Day with Sophie!

Sophie and I spent Presidents' Day together - reading, playing Littlest Pet Shop, doing some origami. Steve had to teach, so it was just us 2 gals - and the dogs, kitty, snake and turtle.

Nothing makes me happier than spending time with my fabulous family!

Words

These are the words I read yesterday in "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching":

Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment,
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.

Snakes = happiness??

Ok, one more snake photo.

I was going through emails and this is the photo Steve sent to me of Sophie with the boa and as I looked at my daughter's face I couldn't help but smile. She is so different from me! No way would I have allowed this when I was her age, nor did I have the curiosity about reptiles that she has. My god, I just love my child!!

Awwwwww....

Steve said today that when he drives home and turns the corner to the house and sees my car in the driveway it makes him happy.

His words made me happy.

P.S. The snake in the photo does NOT live in our house - we went to a reptile workshop with Sophie :)

L.O.V.E.

LOVE

What could possibly make one happier than that?

31

This photo is actually from yesterday, but we've got this again today and it is amazing to me what a difference it makes in my mood!

I was absolutely giddy this morning about going for a run, haven't been on one in too, too long. I was also nervous, haven't been on one in too, too long. I ran for 31minutes and it was wonderful. Again, I started running last year, around April, following this program:

http://running.about.com/od/getstartedwithrunning/ht/getstarted.htm

I followed the program religiously and sure enough, after 8 weeks, I was able to run 30 minutes non-stop. I highly recommend it if you have even the slightest interest in running, but, follow it - I don't recommend skipping weeks, running for 30 minutes on your first go - no, none of that.

So here's to being happy about running in the warm (34 degrees!) weather and appreciating how lovely it is.

Fun Stuff

Today has good things planned (and most are with my 2 favorite people pictured below):

• A workshop at the Dahlem Center about Peru.

• Some one-act plays at the high school

• A work out and I don't have to hurry up to get ready for work

• Time to read a great book I just started

• Trip to the library

• Hanging out with the dogs

So Says Pooh

So, I did not take a photo of the sign mentioned in Tuesday's post. Oh well.

Yesterday I finally finished watching the interview with Colin Firth from Monday's Inside the Actor's Studio. There is a moment, at the end, when an audience member asks Colin a question, Colin answers and the student mouths the words, "Thank you," to him. You then see Colin give the student a smile and nod. That's it, but I was compelled to watch this exchange over and over...and over again.

That exchange seems so simple and was obviously very short, but it contained such meaning to me. I love when two people have a moment like that - a connection, a validation of each others needs at that instant.

I could not find an image, nor really a quote that captured this exact thing, but I found this quote that made me pause:

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." ~A.A. Milne

Signs

We were driving around tonight and I took special notice of a shop in Jackson, Upscale Resale, because their sign seemed to be of a skipping family and it just struck me as really funny! I wish I had gotten out to take a photo, but I didn't...

And now I can't find anything online that is striking me as funny.

Mission for tomorrow - photo of sign. Happiness can be having a plan.

Snakes, Turtles, Skinks...

Yesterday we attended a class at the Dahlem Nature Center near our home and it was so fascinating! The presenter had a few snakes, a couple turtles, a gecko, a baby alligator and a blue-tongued skink. We got to touch each animal and learn about their unique qualities.

I have never had a strong interest in science and I am married to a scientist! Our daughter, now 11, is very much like her father in her fascination with science, specifically reptiles. I really just don't understand how mny things work, it boggles my mind and sometimes that boggling can be completely fascinating! I love that the skink has a blue tongue as a defense mechanism and that the leopard gecko's tail will snap off when threatened - a clean snap, amazing. I cannot even grasp the diversity in nature and how it all works.

So here's to learning and realizing how much there is still to learn as a way to increase ones happiness!

A Film Well Done

This was a lovely film. I took myself to the movie yesterday and felt that giddiness that comes when the lights go down and the feature begins - the anticipation of being swept away for 2 hours is delicious. It's always nice when the film lives up to the hype surrounding it, as this film did.

What I loved the most was the scene in which King George VI is giving the speech (for which the film is titled) and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, is standing in the small room with him. Logue is the king's security blanket, his personal cheerleader and the king needs his presence to make it through those few minutes as he delivers his speech. The king did it, HE delivered the words beautifully, and yes, he probably could have done it without Logue's presence, but how beautiful to have someone in your life who means that much to you - who helps you overcome your greatest challenge.

How fortunate we are when we have someone in our lives who is there for us, just there. How fortunate we are when we can be there for someone. Both lives are made richer, both people share in that happiness that comes from giving up one's weakest self to another's care.

Dog Days

I wish I'd had my camera with me yesterday, because the image I saw made me laugh, laugh, laugh!

We were driving through the neighborhood and a man was walking his 2 dogs - both boxer types, very strong in appearance, a bit intimidating until I saw that one...

had a stuffed doll doggie toy in its mouth! Yes, a security blanket of sorts that obviously had to be taken on the walk. Oh, the face of that pooch - such a sweet face carrying that doll. I so hope I run into them when out walking and that I'll get a chance to hear this dog's story.

So no image of doll-carrying dog, but the image I did find is quite fabulous too, and shows the pure joy dogs can feel. Love it.

Bring on the Buddha

I read recently that "research suggests that mindfulness therapy - a meditation-based treatment with roots in Buddhism and yoga - can help people with mood disorders feel better without drugs." *find link to article below

When our family lived in San Antonio for 11 months, we attended the Shambhala Center and learned a bit about Buddhism and meditation. I am grateful to have learned about mindfulness and how meditation is a time to be still with our thoughts, not try to banish or change them, just to be still with them. It did make a difference to me.

I also loved watching Sophie and the other students in the children's meditation class. They did things like meditation by blowing bubbles. Soph was quite adept at the meditation practices and has always been the calm compared to my storm.

I do not think every person with a mood disorder will be, or should be, medication free after practicing mindfulness and meditation, but I do believe it improves the quality of one's life. Meditating, mindfulness, most of the teachings of the Buddha, all make me happy - not always deliriously so, but in a satisfied way.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/08/health/la-he-mindfulness-20110109

Inappropriate and Happiness

Yesterday my beautiful, and actually quite eloquent, daughter asked me if she could have some cheese, but not just any cheese....

"Mom, can I have some cheese that doesn't taste like farts?"

In Sophie-speak this means sharp cheddar rather than mild cheddar, but why be so blah?

This question made me LAUGH OUT LOUD, but like all good mothers everywhere I reserve the right to find the use of the word fart funny in one instance and completely inappropriate in another. Gotta keep these kids guessing.

Snow Day!

Winston and Lucy in the snow that has been falling, falling and falling! No school for any of the Albee-Scotts today - yee-haw! Being all together, warm, healthy and safe means being very happy.