I got up this morning. Gorgeous day! We’re headed towards the mid-70s this afternoon.

2. The news of Tina Turner’s death brought back so many memories for me. The Credence Clearwater Revival hit of Proud Mary was popular the year Big Al was in Southeast Asia and I first lived with my parents. Then I did my practice teaching to finish my Bachelor’s degree, living with my six-year-old son in a tiny rental house in Nacogdoches, TX. That year was basically lost to me except in snippets. I don’t remember when or how it became a signature song for Tina Turner, but both the CCR version and Tina’s version are indelibly linked in my psyche.

3. Over to the Wellness Center and got most of my steps for the day on the NuStep machine.

4. Burger King for lunch – Whopper Jr. for Big Al, and Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich for me.

5. I’ve started reading Red Bones, the next in the Shetland series by Ann Cleves. Love me some Jimmy Perez.

How about you? What made you happy today?