Smile, Like A Robot.

Sometime, I'm not really sure when it was, I decided to be a happier person. It was a daunting task, most of my life has been spent certain that things were not going to work out. It was a practice of taking things that had been mostly decent, and events more or less positive and mining them for dark, secret, disturbing meaning. And when something bad would happen, and no life is without some pain, it confirmed my belief that existence was a catastrophe.

I spent a lot of years hiding behind addictions, which only served to bolster the illusion of persecution. Then one day it hit me. Why would life take the time to crush my spirits? What made me so important that fate would make the effort to make me miserable. Out of all the people in the world was I that important? Probably not.

But, how does a person shake off the self imposed shackles of gloom? I wasn't sure.

I started a blog, using it to expose my doubts and fears, it was a good start. Taking small things, and turning them into drama online left them exposed, vulnerable. It was no longer personal, not me against "them." "They" were now fighting a world of my creation, and "they" were losing.

Next, was a more healthy diet, vegetables, fruit, water. And coffee, of course. Coffee, first aid for the soul. Eating right makes everything seem better.

Exercise, ah the sweet pain of exertion. When I was young the Hub Bar was my reward, my escape. It was a welcome sight, and often just the thought of a cold beer and a shot of schnapps would get me through. Now, it is the gym. Weights, cables, resistance and aerobics are the way I unwind. After a grueling day the sweat and toil are blessed relief.

This post was supposed to be a list. Steps toward being happier, but that will have to wait. You are busy, and we have gone on long enough. The list will come later.

Each day you should do one thing to make be happier, if you don't know what, don't worry, a list is coming.

To close, here is a picture of me and a smiling robot, who can resist a smiling robot?

Let The Magic Come To You

Even when you don't feel like it, smile anyways.

Good Puppy, Bad Puppy

You should be sitting where I'm sitting it's so funny and cute. Our neighbor, Gary, is outside playing with his puppy as I slowly came to the realization I was smiling.

I call what I'm hearing, 'Sounds of Puppy Training.'

Come here puppy...hearing the sounds of snow being crushed by romping puppy.

Thatssss a good puppy...crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, (Puppy jumping for joy)

No puppy...NO biting!!

I said...NOOOO biting!

Goooodddd puppy...crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.

I can't wait to be able to have a pet. Up until now I've never been without an animal of some sort but when we move I will. "Be patient," says Mr. Rose. I'm trying!

National Pie Day

I know what will bring a smile to everyone's faces, baking pies, which is tomorrow's holiday, National Pie Day. I was surfing the internet looking for some ideas and thought to myself, what a great idea. Especially if you bake a pie and share it with a neighbor.

When we lived in Maine I loved doing out of the blue surprises and changing the way the day was going for someone. It was so nice to see eyes lite up and the excited chatter about whatever surprise I came up with.

I think I'll bake an apple pie. I came across Grandma's Homemade Apple Pie which you can go and see it it fits your apple pie bill.

You May Not Get Another Chance

Oh, this song brings back wonderful memories. It's short but I absolutely love this cheerful, can't sit down song. Going to work, cranking up the car's radio's volume until I was a rolling speaker.

In my twenties when I was babysitting dancing around the living room with the kids who reported it back to their moms.

As I grew older stopping to dance whenever this song came on.

Music is food for the soul. I have and always will love my tunes.


"Swingtown"

Ooo oooohhhh
Ooo oooohhhh
Come on and dance, come on and dance
Let's make some romance
You know the night is fallin'
And the music's callin'
And we've got to get down to Swingtown

We've been workin' so hard
We've been workin' so hard
Come on baby
Come on baby let's dance
Come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on

Ooo oooohhhh
Ooo oooohhhh
Come on and dance, come on and dance
We may not get another chance
You know the night is fallin'
And the music's callin'
And we've got to get down to Swingtown

Seven Days to Change the World.

Random Acts of Kindness week is February 14th through the the 20th. It seems a little silly to have schedule randomness, almost makes it seem planned. But, if it helps people actually be kind, so be it. Wouldn't it be nice if people really took it seriously this year, and were actually kind.

As the election cycle heats up we see plenty of seemingly random acts, none of them kind. Politicians saying awful things about opponents is nothing new, obviously, but when you watch, and listen, to the way they act, you can't help think this is who is going to run our country, it makes you wonder if we should revise our priorities a bit. Most of these people behave in ways that wouldn't be tolerated behind the "customer service" desk at Wal-Mart.

"I'd like to return this waffle iron."

"Oh look, he used to want this iron to make his waffles for breakfast, but now he has flip flopped (the most egregious sin) and the waffle iron is cast upon the pile of his failed breakfast policies."

"No, no, it isn't that. New information presented itself, in the form of my ever expanding waist line, and I have decided to eat more fruits, and oatmeal for breakfast."

"Oh look, everybody, he doesn't want to be overweight, he thinks he is better than the two thirds of Americans considered obese.* What does that say about his right to cash back, no, friends he gets store credit, and nothing more."

What if, for one week in February the world could stop helping each other with the meticulous dissection of individual flaws, and inconsistencies. Think of the possibilities. What if everybody could look for a way to help others feel good about themselves. Think of the things we could do together.

Picture provided by Master Smiler +Trina Emmerson 

For that one week we should all vow to look the other way when someone says something that doesn't match our opinions. For that one week we should all buy a coworker a cup of coffee. For seven days in February we should act like the bigger person, turn the other cheek, and smile at and talk to strangers. For a few short days we should try kindness.

It might not help, but it couldn't hurt. 

"We can all sink, or we can all float,

Because we're all in the same big boat."

*According to research by the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, in a report published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Sunflowers and Butterflys

I know it's winter but I want to grow some sunflowers already. Sunflowers are so sunny, bright and pretty, making me smile.

I think if we lived in a field of sunflowers we would have to be happy, smiling all the time. The butterflies are a bonus.

My neighbor has a beautiful yard full of bright different colored flowers with butterflies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds settling down here and there. Right when the last frost is done she starts planting.

One summer day I was over to say hello and standing very still a hummingbird came to investigate me. It was awesome.

What makes you smile? I love stories so do tell.

Shew...That Made Me Smile

I'm a hoarder. Not enough for an intervention or a T.V. show but I like to keep things because I just know I will use it someday. Even if the objects are covered in dust. I'll just blow off the dust when I need it. I'm also systematical.

I had a horrible head cold for New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to me~ah-choo~sniff sniff~ Needless to say, I had no energy to keep up with anything bloggish just Facebook to keep up with my family and only there briefly with tissue stuffed up my nose making me look like another nationality.

I'm getting to the smiling part, be patient.

I take a deep breath and log into my email account. Crap there is 84 emails waiting for me. Evidently life continues on for those who are not sick. How dare they. I reply to a few emails and post some for my buddies who are connected to The Whacko Blog like this one.

I go back to my emails and start deleting the ones from Pinterest and Twitter. They are just alerts. I read my favorite blogs and my tummy rumbles. I look at the time and hours have gone by. No wonder I'm hungry.

So I take a deep breath and delete it all. Now that brings a big grin to a face that no longer in danger of a nose snot overload. Gross but true. I have a peanut butter on butter toasted Wonder bread with a nice scary new horror show to watch and call it a day.

I can also cheat and call it a Resolution.

Is there anything that you do that makes you grin and sigh in relief? I love stories so do tell.