Unforgettable!

I subscribed to a New York Times e-newsletter a few years ago - during COVID. I was curious to know how people in other places were coping. 

I still get the e-newsletter and peruse the headlines (though some stories are hidden from me, since I'm not a paying subscriber).

One free article that intrigued me last week was about how therapeutic it is to breathe fresh air and hear birds, even through an open window. 

I can't argue about that! 

But I was surprised by one of the therapeutic outdoor activities mentioned... 

Quilting outdoors!

I've quilted a lot over the years - but I've never plugged in a sewing machine on an outdoor picnic table (for fear of being electrocuted)!

Or cut fabric on the grass!

With cows and goats nearby, was there a fear they might come over to investigate?!

All problems aside, I'll bet - for those who attend these two-day outdoor quilting workshops - the experience is truly unforgettable!! 

(But I'm not sure it's for me!)

To Be Happier...

Happy New Year - 2026!

I recently came across a short video clip about happiness...

It was entitled... Five Questions to Ask Yourself, to be Happier.

The first was... What are you grateful for?

Thinking about this question is sure to lift my thoughts from the problem of the day! In fact, when I'm feeling low, Terry often reminds me to "count my blessings"!

The second is: What is going well in your life? Or as they put it, Where are you winning?

It's good to be reminded that we ARE winning most of the time.. achieving some of our goals! And if we're not, maybe we need to set SMALLER goals that will get us moving in the right direction.

The third is... What can I let go of?

I don't think of this too often, but it's easy to have too many goals - and become paralyzed... What should I do first?!

If we have a lot of things we want to do, some may have to be set aside - at least for a while - in order to have more time to focus on others.

The fourth is one of my favourites to think about: What does my ideal day look like? What is my ideal day?

It's a kind of exercise in time management... How will I fit it all in?

I didn't get the final question, even after playing the video clip three times... But maybe four questions are enough to think about. I plan to reflect on all four - to realign myself - now at the beginning of this new year!

Feeling Good!

This past week, I've felt... (dare I  say it?!) ... a little more energetic!

All winter, especially since Christmas, I've felt listless, wondering if this is what it's like to be "old"... 

I look at my grandkids - and their parents - So much energy and enthusiasm! 

We were energetic once, too, Terry reminds me. 

Really?!

All winter I've had no desire to go to the gym. Then, the other day, I felt my energy stirring!

Was it the added hours of sunshine, and sunny skies (even if the temperature remains cold)?

We now have two more hours of daylight than we did two months ago.

Is it the new medication my doctor recently prescribed to help lower my blood sugar?

I really don't know... But I am looking forward to moving our clocks forward in early March to give us more natural light in the early evening. Speaking for myself, I don't need it at 4 AM...

If early rustlings of spring are making me feel stronger - bring it on!

JOYFUL Tasks

These coldest days of winter has set me on a search of JOYFUL things to do.

Maybe that's why I'm working on a puzzle with lots of yellow and lots of flowers.

I also came across this quilt pattern for an optimism quilt - called that possibly because it's made of bright, cheerful colours. Maybe I should search through my fabric stash and make s simple cheerful one like it.

I need to search for JOYFUL things to do!

The sun is out - though the temperature is cold - as I write this... Sunny days cheer me up as well!

Cheerful Pictures!

I found a way to cheer myself up throughout the day...

Having different photos I love pop up on my cell phone throughout the day always brings a smile to my face.

I have set my "wallpaper" to "photo shuffle" every hour.

Photos in my wallpaper collection include favourite people, places and scenery.

Seeing a new one pop up is a bit of a surprise - and always brings a smile to my face... and lifts my spirits.

The "Gift" of Being Nice

One of the most wonderful talents a person can have is the GIFT of "niceness" - the gift of making people feel important and valued, whatever the situation.

A few days ago, I was at Costco to book a Shingrix shot at the pharmacy.

The young woman who served me was so PLEASANT, so engaging, that I felt I had found a new friend - even though I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her again - she was wearing a medical mask. Her pleasantness still shone through!

As she took my information and entered it on her computer, as we waited for the machine to process, we managed to have a brief conversation about Ottawa and Alberta (where we had both lived). Talking to her totally lifted my spirits!

Some people do that...

I don't know how... It must be a gift - one I'd  really love to have! 

It’s Always a Balancing Act!!

Yesterday I wrote about Eudemonology - the study of happiness...

We all want to be happy... but it’s a balancing act, especially if what makes ME happy is playing tug-of-war with what makes someone else happy... 

I think of my university years - especially the years I lived in Jerusalem. What I wanted to do played tug-of-war with what my parents (especially my mother) wanted me to do. But I knew, instinctively, intuitively, that I really NEEDED TO BREAK FREE! 

I don’t think that was selfishness. I think it was cutting the apron strings... growing up - a normal phase of life.

Another kind of happiness-seeking can be summed up in something I read recently:

“I’m not happy BEFORE I eat the cookie... I’m not happy AFTER I eat the cookie. But I’m very happy WHILE I’m eating the cookie...”

Every dieter knows what I’m talking about!

So the question remains: should I eat the cookie? (Whatever that cookie happens to be...) 

Sometimes wisdom and discernment are required... as well as self-control!

Studying Happiness

Most of us, I think, look for ways to be happy... But I was surprised to discover that HAPPINESS is a psychology course taught at Yale University, under the name of “Eudemonology”... 

The first time it was offered, the class drew so many students that it had to be held in a campus concert hall!

I discovered all this in a podcast my daughter recommended.

Without going into detail... (You can listen to the podcast if you’re interested...) I’ll just say it’s surprising that that happiness isn’t found in most of the things we think will make us happy... 

A tip I picked up: It’s important to pay attention to those moments when we feel happy and satisfied... (The word “mindful” comes up a lot.)

What made us happy? What made us unhappy? Follow the clues...

I already realize that a heavy dose of world news unsettles me a lot. Maybe I need to go back to NOT watching or reading the news! Walks by the water - river, ocean or lake - fill me with peace. Maybe I shouldn’t view them as occasional luxuries... Maybe I need to - mindfully and consciously - make them part of my every day.

The Best Gifts

These beautiful Christmas packages remind me of many other gifts I have been blessed with...

• Good health
• Caring family and friends
• Love and appreciation 
• My warm safe home
• Interesting things to do every day

For ALL these gifts, I’m EXTREMELY grateful!

Cheery Rock Faces

I was surprised to see these cheery (rock) faces smiling up at me when I went to get the mail...

Thanks to all the people in the community who are trying to bring smiles to our faces!

We All Need Encouragement!

A discouraged young mother of two preschool sons recently exclaimed: If one more thing goes wrong today, I'm putting up the Christmas tree! (In her place, I'd probably be saying:... I'm heading for Dairy Queen!) But I know where she's coming from! At times we all need encouragement!

Early in the pandemic, I was feeling discouraged and confused. I'd hear daily numbers of new cases and deaths in the news, but it was all too much! I needed a system to help me see where things were going.

So I started to keep track of the number of new COVID cases in Ontario and the daily number of deaths. Later I started to calculate our 7-day average of new cases... Averages tend to fluctuate less and they indicate a trend.

I remember hoping and praying that the numbers would diminish to less than 100 a day... When that happened, my new goal was less than 50...

Keeping track - especially when things are improving - has helped me focus on hope.

Keep Happy!

It's easy to become discouraged on grey, cloudy days - and winter is full of them!

When I was a child, I really wasn't aware of the weather... Sometimes I think about that and wonder why.

But I did escaped harsh reality (such as cleaning my room) by reading... often a novel a day on weekends... They were light reading, of course... (Swallows and Amazons, Cherry Ames, Pollyanna, Hardy Boys)... Fortunately, my parents encouraged this pastime. Eventually I moved on to longer books, like Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers, books that required more time .

Looking back, I think that reading was more than an escape. The vicarious adventures they provided led to my interests in travelling and in writing.

But life changes, interests change... I almost never read novels anymore. These days I prefer memoirs.

Escaping cleaning my room isn't my biggest problem these days either! Enjoying weeks and months indoors is! In the midst of winter cold and storms, I try to find contentment in things I enjoy: baking, pottery, knitting, quilting, blogging... and growing indoor flowers.

However we do it, those of us who live in a snowy climate for four or five months a year need to be intentional about finding our HAPPY PLACE. For many of us, this involves finding enjoyable pastimes...

It's important not let winter get us down!

Sunny Day - Feeling Great!

Sunny days always give me joy!

Yesterday was sunny - and I felt so energetic!

There's still a lot of snow on the ground - but no snow in the forecast for a week!

Terry tells me that we've had twice as much precipitation (rain, ice pellets, snow, etc.) as normal... He hates the snowy part of winter - as it means a lot of shoveling...

But for me the clear skies and sun make all the difference in the world!

Appreciation!

Twenty years ago - at the turn of the century (and the millennium!) - this was the front page of our newspaper in Ottawa... I came across it in a pile of basement keepsakes...

Thank you for this beautiful world! the cover reads...

Twenty years later, I totally agree!

Two Ways of Looking at My Home

My life, over the past month, has revolved around two books - Marie Kondo's, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, (which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to restore a sense of order at home). And a book on re-igniting creativity, entitled, It's Never Too Late to Begin Again, co-authored by Julia Cameron, whose book, The Artist's Way, is one of my all-time favorites.

Marie Kondo suggests that, before we begin to de-clutter our homes, we look at different rooms and imagine what we would like them to look like.

I found this exercise helpful and inspirational. It motivated me to move things I didn't want in a room to another place (usually the basement or my upstairs sewing/craft area).

Later, I plan to go to these temporary storage areas and decide whether to keep the stuff or not, asking myself the now-famous question: "Do they spark joy?"

At the same time, I found it interesting that one exercise in It's Never Too Late to Begin Again suggests sitting in a room in our home, one that we don't usually spend a lot of time in, viewing it from a different angle - simply appreciating what it is that we enjoy about that room..

I don't remember why the authors suggest doing this...! (I've been looking - unsuccessfully - to try to locate the rationale.) But I did find the it helped me appreciate not only my home, but also my life, which my home reflects... It restored a sense of contentment - and appreciation.

Creating Goals for Happiness

In her book, Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin recounts her eight-month attempt to create a happier personal and family life. Every month, she focused on one "happiness goal" - something that would make her and her family happier.

Her first monthly goal was to create pleasant places in the apartment... I don't remember exactly how she expressed it - I was too busy knitting while I listened to the audio-book -  but it involved going through her apartment shelf by shelf, getting rid of what the family no longer needed, then reorganizing, consciously creating pleasant spaces within the house...

(Hmmm... Does happiness always begin with easing clutter and getting a sense of control over one's life...?)

This was a project I could readily identify with! I began to look around for places to organize in our home as well...

In subsequent months, she tackled other impediments to her happiness. One month she focused on dealing with her fear of driving in New York City. She had a drivers license, but hated to drive. She ended up taking a driving refresher course with an instructor known for instilling calm and confidence in his students. Then she made a point of driving regularly, so as not to lose her nerve.

Another month she focused on making her family feel more loved - by making a point of greeting her husband and children whenever they arrived home - even if she was busy working in her home office...

Listening to the audio-book made me reflect on whether I too should set goals to create a happier home - and to feel more fulfilled at my stage of life...

What goals could I set for myself? Organizing, of course! But what else?!

Do I make a point of greeting Terry when he gets up in the morning and when he comes home from running errands...? (It's all too easy to take for granted those we live with, especially in retirement, when we're so often together...)

What do I fear doing - that I would really love to be able to do?... Maybe it's not too late to face my fears, either...

Is Complaining Bad for Your Health?!!

Everyone likes to vent from time to time... But is it bad for one's health?!

I came across an article recently that claims that complaining and negative stress in general aren't healthy. If you're interested in reading the article, there is a link to it above.

According to this article, brain research studies show that spreading negative energy and negative stress impair the brains of both the griper and the listener. That sounds serious!

Perhaps it's time to pull out my  "Positive Thinking" resources and remind myself to be thankful, focusing on solutions rather than problems, appreciating every stage of life, every single day!

My "Happy Place"

I recently saw a bumper sticker that read: "My happy place is hunting".

If I had to choose a place I associated with total contentment, I would choose a sunny room in our house where two large windows frame constantly changing scenes.

I sit here a lot - and often look up and notice the amazing sky - sometimes blue with fluffy clouds. At other times, colorful, constantly-changing - vibrant shades of pink and blue.

In the morning, sipping coffee, looking out the window at the sky - I am definitely in my "happy place."

Keys to a Happy Retirement: A Personal Reflection

Yesterday's blog post mentioned a newspaper article's "keys" to a happy retirement. Writing about it made me reflect on my own retirement. I think that the opening questions posed by the article are very important:

1. What do you want out of life?
2. What do you enjoy doing?
3. How will you fill the social gap retirement from work brings? 

Before I retired, I had no idea I'd be doing what I am doing right now, well into this wonderful phase of life. But I did know that I wanted to travel, quilt, write and do art - something I didn't have enough time to do during my working years.

A year after retiring, I started to write this blog - a diary of my life with pictures. In my mind, it would be a picture to those living in other countries of what Canadian life is like. That idea doubtlessly came from my years of teaching English to immigrants, talking about the Canadian way of life and explaining how Canadians think. 

I don't know how many people from other countries actually read this blog, but I know my grown-up children dip into it from time to time. That brings me to my second purpose in writing: We don't always have time or inclination to listen to our parents when they're around - but years later, they may be interested in knowing.

I think retirement evolves, as time progresses. The winter after beginning my blog, I began to take art classes. My neighbor Mary (who is also retired) encouraged me to try botanical drawing, which I did for a few years. Then my curiosity about pottery led me to take a few classes in that.

Traveling has also been my passion - learning about cultures by seeing first hand how people live. I've done a bit of that in retirement, and I'd like to do more...

This brings me to another suggestion made in the article on successful retirement. Draw two columns on a piece of paper: 

• In the first, list three things you want to do more of.
• In the second, list three things you've never done, but would like to do.

Most of mine involve travel! 

• I'd like to spend more time in Hawaii during Canada's long, cold winter months.
• I'd like to spend more time in Toronto with my children - and granddaughter - who live there.
• I'd like to take more art  classes, especially in pen and ink drawing, something I don't really know how to do.

New things: 

• I'd like to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
• I'd like to visit the Grand Canyon.
• I'd like to spend a week or so on the Scottish isle of Iona.

I may never have an opportunity to do any of these new things - and I'm okay with that! 

Keys to a Happy Retirement

I recently read a British newspaper article on how to live happily in retirement.

(I was intrigued by the term "new retirement" used in the article. It made me wonder what "old retirement" was like!)

The  article posed some interesting questions for those planning to retire:

1. What do you want out of life?
2. What do you enjoy doing?
3. How will you fill the social gap retirement from work brings? 

The article suggested that four things are necessary to be happy in retirement.

1. Having a social network
2. Having a purpose that challenges one's mind (Work to do)
3. Learning new things (Ongoing personal development)
4. Having fun.

When I mentioned these points to a fellow potter, also a retired teacher, while we doing our pottery in the studio, she quickly commented: Like coming here to do pottery. There is a community, we learn from each other, we are challenged by the work - and we are having fun!

I have a quilting friend who would no doubt say the same about her community of quilters - which is probably why having a hobby to pursue in retirement is so important.