Filled With Joy

To have the eternal optimism of a dog, our dog, would be great. Buddy is always hopeful that someone will pet him between the eyes; let him outside; will give him a treat when he comes inside; feed him; sit by him when he eats; and say hello as they walk in the door. And we do, because he is always there to greet us happily as we walk in the door; let us know when the timer goes off on the oven; if a visitor is coming to the door; and if a stay cat or dog has walked within two blocks of the house. Buddy is getting kind of old. He is a good Buddy. I tried to find a new home for him shortly after we took him in. Today I realized how grateful I am no one else could take him. He is a source of joy today.

The smell of fresh bread it one of the sources of my joy today. It is delicious! Four beautiful loaves of cinnamon burst bread. Yummy! I’m grateful I have the skills to make bread.

I am loving this book. I got it for Christmas. I’ve been a fan if Mo Rocca for a long time. His writing is informational and entertaining at the same time. I highly recommend it. I love learning new things. Poor Trent has to hear the recap of every page. I’m having a lot of fun reading it. Today my joy came as I learned about Thomas Paine and why only six people attended his funeral. (Bonus tidbit: there used to be long s and short s in the English language and one looked like an f. One of them died. Thank goodness!)

Today Collin and I took on a project that has been waiting since 2007. I don’t know why it was never completed. Today we put trim in the basement hallway and it looks like a new place. I talked to the girls about it and they hadn’t ever noticed the black glue sticking out like a sore thumb. Isn’t it weird how some things can bother one person and not even be noticed by another? Today I was filled with joy as Collin has the knowledge and skills to help me. I’m so happy with the outcome.

Un-decorating day. When you are feeling it, you have to go with it. I just needed to clear some if the clutter and by 2:00 it was back to normal. Except, I could look at the new furniture settled into its new home. I like it. Buying online can be a bit scary because you don’t know what you are getting. I got exactly what I was hoping for and increased sitting space without taking up more floor space. We don’t have a lot in there. Joy for it working out.

We had such a lovely and relaxed Christmas. Everyone was home. We gathered in the living room and slowly opened Christmas gifts that had been carefully selected for each other. (This is a picture of one of my gifts - a Mr. Rogers talking figurine and favorite quote book. Perfect for me.) This Christmas season has been very difficult for me, for whatever reason. I’ve experienced a lot of anxiety and negative thoughts. That is unusual for me. But, this morning, I rejoiced in the peace of having my family around me and knowing the great love they have for each other. That was a moment of joy.