Happiness Week 44

Last week naturally was consumed by Halloween. I don't know about you but often I'm happiest when a big event like that is over. There is so much going on that the stress of trying to pull it all together overshadows the fun. I guess if I'm honest I enjoy reflecting on the festivities more than I enjoy the festivities themselves which might seem ironic for someone who makes such a big thing of the holidays. Sure I could do less and maybe that would be smarter but I think there must be some reason why I do what I do. Some need that is otherwise unfulfilled.

A friend said yesterday on her blog Life is a Journey, Not a Destination and that is so true. Our lives are made up of the days along the journey, the destination is not the point at all and the more you focus on it the less you can enjoy the process of getting there, which is, after all, unavoidable.

In part that is the reason that I started this Happiness Project, to examine my days and look for the moments of happiness that might otherwise go unnoticed on this journey of life. It's not easy to maintain gratefulness and look at the positive and ignore the negative. And I find it a constant challenge to stay in the moment and not always move on to the next thing. Now that it is November and I have just 2 months left I admit I am looking forward to the end of this Happiness Project. Not that I regret doing it.  It has been an interesting exercise to examine the days of my life in this way and what I have found is that I am both happier and unhappier than I realized. I suppose we must all feel that way. I've certainly never met a person yet who is happy all the time. I wonder, why do we always imagine it must be better or easier to be someone else? Show me that person who believes he or she has an easy life. I want to meet him or her and sit down with a bottle of wine and have a good long chat. I think to wish you could be that person is like wishing you could be a unicorn and yet there there are many people who spend their whole life doing just that.

The older I grow the more I believe we are all perfectly imperfect.  I think the true beauty of life lies in our differences. It is by comparison that we each shine in our own special way, creating the full spectrum of light which illuminates our earth from darkness. 
 

Daily Happiness Photos - Week 44

10/29 Dramatic Skies

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I love the sky. Doing this project I have realized how often the changing skies above bring me happiness. I love nothing better than when I go outside and the sky captures my attention in some way because of it's magnificence. Even if it's from the car window as I am running errands.

10/30 Mummy Baby

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I really thought it might not get done, my mummy baby, but I did it and it turned out just as great as I imagined.

10/31 Trick-or-Treaters

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Do you remember that nervous anticipation when you were a kid and approached a door to Trick-or-Treat? I love decking out the house in a way that makes that experience special for the kids even if there aren't that many of them. I love seeing the Trick-or-Treaters in their costumes and get so excited every time the doorbell rings. My kids have a tradition of Trick-or-Treating our house when they come home. It's the best time of the day when we can all relax in front of the fire while the kids pour over their candy before bed.

11/01 Jewelry

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I like jewelry. I don't have a bunch of expensive jewelry, just some old silver stuff. I haven't bought much of any type of jewelry in years. Lately when I'd open my jewelry box I was not happy with what I saw, like on Halloween. What a mess. Not only did I not like the jewelry, the inside was covered in dust and hair. So while putting away the disaster in my bathroom created by Halloween I set out to clean my jewelry box and realized that the silver jewelry wasn't all ugly, it was tarnished from years of being ignored. It took hours but I got it all polished and I feel like I got a bunch of new jewelry without paying a dime.

11/02 The "Haunted Dining Room"

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Even though Halloween has passed I am still very happy with my haunted dining room scene even though I realized afterward that I forgot (or never had time) to put up the spider webs on the table. I always seem to forget something. Oh well, next year we'll make it "bigger and better". I've already picked up a few accent lights on clearance for next year to make it even spookier.

11/03 Little House

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I loved these books when I was a girl. Ever since a part of me has always wanted to live simply in a log cabin. I am determined to read the books to my kids. We started ages ago and haven't gotten far but today we had some time to do a little reading and the kids seemed "into it". I was happy, until 2 of the 3 fell asleep. I don't know how we'll ever make it through all 9 books at this pace. I might be reading them to the kids on my deathbed.

11/04 Weekend Time with the Kids

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I love a weekend when there is not much going on and there is a little time to play with the kids in between meals and chores.  Ainsley and I had a great time. Of course our play quickly took on a therapy aspect to it. It's so hard not to do that when you have a child like Ainsley. Still we had some fun. Evie and Adrian performed dances for us. Adrian and I watched Leave it to Beaver, the haircut episode and laughed until we cried.  Weekends are the best!

 

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To view a slideshow of the entire Happiness Photo Project click here. Confused about what this is or why I'm doing it? Click here for an explanation of what it's all about.