It’s really not quiet here; it’s a beautiful day so people are out whooping it up on the lake, which is nice. Even loud happy is a good sound. But mostly it’s just quiet here, lots of trees, some rain, a little wind, a lot of green, calm quiet. Which makes for a very quiet happy.
How were you quietly (or noisily) happy this week?
I made some choc chip cookies twice this week. It might not seem like much of a pleasure but I hadn’t made cookies for literally years and I had forgotten how nice home baking is, both in the making and the eating 😀
It’s too bad that it takes the death of someone in the British royal family to be able to start my day seeing images of England on my TV. In this case, CNN’s coverage of the casket motorcade, along with a bit of the military ceremony at Cardiff castle as they saluted the new Charles III.
What I don’t understand about the ceremony in Wales was the presence of a Very Special Goat (I think — he was wearing his formal set of horns and a nice green embroidered blanket, being led about by a very festival-uniformed military chap with big feathers on his helmet). Who was that goat? Why does he parade with soldiers? It made me a little happy just to see him, after the fun of seeing a bit of Britain go by on the TV screen.
Apparently, it is Shenkin, the regimental mascot of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Welsh.
I have lived in the UK for nearly 30 years now but I never cease to be amazed by all the bizarre pageantry and rituals this country comes up with.
Well, frankly I wish we had goats who trotted around with our VIPoliticians. Can you imagine the kind of devious, cranky old goat who would be balking at getting into elevators with Mitch McConnell? It would be loads more fun.
You’ve made my day with that quietly happy visual of Mitch and his goat. 🙂
and we on this side of the pond are grateful for all your pageantry and ritual–we’re such a pragmatic people, and that gets old.
Lance Corporal William ‘Billy’ Windsor the goat was demoted to fusilier for trying to to head-butt the battalion drummers while parading in front the Queen,other soldiers were no longer expected to salute him as a sign of respect
Don’t worry, he managed to reclaim his original title, before his honourable retirement
Wait, Billy Windsor was an actual goat? That’s priceless. 🙂
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/army-mascots for those disbelievers, there also the Dickin Medal – the animal equivalent of the VC first recipient was a carrier pigeon who managed to save a downed air crew
Happiness is the Toronto International Film Festival. Have seen five films so far this weekend and headed to two today. So far, great quality – including a documentary about the history of Black hockey players in Canada and the racism they consistently encountered. None of them appeared to have fallen in love with each other, which is disappointing…
Happiness is a weekend spent with my cousins. We 3 ladies talked, and ate, and talked, and drank, and talked. It was wonderful. We already have plans to do it again in a few months.
Happiness is finding a podcast app that actually works!
I listen to podcasts all day while I work, and it’s been a real struggle to find an app that will not only let me restrict how many episodes from each podcast it downloads automatically but also start downloading from oldest episodes first instead of newest first (so that I can listen to them in order). It’s always a pain switching apps, but with my last app I was having to manually keep track of where I was in the podcast and manually download episodes when I finished the ones I had on deck. Also, this new app lets me customize playback down to a minute level of detail. I can sort the play list by priority (I set the podcasts that I’m caught up with as top priority — generally my news podcasts and stuff that I want to catch up on every day) and then after that, by publishing date so that I can listen to my podcasts’ older episodes first. And the cherry on top is that they have a feature where they’ll automatically alternate podcasts so that even if your podcasts are sorted by publishing date and you have podcasts that were published way before all the others, it will alternate podcasts so you’re not just listening to a big chunk of the same one. I used to have to do all of this sorting and downloading and arranging manually, and I’m hoping this ends up working as well as I dream it will haha
For anyone interested, the app is called Podcast Addict, and it’s free! I’m on android so I’m not sure whether it’s available for iPhone too.
It is frustrating that they make you keep hunting back in order to go through a podcast in order. I’m already using two though – Apple’s and BBC Sounds – and don’t fancy rejigging everything. But I don’t listen as much as you do,
I got free cookies with a coupon (fair) made some of my own (excellent) and am not letting that stop me from making some almond and cherry muffins later today (outstanding!!!)
Our annual symposium is LIVE for the first time since 2019 (though only 30 live attendees, 20+more attending only morning presentations by zoom) which is very exciting. Starts Friday night but I am invited to dinner with some out of towners on Thursday night, so already anticipating.
I am quietly happy that I expanded my hydroponic farm this week, using amber Mason jars in the Kratky method. One can never have too much garden.
I am quietly happy that I harvested big juicy tomatoes from Sheba, the iDOO bucket garden, and insanely hot peppers from my RedFire pepper plant and my Piri-Piri plant, basil from the Genovese Basil plant, and parsley, and dill, and green onions – lots and lots of green onions. Overnight, there are more Red Fires to harvest, turning bright orange in the dark.
I am quietly happy to be reading the sixth book of the Enola Holmes series and listening to the third book of the Wearing the Cape series.
I am quietly happy to be eating my own cooking rather than buying from restaurants or microwaving prepared meals. I ate another Cornish Hen yesterday (it was supposed to last two days. oops.) I’m still enjoying my last chili and have the ingredients for another. There are so many meals one can make with a helping or even just a dollop of chili. I adore the chili-cheese omelets.
Can I be quietly happy just to be alive? I am. I didn’t die again this week, which is a record for me. *snicker*
I finished the sixth of the Enola Holmes series, and pre-ordered Enola Holmes: Mycroft’s Dangerous Game Kindle & comiXology due out October 11, 2022. It’s in Graphic Novel format.
I got to play with fabric. I found a nice online store and wandered in a local shop. It is something that lets me relax and not worry. The pretties are a bonus.
I’ve been streaming a French murder mystery and mostly enjoying it. It’s fun to see how much (or little) high school French I’ve remembered. I feel like I’m catching a lot of the original French, but I don’t think I could comprehend much without the subtitles. I’m sort of reverse engineering the dialogue — seeing the subtitle and then connecting it to a phrase I recognize in the original, instead of comprehending it before/without the subtitle.
It’s made me aware of what an art subtitles are, because they’ve mostly been okay, but a few, not so much. One season, they anglicized characters’ names, like from “Antoine” to “Anthony,” and then the next season they left the original spelling of the names. And at times, they’ve gotten “he/she” wrong, where someone is knocking on “his” door, except it’s a woman’s door. The oddity I’m still puzzling over is when one of the detectives is at risk of discipline, and he says something about being referred to their equivalent of an Internal Affairs department “and radiation.” I have no idea what that was supposed to be. Suspension? Remediation?
Oh, it’s the French. Heaven knows what they’d do to the poor guy.
He is going to be « radié » ie dismissed from the ranks so in layman terms: fired.
The term is used for the military and certain categories of state employees
Ah! Thank you so much. My high school French definitely didn’t extend to that! Feeling much better to know that he wasn’t at risk of being tossed into a nuclear reactor.
😀
I took a nap yesterday, then ran some errands. I’d completely forgotten about dinner with friends just back from Belize, but they reminded me and even though I got there over an hour late (hand to forehead), it was lovely. Quiet happiness.
I’ve been gradually getting things done, which feels good: replanting the far corner of the garden, Danish oiling the cold frame, mending clothes that have been waiting all year – so I suddenly have free additions to my wardrobe – and washing and re-proofing my rain jacket (although it’s still going to leak until I find something to mend the three tears in it). Also had several unexpected enjoyable encounters, including an old friend turning up for coffee.
Duct tape? (From the inside)
I’ve tried that, but it was very short-term. Might use it again until I gan get to an outdoor shop for a repair kit.
Youtube seems to have a lot of ideas to repair waterproofs
I very happily had my coffee and scone outside on the patio sitting on the hanging swing this morning. It was 56º for my walk, too! Wonderful Fallish weather, which won’t last, but it’s a reminder that someday it will be cooler every day. Fall is my favorite season, and it makes me happy just knowing it’s on its way.
With the rain we had earlier this week I’m happy the grass is greener and slowly replacing the straw that has been there since July and August. I also baked yesterday, an orange and cranberry loaf from a mix but replaced the water with orange and cranberry juice. Also saw a recipe for pecan sandies that I will give a try. Have not done any baking this summer because of the heat but relied on the bakery for cookies and whatnot.
Last night we were treated to fireworks from the neighboring town. Their Fourth of July celebration that they have not had since Covid. I know it is September but with funds, permits and the need for skilled pyro techs the wait was worth it. Plus we didn’t have to leave home to view them as they lit up the harbor. Along side a full moon no less.
I’m happy in Aviemore. Today we had afternoon tea on the Strathspey Railway, which runs a steam train to Broomhill. I was told that Broomhill was the train station for Monarch of the Glen, there’s the Broomhill sign and the fictional town’s sign for Glenbogle. Either way there’s no town there, the town is about a mile, walking through the fields.
Before was hiking, steep, with views.
My son is a travel nurse. He is staying an extra day so he can picket with us on our first day of our strike,(3 day nursing strike in Minnesota.). So happiness mixed with resignation.
I’ve read about this strike — it’s really doubly impressive, because you’ve not only gotten so many nurses to collaborate in this system-wide effort, but you’re striking NOT for more money for yourselves, but for managers to make decent service to the patients the primary goal. That’s so great!
Thank yo. Money is part of it but staffing is huge. Right before Covid our grids were changed with a 10-18% drop. Then Covid hit. Management has gotten a 20% bonus. You know, Covid is hard. Everybody who actually is face to mask has gotten $100 gift card. So much anxiety, anger and sadness.
Also if I read one more “Shouldnrush to strike”… My head will explode. We have been negotiating for months.
Thanks for reading this rant. ARGH. Going to picket now.
Quietly happy to have an unexpected visit from a friend who lives a days’ drive away. She is helpful and industrious, but this was just bliss–we accomplished nothing useful! Talked and had tea, went to an art museum and then to a mill for lunch, drove around our alma mater, walked in the woods a bit. We usually see one another in late Sept. when she comes for a business meeting, but it wasn’t going to happen this year, so super glad she made the effort to visit. Also, more people than usual in church this morning, which was a great happiness.
I am delighted that I was able to use the impending rain as a goad yesterday to roll my donations to the library for their book sale. I got out of the house early so that I could make it to my favorite thrift shop on the other side of town as well. It turns out that the trip was a total waste because the only thing I found were 2 children’s books that the kids I buy for won’t appreciate for at least another 2 years. Fortunately, since I gave away a batch of books, I will have room for the new ones. I hope this will inspire me to go through the children’s books, because I am REALLY running out of space on those shelves. I keep putting it off because the picture books are so thin (especially the paperbacks) that the number of books on only 2 shelves is bound to be astronomical.
One thing that will make me happy after I finish it will be picking up the new food processor I ordered. First I must find a plastic bag large enough to hold it because it is raining again and then I can safely drag it home from Dave’s store. I had planned to do this yesterday when the weather was perfect, but I chose to go to the suburbs instead. But I will brave the rain today and go get the extremely on sale one I ordered. I hope it will inspire me to add more variety to my menus.
I sat on a bench by a dual carriage way and had a cold coca cola bliss. Went to a local fun fair just a look round as the business is closing down. They have some lovely old fair ground rides met friends by chance and went round with them so their child could go bouncing from ride to ride. Noisy, busy, lively, it was fun, I just needed a quiet moment on the long (for me) walk home
I’m happy it’s raining, because it gives me a reason not to be out in the yard battling the bittersweet that has taken over our hedges. A friend lent me a small electric chain saw, the blade’s about 10 inches, and it’s going on my Christmas list.
Last week before my trip to Amsterdam and Paris, so getting ready beforehand, not my usual style.
DH & I just returned from a week away. Having chosen the ‘best available’ week & location (timeshare exchange) based on ‘do it now or not at all’ work calendar, we were very happy to be There instead of Here in view of historic heatwave. It’s still 86 degrees at home, but there’s been some rain and it’ll be cooler tonight. Was 20 degrees hotter this time last week. And we missed it. 🙂
We were quietly happy to be in a vacation casita with air-conditioning and cable TV and – with highs in the 90s – an excellent excuse to do nothing most of the time. We got there last Saturday and it was Tuesday before I really felt relaxed (successfully maintained through end of week).
Quietly happy was also a long hike (more accurately: walk in the woods) on Friday, when clouds rolled in and temp dropped. We haven’t done one of those for over 4 years.
Also, happy to find a new blog post from KJ Charles, which many here might enjoy.
https://kjcharleswriter.com/2022/09/06/lets-talk-about-sex-scenes
It was very smoky here yesterday afternoon but was a little better this morning and is supposed to clear up substantially by evening. It is still hazy enough that we can see the hills of our city but no further and usually we can see those hills, then more hills and then mountains beyond that. So happiness is looking forward to clean air I guess.
A lovely friend invited me to go see Hannah Gadsby’s show with her, and we had a wonderful time, and then dinner and a long chat with lots of laughing afterwards.
The choir sang for three services this morning, so I was up and about much earlier than my usual Sunday. The anthem – “A Stranger’s Guise” – was lovely, a recently composed piece that made my heart sing. The pastor told us he almost didn’t preach because that anthem said it all.
Is that the Iona song? It’s lovely.
It’s this piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2Ii1GclOE
One of my favorite cousins visited this weekend, along with his lovely and interesting wife. That meant the local relatives converged on my home so everyone could visit. It was really great, except the amount of cooking and clean up (I’m a messy cook) was significantly higher than usual. I’ll sleep well tonight!
I am still at Yellowstone, so still happy by definition. I spent the first 3 days in the Upper Geyser Basin catching my favorite geysers, but today I drive the lower loop road randomly stopping at stinky thermal features. Bliss, really. Tomorrow it is back to geysers.
I only have a couple more days, which is just not enough. I may have to spend another summer here as a retiree. Hotel rooms are getting insanely expensive.
Off to take an evening walk around the features close to my cabin. Can’t waste the daylight!
I work for a call center so when my phone is quiet I am definitely happy.
Right now I am enjoying a cup of 1part Scottish Breakfast Tea & 1part Lady Grey Tea. Yum. And Quiet. And happy.
Currently I am working on 2 writing projects. 1 – preparing my modern gothic novel Hungry Ghosts for self-publishing is making me happy. 2- my efforts to put together / submit to publisher my chapbook of (must be heard) political poetry – not so much with the happy. More with the PIA.
Since we appear to be staying in Florida for a while (as opposed to moving) my daughter & I had fun buying rain gear online. I don’t wear anything but Birkenstocks so my rain boots are overshoes. She ordered cute rain boots and we both ordered umbrellas.
Supreme happiness will come when (said optimistically) Trump and followers QUIETLY fade into the mists of time and become the problem of a prison warden or some other country. Please don’t rain on my parade. It can happen. I know it!
DH and I celebrated our 28th anniversary at a favourite local restaurant. We sat outside and enjoyed good food and the warm late summer evening.
I dug out one of my compost bins and sifted the soil. Doing this by hand was time-consuming but rewarding to see and feel the high quality soil I produced in less than 2 months. I have 2 garbage bins worth and an empty compost bin ready for plant material when I pull out my gardens.
I volunteer at a historical garden and at our monthly meeting, I gave a presentation on preparing the garden for winter. I was a bit nervous as I am a relative newcomer to the group. It was well-received and several people said they gad learned something new.
Congratulations on your anniversary and on what sounds like a very interesting presentation!
On a quiet Monday:
The trash went out and was picked up. The cans were empty… for twenty minutes.
A mini jalapeño sprouted at the last second of its “8-14 days.” I’ve decided to give the other one (of two) another week.
I finished off my previous chili batch last night. I have a fresh batch brewing. I’m doing it differently – I stir-fried the onions, red sweet peppers, minced garlic, bok choy, whole tiny tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. Then I added the diced tomatoes and chilis, the tomato sauce, and the tomato paste. I judged it to have sufficient liquidity, so I added a quarter pound of dry elbow macaroni. Next, I will fry up the beef and sausage in a separate pan. When the meat is properly broken up and browned, I’ll combine the two pans to simmer for a long time with various and sundry seasonings. My spreadsheet says “Eight Pounds!” (8.1, actually) That should last a few days. 🙂
I shopped on Etsy. Gotta support the small business person.
Someone’s dotter might have implied I drink too many diet cokes (caffeine free). So today I’m drinking 7.5-oz. cans of Seagram’s Diet Ginger Ale. I’d drink diet A&W root beer, but the sodium content is higher. I drink more tea and coffee (decaf) than carbonated beverages, but she never sees that. 🙂
Happy scantily clad gardening Monday!
It’s still Monday for another hour, and I am apparently still fixated on food. The chili…
(Weights in grams)
Worcestershire Sauce 2.0 (all I had)
Tobasco 2.0 (all I had)
Tsang Mongolian Fire Oil 3.0
clove garlic 3.0
red hot chili pepper 4.0 (red fire and piri-piri peppers)
Peppercorn Chili Oil 5.0
Merlot 29.6 (A little wine never hurt anyone, right?)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 30.6
minced garlic 45.0
tomato 100.0
Elbow Macaroni 113.7
Jalapeno pepper 147.0
Hunts Tomato Sauce (No Salt Added) 227.0
Jimmy Dean Sausage, Sage 235.0
Hunts Tomato Paste (No Salt Added) 340.0
red pepper 361.0
sweet onion 376.0
Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (No Salt Added) 396.9
Hunts Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added) 411.0
extra lean hamburger (96%) 1,274.0
That’s 4,105.8 grams pre-cooking weight or 9.051738962 pounds.
I’ve eaten three bowls tonight, totaling a kilogram – 1,000.0 grams on the nose – with eight or nine water crackers, an ounce of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and two or three “La Banderita Carb Counter Street Taco Tortillas.” I don’t know if the jalapeños (147 grams) heated this batch up or if it was my insanely hot freshly harvested peppers (4 grams). It might even have been the chilis in the Rotel tomatoes and chilis. Whatever combo it was, worked great. (I suspect the Rotel. My last batch of chili had none.)
Whatever. It’s food. You spoon it in, you crap it out, it keeps you alive. But shouldn’t we enjoy it along the way?
I hope this isn’t a faux pas, but JenniferCrusie said to use the Arghink comments as a contact form, soooo…
How does someone get to be an Argh Author? I’ve been reading that feature for years and have bought a lot of the books. (See, it’s working. 🙂 ) But now that I have two series coming out from Falstaff Books in the near future, I was hoping the magic could work for me as well.
All information is welcome, even if it’s negative. Thanks!