View Full Version : What did you do today to enjoy life?
rodeosweetheart
7-20-12, 9:19pm
I have been working so hard at my job and under so much stress that I have realized that I need to do at least one thing each day that will be enjoyable--just take the time to stop working and do something fun, or something that makes me happy. Happiness seems to be something that we can create. So I wanted to start a thread to invite anyone who wishes to participate, to see ideas that everyone does to enjoy life.
Selfishly, I thought I would read the posts and maybe get some more ideas on ways to enrich my own happiness?
I'm not moderating or responding or anything, just inviting if anyone wants to do this. Whenever--certainly you don't need to list something each day, just as the spirit moves.
So today I went to the beach at 5 with a book, swam in a VERY choppy ocean--well, it was too dangerous to swim with the big waves, but played in the waves and then sat in the sand and read a book until it started to rain. Oh, and the whole time, there was a rainbow out over the ocean, visible at one end or the other the whole hour.
That made me happy!
What a great idea for a thread!!!!
After a very busy week, I simply sat down and read a book this afternoon. Nothing else got done. It was lovely and peaceful and refreshing.
rodeosweetheart
7-20-12, 9:46pm
I'm so glad you like the idea!
Great idea. I'm trying to do this as well. Some days I work too much and have to make sure I do something enjoyable as well.
I want to share what I did yesterday - I sat by a creek near my apartment and watched the wind blow the reeds and the tall grasses with their grass seeds around. It was like nature dancing.
No point getting into too many things right now, but what I've really enjoyed recently is DH and I will just sit outside and watch the baby rabbits eat. They're so stupid and so hungry. We love watching them.
I groomed my horse for over an hour and removed the last of his winter coat. Then spent some time on his current favorite itchy spot (bug bite), scratching until he almost fell over in ecstacy.
I've been working at a place that distributes animal-themed magnets to stores all over the country. The one I have is "That barn smell is my aromatherapy". Spending time with my horse always makes me happy and he's worth all the other things I give up to be able to afford him.
Tussiemussies
7-20-12, 10:16pm
So sweet pony mom!!!
Tussiemussies
7-20-12, 10:19pm
I talked with my spiritual monitor on Skype, since they live in another country. We had a great fulfilling conversation and as we don't talk frequently it was very pleasant. Plus it was free! Love Skype!
Pedicure tonight after work.
I kill three birds with one stone. One, I get my feet and lower legs massaged. Two, I get a fairly good back massage from the delightful massage chair. Three, I can wear my sandals daily without worrying about the pain from cracked heels.
Last Thursday I was so stressed out, I went to a nail place recommended by a coworker. For $40, I got 45 minutes of bliss. Great massage chair, plus a pedi that involved a very nice foot/leg massage, two kinds of scrubs, a mask on legs wrapped in warm wet towels, and bright pink polish on my toesies. :)
And the cheese grater taken to my feet. I use a good foot file at home several times a week and would soak my feet, but I couldn't wear my sandals more than two days in a row without pain. Now, my feet are happy, don't hurt, and aren't stuck in hot shoes in this crazy weather.
iris lily
7-20-12, 11:19pm
I went to The Mall. I go to The Mall about once every 2 years. Jewelry was drawing me, I am thinking about re-setting my engagement ring and also there is a jewelry repair shop that I want to use to turn old family earrings into drop earrings. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed this sojourn, but I did manage to eliminate a ring design, and based on what it really appears to cost, I will probably not re-set my engagement ring.
Now at The Mall teenagers are not allowed there after 3 PM. Is that normal? Do your Malls have that same restriction?
try2bfrugal
7-20-12, 11:46pm
We took our dog to the dog park. He is in a separate area just for small dogs and puppies. They have so much fun chasing each other around it is fun just watching them play. It was a nice sunny day so I did some walking laps for exercise while our dog played around. We also met some friendly dog owners and had a pleasant chat.
Later on I went to a library book sale and bought some books for a $1 or less each. They were all related to frugal and simple living in some way. The library sales are my favorite place to shop because the money goes to the library and I can get a stack of books for under $10.
Every couple of days I read a few more pages in the "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards and complete an exercise or two. Currently on Ch 8 of 12, I can see that I have greatly improved from a complete disaster to mostly legible drawings =)
Tussiemussies
7-21-12, 1:05am
Every couple of days I read a few more pages in the "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards and complete an exercise or two. Currently on Ch 8 of 12, I can see that I have greatly improved from a complete disaster to mostly legible drawings =)
Hi Dhiana, I too read this book and did the exercises many years ago and saw great changes in my drawing. Isn't it such a great book!!!
Probably no surprise......I went kayaking.
I was in a grueling class (Personal Finance--I'll be teaching Economics/Personal Finance this fall) all week, all day long. I'd been relaxing for a month since school let out so this was really culture shock.
During our afternoon break I sat outside and someone had brought their beagle to have a picnic under a tree. It was cute watching the beagle run around (tail going non-stop) mostly begging for food (and being rewarded for begging by being fed.)
Went to a minor league baseball game with my husband.
Yesterday Zach got home early and I went to IKEA with my friend. I also baked a pie and a tart and went to my monthly neighborhood women's potluck. We had roast turkey and a variety of salads. A Japanese noodle salad, a spicy cucumber salad, a potato salad and caress salad. There was plenty of wine and plenty of dessert and the company was wonderful. Lovely, lovely women. We have such a cool neighborhood. It is a multi-generational, multiethnic group and we have such a good mix of commonalities and diversity. We talk gardens and art and travel and music and faith. We share our favourite restaurants and recipes. They have such an air of elegance in simplicity.
Well...last night, I went to a nearby mall parking lot where every July at dusk, hundreds of thousands of purple martins sworm the skies before they roost. It was an amazing sight as they flew in great undulating circles with a cacophony of noise so loud we could not hear each other talk. The sky turned black with them. Today, we cleaned up the front yard which always makes me feel better and then we treated ourselves to a tasty Indian restaurant lunch.
Sad Eyed Lady
7-21-12, 4:01pm
Today: I went to the Farmer's Market and bought fresh veggies
Had a wonderful meal at an Indian restaurant
Spent some time in a bookstore. Bought nothing, but looked at new magazines and books.
What a lovely question. I relaxed for an hour on my bed and finished a book I had borrowed from the library. Then I napped.
Today, our family went to a museum/park nearby to explore more of our hometown/area. I checked a pass out of the library, so it was free, and we didn't feel like we needed to get our money's worth. No pressure and we learned more about the Native Americans who lived here long ago.
I rode my scooter 12 miles to the neighboring city's Pet Parade. I felt like I was in Happy Land of small town USA. How fun and happy!
Read a library book and took a nap!!
Mighty Frugal
7-21-12, 9:43pm
I attended a family bbq. It was held by my 48 yr old cousin who is suffering from colon cancer (now in her liver and stomach as well) but she looked great-has gained weight, happy and strong. I saw loads of cousins and aunts uncles I haven't seen in a long time. Got to chat with them and my boys loved the huge bouncy castle they rented for the day. My boys loved drinking cans of ice tea and Italian arangiatta (orange pop) and I had cannelloni and salad-mmmmmm:~)
treehugger
7-22-12, 6:10pm
Yesterday, I baked a banana cake (3 overripe bananas were calling to me) with chocolate glaze. This morning, I read a couple chapters of my current book (Storm of Swords, Game of Thrones series).
rodeosweetheart, I understand the feeling that started this thread very well. I have been under such stress for years, that, now that it has dissipated, I am realizing that it's very difficult to get back to [my] normal. Chronic stress has such an effect on us, that the effect don't go away overnight, even when the sources of stress have mostly gone away. But, you're right, the simple act of choosing to do something fun every single day is a great idea.
Thanks,
Kara
Went hiking in the mountains. Also, scouted for plants for my research - and found some!
Hmm, I took a nap in the morning, it has been stressful.
Then I had some shopping victory at the fabric store. I got plain muslin to cover the speakers in the basement. The kids have kept afgans on this to keep the cat from scratching, not a good look to say the least. So I got a good start, they have unfinished muslin attached at the top with velcro and later I can hem the edges and see if I need to fasten the fabric at bottom.
I also finished a knitted blanket I have worked on for a long time, now starting the shawl for my daughter. The last project she waited for 5 years and it turned out waaay too small so I am going to get this one done much faster.
Today is our 14th wedding anniversary. I'm proud to say that. We took ds and went out for steak dinners to celebrate. Mine was just a bit too undercooked for me to ignore. I asked politely to have it cooked up a bit. This place was very customer service friendly but made a production out of making sure I was happy. The cook actually returned with my steak himself (ugh for him!) and then a manager stopped by to make sure we were happy. Way too much fuss for me! My steak was great the second time. So turn what felt like a negative into a positive, I had the waitress take a tip back to the cook as a show of appreciation for his concern and great attitude. Just a couple of bucks-nothing major. I just wanted him to know he was appreciated.
The waitress said he didn't even know how to react. In her words "no one has ever done that before around here!"
I've been smiling all evening. I have a great marriage, a great son and a little effort on my part gave a guy a lot of positive attention at work.
I've recieved tips as a cook before but I've never GIVEN a cook a tip before. Amazing how giving feels better than receiving every time.
Tussiemussies
7-22-12, 11:08pm
Yes, happy anniversary bke,
Mmm, let's see if we can revive this a lit bit...
(My spouse and I work Monday to Friday and because of our work hours we hardly see each other) So yesterday - Saturday - our babysitter arrived real early and we went out to do the first Christmas shopping. Being together again without the children felt like the good old times, we found what we were looking for real quick. So we dropped our bags in the car and went out for coffee. We talked about our work and our lives and it seemed ages ago that we had done things with just the 2 of us. Luckily we kept that feeling of being in bubble during the rest of the day. At home we made home made soup and finished the day with the movie Flipped.
Today - an extended Sunday - I slept in like I did when I was still living with my parents. I went for a walk along the Saint John river, and we baked three beautiful breads that we had over lunch (which finished 10 min's ago). During the week there isn't much fun but if all weekends could be like this than I think I can live with it :)
Yesterday, we had friends and family over for lunch and hanging out. Today we are having a late brunch with pancakes, sausage, and eggs....best part is that hubby is cooking and cleaning up :)
try2bfrugal
11-4-12, 12:04pm
We have a pleasant backyard with lots of trees. We like just sitting out on the patio and sipping tea or sherry, listening to the birds and enjoying nature. There is usually a squirrel or two running along the back fence. Yesterday evening after dark I sat out there with some green tea and enjoyed my new solar string lights while DH grilled out.
On Friday we went to a local museum with a free library pass. Today the big event is a mineral and gem show.
I guess my main relaxing hobby these days is just working on my urban homesteading / feng shui project list. The end goal is to have a minimalist house with a native plant, permaculture yard with bird feeders and fountains, and very low expenses. I am not sure it will be cost effective for us to go completely off the grid, but the end goal is to have very low utility and other recurring costs each year. So this weekend I just enjoyed every day things like making home made soup with leftovers, using my new drying racks instead of the dryer, reading a book on dehydrating foods from the library, shopping online for more solar and/or LED lights, etc.
Bike ride to breakfast, then walked thru the new palomar hotel in phoenix, admiring its design features. I love simple, free, spontaneous fun.
Square Peg
11-4-12, 4:25pm
Good thread!
I went on a date with my husband last night and today I am going to see Chinese acrobats perform.
Took a walk this morning in the rustic park along the river. It was chilly and gray and very beautiful.
Am enjoying my first fire of the season. I'm right now staring @ the flames. It's freakin' awesome!
And it's really hot. I think I might crack the door...
I recognized that, in two days, pretty much all of the hate speech and lies advertising political candidates will be over with. I enjoyed today as a result. :)
Thanks for activating this thread again. Nice to read.
I walked the dog in sunshine after a week of rain with a nice cool but gentle breeze blowing, spoke for an hour to DD1 and then prepared meals for the week so now I can relax with DH this evening and watch a movie that a friend gave us.
Blackdog Lin
11-4-12, 7:04pm
Very awesome thread. Makes me smile.
We had a delightful Sunday brunch (at home), then just chilled with football on the tube and naps. I did get all the laundry done in between all this, but that's not very hard work. Then as it was a beautiful day outside, 68 degrees and sunshine, we went out back and puttered. Finished pulling/dumping the rest of the flowerpots, figured out that tipping the patio tomato plants onto my large "outdoor chore" sheet would minimize the mess, and did that. And made several trips on the golf cart out to the brush pile in the pasture to dispose of debris, and took the dog on those rides - she LOVES rides and makes us smile when we take her. And DH lit the grill and right now there are delectable chicken thighs about ready to come in for supper. I made homemade Mexican rice to go with it - but I enjoy homemade cooking (most of the time!) so that was a labor of love.
It was the perfect Sunday - a perfect combination of lazing and enjoying the beautiful day, and accomplishing (non-strenuous) chores that needed done. I am very grateful for this day.....
I enjoyed the drive home from church - we still have beautiful fall leaves. I think this has been our longest showing of color in years.
And then I took a nap.
flowerseverywhere
11-4-12, 8:57pm
watched some sandhill cranes in a marsh down the street with my binoculars. The male was doing some kind of crazy dance, must be mating season.
Went for a swim this afternoon and listened to some free jazz music this evening.
Dug under the soil to find lily treasure, that's what I did.
It is bulb harvest time. I was ecstatic to find that my very favorite OT lily, Anastasia, has reproduced nicely in its new location, making 5 bulbs from the mother bulbs in 2 years. Who knew that this lily needs full sun? I mean it gets NO shade where it is, the sun is brutal. I've been growing this variety for ten years and have never had it reproduce at all, but have had it in shadier locations.
Here is Anastasia:
http://www.guardiangardencentre.co.uk/csp/parkers/products/large/1006006.jpg
Those are lovely, Iris Lily. I'm generally don't get excited about cultivated flowers, but they look very pretty against the greenery.
Here's what's so great about Anastasia--they are mostly downfacing flowers (which you can't tell from this photo.) So sure they are beautiful, but their form is what I like. They are tall and they look down on you as they nod gently in the wind. It's very charming. They make me feel like Alice in a Wonderland of giant flowers.
Many of the lilies developed for the cut flower trade stare stiffly outwards or even (ugh! ) point upwards.
ApatheticNoMore
11-4-12, 9:47pm
Hehehe, got a massage, hung out in the sauna of the spa as well and got nice and sauna-ed. :) Also took a walk, spent much time outdoors during my walk just sitting and doing nothing and wanting to stay there. Took a walk yesterday as well. It's gorgeous out there, sure a bit warm for this time of year, but gorgeous indian summer nontheless. Enjoying dinner as well, nice oily fish, and cauliflower with cheese and homemade tomato sauce (wait I think I'm on the wrong thread).
After a long hard day day at work (it went well, however, just krasy-busy) I stopped by one of my favorite watering holes to listen to my friends Annie, Rod, and Jason, who are THE most awesome musishans (guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin, plus Annie's stellar songwriting). Ran into a lot of people I hadn't seen in a while and had eksellent konverstaion, muh of it fokused on the upoming eletions, both national and lokal...if you are wondering why the spelling is so bad, the left portion of the bottom row of keys on this sheap keyboard are not working. I usually bang it onto the desk really hard but I don't want to wake up my roommate!
DS and I went for a swim at the pool. I wasn't feeling great at all, but we went and had a great time. I swam around (and he's getting pretty good too!), and then he would chase me. I would swim under him just as he was about to get me, and then pinch his little bottom while under him, making him squawk and laugh. it was a lot of fun.
I went to the farmers market and picked some produce that inspired me to cook. So our home today was filled with delicious smells
Went to choir practice last night...delightful! It's eight in the morning, so my certain-to-be enjoyable activity will be volunteering as an English tutor at one of the local high schools here in Israel. It's such a blast...the kids are terrific!
Gardenarian
11-5-12, 2:19pm
Enjoying Daylight Savings Time! I don't usually get up so early, but today I had a chance to go for a nice long walk before work. I'm going to try and continue getting up early - it's a shame to miss the sunrise.
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