More Happiness - August Happiness Challenge Days 24 -27

 

I've have been participating in the August Happiness Challenge this past month, and while I have not posted every day, I have consciously thought each day about things that make me happy and I have felt gratitude for those things.  I enjoyed  joining with The Gal Herself over at One Gal's Musings to look for good and happy things each day. Because it's Friday, I'm also linking up with Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five. 

😊 We had some rain this week, which made me happy.  With as hot and dry as the U.S. Southwest (including where I live in Utah) has been this summer, rain is always wonderfully welcome.  This was the scene from my front window Thursday afternoon and more rain is expected today (Friday). 

😊 Despite the rain, I have been able to walk almost every morning and evening this week. My goal is to walk 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.  I only missed one day, and that was due to rain. 

😊I love flowers of all kinds and this large Hibiscus bush, which has blooming right in front of my front living room window makes me very happy!

😊 It always makes me happy when the plants in my backyard garden have good things growing on them. These are little figs growing on the fig tree in my backyard.  I am looking forward to enjoying this sweet fruit in a few weeks! 

😊 We have been helping Josh move into his new place this week.  His new job starts on Monday, so he checked out one apartment Friday and moved into this townhouse, where he will live with three others guys.  It makes me happy that Josh has a good place to live and also that now I have the time to help Josh and all my family more than when I was working full-time. 

😊 The furniture Josh got for his new place from the furniture thrift store last Saturday arrived right on schedule Friday afternoon.  It was delivered and set up and fits perfectly in his room. I'm happy that Josh got everything moved into the new place and will start his new job on Monday. 

😊 It makes me happy that I was able to finish two books last week - one a physical book and one an audio book.  My reading is way down this year, so I am glad that I was able to finish two more books to move me closer to my reading goal for the year. 

That's all for this Happiness Challenge post.  Only a few days left in the month, but I'll keep playing and looking for the good until the very end.  See you again soon!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Happiness consists not of having, but of being; not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is a warm glow of the heart at peace with itself. A martyr at the stake may have happiness that a king on his throne might envy. Man is the creator of his own happiness."

~David O. McKay

A Week's Worth of Happiness - August Happiness Challenge Days 17 - 23

 

Last week was super busy for me, as I will explain.  Even though I didn't have time to post, there were many things that made me happy, so I am playing catch-up now, as I continue the August Happiness Challenge.  While the August Happiness Challenge is almost over, I have really enjoyed joining with The Gal Herself  to look for happiness each day!

😊 The main reason I've been absent from Blogland this week was that Charly and I attended BYU Education Week at BYU all week - from Monday to Friday.  Education Week is an annual tradition when BYU opens it doors to all and has numerous different classes taught by professors. The high quality classes were on many different topics. We attended classes on health and aging, finances, psychology, marriage, and religion and theology - all taught by professors and experts in their fields. It was only $115 to sign up for an entire week of fun and interesting classes.  Charly and I enjoyed attending and learning together.  In the past, when I was teaching school, I could only take one day off to attend the final day of Education Week, but this year, we attended every single day, which was awesome.  Education Week and learning many wonderful things made me happy! 

😊 Another fun thing about Education Week that made me happy was free books!  There was a table set up and books handbound books by some of the professors at the school where given away to anyone who wanted one or more. As you can see, the booklover is me was thrilled with this and I came home with six new books to read.  Good books at a good price (free) always makes me happy!

😊 In the BYU Campus Bookstore, several artists and authors were selling their work.  This painting of Jesus rescuing Peter after he got out of the boat to try and walk on water really spoke to me so I bought it.  It's a beautiful painting and I got to talk to the artist and she signed the painting down in the lower left-hand corner.  The painting now hangs in my front hallway, so I see it frequently and it always reminds me that Jesus can rescue us when we are in anything over our head and feel like we are drowning.  Seeing the painting and remember what Jesus can do for me and each of us makes me happy. 

😊 Tuesday, after Education Week, we spent the evening with our daughter and her family as we once again celebrated and said goodbye to my granddaughter Hailey who will be a missionary in Norway for the next 18 months.  Being with our daughter and her wonderful family always makes me happy. 

😊 I have previously mentioned that Josh got the new job that he was hoping for and that it starts on Monday, August 31. Since the job is in Salt Lake City, he will be moving closer to the job. This is the place he will be living.  He will be moving in next week.  It's a great place, in a very nice neighborhood.  Saturday, we helped him start the moving process.  He has been living in a furnished apartment, so he needed several pieces of furniture and we able to find what he needed for bargain prices as a furniture thrift store that we have used before and love!  I am very happy that Josh got the job he wanted, found a nice place to live and that he found all the furniture he needs at great prices. 

😊 After helping shop for furniture and start his move, Charly and I decided to have a little date. We went to one of our favorite eateries which also happens to be on the BYU Campus.  We enjoyed cheeseburgers and onion rings to top off a busy Saturday and it made both of us happy. 

😊 Sunday morning we went to church.  If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that my faith is very important to me, and gathering with other believers to worship makes me happy!

😊We had Josh over to have Sunday dinner with us.  I made crockpot beef noodles. Sunday dinners with good food and people I love make me happy. 

If you too want to join the August Happiness Challenge, check out One Gal's Musings, and share what makes you happy each day this month. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

Days 15 & 16 - Weekend Happiness - August Happiness Challenge

 

It was a good weekend and here are some of the happy things that made it so. 

😊Saturday was a clear, sunny day, with much cooler temperatures than we had lately.  Charly and I started the day with a short walk.  Walking with my husband makes me happy. 

😊 Later on Saturday, we drove to another town where Charly and I will be attending a theology and apologetics conference in October.  We wanted to check out the hotel accommodations near the venue where the conference will be help so we don't have to drive over an hour back home every  night after attending classes all day.  We found a good, affordable hotel, then decided to have lunch at a nearby restaurant.  The food was excellent and Charly and I enjoyed a busy and productive but fun afternoon date together.  That made me happy. 

😊 I got two free tickets to the movie The Brink of War which came out this weekend.  Charly and I extended our Saturday afternoon date at the movie and enjoyed an interesting and well done film about a time in history we both remember.  Going to a movie with Charly made me happy. 

😊 Sunday was a wonderful, happy family day. We attended morning church services with our daughter and her family, then went to her home for a brunch for friends and family to celebrate our granddaughter's missionary service to Norway, which begins this coming week.  Time with family, celebrating the wonderful gifts that God has given us, always makes me happy! 

😊 Charly and I spent Sunday evening planning and choosing the classes we are going to attend next week at BYU Education Week.  It makes me happy that this year, I can attend the entire week of college professor taught classes.  When I was working, I could only take off one day to go to the excellent classes, and this year, because I am retired, Charly and I plan to dive in and attend the entire week!  

😊 Josh came and ate Sunday dinner with us after attending his weekend Young Adult Conference in Salt Lake City. After he left, I went for walk in the neighborhood.  It was a lovely evening and walking to end the day made me happy!

Until next time,

😊Deb💕

"They say a person needs just three things 

to be truly happy in this world:

Someone to love, 

Something to do,

and something to hope for."

~Tom Bodett

More August Happiness - Day 14

 

Here are some things that made me happy this Friday, the 14th day of the August Happiness Challenge. 

😊After a few hiccups in the first few days that our house was under contract, we really thought that the buyer was backing out.  Friday afternoon, however, our realtor called us with the news that the buyer had agreed to everything, put escrow money down and was moving forward with the deal. We were happy and relieved.  It's not a done deal because we aren't scheduled to close until early September, but I feel very relieved and happy that we got through the "due diligence" portion of the sale.

😊 Since the news about the sale of the house moving forward came late in the afternoon when we were out shopping and running errands, we decided to have a Wendy's date to celebrate.  It made me happy to sit with my husband talking and planning.  My husband is truly my best friend.  There is no one I would rather be with, and that makes me happy!

I hope you had some happy moments in your day today.  Come back and visit again soon for more happiness in the August Happiness Challenge!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

Days 11, 12 & 13 of the August Happiness Challenge

 

I'm combining three days of happiness today, so let's get going on days 11, 12 & 13 of the August Happiness Challenge.  Because it's the end of the week, I'm also joining in with Susanne and blogging friends over at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five.

😊 Even though my eye doctor said my prescription hadn't changed much, both Charly and I decided to order new glasses before our vision insurance through the school district expires at the end of August.  We went to Costco, our favorite place to get our glasses, found frames we liked and got everything done in probably less than an hour.  In the afternoon, I downloaded and filled out the claim forms for reimbursement from the vision insurance, and got them in the mail.  It made me happy to get this task complete while we still have vision insurance to help pay for the glasses. 

😊 Our weather has been hot and humid, not unusual for late summer, but Tuesday night, we got a little rain, and my walk on Wednesday was under cool and cloudy skies and it felt so good!  Lovely morning walks like this morning's make me happy!

😊 Right after I got home from my walk, I got to work cleaning all the bathrooms and washing all the rugs and towels. There is something about clean, fresh-smelling bathrooms that makes me happy!

😊 Wednesday was the first day back at school for students in the school and district where I used to teach.  While I hope that everyone has a great school year, I am very happy that I am NOT back in the classroom this school year.  Retirement is awesome!

😊 Wednesday evening, we took our grandson, Miles out to dinner after he got off work. We went to Denny's and enjoyed some good comfort food together.  It makes me happy to be able to spend some time with any of our grandchildren.  It also makes me happy that Miles has decided to take some classes at the local university and he starts next week! 

😊 Thursday, Josh went to a large conference for young adult members of our church.   The conference, called Together in Christ, lasts all weekend, with lots of classes, activities and worship opportunities for young adults like Josh.  Thousands of young adults will be participating.  It makes me happy that Josh takes his Christian faith seriously and that he loves participating in events like this one. 

😊 Josh had two job interviews on Thursday and received a tentative job offer.  He is still waiting for a final confirmation and firm start date. If everything goes as planned, he will be working for an organization housed in this large office building in this large office building in downtown Salt Lake City.  I'm happy that it looks like he will be getting the job he wants.

😊 Thursday afternoon and evening, we had some very nice, heavy afternoon rain showers that cooled temperatures and brought much need moisture.  Rain in the middle of a hot, dry summer makes me happy! 

If you too want to join the August Happiness Challenge, check out One Gal's Musings, and share what makes you happy each day this month. 

Until next time, 

😊Deb💖

"The power of finding beauty 

in the humblest things

makes home happy and life lovely."

~Louisa May Alcott

Day 10 - August Happiness Challenge

 

Welcome to a new week.  We are having a hot start to the week where I live, but I am looking forward to cooler temperatures in a few days (according to the forecast).   I'm continuing with a daily (or almost daily) Happiness Challenge organized by The Gal Herself at her blog One Gal's Musings.  Here are some things that made me happy today. 

😊This morning, I met up with an old friend from high school who I hadn't seen in many years.  We were good friends our senior year and we've tried to stay in touch over the years, which mean that we exchange Christmas cards.  When I found out she had moved from Texas to a town near the one where I live, I asked her if she wanted to get together. She suggested that we meet at the park shown above for a walk.  We walked this beautiful park and surrounding neighborhood for over an hour and had a great time chatting and catching up on each other's lives.  Reconnecting with this good friend today made me very happy!

😊Although it's not finished yet significant progress was made on our backyard patio project today.  The project should be completely finished this week sometime.  We are very pleased with the work that is being done.  I'm very happy that we decided to undertake this project that is making our backyard space a lovely extension of our home. 

😊 Josh got a job interview for a position that he really wants.  The job is with an organization that he wants to work for, and probably has more future potential than his current job. He is excited and nervous all at once.  I'm happy that he has the job interview and I'm praying that it goes well for him and that he will get the job if it is God's will for him.  

If you want to join in the Happiness Challenge, each day in August you can post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Until next time, 

😊Deb💖

"Happiness is not a goal...

it's a by-product of a life well lived."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Days 8 & 9 of August Happiness Challenge

 

Saturday was a busy one around here, and I didn't get to post my positives for the August Happiness Challenge, which I am happy to be participating in along with The Gal Herself and other happy bloggers.  Today, I am catching up on things that made me happy during the entire weekend. 

😊 Our sweet granddaughter Paige turned 12 last week and so we took her out for her birthday lunch on Saturday.  She is such a sweet young lady, and I truly enjoyed spending time with her.  We also got to see and visit with the rest of her family when we were picking up up and taking her back home.  Spending time with my children and grandchildren always makes me happy!

😊After seeing our granddaughter, we came home, and I decided that the time had come for me to go through all of the wrapping paper and gift bags I had been collecting and keeping over many years, and pare down the collection. The catalyst for this, was having two large plastic bins of Christmas and birthday paper and gift bags fall off of a shelf in our garage and make quite a mess.  I have been keeping gift bags and reusing them from year to year, and then buying a few more on after Christmas clearance for a long time so I had way more gift paper and gift bags than I would ever use..  After cleaning up the mess in the garage, I went through everything, donated somethings (including the plastic bins), and recycled much of what was left.  Our recycle bin, shown above, is about half full of gift paper. I kept a few gift bags because I plan to continue giving gifts, but it is now a much more manageable collection.  It makes me happy that I finished a task I had needed to do for years, and now my garage storage is at least a little neater and more manageable.  

😊 Going to church on Sunday morning made me happy because my faith in Jesus Christ makes me happy and brings peace into my life.  

😊 It made me happy to prepare this Hamburger/Rice Taco casserole for my family for Sunday dinner today.  I also baked apple cinnamon muffins and we had roasted carrots to round out this delicious meal. 

I hope that you had many things that made you happy this past weekend. If you want to join in the Happiness Challenge, each day in August you can post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Until next time, 

😊Deb💖

"Nobody else is in charge 

of your happiness

except you."
~Joyce Meyer

Day 7 - August Happiness Challenge

 

Here are a couple of things that made me happy on Day 7 of the August Happiness Challenge. 

😊 This morning (Friday) Charly had to go to our old house to finish mowing the lawn.   I took advantage of a free morning alone to visit some old friends. I use to babysit for the family shown in the picture. (The woman on the right is my mom).  This family also lived next door to us in Lakewood, Colorado, and they attended the same church we did.  The parents of the family, the woman in the plaid dress and her husband in the white shirt, now live about four miles away from me, and I decided to pay them a visit.   Of course we are all a lot older now.  I babysat for their three oldest children, shown in the picture, when I was in my early teens. The parents eventually had nine children. They are now elderly and while I have tried to stay in touch over the years, I wanted to see them.  They were so glad to have me stop by. We visited for about an hour and enjoyed catching up and reminiscing.  It made me happy to see these wonderful people, who were good friends to me and my family. 

😊 I've been looking for some colorful and cheerful artwork for several rooms in our new home.  I've been looking in thrift stores and on Facebook Marketplace, and today, I found these pieces of art that I love.  The big floral canvas will go in the master bedroom.  I plan to put the yellow flower canvas prints in our downstairs bathroom, and the flowers in the vase print in my sewing/book room.  An added bonus is that I paid less than $20 for all of them! These pieces of art will brighten several rooms of my home and that makes me happy!

If you want to join in, each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Until next time, 

😊Deb💖

"Very little is needed to make a happy life."

~anon.