67 thoughts on “Happiness is Anticipation of Something Good”

  1. This has been an up and down week. We thought my MIL was getting better, she even had a physiotherapist in to give her some exercises to do, but Friday she was almost totally unresponsive and drifting in and out of awareness and Saturday the decision was made to move her to comfort care only. Paul wants to go down on Tuesday, the earliest he can go, and I’m seeing if I can postpone my training course for a week so I can go with him.

    The best thing is my mom got her second COVID shot yesterday.

    I’m not trying to be a downer but Argh people feel like family.

    Yay for Krissie’s visit, that should be fun.

    2. Sad to hear you’re still dealing with heavy things. Sending all the best thoughts and vibes your way!

    4. We are happy to return the love and support you have given us. I hope you are able to go with him.

    1. PS. Forgot to add that a popular book here, Ursula Vernon’s A Defensive Guide to Baking also won a Nebula in the MG/YA category. Which also makes me happy.

  3. We managed to spend 2 days in Burghausen and visit the castle there – the longest castle complex I know of (over one km). It’s a very pretty town and I had longed to go there for quite some time. The weather was great, we found a cosy restaurant (outdoor only) and even had the luck to get a table without a reservation.

    I hadn’t expected to

    1. Grrr… too fast again.

      I hadn’t expected that we’d manage to get away even for two short days, so this very spontaneous holiday made me happy.

  4. Anticipation. Not just a Carly Simon song or a Heinz commercial. Let me back some ground… I’ve been using a day’s leave every week this year to have three day weekends, four day work weeks. My leave balance needs a rest, so I can’t anticipate extra time off for the rest of June. But come July, I anticipate resuming that schedule.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there’s a pound plus bone-in ribeye marinating in the refrigerator that my toaster oven awaits with all the anticipation one could desire of an anthropomorphized appliance. I feel a similar sense of impending protein. I suppose I’ll add a vegetable, for balance.

  5. We have new kittens! We had lost both our previous cats, 44 days apart for completely different reasons, so have been without for over 3 months. Wednesday I checked the Humane Society web page, and they finally had kittens, so we went Thursday and brought home Friday night. They are 12 weeks and completely adorable. I have no other topic of conversation since Friday. Kittens!!!!!!!!

    1. How many did you get? What kind? I know you must be incredibly busy, but please send some pictures when you get a free hand.

      1. Two kittens, Sasha and Teegr (Russian phonetic for tiger). Just generic cats, but actual blood brothers, and they play and cuddle together. We are besotted.

        not sure link will work (stupid facebook) and not great photos, (always hard to get a good shot of black cat), but hopefully this will go through for you http://www.facebook.com/10225394129742248

        1. Oh, they are adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m sure that they will cause much merriment and mayhem and the fact that they are litter mates should make it easier for them to settle in.

    2. Congratulations on the new family members! They are so adorable. And rescues, also yay! I’ve lost cats close together and it is so hard. I’m glad your house isn’t empty anymore.

  6. We celebrated 31 years of wedded bliss with a fancy dinner at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in Lisbon, and got to have a lovely chat with the (very handsome) chef. Husband even took a picture of me with (very handsome) chef. 🙂 He’s very tolerant after 31 years.

  7. Don’t have any special happiness-things, except that I am still hanging around here and that makes me happy. You are all pieces of happiness. I was meaning to get back here for so long and kept failing to, so every time I read a new post and the comments, I am happy. Even my psychologist is shouting with glee when I tell her “I was reading and commenting on Jenny’s blog again this week”.
    Oh wait yes, one small happiness thingy: Sven asked me to look for caramel tea after having found some in a mixed-rooibos-box and discovering that he loved it, and since I know my regular store doesn’t sell caramel tea, I had to consult Google. I ended up buying tea from a new store I had in my bookmarks but had never tried before. Yeah of course I could not resist buying much more than just the caramel… So a box of new loose-leaf teas arrived last Wednesday, and I’ve been trying them out over the last days. I still have two unopened bags to smell and taste, but what I’ve tried thus far has been good. Currently sipping on a green strawberry tea while writing this (which is how I remembered just as I was about to hit “post comment”). Tea makes me happy.

  8. Lots of agravation this week. I thought I’d be moving past it but sh*t happens and the end has been posponed until Monday evening.

    The good news is that I got to have a sleepover with a rescue dog, Rafa, who is very skittish, ignores treats and toys but does seem to have a game: ‘catch me if you can and you can’t unless you cheat by stepping on my lead’. I cheat.

    I was going away for a few days, tentatively scheduled for the first part of the week with a return in time for a meeting (more of the same election stuff). But then I realized that I could dogsit Rafa and avoid the ‘will I make it back in time for my meeting’ anxiety if I went for the last part of the week. All around win.

    And I’ve done a couple of things like rearrange a shelf that has been bugging me for months (took five minutes) and make some cinnamon syrup (took ten minutes) and set up my French press to make some cold brew overnight.

    The little things have really counted. And dog.

  9. New client’s fine with my plans for a couple of get-togethers with old friends later this month, which I thought I’d have to cancel. The garden and allotment are coming together, and I love sitting in the garden every chance I get. Had a film night with the friend I’m introducing to some old favourites – yesterday it was ‘Holiday’ with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Next time it’s going to be either ‘Bringing up Baby’ or ‘Guys and Dolls’.

    Oh, and I’ve discovered some more series I like on Netflix, especially ‘Rita’, a comedy drama about a sex-addicted Danish schoolteacher and her family.

  10. Now that there is a lull in regular television viewing I’ve been catching up with other series Netflix, Amazon etc. The only one that caught my husband’s interest (one that he doesn’t wander off or go back into a book) is a DVD from the library titled Keeping Faith. A BBC drama about a woman trying to find her missing husband. I was a little bit leary because it was filmed in Wales and thought they would break out in Welsh periodically. But no worries I even went with closed captioning. Faith is on maternity leave and her husband vanishes without a word. With no help from practically anyone except an ex-con and her girlfriend and also a BIL policeman she starts a search for him and is rebuffed by family and a nasty police superintendent. Sure it is a mystery but who can look out a window with a view of a castle in the distance? I’ve already got season two in the wings.

  11. Yesterday I got two overdue warnings for parking tickets on my car that was stolen six weeks ago. The tickets were from a month ago, so I thought it might be long gone, but I went by the address (a couple of miles from me), and there it was: plates missing, battery disconnected, catalytic converter stolen. After the police released it to me, I had it towed to my mechanic. I don’t know if it will be worth it to fix it, but at least it will be closure.

    It’s a straightforward story to tell after the fact, but it was a stressful day. Best part was the sweet tow truck driver who even let me operate the very cool lift bed of the truck!

    1. Recommend anti-theft devices for catalytic converters. Mine was crafted especially for my make and model, but alternatively, the muffler shop which installed it also wraps yards of tough cable around them as a deterrent, too.

  12. Happiness is trying on a closet full of clothes I can fit into again. Lost 12 pounds with my “get healthy for the rest of my life.” Happiness is a new, old wardrobe. Now, Must get into a strength training regimen.

    2. Each year I buy a dress from my pal Dave because I love the fabric they are made from for summer. I have them in 3 different sizes and I wasn’t sure how many would fit because I have gained a lot of weight this year. But 2 days ago I pulled one out and it fit beautifully. It was a size small. I’d love to think that it is because I had followed your excellent example, but I believe that it has more to do with the fact that they are made by a company called Cut Loose. So you have my sincere admiration.

      1. Thank you aunt snack, Elizabeth and all. I particularly love the peach pant suit and my dresses. It has been a long haul back to healthy eating, I do love chocolate. Mostly vegetarian with beyond meat some fish and small portions of organic beef. Going to source out chicken in the valley. Another twenty or so. Fingers crossed.

        1. And no dairy for a month, a little it now and then. Made a big difference.

  13. My youngest niece called to say that she is in town for a few days and would I like to meet her and my local sister’s family for breakfast tomorrow. Of course, it is at the exact time I had a doctor’s appointment downtown, so I thought I couldn’t go, but I called her back and told her I would meet her there. Since the doctor I was going to see has changed practices, they can’t bill me for cancelling an appointment on short notice because they do not yet have my billing information. It may be messy when I try to reschedule, but I know this niece the least of all and I need to take advantage of every chance I get to find out who she is now.

  14. When I decided to keep my mother’s celebration china after she died, I started having monthly dinners with friends. Haven’t done that in a year and a half, and tomorrow we are resuming. That makes me happy.

  15. Close friends of mine from the start of college celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by holding a party for 14 friends who attended their wedding. Guests came to the party in New York from as far away as Idaho.

    I know most of the folks from other events — the hosts and I graduated from college in 1977, they married in 1981, and both happy and sad occasions have brought some of the wedding group together over the years. So, we share a sense of camaraderie while we are still discovering who each person is. Simply, everyone interested and fascinated me with their stories and memories — they are all people I would love to hang out with more often than every 40 years.

    Very, very, very happy.

  16. Have a blast with Krissie!

    Our art group met in person for the first time in 15 months. I considered making a cardboard Zoom frame for each person–looked at my schedule–and decided describing the idea would get the same laugh for a lot less work.

  17. “Nothing but good times ahead!” ❤️
    Welcome to Temptation is my absolute favorite book of yours! I love seeing you quote it!
    I listen to it and Faming It at least once a year.
    Thank You for all your books! But especially these two!

  18. We had a great visit from my cousin’s son this week — he brought a young lady he’d met on Bumble. He’s coming back this Friday for my brother’s birthday, and said that the young lady felt she’d been made very welcome — always nice to hear.

    Finally got an appointment at the DMV to renew my driver’s license — which technically expired nearly a year ago. I need to acquire a RealID, which means an in-person visit, complete with documents. Found my birth certificate with original signature of the person who registered the birth (and I wish I could ask my father how on earth he acquired a copy with the original signature; shouldn’t that have been the one the jurisdiction kept?) It’s somewhat non-standard, having been issued by the U.S. Naval Government, and doesn’t look anything like the usual versions issued by a county or state, but is great for genealogy, since it includes the names of all four grandparents. Happy about that, too.

    We also now have nailed down a willing proofreader and a cover artist who has provided a schedule though not yet a W-9 — my cousin Took My Name in Vain, as she occasionally finds it necessary to do, and wrote him a polite email pointing out that we can’t actually pay him until we get it, and sending an electronic form.

    And was much amused today when my cousin and her husband showed me the pictures of the former guy in very oddly-fitting trousers which apparently distracted the audience from whatever remarks he saw fit to make on stage this weekend. I don’t think he put them on backwards, because the zipper placket is there, though not clear in some of the pictures. It does look as if he’s put on some covid weight.

  19. This week was the 5th anniversary of my mother’s death. She loved flowers and my boss gave me a gorgeous bouquet of peonies – one of the advantages of working on a flower farm. I sent flowers to my aunt who was one of my mother’s closest friends, and talked with her on the phone.

    Almost everything I planted in my garden is coming up. It was too hot to be outside yesterday so I collected some rhubarb and made rhubarb syrup with honey. It’s a gorgeous pink colour and tastes delicious added to sparking water. And gin.

    My youngest brother is hoping to come to Canada in late July from the US. They’ve had both their doses of vaccine and as long as the border is open, I may get to see a member of my family for the first time in more than 18 months. We’re no longer in total lockdown but restrictions on shopping, dining on patios, etc. won’t be lifted until for another couple of weeks. At this point, going to Costco sounds exciting.

    1. It’s comforting that you had your aunt to talk with about your mother. It’s both that sort of anniversary is hard to handle alone.

  20. My mother in law (who lives with us in a granny flat joining our house) was sent a birthday card from an old friend in Wales. It was delivered to Lincoln UK rather than Lincoln New Zealand, not the first time this has happened, and the redirect was a thing of beauty – funny, detailed, and with a ditty.

    The goodness (and creativity) of people (the redirectors) made me happy.

    I shared it here. You should be about to see it without a Twitter account, the ditty is in the second photo.
    https://twitter.com/AllanahRobinson/status/1400736880828637189?s=19

    3. Luv it! Also scrolled through the comments below it and busted out laughing when I got to the one about the pregnant woman grocery shopping and the child in the cart who saw her stomach ripple and said “it’s moving”, so funny.

  21. I finally moved the largest of my potted fruit trees to my new apartment and am officially disconnected from the previous house and awful flatmates forevermore! Cutting that last tie made me very happy indeed.

    I also got a decent nights sleep after a week of fairly awful insomnia, and have felt much better today. Tomorrow is my last day of work before I take a week of leave, and the time away will make me happy too. I did not get the supervisor position I applied for, and a few days away will help get my head straight about that.

  22. My washer broke this week. Well, a part of it broke off in my hand, although it still works. But at 9 years old, it isn’t worth replacing. That was unexpected, although not a shock.

    My unexpected happiness was checking Consumer Reports for their recommended machines, actually finding that the one I wanted was available locally and ON SALE, and can be delivered next week, instead of waiting for months as I’d anticipated. (Lots of appliances are hard to get because there is a shortage of the chips that run them.)
    So yay?

  23. Thanks for all the kind words everyone. My poor FIL wound up in the ER last night with cardiac symptoms that turned out to be caused by stress and anxiety (and probably dehydration and lack of food and prescribed medication) but he told the nurse he thought he had COVID (we are all confused by why he would think that, he’s been quick-tested every day before he goes into the hospital to see MIL and has had both his vaccinations) so now he has to self-isolate until the not-the-quick-test results come back and he’s cleared. He’s beyond running on empty so maybe a day away from the hospital will be a good rest for him.

    I was able to postpone my course sort of. I attended the onboarding webinar this morning so I am going to have to do the Day 1 activities and then be booked out until next week which works. They were very accommodating.

  24. I spent two days on the beach at cape cod. I sat and read a real book which is rare these days. The time flew, but it was wonderful and yesterdays there were babies at the beach and one was boldly flirting with me – I had such a big smile. Babies are wonderful when you aren’t responsible for them.

    Now I’m back to reality but still smiling – even though I missed spots with the sunscreen and am now burnt in places.

  25. Happy is, my mood cycle corrected itself; I got some nests of clutter tidied up, divestments packed into Goodwill bag, and cleaning done (including more books out of the collection); did a tiny craft project; did some prep for changeover of work login equipment; husband’s reconfiguration of workstation is … working! Not perfect, but acceptably functional, and I’m doing 2+ hours up on my feet every day, which has to be good.

    Also yesterday there were two large green parrots in my yard chewing on ripe sunflower heads and screaming a lot. Very funny despite how obnoxiously LOUD they were (they were scaring away all my usual birds). This morning I tore out one of the plants they were on (the tallest one that I was calling Yao Ming) and threw the corpse in the backyard. Feral cats on the ground probably means no screaming parrots on the seed heads.

    Plus, finished a novella beta draft.

    1. At work we have a very talkative (loud) parrot and two screaming macaws. I wear earplugs because of the dogs barking, but it does help with the birds.
      (I work at an animal hospital with boarding. The birds, however, live there.)

  27. It’s my birthday! Since I’m in the age group that’s pretty much vaccinated, I attended or threw 3 parties this weekend. I’m exhausted but happy. I love my birthday.
    I went to NYC last week for a few days, and then left my PC at my friend’s home in Connecticut, so have been off of my usual online haunts.

  28. We had a sunny weekend, a rarity this summer. My face, chest and arms are a testament to my time spent on the deck, swatting mosquitos.

    I got a cortisone shot in my arthritic foot yesterday. Fingers crossed that it’s effective–I really want to get back to my daily walks. Also waiting on orthotics for a nerve issue in my other foot. Aging isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure.

    Best of all, I started writing a new story, and got 1800 words written on Sunday morning. That’s the most I’ve written at one time in over 2 years! I’m excited about this–something completely new to me, and it’s going well so far.

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