May 31--A Good Today

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day.  --Sanskrit Proverb

    We end the month of May with the theme of happiness. My husband finished off the month with a long weekend of bicycle riding, and I did a lot of work (play!) to spiff up the garden. He is replacing our old deck, so I want the garden to look extra-lovely when we get to relax on the new deck. Such are life's simple pleasures and good days. 

    Leta

The new hydrangea shrub--GROW, damn it! 😉

May 30--Favorites

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.  --Marcel Proust

    There is a group of women in my life who began monthly get-togethers back in 1999. The group has expanded and changed some members over time to reach its current number of 23 Sisters. Ages range from 30s to 90s. We take turns organizing a dining venue or activity each month. Well, Covid stopped that in a big way. One of our annual events prior to the pandemic was the May porch party at the country home of one of our members. What a treat it was this past Thursday, after a three-year break, to get back to the porch! Lots of hugs, catching up, good food and drink--simple joy at being back together in this familiar and loved place! In support of all this happiness, three days of huge rain and strong winds cleared off, and we had a lovely, warm, calm evening to enjoy our outdoor time together. 

    Grateful for my Sisters,

        Leta

May 29--The Big Three

The three grand essentials to happiness in life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.  --Joseph Addison

    Well, I have plenty to do. Oh, wait, I'll bet Addison is not talking about a to-do list. I'm thinking more along the lines of work or hobbies that are enjoyable, that one wants to get into regularly. I have both--part-time assorted "jobs" which keep my schedule flexible, and hobbies such as gardening, golfing and travel that keep me moving. 

    Something to love--I could go on forever. Family, friends, pets, home, you get the picture. 

    Something to hope for... the August grandbaby!!!! I can hardly wait to hold that new little one in my arms, feel that silken skin, hold that tiny hand, look into those "fresh from heaven" eyes!

    Essentially happy,

        Leta

Plus it's back to Jamaica in December, WOOHOO!

May 28--Small Treats

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.  --Iris Murdoch

    While "too much of a good thing can be wonderful" (Mae West), I've learned that any sort of bingeing isn't such a great idea for me. Small treats or pleasures keep me in a content state. A key is paying attention to recognize and appreciate life's continuous flow of "small treats":

• Sunshine
• Rain
• Flowers blooming in my garden
• Barney's belly-up ecstasy over a belly rub
• Hugs
• Breath
• Writing
• Healthy meals
• Comfortable bed
• Good night's sleep
• Reading
• Trying something new
• Travel
• Prayer
• Baseball
• Walking in my neighborhood
• Talking with a friend
• Being heard
• Playing golf
• Swimming 
• Massage
• Pedicure
• Naps
• And many more...

    These are all "small treats" in my fairly regular life. Seeing them as treats makes for a much happier life.

        Leta

Belly rub heaven 😉😉

May 27--Perception

Happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.  --Ayn Rand

    Today I offer this additional quote from Mike Dooley. This is the May 25th "Notes from the Universe":

    Courageous is the soul who adventures into time and space to learn of their divinity. For while they cannot lose, they can think they have, and the loss will seem intolerable. And while they cannot fail, they can think they have, and the pain will seem unbearable. And while they cannot ever be less than they truly are—powerful, eternal, and loved—they can think they are, and all hope will seem lost.
    And therein lies their test. A test of perceptions: of what to focus on, of what to believe in, in spite of appearances.

    Appearances these days can be especially dreadful, making happiness seem so far out of reach. It's "a test of perceptions."

    Working on my focus,

            Leta

Nature and beauty--excellent focal points
Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix

May 26--Joy Here, Joy There

The soul is here for its own joy.  --Rumi

    Abraham, via Esther Hicks, tells us we are here for joy, expansion and freedom. Jesus healed so many, each a joyful event. We are on planet Earth, a playground of infinite beauty to explore. Mother Earth sustains us, and we have folks to love and to love us. We have all the makings for a joyful soul. 

    I do not believe we are here to suffer. That certainly may happen, because of the extraordinary blessing of free will. But suffering, a "dark night of the soul," can lead to even more joy if we choose to use it that way. It is possible to come through difficulties with an even greater appreciation for one's life, strength, and yes, joy. 

    I have also witnessed when earthly joy has run out--when a person's quality of life is such that they are ready to transition. I get that. I believe that we move on to infinite and eternal bliss, so that our souls continue forever in joy. 

    There is no shortage of joy anywhere, ever,

        Leta

Jamaican sunset

May 25--A Reason Why

Be happy, and a reason will come along.  --Robert Brault

    Here are a few of my reasons to be happy:

My sweet bud, Barney

A brilliant Colorado sunset

Cubs baseball

Nature's beauty at the 
Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix

Creativity--a flower I sewed

Simple pleasures. Life is good. 

        Leta

May 24--Too Much

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.  --Mae West

    This quote alone makes me happy! Mae West was a big, sexy, wonderful, controversial personality. 

    Barney and I had an easy, safe trip home yesterday. We are having a very rainy day, and for this part of planet Earth, that is a wonderful thing. 

    Here is some info relative to Mae West from Wikipedia:

Eventually, West began writing her own risqué plays using the pen name Jane Mast. Her first starring role on Broadway was in a 1926 play entitled Sex, which she wrote, produced, and directed. Although conservative critics panned the show, ticket sales were strong. The production did not go over well with city officials, who had received complaints from some religious groups, and the theater was raided, with West arrested along with the cast. She was taken to the Jefferson Market Court House, where she was prosecuted on morals charges, and on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to 10 days for "corrupting the morals of youth". Though West could have paid a fine and been let off, she chose the jail sentence for the publicity it would garner. While incarcerated on Welfare Island (now known as Roosevelt Island), she dined with the warden and his wife; she told reporters that she had worn her silk panties while serving time, in lieu of the "burlap" the other girls had to wear. West got great mileage from this jail stint. She served eight days with two days off for "good behavior". Media attention surrounding the incident enhanced her career, by crowning her the darling "bad girl" who "had climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong".
Her next play, The Drag, dealt with homosexuality, and was what West called one of her "comedy-dramas of life". After a series of try-outs in Connecticut and New Jersey, West announced she would open the play in New York. However, The Drag never opened on Broadway, owing to efforts by the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice to ban any attempt by West to stage it. West explained, "The city fathers begged me not to bring the show to New York because they were not equipped to handle the commotion it would cause."

    Some things, I swear, never change--conservatives and "religious" types sticking their nose into others' business. "New York Society for the Suppression of Vice"--really!!?!?!?! I'm so tired of hearing, "Your behavior offends me; you must stop." MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!

    Enough of my soapbox,

        Leta

May 23--Headed Home

Nothing is worth more than this day.  --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    Amen and amen! I've had a lovely stay in Colorado. Barney and I are headed back to Wichita today. We ended up with a beautiful Sunday (yesterday), and I played golf with my younger son. That is one of my very favorite things to do--it truly makes a day priceless. 

    Can I see the value in a rather ordinary day? In a day, like today, where most of it is spent driving? I don't list my long-drive days in my "Top 10 Best." But isn't safe travel pretty darn priceless, too? How about a day I spend doing house-cleaning, my least favorite chore? I've said that if I keeled over when I was cleaning, I'd be pissed for eternity. My grandmother had a heart attack while doing dishes. It was a quick passing and I'm sure she's in eternal bliss. 

    I love the phrase "best day yet!" It's similar to the opening quote. Isn't every day we get to spend here a gift?

        Leta

P. S. "Laughter is carbonated holiness."  --Anne Lamott

A friend's front yard tree, Wichita

May 22--Who? What? When? Where? Why?

The constant happiness is curiosity.  --Alice Munro

Sometimes I say to myself a little prayer in my advancing years, “God, help me to be the kind of old person young people want old people to be. Help me not just to talk like this, but help me to walk around like this and answer the phone like this and talk to my grandchildren like this.” We’re all trying to do our best here to walk the walk.  --James Finley

    Young or old, curiosity is vital to happiness. What fun would it be if we thought we knew it all? Do you like being around someone who thinks he or she knows it all? No matter how much of life we have navigated, there is still infinitely more to investigate, learn and try. Curiosity, active learning, helps us seniors align with Finley's prayer. 

    One thing I'm having fun with lately is photography. I have no aspiration to be a professional, that would involve too much worry about lighting, composition, etc. I like taking photos of things that move or interest me, and then I share them occasionally on the blog. Such is the case (photo below) with a sunrise I was treated to outside the YMCA after a recent early morning swim. The reason I like this practice is because it is making me pay more attention to my immediate surroundings. That is one form of curiosity, and I'm digging it. 

    What joys shall today bring? 

        Leta

It was breathtaking!

May 21--A Leisurely Start

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.  --John Gunther

(Note: HALLELUJAH! It did not snow as predicted!)

    The photo with this quote in "Daily Gratitude" is of a croissant and coffee. Life is delicious! I feel that a bit of leisure in the morning is very essential to a good day. Even a few minutes of quiet time to breathe and center makes a difference in the course of the day. I love to write, read inspirational material, and enjoy good coffee. The days when I don't get to do that simply are not as smooth and comfortable.

    I've learned in my ongoing journey of recovery from addiction that honesty and humility are also essential ingredients to happiness. These powerful words of Richard Rohr came to me yesterday in his Daily Meditation:

The only people who grow in truth are those who are humble and honest. This is traditional Christian doctrine and is, in effect, the maxim of Alcoholics Anonymous. Without those two qualities—humility and honesty—we just don’t grow. If we try to use religion to aggrandize the self, we will end up just the opposite: proud and dishonest. Humility and honesty are really the same thing. A humble person is simply someone who is naturally honest about their own truth. You and I came along a few years ago; we’re going to be gone in a few more years. The only honest response to such a mystery is humility.

    I'm grateful for the mystery of life, for not having to know and understand everything. 

        Leta

Mama and her little ones,
Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix

May 20--Those I Like and Those I Don't

To like many people spontaneously and without effort is perhaps the greatest of all sources of personal happiness.  --Bertrand Russell

    I do like many people. I am blessed to have many friends and family members who support my happiness in so many ways. They are easy to like, most of the time! But alas, there are a lot of people I don't like. I was going to rattle off a list of those I don't like. But doing so reminded me that those folks do not do anything for my personal happy meter. It's a much more valuable use of my time and mental energy to focus on the people I like. 

    I really try to encounter new people with an attitude of "I'm going to like you." That inspires curiosity to get to know the person better. It is an open-heart, open-door stance. This is not always easy for me, but it is usually quite rewarding. 

    Enjoying Colorado, at least until the snow (yes, snow!) comes tonight,

        Leta

May 19--The Precious Adventure

Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be.  --Thich Nhat Hanh

    I'm now in Colorado on a dog-sitting visit while my son and his wife go on a trip. Hang time in Colorado is very precious to me. Barney gets to romp and hang out with his best bud, Dusty. There are lots of walking, sniffing and pooping adventures in our future. 

    I had visions this spring of a summer trip to the southeast to check off more stadiums on my MLB visit-every-stadium quest. That idea poofed away for assorted reasons, slightly but not horribly disappointing. Based on past experience, I had faith that something would work out. Then I had a chat with my niece who said, "Didn't I tell you about the free condo at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, in June? I have it for a week and I'd love for you to come." "Free condo," "beach" and time with my niece are music to my ears. Plus I did some checking, and after the week at the beach, I can drive south and in three consecutive nights (yes, a scheduling miracle), I can go to a Braves game, a Rays game and a Marlins game in Atlanta, Tampa and Miami. Granted, it's a lot of driving, but all of this falling into place is too precious to pass up. My non-walking dog-sitting time will be devoted to planning this June trip. "There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle." I feel divinely supported on these solo adventures, and that is indeed very precious. Stay tuned...

    On the road again 🎵🎵

        Leta

Dusty and Barney, buds ready for naptime

May 18--Lovely Moments

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.  --Richard Bach

    Barney is an endless source of lovely moments. On a recent walk, I pulled out my phone to take a shot of these lovely iris, and just as I snapped the picture, Barney decided to have a sniff. Priceless joy!!

    On that same walk, we had fun with a bunny hanging out in a neighbor's yard. Barney had laid down at the yard's edge, quietly alert, and the bunny crept closer, to within about four feet. Barney didn't move. They just stared at each other. Then the bunny just turned and hopped off and we continued on our walk. 

    Barney has also been known to bark furiously at a pumpkin. He's an endless source of lovely moments. 

    Joy in my heart, 

        Leta

May 17--Sit Down Quietly

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.  --Nathaniel Hawthorne

    I'm taking an online course titled "Breathing Under Water" related to addiction, the 12-Steps and spirituality through the Center for Action and Contemplation. My stated purpose for this is to work on my codependency issues. What I have learned in my personal journey is that the only way to recover from addiction is to develop a working relationship with Something Bigger Than Me. Contemplation ("to sit down quietly") is key to that. I'm not the sort to regimentally sit twice a day for twenty minutes in contemplation. I'm more the sort to take frequent breathing breaks and focus on a comforting word. Lately my word has been "sanctuary." I even do this when lap swimming. 

    The outer world is in no way conducive to peace and happiness. I am grateful that my addiction has taught me where to go to find those priceless commodities. 

        Leta

May 16--Goofiness

Let us uncork all our bottled up happiness.  --Pablo Neruda

    I must tell a silly trip story. I suspect that it is common for us humans to have some goofy irrational fears. For instance, the drive-up ordering system at Sonic completely intimidates me. I have no idea why. 

    On my long layover in Las Vegas, I did a lot of walking, and noted that there is an endless supply of slot machines to take one's money. I am, again, completely intimidated by gambling and slot machines. Finally, about an hour before flight time, I said to myself, "You have just done a solo trip that most 66-year-old women would never dream of doing. Surely you can be brave enough to ask for help on a slot machine." So I did. It turns out that you just put in the cash, push the button again and again, and lose (in my case) $10 in about three minutes! 

    Why don't we just put slot machines everywhere? That way there would be plenty of funds moving around to accomplish any goal. There was no shortage of players at the machines in the Las Vegas airport. 

    Have a fun Monday!

        Leta

May 15--Where to Be Happiest

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.  --Ernest Hemingway

    I'm back home after a quick and fabulous trip. 

    Spring or not, isn't our only issue "where to be happiest"?  

    I have invented a new word... instead of daw-dling (move slowly or idly)... It's "dog-ling"... Barney our dog's version of dawdling. His choice of where to be happiest is the perfect spot to poop. Trust me, this is no small decision. It depends on scent, grass height, wind direction, and other factors I can't name. 

    I'm pretty happy in my backyard with the flowers pictured below...

    Happy right where I am,

        Leta

May 14--Friday the 13th in Phoenix

Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries.  --Sister Corita Kent

    WOW, did I prove this quote yesterday. What an outstanding day! I took an Uber to the Japanese Friendship Garden, an oasis of peace in downtown Phoenix. They refer to it as a living art museum, and it surely is. 

    I took another Uber from peace and calm to insanity going to the Arizona Science Center, which was overrun with school kids (nearing the end to the school year). Despite the noise, I enjoyed the place, especially the Earth film at the end of my visit. 

How aluminum cans are recycled--very interesting!

    I don't know if it was the heat or what, but it seemed to me that downtown Phoenix was nearly deserted. In the mile and a half I walked around lunchtime, I saw maybe two dozen folks out. Sure, it was hot, but it was dry, so it was way more comfy than Kansas is at 95 degrees.

Cool downtown artwork

    I had a comfort food lunch at The Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub... mac 'n' cheese (awesome), the best soft pretzel I've ever had, and an ice-cold beer. Does it get any better?

    Then it was back to the hotel for a pre-game nap (even on vacation, yes!) and shower. I can see Chase Field from my hotel window, so it was an easy walk to the game. The stadium is quite cool. The roof was open and the temps were comfortable throughout the game. Alas, once again, upon spending a small fortune to see the Cubs, they lost, 3-4. A bonus treat of the day was the post-game fireworks display. 

The photo proof that I was there 😉😉

    Headed back home, another bucket list item joyfully completed,

        Leta

May 13--Baseball in Arizona

That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. 
--Willa Cather

    Say what you will about Major League Baseball, I love it. Enough to have spent small fortunes on two baseball tours, worth every penny. Enough to fly to Phoenix yesterday for the Cubs-Diamondbacks game today, then fly back home tomorrow. Enough to pay way over my usual limit for a hotel room. Enough that my best friends think I'm a little nuts. Little do they know... 😉😉

    Tonight's game will give me 25 of 30 in my MLB stadium quest. My s-i-l gave me the map shown below. It's mounted on the wall by my bed, a constant reminder of great trips completed and adventures yet to be. 

    Until game time tonight (which includes the promise of post-game fireworks, woohoo!!), I get to explore downtown Phoenix. My main mission is to tour the Japanese Friendship Garden. Photos to follow...

        Leta

May 12--Outta Here!

Happiness is a place between too much and too little.  --Finnish Proverb

    There's very much wisdom in that quote. The start of this year featured too much staying at home and too little travel. So this evening I fly off to Phoenix. I'm going to the Cubs-Diamondbacks game on Friday evening and flying home Saturday. This was a cancelled 2020 trip with a flight credit due to expire in September, so I decided to just go for it. This will be #25 (of 30) in my MLB stadium quest. I'm staying at a hotel within walking distance of Chase Field, so I will get to explore downtown Phoenix on Friday before the game. I love these solo adventures.  

    Up, up and away! Go, Cubbies!

        Leta

May 11--Get Dirty

They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods.  --Edith Wharton

Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.  --Marty Johnson

    Who knew getting grody dirty and sweaty could bring such happiness!!?!?! My gardening therapy this week won't bring me tomatoes--we have too much shade. But it will bring me lovely foliage as I planted 14 hostas around our yard. We'll also have pesto from the pot full of basil plants. While the remaining garden projects seem endless, right now it's looking pretty good. The iris are just starting to bloom. 

    I love my little spot on Mother Earth!

        Leta

Two new giant hostas in the background...
Who, me?!?! A Cubs fan?!!?

May 10--Much to Love

Happiness is anyone and anything at all that's loved by you.  --Clark Gesner

    Good health, my husband, sons, daughter-in-law, developing grandbaby, extended family, many friends, Barney, variety of work and activities, travel, baseball, gardening, golfing, swimming, walking--I love a lot, and I am happy most of the time. 

    Grateful,

        Leta

Barney Clark, Mr. Adorable

May 9--Big Little Pleasures

It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones.  --Jean Webster

    I'm so thankful that I can walk Barney without pain. Before I had my hip replaced, every step hurt.

    My husband and I enjoy relaxing (it's best outside) with a cocktail before dinner to talk about our (usually mostly ordinary) days. 

    Lilies are my favorite flower. I love to cut a few along with assorted greenery and arrange them into a bouquet for my desk. 

    All our married/family life, we have made it a priority to eat supper together at the table each night. Now creating lives of their own, our sons recognize how big that "little" pleasure is. 

    I drive twice a week into farm country to teach yoga and Melt Method at the Clearwater Wellness Center. I love to watch the fields of wheat sprout, grow a bright emerald green, then ripen into "amber waves of grain." It is a reminder of the rich bounty our Earth is continuously providing. 

    Every minute spent with my kids is priceless, even if we are just hanging out and watching a movie. 

    "Ordinary" life is really good!

        Leta

May 8--Flavor

Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste. 
  --Charlotte Bronte

    Happy Mother's Day to all manner and variety of mothers out there!

    Given the mention of "taste," I'm choosing to write about breaking bread together and happiness. In my younger years, I loved it when our whole family came together at our house for holiday meals. Mom went all out both with quantity and variety of foods. For the Millers, eating was a competitive sport. When the whole family was together, we were fairly well behaved in terms of conversation. Then there were the daily meals including just Mom, Dad and me. Those rest in my memory as times of either nasty fighting or vicious silence. I ate too much or not enough. I was told often, "You'd be really cute if you'd lose weight. Here, eat some more." It's no wonder I developed the extreme desire to eat alone so that I could have some peace with my best friend, food.  

    It was so wonderful to get away from home and learn to enjoy mealtimes with friends. I was able to learn that the priority was to enjoy and share happiness with my dining companions rather than to be obsessed with the food. What a delightful change!

    Happiness tastes better than any food,

        Leta

Family, friends and happiness!
Oh, yes, and tasty food, too!

May 7--Where Might That Open Door Lead?

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open. 
--John Barrymore

    My older son called the other evening to thank me (once again) for teaching him and his brother to golf. He had just finished a nine-hole round with new buds from his new job. Joy in Mom's heart! The door I didn't know I left open--at my first job after grad school, I was invited to join the golf league. I said, "I've never played before." The person inviting me said, "You're athletic, you'll do fine." In hindsight, that was a completely ridiculous statement. But the person took me to a par-3 course and rented clubs for me. In 18 holes (par=54), I shot 127 and totally fell in love with the game. I went out the next day and bought clubs. I was hooked. I couldn't wait for the boys to get old enough to teach them to play. Now there is nothing that makes me happier than playing golf with my sons. 

    Keeping doors open,

        Leta

May 6--Breath

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  --Thornton Wilder

    Let your first treasure be your breath. Follow this link to an excellent 20-minute TedX Talk on breathing by fellow Forrest yoga teacher, Jambo Truong. I gently remind us all that breathing is the most important thing we do, and it is our greatest resource for healing. 

    What are your other treasures? Family? Friends? Good health? Inner peace? A relationship with Source? Opportunity to be useful? Ability to move? Creativity? Home? Pets? Or are your treasures your stuff? A substance to abuse? Control? Blaming? The need to be right? Perfectionism? Us vs. them? 

    I'm thinking the heart prefers the former list.

        Leta

May 5--GREEN!

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.  --Karl Barth

    Joy is my word. It is the one word that describes who I am, my essence, and also how I aspire to live. Certainly I am not joyful 100% of the time, but I'm working on it. And when I am joyful, I am most definitely feeling grateful. 

    We are receiving much-needed spring rains this week. Everything around our fair city is greening up, and the leaves are bursting out on the trees and shrubs. Tulips are blooming. There are loads of buds on my iris plants. The lilies and hostas are growing beautifully. I have flowers and herbs awaiting planting. This is a photo from a walk with Barney this past weekend:

    There's nothing especially spectacular about it except that it's mostly GREEN, not the brown and gray dullness of winter. The green vegetation, sunshine, and clear blue sky make my heart sing. 

    Joyful about spring,

        Leta

May 4--YUMMY!!

Life is so endlessly delicious.  --Ruth Reichl

    It is! Just look at the very "basics"--food and shelter. Given the variety of people on earth who each have their own ethnic food specialties--the taste buds can explore and be happy for a whole lifetime. Your shelter can be in any number of glorious locations--beach, mountains, prairie, rolling hills, lakeside, dessert. 

    With the infinite creativity of Spirit flowing through us, if we can envision it, we can make it. The light bulb, telephone, computers and airplanes have made life so delicious, increasing our ability to communicate and to explore our fabulous Earth home. I am especially fond of the many ways folks offer their artistic talents. A trip through an art museum is particularly yummy for me.

    The options for exercise have expanded dramatically in my lifetime. My parents built a pool to encourage me to move my young fat body. There were few other options around my way-out-in-the-country home. Now I swim, play golf, walk Barney, teach and practice yoga and Melt Method, and garden, yet there are many more options available which I don't use. The variety is delicious. 

    Enjoying the flavors of life,

        Leta

Sugar Beach, St. Lucia--I'm in!

May 3--BLISS

Follow your bliss.  --Joseph Campbell

    This may be the most famous quote on happiness ever. This may be the most succinct statement of how to live well ever. The Life Is Good Company translated it into "Do what you love, love what you do." 

    But wait!!!! Isn't this a selfish thing, following your bliss? Think of a world where everyone is doing what they love to do, blessing the world with their unique talents, and feeling happy and joyful about it. They are using their innate creativity to make life better for all. Wouldn't you want to be a part of that? I surely would. Misery has WAY too much company these days. 

    Tipping the scale toward bliss,

        Leta

May 2--Balance

Happiness is equilibrium. Shift your weight.  --Tom Stoppard

    I like this quote because it notes the source of happiness where it is--internal to each of us. We make the changes to bring ourselves into a balanced, happy state. It does not come from outside of us. Certainly other people and events can bring us pleasure, but happiness is a choice we are constantly making. 

    It's Monday. Can you "shift your weight" to make this a personal happy "best day yet"? 

        Leta

May 1--Spring Kisses

I stuck my head out the window this morning and spring kissed me bang in the face.  --Langston Hughes

    Writing about love for the whole month of April just about wore me out. 😉😉 Now we switch to May and its theme of happiness. 

    I'm really happy to be back in my garden. It suffers badly from lack of attention during tax season, so I've been doing a LOT of weeding. Things are shaping up. This week I cleaned out the last and worst weedy area, loaded Barney in the truck (DOG is my co-pilot), and headed to the garden center for compost and hosta plants. I worked the compost into the soil and planted two large, three medium and three small hostas. 

    There are loads of garden projects awaiting me. It can feel overwhelming. But I remind myself how much I love spring and gardening, one day, one project at a time. I'm so grateful to be alive for another spring. 

    Happy May Day!

        Leta

In my garden--the first peony of spring 😀