Coffee Sunday

Today is Sunday, which means there is coffee in my very near future.  Actually, there is coffee every morning for me, which is plenty to smile about, but Sunday is a special coffee day because we usually go somewhere instead of drinking it at home.

Last week we went to one of our favorite places, warm, cozy, nice music, and bottomless cups of coffee.  It was raining out and we could have easily stayed all day.  Today it’s very cool, but sunny so it’s a day for a bike ride and we’ll get our coffee on the ride, somewhere along the trail. 

Coffee and homemade biscotti – on a bike ride – on the trail – on a Sunday!  I’m smiling already!

J

Happiness

Smiling generally comes from happiness, but what is happiness? 

Our answer will come from Dan Baker, Ph.D. from his book,

“What Happy People Know”, page 5:

“But happiness is neither a mood nor an emotion.  Mood is a biochemical condition, and emotions are just transitory feelings.  Happiness is a way of life – an overriding outlook composed of qualities such as optimism, courage, love, and fulfillment.  It’s not just tiptoeing through the tulips of la-la land, and it’s not something that changes every time your situation changes.  It is nothing less than cherishing every day.”

Reminding myself of this very true fact makes me smile!

J

Alfalfa & All's Right With The World

On our walk this morning, we came upon two lovely horses having their breakfast of alfalfa.  They looked up at us, but they were intent on how wonderful their breakfast tasted. 

We could smell the alfalfa – there is something so sweet and “old-fashioned” about the smell of alfalfa.  I really wish I could add a “scratch & smell” block to my post today – but you can imagine.  The smell of alfalfa brings back thoughts of farms and chickens and animals running around a barnyard.  It’s one of those smells that takes you back and reminds you of the simple, lovely things in this world.

It’s like baseball (GO GIANTS) or a train whistle in the early morning; it just makes you feel like all’s right with the world.  With so many wrong things going on in the world, alfalfa is one of those wonderful things that brings a smile to my face.

J

Just Peachy

Nearly every morning we enjoy a smoothie for breakfast. We usually add a couple of different kinds of fruit, fresh or frozen – and sometimes both.

Some protein powder, some flax seed oil, yogurt, juice and whatever else is available and sounds good at the moment.

It’s a great way to start the day – no chewing required! When you are in a hurry, the smoothie can go along. When you have time, you can enjoy it slowly while sitting on the deck.

This smiley greeted me one morning – when I showed up to start my day….hope it makes you smile too!

J

Warm & Cozy

It was pretty cold here overnight last night, the air was nice and crisp – exactly how autumn should feel. The thing that made me smile came on at 6:30 am. No, it wasn’t the coffee maker…I’m getting to that!

At exactly 6:29:30 am, our digital thermostat tells our furnace that it’s time to warm the place up. There’s nothing like NOT having to jump out of a warm bed and freeze my feet on the hardwood floor to turn on the furnace!

I like things that help me start my day automatically….like the furnace at 6:30 and then the coffee at 7:00 am. Definitely pieces of technology that make me smile!

J

Dear, Dear Sheila,

Today I laughed out loud - not just a smile....I volunteer at a local family shelter. They do some great work, helping families with children to get back on their feet and make a go of their lives. I generate thank you letters for those who make donations.

Data bases can be a real headache or a lot of fun, depending on your mood and if you're looking for smiles in everything you do. I printed a letter and it came back from the director because the greeting said, "Dear Friend." I guess this donor had given more over time because the director wanted it to read, "Dear Sheila." (Name changed to protect the innocent volunteer.) So I entered, "Dear Sheila" into the greeting box in the data base and hit the print button.

The laughter started when I pulled the letter out of the printer and looked to see the greeting,

"Dear, Dear Sheila," She started out as just a "friend" and went onto become someone very, very dear! The template builder already had inserted one "Dear" but I wanted to be sure this donor knew how much she meant to all of us at the shelter!

Needless to say, I had to go in and change the template and print another, but whenever this donor makes another donation, I will always think, "Dear, Dear Sheila."

J

No Sleep

Let’s face it, some days it’s not easy to smile. I didn’t sleep well last night – too many heavy things on my mind. The frustrating part of the heavy things at night is that in the light of day they are, well, light, and the fact that I haven’t slept is way too heavy!

It would have been easier to roll over and just go back to sleep, but I drug myself out into the gray, cloudy, wet morning and walked for a half hour. It felt good, my spirits were beginning to lift, and I was breathing and enjoying the after-rain aroma of my neighborhood when an Alameda County sheriff deputy turned the corner ahead of me. I really try not to make eye contact with drivers while I’m walking, but I looked up as she went by and she gave me the biggest, warmest smile – it was unbelievable!

She has no idea that she made me feel so wonderful – she never will, but that’s the power of a smile. You may never realize how much someone needed your smile today – but that in itself is a spectacular reason to give them out liberally every day. You know what they say, “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”

J