Seeking Sunshine Any Place I Can Get It!

I have to put this out there - the past few days have been tough. I've felt really down, missing Utah so much it hurts and dreading the fact that I will be living in Michigan for a long time. These things make it hard to find something to be happy about...hard, but of course not impossible.

On Saturday I picked up Little Miss Sunshine, one of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it yesterday and just as I'd hoped, I laughed out loud! There are so many parts of this movie that I love, but really just the escape from reality that this film offers is what I needed...and the van door falling off, well, that's definitely happy inducing!

Let It Be Your Umbrella

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm

Here is a link to some good reasons to smile!

I have found it to be true that when one is down, by just smiling one's mood is instantly lifted - at least a little bit. So today - SMILE!!!!

Approaching...

Ok, just posting this photo made me smile! Valentine's Day is actually my favorite holiday - I love having a day to express love. Sure, it's a bit cheesy and a total Hallmark holiday and yes, when one is without a romantic partner it can be a bit depressing, but for some reason I love seeing all the pink and red hearts, the flowers, the candy, the little cards kids exchange.

So during this very dreary Michigan winter I will look forward to whatever lies ahead that can bring some hope for happiness and with it being just a little over 2 weeks away, I think it is time to break out the crafting tools and make some homemade Valentines!

Winston

Every morning I have nearly the same routine with the dogs. I dish up their food and let them outside to eat. The boys go scrambling to the fenced in area and I place Lucy's food down on the deck. Lately, Winston has been running back to the deck to check on me, I guess to make sure that I'm really coming. This morning I found it to be so sweet and funny.

Winston is our happy guy - his tail can wag so fast and mightily that one needs to be sure to stand at a safe distance. (Percy is often right behind him and will just blink as he takes a tail beating...) Winston is the one we took for pet day at Soph's Harry Potter Camp, because we knew he would behave himself, and he did. Winston is the quiet presence among his nervous brother and bossy mother. He is the one who took his shots without flinching at the vet's office and then pulled and cried out when his brother showed discomfort at receiving his own shots. He is our sympathetic man.

Just like with children, I often worry that Winston gets left behind because he is so good, so easy, so mild-mannered - Percy and Lucy know how to get attention. So Winston, buddy, I love ya and you definitely bring happiness to my day!

Searching...

I had a lovely conversation with a co-worker yesterday regarding the horrifically depressing qualities of Michigan this time of year. It is really astounding how the sky can retain its gray quality for so long!

So in my search for happiness yesterday I decided that Soph and I should go walking around the mall, which is relatively well lit and has people - two qualities that do lift my mood. It was wonderful! Soph loves to hear stories while we walk and we play games like, "If you could only have one pet, what would it be?"

I realized that just doing something to defeat the winter blahs, taking action, is happiness producing. It is amazing how uplifted one can feel when one decides that they, not the Michigan sky, is in control of their outlook. I know this applies to all areas of life. When we give up control of our happiness to outside sources, we give up our happiness.

What the heck people did before we had malls is beyond me!

So Simple

Sometimes just a few simple words, said sincerely and with love, can make a huge difference. Yesterday, Sophie's birthday, I had an interaction that left me feeling sad. I didn't tell Steve about it right away, I felt too angry and on the verge of tears, so I held it in until last night. When I did tell Steve he did the best thing for me at that time - he said softly, "I am sorry you had to deal with..." and that's it. I knew he meant it, I knew he felt my sadness and I knew he was there for me. It was perfect.

So today I feel happiness in the comfort that 1) my husband has my back! and 2) that I don't have to have the solution, that I don't have the solution, to fix anyone's problems - but I can offer the same, simple words when needed and sometimes that is all that is needed.

11 Years

11 years ago this little girl came into our world and has forever changed that world in a way that leaves me in awe. I am absolutely, 100% smitten by my daughter and I am proud, pleased and thrilled to be her mother.

Sophie - you add so much happiness to every day and to love another person as much as I love you is a blessing for which I am extremely grateful. Happy birthday sweet child!

Sun

Blue skies, crunching snow, sun warming my face...

and having the knowledge that in the scheme of things - it will be soon that the blue skies and sun shining will be the norm again.

From Start to Finish

A phylogenetic study of Trechispora thelephora

Yesterday was one of those days that started out great and just continued that way, a day to put in the memory bank of great days and pull out when things seem too dreary to go on.

Woke up before 5 a.m., got my hair cut for $14 (at 8 a.m.), bought supplies for Soph's birthday party (went a wee bit overboard, but didn't care), cleaned the house a bit with the family, walked Lucy, Soph's party, dinner with fam and a nap that turned into a sleepfest, ahhh.

Oh, and Steve published a paper, the title of which is above, in purple and I beg of you to say it 3 times super fast, it is smile inducing!

“Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Really - what more is there to say?

A Bit of Beethoven

A few years ago I was telling Sophie how lucky she is to take piano lessons and how I wished I had practiced more and appreciated it more when I was a child. My daughter's response, "Then why don't you take piano lessons now?" So...I did!

I took lessons for a little over a year and got back into it enough to get a few more songs under my belt. I can escape when I play the piano - the way my fingers move across the keys, the sound of the notes, the build-up as a piece moves from piano to forte! All good stuff.

It is 6:15 a.m., so I will refrain from playing the piano now - realizing it might not bring happiness to those slumbering away in my home - but later....I shall use a bit of the ivory to bring a bit of the happy!

P.S. The photo really doesn't have to do with the post, just thought it was lovely!

Checklist!

I have so much for which to be happy (ha, I do not like to end sentences with prepositions...!).

• Pulling up Facebook this morning and finding myself tagged by my friend Brooke - who posted beautiful pics of Logan, including one of our old house. Love you Brooke!
• Having a wonderful, full of laughter, conversation with my little sister the other day - who came into this world 33 years ago on January 25. My own daughter came into this world 11 years ago on January 25.
• Seeing Sophie perform last night with part of the Jackson Public Schools orchestra. My daughter, a cellist! So proud of that kid, in so many ways.
• Spending time with my husband yesterday morning - we had to take the car in for tire replacement and we ended up walking laps around the mall - loved it!
• A sparkly cover of snow outside this morning - gives me pause while letting out the dogs in the freezing cold.
• A beautiful moon last night - seen through the trees behind our home. Lovely.

And the knowledge that today is holding all kinds of moments for which I will find happiness, because I am looking!!!

Here Kitty, Kitty

Jada, trying to get as much warmth from the laptop as she possibly can - she usually likes to lay right across the keyboard - made me smile this morning. Looking for a warm place to reside is pretty much Jada's constant goal - and isn't it what we all really desire - that warm feeling that comes with being...

Happy!!

I Hear The Rain

The sound of raining falling against our house was what I heard this morning and it made me smile. I love that sound. I got up, followed my routine of dogs out, cereal, coffee, computer, dogs in, and I found out that school is closed, which I did not expect and which I am absolutely thrilled over. Unexpected bliss!

As I looked for a pic for today on the web, this one of a man walking in the rain made me feel so cozy. I love walking in the rain. I love the sound, the feel, the smell in the air.

Happy unexpected day off!

Read, Read, Read

Today is MLK Day, which meant no school for Soph and no work for me (Steve taught and did a presentation today). I battle with having a day off on MLK Day, so we tried to do something meaningful and found ourselves reading, reading and reading...we visited a bookstore in Jackson and read Berenstain Bear books aloud to one another. We also purchased a popular book for the library at Sophie's school.

Here is my very beautiful, smart and creative child still reading with her head resting on Calvin, who travels nearly everywhere with us nowadays.

My family and pets.

My family and pets make me feel happy.

Happiness Brought on By Birds...Day 2

About 10 years ago I saw a collection of cds advertised on tv, Modern Rock, and commented on how cool it would be to have so many fabulous songs from the 80s! Well, Steve ordered them...all of them.

This morning I found them in a box we have yet to unpack and this song just had to be played first. Hit the link to find a little happiness, too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUjIA3Rt7gk

Definitely Not Crying Over Spilled Seeds

A few days ago Winston, one of our 3 dogs, pulled down the bird feeder I'd recently hung and dragged it across the yard, spilling seed along the way. Please try to imagine how hard it is to take something from one dog while 2 others are aiding and abetting! Some choice words were said by me during this process and I was definitely NOT happy.

This morning, what do I find...a bunch of birds flying out of our yard after, I assume, enjoying some seed sprinkled on the ground. I never saw 1 come to the actual feeder, so the sight of various birds in flight made me chuckle. Something that had caused me such frustration, turned out to be serendipitous (the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident - indeed!)

Oh, and a bonus, our cat is now sitting by the window facing the backyard as it's now like being hooked up to kitty television!

Happiness can be found from a source that originally brought us discomfort - and happiness for the birds is found by a canine's naughty nature!

Good Choices = Happiness

I was feeling a bit down as the numbers on the scale kept going up. Sadly, when I feel down, I often make choices that increase the likelihood of continuing to feel down!

Yesterday I went back to healthier choices that I had made in the past that got me to a better place. When I got home from work I put on my workout clothes and worked out on the stairs instead of vegging in front of the tv with some snacks. Also, back to the tactic of eating everything at the table. I find that when I don't do this, I eat mindlessly and when I eat mindlessly, I eat A LOT!!

It feels really good to make good choices and good choices mean realizing that complete deprivation will backfire. Last night after dinner - a bowl of ice cream was had. This morning, back down a bit on the scale. Now, please do not think I am saying a number on a scale equals happiness. NO WAY! I am saying that a healthy lifestyle does bring happiness. I do not live a healthy lifestyle all the time, I am always working at it and sometimes I do better than other times.

Now this picture I have posted will make me smile while I'm working out!

Observing the Offspring

This child, right here, makes me feel happy every single day! This is not to say that there aren't times I feel worried, frustrated, tired...and all the other emotions a parent feels, but when I take the time to stop and look into her fabulously freckled face, I am in awe!

I am also in awe of this child when I get to see her do things in a way that are so different from how I would do them. Today I assisted with the frog dissection at Soph's school and her reaction to the frog was so different from what mine would have been at that age. She was calm and kept her group on track. She didn't partake in the cutting or removing of organs, but she observed everything. She didn't act silly or try to draw attention to herself, she handled the task at hand with a maturity I still don't possess.

Happiness can be seeing how amazing your child is and realizing that although you are their parent, they are their own person.

*This photo is from the Valentine's Day party at her school last year - not from today's dissection!

Never Too Late

The Jackson School of the Arts offers adult tap dancing classes!

Tap dancing just looks like so much fun and I never took a dance class as a child, but I wanted to. Just the idea of it thrills me!

I truly believe that happiness does stem from continuing to learn, trying new things and doing activities for the sake of the pure joy they bring us!

Maybe Not Happiness, but Hope

I am not sure if the word happy really suffices, but people like Tony Dungy make me feel comforted in this crazy world and I think comfort is part of happiness.

I really didn't know about Tony Dungy until my husband took the Wilbur Dungy Endowed Chair position at Jackson Community College. As I read about the Dungy family, I was amazed at the service both Wilbur and his son, Tony, have done in their communities.

Tony Dungy has taken it upon himself to help someone who is, rightly so, extremely unpopular in our society right now, a football player, Michael Vick, who committed horrific crimes against dogs. It is easy to feel hatred and disgust over Michael Vick, and yet Tony Dungy is trying to help him get to a better place in life.

I thought about this this morning and of course I'm only speculating, which is far off from reality, but if someone committed a horrific crime against me, would I be better off if they were punished forever or if they could eventually do something meaningful with their life? I realize now all persons who commit crimes can ever feel remorse, but for those who can and who can possibly do some good, shouldn't we try to help them? It's a huge undertaking, not something I'm sure I could ever do, so I thank people like Tony Dungy who believe in the goodness of others.

Good Morning

The sun was peeking through the trees this morning and the trees are covered with ice and the image is stunning. I am so happy that I get to see these things when I take our dogs outside.

Uplifting

As often happens, I am behind in the trends and the news of the hour and I only heard of this amazing story yesterday. As I watched the clip, I was just in awe of how humble Ted Williams seemed and how truly grateful he appeared by the reporter's stopping. Great story. I also feel like we all need to learn from the reporter who stopped, to really, really look around us and delve into a situation just a little deeper when a person in need needs us to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6kI_u3ho_c

5:57

That is what time I woke up today, 3 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, so I feel I get extra points for not only not pressing snooze, but for actually getting out of bed pre-alarm shrill!

The reason I got up early is to exercise before going to work today and it really does make me happy to exercise and it definitely makes me happy when I'm done exercising and all those lovely endorphins are bouncing around in my head...better than 9 minutes of sleep would do for me (why DO snooze buttons give us 9 minute?)

Look How Easy It Is!

Seriously, this is getting too easy - look what made me smile today, a sandwich! Normally I cut my sandwiches straight down the middle, but today I did it diagonally and when I saw the finished product, I smiled because it reminded me of the sandwiches my mom made for me as a child.

I am learning through these daily posts how very easy it is to find moments of happiness - I think I'm just learning to realize how to be in that moment.

Longevity Can Bring Happiness

You might think the person in the photo making me smile is the guy on one knee with the Wii control, because he does look like he is having fun, but no. The people making me smile are the couple on the couch, the parents of my best friend from elementary school.

Michael and Aleca Durocher have been married 41 years and seeing them in this photo together, Mike's arm around Aleca, made me smile. I knew these people 30 years ago, when I went to my friend's house many, many times and it brings me great comfort to see something so familiar, so gentle and so speaking of a bond that has spanned many decades.

Love and long-term relationships can definitely induce happiness!

Burst of Happiness

I had been eating the same Kashi cereal for a really long time, but when I went to the store to restock, they were out! Hubby suggested Island Vanilla and I was skeptical, I don't usually like these shredded wheat type things, but oh, it's been heavenly!

I am a huge texture person - when I eat food it has to taste good and the texture has to be pleasing. What I love about this cereal is how the milk works its way into the pieces and bursts out, just a little bit, into my mouth. Ahhhhh.

Speaking of texture and food - I've decided that chocolate chip cookie dough, made from scratch, has a really pleasing texture if whipped up right. Another happy inducing food experience.

Leaking Over Into Today

Ok, I just can't take that photo down from yesterday yet, looking at it as I got ready to post this made me smile again!

Happy, happy, happy Tuesday!

Purpose

I do not know the child in the photograph, but what a great expression!

Getting up in the morning with no place to go is often a very happy-inducing feeling, but this morning I was all too ready to get up (ok, I hit snooze twice) and to have somewhere to go. I feel happy to go back to work. I love my job working at my daughter's school and it's been a great 2 weeks off, but having a routine is also great. I feel lucky to have a job that brings me such joy and to be around people, the students, who are so full of life and energy and the desire to live with great abandon!!!

To me, happiness is feeling needed and having a purpose - it's what gets me up in the morning.

Sharing the Good Stuff

A friend asked me today to send her the link to the running program I used and it filled me with joy! I love sharing the good things that have worked in my life. I started this running program last year and I kept a journal of my progress. I followed the program religiously - even when I wanted to kick it up a notch, I didn't and by the end of the 8 weeks I was running 30 minutes. I ended up doing a 5K last year and most importantly - I still run!

Here's the link to the program: http://running.about.com/od/getstartedwithrunning/ht/getstarted.htm

Evening

Lucy and I headed out for a walk and as we were coming home, the sun was setting and it was spectacular. I love seeing the sun set behind the trees near our home. The colors in the sky were amazing and definitely happy-producing.

If you look very, very closely, you can see Steve on the front stoop. He installed a new dishwasher today and was cleaning out some part, I think.

Much, Much, Much!

So much to be happy for this New Year's Day!

I started Mansfield Park and am loving it!!

It is beautiful outside, quite warm and I am ready to go for a run.

My family is safe, healthy and we are all together in our home - this includes our animals, too.

Although I woke up feeling slightly sad, I have the knowledge that only I can make myself happy and that it is an attainable goal.

The birds are chirping.

And really, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: Life has got to be lived -- that's all there is to it.