Happy New Year's Eve!

 Here it is, my final blog of the year.  2021 has been a long year.  I wrote a little personal review of my year and posted it in my Odds and Ends blog.

Here are some happy things from today:

• For the last few weeks I have been moving around a bag I have that contains some coloring books and colored pencils.  Today I finally colored a little.  I find that coloring can be very relaxing and calming.  

Just a little bit of color so far.

• There are now five books that I am in the middle of 'reading'.  Two of them are misplaced, one sits on my bed (where I want them to be), one is an audiobook on my phone and the last I downloaded onto my phone's Kindle app this morning and read the first chapter.  Reading is good.  Finding the ones I misplaced would be better.  :) 
• I did a revamp of my bucket list.  I have been working on it off and on for a few weeks.  The link still works, but that links to a spreadsheet that organizes things better.  Ideally more things will be checked off in the coming year.  Or just go to the spreadsheet if you're interested.
• Keziah had a “Toast the New Year Jamboree” party to celebrate, in her words, “the God Janus, the Roman God of doors.” There was toast (or bread or crackers…) and jam (or jellies or compotes…) and brie (or other cheeses) as well as other things to eat. Not too many people came this year (pandemic). It made for a nice evening with a few friends. I learned a new game called Calico.

• This year the blog was Happy Footprints so it seemed fitting that I walk out back in the melting snow and get some pictures.

Probably a chipmunk or squirrel.

Turkey... in this case walking in two directions 
creating a star shape.

Deer.

Aesop, our dog.

• There were some other pretty views from the hill.

My 2022 year of happy things will be found at this address.  I thought about leaving Blogger, but I am rather used to this site and didn't make the time to explore others.  

Happy New Year!

☮

Currently reading: Faith Hacker, by James ‘Jim’ Wilcox.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Thoughts Disjointed

A few times a week Aesop, our dog, gets to spend the day playing with other dogs at a doggy daycare.  The daycare is about a mile from where I work, but today was the first time I have had the opportunity to pick him up from there.  He was so happy to be picked up.  I've been told that he is also very glad to get there.  I think he was the last dog so was probably bored.  

One of the nice things about working late at night until late morning is the general lack of traffic.  On the way to work I might see five cars.   There are more cars on the drive home, but still not the steady stream that goes down that road after five in the afternoon.  I took a personal day today so I could use that time before the end of the year.  Driving that way to get Aesop and seeing all the traffic was a nice reminder of the ease of my current commute.  Getting Aesop and my commute are happy things for today.  Other happy things include:

• TF and I took a few hours midday and tried to get closer to defeating monsters and finding treasure in Minecraft. 
• I also got out for a walk by myself this afternoon, before picking up Aesop.  It took me a little while to clear my head, but it was a nice walk.  Not everyone has Christmas lights on still, but I got a picture of one house from down the street.

• When I got home with Aesop, Winston, the orange tabby, gave me a look.  It wasn't quite an angry cat look, but it was close.  Then I got this puzzled look...

"Why?" asks Winston, "Why did you bring that dog back to the house?"

I'm not sure that technically falls under the happy category, but I thought Winston's looks were priceless.

☮

Currently reading:  The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Hats

 A guy was nearby when I was struggling to load a bag up high at work today.  He was nice, just got under there and pushed, making it easier to place it.  The last bag to stack (which this was) tends to be the hardest to put up because the other bags are in the way.  I've worked with this man before, he seems like a nice guy.  Anyway, then he asks me where my scally cap was.  He tells me that he likes it and was wondering why I wasn't wearing it.  What I hear though is skully cap, like a skull, and I am thinking about the hat I wore around Halloween that had skulls on it.  I generally only wear hats when it is raining or snowing, to keep my glasses dry, and I explained this to him (he always wears a hat).  It was a very brief conversation.  Afterwards, I realized that he was most likely talking about the hat I wore yesterday.  When I got home, I googled it and learned that apparently the style of hat my dad used to wear is called a scally cap.  

Me, in my dad's cap.

Yesterday was the first time I wore this hat to work.  The other hats were more baseball in style with a business logo or skulls decorating them.  None of the hats are ones that I chose to own, just hats that someone left and I kept to use.  I have been trying to decide what I might want to buy to use at work for a hat.  A hat can be an expression of one's personality, interests, or hobbies.  The hats I wear in the summer to garden or hike aren't quite appropriate for work.  My winter hats are too hot.  Buying a new hat seemed like the way to go.  Until that happens, maybe I'll just wear Dad's old hat.  

Getting help with heavy lifting and a compliment on my hat, and learning that the hat is called a scally cap are my happy things for today.

☮

Currently listening to: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, as told to Jeff Guinn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Frosted Christmas Tree

 There was a light sprinkling of snow as I left for work last night.  Sometimes, when it snows at night, I notice that there is more light.  I think the snow reflects the light and everything seems a little brighter.  Or it is just my imagination.  Leaving for work the Christmas tree was lit up and I noticed all the snow on the branches from the last storm.  Sometimes, it is worth being a minute late to work to take a picture.

If the tree is moveable in a week or so I am planning to move it out by the wildlife camera.  There was something going around on Facebook that suggested this.  I might string some popcorn up on it and see what it attracts.  

The tree is my big happy thing for today.  One other thing is that a manager spoke with me today at work and I might be getting trained on something new next week.  Fingers crossed.

☮

Currently listening to: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, as told to Jeff Guinn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

The Last Monday of 2021

 Another lazy day for me.  I did get my step count in and clear the snow off the car.  I also played on Gideon's Switch to do that exercise game.  That game might be designed for kids, but I am feeling it in my arms and having fun.  Other happy things for today include:

• I might have seen a junco.  Even if it wasn't, the thought that the birds are probably around for winter made me happy.  There were birds singing outside, behind the screen and branches, and as I tried to get closer it left my line of vision.  I think the birds in the picture are sparrows.

• The clouds had muted colors and looked like a soft fluffy blanket.

• That game of Gideon's on the Switch?  Gideon is really enjoying it too.  I'm happy that he is getting more, and different, types of movement.  He will be skiing soon and there are exercises that will help him prepare for the slopes.

☮

Currently reading: The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Boxing Day

 One of the things that TF succeeds in bringing into her life is whimsy.  She is able to create it or recognize it when often I don't.  With whimsy in mind I did some online searching and found this article, 8 Ways to Keep Your Whimsy.  After that I came up with my own list of ideas for me to help bring whimsy or some happiness.  So far that list is 39 items long. Here are a few other happy things from today:

• It snowed last night.  Everything looked fresh when I took Aesop out for a quick yard walk.

• For Christmas, Gideon got a video game for his Switch for exercising.  After watching Gideon, I played for a little bit too.  It was fun and I hope to play it again sometime.

• A freind came over and visited for a little bit so Keziah could help her make a gown for SCA things.
• The Aesop late evening walk was also made more lovely by the addition of new snow.

☮

Currently reading: The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel. 

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.     

Merry Christmas!

 When I was a kid there were little craft kits, I think called Shrink Its, that you could paint and then put in the oven and the design would shrink up and become hard to use as a magnet or key chain.  It used to bother me that people could only do whatever design was purchased and not freestyle something.  Apparently, now you can.  For Christmas Keziah got me some beautiful earrings from a local artist.  The artist paints and then shrinks the design down.  

A female and male cardinal.

I got lots of other things too.  Other happy things from Christmas day:

• Keziah was happy to get the air fryer that I won at work.  We had been looking into getting one when we thought the toaster oven broke (it was a circuit).  She also liked the attachment I got for her Kitchenaid.  I think a general reorganizing of the kitchen will need to happen soon.  
• Zed and Gideon got drones.  The weather was icy and rainy so it was not a good day to take them outside.  They used them inside instead.

• Microspikes were worn today when anyone went outside.  The roads were icy and so were the sidewalks.  There is beauty in ice.

• There was laughter and love in the house today.  We got to talk online with distant family and friends.  It was wonderful to see Bel and Folke through the wonders of modern technology.  

My hope for you, dear reader, is that something made you happy today and every day.  😊

🎄 ☮ 🎄

Currently reading: The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.