Monday, February 06, 2017

Things That Make Me Happy

1. We had four days of sun in a row after only two days of sun in January. The Great Lakes area is so cloudy from November to April, you must have a light screen to get through it.

2. That my book group selection this month is a wonderful novel about Cuba called THE DISTANT MARVEL (Acevedo). It's a novel about the gift of story-telling for people enduring hard times. I am always resistant to whatever book is chosen--even my own choices. So when I like one,it's a gift.

3. That the Hilberry Theater, the graduate theater at WSU, put on a wonderful production of NEXT TO NORMAL. It's the second time we've seen this rather strange semi-musical about mental illness.

4 Our FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY book sale on Saturday was a huge success. So wonderful to see people loading up on books for themselves and their kids. And best of all are the teachers there buying books for their classroom. One buyer gave me an extra $35.00 for the library.

5. Hearing a lot of the protest songs of the 1960s getting sung again. Sorry there's a need for it but glad to hear the old tunes. 

16 comments:

Jerry House said...

You must be contagious, Patti, because happiness also came to me this week. 1) Grand daughter Erin turned 15 and got her learner's permit 2) Grandson Mark ran in a 15K and came in second in his age group and 30th overall (out of 5000 runners!) 3) We got a dog. She's very sweet and ugly and her name is Fiona. We pick her up on Thursday. 4) The Patriots won and Trump appears to be losing, although I hope I'm not too hasty on that last part 5) I finally got to watch the 3-part adaptation of James Herbert's ghost story THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL. Nowhere near as good as the book, but I get to cross that off my list.

May happiness follow you throughout 2017 and beyond!

pattinase (abbott) said...

So glad you get happiness from your family. Where did you watch that adaptation? I love ghost stories. We have been thinking about dogs. Kevin wants one.

George said...

I'm happy about the temperatures going into the 30s and 40s last week. We pretty much hunkered down last week because of the Arctic temperatures.

Charles Gramlich said...

We had beautiful weather this weekend too

Jeff Meyerson said...

Not the '60s, but Lady Gaga did "This Land is Your Land."

Jackie used to buy a lot of books for her classroom on our trips through England.

I have to admit I didn't like NEXT TO NORMAL.

Good things? Well, Jackie got an upper respiratory infection that turned out to be pneumonia, so that wasn't very good.

I did read three books and a bunch of stories. And we saw ARRIVAL, which I enjoyed. And the Florida weather was good.

Gerard said...

I attend a trivia event every year for the local winter festival. We've placed every year and this year got third. The prize is spent at a local bar. This year's 3rd place was worth $25. So, I'm glad to say I did not over imbibe.

My wife's snow delayed workplace Christmas party was Saturday evening. Boy #2 really enjoyed his time there. He really, really likes the white elephant gift exchange.

James Reasoner said...

Good weather here, too, the past few days. I was able to get out and walk both Saturday and Sunday. Being outside for a really beautiful sunset yesterday evening after staring at the computer all day did a lot to lift my spirits.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Yes, been able to walk here too. Sun is a gift this time of year in the Great Lakes. Gerard, I love your comments. You are in a different place than most of us.
We come to Florida on the 24th, but down in the Keys. Just a week but hope we get good weather. Hope Jackie feels better. Hard to be sick when away from home.

Jeff Meyerson said...

I like Key West a lot, as much for the "end of the continent" feel as anything else. Some really good restaurants, too. Camille's has good breakfast & brunch.

Jeff Meyerson said...

And if you're up in Key Largo you should really eat at The Fish House, right on US-1.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago, our church encouraged everyone to keep a "blessings journal" where we would write down up to five things each day that were a blessing. It could be anything from a good report after a medical test to finding something interesting at the Dollar Store to receiving an unexpected bonus--anything and everything that gives you a positive outlook. And, at the risk of sounding sappy, it really did color my outlook each day by beginning with something positive. Yes, the times we live in are chaotic and seem to be getting worse, but there are good things and it's a boost to mental and physical health to think about those things too.

--Deb

Jerry House said...

Patti, the Herbert BBC adaptation is available on Hulu. It had a high-powered cast: Suranne Jones (SCOTT & BAILY), Tom Ellis (LUCIFER), Douglas Henshell (PRIMEVIL), David Warner (WAllANDER), Maisie Williams (GAME OF THRONES), and Iain de Caestecker (AGENTS of SHIELD). Not the greatest miniseries, but an interesting one, IMHO.

Jeff, sending good wishes to Jackie. Pneumonia can be a bear. Hope she'll be better soon.

Unknown said...

I totally agree Deb. Here in the upper Midwest, winters are long.So,for the last month or so, I've been keeping a 'new to me'journal: I think of something, anything, then I look online. What color were the straw hats in Renoir paintings? What are the bio details of an author I'm reading? If I have time I listen to an artist I've never heard before. It works like a charm! Takes my mind off the gray days. This week two things that made me the happiest are Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in her spring coat, wailing and playing guitar on Didn't it Rain...check it out on You Tube. Pure cool. My on-the-bus read: Mannequin by Fannie Hurst. Poor little Orchid.
I wish everyone a very nice and peaceful week.

Rick Robinson said...

I'm feeling like I want to repeat things I've already listed in previous weeks, is that allowed?

I'm happy I read a lot of short stories, and enjoyed all but a few of them, and discovered an anthology (The Jurassic Chronicles) by accident that I'm enjoying.

I'm happy that the yard debris collector for Waste Management was so nice and took a whole bunch of extra branches and 2 extra barrels of clippings last Monday, at no extra charge. He was really nice about it, too.

I'm happy with the Super Bowl game, which was as exciting as any I've seen, and the outcome was good, as far as I'm concerned. I'm also happy that our snacks and dinner yesterday were very good, a special treat (just chips and dip, but we so rarely have that...).

I'm happy that the forecast snow for today didn't appear, and temperatures stayed above freezing all night and thus Barbara was able to go to her quilt group today, because she really enjoyed it a lot.

Jeff Meyerson said...

Thanks all. Jackie is getting better, slowly, though the cough does linger.

We did miss dinner with some cousins this weekend, but considering the political beliefs of one of the couples, this was not a bad thing. Arguing makes her cough more.

Anonymous said...

I really do like this perspective, Patti!