Are You Happy Yet?

I think I may have read this book before, or I have read so many "Make Me Happy" books, that they are morphing!!! I picked this last summer book, to continue in my journey, to be a better person. It's hard work, and I'm already happy!!! The book, The Happiness Project:Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. How can you NOT read this book, the title is worth the price. My desire to ooze happiness, did not happen, the book annoyed me. Honestly not all of it, she had a plan for herself, and she is just sharing information, I get it. Do we need a plan? I guess it's ok, to set some goals? I think happy people don't search to be happy? My shrink once said, " Bonnie why do you think people need to be happy?" "No one is happy!" I loved that doctor!!! For years we fought over our opinion about happiness, he finally gave in, and I sent him a bill!!!
Happiness is all around, and you just have to give it a comfortable seat at the table!!! Each night, I thank the lord for my bed, I love my bed, it thrills me. Good shoes make me happy, and diet coke. Hair color makes me jump for joy, friends, family, animals. I love to open a new tooth brush, hold a baby, happy hold my heart.
I just did not feel it from this book. There were many good quotes in the book, that I will steal, and I thank her for that. Like Garrison Keillor saying, "we all fancy ourselves to be above average" love that line. Also "Everyday life seems so permanent and unshakable but, as I was reminded by these writers, in can be destroyed in a single phone call!" I have lived that sentence, and happiness found me. This quote, "Happiness is a how; not a what. A talent, not an object."
I choose to live a big life, giving and giving more. Using it up, wearing it out, all day, everyday!
I have a plan!!
So did this author, and I think she is happier for it.

It Has Been A Long Hot Summer

Before the movie began, we were sitting through the movie previews. Something that I usually enjoy, until I smelled horses!!!! I looked at Bill, and carefully asked him, "Do you smell horses, or horse s_it!!!!??? He looked at me with disbelief, and I got on my high horse!!! " They are making movies with smells these days!!!" and I do have horse whisperer powers!!! It was a strong smell, lingering. Did I mention there was a Spielberg preview about horses on the screen!! A true sad/happy horse story, and I smelled them!!! He laughed for a long time, too long!! I just blamed the heat, its been a long hot summer.
Many friends have expressed their hopes for fall to come quickly. Not I, my anxiety level is high, and its still mid August. I savor summer until the last bead of sweat falls. My house is warm, ac stays on 78 or above. I like the doors and windows open, the sun streaming in at all times. God don't change the time back, I need light. Summer is not finished with me yet, sweet summer stay.
I know its only a matter of time, and I do love the smell of pumpkin pie. Christmas delights me, and going back to school, well...its time.
Hope all my brain cells have not been "cooked" and my sense of smell has not been destroyed!!!
I find great pleasure in my ability to smell things, especially during previews!!!
Did I forget to tell you, I smelled fried chicken during "The Help?"
Praise Jesus, the heat did not get me yet!!!

Photos of the new movie coming out, "War Horse"

Not The Love Boat

Just returned from the ocean , on a big boat!!! My girl wanted to go on her first cruise, for making such good grades in her last year of college, I could not say no. So off we went. I had been on one cruise before, but that was before babies!!!
Many things I enjoy about cruising, and much that freaks me OUT!!! I love people turning down my bed and leaving me chocolates . Who doesn't?? I like when complete strangers know my name, after one day!!! Some semi-nice lady said, "Well, you know your name is on your sail pass(that you use like a charge card!)." I knew that, I just want to believe they know me, and are glad to see me!! My coffee lady, even knew I was Emma's mom!!! That is a great skill, and it says volumes about how much coffee I needed!!! I like dinning, and getting dressed for dinner. People act better when they are dressed better, fact!!! Now some of the gag moments. How about ugly people? I have never seen such people, with there guts hanging out, and no teeth, and PURE bad looking people. I was worried that there was something in the water. Not too much later, there was something in the water, a beyond skinny, too tan, drunk lady with an enormous open sore in the pool!!! So much for my pool time. The heat was so intense, that I had to take a dip, and then scrub my skin off, so the germ-germs would not choose me as a host!!!! Time to order a beverage, and it was only 9:30 am!!! Our excursions were informative and fun. I did start praying in the straw market, in Nassau, like a Pentecostal preacher! That these poor hot people, did not have to weave bad souvenirs, for all of us tourist!!!SO..I bought a fan that said, "Praise the Lord in the Bahamas!" We had fun in the sun, and did not hit any icebergs! I would have liked to see Jack coming down the banister, maybe another time.

Main Street Drive-In, 1967

My girl and I just returned from a sun-baked cruise. My blog list is long, but it will have to wait.
After not seeing a newspaper in a week, I began my morning routine turning the pages. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution Living Section, is my number one piece. Hubby grabs the sports, and we throw out world news. (CNN covers that info) I love useless information, and its never useless!!! Page two, celebrity birthdays, Dustin Hoffman is 74!! I could read no more. I was frozen in time, at the Main Street Drive-In, with my high school love. The Graduate was the big movie out, and I was going with HIM!!!! He asked me if I had seen it, and of course I lied. I had viewed the movie twice by our date, drooling with my girlfriends over Dustin Hoffman, and seeing sex on the big screen, Huge!!!! I was so excited to finally get to make-out with HIM, little did I care what was playing. We sat close to each other, both of us young and nervous. OK, he was nervous, I was about to eat him up, when Dustin Hoffman came onto the screen. I lost myself, AGAIN, to his sweet innocent self. This was one of the most important dates of my life, I was a young girl in love, and we were at the drive-in!!! The speaker crackled on the window, and my heart sunk!!! I'm in love with two people, one in this old black car and one in the movie, what was I suppose to do??? Kiss and watch the movie, it can be done. Sweet memories, came rushing toward me this morning, with the thought, Dustin Hoffman is how old??? The Graduate will always remain one of my all time favorite movies, and that night at the Drive-In on Main Street, I'm still thinking about it forty years later. Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, Happy Birthday Dusty.

Weeki Wachee

The car is about to pull out of the driveway, and I'm thinking maybe they had better leave me at Weeki Wachee Springs!!! Water seems to be my only relief these days for my springtime broken leg. Or did it happen in Winter?? Seasons run together, probably for the best?? Doctor V said this week that I could NOT take 2000 mg of Advil a day. Listening to doctors, not a strong personality trait of mine!! " I have to walk doc." She preceded to ask me if I wanted my kidneys to work for a few more years, and my stomach to stay in one piece??? "Of course but........I would like to walk also." I explained that in the swimming pool, all leg pain ceases. She had lost eye contact with me at this time!!! So I had to come up with a plan. Vacation was inching its way to be today!!! How am I going to function??? Is Weeki Wachee still around? Maybe they will hire me, to be a cougar mermaid!!!!! Thinking about it made me smile, I'm still smiling. Glorious water and a few puffs of oxygen now and then. Ship leaves out of Jacksonville, wonder if they will drop me off??? Can you use a cane under water??

Birthday Wishes

Soon to be 59 years of age.
August 1, 1952, in pea green St. Luke's Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida.
Each year I celebrate earlier and later. I'm now deep into July, and have received two gifts !! My people know me so well, no delayed gratification lives here. Not only do I "Happy Birthday" myself for months on end, I buy myself some treasures. I started today with some darling cereal bowls, two skirts and some flowers. A bunch of Gerber Daisies, for the birthday girl. You see I have learned after so many years, to buy my own gifts, and many!! There will be cards and sweet things coming for days from friends and relatives. I love them all BUT...I'm prepared if there is a lull. This is my last year in the fifties, so I have bought extra. It is just the right thing to do, and smart. Realistic expectations of humans, sometimes falters. I want to be fair, so I don't expect much, and I'm always pleasantly surprised. My people have jumped on the "Birthday Train" with me, and enjoy the silly, hoopla of celebrating for days!!! It just makes you feel so worth it, happy to be alive for another glorious year!!! Treat yourself special and see what happens.
Happy Birthdays to my dad, who turns 80, Susan and Paula my friends for life. Summer birthdays!!

How Many Books? How Many Days?

One Hundred Names For Love by Diane Ackerman, started my reading binge last week. It is a story about a stroke, a marriage and the language of healing. Brilliant book about living, in all its pitfalls and glory. My highlights on the kindle, are very random, and will not help you understand the story. They are amusing in their , out of context, form. He collected words like rare buttons. When you can't, toss drop cloths over everything, lower the heat to save energy and allow a sedated overseer to take charge. We all need a sedated overseer from time to time!!! Who knew what lay ahead. I laughed at myself remembering Dorothy Parker's quip: "What fresh hell is this?" awesome. I felt tired as wet sand!!! store this in my memory bank. Never before did I have to store someone else's trauma. Words are such small things, like confetti in the brain, and yet they color and clarify everything.Women ply the rapids of language more easily. Can you see the rhythm of this writer? Creativity is an intellectual adventure into jungles where jaguars of sweet laughter croon, with a willingness to double back, ignore fences, or switch directions at the drop of a coconut. This intimate story, touched my heart, made me cackle and required me to read slowly. July has afforded me several other jewels, A Good Hard Look, by Ann Napolitano. A novel about Flannery O'Connor's hometown in Milledgeville, Georgia with all of her wit and peacocks. Southern crazy and perfect. Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay, full tilt different from the other two books. This book may haunt you, and it will hold onto you forever. The Holocaust continues to make us examine humanity. All of these books were delicious, I ate them all up. You can feast on them also, that is what sharing is all about. Share with me some of your favorites.