Wedding Crasher

Wedding Crasher. 

My daughter and son-in-law attended a wedding this weekend with my two adorable grandsons. Now I'm sure when the youngest gets a little older, both he and his brother will be a tag team of cuteness, but for now his older brother represented for the both of them at the wedding ceremonies. 

Apparently he had a fabulous time, especially hanging out at the photo booth, and was quite a hit with random wedding guests. Not only did he get his picture made with his parents, but also with an older woman and a teenaged girl. I guess that smile was hard to resist. 

At one point he made himself at home when a grandmother extraordinaire pulled out the healthy snacks. He and his running buddies took a break from all the cuteness to recharge on some apple slices and fruit snacks. 

But perhaps the highlight of the evening was when he and his two friends literally crashed on the dance floor enjoying a view of the overhead lights and the blue sky above. Luckily, he had the good sense to not spill his drink as he lifted his glass to the sky. 

"Stay thirsty my friend," and don't let a party pass you by. 

The Opinion of Others

The opinions of others. 

I suppose for many of us the opinion of others matter. If you are like me you find yourself striving to be liked, and upset when you feel you are not. 

Recently, I had someone share her opinion of me. It was not very complimentary, and it hurt my feelings. I found myself battling tears for days, and really questioning myself. 

I had not asked for her opinion, but she had offered it non-the-less. I knew there was some truth in what she had said, and I think this is why it bothered me so much. As much as I had tried to change, it seemed to be part of who I was. 

I wish I could say that I just brushed off her words, and got on with life, but I didn't. I dwelled on them for weeks feeling worse each time I replayed our conversation. I found myself engaging less with others, perhaps thinking that they too might share her less than positive opinion of me. 

What I eventually realized was that I was allowing her opinion to define me. After all, it was just what she thought, and why did I give it so much credence? I kept thinking that if I could come up with enough people who felt differently, I might somehow be able to prove her wrong. 

But in doing so I would once again be defining myself through the eyes and opinions of others. Learning to not only accept yourself, but to like yourself can be a life-long struggle for some. What I've come to understand is that not everyone will like you, just as you probably don't necessarily like everyone you meet. 

Looking towards others for confirmation either positively or negatively in the long run can be counterproductive. We all can probably improve or grow, but that will never be accomplished if we hold too fast to others' opinions, and find ourselves holding back what we may have to offer to the world. 

Hygge

Hygge. 

Hygge, pronounced 'hoo-ga' is a Danish word which does not appear to have an American vocabulary equivalent. It actually is more of a feeling than a word, but since the Danish people rank highest on the happiness scale it might be worth inquiring about. 

I found a book entitled, Hygge Comfort and Food For the Soul at the library, and began reading more about this strange sounding word. 

"There are many words and terms which can be used to describe Hygge-cosiness, comfort, contentment, bliss, happiness, warmth, friendship, family, gratitude, appreciation of simplicity and the here and now."

 It appears that, "The pursuit of hygge is a way of life for Danes." The actual definition of pursuit is, "an effort to secure or attain; a quest." I've written before about the allure of quests, and found myself intrigued by this simple way of life. 

The philosophy behind hygee is that, "life needs moments of pleasure-the more the better." These moments allow people to live more mindfully, and result in a happier, less stressed life. After observing my two-year old grandson this past weekend I think he must live in a state of hygge. I think I'd like to follow his lead when even waking up is a moment of wonder as he takes on the day. 

 As I read through the book I found examples like eating cake as a way to include hygge in your daily life. Eating cake without guilt seems to go against the grain of today's world. Except, making room for a little cake in our lives might not actually be such a bad thing. I think I might see a bundtlet or two in my future. 

No wonder my walks by the lake were always so restorative as they embodied hygge to the tee. Candles, soft lights, music, warm sweaters and comfort foods are all things that bring a sense of well-being to our days, and express the idea of hygge. 

Perhaps Brene Brown says it best when she recounts, "Joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary."

Ear-resistible

Ear-resistible.

I was sitting at the Toyota dealership yesterday waiting for my car to be serviced. Suddenly I heard the familiar pop, pop, pop of a popcorn machine. Add to that the irresistible smell, and there was no turning back. 

I can honestly say that popcorn is one of my favorite foods. I probably eat popcorn almost every day. At home I pop it in a brown paper bag in the microwave without oil. I spritz it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and add a faux Parmesan made of slivered almonds, nutritional yeast, and salt. 

If truth be known my love affair with popcorn probably began at the Sears Roebuck store of my youth where the wafting scent of freshly popped corn would find me making a beeline to the center of the store money in hand. 

The movies also were never complete without the buttery goodness of movie theater popcorn. I'm assuming its cost must have been more budget friendly during my childhood because I don't think I ever watched a movie sans popcorn growing up. 

Of course, the highlight of home popping back in the sixties was always Jiffy Pop. The song played over and over in our heads, "Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop the magic treat, as much fun to make as it is to eat." I don't remember it being a regular occurance at our house, but the few times it did made a lasting impression on me. 

Over the years I've owned a variety of popcorn poppers including electric, air popper, and even a microwave variety. I've considered purchasing a glass microwave popper lately, but I don't think I really need another appliance. 

I was contemplating making a return trip to the machine, as the attendant had assured me I could have all I wanted, but unfortunately my name was called before I could retrieve a second bag. I guess we have another rendezvous in about five thousand miles. 

A Walk By the Lake

A walk by the lake. 

Cooper and I made a return visit to our favorite walking path around Lake Carolyn yesterday. Up until now the weather has been awfully chilly for spring, and the wind has prohibited taking a walk along the lake.

Cooper seemed to know where we were when we turned off the highway, and was excited to be back at our old stomping grounds. As we made our way around I found myself with mixed emotions.  Although, I am very happy to be in our new home, I couldn't help but remember how much I enjoyed our first few months in our apartment. 

One of the things I really enjoyed was the built-in community. Just walking down to get the mail might put you in contact with someone you knew. Cooper and my daily walk resulted in many familiar faces of other dog owners. Our monthly social events were always a great way to interact with others. 

It's interesting how life really does seem to be a series of trade-offs. As much as I enjoyed apartment living eventually our noisy upstairs neighbor made life pretty unpleasant, and becoming homeowners again just seemed to make more sense for the next several years. 

However, returning to the peacefulness of the lake also brought another surprise when I was able to capture a crane in flight as we rounded the corner on our walk yesterday. It wasn't until I got home and checked my pictures that I realized I had. It was just a reminder of a time in my life that will always hold a special place in my heart. 

The Last One Left

The last one left. 

This weekend we traveled to our daughter and son-in-law's home for a community garage sale. Rain had been threatening, and we were not sure what the turn out would actually be. As luck would have it we had a dry day, and plenty of customers. 

Near the end of the sale during the early afternoon an elderly gentleman pulled in to take a look around. He appeared to be in his late seventies, and as is my custom I began a conversation with him. In our short time together I learned that he had lived just down the road for sixty-one years, was a machinist by trade, and had shut down his business almost fifteen years ago. 

I inquired about his family, and he confided that he was the only one left. His actual age was eighty-eight, and he seemed to be in both good physical and mental health. We continued to talk for several minutes about how much change he must have seen in his long life. We said our good-byes, and he slowly turned his car around, and headed home. 

I looked at my daughter, and said it was sad to hear that he had outlived all of his family except for a couple of nieces who lived out of state. It reminded me of my Dad's only living sibling, Aunt Theresa who lives in Massachusetts. I then said that for many older folks the only time they may have social interaction is when they are out and about in their community taking care of errands. 

I was pleased that he had stopped by to check out our garage sale. Although, he admitted he really didn't need anything, I think maybe he did. He needed the friendly talk of another who took the time out of their day to connect with him, and let him know he still had value. 

Pinterest Page

Pinterest page. 

I was pinning something the other morning when it hit me that your Pinterest page really is a snapshot of who you are. All your interests are neatly categorized, and are easily accessible to both you, and your followers. 

What I've started doing lately is requesting that my boards be kept secret. I'm not sure if you know it or not, but when you set up a new board the notification comes across to all who follow you. 

This is how I discovered that a former neighbor of mine was pregnant before it became Face Book official. Trips people are considering, new hobbies, and interests all become public knowledge. With all the controversy over Face Book data mining, Pinterest is basically an open book. 

I kind of look at our Pinterest page as a modern day archeological dig. What books you read, or recipes you tried are all recorded for the annals of time. How you decorated your house, what crafts or projects you tried are all there for the world to see. Any passing fancy such as Zero Waste or Danish Hygge are all a window into who you are. 

I kind of feel the same way about the grocery store. I wonder if the cashier likes to speculate about the customer based on their purchases? Junk food junkie, health food nut, or even crazy cat lady might all cross his or her mind.

Technically the grocery store, the library, and Amazon all have a record of what you have bought or read. I'm not sure if that is a bad thing as long as it's never used against you in a court of law. So for now I'll probably just keep secretly pinning away.