Five things that make me happy:
- My own personally autographed from from Mr. Rogers, who was one of my grandparents’ neighbors. It was glued onto the front of my childhood refrigerator door, which was luckily
left to mildewarchived in my father’s basement. Yes, he spelled my name wrong, but it’s a happiness sparker nonetheless. - My neighborhood has slowly but surely developed a culture of putting out unwanted stuff for free. I just now brought home a perfectly good cedar barrel planter that just begs for me to grow another tomato plant in the garden.
- I’m currently reading a library copy of Beverly Cleary’s A Girl From Yamhill. I brought it along with me yesterday to my son’s high school, as I knew I’d be killing time for an hour or so. There I was, sitting in my uncomfortable chair in the hallway engrossed in book when I suddenly realized that I was reading Cleary’s memoir while in the actual high school that she attended. The school has not changed much since being built, and I got tears in my eyes while imagining her walking the familiar hallways. It was a moment of pure kismet.
- I currently have a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. I contend that here is nothing more intensely groan-worthy than the intoxicating scent of cinnamon rolls.
- The health and well being of my loved ones, the roof over my head and the food on my table. (Not the literal food on my table. That crud needs to be scraped off!) 😉
One thing that’s pissing me off:
- I cancelled my Oregonian newspaper subscription last month, and since I’d already paid a month in advance, I was due a partial refund. However . . . they credited me $7.52 and then immediately charged me the same amount. Their records don’t show the charge, but my credit union does. It’s been a a decidedly unfun game of phone tag, but I finally e-mailed the correct person a screen shot of my bank statement that shows the charge. Almost as much work for the $7.52 as if I’d picked it up as pennies from the ground!
Now your turn. What’s making you happy and conversely what’s pissing you off?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
5 Things That Make Me Happy:
1. I am listening to a book on CD while I work around the house.
2. The yoga studio near our house has offered a membership offer this year. I have been able to attend three classes a week (on average). My yoga skills have improved, I am more fit, and I have even lost a few pounds.
3. My husband is very supportive of me and my family. He also is very sweet to his mother.
4. Air conditioning. We have hot, humid summers in the Mid-Atlantic region and this year is no exception. We keep the house at 78 degrees and it is heavenly. It is also good for family members that suffer from seasonal allergies.
5. Good health, a decent home, sufficient food, friends, family, and neighbors that are part of our lives.
One Thing That’s Pissing Me Off:
1. Earlier this month a friend lost her husband unexpectedly. They were a very tight couple and she is bereft. I have been in contact with her several times but there is not much that can be done in this situation.
1. Our new furnace/AC unit, which kept us warm this winter and is cooling the house off nicely today, when it feels like a jungle outside.
2. Being asked to fix some heirloom jewelry for a friend, who was so pleased with it she paid me more than I asked for, took me out to lunch, and gave me some more stuff to work on!
3. The view out our kitchen windows, filled with greenery, dappled shade, and flowers.
4. My adopted daughter and her 3 yo are coming over this afternoon to visit!
5. My husband, my brothers and their families, my kids, our church, our safe and quiet neighborhood, a full frig, a tight roof, and a ccomfortable and safe place to sleep. Not everyone is so blessed.
Pissing me off – drivers who refuse to use their turn signals and turn suddenly in front of you, freaking you out.
Your son must go to Grant High School, a lady who was like my Mom lived on the hill on N.E. 41st Avenue on the Alamdea ridge sort of she was kind and loving to me..I left Portland in 1966 graduated in Grant High School – Girls Poly was too tiny, also attended Franklin High and my hubs of 41 years graduated from Lincoln Oldest High School in all of the Oregon territory..I don’t get the Oregonian anymore, the lady who was a Mom to me worked there and her husband too they were editors of that newspaper, most people don’t get the Oregonian anymore! Sad sad, we live in Vancouver and I usually take the Columbian newspaper we are newspaper readers extraordinare just not in the deep hot summers, but we do read all the time..I like your blog it is very interesting indeed…I think you are grateful for what you have, I rarely hear that anymore, Vancouver used to be a wonderful small town and affordable for food and housing, NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE, Portland one could rent and own and now it is exorbitant & full of crime and careless people! Look how they kill people on their bikes, I ride over here all the time and or take the buses, not like Portland at all..I feel badly but I detest the state of Oregon, that governor who resigned would have gotten a tongue lashing from me what a sad person who went along with a crook of a fiancé for what? he lost his governorship and his only child will be 18 soon named Logan and will find out about his dad’s complicity in a lot of illegal activities, poor man indeed..of course politics is a dirty business I found that out in California worked for a candidate and he was as dirty as they all were, I resigned and have remembered it my entire life, I was very young, but it put a sour taste in my mouth for politicians! Not everyone lives like anyone else, most lead not quiet lives of desperation, here they are hungry and homeless now and they are not quiet whereby I volunteer many hours to bake, cook, clean and sort their food baskets, it is something else and most work they just don’t make enough for anykind of nutrition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm, mmm, this post is called “Five Things That Make Me Happy & One Thing That’s Pissing Me Off”. Are you lost? I wish I had some funny comment, but all I can think to say is that this screed is just sadly misplaced.
1. leftovers for lunch after a meal out with my inlaws last night.
2.husband got up early ran an errand, working on the deck and lawn getting things done!
3.Ahead of schedule on my final paper due Thursday…the end is in sight.
4. Looking forward to 3.5 week break in grad school between classes.
5.Have holds ready for pick up at the library when we go for story hour tomorrow.
1. We have had such severe storms that they are breaking plants in the garden we are down some lettuce and a few tomato plants…..
I LOVED Mr. Rogers. I used to watch it with my daughter. Great picture and how cool that he autographed it just for you!
1) We have leftover pulled pork from the weekend, so I bought a couple of limes and some cilantro to make soft pork tacos with tonight.
2) We have leftover soda from the reunion, so I brought it home for hubby to use, since I don’t drink it – or very rarely anyway. I’m drinking the leftover bottled water. We had to buy that, since they told us not to drink the tap water at the Community Center.
3) I recycled a bag of aluminum cans today. We don’t drink out of those very often, but when we do I save the cans to recycle. I have an extra 90 cents now!
4) I dropped of an audio-book at the Library today and picked up the book “Walden on Wheels” to read. I’m not really what could be termed a minimalist, but I like reading about people who downsize their lives and do away with debt. I’m working at getting rid of the extra crap in my house. It’s a process!
5) I’m going to an out of town funeral tomorrow and hubby said he planned to go too, so he’s driving and I get to save the gas in my car.
The one thing that’s pissing me off:
1) I have subscription to Ancestry.com, since I do family genealogy as a hobby. I really dislike that they advertise a monthly charge, but they really charge $99 twice a year – once right around Christmas and at the end of June. Right during the holidays, which is very annoying if your trying to save for holidays. Oh well, it just means I need to get better at stashing money for those type of things.
B. Cleary also has a 2nd volume called My Own Two Feet about her time in college.
What?! Putting it on hold right now!
Right behind Katy!
Happy:
* our new beautiful house, which we should be taking possession of in 10 days
* My 2 girls and my husband, which make me part of an awesome family
* 1 week of family vacation starting next monday
* A good paying part time job
* my hamster Biscotti
Unhappy
* No visits for our current house yet, and the prospect of losing (a lot?)of money on it….
That puts my $7.20 in perspective.
yeah…. I’m talking about 700$ a month…..
1. Had a great fresh kale salad from the garden. Great yield started From a packet of seeds.
2. Fresh strawberries from the garden.
3. Listened to my favorite music over the radio., not satellite $$ radio.
4. Got my hair combed and French braided after work. My mini-spa experience on request by my guy. Tomorrow I get my ends trimmed at home. Summer solstice is one of the four best times of the year to trim your hair for great length, strength & beauty. Don’t pay salon prices, free at home. Can’t beat the price.
5. Took a walk after dinner and took the kids to play at the park. Relaxing and free.
The one thing that irritates me is the backbiting drama among coworkers. They get too nosy and get nasty saying things Behind each others’ backs and to each other. We are supposed to work together, not tear each other apart.
It makes me happy that:
1. My grown up daughter calls me nearly every day just to talk.
2. My son has found a new job (after the company he previously worked for went out of business).
3. I walk several miles in the morning with a group of neighbors.
4. I have a job I enjoy (most of the time anyway).
5. I have 2 sisters who I have always been close to.
So what’s annoys me? Lately, we’ve been the object of not just one, but two infamous telephone scams – the one where Microsoft is allegedly calling about fixing our computer and the one where the IRS is allegedly calling about taxes owed. The IRS scam is particularly over the top because they say “If you do not respond immediately you will be arrested and imprisoned. So have a nice day.”
Marilyn – unless you have fallen prey to those two phone scams, just laugh at those sad people. We also had both of them try to get us.
I get the leaking computer one ALL the time, once could even hear a small child crying in the background. My father also gets them. He has and never will own a computer. Seems the common thread is owning a Visa card…. the one they want you to provide the number for. I tell them I will put duct tape over all the holes and hang up.
* Unexpected rain last night. The early band of storms produced an amazing double rainbow that I got to enjoy with my teenage son. (Any enjoyable shared time with a teen boy is fabulous!) The later bands of the storm were great for 2 reasons: 1) lightning was so close everyone in the house had to turn off screens early. Quiet, but great conversations; 2) enough rain that we didn’t need to run sprinklers today.
* Coupon in the mail for a free pizza at a place in the neighborhood. Guess what we’re eating for dinner?
* My brother, who’s an IT guy, was able to easily fix our laptop.
* A friend gave me a stack of Atomic Ranch magazines he found at the thrift store.
* My front yard garden. We took out the lawn in 2013 and started xeriscaping it with perennials. I planted most of it last year (mostly w/ end-of-season clearance plants). There’s always something in bloom, it attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and lots and lots of honeybees. Plus…it’s virtually weed free!
Pissing me off: It’s a tie between two sets of neighbors. 1) Neighbors who moved in last summer have a large family with young kids. They also have a lot of the kids’ cousins over nearly daily. The problem is that the kids ride those motorized scooters up and down the street, IN THE MIDDLE of the street morning, noon, and night. Kids have no car sense and never have supervision. They never stop where streets intersect. About a week ago, we were coming home at 9:30pm. Just as I was getting ready to take a right turn into my driveway, I heard “whiz, whiz” and realized two kids just scootered past me ON MY RIGHT between the car and the curb. And sure enough, a third was just behind. If we hadn’t had the windows open and heard them… Let’s just say everyone on the block is being hypervigilant when driving, but waiting for the worst.
2) Next-door-neighbor who consciously mowed down the aspen saplings that had sprouted on OUR end of the park strip. The grass was getting high at that end precisely because I was afraid my husband would accidentally whack the trees (though they were higher than the grass). No accident about it. He had to move the stones I’d placed around the saplings to mark them out. And he knew I wanted them because a week before we’d talked about it and I told him I would transplant them out of the park strip. He had some excuse about thinking I meant I was transplanting them the same day we had the conversation. So by not getting them out that very day I indicated that I wanted them mowed down?? Grrrr.
I totally agree that any enjoyable shared time with a teenage boy is fabulous! I would also add that it’s precious and quite often hard to come by. Make no mistake I have 2 great young men but chatting with Mom isn’t always their favorite activity!
Sorry my comment was so long. I guess I really needed to vent!
My Mom ADORED Fred Rogers – one of her happiest days was when my brother-in-law who is from Pittsburgh told her that he was crossing the street one day and Mr. Rogers stopped and introduced himself to Austin – he recognized Austin from a concert he had played that Mr. Rogers attended. For my mom’s 75th birthday, we wanted her to receive 75 cards. Austin asked Fred Rogers to send my mom a card – and he DID!! I always think of his advice about when you are in trouble, find the helpers – because they are out there.
Thanks to all the “helpers” in my life . . .
1. That even though its 86 degrees at 10 PM (hello Summer!) I am happy that we have AC, a pool in the yard and lots of ice cream in the fridge!
2. Happy that I received a coupon in the mail for a Free bag of Eat Smart veggies in the mail. Gotta love free food!
3. Was thrilled to discover on my biweekly trip to the Fresh Market that they are going to have peaches for 99¢/lb. this weekend. I go there every 2 weeks after work on Tuesdays when they have fresh ground chuck for $2.99/lb. I had to wait for them to grind it so you can’t get any fresher and I know it came from 1 cow.
4. My 13 month old high-end cell phone died. Had issues holding a charge and then last night just nothing. DH took it to Verizon and they also couldn’t resurrect it no matter what they tried. They consider it a manufacturer defect and are sending me a new phone at no cost! DH had them port my number to an old work phone that he had so I have a phone till I get mine in 2 days. Since we have no landline being without a mobile is not an option.
5. Happy that my blackberry and raspberries plants are loaded with fruit! I put them in 2 years ago and this is the most berries I’ve ever had. I’ll net them this weekend so the birds don’t get them all. They won’t be ripe for another 2 weeks which gives me time to finish with cherries and then peaches.
The thing that is aggravating is I lost all my texts and bookmarks, some of my photos and have to reload apps since my phone died. UGH!
1.) Happy that even though it’s June it has been pretty mild temp wise. We don’t have an AC (I mean living in Maine, do we really need it?) but we live in a mobile home that gets lots of late sun so it gets HOT in here! I try and use most of the tricks from here (http://www.frugalwoods.com/2015/05/15/the-surprising-benefits-of-not-turning-on-your-air-conditioning/) and those seem to help.
2.) We had a little hen that went broody, but no roosters (so no fertilized eggs). I stuck 2 duck eggs under her and am hoping for the best. Yesterday morning I caught her turning them, which was pretty cool. Then yesterday afternoon the other two hens were helping her sit on the eggs (3 little chickens all huddled over 2 eggs…hilarious) so I threw them another 2. Either we will have a big exploded mess, or very confused ducklings 😉
3.) I read a REALLY AWESOME short story Kindle book that was FREE last night!
4.) Am sharing some plants today with a co-worker, I love sharing plants!
5.) Got our first pickings from the garden this year, some yummy radishes. They were soooo gooood.
And one thing that’s pissing me off; My workplace. Lately everyone has been grouchy and arguing and being mean/talking behind backs. It’s a negative, toxic work environment and I’m getting pretty sick of it.
Omg…cinnamon rolls sound like the best. Now I have to figure out how to get some without buying anything new (no spend June) or making them (teething baby=no free hands).
And for times sake: 1 thing that make some happy: turning the air off and opening the windows! 1 thing that pisses me off: our well is leaking surface water so we can’t drink it until its fixed 🙁 I’ve found wine is just as hydrating as water.
Love the “hydration” discovery.
Mr. Rogers and Beverly Cleary were childhood staples for me!!
My former boss was on his show as a child; part if a performance choir, I believe. He said it was one of his best memories from childhood!!
Right now I’m
1) happy I unexpectedly have the Summer off.
2) enjoying a cup of coffee at home before a school meeting
3) thankful for air conditioning as its 95 degrees outside and I’m not a fan of the heat.
4) appreciative of the wonderful teachers my son has had this year- last day is tomorrow!!
5) pleaded that I worked my way through some mending and button-reattaching.
Pissed when I saw recyclable materials in my neighbor’s regular trash this morning! Shame on you!! Feel like leaving them a nasty gram- haha!!
Making me happy:
-So grateful our a/c is working again, because the temperature and humidity have been deadly. Cooling shelters are open in nearby cities.
-I’m so grateful my daughter was uninjured when a deer jumped in front of her car yesterday. The car, we think, can be fixed, not totaled. Deer crashes are common in our area. Almost everyone I know, including me, has hit one, and some people are killed if the deer comes through the windshield.
-So happy my husband’s laser treatment on his eye did the trick and he is good to go per his doctor yesterday. He had what’s called a secondary cataract.
-Happy that Father’s Day is coming up, even though my dad is gone. I have very good memories of my father, and not everyone can say that, unfortunately, so I am grateful that I can. I will be proud to honor his memory this weekend.
-pissing me off — the glass in our French door just decided to disintegrate yesterday, starting with a crackling at the bottom and moving all the way up. We now have to replace the glass in the door, and clean up will be terrible.
Five things that make me happy, oh, I forgot the heat cooked my brain..I was and still a fan of Mr. Rogers, I think he is still relevant and a sweet peaceful person, I am happy for the sun, for blue skies, food and hydration and a home to be able to live in paid for, is that enough..did not mean to be a Debbie downer just hate Portland and Oregon so much could not resist saying it, never even go there and our tiny village over here is just fine for us and the coast of Washington even nicer..The wine country of eastern Washington hot but Beautiful, is that enough for you????? I am grateful for everything, many don’t have much and yes I do bring sunshine when I got with about 6 dozen cinnamon rolls I bake weekly for a place that feeds people and when I make about a gagillion tacos I make with the meat I get for about 75% off and we make it that day, no one is unhappy at all..so see that is more than 5 things, oh, yes my hubs of nearly 42 years who still loves and cares about me and our only princess of a daughter, the 3kitteh cats we call our own, however I don’t think you really own cats they just tolerate human beings so have a wonderful rest of the week ,your blog is a hoot, I agree with a lot of things you say..sorry it touched a big nerve in you, I think I am too blunt for most people, just say it as it was done to me should damper it down, not a Debbie downer at all, but a free peaceful loving person who sees the good in most everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also the longest day of the year is sunday the 22nd of June, more daylight hours than any other day of the year! Happy and grateful for that day, celebrating at the Washington coast with childhood friends who are living there full time in a teeny tiny cabin happy as larks on a sunny day…Hope you enjoy the sunshine and wonderful blue skies and all that is coming in the next few months, the weather people say no rain or precipitation for a good long while if at all! Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy and more Happy! five Happy’s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy things
1. Finished writing half of our wedding thank you cards last night
2. We bought our first home a couple months ago. Our mortgage providers give you a ‘gift’ when you close. I picked a 4 month subscription to the Foodie Pages. Not only did I forget it was coming but it turned out to be a package of all small batch, independent, Canadian products! jam, cookies, a 100% linen tea towel that is adorable and a package of cream of early grey tea and two handmade chocolates! I was in heaven and it made me feel a bit better about our mortgage haha.
3. We held off buying an air conditioner for our new place and so happy we did! Turns out we can comfortably get through the night with a fan and open windows.
4. Our dog is the cutest and constantly gets complimented by strangers
5. We got married a few months ago too (home and marriage, it was a busy few months) and happy to report nothing has changed 🙂
Pissed off
Self-inflicted really, we’re taking a red-eye flight tonight. I don’t usually sleep so I end up feeling sick and being really grumpy until I have a nap.
1) My daughter is done with kindergarten as of yesterday. She has a lot of medical issues and is chronically ill. We were told she had less than a 20% chance of living to see age 5 so this was a big deal for me. I am happy to have her at home for the summer with her 2 baby brothers.
2) All of the fun and free events I have planned for the summer. We are local to lots of libraries in our small suburb of Pittsburgh and we take advantage of them all! Tonight we are going to an ice cream party.
3) The $1 I paid for an unused 1st grade workbook for my daughter to work on during the summer at a yard sale. No slacking here! We have a free 30 day trial of ABCmouse.com as well she can use. Workbook and reading earn her computer time.
4) We cut cable!! Our bill is down over $70 a month!
5) All 3 of my children have had failure to thrive issues. My youngest is almost 8 months old. I am happy that his weight is up again. He went from 10 lbs 13 oz on Thursday at his wellness check to 11 lbs and 4 ounces today when he was seen by his nutritionist. (And I love that Early Intervention is a free program that provides so many wonderful services! Used it for all 3 along with Head Start!)
Pissing me off:
The constant fights with my daughter’s insurance company. I am currently fighting them to get private duty nursing hours extended into the summer. I have this fight every year and I do always win my appeals. Eventually they will learn its much cheaper to just pay out the moderate amount of hours I am requesting versus CONSTANTLY appealing. They still have to pay out the hours when in the appeals process plus the cost of a fair hearing and external review. I always supply documentation, my boys have their own therapies, I have my own appointments and my daughter cannot attend swimming lessons or any camps without someone there to monitor her health. My husband works midnights so its all on my plate and yet they fail to understand this. Arrgh.