What better day than Mardi Gras to belatedly acknowledge and pass along the Happy 101 award? My sassy cyber sister Rhonda at Snarktastic Ramblings gave me this lovely honor almost a month ago (sorry for the delay). So here's to happy on Fat Tuesday!The rules to this award are to list ten things that give you happiness and pass along the love to five other bloggers.
Ten (of a thousand) Things that Make Me Happy
Trees. Nothing is more calming to me than time in the forest. It's a holdover from my rural childhood, I guess. I live in an urban row house, blocks from a train line and four bus routes, but just out my back door is America's largest urban park with miles of forested hiking trails.
Public transportation. I adore riding the train to work, and taking jaunts on a subway, bus or trolley. It's just the most awesome setting to people watch, eavesdrop, daydream.
Geeky stuff. I'm always happy to meet other fellow geeks who were in marching band and theater and art club and newspaper and read loads of SF and fantasy and played D&D and can quote Monty Python and understand references to Star Trek and Dr. Who and Battlestar Galactica.
England. I'm a diehard Anglophile. I studied abroad there and have been back a few times, most recently to do research for Bring to Light. I love the British sense of humor, the literature, the history, the mild weather, even the food. Roast lamb and Yorkshire pudding...mmmm.
Singing. I've been blessed with a decent voice that I've worked to train and maintain, though I don't do much public performing any more. There's something incredibly energizing about music making, especially creating harmonies with other voices.
Growth. Whether it's tender tulip tops pushing through the soil, my daughter reading books to me, one of my youth group girls having a lightbulb moment with God, or a critique partner finding her voice, signs of new and good things unfolding excites me.
My church. I couldn't ask for a more loving, vibrant faith community to be a part of, even if it's a little hard to share a building and meet Sunday afternoons.
The library. Three nearby branches offer loads of books and films to enjoy, all of them free. Does it get any better than that?
My family. Not only is my hubby a gourmet cook, he's scary-smart, artistic, funny and loves all the geeky stuff I do. My daughter can be a total goofball one moment, and a philosopher the next. She's imaginative and arty and has the most infectious laugh ever.
Writing. The characters I create are so real to me. It's a joy to breathe life into them and contend with the struggles of developing craft to make them just as real to others.
I pass the happiness on to the following wonderful blogs:
Tricia at Talespinning
Erin at Musings of a Writer Chick Living in Paradise
Roxane at Peace Garden Mama
Lady Glamis at The Innocent Flower
Nicole at One Significant Moment at a Time
Now I'm going to drink lots of tea to drown out this sore throat, watch some more LotR extras with my daughter (vacation day from school) and dig into the decadent torte my hubby made. Tomorrow we freeze the leftovers to enjoy on Lenten Sundays.
How do you like to whoop it up? Any Mardi Gras traditions?
Thank you so much for the blog award!! I loved reading your ten things that make you happy. I especially enjoyed #2. I used to live in Wash. DC, and I loved riding the Metro to and from work. I used to keep a small notebook I called "Subway Scribbles." I jotted character sketches and people observations while waiting on the platform or riding the Red Line. Thanks for the memories!!
ReplyDeleteLaurel, thank you so much for the happiness award (you're right that I received it before, but it makes me happy to be thought of by you). I love reading your ten things, a lovely list, indeed. Trees are so necessary to my happiness that I don't know if I could flourish in a treeless place. And I don't sing much but when I do I tingle all over.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry your throat is sore but, hey, LotR and torte? Yum.
Ooh! Those are some great happy things! I love photography trees. They are so lovely! And anything fantasy related captures my attention. I kind of miss the old tabletop D&D games. I also LOVE to study England's history. It's so fascinating. Ah, but family and church are my #1s.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see how much you have in common with others. Great Fat Tuesday!
Yeah, your husband is scary smart. It really is frightening. What's up with that? And would you tell him to stop posting his dinners on Facebook? It really gives those of use who're warming up shells and cheese a complex. kthxbai.
ReplyDelete:)
Congrats on your award! I was in marching band for four years in high school...played the piccolo!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on loving trees. Nothing more calming, indeed :)
Awesome list! I love that you came up with growth - so creative!! Love it :)
ReplyDeleteNicole: You're welcome. "Subway scribbles"! I love it!
ReplyDeleteTricia: Your lovely photos also make me happy! When I married city boy, I never dreamed we'd find a place where we both could be happy, but by golly we did--trees at one end of the street and city life at the other.
LotR with a 7-yo is interesting. She wants to be a sound engineer from watching the extras! Now if only this fever would go away...
Nisa: this was a no particular order list. I'm a bit to ill to attempt prioritizing today.
ReplyDeleteIt's always cool to meet another church-going gal who also played D&D. :-)
Simon: I think Joel is trying to build up a fan base should he decide to start a summer cooking school to make some extra bucks. Or a restaurant should the whole philosophy prof thing not work out.
Aubrie: Kewl. I find those woodwind instruments with all the keys very intimidating. I was a percussion gal myself. Hitting stuff with sticks. Pretty basic. :-)
ReplyDeleteWendy: While rewatching Lord of the Rings, I had to get up and cheer when the Ents go to war. Hooray for trees!
Jemi: that might have been the fever talking. LOL. But yeah, seeing good change in stories and in life is a happy thing.
Both congratulations and thank you, Laurel! I loved your list. I agree--trees really do make the world a better place.
ReplyDeleteI will forward this awesome blog award along at some point soon...promise.
Thank you!!!
Laurel, thank you kindly for the award, and just before I'm about to quiet down for a bit. I'll still be blogging, but am going to retreat into the faith bit more during Lent. Appreciate the encouragement, and I loved reading your list! I hope to pass on the love soon...I'm a bit behind on reciprocating this blog loving. Again, really appreciate your thoughts. Wishing you a meaningful Lent! I am downing the last of the Fat Tuesday M&Ms before the clock strikes 12 and I turn into a giant M&M. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I have yet to come across your blog until just now! I can see that I have missed a lot, but I am happy to be a part of the many followers!!!
ReplyDeleteI too love public transportation... I actually live in a newly developed apartment complex that is right next door to a metropark and I get to take the metro system to work everyday. It's quite brilliant!
Erin: You're welcome. You hooked me with your thougtful posts and happy photos of your Canadian haven. I honeymooned in Quebec and recently vacationed in Cape Breton. I <3 Canada!
ReplyDeleteRoxane: You're welcome also. I appreciate your soulful posts. I've been wrestling with God about what Lent will look like in my life. Hope yours is a good time of growth.
Jen: Thanks for coming by and following. Isn't it fun to start seeing regulars on the metro? I can't help making up stories and secret nicknames for all of them. It's like a writer's ultimate character playground.