Playing the Fool

I love April Fool's Day. I just wish I remembered it was coming before what's usually the morning of, or this year, the night before. I can never come up with a really good prank at the last minute. I usually end up just calling my mom and trying to convince her I'm stranded on the side of the road or have just been fired. Neither of those seem quite so funny this year, since my car is actually dying at intersections for no reason that any mechanic can seem to figure out (but gladly took my $$$)...and jobs are disappearing even faster than my retirement fund. And my mom now lives with me, which severely limits my ability to pull off a prank, since I can't ever manage to keep a straight face in person.

Since I won't have any good pranking stories to tell...share yours with me! Even if you just hear of a great prank a friend pulled, or something on the net. I'll share a few favorites on tomorrow's blog post.


There are a few bloggers that have thought about a unique way to celebrate April Fool's...and actually got prepared for it! They're starting a new tradition--April Food Day--a lighter way to remember to give back, just a little, when so many of us are hurting right now.

Here's the information, in case you want to check it out:

http://aprilfoodday.blogspot.com/

Finding Your Passionality

Today a friend reminded me of a site that I found long ago...one that's beautifully inspiring. This website will make you want to take your next vacation in Virginia, I warn you! This is no average travel site. The part I like best about this site is the "passionality" quiz. Here's a link to that part of the site:

http://www.virginia.org/LP/sitelet/index1.asp

I came out as a "Small Town Hound". That's me completely...and I love that they had me pegged so quickly. And the places they said I'd love? I so do! There's even a description of "a day in the life" of the Small Town Hound. The descriptions are above and beyond typical travel descriptions...they make you feel like you're there.

There's really nothing like a small town--especially the ones that have worked hard to keep their old town buildings thriving. My husband and I have spent many happy hours wandering little antique stores, art galleries, one-of-a-kind gift shops, and used book stores on small town historic squares. Stillwater, Minnesota is one of my favorites...thought Red Wing, Minnesota runs a close second. A close town that's charming is Arrow Rock, MO. (And one fun tidbit--my husband has an ancestor mentioned in the little museum in Arrow Rock. :)

Passionality...I really love that word. So evocative. We should all find our "passionality" and just live it. Too much time are spent on things that are definitely not driven by our passion. Of course, I don't want to have just one. I may be a Small Town Hound...but I'm also Nature Girl, Fairy Tale Reader, and a Weekend Birdwatcher. And who knows what else? There are old favorites and newly acquired passions. We all have a passionality as complex as our personality. Okay, enough fun with that concept--you can see I'm fascinated with it.

If you check out virginia.org, post a comment and let me know what "passionality" you have.

P.S. I've never actually taken a vacation to Virginia. But now, I can hardly wait. That's one clever travel site!

Yellow Treehouse

Look at me, several posts within twelve hours, on a weekend, no less! Chalk it up to the snowstorm. This place really keeps magic alive. Seeing this place brought me back to the treehouse my Papa built for me years ago. (It wasn't quite this elaborate, but it did have a tower, which I thought was pretty cool.)

This is a restaurant in New Zealand's redwood forest. The restaurant is shortly to close and reopen as a spot for special functions. Could you imaging getting married here?

http://myendlessinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/03/up-in-trees.html

The blog that shared this lovely story is another one of my faves, called Endless Inspiration. I also love her post about the house from the movie Practical Magic. Old houses are another happy of mine. The opportunity to explore a big, historic house is one of my very favorite things. (Okay, I have a lot of favorite things.)

By the way, wanna know what I'm doing right now? (I'll assume an emphatic "yes, please!".) I'm laying on the floor of my living room while I type this, watching for the birds to return to my patio. I'm taking pictures of a bluebird eating a worm, and the juncos battling over birdseed we scattered over the yard. I had to get on the floor, the silly birds are smart enough to fly away every time I walk near to the window. It's snowy and icy, but it's awfully nice to be snugly settled in for the day, enjoying the outdoors from a comfortable distance. There's a reason the bluebird is the bird of happiness--you can't help but smile looking at something so cheerful, even if the poor bird looks a little worse for wear from the rain.

Three Cheers for Compliments

There's nothing like getting a compliment to put a little boost in your step. When someone notices my jewelry or shirt or new haircut, it just makes my day. Today I was complimented on my wicked guitar hero skills, when I had my first solo gig at a family dinner tonight. Of course, once they told me I was great, I messed up all over the place, but it was nice to hear anyway.

Today a friend shared a great story about The Compliment Guys. There are a group of students at Purdue that are turning compliments into a social revolution...check it out!

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2009a/090313ComplimentGuys2.html

If I love compliments so much, I should probably do it more. Today I loved a friend's new hoodie, and I said so. (Actually, twice.) I think I'm going to try to give a compliment a day from now on. The friend who gave me this link is actually trying to compliment a stranger every day...that's even better.

My other happy for the day...seeing that people are starting to share happy moments like this with me. Keep it up, guys...if you hear of a great "happy" and share it with me I"ll pass it along!

Life in The Office

Some days the workplace has its challenges. Today was one of those stressful days. I actually got out of the building with a friend at lunchtime to get a little sanity back. (I usually just eat at my desk.)

But tonight was nice, despite the rainy drive home. Tonight's episode of The Office totally put all that in perspective. Tonight, Jim, Pam, Michael, and Dwight were my heroes. (And if you watched tonight, no I wasn't inspired by Michael quitting his job--I do still love mine, and feel lucky to have it, stressful days or no.) But you can't watch the Office and not walk away with a smile.

If you love the Office, you've got to check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=excBsIv_3xI&feature=PlayList&p=A77D9E23F6010482&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

Words to Imagine By

I'm loving more and more of goodreads.com. First, I found out that I won one of the free book giveaways. If you commit to reviewing the book after you read it, you can enter to win free books. I'm going to receive one called "Lexical Funk." (Obviously, it's for word lovers.)

And today, I've also discovered the quotes section. There are, of course, great classic quotes, but there are also a some interesting ones I've not heard before. There are a few I want to share today:

"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

"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

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." Steve Martin

I hope you have all found your sunshine today. :)

Fresh Perspective From an Old Tale

This is one of those email forward stories. I don't usually pass these on, but today this one struck me for some reason. Typical, maybe, I may even have read this one before...but I like the reminder that our perspective is everything. Two people can look at the same thing, and see two completely different views of the world. Trying to force myself to find another way to approach my thinking, or even just one particular problem, is usually the best way to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've found that I think doing this blog is helping my own outlook considerably--it forces me to find the good, even when it's a trial.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, the would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade pass ing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it i n his mind s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Building Hope

This is a story that reminds me there are still kind people in this world--no matter how many horrible things we do to each other. Most days the news is full of how we're tearing each other down--but this one gives hope--for this generation and the next.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/022309dana_farber_beams/

The back story on this article--this started originally with one child, and one construction worker. The child wrote (I believe it was a little boy) wrote his name and posted it in his hospital window, for the construction workers to see. The next day, he saw his name written on a beam outside his window. Now it's become a tradition that each child looks forward to. Each day, those construction workers now take the time to add that day's new names.

What I love about this is the creativity. We really can find happiness anywhere...if we're willing to put ourselves out there--open to finding it. Those children put their names on the window, inviting hope in. And those construction workers find a way to deliver.

Gotta love this one.

A Wii Bit of Fun

Things are still pretty stressful at home--my husband has a ruptured disc in his neck, and possibly one in his back. He's pretty much in agony. But we had a bit of fun today with a new Wii game...SimAnimals. I only had time to play a few for a little while, and the cat kept eating all my squirrels, but I think it has potential.

I was addicted to Zoo Tycoon, once upon a time, and this one's sure to become my next addiction.

Have I mentioned that I'm a game magnet? I have two, yes two, closets stacked with games (oh, I leave room for the occasional coat or pair of shoes, but they're mostly full of games). Some of my faves: Scene It, Outburst, Balderdash or State Fair Bingo for big groups...Scrabble, Blokus, Othello, Clue, or Risk for smaller groups. And of course virtually any card game (my dad was a poker dealer, after all).

So it was only a matter of time before the Wii found it's way into my life. But I don't think it can ever completely replace a good board game. I'm not emptying out the closet just yet!

Curling Up with a Good Website

Several friends have forwarded me info over the last few months the link to goodreads.com. Tonight I finally had time to explore...and I'm hooked already!

You get to see what your friends have read or are planning to read, and what they thought of each book. Plus you get to add "shelves" to your collection, to organize the books you've tagged. Of course, it would take me a month to shelf our entire library...now that we've combined three libraries, it's really quite ridiculous. So I'll just shelve a few favorites for now. :)

Go check it out...if you're a reader, you'll be hooked before you know it!