DAY SEVENTY-ONE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 71.  I am excited for my impending trip to Las Vegas.  I am meeting my brothers and their spouses in Vegas for the weekend.  My friend A is coming with me too.  It is great to be seeing my siblings for the first time in a very long time.  I have to get everything organized; dogs, bird, fish, house.  Everything takes time.  Sometimes this doesn’t seem to increase my happiness for the moment but in the long run I know it will.

Until tomorrow…

DAY SEVENTY OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 70.  The Happiness Project has been something that has changed my perspective on my life.  I have worked really hard to change my surroundings to make my home a happier place.  A place that I want to be and others want to visit.  New pictures on the walls, a functioning guest room, a new office with big windows, and cleaned up backyard.  I have found it is true that you can change your level of happiness by changing your surroundings.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-NINE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 69.  Today I didn't do much around the house.  I went to help a friend for much of the day.

Then I made soup.  It is really good end of the summer soup.  It has asparagus, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, carrots, onion, corn, beans, and basil.  It was really good.

I stopped by the pet store and bought gravel and a plastic plant for the bottom of the aquarium.  I think the fish are happier now.  The seemed calmer as soon as I fed them.

The day just went by so fast.  I like watching the fish swim around.  I can hear the water in the aquarium from my bedroom.

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-EIGhT OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 68.  Today was a day of errands for the house.  I bought sheets and mattress cover for the guest room.  Why are sheets so expensive?  Just asking.  The room looks great with the bed made and comforter is on the bed.  It really ties the room together. 

I returned the shoes that I bought for Halloween that were so high that I could not walk in them.  I don't know what I was thinking!  Four inch high heels.  Those days are long over!

I went to the pet store and decided that dragging the goldfish from the pond in and out each day was becoming a drag.  The raccoons were not going away.  The best thing was to buy a cheap aquarium and put the fish inside.  So I did.  I got a 5.5 gallon aquarium and now the fish are inside.  They are a bit freaked out but I am sure they will calm down.  It is a pretty nice set up.

I also bought a Star Wars shirt.  It is sparkly and says May The Force Be With You.  I am excited because I am going to the Star Wars movie on Opening Night.  Yeah!  I am going to wear my shirt.  I am also going to bring it to see my brother.

I then bought my favorite movie: Inside Out.  I want to be able to watch Joy whenever I want.

Happy 91st Birthday Mrs. H.

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-SEVEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 67.  Another day of working on the house.  Moved a dresser into the guest room.  It was the last piece of furniture to move.  Moved a bookshelf out and a little white thing out.  We tacked the cable cord around the room so now the cable works in the room.  Just one more picture needs to be framed and the room is done.  This makes me so very happy to see this room come to completion.  I like to think a guest would feel comfortable in this room.

I had a friend come over I have not seen in months.  It was great to see her.

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-SIX OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 66.  Did you ever see someone walking a pig on a leash?  I did the other day.  It was Halloween.  The pig was dressed as a lady bug.  It was just the funniest thing.  I wish I could have gotten a better picture but I was driving and had stopped at a signal.

It makes me want a pig.  A littler pig but a pig.  This pig looks so cute!  A pig would make this house a home.  Ha Ha.

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-FIVE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 65.  Didn't work on the Happiness Project much today. 

I did go see Spectre.  It is the current 007 movie. 

It was really good.  I will not spoil it for you but make sure you don't miss the opening scene.  It is a really long 2.5 hour movie but it moves along quickly and I didn't look at my watch once.  I was lucky enough to see the movie on an IMAX screen.  I had not seen a movie on an IMAX screen before so that was a treat.

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-FOUR OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 64.  Today I put away the Halloween things and took out my few Thanksgiving things. There were a few items that I decided had lived their life.  They needed to go.  Go to the great trash/recycling/compost bin in the sky. It felt good to get rid of things. 

Two days ago it started getting cold.  When it got dark, it got cold.  Okay, not Minnesota cold but California cold.  I had to dig out my fleece jacket to walk the dogs at 5 pm.  Plus I had a long sleeve shirt and a bike type cover on.  I wished I had a scarf and gloves. 

Tonight I dug out my electric heater that looks like a little radiator and cleaned it off.  I plugged it in and now it is pumping away.  I just want to warm up the room before I go to sleep.  My fingers were blue!  Now it is Toasty!

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-THREE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

DAY 63.  Yesterday was the first day of Month Three of the Happiness Project!  But first let me recap Month Two October "Get My Work House in Order". 

If you have been reading you know the play-by-play of my office move and the new guest room.  I don't need to write anymore about that! 

Let's see about the other catagories:

• Organize office - I am about 90% done organizing the new office.  I still have to buy a shelving unit to store things.  That will help some. I also have to take a box to shredding and that will get that box out of the way.

• Avoid time wasters - I am still working on this.  It is easy to get caught up since there is so much to accomplish in this house to get it back to it's glory.

• Invoice in a timely fashion - this is my Achilles heel. I am months behind in invoicing and instead I am writing in my blog.  Ugh...

• Keep time tracked - I have been better and sometimes worse.  I try to be better.  

• Create systems - I have been working on this.  During the move I made some easier ways to keep track of things.  It is easier when you have organized and less stuff.

• Update website, keep work house in order - Have not gotten to this and since it is near the end of the year, I may just wait to update in Dec/Jan.

• Move office- DONE!!!!!

• Do it Now! - I have been better about doing things now.  I have tried to stop putting things off.  Don't put the letter down to deal with later.  Don't leave your jacket on the chair, hang it up.  I have been continuing the nightly clean up and the 1 minute rule.  I have also been keeping To Do Lists so I can keep track of things that need to be done. 

November is Make it a Home! month.

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

The categories I will be working on for the Happiness Project are:

• Get Rid of Things That Don’t Work
• Use Up What I Have
• Buy Needful Things
• Get Rid of Awful Things
• Hang Pictures that Make Me Smile
• Make it My Home
• Design a Sanctuary for Refuge
• Let it go!

I have already been working on the picture situation.  I had four pictures framed.  A picture I hung in the kitchen, my hallway and bedroom.  I have another picture that is still being framed and that will go in my office.  I also moved pictures around and now an antique mirror was moved into the guest room.  I think things look good.  

Just going through and getting rid of stuff that is no longer needed feels good.  Buying things that I like and make me smile feels good too.  I bought kitchen towels that were so cute.  They made me smile.  Funny how something so small can make you laugh!

Until tomorrow...

DAY SIXTY-TWO OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 62.  I had a hard time getting the glitter off my body.  I put glitter on my arms, chest and face.  Now I can't get it all off.  I will be glittery for days! 

My fairy wings looked great but probably not the best choice for a crowded party.  I could not move around easily.  I did get a lot of compliments for my costume.

Today I had a neighbor come over to talk about travel. She had been to many places around the globe.  She gave me some insight into places to visit and things to see.  She also spoke about traveling together. 

The poor Mets.  They lost the World Series.  They didn't get beat, they lost the series.  All the errors, the way they played.  It seemed like they didn't want to win.  They had no fire.  Too bad.

Until tomorrow...