Category: My Happiness Project

happy thanksgiving!

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happy-thanksgiving-2016-greeting-ecardI know I have been a ghost on my blog for the past few months. But had to make a reappearance to highlight my annual grateful list – short, yet very meaningful one this year.

First, my favorite quote of the season…

“Given the amount of unjust suffering and unhappiness in the world, I am deeply grateful for, sometimes even perplexed by, how much misery I have been spared.” – Dennis Prager

  • I must start with my hubby of almost eleven years! Wow! Eleven years! God only knows what I’d be without this guy!
  • My family, extended included, with a special shout out (does anyone say that anymore?), to my sister, Emmi, an inspiration to me in so many ways.
  • The Buddy Man
  • My mother-in-law who has made it possible for me to pursue a career and be a mom at the same time. Can’t do it without her!
  • Runs, and nice hot showers after.
  • Books and all the knowledge, insight, and even entertainment, found therein.
  • Danielle LaPorte’s Truthbombs
  • My job, that I really enjoy!
  • Becoming a regular contributor on Rocket City Mom and the Book Club we created. Wouldn’t have happened without you, Taralyn. Thanks!
  • The Love Notes Project! Don’t know what I’m talking about; you can check it out here.
  • Two trips to beach this year complete with balcony views of the ocean. Thanks Mommy and Daddy!

Happy Thanksgiving from me and mine to you and yours!

friday’s “secret”: set a few intentions and achieve them

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Beach Sunrise. My Intentions

This week, I have been reviewing my intentions and highlights from 2015. I hesitate to call anything a goal because I have failed to achieve my goals year after year after year. So I started referring to them most often as “intentions” in 2015 and have had a greater success with that small change. It feels easier to me; less intimidating.

I am happy to say that I was able to accomplish quite a few of my intentions for 2015, my main one being becoming more comfortable with this whole “mommy” thing. Jessica Quirk of What I Wore expresses my sentiments along this line so well in this post: Post Partum Identity Crises. It was a real thing for me last year but I think I might be beginning to see a way clear.

Here are my Intentions for 2016

  • Run 6 races, including the Bridgestreet Half Marathon in April. In order to do this, I am going to have to be in the best shape possible so those foundation habits of eating, sleeping (or trying to with a baby), staying hydrated, and training are going to have to be on point.
  • Read 36 books, one more book more than I read last year. I believe I can do it, if I do not gorge on television and it’s various iterations: Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the oh-so-convenient network apps. It is so easy to fall down those rabbit holes, isn’t it?
  • Which brings me to my next intention, staying out of rabbit holes that do nothing for me. I really want to be intentional about my entertainment choices and only watch things that I find enjoyable and/or useful. I am really looking forward to the encore presentation of BBC, PBS, and Masterpiece’s Special, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride this weekend. I missed the January 1st premier.
  • Write more, which will include posting to the blog weekly. Oh boy! You guys are going to have to hold me to this one. LOL!
  • Remove anything from my life that is not useful, beautiful, or loved. I start with my wardrobe next week and will work my way around the home through these dull winter months. I probably won’t have anything to wear! Eeeek!
  • Give a “durn”! Being a mom, it is super easy to fall into the “oh, why bother” mindset. Buddy Man is just going to mess it up anyway! But I feel so much better when I care. So, more often than not, I want to be put together rather than thrown together. I also think I want to color my new short cut. We will have to see about that though!
  • And finally, being a stay-at-home mom has kind of taken a toll on me, socially. I am very thankful for my family and friends who have kept me sane with their phone calls, opening up their homes, and visits. I want more of those experiences! I want to feel more connected to people, even through digital mediums, this year! For an introvert, that’s saying something!

What are your intentions or goals this year?

friday’s “secret” –

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I have been thinking long and hard about what “secret” I could post about today and nothing profound has come into my mind.  Not to say that everything that has graced these digital pages has been profound but I thought some of it was a little interesting.

But, I have been reading a lot, and I mean A LOT, these past two weeks.  I have been exposed to two new authors (one digitally and one I met in person) and so far I have enjoyed what they have written.  Which got me to thinking on two points: (1) I really LOVE to read and (2) why don’t I do it more often?

When I was a child, a tween, and a teen, I loved to read.  I read every moment I could spare.  I would even go into the bathroom, turn on the fan and pretend I was handling personal business so I wouldn’t be disturbed.  I think my family knew what I was doing most of the time because after a while, it did not work as well as I wanted it to and my mom would tell me to “stop reading and get out of the bathroom.”

Then I went to college and studied English.  There was a lot, and I mean A LOT, of reading involved and honestly, I was sick of it by the time I graduated.  I didn’t want to see another novel, story, essay, etc.  But when I think back on that period of time, I realize I was still reading, just not books.  I started loving magazines. It was quicker and easier to get info and I enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Now, I guess, I have come full circle and I am into anything: books, blogs, magazine articles either digital or the good old kind that require you to physically turn the page.  And for some reason, rediscovery of this old joy, that never fully went away but that has been awakened anew is making me happy.  My to read list is long on Goodreads.com.  And I am happily thinking about the many hours of reading material that I have ahead of me.

I guess then that Friday’s “Secret”  is this: Remember what you loved to do as a child, and find ways to do it again.  Work puzzles, make model planes, color in coloring books with Crayola crayons, take photos, whatever it is, no matter how silly it may appear to us, do it. Hey after all, you might enjoy it and then you will…

enjoy life…