The challenge for the Happy Book this past week was a photo scavenger hunt. I had fun with this one converting the words to photos. I only missed one word (fresh) so I very proud of myself. The words were: clean, yum,trees, toes, treasure, morning, sky, red, circle, heart, smile, sparkle, and home.
Here's to your happy week!
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I finally cracked open "The Happy Book" I had bought it earlier in the year and had planned to follow along on my own with The Next Chapter: The Happy Book Mail Around until the mail around book got to me but of course that did not happen. So I was happy when Jamie decided to shake up the mail around as it was taking so long for the books to travel and add the original format of the Next Chapter so that anyone could play along each week and add their thoughts and experiences based on an "assignment" from the book.
Last week's assignment was called "Amelie's Gnome" and basically followed the idea of a Flat Stanley - carry your mascot (object) around with you and take photos of it. I decided to travel with Adam for a few days.
I have had Adam for well over 20 years. One of my aunts gave him to me. Whenever I travel out of state or out of country Adam is packed and goes with me. I guess you can say he has become my good luck charm for traveling. When he is not traveling he can be found in the drawer of my bedside table where I have to keep him so that my silly cats do not steal him...again.
This was so much fun and definitely made me laugh this week. Here are my favorite pictures from this week...Adam in a stare down with a piggy bank at work and in the art supply aisle at Michael's.
What made you giggle this week!
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So another week has come and gone and its time to share my happiness as part of The Next Chapter - The Happy Book Mail Around with Jamie Ridler. It was a pretty good week so here is a list of all the happy that it brought me.
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One would think that with the weather here not being able to decide if to rain or snow, with little to no sun, and with the migraine that I was battling for a couple days that finally won on Friday that there would not be much for me to be happy about this week. But surprisingly (or maybe not) there was happiness in my week.
My awesomely good bath washes from The Body Shop arrived on Monday - the grapefruit is to die for.
My awesome sister who I love so much redesigned my blog for me... and it is beautiful. Don't you agree. Thanks sis.
My awesome hubby suggested that we take a mini stay-cation in Boston during the week that the students go on spring break. Love you honey.
I went to lunch with one of friends at The Cottage and had a yummy crab melt sandwich and awesome conversation.
Found out about a Gelato place that also sells Kiss*ss Cupcakes - what a perfect combination. I have yet to go but I will be visiting very very soon.
Chatted a couple times with my mommy on the phone and on yahoo messenger.
Saw new pictures of my oh so cute nephew who is growing like a weed. Can't wait to meet him hopefully in the fall of this year.
So you see I had quite a lot to be happy for this week. What about you? What was your happy this past week.
(This is part of The Next Chapter: The Happiness Book Mail Around)
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It's the end of the week and time to check in with the Happy Book on The Next Chapter. Here's my happy list for this past week:
Tuesday was Sheldon's birthday and I made him a 12x12 card and seeing his face when he opened it was awesome. We also did take out for dinner and how can you not be happy when you someone else does the cooking.
Be Well Challenge has started back at work and it has been fun being motivated by my team members
We have found Fraggle Rock on Netflix instant watch and it has been awesome reliving my childhood days..."The trash heap has spoken, nah!!
I have been posting random status messages on my Facebook page just to see the reactions from my friends.
Of course my kitties always make me smile with their crazy antics.
I took a day off from eating "healthy" and had a tomato, mozzarella and pesto panini with sweet potato fries and an oatmeal raisin cookie - freaking awesome.
My sister bought me the cutest apron for my birthday (thanks Franny) ...just waiting for it to arrive in the mail.
What made you happy this week?
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I know I am a day late with this post but as they say better late than never. Friday is happy day as part of Jamie Ridler's The Next Chapter - The Happy Book mail around.
Here's something that makes me laugh every time I see it!!
Hope you had a happy week!!!
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"Ironically, the things we refuse to know are by definition things we know already - that's how we know we don't want to know them, y'know?" ~ Martha Beck, The Joy Diet (pg28)
This week for the Next Chapter we moved onto the second ingredient in The Joy Diet: Truth.
Truth be told this was a bad week for me. I still have not mastered the art of doing nothing and as Martha Beck says in the Truth chapter you are not ready for Truth if you cannot do nothing.
I did as the book suggested and pondered why I was avoiding stillness and if I am being honest with myself it is because I think that if I take those 15 minutes to just be still and try to clear my mind that I will miss out on something; that I will miss the opportunity to be doing something on my never ending to-do list; that I will discover something in my deep subconscious that I won't like or want to acknowledge.
Maybe I am afraid to succeed in doing nothing as then I will have to face the answers to the questions that I am supposed to ask myself at least once a day as the minimum requirements for Truth:
What am I feeling?
What hurts?
What is the painful story I'm telling?
Can I be sure my painful story is true?
Is my painful story working?
Can I think of another story that might work better?
Whatever the reason I will not give up. This is a new week and I will be working harder at Nothing and I will face my Truths as we move onto ingredient three - Desire.
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~ Rumi ~
Next week for The Next Chapter: Nothing + Truth + Desire
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Martha Beck writes, "...doing nothing is the most productive activity you will ever under take." (pg9 The Joy Diet)
I am going to be completely honest...doing nothing is really really hard. Who knew that finding 15 min a day to do absolutely nothing would be so hard. Seriously! It took me until Wednesday to get into this and I only achieved it because I ended up walking on my treadmill in my basement with no one around. So it was really not even a conscious effort on my part...it just happened. And even when doing that my mind just would not shut up...so I just let my thoughts go.
I will continue on my journey to find the time to do nothing because I am not one who gives up easily...failure is not an option. I wonder if my facial appointment this morning constitutes nothing...after all I was just laying there for an hour...hummm!!
we join spokes together in a wheel
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move
we shape clay into a pot
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want
we hammer wood for a house
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable
We work with being
but non-being is what we use
~Loa Tzu, Father of Taoism
Next week for The Next Chapter: Nothing + Truth!
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Yesterday began the newest journey in Jamie Ridler's book blogging series The Next Chapter. We will be reading and blogging about The Joy Diet: Ten Practices for a Happier Life by Martha Beck.
So far I have only read the introduction and looked at the different "menu items" (chapter titles) but from what I have read so far this will be a journey filled with excitement and challenges.
The first chapter is "Nothing" and is exactly what it says. The challenge is to do nothing for a set period of time each day. Sounds simple enough but I am sure it will not be as easy as it sounds.
Jamie has also made the great suggestion in her welcome video to create a vision card for each week that is a visual representation of what that week's menu item means to us.
So check back each week as I make my way through this wonderful journey!
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As I sat color coordinating a stack of files and labels to organize our bills I realized just why I need to take part in this blogging exercise - its time to let go and just be free and go with the flow. I am one of those people who cringes when I see people bending the covers of paper back books or I see cracks in the spines of hard covers so I know it will be hard for me to mutilate this journal but I am strangely excited and looking forward to painting and burning and just reeking havoc on this journal. I think the hardest part will be starting but once I do the first couple pages it should be easier from there (I hope). So stay tuned for my little adventure in letting go of control.
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