happiness shout out day

I've been saving these up, evidently.
Please don't think me ungrateful for reading and sharing-- I love that I can write here and connect with others, and I love that I can visit friends from all over the world at their place and connect with them!
I feel honored and humbled to be a part of the Mama community that I'm in.

my excuse: It's just that when you already write a post or two a day -and unfortunately Long-Winded seems to be my style-, and you spend the day playin', you don't have much time left for memes!


LadybugZen at collecting leaves... and other little experiences is the first to whom I owe a long overdue debt - she passed me along the Tree of Happiness. How lovely. I can't think of anything nicer.

Theresa is second at Lapaz Home Learning. She combined two memes. :) One was a "random things that make you happy", and one was "hooked on your blog, and what makes you happy" meme. What she passed on was "6 Random Things That Make Me Happy". I'm grateful that Theresa likes visiting us--the feeling is mutual, she inspires great learning among her children.

Marina of A Small Tribe has now handed me The Lemonade Award. This award is passed on to bloggers for showing great Attitude or Gratitude. How nice to be included in such a list.

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Tree of Happiness Award

Here's my list, in no particular order.

1. Blogging. Yes, it's true. I love that grabbing my camera before I head out the door is as instinctual as grabbing my bag. Even if we're walking to the store. I love that it's habit for me to write down the treasures my children give me - be they words of wisdom, humor, sass - :) - , or peeks inside their minds. I love the gratitude I feel and try to record every day - and I love trying to bring what may be be considered Special into our everyday and Ordinary. (transform "Special" Life Magic into "Ordinary" Life Magic.)

2. Liberty. Liberty is very, very important to me. I literally couldn't breathe without it. I would suffocate and perish, I am convinced.

3. The writings of Hafiz. Particularly the collection of poems called I Heard God Laughing, though I also love The Gift. He speaks to my spirit like no other, and I am ever grateful.

4. Sunlight streaming in through the window in when it's cold outside.

5. Thich Nhat Hanh. Teacher, pacifist, communicator, diplomat, Wise Man, and Gentleness itself. I hope he lives (in his current form) for another hundred years.

6. The Internet. This is such a huge part of my life, that I cannot leave it off my short-list. I love that the 'net has made school (even school-at-home) obsolete for my family. I love that I have the answer to just about any question I or my children have literally at my fingertips. I love that we can search for things in our local libraries, look for cool computer software, visit far-away places virtually, order Juice (our new word for great, inspiring supplies), and watch films on fascinating and remote cultures.
I am so, so grateful that I get to live this life in these times.

I pass this Tree of Happiness award to the following people that inspire contentment and/or happiness in me:

Molly at A Foothill Home Companion
Sheri and My So-Called Homeschool
Amber at The Nutrients of Life
NettleJuice at Flow of Love
Julie at Living Our Own Lives ( Lerend Zonder School)
Aubrey at Band of Hooligans

Thanks so much CLZ! I loved making these lists.

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Six Random Things That Make Me Happy

1) The natural light upon my kitchen table. Which is why you see so many shots centered around here.

2) Iced tea. I drink tea every day. Green tea, usually with a few bags of something else in it - raspberry, peppermint, peach, whatever took my fancy the last time I was at the store.

3) Investigations. When my children investigate things - turn over rocks, poke a stick at something, swing something around the room, jump over (and on and through) things - it makes my heart very, very happy.

4) The library. Or, libraries. I'm so grateful we have such a resource.

5) My area. I wouldn't say my town is "kid friendly", as children are perceived and treated (like so many places in the world) as Second Class Citizens by society - but we do have many goings on and places to play, learn, and grow.

6) Warm. The first time of the season I can go outside with bare feet and be warm makes me very, very happy.

And now for my list of folks who I will pass "Hooked On Your Blog/What Makes You Happy/6 Random Things" onto:
Evie at This is How We Do It
Lilly at The Woolly Artist in a Lilly Zoo.
Heart Rockin' Mama at Heart Rockin' Family
Gorgeous at How to Be an AP Parent
Sherry at Living and Learning Now
Marina at A Small Tribe
Sara at Mama Craft

Thanks, Theresa! I love sharing love! :)

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The Lemonade Award

The rules of this award for recipients:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Here's my list:
1) A very, very clean kitchen. If my kitchen is Sparkly, the rest is easy.

2) Driving for the first time all year on the freeway with the windows all the way down and the music all the way up and being soooo warm and free.

3) Sitting in my front step doorway in the evening with my laptop on my knees and a glass of cold beer next to me, writing.

4) Working the land all day and then in mid-afternoon grabbing a glass of cold beer in celebration.

5) Lilacs

6) Lemon balm

7) Hollyhocks

8) The process of cutting flowers to bring inside.

9) Being in the car on a road trip in the middle of the night. In summer time, of course. Listening to something like The Cowboy Junkies.

10) The smell of willows by the stream.

(hmmmm... there seems to be a recurring theme here.... could it be that I'm ready for Summertime?)

Ten blogs that show Great Attitude/Gratitude:
(whoof - it's a dang good thing I know and love more than two bloggers.)

Sarah at The Napping House
MamaP at My Total Perspective Vortex
Nikki at My Delight-Filled Life
The Lynch Family at Circle the World in Big
My Aunt Kathy at Four Miles North of Nowhere
My sister Kim (KKS) at Chez Nous in Maine. (she has a hundred children and keeps it together.)
Mary at Attachlings
The Mama (or Secret Agent) at Child's Play
KMDuff at Stuff About the Duffs
Theresa at Lapaz Farm

Thanks so much, Marina! I've been meaning to do gratitude posts again, so this process was most enjoyable.

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Now I really must get some things done!
I'll be sending everyone notes to say "I have something to pass on to you," but for now I really must get on with my day.
That sparkly kitchen, you know.....