I am a big fan of little books filled with many little essays describing things that bring joy or contentment. Ones already in my library are The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson, Delight by J.B. Priestley, and Joy in the Little Things by Kerrie Hess. This summer I discovered a new addition to the genre, Things to Look Forward To by Sophie Blackall. I wrote here recently that I have a few trips I’m anticipating with great excitement, the first of which happens very soon. But there are some little things that I look forward to each and every day, so I thought I would share some of them here with you today:
Wordle – yes, I am one of the millions addicted to this little game. I love that you can only play it once a day and I love that a few people close to me also play it daily. “Have you played Wordle yet today?” is a common text between my friend Beth and I. Chris and I always use the same starter word (“adieu”) and so it’s fun to see the different paths we take each day after that first guess.
Worldle – Similar to Wordle in that you get six guesses. Different in just about every other way. Each day you are given an outline of a country or territory. With each guess that you make, you are given clues in the form of how many miles off you are and in which direction from your guess the correct country is. Beth and I also both do this one and are so pleased when we get the answer without the use of maps!
That first cup of coffee – On a work day I wait until I’m in the office to have that first cup and it is hilarious to me just how much I look forward to it. Such a lovely, lovely treat.
Having a moment to dip into whatever novel I’m reading – currently Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (loving it!)
That moment at the end of the work day when I can change into “play clothes” and relax
The magazine in the photo above, the August 1980 issue of Seventeen magazine, is currently winging its way to me – an early birthday present to myself that will most likely arrive late. If I could have found them, I would have also treated myself to the August ’77, ’78, and ’79 issues. Does this seem odd to you? Maybe it is, but I am so nostalgic for the early fashion guidance Seventeen gave me. I remember looking at issues of the magazine in our local library when I was no older than 12, thinking “I can’t wait to be seventeen years old!” It seemed so far in the future at the time.
When I was fourteen, I started buying my own issues of the magazine, and in early July I would start to eagerly anticipate the release of the August issue. The theme of the August issue was, of course, back to school, and the issue itself was 2-3 times thicker than a normal issue. Of course the bulk of that was extra advertisements, but I didn’t care – I loved the ads as much as the articles. I still remember the joy I felt when the August issue was finally at our local pharmacy.
There is currently a trend among adherents to a fashion sensibility called “slow fashion” to create and dress within the limits of a “capsule wardrobe.” The idea is to own fewer, higher quality, sustainably-sourced items of clothing. What you do buy, however, must work with everything else in your wardrobe, giving you many outfit options within the capsule. As trendy as the capsule wardrobe is, it is certainly nothing new. When I discussed the concept with my mother, she informed me that she created her own “capsule wardrobe” back in 1946 as a high school student who wanted to look as good as she could within a nearly non-existent budget. She tells me with humor and a certain amount of pride that a classmate told her that she was going to vote for her as “best dressed.” “If only she knew how few clothes I owned!” That’s the power of a capsule wardrobe – everything is chosen with care, and so every outfit looks not so much thrown together as curated.
Seventeen’s back-to-school issue always had a feature fashion spread that celebrated the concept of the capsule wardrobe (although they didn’t refer to it as such). I remember one issue had an oversized, fold-out calendar showing how you could have a unique outfit for each day of September using only 10 basic pieces of clothing. I was enthralled. We weren’t as poor as my mother had been, but money was not plentiful, and the idea that I could look so pulled-together without a major outlay of money was very appealing.
I found the following photos from the August 1979 issue online:
Yes, that’s a young Phoebe Cates, of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Gremlins” fame (and who has also been married to Kevin Kline for many years). And yes, I do realize that there are many more than ten items of clothing featured here. But it’s the inspiration more than the reality of the spread that worked for me, and still works for me (and after all, isn’t that what all fashion spreads are all about – inspiration rather than literal dictate). Forty-one years later (yikes!) this particular fashion spread still inspires me.
Why do clothes have the ability to make me/us happy? My answer, speaking only for myself, could probably stretch across several blog posts. I do know that my nostalgia for Seventeen magazines from 1977-1980 have nothing to do with my memories of my life at the time. It has more to do with my dreams from that time – dreams of who I wanted to be, of what I wanted the future to hold for me.
I still have dreams – I still feel like my life is a work-in-progress. These days I rely mostly on my Pinterest boards to help me envision what type of present and future I’d like to create for myself – from poetry to inspirational quotes to yes, fashion – past and present.
And so, just like the teenage Michelle from forty years ago, I can’t wait for my August issue of Seventeen to arrive.
The photos I’m posting today are nearly identical to photos I posted about a month ago, and for good reason – it’s a scene that plays out over and over again during the summer months. The elements are:
an old quilt that I love (the blue and yellow color scheme is so cheerful, isn’t it?)
a book (this time I had a perennial favorite, Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach, and a fun new book, Sourdough by Robin Sloan)
On this particular day I also brought along my bullet journal, my gratitude journal, and some fun washi tape (I love love love washi tape)
an icy drink (I’m really into iced coffee this summer, but ginger ale in a wine glass or poured into a tall glass that has been filled to the brim with ice first is also a favorite)
dappled sun filtered through the leaves of my favorite tree
a pillow, in case I want to take a nap
I’m a homebody. When coworkers tell me about their weekends of going here, there, and everywhere, it sounds nice, but honestly it also sounds exhausting. I think I’m a classic introvert – my batteries are recharged by staying close to home, surrounding myself with simple comforts, and engaging in quiet pursuits.
Sometimes I think I should just rename my blog “Things That Make Me Happy” because it seems like the only posts I can be counted on making are these weekly odes to happiness (even though today I’m a day late). I do like the self imposed structure of forcing myself at least once a week to let my mind settle on things about life that bring me joy. I find that it’s a practice that is helping to keep me on an even keel these days, and that, as Martha says, is a good thing.
I’ve been trying to get out and take some photos each day, but my 10+ hour days at work (I’m still working from my dining room) have cut into that a bit. I have gotten a few good shots, and I guess I should count a few good shots a week as success.
I’m still fascinated by the hummingbirds. Something that is making me especially happy is that we are now seeing very small hummingbirds at the feeder. Yes, I know all hummingbirds are very small – the ones we have been seeing are about half the size of the others, so we know that somewhere close by there sits a teeny hummingbird nest that these little ones called home not so long ago. That just makes me smile.
Baby animals of all kinds make me happy. This is probably the first year ever that I have paid enough attention to the bird life in my neighborhood to notice the difference between the adult birds flying around and their smaller, more tentative, slightly different colored (the robin young are a little less vibrant, the cardinal young are slightly more vibrant) offspring. I find that I am noticing everything about nature more this year – the budding trees and bushes in the springtime looked more beautiful and miraculous than ever before, but I know for certain they actually looked no different than in previous years. If there are any tiny silver linings of this time of coronavirus-imposed isolation, rediscovering the beauty of nature is one of them for me.
The daisies have been in bloom along the side of our garage for the last couple of weeks. All flowers bring me joy (the topic of another Things That Make Me Happy post), but especially daisies. As I am a hopeless gardener, the fact that daisies are perennials, spread each year, and are no-maintenance (well they might be happier with more maintenance than I give them, but they tolerate my neglect) are all pluses as well.
Working from home has a downside of allowing you the opportunity to work at any and all times. As we are currently in one of our busy seasons at work I could be tempted to work this weekend, but I made the decision yesterday afternoon as I powered down my computer that I will not turn it on until Monday morning. Setting that boundary is making me very happy. My plans for the weekend include sitting in our back yard, reading, taking some photos, writing to friends, and just writing in general. I’ve had some blog post ideas bubbling up in my brain these last few days and I hope to get them out to you soon.
And speaking of the blog, let me just say that knowing you are out there reading these offerings, well, that makes me very happy indeed. Thank you.
I am a huge fan of picnics! I think I’d rather have a picnic than eat in just about any restaurant. Even the simple sandwich-and-a-bag-of-chips is elevated way beyond its station by being involved in a picnic. I love setting out the tablecloth, unpacking the goodies from the cooler, and then just relaxing into the moment. When Sam and I visited my mother in Connecticut, we went on a picnic every single day. It was a way to enjoy the outdoors without coming into close proximity with other people.
Shall I tell you about my favorite picnic of all time?
In the summer of 2013 I traveled to London with Chris. Chris was working the entire week we were there, so I arranged to meet up with different friends each day and have adventures. One day my friend Sue and I climbed to the top of the O2 dome. Another day Sally and I had tea at Harrods. One early evening my friend Chris gave me a tour of London on his motorcycle (the first and only time I’ve ever been on a motorcycle – it was thrilling).
One day I arranged to meet my friend Dave at Borough Market. If you’ve never been to Borough Market, it’s an open air market with vendor stalls ranging from baked goods, meats, cheeses, candies…pretty much name something yummy and you can find it there. Dave and I wandered through Borough Market and bought items for a picnic – fresh bread, salami, cheese, organic apple/beet juice, brownies, and a meringue the size of my head (not actually the size of my head, but I love that phrase). We walked over to the lawn in front of the Tate Modern museum, I laid out my denim jacket as an improvised tablecloth, and we proceeded to eat our way through much of what we bought. Our eyes had been bigger than our stomachs, so we decided to eat only the savory items we bought and share the sweets with Dave’s wife Sarah when we met up with her later in the day (yay, two picnics in one day!).
If I had known I’d be sharing the photos with you these seven years later, I would have taken more and better quality photos, but you get the gist. It was a lovely, memorable day and I will cherish the memory forever.
One of these people is my friend Dave. To protect his privacy I won’t tell you which one. 🙂Meringues the size of your head!Yum!I don’t know about you, but they had me at “sticky ginger.”Picnic #1 – Savory!We made a friend.Picnic #2 – Sweet!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends! Maybe a picnic will now be in your plans?
This is one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems (I apologize for the poor quality of the image – I haven’t figured out yet how to format poetry on this blog, so I have to resort to photos of poems). I’ve written here before that “Sun in My Face” was one of the names I considered for this blog. The sun makes me so happy – not just the fact that without it I wouldn’t exist, but whenever it decides to show its face it just makes my day.
I’m not what is typically considered a “sun worshiper,” although I was as a young person. I loved the deep tan – thought it made me look healthy, and let’s face it I thought it made me look more attractive. Oh well, the folly of youth. That particular habit is coming back to haunt me (hello, basal cell carcinoma), but that is an entire post in itself. No, I don’t sit outside in the sun unprotected for any significant length of time anymore, but I love the sun. It gives me such a feeling of well being even to look outside through a window and see that it is sunny outside. I know that this isn’t just me – we all feel better on sunny days than we do when it is dark and gray outside. Bright sun helps to regulate our circadian clocks, improves mood, and triggers our bodies to produce Vitamin D. It’s a good thing, as Martha says. Just don’t get too much of it.
I’m loving the weather we are having just lately here in northeast Ohio. Sunny, warm, but with an edge of coolness in the morning. To me, this is perfection. I am soaking in every one of these gorgeous days. Chris and I continue to walk three laps around the neighborhood every morning around 7, which is a highlight of my day. It’s quiet, except for the birds and the occasional cement truck (the city is replacing portions of sidewalk on our block that have been pushed up by tree roots, an endeavor which they undertook last year as well and which resulted in several trees dying).
We have put away the seed bird feeder for the summer and have put up a hummingbird feeder with the hopes of attracting some hummingbirds to our back yard. We’ve tried before – put up a feeder, hung out some red flowers we thought they’d like. That effort resulted in one very fleeting sighting of a hummingbird and a deer coming right up to our house in broad daylight to eat all the flowers. I could have shooed the deer away, I guess, but it was pretty hilarious. So, we’re trying again.
Sam and I have been on some bike rides around the neighborhood and through our little park. I love the incomparable feeling of freedom you get coasting downhill, but pedaling uphill reminded me that there are some muscles I haven’t used in a long time.
I hope you’re enjoying the weather where you are (sorry that it’s winter there, Chloe!) and that you have a wonderful weekend.
These peonies took 4 days to open – definitely something I looked forward to all week
I saw a quote once, probably on a meme, that said that all you need for happiness is someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. Trying to get proper attribution for the quote, I saw it credited to sources as diverse as Elvis Presley, Rita Mae Brown, and Immanuel Kant. I’m pretty sure it didn’t originate with Elvis, but you never know.
I’m a big believer in the power of having something to look forward to. I mentioned this a few days ago in my post about creating a positive work space. Another thing I do related to the work environment is make my password for getting into my work computer something I’m looking forward to. A couple years ago it was “London18Paris.” This year’s password, which I’m still using, also relates to a trip I was hoping to take in 2020. Needless to say it’s not happening, but I haven’t decided what I want to change the password to.
When Sam and I go on walks, we often talk of weighty topics – the state of the world, politics, etc. Usually after such serious talk, I change the subject by saying, “Let’s talk about things you’re looking forward to.” It never fails to lighten the mood and end the walk on an up beat.
With the virus still out there in full force, a lot of things on my list of things to look forward to have been erased. I’m planning to write next week about my “20 for 2020” list and how I’m having to revise it radically due to COVID19. But there are still things, large and small, to look forward to. Here are some things I’m looking forward to right now:
I have some bananas ripening on the kitchen counter. When they get all brown and mushy there will be banana bread
I will be talking to my mother right after posting this
I broke down and did some retail therapy recently and there are a couple of packages slowly making their way to me
Saturday and Sunday!
We have daisies (my favorite flower!) growing along the entire side of our garage and they will be blooming soon
I read this article about having things to look forward to during this time of cancelled plans and an uncertain future. Maybe it will spark some ideas for you as well.
I love poetry. When I taught third grade, poetry was a big thing in my classroom. Every week my students would get a new poem for their Poetry Folder, which they would have to practice reading out loud to someone in their household each night. What I was trying to teach my students was a fluency skill called prosody, which is being able to use your voice to give meaning to the written word through intonation, rhythm, and emphasis. Have you ever struggled to understand the written word, such as perhaps in a Shakespeare play, and then upon seeing it acted out you completely understood the words? That’s the power of prosody.
On Fridays the students would perform the poem for their classmates, and the more shy ones were able to choose the “perform with a partner” option. In the month of April we would have Poetry Month, during which the students practiced writing different forms of poetry. Poetry Month culminated in an event called Poetry Cafe. Students would choose two poems to perform, either alone or with a partner. The poems could be written by themselves, a poem we worked on during the year, or some other poem they found in a book. I staged it like a beatnik coffee house of the 1950’s – the students wore black t-shirts and sunglasses, and the audience was encouraged to snap their fingers instead of clapping. There were, of course, refreshments afterwards. What an absolute blast!
After I left teaching to pursue a less stressful job option (haha!), poetry kind of dropped out of my life for a few years. Then about three years ago, my brother Richard, out of the blue, sent me the collection of Mary Oliver poems called “Devotions.” Mary Oliver is the poet who wrote the poem “The Summer Day” which includes the famous phrase, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I savored the book from cover to cover. I don’t pray these days, but Mary Oliver’s poetry feels the way the best prayer should – it elevates my spirit, gives me hope, and reminds me that both all of us and none of us is alone.
When I mulled over the writing of this post over the last couple of days, I knew that I wanted to share a poem with you. The problem is that I have so many favorites! Then my friend Daniel, in his blog Dawn Reader, shared this post about the poem “Summer Kitchen” by Donald Hall. The poem describes a prosaic evening shared between a man and a woman – in the words of the poem they “ate, and talked, and went to bed. And slept” – then ends by saying, “It was a miracle.”
Because isn’t every day truly a miracle?
I told Daniel that the vibe of “Summer Kitchen” reminded me of another poem that I love, and that I was going to steal his idea and share that poem here. Here it is:
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I’ll see you back here soon.
I’m happy to say that when I look at the weather app on my phone (which has a 10-day forecast), there are no longer any snowflake symbols, and the projected daily lows are no longer sub-freezing. Progress! There are, unfortunately, some more rainy days in the mix, including today. Still, doesn’t it look all green and lush and lovely out there?
Surprises make me happy – the good kind, of course. This week I had three happy surprises. The first was a letter from my dear friend Heidi. I’ve written here before about how I am always on the lookout for what Anne of Green Gables calls “kindred spirits” – people with whom you just click. Kindred spirits can be hard to find, though, and sometimes you don’t realize a person is a kindred spirit until you get to know them better. Such was the case with Heidi. We met in the first of my five years living in Illinois, and found out we were kindred spirits about half-way through year three. That’s another thing – I always seem to meet a kindred spirit right before moving away. But still. We are friends forever now, and I know that someday we will see each other again.
The second surprise was a small package with my name on it that arrived from Amazon. I hadn’t ordered anything, so it was a bit of a mystery, and an even bigger mystery when I opened the package to see a book on minimalism accompanied by a sweet (anonymous!) note inside expressing gratitude for my blog. Fan mail! A book to read! I was thrilled right down to my toes. I’ve since found out who sent the book, and having that mystery solved makes me even happier.
The third surprise was a text from my brother suggesting a podcast he thought I might like. We’re not in the habit of texting each other on a regular basis, so it was especially nice to get that text out of the blue.
After a long work week, the weekend stretches out enticingly before me. There will be
On Fridays I usually do a “Things That Make Me Happy” post. I just started writing a post about a television show that I am currently in love with. It’s called “The Detectorists” and it is a comedy that ran on BBC 4 from 2014 to 2017 (we’re streaming it on Amazon Prime). Here’s a link to a trailer on YouTube. There are 19 episodes in total and I am savoring each one. The problem is, I can’t write an entire post about the show without it turning into a review. All I really want to say is that it is funny and lovely and will fill you with joy.
The tulips that I bought a week ago (and which were the subject of last week’s “Things That Make Me Happy” post) have opened up and are really quite stunning. When they first started opening up I thought they had a bit of a venus fly trap vibe and were kind of creepy looking, but as they continued to open up I’ve come to appreciate their unique beauty.
The weather here has been schizophrenic – warm and sunny one day, cold enough to wear full winter gear the next. Today it actually snowed. Trees are leafing out, lawns are looking positively lush, and we had the most gorgeous sunset the other night.
This was another full-on work week. I had a personal milestone yesterday – the first day since I started working remotely that I actually wore work clothes instead of yoga pants and sweatshirts while working. It was also the first day since working remotely that I weighed myself.
Yeah – the two milestones are related.
Have a great weekend, friends. I’ll see you back here on Monday.
