Some happy moments in my week . . . Happiness and Gratitude

I was reading a post from a dear friend, Deb, at Days of my life.  She is doing a, Happiness Challenge, I think for the month of August.  I know I'm a little late to the game, but really, is it every too late to express happiness and gratitude!?  So here we go . . . 

On Wednesday when we woke up it was wonderfully cool!  It was the first cool day we've had for a very long time . . . It felt amazing!  We took Clara, my granddaughter, to a doctor appointment in another town about an hour away from us.  After her appointment we stopped and had lunch  at a fun little place that has kind of fancy food.  It was so good.  Clara and I both had pizza, she had, chicken, bacon, ranch and I had, Prosciutto, with fig jam, pine nuts and smoked gouda, topped with arugula,  yum!  We spent a fun day with Clara, and I was was so happy that I could help out her mom, who is a teacher and was starting her first day of school that day.  

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it sounded really delicious.  I'll be trying it soon.

I got up early on Thursday to get my hair cut.  It's one of my favorite days of the month!  I'm so grateful that I have a good friend who is also a hairdresser.  The biggest perk, she lives right around the corner from me, and that makes me happy and grateful!

That afternoon, I cleaned our, very dirty car.  And trust me when I say it needed to be cleaned!  Having a small dog that rides in the car is messy.  And even though we have a nice seat protector, the back seat still gets hair on it.  I have been struggling with back pain, but today it seemed a lot better, something I'm grateful for.  

We also made a Sam's grocery haul, and of course I got the best deal in the store . . . a rotisserie chicken!  As soon as I bring one home, I take the meat off the bones, put the carcass in my pressure cooker with onion, carrots and celery, salt and pepper.  Also, a tablespoon or so of vinegar is good to help draw out the collagen and nutrients in the bones.  I pressure it for 2 hours, let it cool and then strain it.  It will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.  I put the chicken in a container to eat throughout the week.  This night we had chicken burritos with green sauce.  I'm happy that I can make so many dishes with one chicken, and enjoy the bone broth.  Sam's Club chickens are less than five dollars, and they are delicious.

It's Friday, and today we cleaned Bob's truck.  While we were camping, Bob accidently backed into our son-in-law's truck.  It didn't even scratch Ben's truck, but it put a big dent in Bob's tail-gate.  We will take it to the body shop on Sunday to be repaired, so we cleaned it today . . . it was very dirty after our camping trip😝 All clean now!  I'm grateful that we have insurance to cover the damage, and grateful that it didn't damage Ben's truck. 

Saturday was pretty uneventful, although we did take two boxes of items that I no longer needed to Good Will.  Most of the things in the boxes were clothing, but there were also a few kitchen items I no longer used.  I'm always grateful that I can give back.  I hope someone will have use for items I donated.  

Sunday is usually a quiet day at my house.  I got up and put a roast in the oven, and made two loaves of zucchini bread.  Yummy recipe!

We watched church on Zoom this morning instead of attending church.  It was really inspiring, and made me think even more about gratitude and happiness.  It helped me remember and think about the love that I have for my family and friends, and for those around me.  My blogging friends, who feel like family,  you are loved and treasured by me!

 

Happiness is contagious!  A smile and a compliment, or simply a smile can change the way that person will look at the rest of their day!  Be kind, show love and kindness to all you come in contact with.  Be grateful for all you have, not just possessions, but for all the little things that bring you joy.  But, most of all, share that joy, happiness and gratitude with those around you!

"Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." " 

~Thomas S. Monson~

We just got home from bringing the truck to the autobody shop.  We left the keys in the drop box and came back home.  It's a very warm day today, although I can hear thunder in the distance, so maybe a rainstorm is on it's way!   I can definitely feel fall in the air.

This was a fun week of posting!  Hope to see you soon!

Be Safe . . . Hugs and Love,

Barb