Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

1. Smile. Raise the corners of your mouth. Soon your smile will become genuine. The smile that begins as an effort and a pretense quickly grows to become genuine, and given time, a habit of happiness. In the words of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

2. Breathe deeply and slowly. Focus your entire attention on each in-breath and out-breath. Imagine drawing new clean energy in through the top of your head on each in-breath, and expelling old stale energy out the soles of your feet on each out-breath.

3. Take a quiet walk by yourself. Focus on each step and on your breathing. As stray thoughts enter your mind, thank each one, and quickly release the thought and return to a focus on your breathing and your steps.

4. Count your blessings. Make a gratitude list. You have thousands of reasons to be thankful. Be thankful for those who serve you. Make a list of those you depend upon. Everyone has many people who help along the way. Don't forget those who grow and deliver your food, keep your electricity and telephone running, provide emergency medical care, and protect the safety of your community and your nation.

5. Forgive someone for something right now. Release the resentment and anger. This practice is for you to become happier. Telling the other person that you forgive them is completely optional, and is merely a bonus.

6. Stretch your body. Do yoga, do qigong, or just stand and stretch. As a simple stretch, stand and hold your arms out to your sides forming a cross. Gently bend each hand back at the wrist until the fingers point straight upward. Twist each hand and arm in a wringing motion as if you were operating a screwdriver.

7. Turn on happy music and dance. Don't stop 'til you're tired. Dance with someone or dance all by yourself. Choose music that makes you want to move and keep moving such as Latin Fitness Dance music.

8. Spend some time with a furry friend. If you don't have your own, borrow a cat or dog to love today.

9. Be of service. Find someone who has worse troubles than you and do something nice for them today.

10. Have a conversation with God (or whatever you call your Higher Power). Approach the conversation with an attitude of gratitude rather than neediness

Last night I visited friends and their lovely 3.5 year old twin girls. B and I and my ex, met about 22 years ago and he's the only male friend I have from that time, relationship, etc that is still in my life. He's always known me more than I know myself, and never put up with my bs. When my husband, his close friend, left me, he was there for me, phoning every few weeks, trying to make sure I was ok. He's been good to me. He met the love of his life late in life and they have these amazing smart active little girls and it brings me right back to the time when my daughter was that age and he was a young bachelor, unsure around children. I remember the first time he held her as a baby, so scared he would break her. Ever present in our lives as she was growing up. Times have changed. Last night, after dinner, he and I sat down on the girls' bedroom floor and I was asked by one of them to read a bedtime story. 19 years ago you were holding my baby and now here I am, reading to your children while my girl has finished two years of university and is now a young adult. I'm so glad he and his wife are still in my lives.

Two $1.50 Michaels stamps I picked up last week when out shopping with the Trifecta. Super cute, no?

I started two cards the other day but then I couldn't find the stamps I wanted. I get SO frustrated with that. If I don't get my studio set up soon, I'm going to self combust.

You Are Optimistic

You Are Optimistic: "You Are Optimistic
Some people may consider you to be a bit too boring, but you find comfort in routine.

You are a naturally curious person. You are truly interested in how the world works.

You have very sweet and tender feelings about your friends. You truly miss your friends when you can't spend time with them.

Expression and art recharge you. You feel best when you are able to make something"

today's picture I leave with you....

sweet little Raja baby cuddling up with me for a cuddles and scratch

"Breathe deeply and slowly. Let yourself become centered - shutting out distractions. Breathe in eternal peace, and let your body fill with unconditional love."

"'In business, words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality. "
Harold Geneen

"'Remember happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. '
Dale Carnegie

"“If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it.”
—Lucy Larcom
(1824-1893); poet"

"Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us. Love is not a mere sentiment. Love is the ultimate truth at the heart of creation.
- Rabindranath Tagore

"'Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. "
Deepak Chopra

This is a shot of the flowering bush beside my walkway to my unit. I thought it was some sort of rhodo? I am not pleased with the gardening around the front of my unit so NEED to get my ass to a strata meeting and express my concerns.

A closeup of the Gerbra Daisies Mamma gave me for Mother's day. Rocketgirl gave me flowers the other day for Nursing week but alas I didn't water them so they are now soaking up water and perking up, so maybe in a few days!

Got this great silky floral lavender pillow from Home Sense. Love all the texture girly floral goodness of it! Probablly to my bedroom.

My daughter was shown this pillow a few weeks ago and she poo poo'd it. But I was so happy to see it still there and it IS Trifecta approved. Looks gorg on my charcoal gray couch. That red chair is going to have to go downstairs, this is for sure.

Also got some great scrapbooking deal at Home Sense. Prefolded 50 cards in my kind of colours for 7.99 and a couple of 9.99 pre done album kits.

Lastly we looked at some different fabric places. I could see myself wanting to get back in to it but I'm much more interested in scrapbooking. New card idea book from Michaels and the right butterfly punch from March .

Oh gawd.... our day, us being the Trifecta, started having a lovely tea at Serendipitys. It was nice and cozy, with lovely vanilla cream tea and fabulous wrap. Then we checked out Rosie's and Rutabagas. Lovely stuff there.

I just adore the Trifecta, I truely do!

vacation greetings from bed

• ugh. I've been struggling with this toothache and finally had my dentist appt for which I was expecting a clean and simple cavity fill and life would be all better and I could go on my merry little way. not so much. instead I got signed up for an emergency root canal, abx and lousy pain killers. I'm have SUCH a great time on my vacation (sorry for the sarcasm)
• so with that unexpected turn of events, I couldn't work my extra shift in my home hospital, which is lousy as I needed the money, needed the change of pace..

flowers from one of the garden beds in the strata.....

"“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
—Winnie-the-Pooh

"Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were."
Cherie Carter-Scott

"“It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion toward others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others.”"

I AM ON VACATION!!!!!!!

Live with intention.Walk to the edge.Listen hard.Practice wellness.Play with abandon.Laugh.Choose with no regret.Appreciate your friends.Continue to learn.Do what you love.Live as if this is all there is.- Mary Anne Radmacher

a consistent whiner

Wow. I've been reading back through my posts so that I can put quotes into my new quote journal. Strange, interesting, depressing and sometimes funny to read what I wrote four years ago. Some things are for sure:

1. I love my daughter, family, dog (and cat now) and friends a lot
2. I complain about stress, ankle pain, work, and weight, A LOT
3. I love Vegas, crocs, purses and scrapbooking
4. I like really great inspirational quotes but don't put them into practice
5. I post pictures of flowers from work often

Have one more night to do and then I'm on vacation!!! Not going aware but most of my days are filled with dates, appts and meetings, oh and a shift in the ER! woo hoo

"'One of the few things that can't be recycled is wasted time.'
Sean Covey"

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.
- Dale Carnegie"

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
- Epictetus"

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

• I have had an awful toothache going on for about a week now and it's just getting excruciating, spreading to my cheek, nose, headache and neck/ears. No swelling but I feel like I'm swallowing something nasty. Can't find a dentist around for an emergency visit so suffering til my appt five days from now. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
• talked with a couple who celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary today. still in love and so attentive to each other. an inspiration to all.
• good couple of dayshifts. nice quality time with patients. good staff. the PCC and unit clerks brought in a chocolate fountain and all sorts of dippers for Nursing Week which was super fantastic and today the PCC put on a special baseball themed lunch in honour of her dad's bday.
• was told something quite awful that has really sadded to me. initially a bit funny but in the big picture, not so much and quite hurtful. with my past of being treated as second best and having low self esteem, I just want people to like me. hurtful to know someone thinks I'm a "bad apple"
• did a beyond normal cleaning of the house before the potluck and it's actually a nice feeling to come home to a clean home. the floors did a good mopping. I so dislike housecleaning and even more, laundry!
• I have some amazing friends here in Abbotsford and feel so blessed they have come into my life. It was so in my plan to "disappear" into a city and just work and live a solitary life and not make new friends. Surprise to me!

"“Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.”

nursing week potluck

Tonight 8 nurses gathered at my home to do a little potluck to celebrate Nursing Week. Lots of good eats. Laughter, stories, and even a heartwarming game in the end. I work with a beautiful group of ladies. Oh and a couple of men too (though they didn't show up, ahem) Nursing is a wonderful, HARD, rewarding, challenging, satisfying, HARD, emotional, physical career. And to think mine started when I was 15 as a Candy Striper in the local hospital.......

• yes, Raja is living the good life.
• I'm hostessing along with the Trifecta, a casual potluck tonight to celebrate Nursing Week. Hope it's fun for everyone who comes. I'm still sitting in bed with a whack of housecleaning and chores to be done. Leaving it to the last minute, as always.
• Had a lovely pedicure yesterday; tried out a new spa. I really enjoyed it and my toes - are ever so pretty once again! More expensive than I'm used to, but so is everything here....
• changed the shower head in my bathroom the other day and it's fabulous. FABULOUS. By Kohler. Four different settings. I feel like I'm in a waterfall. It's too big for the shower but I don't care.
• Next week is my big dentist appt and I know I have some cavities to be redone and I think an infection brewing. My right upper mouth is so painful and I have daily headaches and can't eat anything hard, cold or hot.
• Hoping to get my Expedit shelves built while on my vacation so that I can start setting up the studio, while on vacation. I don't do well when I am searching for something and can't find it. ugh. and, meh!
• started my quote journal. going back to the beginning of my blog and writing down inspirational quotes. just random. plan to use some pages with my quote stamps and maybe decorate with the odd flower here and there. will continue with my joy journal. I really need to get my printer hooked up.
• Happy Florence Nightingale's Birthday!

Happy Nursing Week!!!

"From The Secret Daily Teachings
Every single day, no matter who you meet in the day - friends, family, work colleagues, strangers - give joy to them. Give a smile or a compliment or kind words or kind actions, but give joy! Do your best to make sure that every single person you meet has a better day because they saw you. This might sound like it is not connected with you and your life, but believe me it is inseparably connected through cosmic law.
As you give joy to every person you meet, you bring joy to YOU. The more you can give joy to others, the more you will bring the joy back to you.

May the joy be with you,"

Happy Mother's Day!!!

• I'm on my last night. It's been quite a set. We're celebrating the end of it by going out for breakfast. Eggs Benny anyone?
• Some changes are going to be coming. I might be making the blog private and closing my facebook account. I know anything put on the internet is "out there" but the interpretation of information I post, to be used professionally and personally to hurt me is unacceptable and I feel like I need to pull back, turn off, put head down. Ostritch in the sand? Walls up. I have loved blogging because I'm a good typist and it's my form of journalling and preserving some memories, a type of therapy. What to do..... sad and scarey at the time time.
• My Ikea EXPEDIT shelves finally arrived yesterday! Now to find a few friends to help me build them and mount them on to the walls. Then the fun of unpacking and finally setting up the studio will begin. YES!
• Next week is Nursing Week. Going to host a little potluck get together on Florence's birthday. Should be good times.
• Put the new fan together. Seems quiet enough. Hope it gets me through the summer.
• Still giddy about looking at my dresser. So happy to have some of the drawers in use already. Will fill the rest up on my days off. My closet is still not together and I think I may need to get under the bed storage for winter pjs and sweaters and such. Never enough closet space.... thank gawd I have it all to my own! :)
• Looking forward to seeing my mom and daughter and family on Mother's Day. We're meeting at a restaurant for a mid day meal and I'm hoping my daughter will come home with me for the night for a catch up visit.
• Dreaming daily of Vegas. Checking the prices.

if you're looking at purses....

you know I'm planning a trip to Vegas!

"“Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.”
—Orison Swett Marden
(1850-1924); author, publisher"

closeup of flowers from work.... you know how I like to take pictures of them....

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr Seuss

"Look for the gifts in everything, especially when you are facing what appears to be a negative situation. Everything that we attract causes us to grow, which means that ultimately everything is for our own good.
Adjusting to a new path and a new direction will require new qualities and strengths, and these qualities are always exactly what we need to acquire in order to accomplish the great things ahead in our life."

FEELING LIKE I HAVE MADE TOO MANY MISTAKES

"“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”
—Epictetus
(55-135); philosopher"

Well here's a little dresser update. J arrived with two of the three pieces. She was having as good of a day as I was...so oy! lol. Unfortunately with the moving, the dresser ended up with a little paint chip and the vanity got a big scratch along the top, so that's going back to be retouched up. The table wouldn't fit in her van, so it'll come in a different trip. But oh my goodness, do I LOVE my new dresser!!! So gorgeous, wow, so gorgeous. I'm so pleased. Have wiped out the drawers and slowly sorting out the clothes/intimates that deserve to be stored in it.

Stampin Up Summer mini

wow, I think this is my favorite of the whole catalogue. Mind you, I haven't got one in my hands, but saw a sneak peek online.

• I am so exhausted; I picked up a third night for OT and it was an eventful one, that's for sure. *triple sigh* Hospital has been calling 1-2 a day...ramping up for the summer.
• so let me get this off my chest. In the nursing profession.. when the employer is unable to get a nurse to come in on triple time, what does that say about working conditions?
• my furniture is coming tomorrow!!! and the lady is bringing them herself, I am so excited!!! finally some of the clothes on the floor will come up and into something so pretty! and then to decide what goes on to decorate. I know what I will be doing. Looking for pretty silver/pewter/black frames to put in my favorite pictures of family and friends. a pretty jewelry box? and my sparkley lady....ohhhh
• my daughter came and surprised me. it has been orginally planned but I never got it confirmed so it turned out surprising me, which is lovely because I have missed her so and I want to spend time with her. we did have a good visit and did some work on her room and then went out shopping. but I just couldn't keep my eyes open so she tucked me into bed and off again she went. *sigh* I wish she lived with me so badly.
• Today is national scrapbooking day and I haven't done a thing. so sad. I should have gone to a crop somewhere. my expedit shelves won't be coming until next week. I need to do some baby cards, some sympathy cards and something for a surprise!
• am enjoying having short hair more and more. some days I use more products than others. little change up here and there. need to make appt for a trim and start the lightening up procedures... my daughter has great bangs she showed off yesterday. she has beautiful silky hair.
• I bought a tower fan for my bedroom for nights but have yet to set it up. I hope it works because this room is going to be steamy when I have to sleep during the day.
• a work mate might come over tomorrow to make mother's day cards. that should be fun!

*sigh* wonder how much a frosty tropical drink will cost at the Neptune Bar? Keep on picking up the OT I guess! :)