Just Seven Joys?

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop offers writing prompts each week, and since I sometimes have a hard time thinking of appropriate thoughts to share, I defer to her varied, challenging and fun suggestions.  I chose to share the top seven things that bring me joy (yes, I had to cut it down from 1,000) and I offer my appropriate thoughts for you now.

Thing 1:  Thoughts of my children

Thing 2:  Speaking, hugging, holding, and crying with my children.

Thing 3:  Watching my children flourish in all areas of their lives. 

Thing 4:  Touching the hearts of my children, my friends, and perfect strangers.  There are no better words than "pure joy" that describes the feeling I get when this happens!

Thing 5:  Thoughts of my dog...my unconditional-loving Tootsie, who lights up my life when my children are not around.

 

Think 6:  Thoughts of the fact that an employer still thinks I have skills to offer and is willing to pay me for my service...even at my age!  (This is more of a gratitude item...but it does bring me joy twice a month when I check my bank account!)

Thing 7:  Waking up each morning (with no toe tag on) and knowing that I'm going to have a great day!  I may have challenges, but after I meet them and the clouds are blown away by the Chicago "breezes" I know that I can combine these seven joys to make the evening reflection an overwhelming joyful experience.

I wish you the most joyful of holidays that continue throughout the New Year!  

Thank you for stopping by today!  Please click on the link to Mama Kat above to read some warm and entertaining posts from her followers.

Thankful...

Giving thanks for pure joy

The voices of my family, my loves

It doesn't get any better  

This Haiku is brought to you by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  My Haiku is heartfelt; the photo is comedic relief..."Little Miss Sunshine."

Thanks for stopping by. 

First Fragment with a Star

Thank you Traci, from A Star in My Own Universe, for taking over Friday Fragments, a very happy place for us to go weekly to share bits of our lives. We also get to read about the bits of the lives of other friends.  It's always a fun place to go for me, and a great exercise in mental health to express the joys I have been blessed with over the week.

We had the most exquisite rainbow this week in Chicago.  My picture does not come close to the impact I felt as I embraced it.  It was the biggest rainbow I had ever experienced...so big, that I couldn't capture it all in one shot.  I came upon it a few minutes too late to shoot both ends of it, but the part that I was able to capture speaks for itself.  I found a little chuckle in the fact that it either began, or ended behind our local bowling alley.  I have a friend who has won many accolades in the sport, and I have come to respect all who participate.  It's not a wussy sport...it's a skilled sport that must be practiced and performed.  What I love it about bowling is the immediate gratification of accomplishment...for me that would be anything that isn't a gutter ball!  

Thank you for allowing me to share this week.  I look forward to reading and reconnecting with others who visit.

Thank you again Traci, and I wish you the best in this wonderful adventure!

Thanks for stopping by today!

My Life in Six Words?

It's Saturday Centus time...Yayyyyy!! This is the weekly challenge to create a story, poem, song, novella or Haiku from an idea or prompt given by the illustrious Jenny Matlock, Off On My Tangent. Normally we are given a DECENT amount of words to work with, but this week is payback. We are to write our autobiography using only six, that's right, words. Since I usually have to delete words from my pieces because they are too long...like this paragraph, I feel particularly challenged to sum up my life in six words, but here goes:

ETERNAL HOPE THROUGH DESPAIR AND JOY

My first thoughts were "I party like there's no tomorrow," or "finders keepers losers weepers nanny nanny." How about "eat to live; live to eat?" But then I haven't always been connected to these particular words. I think "despair" and "joy" are feelings we've all had, coming or going. But I've always had hope for "better days" through it all, especially the joyful days when I hoped to pass that feeling on to someone who needed it.


Please stop by Jenny's place and enjoy some autobiographies of my fellow Centusians! Just click on the logo below and enjoy some great reads!

Random Dozen

This is a fun meme that I found at Linda's blog, 2nd Cup of Coffee. She's changed it up a little with a Christmasy Theme. Please stop by and share a cup with her. She'll be the bright spot of your day!

Well, here goes:

1. Gingerbread: For or against? Discuss. For, until I watched the "Brothers Grimm" movie with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. A blob of black goop turned into an evil Gingerbread Man and I just can't eat it anymore!

2. Is it important to you to always stay (live) close to family? It hasn't been that important, however, recent events in my life have made me want to live closer to family.

3. Which holiday pretend character do you wish really existed? Certainly not the Gingerbread Man!

4. Which holiday movie best represents how you feel about Christmas or life? "A Christmas Carol." We get so caught up in money stuff and stuff for us, that we lose sight of the real celebration. The movie also shows how old dogs can change and learn new tricks or ways of living.

5. Is there a particular Christmas song that you're enjoying now? Any that you're tired of? I never get tired of Christmas songs. My favorite song is the Carpenter's "Merry Christmas, Darling." You may already know this, but they wrote it for a college professor of theirs whose wife had passed away and he was going to have to spend Christmas without her. I think their gift was a perfect example of the Christmas Spirit, and I get teary-eyed thinking of him listening to the song for the first time.

6. What is your favorite way to remember those less fortunate at Christmastime? At my work, we have needy families who give us wish lists. All of the items are written on snowflakes and everyone picks out a few. The gifts are returned to the school. Then we deliver the gifts to the families.

7. Does it upset you to see "Xmas" instead of Christmas? How about "Happy Holidays" etc., instead of "Merry Christmas?" "Xmas" doesn't bother me, but the politically correct crap does.

8. How many Christmas programs are you attending this month? None so far. We plan to attend a program that our neighbors are performing in.

9. Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Any chance of that dream becoming a reality? I'm from California. I've been dreaming of a white Christmas my entire life! I have had a couple since we moved to the Midwest. I don't think we will have one this year, but we may get a dusting.

10. Tell me about a Christmas present you received as a child. Pics are always nice. I received a baby doll that moved its arms and legs when you wound it up. (You need to remember that I received this doll during the dinosaur era when they were just beginning to experiment with movable limbs.)

11. How many Christmas parties are you attending this month? I am attending our office luncheon tomorrow and that will be it!

12. How do you keep yourself centered on the significance of Christmas? I get out of my selfcentered persona and concentrate on the joy and happiness of others. And, I sing "Happy Birthday Jesus" Please check out YouTube - Avery Winter-Happy Birthday, Jesus (Cactus Theater) url - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=claKP84h9EE&feature=related

Thanks for humoring me by reading this! I wish everyone the best holiday celebration ever!