Happy Place: Gratefulness And Smiles

[Qoass]

Quote

 I have no idea how I helped if i did. 

Isn't it funny how sometimes things we do without a thought are huge to other people?  Both good and bad.

[JTMacc99]

18 minutes ago, Qoass said:

Isn't it funny how sometimes things we do without a thought are huge to other people?  Both good and bad.

Yes.

This falls under my general category of: Stupid Feelings. They need to shut up and leave us alone.

[NutMeg]

3 hours ago, Qoass said:

Isn't it funny how sometimes things we do without a thought are huge to other people?  Both good and bad.

I know. If I had had to make a list of people I helped, I would have been stuck and I'd never thought I had helped her. In this case, I would really have thought she had been badly affected by me, because our interactions were not all smiles and rainbows. So color me surprised :) and add a rainbow for good measure, because this is so rare and precious :)

[BooksRule]

This morning, as I was heading to the elevator to go up to my office, I heard the custodian (who was cleaning one of the restrooms) whistling 'Over there' to himself.  As I entered the elevator, I found myself quietly singing 'Over there.  Over there.  Send the word, send the word over there.  That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming....'  Luckily, the tune didn't stick with me all day as an earworm, but it made me smile to find myself singing any kind of tune that early in the morning.

[walnutqueen]

31 minutes ago, forumfish said:

Gratefulness: the rain we're getting.

Smiles: in the car, on Sirius XM's 70s channel, I heard "Who'll Stop the Rain" followed by "I Can See Clearly Now (the rain is gone)" and then, on the Classic Vinyl channel, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" -- consecutively, while driving in the rain. I hit a few more buttons, half expecting to find "Here Comes the Rain Again" on the 80s channel, or "Texas Flood" on the blues channel. Hmm, had I found a country channel, I might have heard "I Love a Rainy Night." Hee!

Crapballs I'm old enough to recognize all those songs.

[JTMacc99]

10 hours ago, forumfish said:

Hmm, had I found a country channel, I might have heard "I Love a Rainy Night." Hee!

That's great!

I had a random run of "Dirty" songs play on my "everything I've ever liked" station on Pandora. It started with Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me", then AC/DC with "Dirty Deeds", then it played a couple songs before hitting me with "Dirty Little Secret" by the All-American Rejects.

Alas, I had nothing going on in my life that was remotely dirty to make the connection.

[DeLurker]

My Mom just had some family visit from Taiwan.  Her younger sister, who was only about 5 when my Mom moved to the US (GI bride), a niece, two great nieces and one of their husbands.  My Mom has gone back to visit, but probably not in the last 12 years because my Dad had health issues flare up and he wanted to go too and then I needed extensive physical rehab and needed day-to-day assistance for several years.  And now Dad's health puts traveling out of the question and he relies almost completely on Mom so she won't leave him with anyone else for more than an hour or two.

The stay was only for 10 days, but it made Mom so happy!  We don't live in the same state anymore so I only saw pictures, but everyone looked like they were genuinely happy (no forced smiles).

[walnutqueen]

10 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

My Mom just had some family visit from Taiwan.  Her younger sister, who was only about 5 when my Mom moved to the US (GI bride), a niece, two great nieces and one of their husbands.  My Mom has gone back to visit, but probably not in the last 12 years because my Dad had health issues flare up and he wanted to go too and then I needed extensive physical rehab and needed day-to-day assistance for several years.  And now Dad's health puts traveling out of the question and he relies almost completely on Mom so she won't leave him with anyone else for more than an hour or two.

The stay was only for 10 days, but it made Mom so happy!  We don't live in the same state anymore so I only saw pictures, but everyone looked like they were genuinely happy (no forced smiles).

Cherish those happy memories and etch your Mum's smiles in your brain, DeLurker.

I avoid the "feels" by making dirty old lady jokey comments, for the most part, but throw an old Mum into the picture?  I melt like blown glass.  And shatter just as easily.

I consider myself very lucky to have had a Mum in my corner for 62+ years. Now that she's gone?  I'm  adrift.  :-(

[walnutqueen]

18 minutes ago, forumfish said:

No "Dirty White Boy"?  :)

Sending non-creepy internet hugs to @walnutqueen.

I LIVE for "non-creepy"!!!  :-)

[JTMacc99]

2 hours ago, forumfish said:

No "Dirty White Boy"?  :)

I saw Foreigner in concert back when I was a kid, but at this point, there is very little of it in my playlists and radio stations. Otherwise, YES, that almost definitely would have been in the mix that dirty, filthy day. 

[DeLurker]

Dirty Boy - David Bowie

Dirty Laundry - Don Henley

Digging in the Dirt - Peter Gabriel

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I saw Foreigner in concert back when I was a kid, but at this point, there is very little of it in my playlists and radio stations. Otherwise, YES, that almost definitely would have been in the mix that dirty, filthy day. 

First concert I remember paying for?  May have been Moody Blues.  Or Cream. Or whatever.  What I DO remember?  Led fuckin' Zeppelin playing a noontime concert at my high school.  There are lots of interweb deniers, but I was there, baby!!!

[JTMacc99]

My first was Roger Waters at Radio City in NYC. Hell of a first show, yet nowhere near as cool as Zepplin @walnutqueen!

[ratgirlagogo]

3 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Led fuckin' Zeppelin playing a noontime concert at my high school.  There are lots of interweb deniers, but I was there, baby!!!

I will not deny - how would I know?  Did you go to high school in the UK?   I saw Zeppelin open for Cream in Los Angeles in 1970  - not my first concert, but my first BIG go outside my small suburb concert).  I was twelve  and my cousin drove us.

[walnutqueen]

1 minute ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I will not deny - how would I know?  Did you go to high school in the UK?   I saw Zeppelin open for Cream in Los Angeles in 1970  - not my first concert, but my first BIG go outside my small suburb concert).  I was twelve  and my cousin drove us.

Vancouver, Canada, eh.   :-)

[Qoass]

No Christina Aguilera Dirrty  love?

[Quof]

My office had a plant exchange today.  I brought some of my abundance of oregano.  In return, I got 12 dahlias.   For a $2 contribution to charity.   

[Quof]

Being randomly hit on (in a non-creepy way) is good for the soul. 

[JTMacc99]

Played in a charity golf tournament about ten days ago representing my company with three of my coworkers. I'm currently an average golfer. I've been all the way up to a "not bad" golfer at points in my life, but I'm not there right now.  There were two rounds of 18 that day on the course. I was part of the 8:00 AM group. Nobody in my group was able to get back to the reception at 6:00 PM that day because this golf course is pretty far away. On the "Closest to the Pin Competition" hole, I somehow managed to drop a shot to be only 3' 3" away from the cup. Wrote my name on the sheet and left wondering if it would hold up for the rest of the day. (Yes, I made the putt.)

As I mentioned, none of us went to the reception, which is when they hand out the awards.

Got a $50 gift certificate to their pro shop in the mail today. I figure I can probably get a shirt there and only owe them a few more dollars. Nice little surprise today!

[BooksRule]

I'm grateful that I'm still physically able to mow my yard (with a power push mower) even though I have to stop about every third lap around the yard in order to rest my knees and drink some water.  The 'smile' for today would be that every time I sat down on the front porch to rest, there was a mockingbird that would land on the handle of the mower and watch me for a minute or two, then it would jump down to the part of the yard that I just mowed and pick up bugs (it has a nest in the jasmine vines that are on the corner of my carport).  I'm glad I could help the mommy bird a little in finding some lunch for its babies!  (I guess I should also be grateful that it doesn't dive bomb me every time I go out my car, but I guess it figures I'm not a threat as long as I don't actually put my hands in the jasmine.)

[Blergh]

I'm grateful that I was able to take my 80-something mother to the cemetery to leave flowers and a card for my father on Father's Day. Yes,  I know that he's not actually around the gravestone to see said items (and they likely got turned into compost and pulp thanks to the rain that happened soon thereafter), but it was good to be able to acknowledge how much he meant (and means) to both of us and to reflect upon how things were as well as getting the chance to just have a warm conversation with her (which I know won't be for an infinite number of times in the future). Oh and I'm also grateful that we were able to get there, wish him Happy Father's Day , leave the items and leave minutes before the rain started.  Anyway, to everyone with positive experiences with their fathers in this world and otherwise, I wish you a Happy Father's Day!

[2727]

What a nice thread! Reading through it has made me smile.

[JTMacc99]

I've been having a nice time watching my daughter playing in her Little League tournament. The regular season ended, and now we're into the All-Star stuff where each team puts together a single team and they play a double elimination tournament with the winner of the area moving on to a statewide tournament I think.  

It's fun because the girls all get a special uniform that says "All-Stars".  The uniform also has their name on the back. They practice together a bunch and play a bunch of games, and because they're all pretty good, the games are more fun for them than the regular season games. And as result, they're getting better individually. My daughter is hitting 4th (she's a BIG swinger, heh) and the three girls in front of her have all homered at least once in the first two games. It's exciting. My daughter would have joined those three had the ball she hit in the last game not gone directly at the left fielder and one hopped off that girl's chest.  

She said to me after the game, first [checking to see if I was paying attention] "Did you see my hit?" and then when I confirmed I did and told her that if she hadn't hit it right at the fielder it would have gone all the way to the fence, she said "The coach said it was a good hit." I then told her she would have been like Danny (our old Labrador) panting as she ran around the bases, which she didn't deny.  After the game, the girls were treated to hot dogs, chips, drinks at the concession stand, and they all goofed around and had fun celebrating their win. They watched the slightly older boys playing and were impressed by how fast the one kid was throwing the ball.

They're just having a good time. It's really fun to watch.

Tonight they are going to play the team that won the district last year. This year's version beat a team 24-2 earlier this week. Our team is very likely going to go to 2-1 and into the loser's bracket after this game, but they're good enough to win a couple more games before eventually running into another team from a much larger town and suffering the second and therefore elimination loss. But I'm hoping it lasts until next week.

Edited June 29, 2017 by JTMacc99
Only 16-2!

[DeLurker]

Yesterday I went with my parents to a doctor 's appointment for my Dad.  Since he's in a wheelchair and his motor skills run hot & cold, it was a new experience to see what is involved for both of them.  It can be rough.

Even with my help, yesterday's transitions getting into and out of the car were a bear.

When we got to the office and were working on getting Dad out of the car, a man came out helping a woman with an oxygen tank get into her car.  As soon as he was done with that, he offered to give us a hand which  we gratefully accepted. 

Turns out he was there because his teenaged daughter had an appointment (sports injury).

It was refreshing to be reminded that there are just nice people out there.  And I should be more aware of others around me so I can offer assistance.

[Bastet]

That makes me think of several days ago when it was hot and humid -- I was at the market, and an elderly man two cars down from me finished unloading his groceries into his car around the same time as I did mine; I offered to add his cart to mine and take them both to the corral, and his relief was so disproportionate to the task -- it was a minor thing for me to do (I was going that way, anyway), but he was very happy not to have to walk there and back in weather that just saps your energy.

My smile for the day:  This evening I stopped in at the liquor store (I had a mojito craving but was low on rum) and when I went to pay via credit card, we discovered their internet was on the fritz and thus the machine wasn't working.  The clerk was apologetic, and as I began pulling cash out of my wallet, said he would give me a 20% discount for the inconvenience of not being able to pay the way I'd intended.  Now, it's just good business to do something for me under the circumstances, especially since I'm undoubtedly one of their best customers, heh, but he did it so quickly, and of his own volition -- without me asking or even being cranky about the situation (he can't help it, and I had cash on me, so no big deal - I just wanted to get home and start muddling mint) and without involving a manager.  It was a nice reminder of one of the reasons I shop "Mom & Pop" stores as much as possible.

[JTMacc99]

Watching a baseball game on tv tonight and a kid just got his first major league hit. I almost audibly cheered for him, and then during the replay they showed his mom and dad in the stands and their reaction to it. 

Heh. That's the kind of thing that gets me. Mom had her hands over her mouth as he was hitting, then took them off as the ball soared into the outfield, then up in the air as the outfielder dove and missed it, and then back to her mouth as she realized what just happened. YEARS of carting that kid to games, realizing he might have a chance, and there it was. So cool. 

Edited July 2, 2017 by JTMacc99

[Mindthinkr]

I'm grateful for all my friends. Both male and female. I watch those Real Housewives shows and it makes me so grateful that my friends are kind, supportive and loyal. 

[ratgirlagogo]

Mr Rat, my companion of 21 years collapsed at work Sunday night and was taken to the nearest hospital by two of his coworkers - where it turned out he had a pulmonary embolism!!??!   Very unpleasant dealing with the hospital bullshit but he was released on Wednesday evening, is home and on medication and I pray we will be together for the next 21 years at least.  And I turn 60 on Saturday!  so what could have been the worst week of my recent life has turned out to be the best birthday present I could ever ask for.

[Blergh]

I'm grateful that yesterday's task of juggling figurative chainsaws at work went more far more smoothly than expected.

[MargeGunderson]

My almost 21 year old cat is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; she's feeling pretty good these days. She even played with some of her stuffed mice last night. I've had her since she was 9 weeks old and she's my baby. I'm so grateful for my sweet kitty.

Also, for refrigerators with ice and water. I've never been so happy not to have to make ice cubes. It's the little things.

Edited July 4, 2017 by MargeGunderson

[Quof]

Working away in my yard, it's sticky, prickly, and the mosquitoes are having a feast on my body, so I'm about ready to pack it in.

Two random dog walkers stop and say "We just love walking by and seeing what you've done with the yard."

I got my second wind and kept going for another 30 minutes. 

[AgentRXS]

I'm grateful that the fireworks weren't too loud or overwhelming this year. I could hear them, but they were coming from a distance so far away that my Nervous Nellie cats weren't affected at all. And they seemed to stop around 1 am which isn't too bad. I guess  all the folks in my neighborhood are hard-working folks that had to get up in the AM.

[Mindthinkr]

It's on these days I have to remember that I am grateful. I went outside. The sky was clear accompanied by the symphony of cicadas and frogs. It's on days like this that I have to remember to be grateful.

 

Yes, I know I was redundant. 

[auntlada]

I love the sound of cicadas on an otherwise quiet summer day. It reminds me of my grandparents' farm.

[Blergh]

I love seeing fireflies during the twilight hours . It's one of my fave parts of summer and wish I could see them year round!

[Blergh]

While my part of the US is embroiled in a horrible heat wave, I'm VERY thankful for A/C in general AND the fact that I have a job where I work indoors instead of having to broil for a living outside!

[Trini]

Got my certification in first aid today! While I don't feel totally prepared for an emergency, I feel much better prepared. ?

[janestclair]

My best friend got her second heart transplant yesterday.  I am beyond thrilled, even though I know from experience it's not going to be easy.  It's been a 10 year, uphill battle, and now we get a fresh start.  So thankful to whoever donated their organs, but still sad for their family.  

[Blergh]

janetstclair,

 

  As sad is it must be for your friend's donor's family, at least they know that a part of their relative not only is living on but also is giving another person a chance for life they wouldn't have had otherwise! I pray that this one will be lasting.

[raven]

This gave me my smile for the day:

NASA respond's to 9 year old's job application

I'm not usually one for cute kid stories but I really liked this one.  I remember writing letters at a young age and would have been beyond thrilled to get a response like this one.

Quote

"Dear NASA,

My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job. One of the reasons is my sister says I am an alien. Also, I have seen almost all the space movies and alien movies I can see. I have also seen the show Marvel Agents of Shield and hope to see the movie Men in Black. I am great at vidieo [sic] games. I am young, so I can learn to think like an alien.

Sincerely,
Jack Davis
Guardian of the Galaxy
Fourth Grade"

NASA could have easily ignored this letter, or simply filed it away and forgotten about it.

They could have, but they didn't.

NASA's Outstanding Response

Not one to let a great opportunity slip away, the space agency took this chance to encourage the young applicant, by means of an official letter:

"Dear Jack,

I hear you are a 'Guardian of the Galaxy' and that you're interested in being a NASA Planetary Protection Officer. That's great!

Our Planetary Protection Officer position is really cool and is very important work. It's about protecting Earth from tiny microbes when we bring back samples from the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It's also about protecting other planets and moons from our germs as we responsibly explore the Solar System.

We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school. We hope to see you here at NASA one of these days!

Sincerely,
Dr. James L. Green
Director, Planetary Science Division"

In addition, a press release from the space administration says the young fourth-grader "also received a phone call from NASA's Planetary Research Director, Jonathan Rall at NASA Headquarters in Washington, to congratulate him on his interest in the position."

[Blergh]

raven,

 

 Cute story! I'm glad they actually gave the kid some incentive to work hard and want to join their team as an adult. I recall when I was about his age, I told folks at summer camp that I wanted to be an astronomer- and they said to be an astronomer, I had to extend my middle finger! Yes, it didn't take that long before my older sister told me this that was NOT the mark of an astronomer.

However; looking back I'm kind of grateful that I was able to get to that age without knowing the implications and having no memory of anyone else having ever used it in front of me.

[Blergh]

OK, since I mentioned it in the Pet Peeve thread, it's only apt I bring it up here: I GOT TO SEE THE ECLIPSE WITH MY MOTHER!!!! Neither of us had ever seen a total eclipse before in our lives (and our locale hadn't had one in centuries and won't get another one for a few more centuries).

 

Yay! It was quite amazing to see not only the sun itself look like charcoal but also for the first time in person- the Corona! Also, it was interesting to hear the neighbors cheering and see fireflies come out when day turned into night during that brief time. But most of all, I'm grateful that I WAS able to experience with my 80-something mother and that she got to have that experience.

[Cherry Bomb]

I am grateful that on September 5th I get to start my journey on my new career as a teacher. I recently graduated college back in May with a degree in Elementary Education and was lucky enough to receive employment shortly after that as a Kindergarten teacher. I am extremely excited to get this journey started and to work with these little ones minds.

[HoosierJen]

My 21-year-old daughter just started her senior year of college. She happens to be a beautiful girl....like, the kind of beautiful where people stop her on the street and she's done several modeling jobs. Because of her looks -- and her tendency to say whatever pops into her head -- it seems as if her teachers have always treated her like a dumb blonde and never expected much of her. Last fall, she took a bio class at college and absolutely loved it. After studying political science for the first two years, she suddenly decided to change her major to biology and become a doctor. I kind of had my doubts (mainly because she was now so far behind) but told her to go for it. Today, she got her MCAT scores back and she scored in the 90th percentile! I'm just so proud and so happy for her....she called to tell me and we both cried for a half-hour on the phone. It just makes me want to call all of those teachers who didn't seem to think she could do anything. 

[EighteenTwelve]

I finally got tired of the internet issues I've been having at home for the last couple of months. Not only did RCN send a technician out on a Sunday, he looked at the setup I have and the speed I was supposed to be getting, and was aghast. He told me to call the customer loyalty line and get the speed increased and the bill reduced. So I did, and they doubled the speed and reduced the bill by $30.

[JTMacc99]

That makes me very happy to hear that. 

[MargeGunderson]

My cat turned 21 today! She's was extra cuddly this morning and has been in a happy and playful mood today. It's amazing she's still pretty healthy for her age. It's my birthday too, so it's the best present I could get (she really was born at the end of August 1996 so why not share a birthday?) 

[Bastet]

That's fantastic, @MargeGunderson!  It makes me smile to read about a cat who's had 21 great years - and counting.

[Spunkygal]

11 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

My cat turned 21 today! She's was extra cuddly this morning and has been in a happy and playful mood today. It's amazing she's still pretty healthy for her age. It's my birthday too, so it's the best present I could get (she really was born at the end of August 1996 so why not share a birthday?) 

I kissed this post.

[JTMacc99]

When I was mowing my lawn after dinner last night my brain didn't go anywhere bad, as that has been the scene of many miserable hour long conversations in my head.

Instead I thought about many pork/bacon conversations I've had during my life because of the bacon appetizer my brother had the day before. That includes my theory that the reason you never see pork flavored pet food is because every part of the pig is too delicious to give to the dog. (Please don't correct me if that's not the reason.)

And then I felt the cool air of late summer as the sun set, and my brain went back 30 years to the wonderful first week back in college every August, meeting up with all of my fraternity brothers, working on the house, sharing beers and stories and just being happy.