A book for a shipwrecked situation

 "A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say 'How to Build a Boat.'"- More Quotes by Steven Alexander Wright 

Aside from a book about how to build a boat and other survival techniques (although even with a book I think I'd struggle to build a boat) I think I'd take a book that makes me feel calm. One such book is called A Town Like Alice. It's also in some respects about survival so it could also be a fitting read when stuck on an island. The book is about a woman who survives being taken prisoner in World War II and then  moves to Australia to find the man she loves who saved her when they were prisoners together. I know it sounds like a rather dark book but there are a lot of elements to it that emphasize the importance of being calm and taking things one day at a time and no panicking. Perhaps it won't get me off the island but, I figure a good book is a nice thing to have to cheer me up. If you're reading this and you're going through something difficult, I hope you can find things in your life that cheer you up. I send you best wishes and much love now and always.

Be silly together

“There is something beautiful about watching two people lovingly act silly together; behaving as though no one else existed.” ― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

There really is something so nice about seeing people happy together. When I think about that idea it makes me think about my parents and how I like seeing them being silly and laughing together. In seeing them it's almost as though I'm sharing in their joy if only because joy can be contagious in the best way. Wherever you are reading this, I hope you have people around you that bring you a lot of joy. I send you best wishes and much love always.

The Happiness Project.

I saw this lovely article today and I had to share it here. It's about a woman who started something called the Happiness Project and she's been interviewing people across all 50 states to see what makes them happiest and she's making a documentary about what she's found. To read more about that visit: https://www.wpri.com/rhode-show/local-filmmaker-explores-what-makes-people-happy-in-new-documentary/. I send everyone best wishes and much love now and always.

A beautiful piece of music

 I heard this lovely piece of music for the first time today. It's called Mozart's Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21 KV 467 "Elvira Madigan." Listening to it really made me feel at peace so I felt the need to share it here in the hope that it was the same effect on others. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

A fun joke

 I saw the joke below and had to share it here as it made me laugh.

A policeman pulls over an old man in a pickup truck because the bed of his truck is full of ducks. The officer says, “Sir, it is unacceptable to have this flock of ducks downtown, take them to the Zoo this instant!”

The old man confirms that he will and drives off. The next day the officer sees the same man in the same truck still full of ducks. Only this time all the ducks are wearing sunglasses. The officer pulls him over again and yells, “I told you to take these ducks to the Zoo!” The old man replies, “I did! But now the little buggers want to go to the beach!”

Mindfulness

I went to a meeting today where they talked about the importance of mindfulness and self care. It really made me think about how as much as I enjoy helping people and working to ensure that people feel cared about generally. I am continuing to work to improve on taking care of myself. So to that end, I make a point of talking to people I care about, making time to relax and finally, I am going to bed early tonight. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Time being enjoyably wasted

 "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." -Bertrand Russell

 

I figure things we make a point of doing aren't a waste of time. Today for example, I watched the movie Young Frankenstein because it's funny and I like laughing. Wherever you're reading this. I hope you're able to do something each day that makes you feel happy, because doing those things are never a waste of time. 

A funny argument

 I saw this really funny clip of a father "arguing" with his baby daughter. I just thought it was really sweet and it cheered me to no end to see it. So, I post the video below to send my very best wishes and much love to fathers everywhere. 

Happy ice cream Saturday

 I was happy today because I had the opportunity to eat ice cream today. I like only getting ice cream occasionally because it makes it more special when I get to eat it. Today I ate some very nice chocolate ice cream. I hope that wherever you are reading this, I hope you have many things to look forward to. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Happy Funny Friday

 I saw this video of a baby laughing and I had to share it here. I wish everyone a very happy Friday and a lovely weekend to come!

A wish for everyone

 I’m just writing to wish everyone a very happy Friday coming up. I send everyone much love now and always.

A happy Dad

 I saw this lovely video of a father congratulating his daughter Mauser for being celebrated at the Oscars . I especially liked it because his daughter is deaf and Deaf people aren’t always represented in films. Anyway, it made me feel good inside to see the father so happy and proud.I send everyone best wishes always.

One word that frees

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love." -Sophocles

 Love has always been a rather freeing thing for me. When I can show love to people I feel more myself somehow. I find that if I can focus on being kind to others I do feel better and lighter generally. Anyway, wherever you are reading this, I hope that you have many sources of love in your life and many people to show love to. I send you best wishes now and always.

Happy Birthday to my Dad

 Today is my Dad's birthday and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all he's done for me. For example, my Dad drove all the way to Massachusetts to help me with repairing my apartment and making things better for me generally. He really is the best Dad and I love him very much. To all the Dads out there, I send you lots of love and best wishes now and always.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 I’m writing to wish everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day with best wishes and much love now and always.

Love given freely

 I heard this song called "The Lotto" by Ingrid Michaelson today and I had to share it here because it's a fun song. Plus, it made me think of how the best love is given freely and unselfishly, without any expectation of return. I've found that more often then not, the more love I give the more love I feel. So in that sense I feel like loving people is sort of like winning the lotto because it makes me feel so happy. Even if that love isn't returned, it's still a nice feeling to know that I can still show love to people by doing what I can to help them feel happier.  Loving people is always worth it to me and to that end, I send everyone best wishes and much love always. 

Just a silly Friday video

 I found this video today and because I thought it was funny, I thought I'd share it here. I wish everyone a happy Friday and I send everyone best wishes and much love now and always.

Bread and peanut butter

"Man cannot live on bread alone. He must have peanut butter."-James A Garfield

 Even if you don't like/can't eat peanut butter I hope you can find something good to look forward to eating. I send everyone best wishes and much love always. 

A small thing to look forward to

 I was so pleased today when I found out that I could watch a TV series online that my parents and I liked to watch together when I was younger. It's a mystery program called Folye's War and it was really nice to be able to watch it with my Dad. (Foyle's war is about a policeman in the UK during World War II who solves all sorts of mysteries. It's really good.)  It's also nice to know that there is more than one episode to watch and so there is something to look forward to for a while. I hope that wherever you are reading this, that you find something in each day to look forward to.  I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Happy Monday

 I wish everyone a very happy Monday and a great rest of the week to come. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Favorite Superbowl Ad

 As the Superbowl is being played today and because many people (myself included) do like to watch the game just for the ads it involves, I thought I'd share an ad that I particularly like. While I know this particular ad is from a few years ago it still made me laugh. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

A lovely present

 I received a random and tee rather lovely present today from a friend who made me some masks. She knew that I love Minions so she found a pattern of fabric with Minions on it and made some masks for me. She also told me she had been asked  to make the masks for me by a mutual friend who has since passed away. Now whenever I wear these masks they will remind me of my friends and how good people can be to each other. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Happy Friday

 I wish everyone a very nice Friday evening and I send everyone best wishes and much love for the weekend to come.

The roots of all goodness

 "The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."-Dalai Lama

I feel like there's always room for more goodness and people appreciate the goodness around them and want more of it. So I say if there's something good you want to do that could help other people I hope you do it, if only to experience the happiness that can come with doing a good thing. I send everyone best wishes and much love always.

Penguins visit a zoo

 I saw this lovely video today of some penguins who were taken on a visit to the zoo rather than being part of the zoo. I just thought it was so sweet and I had to share it here because it really cheered  me up today. I send  everyone best wishes and much love always.

Pandas in the snow

 I saw this lovely video today of pandas at the National Zoo in Washington DC rolling around in the snow. I'm sharing the video here because it's snowed quite a bit where I am and these pandas remind me of how snow can be a lot of fun. I send best wishes and much love to everyone now and always. 

Getting where you want to go

“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.”- Langston Hughes


I rather like this quote as it makes me think of how if people really want to get somewhere or do something, somehow people always find a way to get where they want to be or to get things they want. If you are reading this and there’s something good you want to do that might help others, I hope you work towards that goal. I send everyone best wishes and much love now and always.