TGIF....

Also, TGI...(fill in any other day of the week as the spirit moves you).

I've decided to try being happy for a change. Somebody wrote recently about changing our focus from those things that worry, grieve, and annoy us to those things that make us happy. So, here are ten things that have made or are making me happy this Friday, March 19, 2010.


1) March 19 is the feast day of St. Joseph, and since I once was a candidate for membership in the Sisters of St. Joseph, this day has many powerful, happy memories from my youth. As I recall these, I realize most of them have to do with my friend Martha: Martha sharing a smuggled bottle of orange soda after Grand Silence on our first night at 1890 Randolph; Martha loading a wheeled cart with dozens of cookies to transport them to the storeroom but first stopping at her locker to deposit a dozen or so for herself; Martha stacking a pile of Liber Usualises, the big, heavy Gregorian Chant books, on a veil spread out on the pew ahead of her as its wearer was kneeling in prayer--and when the wearer went to stand up, the Libers had her veil firmly anchored, and she sort of flopped around making (forbidden) noise. So knowing Martha--with her brilliant mind, musical and artistic talent (she taught her granddaughter Ruby how to play the recorder and the violin), and profound knack for mischief--has made and is making me happy.

2) The sun pouring into this house. It's warmer outside than it is in here, so I've got the door open.

3) In the front yard, the big old tree is suddenly covered with RED buds--is it a maple? The tree is falling apart, alas, losing its branches, but....

4) ...as I was outside sweeping up twigs and bark from the sidewalk, a long line of school children walked by two by two across the street with their teachers, and they were all singing! I don't know what they were singing, but they all knew the song by heart, and it sounded soulful and uncomplicated. Not anything like "Old McDonald"--maybe a Beatles song?

5) According to today's MR website post, the bakery downtown is doing very well, drawing in people from all over the area for its cupcakes and sweet potato cakes (pies?). Best of all, the woman who owns it is old, like me, and she's been baking all her life.

6) Day before yesterday, my BlackBerry fell out of my pocket, and a woman found it in the street, where it had been run over. She was able to call Cathy with it, and the woman turned out to be just half a block away from where we were. She didn't want any money for returning it or calling us. The BlackBerry was squashed, though, and it had to be replaced. Luckily, all the memory cards were still good.

7) My tulips are still presentable on the kitchen counter. (See the photo at the top of the post.) They look so natural in the big square lucite container (a wastebasket from BB&B), and even though they're nearly gone, they're still beautiful.

8)  I still have enough leftovers from St. Patrick's Day's corned beef and cabbage feast for tonight's supper!

9)  Peggy and Tom both chatted with me on Facebook in the wee hours of this morning.  Tom had an earache and couldn't sleep, and Peggy was up for the day in her time zone.  Sally sent an email yesterday, too. Such wonderful children.

10) The school kids just walked back to school, and they were still singing.