A Little Happy

 It's been quite a week. I must admit that, as far as getting things done, it hasn't been a great week in way of accomplishments. I have been getting my usual things done and have been (mostly) making lists. I liked having the meal plan done. It helped me cut down on times going to the shops and there was no more trying to work out what to cook. My plan is to work on things in the freezer and make another meal plan for next week. I did have an epic fail with one of the recipes but oh well - it was due to my stupid mistake and not an error in the recipe. It's been a while since I had a fail that bad. Luckily I was able to pull something else out of the freezer and do that instead. 

Today I got up into the craft room and created something that made me smile. I had seen a Youtube video making a tiny little album. It was really easy to make but I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. After this week I decided to fill it with some nice little quotes. It gave me joy to make it and read the quotes - something a little uplifting. 

We will be going to the beach tomorrow - son lives close to one. We need to take him a couple of presents that arrived late. He was going to come up this weekend but he was close to someone who was diagnosed with Covid so is staying home instead. Luckily he is still working from home so he shall be able to continue to do that. His 'quarantine' is almost up and he's feeling fine - thankfully.

Finding Happy

At the beginning of the year I decided to participate in an 366 photo year challenge. Any long term readers of my blog will know that I find it really difficult to stick to projects. I was determined to go ahead and give it my best shot. To make things a little easier I chose to do all the photos with my phone and I decided on a theme of 'Things That Make Me Smile'. Back then I was optimistic. I was having some down days but I thought that if I focused on the good it would help my moods. Of course that was pre-Covid 19 days. I've kept on with the project. It's been a struggle sometimes but I'm glad I've kept on going.

So for another of my things that make me happy I thought I'd share my collages for the month of July. There are lots of pictures of my walks - I've already said how much joy those walks bring me, but there are other little day-to-day things.

Days 1 - 11

Days 12- 22

Days 23 - 31

Thinking of this project and this week of looking for happy it has made me realise that sometimes it's just the little things that make us happy, make us smile. It can be something as simple as beautiful skies in the morning, passing a lovely flower, doing something that brings you joy or perhaps just a simple kind word from someone.

A Crafty Life

Another thing that brings me joy is crafting. I have done some sort of crafts for years. I remember my Nana trying to teach me to crochet (an epic fail - I still can't!) and learning to cross stitch at school. I took up cross stitching a little more seriously when I was about seventeen and haven't really stopped since. There were periods when I didn't do a lot of it, but I've always had some sort of stitching around. I started doing some scrapbooking when my children were younger and that has evolved into other papercrafting. I have (sort of) learned how to knit and I can do the basics of quilting (not my favourite though). I think crafting of some sort is a great creative outlet. There is nothing quite like seeing something come together or making someone a gift and seeing their smiles when they receive it. 

My latest cross stitch that I'm working on. It's a pattern from a magazine that I've had a long time. It will be a bunny dressed in a Christmas outfit. I thought it would be something fun for my Mum. I'm hoping she'll like it. 

More mini-albums. I really need to start filling these!

It's lovely to finally be able to have my own room where I can create things. I must admit to be a little bit messy in the creative process and my room really needs a sort and a tidy. I plan on doing that once the weather cools down a bit as it's still quite hot upstairs and I can't stay up there for too long!

Do you do lots of crafts? Is there one in particular you really like? How long have you been doing it?

I can't remember a time when my Mum wasn't creative.  She would knit us lots of different things and when we outgrew them she would take them apart and wind up the wool into balls. When she retired to took some quilting lessons at the local college and has made lots of lovely quilts. My Nana was accomplished at crochet and she used to sew the gussets on thick leather gloves to make extra money. I remember her doing it when she was (seemingly to me) quite old. Mum says she had done it for years to make some extra household money as her husband was a little tightfisted. It's lovely to know that I've continued on (in some sort of way) in the crafty arts. When I pick up a needle I often think of Mum or Nana. 

Say Cheese!

Today's thing that makes me happy and brings me joy is photography. I've always enjoyed taking photos but it's only in the last four/five years that I've actually learned how to use my camera properly. Before this I was using the automatic feature on my camera. I am happy to say that I rarely if ever use that function now. If you do and you're happy with it then that's okay. I really wanted to learn what all the buttons were used for and what they all meant but never had the time (or perhaps too many other hobbies to give it a good try!). However I decided that I was going to try to get to grips with my camera (hubby had bought me a really good one). It took a lot of work, a lot of frustration (still sometimes) but I'm really getting the hang of it. I really enjoy taking photos. When I'm out there with my camera I tend to forget about everything else and just see what I can see. My Mum says that now I see things that she wouldn't even think twice about. I think photography has made me more observant. 

In the last few months it has really kept me sane. It's given me time to forget about all that's going on in the world and try to see the beauty all around me. Speaking of which, I don't like Winter in Michigan but getting out with my camera and trying to see the beauty around me has really made me learn to appreciate a part of winter. I'm still learning - seems like there is always something new to learn. There are still so many things I want to learn. When I first started getting out taking photos I was a little weary of taking my camera with me. I felt kind of silly. Now I rarely go anywhere without it. At least in that part of my life I don't care what people think of me. I don't care if they think of me as the crazy lady who is always carrying her camera with her. In fact, I'm pretty sure some people that I see on my walk each day think that of me. 

If you find something that makes you happy, make it a point to get out there and do it.

Me and my camera today on my daily walk, looking for birds and bunnies (of which there were lots!).

I prefer being behind the camera rather than in front of it. This is one I did take of myself. I was holding one of my camera while the other was on a tripod taking a photo of me. I jazzed it up in Photoshop - something I am working on getting to grips with as I like the idea of photography and art. This was certainly a challenge!

Thanks for everyone reading and commenting. Check out Jacky's blog as she's posting what makes her happy too. Dicky Bird's Nest

Happy Walking...Walking...Happy Walk

I feel I got a little bit more accomplished today. I did my regular jobs and did some more sorting. I actually got a few things listed on Ebay too. I am really ready (I think) to get rid of some of this stuff. It's not going to be easy to sort through things I especially like, but I feel the need to lighten myself of some of the things. I would really like to get the house decluttered and feel as though I have some space. At some point (I never thought I'd say this) but I would really like to move. If anything this six months spending more time at home has proved it is that this is not where I would like to end up living. Perhaps it's just a dream, but if it helps in getting things sorted through that's a good thing and, if this is where we end up, it will be with a cleaner and more breathable living space.

Okay - on to day two and the title of this post. What do I enjoy doing? I enjoy walking. It is something that has kept me sane the last six months. Just being able to get out in nature and look around, see the different animals, birds and the changing of the fields as I've walked through them has given me something to look forward to each day. It was a little dicey there for a while. The place I really enjoy walking and is closest to where I live was, for a while, one of a very few spaces open for walking in our city as all the rest were closed. It got very crowded, more trash was left and more dogs off leashes, but things have settled down a little now. During this time I did enjoy seeing people walking with their children who were enjoying nature and looking for frogs, ducks and such. 

My walking boots see a lot of action. They also keep my feet nice and dry!

Some of the lovely wildflowers I see on my walk. Things seem to change so much from week to week. There are flowers that die off and new ones that always seem to be popping up. The change of colours is amazing to watch. I love walking through the field and feeling as though I'm a million miles away from the city when I am in fact in the city. 

How about you? What is it that you enjoy doing? What has helped keep you sane in the last few months? 

A Week of Things That Make Me Happy

I've decided to take a week to look for/share things that make me happy. I'm trying to look on the bright side and cheer myself up a little. I'll try to share each day but we know how good I am at that lol.

I've done a couple things that I've been meaning to do. I ordered Magnesium and will start taking tomorrow to see if it helps with the leg cramps. Getting good sleep certainly would help my mood a bit I think. I have also ordered some dress tape - you know, the stuff that holds down fabric so you don't flash anything. No. I've not ordered a fancy dress to go somewhere lovely. I read on one of my photography groups that one of the ladies uses this tape to tape down her mask to her nose so that her glasses don't fog up when she's taking photos. I'm hoping this will help with the panicking of wearing the mask which leads to fogged up glasses, which then starts this whole heavy breathing and panicking thing.

The first thing on my list and was really easy to choose is books. They make me happy. I love to read. I always have. I can't remember a time when I didn't love to read. Books have been my companions through tough times, happy times and sad times. Reading a book takes you to places and times that you can only dream of.  A good story can make you happy, sad, can make you laugh and cry. I've been reading a lot recently. I'm certainly making a dent in the numerous books I have in the house.

I don't like shopping much but give me a good bookshop and I can spend ages in there. There used to be a lovely used bookshop in town. It wasn't very big but you could get lost in the bookshelves and all the books piled from ceiling to floor (and on the floor!). I was quite sad when it closed down. I remember the one in Ipswich when I was growing up. It was a shop that sold new books but there was so many. It was housed in a place called The Ancient House which, as it sounds is a very old building (laughs). It was built in the 15th century. When I was a child it was a bookshop with lots of little rooms with glorious windows and beamed ceilings and doorways. I found a photo (not mine) and have posted below.

Sadly it's no longer a bookshop but is a Lakeland shop that sells (apparently) kitchenware. I can't bring myself to go inside though I probably should on one visit.

Anyway, you can see why it would be a lovely place to spend a bit of time with a book. I remember sitting on the floor in the small room that housed the young adult fiction. It wasn't a very big room as I think it was still a new genre.

So books - yes, they make me happy. Even writing this brings a smile to my face. What makes you happy? I know we can all use a reminder of looking for good things even when we're feeling down.