2024 Happy Blog Challenge Continues

As September comes to a close I have been enjoying the memories I have made recently.  The hiking, archery, SCA events and time with family and friends.  I'm looking forward to October.  The leaves will change color and fall.  The air will become a little crisper.  We may even see a touch of snow, it could happen.  Tomorrow I will begin participating in Inktober .  Technology being an easy thing to lose, break, or simply for batteries to die, I want to practice drawing.  Here are some other happy things from today: Yesterday, in conversations with relatives, I remembered that I purchase stock in my company every paycheck.  Today I looked at the account and learned that I haven't lost anything at this time.  There is only a slight gain, but I've been putting a little money toward this long enough that I am happy with the current amount.  If the stock prices don't fall, I'll be even more happy.   Keziah has been at an SCA ev...

Yesterday I got very little sleep.  What I did get was a broken sleep that probably totaled around three hours.  Because of that I'm going to try to sleep instead of being productive.  Here are some happy things from my day: Even with the limited amount of sleep I managed to work my full 10 hour shift.   I've decided that it is a good day for a proof of life photo.  Very little of me is in the photo.  This is about something I'm choosing to keep.  The daisies in the picture were painted for me by my maternal grandmother.  They are on my hopechest.  I wish my memory was better, the chest once belonged to some ancestor whose name I have forgotten and who died before I was born.  Great Aunt Sally comes to mind, except I'm not sure if I ever had a Great Aunt Sally.  Either way, it is special to me.  In my new room it is on top of my closet where I can see it.  It was hiding before.  It is a little worse for wear, but...

Here are some happy things from today: At work this morning I ended up with some heat related badness.  It was within my first hour of work.  They let me take a break.  When I went back to work I went slower.  After 3 AM I was able to work outside for a bit.  That helped a lot!  I'm happy that I made it through the rest of the shift and that I'm feeling better.   At home I decided to take it easy.  I stopped to notice the orange daylilies.  Soon there will be many more blooming. According to this website , today is Color TV Day.  Here is a little memory.  Every year The Wizard of Oz was broadcast on TV.  Every year I watched it.  If you have never seen the movie, and don't want spoilers, stop reading now.  At some point I noticed that it claimed to be recorded in color.  We had a black and white TV.  So every year I watched it in black and white.   Eventually, when I was a teenager and my old...

Here are some happy things from today: A memory: Back when I was a paraeducator, there was a student who used to say “Happy First Thursday!” on Mondays.  There were four Thursdays in a week.  I'm not sure how much this mind trick worked, but it was fun to hear.  So, happy first Thursday! It was a beautiful day to hang laundry outside to dry.  This prompted me to take a closer look at the lilacs and other flowering plants.  I have been concerned that I hadn't noticed any lily-of-the-valley yet.  Apparently I just wasn't paying attention!  They are up and starting to open. The purple lilacs are almost ready to open. Lily-of-the-valley! One of the problems I've had in my new bedroom is light.  I love that I made the walls light and more cheerful in appearance than my other room.  However, that room had shades, this one did not.  Today I bought the cheapest shade available, to see how I like it.  It is made of paper and it definitely bl...

For National Pet Day I decided to share some happy pet stories. Growing up my family had a dog named Skeeter.  He was a mixed breed, probably Labrador retriever and German shepherd.  I have some vague recollection that his name came from my not being able to say mosquito.  Anyhow, Skeeter was mostly very tolerant of me, the youngest.  I remember being able to use him as a pillow every now then.  He didn't let me ride him though.   When I was married, we had a cat named Jeffrey.  I'm not sure what breed he was,  but he was a tuxedo cat.  He liked to catch mice.  Before kids, we rented a second story apartment that had access to the attic.  Somehow Jeffrey got a mouse and chased it into the bedroom.  We were on a futon on the floor.  The mouse ran right at me to hide behind my pillow.  I don't think I ever moved so fast as I did that night!  I was off the floor so fast.  Jeffrey then proceeded to sit by t...

 Happy things from today: The initial plan I had for today was to help out Keziah at the store.  Unfortunately, I did something to my back, in a different way than a few months ago.  By the time I stretched, took the ibuprofen, and finished the things I needed to do around the house, Keziah was off doing other errands.  It took a little bit, but I'm happy to say the ibuprofen seemed to help, at least temporarily.  Instead of helping at the store, I went to the studio and worked on photos again.  My task is to find photos of Keziah and her SCA life.  I scanned some yesterday and organized them on the computer today.  Here is one of my favorites. The other task I managed today was to go to a couple of used car places.  I test drove a 2008 Volvo.  I'm going to do a little more research before choosing anything.   I'm pleased I was able to do this.  Here are some photos I took while I was driving back from car shopping.  ...

Happy Friday! Every year, a little before Memorial Day, members of my family visit cemeteries and plant flowers at relatives' gravestones.  There is one, Ida Webster, that my mother and cousin, Shirley, insisted we plant there.  Now that they have passed, the rest of us don't actually remember why or how she was related.  Today I was going through pictures and found a picture of her!  Now I have a face to imagine even though I never would have met her.  Honestly, I think Ida passed in 1938, my mom was born in 1937 and Shirley in 1936, I wonder how much they remembered? Ida Webster Going through photos I thought about how film cameras were often only used on holidays and special occasions.  When I think about the quantity of pictures I take now and how much it would cost to buy and develop the film for the same amount of pictures, I feel like I'd be broke.  I know I would be drowning in photos!  I love having a camera as part of my phone to be able...