I was curled up in bed reading with dogs snoozing next to me and was suddenly struck with the most immense feeling of contentment. Not joy or glee or passion or excitement, just the sense that where I am right now is exactly where I’m supposed to be, that the whole “bloom where you are planted” bit is backwards and what I’ve been doing my whole life is planting myself in different places, making different connections, trying to find a place to bloom, and then suddenly, after decades of re-potting and transplanting, I’ve taken root here in the quiet middle of nowhere and now there are buds all over the damn place.
What I’m saying is, I’m happy. No reason. Just happy. So I’m wallowing in my contentment.
How did you wallow this week?
Ahhhhhh, I love it!!!! I wanna be more like you are in this moment.
Thank you.
My wallowing. I had a lot of mornings free this week and I tried to make a point of taking my second cup of coffee on the porch and drinking it while admiring the rose garden. The nice weather (and roses) will be gone to heat and humidity soon. I also took some nice early walks/runs early and it’s amazing how that changes your mood for the day. That’s quite wallowing, but it is kind of trying to suck up all the good of a certain time of year that you know won’t last.
Other than that, wallowing in fanfic 😉
Oh that sounds lovely. It’s Autumn here and with the chilly mornings and colder nights people are getting colds. I’ve been battling one by doing sinus wash daily and taking vitamin C. Here’s to not getting a flu this season! 🍷 I took my flu vaccine last month.
To extend your metaphor, I’ve been tilling, mulching, and pruning – as in doing a lot to clean out the classroom and get it to a more user friendly space. Send dehoarding vibes, please.
True happiness was a long drive to see animals, crafts and more fun things. I guess, the event is similar to a state fair in the US. Really made me happy.
I am a firm believer that certain places are just a better fit for certain people. Like a lot of hyper-individualistic prescriptions, that whole “wherever you go, there you are” thing totally ignores context, which is just silly. We don’t exist in vacuums, we exist (like every organism on the planet) within a context of place, time, ecology, geography, community, connections, meaning, dreams, etc.. So of course some contexts are going to nourish us, while others are going to feel like particularly barren ground.
Of course, I say that as someone who has also found a place that seems to make me happy. So it’s totally self-serving! And the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the dog who puked in my bed this morning managed to mostly miss my feet, so things are really pretty good here too.
Much happiness here today. It’s our 16th anniversary and Paul and I were discussing this morning (in between smooches) how we’ve proved the doubters wrong. For those who don’t know/remember, we were less than 6 months between first date and wedding so there were doubters.
I’ve been having issues with a failing dental implant and last night it came out. That’s good because it hurt like hell and now I don’t have to pay my periodontist to take it out!
CONGRATULATIONS!! (On the anniversary)
Proving the doubters wrong is one of the great unsung delights of this world. Congratulations!
Happy anniversary and yay for proving everyone wrong,
Happy anniversary, and many more!
Happy anniversary !
After many stressful dags, I am out of the hospital and my husband and i are staying with a friend and her dog and three cats.
Big adventure – i might go to a store today. Avoiding the beach for the weekend though. I may go on Tuesday.
Oh good news, Phred! Hope you continue to feel better and find something fulfilling in that store. Or filling, depending on what’s on offer. 🙂
Yesterday was my birthday, and we accomplished chores around the destination free birthday lunch at IKEA. Today my sig other pulled out the many presents and he did beautifully. All the Anne Bishop Others series paperbacks I hadn’t already managed to find, and a lot of excellent Legos. Then in a spirit of contented gratitude I swept and cleaned all the floors we traipse around on a lot, which has turned out to be satisfying in its own right. I achieved my personal best dustpan mound of dust, leaf and compost bits, bird seed shells and cat hair, which really made me happy.
Happy belated birthday, Jinx! Enjoy your Anne Bishop books,
I follow religiously, but often far enough behind that I don’t comment.
I spent yesterday – all of it – de-cluttering my 4-year-old daughter’s room. There is a cupboard which has been full of hand-me-downs and spare boxes, outgrown and on-hiatus toys and mold since before my 7-year-old son was born, which now has only hangers and her laundry basket.
I have twelve separate boxes and bags to donate, and I can see from one end of her floor to the other.
I know it’s fleeting (she’s four, there are already things on the floor that weren’t there yesterday) but OH, this moment of less-stuff and see-the-walls fills me with joy.
I, too, have been feeling happy because my new home feels right for me. Took a gardening day yesterday, and loved making my garden here: it’s such fun to be able to plant things and invent bits of the garden.
I had to go to a funeral in Oxford on Wednesday (a friend’s partner), and enjoyed the bus ride along the High and walking through the back streets. It’s forty years since I was a student there, but I still feel a connection: it’s one of my places.
I am enjoying a nice day here in central NY. It’s sunny, mild, and there’s a nice breeze. The laundry is done and I finished planting the herbs and flowers I picked up earlier today. Now I am enjoying a relaxing visit to my hammock swing before I either mow the lawn or go for a hike at a local park. Or, just stay in the swing and let the wind move it enough to rock me to sleep for a short nap. No pressures. The only discord is the people,who’s house adjoins mine in the back (blocked by a wooden fence), seem to be having a nasty fight. I can’t escape hearing the raised voice of the man…sigh.
Where in central NY are you? I’m in Oneonta, near Cooperstown.
Deborah, some of my best friends live near Oneonta! In a hamlet called Bovina Center, I kid you not. Lovely area.
I know Bovina Center. It’s very pretty. I’ve driven through there, although not in years.
Deborah, I’m just outside of Utica, about a 45 minute drive east from Syracuse.
My son’s Rotary Exchange year took place in Unadilla and we visited him there Right near the Susquehanna River. It was lovely.
Happened to see rhubarb in the local grocery store (my own rhubarb plants are too puny for abundant harvests) yesterday, plus blueberries on sale , so today I’m making blue-barb jam. Mmmmmm.
Hello from Egypt! I’ve been exploring tombs and temples and cruising down the Nile, but now we’re relaxing by the Red Sea.
Not bragging, just thought it would be fun to pipe in from the Middle East!
Also looking forward to my family, including my Rottweiler, Roxy.
How wonderful! Glad you are enjoying it!
Short trip to Vancouver for my nephew’s graduation. Lots of family time and good food and drink, curated by my nephew. We went on several short hikes and discovered we all enjoy being outdoors, even in the rain. Need to work on getting us out of the house more often so we can enjoy our local trails.
My birthday was Friday. All but one of my children came (the other is in the Netherlands) and my ex paid! It was fun and we had ice cream after. Saturday my oldest daughter took me for a manicure – a late mother’s day present. The weather has been lovely and I’ve planted filberts and a red maple (because I don’t already have enough trees. my bff is laughing at me because at least half of the 10 acres is wooded.)
I’m also going to put a crab apple (a bright pink one) in my front yard to shade my bedroom in the summer.
I’m planted in a good place for me, and I’m enjoying having two kiddos home for a couple of weeks.
Happy Happies, Kate. 🎂
Presently, I’m in the South of France for a vacation that we feel we definitely needed. Today we visited a little town just to find that they had a big Petanque Tournament (the Boule game they are playing everywhere inFrance), then one of the prettiest villages I’ve ever seen, and finally it was warm enough for a swim in the pool. Lots of happiness to wallow in.
Completely out of the blue (I wasn’t expecting it for another month or so) my first picture book arrived in the post on Friday. And now I am completely in love. The illustrator did such a wonderful job, and it feels like my first ever publication over again. So I’ve been showing my neighbours and my neighbour’s children, and that turned into said children and I going back to my house for an hour of drawing, which was enormous fun.
This probably counts as bragging, but I’m just so pleased. https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/Ella-and-the-Ocean-Lian-Tanner-illustrated-by-Jonathan-Bentley-9781760633691
Congratulations. I adore that cover!
Thanks Robena. Isn’t the cover beautiful?
It looks fabulous! Will it be available in the US? Congrats!!!!
Thanks Deborah. I don’t know about US sales yet, but I certainly hope so.
Gorgeous cover!
That daisy makes me happy. One of my most favorite flowers.
I got the last (theoretically, at least) of the garden plants in. Everything is mulched with straw and good to go. There are still weeds in the area around the raised beds, and I need to put down new weed cloth, but basically it is DONE. Whew.
My lilacs are blooming like mad. I have created my own happy place, and that’s a good thing.
I am belatedly learning to drive as an adult and after a few months of not driving, I got back on the road today and kind of hit the curb of a bridge. Which, ironically, my great-grandfather helped build. I was very happy that I only scraped the hubcap and did not actually ruin my parents new car.
And now I am walking up to one of my city’s two rose gardens, because it is beautiful up here, and the roses are finally blooming, which means it’s got this beautiful rich floral wild baked summer scent to it.
First, let me wish all those who have had birthdays this year, “Happy anniversary of your twenty-first birthday!”
Then I look at themes. Happiness, contentment, joy, flowers, planting, cooking and food – there’s a lot of contentment stored up in those.
I’d be more content, but the dotter and I discussed the S-I-L’s work schedule, which was inconsistent with our Sunday Dinner Out, and decided to make it a Monday Dinner Out. I had to settle for broiling a pound of New York Strip and a cup of mac&cheese. Alas, no waitress and I have to bus the table and wash the dish. But I went shopping after – replaced the steak, got more mac&cheese, some mashed potato bowls, some ice cream, some salads (the bowls of salad with everything plus dressing and a plastic fork), and diet coke. Also caffeine-free diet coke, the other being the dotter’s tipple. There is some fruit, too.
I am content.
Been on vacation so easy to be pleased with life. Always enjoy reading the Sunday happies, so feeling appreciative of our community.
Mr. C and I took last week off work and spent it at a nearby provincial campground. I still did writing/editing on the last in my trilogy. I love writing out of doors. I posted multiple photos on Instagram, but this link shows at least one of my writing views this week. 🙂 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx8KnzhAWtv/?hl=en
PG was home for many years, I know that scenery. Beautiful blue water.
Walked in the May Days parade with family, passing out Montessori school stickers. Hoping to get more students to the school. It was fun. Got in over 15,000 steps. Haven’t done that in a while.
Feeling settled. Life is what it is at the moment. Always looking for our retirement home with a little bit of space. Continued to purge fabrics. Came across a pale dusty pink with black polka dots chiffon. Probably 5 yards. What was I thinking!!
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who have lived in this area. I hope it treated you well. 🙂
The Montessori school is still going strong (may be in a different location than when you were last here, as the one location had a fire many years ago). The May Days parade is only a memory, however.
I am COVERED in poison ivy. Legs got rashy but arms are covered in blisters. It is hell. Except…the three people I am seeing on the regular came over today and gave me hugs and kisses and told me I wasn’t a hideous monster. My friend made me brunch. My roommates keep giving me different creams and pills to use to find the combo that works best for me.
If only the steroid they put me on would let me sleep…
I had a lovely wallow on Sunday. My daughter and son-in-law are visiting, and we made the long drive to Sapporo on Saturday, then hit Costco on the way back, so Sunday was all about grapes and pizza and finishing up other leftovers. No cooking needed! It was hot, and we just lolled around like dogs in August.
It’s a day off! And I was writing up my fun memories of my play from last week.
Thank you for all the anniversary wishes. We celebrated with brunch at the dinner theatre and the went to Home Depot and rented a stump grinder. Now the stump is gone and I have a wheelbarrow full of mulch!
I did a ton of yardwork in sunday. Now I’m lazing on bed. Kids and husband are quiet or sleeping. I’m sunburned and sore so I’m not wallowing but I’m content.
We’ve been undergoing a kitchen renovation for the last two months and this past Friday, I finally have a working sink. If the kitchen is the heart of a home, then the sink is the heart of the kitchen. All of the other appliances/countertop have been for a couple days or more, but without a sink, I may have well been back in my office and the guest bathroom.
This morning I’m making banana bread. Can’t wait for the smell to infiltrate the house!
Wallowed in Barnes & Nobles on Sunday. Today, I vacuumed the rugs (or played a really fun game with my Sheltie depending on who you ask). Now, I’m taking my coffee and a magazine on my front porch to relax.
Wednesday afternoon through Sunday morning I wallowed in Novella #27 which is now 29000+ words and complete.
The firm I am negotiating with appears to be reframing its entire benefits package in order to get me. We’ve only met (in person) once. I am inclined to do a spectacular job for them.
Many of the flowering things in my yard are flowering.
Yesterday afternoon and evening I wallowed in the company of friends celebrating their 23rd anniversary with us. The DH grilled steaks our friends brought, friend and I prepped everything else, we ate in the house because it was chilly outside and threatening rain (which was duly delivered), and watched ‘The Golden Age’ ballet on DVD. A really lovely day.
Today it is sunny, I’m about to go have lunch with another friend, and when I get home I will go through the Big Complicated Novel one last time and commence the ebook launch.
I am content.
And now Monday has come and gone. I managed to take the dotter out for belated Sunday Dinner and shopping. She ate steak and shrimp at Texas Roadhouse. I had a ribeye and fries. We both went grocery shopping yesterday, so it was just a matter of tidying the shopping lists. We did an amazing amount of tidying. Amazing.
In Target, I was bantering with the lady at the wosname, trying on booth things. I told her Jen wouldn’t come out for my opinion, because I had long since learned to say, “Yes, that does make you look fat.” She laughed. Jen had heard me from the booth and promised retribution, but didn’t seek my opinion. The thing is, she was wearing a Little Black Dress, and she looked fabulous. She was looking for something, a coat or shirt to wear over it to make it more casual. Great dress.
Contentment: 10/10
Just celebrated my son’s graduation (where he really racked up honors and professors said lovely things about him, which left us embarrassingly proud), my birthday, my daughter’s birthday. Our garden is fully planted—we have approximately a million Johnny jump ups covering ground until the summer annuals get big.
I think DH and I found our right spot. Close enough to DC that we can have jobs we care about, next door to great neighbors, and suburby enough that we have space to garden and wildlife to watch. I’m particularly enjoying our piliated woodpecker.
We have occasional fantasy of living ina more rural area but I think we would go nuts in a week—we do take advantage of ballet, theater, and public events. Also we have one kid in London and one heading to Boston so being close to airports is a real plus.
About 6 years ago we decided that this was where we plan to grow old (ok, older, she said, with 60 around the corner) and rebuilt the house so we can age in place. And no regrets.
We’re officially moved out of the house now, it’s sold–we closed on Thursday and I am…adrift. Living in Son’s basement (not a hardship–we have a private suite and a wet bar…) but it’s not our home and so far nothing has shown up on the market that feels like our home. So there is peace that the hardest part of this huge sea change is over and that all went well with the house sale, but now…I want to move on. I want my own house. Going up to the lake will help that, so maybe that is the answer this summer. Thoughts?
Hygge! I read a book, or tried to, about that sort of contentment. It’s a Danish word, and a good goal 🙂
We were finally able to plant the vegetable garden and the pot of annuals we scatter around to add color to the front of the house. The flower beds are blooming strangely this year due to the weather. My peonies and roses are both fat with buds, but the tradescantia is already in bloom – the roses are right on time, the peonies are late and the tradescantia is early. The only appropriate response is a shrug and “New England.”
Also Plouf Plouf, a little French bistro in Tiverton, reopened on Wednesday so we had dinner there on Saturday night. It was lovely then and so were the leftovers later.