Day 33: Car Blankets

When I went outside this morning the cars were wearing light blankets of snow. The snow had melted everywhere else but still clung to all the cars... and it was so pretty in the morning sunlight. The feeling of coming holidays edged into my consciousness, and I experienced happiness. Then I wore holiday red to work.

Day 32: Full Circle in Dance

Started taking dance classes again, but in a style I'm not used to dancing anymore. It felt good to come back full circle and get back to basics that have become rusty. True happiness occurred while letting myself just dance to the music.

Dancing my life and living my dance. Life is good!

Day 31: Flighty Is as Flighty Does

So obviously I haven't posted for a while. But after all, the title of the this blog is "365 Days of Happiness"... not "365 Days of Happiness... In A Row". There is a reason for this: I'm a flighty type of person. Anybody who knows me well will attest to this.

Anyhoo, I woke up at 3:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. While pondering what to do with the hours stretched out before me, I suddenly remembered how beneficial it was for me to write about happy moments. Then I realized how long it had been since I'd done so. Slight feelings of guilt surfaced as they always do upon proof positive that I'm not able to sustain activities to my desired ability. Then a moment of happiness hit me broadside and knocked those guilty feelings out of existance. My moment of happiness?

I realized that there are people who seem to truly like me, and even some who love me... and they all know how flighty I can be. What a wonderful feeling!!! So I'm sending out a huge THANK YOU to those people in my life!

My 365 days of finding happy moments continue...

Day 30: My 3 Sons

Got to see all three of my sons today!!! I feel so blessed with my children... and now they are all adults.

Day 29: Phone Convo

Got to talk to a good friend on the phone today....

Day 28: 5 Women + Luggage

Riding home from a performance weekend with the ladies was so much fun... the perfect mix of laughter and heart sharing! Also, we were quite proud of our ability to fit 5 women plus all their luggage (including bellydance costuming) into one car. Road trips with friends = PUTN the happiness in life!!

Day 27: PUTN TMI on Imigula's Left Foot

You just kinda had to be there....

Day 26: Clown Noses

My daughter-in-law and I attended Chuckles and Chocolate together! It included a fun speaker who gave everyone clown noses to wear. Then there was lots and lots of chocolate goodies to eat. We laughed SO much!!!

Day 25: Waking up Happy

Writing this post very early in the day; it's 6:30am and I've been up since 5:30am. BUT... I woke up happy after a good night's sleep!!! This is a VERY welcome change. :) I've also found that when I naturally wake up early I'm able to get all my good "Dancing My Life" thinking done before the day starts - when my brain is much more capable of thinking clearly, making good decisions, upkeeping lists, etc.

By the way, I've started a links page to keep track of my online inspirations. Check it out! (top right black box)

Dance through your day today!

Day 24: Grocery Shopping - Yes, Grocery Shopping!

This evening after work my son agreed to keep the grandkids while his wife and I went to do our grocery shopping together. Lots of happy moments!! I love being a mother-in-law!

<----- Aren't they a cute couple?! :D

Day 23: Skateboard Engine

As I was making my way to the river at break time, I saw a smiling young man skateboarding down the sidewalk with his dog running alongside. All of a sudden I realized that he was not skateboarding under his own power - his dog, happy as happy could be, was the power propelling him. 

Besides the site of this duo speeding along, the reminder that our individuality and uniqueness alone can make others happy without our even trying just made my day! 

Day 22: Witty 44/17

Witty 44/17? Let me explain....

I'm 44 and have a 17 year old son and we were on the top of our witty game in the car today.... happy times? Oh yes!!!

Day: 21 Seeing my Life

I got contacts for the first time ever... and I can SEE again!! The moment after I put them in for the first time (at the Dr.'s office) and then looked out at a distance I was just wowed and VERY excited! The contacts felt comfortable throughout the first time wearing them, and I didn't feel the eye strain anymore.

One more step taken.

Dancing my Life while literally seeing my life = happiness!

Day 20: Dancing Whirling Leaves

At the end of the long(ish) walk back to finish  my day at work after the car overheated and I missed my eye appointment, I encountered a large circle of dry yet colorful leaves dancing and whirling in the air currents right in front of the doors. They looked so light and happy I couldn't help but smile.

Day 19: Running in Circles

Photo found at http://yarnandabarn.blogspot.com

Usually running in circles connotes something undesirable; however, this time it was my 3 yr old grandson running around a circle maze in Phoenix Park. His giggles made me giggle. Grandchildren are the bestest for bringing happiness into one's life, as long as one takes the time to actually be in the moment and enjoy it!! I'm learning how to do this better.... :)

Day 18: Rock Stair Discovery

Taking a walk this morning on one of the beautiful local walking paths along the river, I discovered "rock stairs" leading right down to the river's edge. This will be one of my favorite spots for peaceful contemplation... despite being yelled at by a duck when I first sat down!

Day 17: Becoming Imigula?

I actually made a spreadsheet of our TMI troupe music and took it to practice.  Not only that, but it included columns for each of us to rate each song since we had previously decided we wanted to review all our music and figure out what we really want to use and what might be able to be set aside. I think Imigula is rubbing off on me..... :D 

We spent the first portion of practice listening to the music and rating it - which sounds like work but isn't when one is with fun friends doing something for a common goal. It also helped me to feel like I'm finally in a place to contribute to the non-dancy part of troupe life again. (...thank you TMI ladies for being such understanding friends for so very long!!!)

Day 16: Window Greetings for Nana

Today's moment of genuine happiness came to me compliments of my grandson Oliver (3 yrs old). I had just gotten to their apartment building and was talking with his parents in the parking lot when all of a sudden from inside the apartment, all excited and giggly, Oliver yelled with his face pressed against the window screen, "HI NANA!!!" Then he proceeded to go get his "Blue" and Blue said hi to me, too. My heart smiled so big it about burst!

Day 15: Daily Moments of Success

Woke up way early this morning... so took the opportunity to review my "Dancing My Life" goals, to check off the steps I've already taken, and to plan what steps are coming up soon (eye appointment to reduce the eye strain headaches, signing up for the month of free yoga at work, joining a dance class, etc.). I'm really liking taking things step-by-step. Not allowing myself to constantly look at the "big picture" is helping me dance my life in the little daily moments of success, instead of drowning in the big ocean of challenges. Happiness bordering on giddiness followed, and I left for work ready to pass the happiness along.

Day 14: Skip Logic

No, I don't mean that skipping logic was a happy moment... I mean that learning how to use skip logic and actually getting it to work in an embedded survey I created for work was a happy moment. Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!

Day 13: Warming Up With Brownies

One of my happiest experiences today was spending the morning with my daughter-in-law and grandsons before going to work. I just enjoy them each SO MUCH. To top it all off, it was a chilly morning and Mindy baked brownies to warm up the apartment a bit - the aroma was heavenly!!

Day 12: Guards! Guards!

Listening to an audio book given to me by a friend. Actually this has given me many happy moments for several days now. I have an hour drive to work each way, and listening to Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! has had me actually laughing out loud on a regular basis. Thanks, Beth!!

Day 11: Good Biopsy Results

Today I found out that my breast biopsy came back as nothing to worry about! :D

Day 10: Sons Talking

How cool is this?! Happy moment of the day... my 17 year old son still enjoys talking to me and telling me about his day! :D While this really isn't such a new concept to me (I remember each of my sons talking me at that age), I've recently come to realize that this is not the norm. I feel VERY blessed!!!

Days 8 & 9: Creative Synergy in Pictures

Oooops! Thought for sure I had posted last night... Oh well, both days' moments of genuine happiness are connected, so it's all good. :)

We (TMI Tribal) had two days of photo shoots with my cousin of Charlotte-Ann Photography. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! Lots of laughing, getting all dressed up (in two different "looks"), ooooo'ing and ahhhhh'ing over each other's choices of individual shot poses, and experiencing a creative synergy with our photographer that had us climbing over boulders, crouching through long grass, hugging walls, sitting on railings, and standing in a river!! A massive conglomerate of happy moments!

If you'd like to see photos from the shoot as they're posted on Facebook, "Like" Charlotte-Ann Photography!! :D

Day 7: Quiet down...

Laughing so hard with my supervisor and another co-worker that someone from the meeting room next to our office came over to ask us to quiet down!! The more stressful the deadlines, the sillier we get... just one of the reasons I feel blessed in my job.

Day 6: Happy going to work?

When I first woke up this morning I again felt like a freight train had hit me while I was sleeping, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it in for work. I changed my work schedule and went back to sleep for another hour. It was still difficult getting up, but a bit better. I got ready for work and started feeling another bit better (an unusual progression...). By the time I left home, I was feeling like I could actually make it through the day. I hit the road (it's an hour drive to work), cranked the tunes, and had an immensely happy drive, especially taking time to just be "in the moment".

Day 5: Being appreciated for who you are

I was completely floored when a dear lady who I work closely with turned to me while I was helping her with some computer issues today and told me that it was wonderful to have my energy back in the office (took last week off for health reasons). Why did this make for a genuinely happy moment? Because it was a compliment not for what I do or for how I look.... but just for who I am. The "energy" she was talking about is an inner and integral part of ME. There is something magical about just being appreciated for who you are.

Day 4: Conversing with a good friend

Conversing with a good friend who had been incognito for a while = happiness X 100!!!

Day 3: A welcome taste of fall air

Standing outside in refreshingly cool air (almost sweater weather - but not quite), looking between the tops of my backyard pine trees to a beautiful deep blue sky dotted intermittently by bright white fluffy clouds. Breathing in a welcome taste of fall air....

Day 2: Creative Collaboration

One of today's moments of genuine happiness occurred while work began on choreographing a new TMI Tribal dance piece with my troupemate Imigula. We had already discussed the "feeling" and "look" for a certain section of the music; then we collaborated to come up with formations, stage placement, and traveling movements (and that alone had us giggling as we enjoyed taking turns pushing the four pennies around on the "stage" to illustrate our ideas); then we were inspired to alternate between two duets (initially Imigula's idea, which we then built upon together). When we checked the counts for the section it all fit together perfectly!!! So exciting and fun!!

Day 1: Smile Because It Happened

Today's truly happy moment was inspired by a quote:

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." --Dr. Seuss

It surprised me when I found out this quote was from Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite childhood authors and whose books I loved reading to my own children. How fitting then that the quote inspired memories of raising my children; and, instead of those memories being tainted by the usual lingering sadness that this part of my life is fast coming to an end (my baby turns 18 next month), today I experienced only the pure happiness of those memories.... and genuinely smiled because they happened.