Looking for Happiness

Happiness is never stopping to think if you are.--Palmer Sondreal

I must first admit that this blog is pretty self-serving. The other night (as John will attest to) I had one of my unhappy moments. The shameful thing is that I have SO much to be happy about that I'm embarrassed to admit this. As you all know I set out to hear about happiness...from y'all.
Wikipedia defines happiness as an emotion in which one experiences feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy. Online I read that research has shown that three things contribute most to happiness: 1. family and friends. The BBC reports that research shows that friendship has a much bigger effect on happiness that income. 2. religion. Research also shows that people who believe (trust) in a higher power are happier and less stressed. 3. goals. Evidently, enjoyable goals give us purpose and make us happy. Myhappiness.com says that happiness is more than just an experience of joy or pleasure. It is a state of mind where the individual feels that "life is good". I once worked with someone who was going through a lot of stuff yet admittedly "chose" to be happy each day.

So I guess I just needed to quit thinking about happiness so much and just BE happy. Nathaniel Hawthorne is quoted as saying: Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. All of your responses are listed below. They were the butterfly that alit upon me.

I shall take the heart...for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.--The Tin Woodman (Wizard of Oz)

Amy: I'm happy right now because I just had a yummy bowl of my favorite cereal (and I'm off work for the next three days).

Laura Costa: Well I just finished report cards! But that only kind of makes me happy because some of them are not so good and who wants to give bad news...so that is why I am not happy. I am happy right now because I am so content with my life. I have 2 healthy boys who are everything I could wish them to be and more. My husband is wonderful. I am so proud of him for his recent hard work on his mind and body. And...I like my family (especially my sister!)

Darlene: Because I just had my quiet time with my Lord and I feel peacefully happy knowing that He has gone before me this day and is ordering my steps.

Kristy: I'm happy right now because my oldest son just came to me and said, "Mommie, I've got bed head-can you fix it?" And I did. He then replied, Thanks, Mom, you're the best!"-doesn't take much to make me happy!!!

Sue: I am happy right now because in 7 days I will be 55 and I have been blessed because I know God, have a good family, health, home and a job.

Libby: I am happy because we do our show today at school.

Gloria: I'm happy and THANKFUL that I could take my girls/daughter-in-law, grandchildren, niece and sister out to the program yesterday and have lots of fun. I just wish you could have been along. Maybe we will do it again sometime.

Marsha: Good morning my dear. I'm happy at this very moment because I have a very happy, purring kitty sitting on my lap.

Teresa: I am happy "RIGHT NOW" as I just received a sweet e-mail from my man! Will be happy the remainder of the day as the "happiest" things in life are priceless.

Jill: I'm happy right now because my house is quiet. ALL my kids are finally back in school and my house anxiously awaits the major scrubbing that is coming today!!

Angie: I'm happy right now because we are planning a Super Bowl party with 20 of our friends and their children. Our new home allows us to sit 20 people for dining. I'm very excited.

Mickey: I am happy because
#1 I know God loves me and is in control
#2 I know that there are at least 3 children in this world that love me just because I am Granddaddy/Uncle Mickey.

Laura Etheridge: ***unprintable response ;-) *****

Michelle: Ok, I am happy because I received a phone call from someone I haven't heard from in a very long time and just thinking about my two beautiful girls and my husband and son.

Edna Ruth: I'm happy today because I woke up this morning feeling pretty good for my age. I am also happy because we just saved $200.00 on a television we bought on Friday from Best Buy then in Sunday's paper they were $200.00 lower so we went back with our receipt and got a $200.00 refund.

Gail: I am happy right now because I have a wonderful husband and son plus my Mama called and she is NOT having any problems today!!!!!

Thanks so much to everyone who responded.

How to vote (not who to vote for)

Okay so I'll get on my soap box a little here to talk about voting. I feel that we are in critical times as a nation and it is SO crucial that we pick the right person to be our next president. Please allow me to ask 4 simple questions.

1. Do you care? I am most concerned over folks who vote without doing their homework. An uninformed or thoughtless vote can really impair the process of voting in the best person. In my opinion, a person who is going to vote for a candidate based on a few tidbits of information is doing our country a disservice and probably shouldn't vote at all. So I want to ask folks: Do you care about voting and our country enough to educate yourself? A caring vote is a very careful vote. Imagine that you knew your vote would be the deciding vote...could you vote with confidence? (Please say "yes")

2. Who are you? The first step in deciding who to vote for is to first examine yourself. Pick a candidate based on your values, morals, and the skills that you deem important to lead our wonderful nation. What matters to you personally? You have to know where you stand on all the issues to "match up" with a similar candidate. Do you want a candidate with higher, lower, or the same standards as you have? Are present times more important to you, or is our country's future of great concern? Where do you stand on same-sex marriage, socialized health care, immigration, abortion, government "hand-outs", the war in Iraq...etc.

3. Are you a donkey or an elephant? In my opinion, this decision can almost matter more than the actual candidate you pick. The reason is because, whether we like it or not, politics is a game and there are essentially two teams. Most candidates don't stray from their party's stand on issues. While individual candidates do have certain differences, generally republicans are united on their stand on issues and democrats too. Therefore, first you must educate yourself on how a party stands. I liked this website: www.svgop.com/files/Differences Between Republicans and Democrats.pdf So if you can mostly agree with a party's platform, I recommend being loyal to it. Besides, although the president is our leader, the parties (majority votes) do alot of the deciding.

4. So, who gets your vote? This is obviously where you narrow it down. Remember that these are politicians playing the game and wanting your vote. Talk can be cheap. I recommend looking at the person's background. Look at them personally (are they decent people?). Look at them professionally (what have they done in life?). Don't rely on the press (especially tv) to tell you what you need to know. Sometimes background facts are obscure and simply covered up.

Now you are ready. Please vote and cast an informed vote. You'll be glad you did.

welcoming the new year...at the gyno's office

Yep, you read it right...I had my yearly appointment at the gynecologist's office on New Year's Eve. When I called to make my appointment, this was the only time I could get. My first thought was "isn't this a holiday?", thinking for sure this would buy me more time. Well, I guess when you are in the baby-delivering business, holiday "eves" aren't exactly holidays.
So I go to my appointment that morning and I already feel funny being there. In the waiting room I felt like all the pregnant ladies (and their husbands) are checking me out and thinking, "you know she's not here just for check-up, not on a holiday, she must be here because she got the funk or something". Anyhow, it doesn't take long before the dreaded moment comes...the scales. I always joke when it is check-up time: "Put me in the stir-ups, just don't put me on the scales". When I get officially weighed in each year, I always picture the "Amy's weight" line graph that must be in my chart. All the peaks and valleys (this was a peak year I must admit). Next, it's into Dr. Henderson's office for some pre-exam pleasantries. We chat for a moment and try to wrap up what my past year has involved in a few minutes of chit-chat. For the most part, I'm pretty boring, so a few minutes is ample time for me. From there I'm instructed into the exam room to "get the oil checked and tires rotated" as Dr. Henderson likes to say. The discomfort begins when he tells you to get undressed and how to wear the cape-thing they give you. I always tell John how strange it is to know that getting undressed means getting COMPLETELY undressed. Each year I debate on whether or not to take off my socks. I mean, you don't need to but somehow sitting there on the table completely naked except my black socks just seems so weird. I left them on because I have this fear that gyno's have on-going jokes between each other as to whether women they see are "sock taker-offers or not". So I get on the table and wrap the sheet around me so no one can see my butt crack out the back. Dr. Henderson gets me involved in a conversation about John's greenhouses and the drought while he examines my boobs. I can't remember what the conversation was as the exam proceeded. Then, it's over for another year and I'm behind the curtain getting dressed. As he waits back in his office for me, I rush to get all my layers back on. Behind the curtain (as some of you may know) they have a basket of tampons, sanitary napkins, and personal wipes. Like offering candy in a candy dish, I guess this basket is here just in case you need one of the items...well, as I'm rushing to get my arms back in my sweater to get out of this place, I knock off the basket. Tampons fly into the air like confetti. Then I'm on the floor, half dressed trying to quickly and neatly repack this basket. Hurrying so Dr. Henderson doesn't wonder what is taking me so long. (Picture this for a moment). So now I'm pack up, dressed, and back to his office for a few more pleasantries. All is good and I'm anticipating getting out of there when I get served my papers.... Mammogram papers. Evidently, my 40th birthday in June will be the start of another exciting procedure in my health care. Wonderful, now I have to find a holiday in June to have my boobies smashed...