2026 Happy Blog Challenge

Not so happy stuff first… As I write this there is a search going on in the state for an active shooter.  We are seemingly far from there, but a friend who works at DIY Craft & Thrift is not.  She is sleeping on our couch tonight.  Hopefully all will be well in the morning. Here are some happy things from today: Bel & I, with a little heavy work help from a housemate, got the wire mesh stuff under the chicken coop.  There is more to do before the chickens can stay outside, but strides were made.  In order to cut the mesh Bel and I rigged a way to hang the roll from the Baja car.  It was then super easy to measure it out. The book I am listening to, I See You've Called in Dead , is basically about someone's trials and tribulations learning how to live a fulfilling life.  I'm enjoying the story.  At one point the main character helps fulfill a friend's dream.  Then he asks a question that I will try to paraphrase and hopefully not lose ...

 March 26th Happy Thursday things: My work week is over and I'm very happy about this.  I may pick up a short shift if one comes up, but for now I'm looking forward to the weekend.  On the way home from work I took a detour and went by our old house.  I picked up a few things and got pictures of some crocuses there that I planted in previous years.  At the new house I noticed some green and yellow in the yard by the pool.  After closer examination I found yellow flowers and some of purple ones.  After taking pictures and not having luck with a possible identification, I meant to go outside again for an even closer look, but I got distracted.  I feel like I have seen something like this and should know what they are.  However, more spring flowers!! The book that I have been listening to, Nettle & Bone , is over.  The author created a truly magical world that I very much enjoyed.  I'm considering trying more of her books.  ☮...

February 27th Happy Friday things: There are two words that I try not to start my sections with here.  One of those is ‘I’.  It is a word I'll occasionally start a sentence with, but try not to start the paragraph/section with.  The other word is 'today.'  It is very tempting to start each section with the word ‘today’ probably followed with ‘I’. I know I do it, but try not to.  In one of the boxes I unpacked there was a diary of mine from November of 1974.  It contains one week of entries with every single day starting with the words ‘Today I.’  I was almost ten years old.  It was a fun read.  There was a lot of TV in my life then.   Another thing I found was a bag that said ‘fossils’ on it.  It might have once belonged to my former father-in-law?  I'd like to learn more about rocks and such so this was a fun find. Then I found some issues of Rocks and Minerals from the 1950's that belonged to my Uncle Bill.  My rea...

 Super Bowl Sunday  Intention for the day: Do my best to remain upbeat as I sort through my stuff.  The goal is to find things to part with. Happy things for today: With the weather still bitterly cold, I walked three miles on the treadmill this morning.  Yay, steps! Looking outside to the cold. Music has really lifted my spirits today.   April is National Poetry Month.  I looked that up after unpacking a poetry book.  I'll be hiking much of April.  I like writing little rhymes and hope to find inspiration to do that, maybe one every day for April?  Anyhow, I sat and read some of the poems in the book I unpacked.  I'm going to try keeping it close that I might remember and pick it up from time to time and randomly read a poem.  One of the poems I read today was “The Barefoot Boy” by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892).  Mr. Whittier is  supposedly a distant cousin?  It's a good poem.  I admit to having to lo...