I know material things are not important but I have new soft pajamas in my favorite periwinkle blue with pink hearts and tan dachshunds on them with white lettering that says “I loooong for you.” They make me laugh every time I look at them. Who says money can’t buy happiness?
Also I have a real dachshund. Bliss.
What made you happy this week?
Older’s son IEP wasn’t quite as informative as we hoped it was going to be, but it also seems like he’s making more progress than we thought he was. There will be more testing and more reports in a month or two, but it just feels good to have one more meeting behind us.
Also I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. New recipe. Very yummy.
Oh! Where did you find your recipe?
Sally’s baking addiction. Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. Along with Smitten Kitchen, probably my favorite dessert recipe website!
Thanks!
We got an outside neuropych eval for our oldest. There were pages of suggestions for the IEP. It was extremely helpful. Our medical insurance paid.
I love those pj’s. My friend Skye turned me on to shirts from a company called Life is Good. (They are also a good company who donates some of their profits.) I had been wearing my favorite all cotton long-sleeve v-neck tee shirts (literally the same shirt in a bunch of different colors, because I loved them so much when I bought them, and such things are hard to find) for about ten years and they all finally died. Finding comfy, fun, cotton v-neck long-sleeves shirts to replace them brought me a lot of joy. The one I’m wearing right now has a picture of a cat curled up and the words: There’s a nap for that.
My joy this week is good chocolate (which a different friend turned me onto…I think my friends are enablers), and snuggly cats when it’s cold out, and finally starting to make some progress on the cozy I’m writing.
Oh, and watching Picard on CBS All Access. I hated their other new Star Trek reboot (too dark and lacking in hope or characters I liked), but Picard is smart and intriguing and has Patrick Stewart. So yay.
I always loved how hopeful and certain Star Trek was that a fairer future was going to happen. So I have a harder time enjoying the darker ‘the Federation and Star Fleet are fallable and corrupt” stories, even when they are well made.
Huh. I am finding Picard much darker than Discovery.
Grabbed the sun on Wednesday and walked up to see the snowdrops in the nearby ruined garden. And the fancy amaryllis I was given for Christmas – which I’d nearly despaired of – has started to shoot. Also the branches I cut from a Japanese quince and winter honeysuckle I was replanting have started to open leaves and flowers. They do look Japanese.
Had a lovely letter from my father’s cousin’s husband in New Orleans – he’s in his nineties and a botanist.
Ruined garden? That sounds intriguing.
It’s the ruin of a big house that was knocked down after the war. There are tumbledown bits of walls plus two tall walls of a C17 or C18 kitchen garden, but the snowdrops and a few leggy espalier fruit trees are just about the only garden plants left. There are carpets of snowdrops and in a couple of months, bluebells. I used to sneak into the damson orchard, too, but it’s quite dangerous underfoot and has been fenced off – which is probably just as well.
sounds lovely.
We decided to stay put and fix up this house more. I worthy day it’s exactly a moment if happiness to decide that, but at least it ends some stress.
We are in a market with incredibly low inventory and very much a seller’s market. That wood be great if we were leaving town. But it’s horrible if we want to relocate within town. Everything coming on the market in our area was at least $35,000 over our top figure, getting multiple offers, and too small and needing too much work.
So now we get to keep off loading belongings and eventually unpack what we will keep. The goal is to empty at least one level and keep it empty. Downsize now and hope we can leave this city sometime in future.
That makes sense, Diane – and you never know what might turn up once you’ve shed all the excess and are really ready for a smaller place. It’ll be good to be able to take your time with the big clear-out.
I’ve spent the last week on a beach in the Dominican. Long walks, a snorkeling adventure and reading my book club books have been a welcome change from work and usual responsibilities.
this weekend I crocheted 4 different squares in quick succession and am slowly eating my prosciutto I bought for 49p. It’s the simple things in life
I planted potatoes and broccoli and then pruned several different shrubs. And my husband bought me peanut butter eggs for Valentines day.
I drove down to the canal trail yesterday and used my snowshoes for the first time in years. Today, if my muscles allow it, I am heading off to a local park to try my cross country skis for the first time this winter. No snowdrops or crocuses will show themselves around here for probably another month, at least! Even if they tried, there is a crusty layer of snow blocking their way, and more snow expected later this week. Winter is hanging on here in central NY.
And after my outside adventure, either a hot chai latte or a hot chocolate and a book with (hopefully) a purring kitty on my lap.
Brunch with four other ladies (maybe that should say women. Only one of us acts like a lady and it’s not me!) It was fun to listen to the conversation and eat real food. I had a waffle and fruit. Real brunch food. (In contrast, I ate riced cauliflower for breakfast today.)
I am working on my future plans. I’m vacillating between finishing my master’s degree and getting a real job, and renting out my house and traveling the country with my dogs like a vagabond. One is more appealing but being able to eat is a consideration.
I work for a university and would advise against the masters degree unless you are only 1 or 2 classes away from completing it. The debt incurred is unlikely to be worth it.
Go in as a TA if you can get a spot. Free tuition and a (miserly) stipend. It was $10,000 a year when I was a grad student and I bet it’s not much more than that now, but free tuition is its own reward.
Years ago one program at the school I went to, there was a program that required the grad students to TA. It was a necessary credit to graduate. So they had to pay to TA
Insult to injury.
Though the tech god I apparently offended is still after me, I have solved some of the problems, and am working around the others until someone else can help. Just finding a temporary solution for the biggest problem made me so relieved and happy.
I took chocolate hearts to Jazzercise on Friday, and instead of getting the odd response I sometimes get (no thanks, it’s too early for chocolate ?????????) they were met with enthusiasm. Gave one to the dude in the post office, and a larger size one a day early to our favorite coffee shop person. It is just fun to spread so much joy for 30 to 44 cents per person.
The PJs sound adorable. And if the body is the temple of the soul, than what goes on that body is adorning a temple. Which immediately elevates the PJ status from merely material thing territory to important:)
And totally get the comfort factor. A bit ago, I scored some fun cotton nightshirts at the bookstore. Because you can get anything at the bookstore these days. Even books;)
Happiness is wearing out the sateen sheets and ordering a new percale set. (I don’t know why I purchased sateen when I really like the percale weave but I’m back on track.)
Happiness is tabling for Planned Parenthood at the Vagina Monologues and having young women take the free condoms.
Happiness is not haven’t much to do today. (It’ll all start back up on Monday.)
Happy? Nearly always. What contributed this week? Well…
My federal tax return direct-deposited. It was a nice chunk because of all the extra I had withheld from my Social Security lump sum.
New underwear. Boxers. Soft flannel, and the right size. They’re not PJs, but they’re what I wear to bed. 🙂
Supporting the arts (and crafts.) My Amazon account is full of orders for 5mm macrame cord. The first spool arrived, but it was unbleached, so… she bleached it. I’m sure I don’t need to describe what it took to bleach an entire spool of cord, but it made her happy, eventually. More coming.
I’ve cleaned out the fridge. Restocked one entire shelf with carbonated beverages. (Caf free diet coke and diet A&W root beer.) Lots of .5L bottled water. Time to shop, which will make me happier.
Started another Danger Cove mystery. This time, the murder victim was not a Covian. They’re learning to share. Yay! 🙂
And it’s Take The Dotter To Dinner and Shopping Night. Happiness anticipated.
And now it is Monday, the observation of Washington’s Birthday (which actually falls on the 22nd, but oh well.), a federal holiday. In Virginia, it is George Washington Day. Other states may combine two or more presidents for the day, typically Lincoln and Washington or Jefferson and Washington, or a handful of them. There’s a Wiki article about the whole confusion of names: Presidents, Presidents’, President’s, and Washington’s Birthday. Or other names. I always remember the year he was born because of the square root of three (1.732). Even better, I remember the square root of three because of George. I don’t remember what the year or the root are good for, though.
Dinner and Shopping with the Dotter got off to a late stop. As a result, we graced the buffet place with our presence. I always want the steak, but there’s always a line, so I end up eating three (five) kinds of chicken, green beans, broccoli w/cheese, mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Confession: I always get mashed potatoes (shaped like a volcano) and brown gravy. I can resist seconds, but I Gotta Have ’em. The shopping was a quick trip to Michaels for crafty stuff and Publics for foody stuff.
I’m still happy. (And I went on Amazon and got more underwear, so, happier.)
Forget all that stuff. All I meant to do was mention that my state tax returns direct deposited while we were at dinner. That’s what’s financing the crafts and boxers. 🙂
Years ago we found a log by the side of the road which had issues, but I was convinced I could put peanuts for the bluejays in the decaying top, which I succeeded in doing. Now, 10 years later, after providing it with a younger twin, filling the enlarged hole with other smaller logs, and shoring up the outside with bungee cords, it was too hollow and fragile to fix, and today we rebuilt the peanut logs using ingenuity, thinner tall logs, more bungee cords, and some upended wooden planter buckets, and it’s very satisfying. It was immediately mobbed by a great variety of birds, including ones I’d never seen flying off with full peanuts. They acted like they were happy at the rebirth. 🙂
I would love to see a picture of this!
I got to spend Valentine’s Day with my hubby, which made me happy. He cooked a lovely meal and wrote me a super sweet letter. He usually volunteers on Friday nights, so it was nice that he stayed home.
I baked blackberry banana muffins that are super tasty and semi healthy. Eating them has made me happy.
The weather today was above freezing with the sun shining, and little wind. So, I took a 2 mile walk outside today.
Happiness postponed in our house. DH and I had agreed to 24 hours with no work and no chores…then on Friday night our adult foster daughter called—she had ridden her bike into a car and wanted to come home for the weekend. After DH took her to the emergency room as recommended by the EMT it turns out she has no concussion, a sprained wrist and sprained foot, and general soreness.
So we will take our day next weekend.
It did let me go through all her various unpaid medical bills with her, which had been scaring her so much she was not opening them. She has a lot of calls to make but it’s not nearly as bad as I thought. We did talk about why you have to open and deal with them right away… . Adulting is hard, and she had no role models for it at all during her childhood (she was 24 when she came to us).
So a worthwhile weekend if not fun.
My happy is having a week on leave and being down at the beach with a good friend. Mornings and evenings working on jigsaw puzzles, heading out and about in the middle of the day, wandering around with judicious shopping and really good food.
Nice.
Of course, this morning I’m back at work – but you can’t have everything! 😀
Dog 2 didn’t eat enough cocoa powder to be really sick, and she threw up on newspaper, (The vet was called). The rug stained with the orange highlighter and the red and blue paint, (courtesy of the dog 2) was only 350 dollars. Dog 1 got a bath AND got to be pink for Valentine’s day, (see red paint and dog 2). I really didn’t need those paint brushes anyway.
That glorious 20 minute time period on Saturday afternoon when my kitchen was totally clean, and nothing was in the sink. That was wonderful.
Stardew Valley on my phone has also been making me happy.
I suppose my happiness is a bit vain. I’d lost almost all of my eyebrows due to hypothyroidism then as I moved into my seventies lost even more. So I treated myself to Microblading. It was scary for me to do. Took over a year to work up the courage, but I’m happy with the result, and it wasn’t painful and so far no side effects. Biggest problem is keeping them dry for two weeks. Getting hair washed at salon is an extra happy.
Nice! It’s good to recognize ourselves in the mirror, even with all the changes times makes.
Ok this tweet is giving me happiness. But no plans to go to Georgia any time soon.
https://twitter.com/nwsatlanta/status/1229570509312069632?s=21
The people at Atlanta weather obviously are ahead of the disaster to come. Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
I think the material things that are not important are the things that are not part of daily life, they are the excess; third house, fourth yacht, sixth 25 year old wife… Taking pleasure in a pair of pajamas is not untoward pleasure in material goods over spiritual, it is a nice appreciation of the small things in life that bring happiness, that don’t cost a fortune, that do not endanger the planet, that leave resources available.
Pleasure in materials things has been taken from us by the (stupidly) wealthy trying to tell we do not deserve the pleasures of daily life – clothes, food, warmth, family and friends.
Also material, as in fabric, is somehow different from material as in belongings and there is a bad pun in there I cannot quiite reach.
There is no actual work to do in the garden at the moment so I’m free to admire the snowdrops, crocuses, irises, primroses, cowslips and snakes head fritillaries which are happily multiplying each year. It’s starting to look like a proper garden now (rather than than a large pool of mud left behind by the builders).