Happy Birthday to Me

Maybe that may seem strange to some, wishing yourself a Happy Birthday, but at 73 it is indeed a celebration....a celebration of life and all the blessings and goodness that has entered my life in these 73 years.  As I continue to share 73 things that make me happy, I realize that life and it's happiness is a decision that I consciously make each and every day.  I can wallow in the (shit) that happens or I can magnify those everyday beams of light and happiness that rise to the top.  I chose the light.

68.  The trees that flower in the spring.

69.  Any color, size or shape of a blooming flower. It's impossible to chose a favorite among all the bountiful beauties.

And especially flowers with water droplets...

70.  A quail sitting on a fence makes me happy.

71.  Unique doors in Tucson make me happy...

72.  Peach Sangria at Carrabas is a happy drink!

73.  It is almost impossible to list all who make me happy....

• My children (Lisa and Lane)
• My son-in-law and my daughter-in-law (Sam and Nelly)
• My grandchildren (Brandon, Bailey, Brie)
• My grand daughter-in-law (Hilary)
• My great grandchild (Matilda Mae)
• My brother, my brothers-in-law, my sisters-in-law
• My friends (too many to list, I am blessed)
• My kids (Cinder & Toby)
• And all who lead me in spiritual direction

I truly loved writing this exercise in happiness.  I encourage all of you to mark the happy things in your life, you will be surprised at how many there are.

Until next time.....

An Easy Countdown When You Are In Arizona....

It's countdown, only 2 days until my birthday and I have quite a list to complete. My last blog post brought me to the count of 50 which means I still have 23 more "happy" things to list.

I am writing this from sunny Arizona where the temps have been from the 90's to the 40's. Last week when I arrived, Arizona was in the middle of an early heat wave and temps were way up.  Sunday brought much cooler weather and yesterday as I wandered around the zoo for 4 1/2 hours it was a comfortable 68 degrees. Perfect.

51. Zoos make me very happy, especially giraffes.

52.  Pink Flamingos make me happy....how can you not love a pink flamingo?  Even their color is happy.

Since I have been here I have been out to eat about a gazillion times, saw 2 movies, The Lady in the Van being one which I totally enjoyed, shopped, went to a concert where the Tokens were performing....now you say "who in the heck are the Tokens?'  They had 2 hits in their entire career (PS they are now in my age category so you know how old they are, (think 1950's do wop music). Their greatest hit was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the ever popular Lion King.  Click on the link and you can enjoy hearing the Tokens.

I've been to the Desert Botanical Garden and Butterfly Wonderland with my sweet friend, Terri, had a pedicure (ahhh), sat on the patio and snoozed in the sunshine, a wonderful time away from the not quite spring Midwest.

53. The desert makes me happy....there is great beauty to be found among the palm trees, the cactus, the birds,  And it especially makes me happy after a winter in Chicago.

54. Birds make me happy...their colors, their sweet sounds.

55. Happiness is living in the USA and proudly displaying our flag.

56.  Happiness is butterflies...

OK now on to more practical happy...

57.  Garbage disposals make me happy. I can remember the days when getting rid of kitchen garbage was nasty business.

58.  Campfires make me happy, sitting around, enjoying the flames, roasting a marshmellow or two.

59.  Daffodils in springtime.....

60.  Pasta of any size shape or form.

61.  Pedicures - having my toes. feet, and legs messaged, fresh polish on the toenails, and softened feet and legs is darn close to heaven.

62.  A car wash and a full tank of gas.

63.  Big Band Music....love Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing "Sing, Sing, Sing"

64.  Baby Christenings

65.  Checking 2 bags free with Southwest Airlines makes me happy.

66.  Walt Disney and his talents - where would we be without Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, 101 Dalmations, etc etc

67.  Berries of any size, shape or color (but red is my absolute favorite)

Only 6 more to do. How completely satisfied this exercise has been.  Not only am I happy about so many wonders in my life, I feel I am totally blessed with all. It certainly helps erase any negativity in my life, when you count your happy's and your blessings. As good ole Louis Armstrong would say...."it's a wonderful life!"

Until next time.....

Downton Abbey and 18 More From the Happiness List

Falling behind again.....little tiny excuse, caught a nasty cold that seemed to take up permanent residence in my head for the better part of last week thru the weekend. Feeling better now, thank you.  

But before all that happened, I had a chance to drool over this wonderful display of Downton Abbey finery at a small museum in Chicago. The Driehaus Museum is a spectacular home built during the gilded age of the 19th century and owned by a banker of great wealth.  In 2003 Richard Driehaus (another man of obvious great wealth) decided to restore this grand home to it's original opulence and open it for public displays.  Let me just say, there couldn't have been a better venue to show off the fashions that our favorite family wore during the past 6 years.  So sad that Sunday is the last of the Downton delights. It has been one of my favs since it's first season. It will definitely go on my "happy" list.

This was probably the only time in the past several years that I have not lugged my big-girl camera along while traveling into the city.  I was joining 4 friends, riding the train, walking to and fro and just decided no extra baggage was needed. So my I-Phone was the camera of choice for the day.

A couple of street scenes...loved the green shoes with those tights and NO that is definitely not an advertisement for Trump, I just love this view of the city from the bridge.

After our trip to the museum, a quite tasty lunch with $3.00 Mimosas, and a walk to the Art Museum for a viewing of works by Vincent Van Gogh, we walked by one of my favorite areas of the city. Millenium Park and the Bean.  In the summertime this area is filled with out-door diners, but in the winter the city converts it into an ice rink. As you can see it was a gorgeous day, probably in the 50's, sun shining, breezes blowing (which later took a definite turn from breezy to knock you off your feet windy).  We had quite a trip from the Art Museum to the train station. Let's just say I never want to be in winds that strong EVER again.

The only reason I am writing this post today is that the plane scheduled to take me to my late winter migration to Phoenix was cancelled due to snow and ice conditions. Altho as I am typing this I do hear a plane in the air. Oh well, better safe than sorry. Somehow sitting in the seat of a plane and watching a team de-icing the wings tends to make me a might uncomfortable. Re-scheduled for tomorrow when Mother Nature calms herself....after all it is March 1st. Isn't the saying "In like a lion..." well predicted.

More Happy.... Don't be surprised if I repeat myself, forgetfulness is my middle name these days.

33.  Downton Abbey - loved watching this show, will miss all the characters, the costumes, the story-lines, the love, the ups and downs. I'm sure tears will be rolling down my cheeks on Sunday night, but they will be "happy" tears.

34.  Movies - I've loved movies since I was a kid too little to cross the busy street by myself.  I have written a piece about my love for the movies for my collaborative blog Focusing On Life tomorrow (Wednesday).

35.  My Kindle - I was one of those that said "I'll never give up books", well guess what, I have become a total fan of the Kindle e-reader. I have bookshelves of books on that little device. I splurged last week and purchased the new Kindle Fire 10.  Lightweight, big screen....love it.

36.  The aroma of anything by Crabtree & Evelyn.  I just love all of their fragrances.

37.  A window seat on an airplane. I love watching the clouds, seeing glimpses of the land below, and taking an Instagram shot of the wings of the plane.

38.  Google - It makes me so happy to have an answer to a question or directions in an instant.

39.  Having my hair washed at the hair salon. I want that gentle rubbing on my head to go on forever.

40.  Warmed peanut butter on toast

41.  A nap on the screen porch in the summertime

42.  Crab Apple tree blossoms in the spring

43.  When people drive me home and wait until I unlock the door before they drive away.

44.  Band concerts in the park

45.  Strolling along the Riverwalk

46.  Right out of the oven chocolate chip cookies

47.  Flea Markets

48.  Remembering when phone exchanges all had names....mine was DAVIS 7 1095.

49.  Lily of the Valley in spring

50.  French Toast with apple butter.

So the remains of my list will be written from Phoenix since I will be there for my birthday. I am sure that my surroundings will influence my list.

Until next time.....

Just My Opinion

OK, I am just going to come right out and say it.  Am I the only one that thinks that the center of a tulip is a distinct replication of a man's penis?  I do enjoy watching the colors becoming richer, the veins become more distinct, but what really hit's me is that resemblance to a man's junk or schlong, or whatever you may want to label it.  And btw there is a website that gives 174 different ways to identify "penis". And no, I will not give you the link. And no, I have not seen one lately, needless to say, But not seeing one in recent times does not dim my recollection.

And no, this will not be added to the 73 things that make me happy.  Altho having one more dive into lust-filled sex wouldn't be beyond a wish list. People, I have no idea where this is coming from. I think it all must be related to this growing older thing and realizing that some things are not ever going to happen again. I'm just speakin' the truth, nothing but the truth.

I was going to write a little about Lent here, but I think it is unappropriate to speak of good practices during Lent and my "preoccupation" with the center of a tulip in the same post. Look for it later.

 A couple of happy things....

29.  Butter (not margarine) real butter.

30.  Elastic waist pants that don't look like sweat pants. Comfort and style.

31.  Sweet cream in my coffee.

32.  Finding an old love letter from my sweetie on the floor in the closet.

Happy Thursday, off to bookclub this evening with the book, "The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy".  Read it, you'll like it.

Until next time....

Cut To The Chase....

Oops, if I don't keep at it, my birthday will be here before I have listed 73 things that make me happy. I am barely up to #16 so I need to "cut to the chase" aka leave out all of the unnecessary details and just get right to the point.  Where do those kind of idioms get started?  For the inquisitive mind, there is a website entitled IdiomSite.com that lists, like the above idiom, along with many others, its definition.

And if anyone is curious, Boone made it thru surgery without any issues and was released from the vet hospital the next morning.  Bailey, however, was the one with the issues. You would have thought Boone was on his death bed the way she worried and fussed. Both are fine now and no more furniture scratching. I can now pull all the blankets off of the couch that were wrapped around each of the arms. Normal again, I guess as normal as a house with a 70 something year old, a 20 something year old, 2 dogs and 1 cat.

Oh, btw, Happy Valentine's Day. Hope it was filled with LOVE.  Bailey hand-modeled for me for this shot. She has her nails manicured regularly and I thought they were perfect for holding a hand-full of heart candy.  I really, really don't like that candy, it tastes like chalk with a little sugar thrown in but it made for a nice image. Give me something with chocolate and I'm a happy girl, or cream cheese.  Chocolate and cream cheese together is perfection.

OK...

16.  Taking photographs of hands holding something (see above)

17.  Chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream

18.  Cute mugs...I do have more than I can store in the kitchen cabinets...but do I stop buying them??

19.  Falling snow

20.  The color pink.

21.  Having a winning hand at bridge.

22.  The sound of rain while falling asleep, no thunder because it causes Toby to crawl on top of me and then I am totally uncomfortable and can't enjoy the sound of rain with Toby breathing heavy in my ear from thunder fear. So rain falling at night has a caveat attached.

23.  Book Clubs

24.  The aroma of turkey roasting in the oven on Thanksgiving.

25.  The scent after a spring rain.

26.  Singing loudly in the car by myself and thinking I am as good as the artist on the radio. (who am I trying to kid?)

27.  A really good book, the kind that you can't put down, and when finished you are sad that it's over.

28.  My "go walk" sketchers...soooo comfortable.

Have you started your "happy list"?  You really should, it's cathartic  I'm changing that word because when I  searched for the definition of cathartic it had the words "evacuating the bowels", that is definitely not what I mean.  So, now I'm saying it gives me balance, grace, beauty and dignity. So much better.  Have a happy week.

Until next time....

In a Million Trillion Years...

It snowed, well if you call less than an inch barely covering the grass a snow. Then yes, it snowed. Unlike my friends up in the East who are getting dumped on once again. Wonder what this is going to do to the New Hampshire primary which is scheduled for today??  What happens in New Hampshire could change who's on the ballot around the country.  Predictions say Trump vs. Sanders. Oh boy, not sure what to say about that prediction. I am not into political debating, but I think our country deserves better. I'm just going to say I never ever (in a million trillion years) thought that Trump would come this far. Enough said.

Continuing on with my happy list:

8.  Birds at the feeder (anytime of the year)

9.   Tulips on the window sill in February

10.  The GPS in my car that guides me to my destination.

11.  Cincinnati Chili 4 ways - thin spaghetti, chili, cheese, and onion. Oh yum, and that's on the menu for dinner tonight.

12.  An electric blanket in the winter to warm my cold toes when I crawl into bed.

13.  Memories of water skiing behind my Dad's boat.

14.  The color RED

15.  A good fitting bra.

Boone (the cat) is at the Vet's right now being de-clawed. I know some think that this is heartless, but the intent is that he will be an indoor cat, so defense claws are not needed.  Cinder has no teeth to bite with and Toby in his 9 years of living has never bit anyone.  Bailey and Boone will eventually leave and when that time comes I would like my furniture and drapes to be intact. I should add this to my happy list....declawed Boone. (sounds harsh and I am feeling a tad remorse over this, but not enough to call the vet and cancel the procedure)

Have a happy day...to be continued.

Until next time....

Look At That Face!!

Saturday was the highlight of my week.  My grandson (Dad) was in charge of Matilda Mae for the day while her mom, Hilary attended a shower and a bacherlorette party. Brandon decided since he had all day he would drive down, make a trip to IKEA to pick up some essentials, and then swing by my house where we met up with her grandmother, (my daughter) I know it really gets confusing as to who's who, doesn't it?!  But all that aside I spent some time with the sweetest great-granddaughter ever. I mean really, look at that face....

This was the look she was giving her grandmother as she was shopping for her latest toy.  Can't resist that.....

Before we left to go shopping we had a little story-time....now you may not think this is a big deal, but until now, Matilda was only happy when she was either 1) in her mother's arms 2) in her Dad's arms or 3) walking by herself.  So to have her sit on her grandmother's lap and read to her is a monumental leap. She let me hold her hand, and I did hold her for about 30 seconds in the restaurant while we were waiting for a table. So we are making social headway, yippee!!

All done shopping, now off to dinner. She was perfect, never a tear, never a whine and even a comedian at the table with her peekaboo antics. I know you want a close-up of those shoes with day-of-the-week socks.

It's too bad we can't have more days like those, but I am blessed when I have them.

I stopped at TJ's after church yesterday because I only have 3 out of the bouquet of ranunculus that are still in photo op condition.

No more ranunculus and "maybe" they may get more, but in the meantime I couldn't resist this mum. Isn't she pretty? She has little spoon shaped petals that are so photo-worthy.

Scrolling down this post I realize it is filled with reds and pinks....maybe it's the month of Valentine's that is drawing me to those colors.

I only have 30 days and 10 hours left until my birthday. No, it's not a hugely significant birthday, but when you reach my age every year is definitely a celebration of life. So from now until my birthday (and probably after as well) I am listing things that make me happy. Hopefully by the time I get to my birth date I will have listed 73 items coinciding with my 73rd birthday. I did a blog-post on Focusing On Life last week, and that is what prompted me to do this.  So here goes my first go...PS these are not in any significant order.

1,   Having on-line bill paying. I never have to use a stamp or worry about the failure of mail delivery.

2.   Hard boiled eggs and sour-dough bread toast for breakfast

3.   Sitting with my pew buddies on Sunday mornings.

4.   A fresh idea for a blog post.

5.   A really good book.

6.   Getting a good report after a mammogram.

7.   Catching green lights all the way to my destination (especially when I am running late).

Think about what makes you happy.  I will list more of my happy list in upcoming posts.

Until next time.....