It’s another beautiful day here, and I’m spending it with two dogs who are THRILLED to be outside . . . lying in the grass. Simple pleasures.
What made you happy this week?
37 thoughts on “Happiness Sunday: Not As Easy As It Looks”
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It’s been another week of social distance and masks and by Grabthar’s Hammer, we live to tell the tale. (Ya gotta love Alan Rickman’s characters!)
I managed to find both A&W Diet Root Beer and CafFree Diet Coke at the store, Friday, so I’m set until… tomorrow? That assumes I stretch it with Deer Park 100% Natural Spring Water, my preferred beverage.
I have, for several years now, been reading a webcomic named Grrl Power. From the comic:
What’s all this then?
Grrl Power is a comic about a crazy nerdette that becomes a superheroine. Humor, action, cheesecake, beefcake, ‘splosions, and maybe some drama. Possibly ninjas.
Updates Mondays and Thursdays.
Rated PG-13 for violence and gratuitous cheesecake (and beefcake)
Rated R for language. Seriously, Sydney has a filthy mouth.
The comic started in August of 2010. No one will ever accuse Dave Barrack of breaking speed records – it’s updated twice each week, it took 4 updates to get to the point of the thing (superheroes) and the last line of that fourth page is “Let me back up a few months.” We are still in that few months flashback ten years later!
I love this comic. It makes me happy.
I sent that to one of my nieces. This seems like something she would be into. 🙂
A friend called me the other day and when she asked how I was doing, I said “it’s been a really good week. ” And she said “really? What’s a good week look like these days?”
And then I was kind of stumped on *why* it was a good week.
It just felt like this week had the right mix of activity and rest, working my brain and relaxing my brain.
Maybe it’s also because school is looming overhead and I’m dreading it just makes these last few weeks sweeter. We’re doing 100% online and I wouldn’t want to do anything else, but spring was a disaster. The school says they’ve tried to make things better and more organized and I’m trying to be (publicly) optimistic for the sake of my kids. We’ll see. It’s just a tough situation all around.
That’s an excellent point. Along with the new normal, we need a new definition of good.
Good may equal “as stress free as you can get under the circumstances.” It’s why I don’t leave the house, it’s easier to forget about IT when I don’t have to do that.
I have had the occasional super good day in quarantine, mostly because it was distracting enough to get my mind off IT.
I remembered that I had frozen cookie dough, and I baked it. It turned out much better than the last time I tried to freeze/bake this dough, and I have no idea why, but I am rejoicing in the moment.
That seems to be my best happies lately – really enjoying a moment of whatever is good – weather, coffee, book, finishing boring data entry, etc. Beautiful weather here in MI too. I can put my small rugs on the line to dry in the sunshine.
My husband and I went out to a restaurant for dinner for the first time in many months. The outside seating was decorated with planters that friends of the owners had donated. A praying mantis hung out near us and hummingbirds enjoyed the nectar in the flowers. The plates of food were beautifully presented: escargots brandished on long toothpicks dripped butter; a zucchini fritter was decorated with a slice of heirloom tomato adorned with mozzarella and fresh watercress. My knee didn’t hurt. Perfection was missed only because I was too full eat dessert.
I am slowly cleaning out a shed into which my parents have shoved stuff for decades. Since they moved about 20 times in the first 33 years of their marriage, in the back half of it they’ve just shoved stuff in the garage or the shed. If you move a lot, things just naturally go away, but once you stay in place, you have to think about it. Neither of them do that.
Anyway, it’s lucky I have so many masks, because it is mouse poop heaven. I’ve found lots of luggage the we wouldn’t have bought if we’d looked further in to the shed.
Also some letters, taxes and checks from the 80’s-90’s and a bunch of LPs.
This is not exactly bringing me joy, but it’s something that needs to be done, and I’d rather not do it in the pressure of preparing the house for sale.
In the realm of pure joy, an albatross flew over us the day of the storm, in front of the big wind. A swallow tail butterfly was drinking from some red flowers, also some humming birds. It’s cooled down and I applied for several jobs, so I don’t feel like such a bum.
I know just what it’s like. Luckily my parents have had to clear out elderly relatives’ houses more than a few times now so they have been trying to keep the crap under control. Or they offload it on us now 🙂
My happiness this week is probably lying in the grass, like Jenny. Intermittently shooting my family with the garden hosepipe on Mist setting because we are having a heatwave. Ru dances away, pretending to be horrified at being shot, and then comes back to be shot again because it is so damn hot.
I was taking the dogs for a lap around the yard and spotted pink. Magic lilies!! There are two clumps of them and they make me smile every time I look at them.
Yes! Two clumps here of Surprise Lilies also! Pink and ethereal. Luckily we had cleared a lot of dead branches that had fallen around that spot earlier this summer, so they could come up and be gorgeous. (Made me wish I could read more about Dorothy, but that is for another day, another topic….)
I was also able to collect a dozen or so Lego minifigures for a neighbor’s son who is frustrated with the quarantine, and he is reportedly hugely delighted with them, and poring over a 2003 minicatalog I tucked in with them, showing at all the ancient historical Lego things you could get then.
Crosswords and Sudoku.
The Sudoku I do on my own, but for crosswords hubby and I took the plunge and got an online subscription so we could get lots of access. Nice way to cap off the days together when we can.
Not sure what makes these a happy exactly except maybe because completing something with a beginning and end is nice. And revving the brain is good. But mostly probably because they’re just fun:)
That does it! I’m finally going to unearth the book of crosswords I bought a month ago and go to town on them. Just fun sounds like a perfect idea for today.
I finished my refi; the notary public came to my condo, fully masked and sporting chlorine wipes, and we signed all the paperwork. Hurray! Two months of paperwork and finding/scanning/emailing various records finally complete! So I’m happy about that.
I also got a new little “under the desk” exercycle. I sit in the chair, and pedal away. This makes me happy, strangely enough, because I finally feel like I am doing something physical for me. I don’t like walking outside; it is an urban area, and there are still some of the Unmasked around, and I’m 67 with health issues. So now I can sit and pedal away while reading or watching TV.
The Unmasked; I love it.
Yesterday I finally delivered the bag of gag gifts I have been hoarding for my sister, Kitty. The first time I tried to deliver them I left the bag at home so I felt almost triumphant that I had managed to deliver them and that she enjoyed them as much as I thought she might. Marie Kondo has a point when she says that clutter can suck the serenity out of life, but there is still a lot had to be said for tokens of love and laughter.
Last night I sat up until 3am decluttering and organizing my emails. In the process I reacquainted myself with some absolutely hilarious emails that my oldest brother has sent me over the last few years. I still need to weed out and subdivide the 2 largest folders, but I am energized by the prospect of being able to find things and getting rid of the old stuff that has been obscuring what I still can use.
When I was getting to the bottom of the unfiled emails I found an exchange with my then new therapist about something my New York sister had sent me at the worst point of our relationship. I have been feeling a lot of frustration at how much more difficult coping with my depression has been during the pandemic. Reading that email reminded me how much worse things have been in the past and how grateful I am for whatever progress I’ve made since then.
Another find in the email trove was a RSVP a friend had sent my sister 13 years ago when she was helping to plan a surprise birthday party for me. This was from the same friend who sent the postcard that made my week this week and with whom I have very little contact since she and her husband closed their store. They both reminded me that little things you do in passing can help maintain what matters in your life. And that was another reminder that made me happy.
More sit-on-the-porch-read-the-paper-and drink-coffee. Also, I walked the dog which I do everyday. I walk, she barks.
I started knitting a weave-patterned lap throw yesterday. I haven’t really done anything ‘crafty’ and it maybe why I’ve been in a mental holding pattern. (Mental holding pattern = procrastinating?) We’ll see.
It is a really beautiful day.
I planted a fig tree. And rehung the patio lights that had been draped through the brugmansia that died (leaving me space for the fig tree).
The Portuguese Consulate is once again accepting applications for retirement visas, so we can finally move forward on that score. We have to redo our FBI background check, because ours was done in February and is now too old. Of course, since we’ve been locked down all these months, no crimes were committed, which makes the whole having to redo thing a tad annoying. But still, progress!
I’m going to set up my easel. It’s one of the French ones with three legs, and it is a bugger to set up. The important thing I realized is to set it up for the first time in the year, not on the day you’re going to paint, but just set it up. Then have a drink of French wine, and maybe some brie on a cracker. Paint tomorrow.
Lying in bed until noon. Reading Susannah Nix books.
My play wraps up this week, which I am sad about (mostly because after it’s done I don’t really have any prospects for another at the moment), but it’s been fun.
I’ve had a friend to stay for the weekend. Perfect weather, lots of conversation. Connection is great!
I had a lovely conversation with a 10 yo neighbour who’s avid gardener – we traded lemon and lime basil and they took one of my many cucumbers. DH and I are spending a few days at the cottage – lots of sleeping in, walking the dog in the woods and reading. Today we went to visit a wonderful periennial garden – the owner has created desert, woodland and sun gardens on her property. Found plant to fix a couple of problem spots in my garden at home.
My BIL is stopping by for a brief overnight visit and I already had the guest room cleaned so it was just dusting. My husband did a lot more cleaning than I did but I think anyone who calls you the days before you come should just tolerate the dust and I don’t care if he thinks we are terrible housekeepers (apparently, my husband does).
This week was great, I messed about in my mini-studio a bit. I reread a book on acrylic painting because it has been years and I forgot all about gel medium and water both for thin glazes and a bunch of stuff was dried up which meant I got to go to the art supply store and buy stuff. I am not however buying a synthetic bristle 1 1/2 inch brush there. It was $50 and that was the cheap one. I am going to Sherwin-Williams and buy their top quality 1 1/2 in brush and will maybe pay as much as $14.
Plus I transplanted my plumbago auriculata starts into larger pots and washed the leaves on all my phalaenopsis orchids to keep the scale off and they are now done. Plus I deadheaded a bunch of plants and moved some more around. Good week.
A friend in chemo finally got the right drugs to work on her side effects issues and can once again eat. So we had lunch together today. That makes me happy. And the pregnant stray cat had her kittens–five of them, all healthy at the moment and living on my patio.
Most of my family was able to gather in one place to celebrate 6 months of missed family birthdays (including my elderly grandparents). We were able to call through to my brother (who is locked down in Melbourne). It was wonderful to see everyone in person.
There was hugging.
I got a bunch of stuff done on Saturday, which I’ll proudly tell you all about on Wednesday. That made me happy. Then I told myself I was entitled to take all Sunday off as a rest day. Slept very late, went for a wander through the botanical gardens, had lunch at a market, wandered round another market, and ended up in a bar drinking delicious fancy gin and tonics. It was a great weekend.
I seem to know many people who love to play board games. I would rather read or talk or hike or sleep or
In fact, I’d rather go to the dentist than play monapoly, it’s over faster. But I have gone to game nights as it’s a popular party form in my social circles. Last one I went to, more than a year ago, we played Dixit. Loved it. Mostly it’s a deck of colored drawings, on your turn you give a clue about one, everyone lays down cards, then guesses which one is yours.
And now I own my very own copy and I still love it. We played it twice this weekend. It was a surprise, no reason, just thought you’d like it, gift.
Thanks!
Dixit looks like fun. I might try collecting a bunch of old family photos and play it using them.
I’m happy with the US Postal Service. An online friend mentioned getting her daughter a Frozen mini fishing pole. I happen to have one. I shipped it off on Thursday and it arrived on Sat. or Sun. They’re leaving today for a fishing trip so we were hoping it would get there before they leave. And it did!
There were two new babies born to the family this week. Diana on Wednesday, and Vince on Sunday. Both are doing well, as are the mothers. So, all that makes me happy.
Apparently the first shot of Leverage 2 is in the can, according to my Twitter feed.
A new baby boy in the family last night. Welcome to the world baby boy Luke!
Happy the sun is back too after a few very rainy days. Good for my garden.
tl;dr
Y’all know that thing about someone asking you why you’re beating your head against the wall, and the answer is that it feels so good when you stop? Okay, so this is a grumpy old white guy problem, so don’t read.
Dotter wakes me at 1:30 PM to ask, “Want to go shopping today?” (I was reading a book until 7:30 AM Sunday morning. Don’t judge me.) I say yes and she says three o’clock.
At three we pile into my car. Me, dotter, and #2 Grandson. No worries.
Almost immediately, and frequently during the outing, 2GS announces carsickness and immanent vomiting (never does.) Also announces a desire for a Whopper from BK. This is doable but OMG, one announcement was enough.
Went to Target. Bought nearly nothing. Went to Best Buy. Made an appointment with Geek Squad. Went to Publix. Got some groceries – not much, just topping off from last trip to Food Lion. Went to BK, got a cheese Whopper, no pickles. 2GS couldn’t eat it – see carsickness above. Called in a takeout from Outback. Whopper got eaten waiting for the takeout (parked in takeout spaces.) Drove home.
Home. Worst Sirloin Ever – tough and stringy and hard to even cut. Baked potato was okay, though.
That trip is over. That makes me very happy. 🙂
I bought a car! A fully electric Nissan Leaf. I’ve wanted one for ages, and I finally did it, and now I can drive around emissions-free and that makes me happy.
It’s the first car I’ve actually chosen for myself (rather than with my partner, or because it’s a convenient choice) since my first car when I was 15. That was a 1976 mini (I was born in 1977 so we came of age together). I loved that car. This one is better.
I don’t know if this makes me happy or not. Our oldest granddaughter brought her boyfriend over to meet the grandparents. We social distanced outside and they went for a walk around our neighborhood. He does live out of state and with half an ear I listened to him tell my husband about his job. Distance could be a deal breaker.
I am really happy that I came here to see what was up for Working Wednesday and realized it’s still Tuesday.