Nat at Cloud 9000 did an exercise in one of his posts a few days back that I’ve been wanting to steal ever since. He made a list of small things that together consititute happiness. Here’s the quote that inspired him:
A multitude of small delights constitute happiness.
-Charles Baudelaire, French poet
Here is my list of small delights that constitute happiness for me today:
- The smell of Crabtree & Evelyn body lotion on my arms. It’s fresh and clean, and it came in my hotel room in Oregon.
- The sound of earthmovers down on the street. It reminds me that the best cities maintain their downtowns, which in turn makes them so great.
- The sound of honking cars, reminding me I can run down to the coffee shop on the corner and get a latte without having to get into my car.
- Em’s voice this morning when I called to say Hello; she had a mouthful of toothpaste and said, I caaaa taaaak Boooob….I laaab u.
What are the small delights that make you happy?
Happiness for me today:
1) playing cat racquetball with Mr. Stripeypants on the bed
2) Liz’s smell in the morning (pre and post shower)
3) fresh French Roast from the Co-Op
4) my heart beating strong in my chest
5) writing community
6) people that “get” me
7) the purple finch on the feeder
8) buds busting out everywhere
9) the smell of cut grass
10) Kiki snoring on the purple pillow
11) my mother’s voice on the phone
12) faith and hope and knowing there are people that believe in me
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1. Hanging with Tania. She’s funny. She always makes me smile and feel good about myself.
2. Riding my bike…I love my bikes. I like the way they look. Sometimes I just look at the welds and the brushed patterns in the titanium. I like the quietness and solitude of riding (see Insect Noises video).
3. The Internet. Kind of a time waster, but I like the direct feedback and communication. I hate telephones, but I like the Internet. Addictive but it makes me happy.
4. Landscapes. I like a nice landscape no matter where I am. Yesterday we were in our new condo talking with the guy who’s going to lay down our tile floor. I was zoning out on the scene outside through our living room window; (more of a seascape) blue Caribbean sea, a sailboat with bright white sails sailing in the bay, islands in the background, beach in the foreground. Nice!
5. Driving on the open road. Seems a direct contrast to my bike riding, but I like driving on an open road, especially in the USA. I don’t have the radio/CD-player on or anything. The only thing I am listening too are the sounds of the car. Before coming overseas, I put an average of 44,000 miles/year on my little car…just driving places.
6. Beer with friends. I really like this…hanging with friends after a bike ride or work. I do this in my mom’s back yard too. She’ll drink wine, and I’ll usually have beer. Great conversations about anything and everything and nothing.
7. Pizza! Who doesn’t like it? How can’t it make you happy?!
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Now you’re making me nostalgic for sitting on the back porch and drinking a beer. After a mountain bike ride. Something on the grill. In Durango or somewhere that took a roadtrip to get there.
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A few of today’s delightful moments…
1. This exact moment: drinking a cold Corona with a piece of lime in it while reading Red Ravine at the end of my work day.
2. My body pillow when I awoke stressed about the day but completely cozy wrapped around my pillow (Laura was already up!).
3. This morning at about 10:05am when I realized FOR SURE that Canadian winter is over and summer is blasting its arrival with early humidity to boot.
4. Getting an email from a student who read one of my Perspectives pieces on our web site and wrote to tell me that it “slayed her.”
5. Other writers doing their thing. Like seeing how many more comments were on Red Ravine this evening since I read it this morning.
6. How Laura smells right under her nose when she kisses me. (She was just here in between bullet five and six).
7. Driving to the bank and post office with the wind ripping through the open car windows and Bob Dylan blasting away – yes, I have continued with my Dylan practice and will be seeing him for the second time this July!
8. A second cold Corona and a barbecue on the back deck is where I am now headed in this moment! Know for sure that if you are reading this post between 6:10 – 8:10pm EST that the deck is where I will be. Wanna come over?
I am deeply moved to see what ybonesy and QuoinMonkey (and worddraw in earlier posts and spirit!!) have been dedicating many hours of their precious lives to…. I have read every single page.
Much love to you guys!
Deep bow.
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Deep bow to you, Joanne! What a delight to read your words, to know you’re out there with us each day. It’s 7:43p here, I just got back from a Celebration of Children at Dee and Em’s school, am drinking a Negro Modelo. Wish I had a wedge of lime. Cheers to you. (And wow, I must remember this ultimate compliment: “it slayed me.”)
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Joanne, I am DELIGHTED to know you are out there reading and we are connected by only a few clicks. How wonderful. I love your happiness list. I can see your smile and hear your voice in the zendo, holding up the corner with us. Gassho. Next time you’re on the deck, give us a ring!
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Joanne, I forgot to comment on one thing – #4 on your list:
4. Getting an email from a student who read one of my Perspectives pieces on our web site and wrote to tell me that it “slayed her.”
I meant to tell you that after one of our Taos weeks last year, and after I heard you say you wrote the Perspectives pieces on your web site, I went in after I got back to Minnesota and read every single one of them. They are delightful. And strong with your voice. A great gift.
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Thanks! I have always had a place on our web site for articles and longer pieces but last Fall I created the Perspectives section which are 10-15 minute writes. Shorter. Direct. Almost more in alignment with how I naturally move. Ya know?
Some days a longer, more in depth look. Other days, BOOM, ten minutes, take no prisoners, no fat, right to the bone sort of writing. My last one is entitled Tiptoeing Softly Toward Death. Sort of gets down to it!
I think that the Perspectives section was birthed from our year and I wanted to find a way to keep putting those writings out into the airwaves and have silence be the response. I very rarely ever know who has read them. Sort of like reading into a global, silent zendo.
Isn’t it cool to see how strong each of our voices have become? I can see you in your brilliant writing and your STUNNING photographs. And I can see ybonesy in her AMAZING drawings and insightful words.
Writers: wild and free!
Not tossed away.
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I know I am ringing in late on this, but it’s on the same level of cool as listing ten books, so. . .
The click-buzz-grind of the coffee pot declaring morning has broken (with or without Cat Stevens).
The thump-thump-thump of my Doxie’s tail just after the coffee pot goes off.
Walking outside (coffee and Doxie in tow) and hearing nothing but nature as far as my ears can reach.
Lunch with Mom and Dad before going to teach each day. (Yes, I know how lucky I am there.)
Still being in love.
Living in a place where the stars do twinkle at night.
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I want to come visit…
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Me, too. I love the stars and the being in love. Feels peaceful. Oh, and how could I forget Cat Stevens. Now I’ve got that song playing in my head. 8)
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I would rather have “Morning Has Broken” in my head than “She’s a rich girl…,” which is the song I had stuck in my head all morning after hearing it on the soft rock radio station.
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