Friday, August 27, 2010

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today was the last day of work and we were allowed to leave early! Both things definitely made my heart smile.

However, something else really made my heart smile. Sometimes at work, I kind of feel a bit invisible to the other full time staff members. Today, though, the complete opposite happened. One full time employee really made a point of letting me know how important I was around work and how I'll be missed. It's always nice to know when you're appreciated, and is a sure fire way of putting a smile on my heart!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. - Guillaume Apollinaire

Summer work is coming to an end and school is closing in! I don't know how I feel about school starting up this year (I often feel relatively indifferent towards it). I'll probably miss my summer job, especially since I probably won't be able to return next year, but I am looking forward to the changes in my life that are coming up.

But to get to the point of this. What has made my heart smile today?

Playing with my cat outside. He's a playful cat, but it's not always easy to play with him. However, today, he was hiding in a bush and would pounce out every time I walked by. It made my heart smile walking back and forth while he jumped out at me!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Post #6

I realize I have been gone for a while. I haven't been very good and need to make this a part of my routine.

So, a quick update on things that have made my heart smile since the last post till now:
My birthday
Bon Jovi
Miss Saigon
Rain
Some of the best fish and chips ever
And many, many more things.

Now I'll do Friday, Saturday, and so far today.

Friday
Buying three new books. I didn't need any of them, but three books for $10 is an unbelievable price! I bought David Copperfield, Robinson Crusoe, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Three books I've always wanted to read, a great price for them all, and of course, a smiling heart to top it off.

Saturday
Buying three more new books for $2! I thought that a used book store around the corner from my house had closed down, so I decided I needed to check it out. Thankfully they hadn't closed, but just moved into the spot next door. So now, I'm the proud new owner of all the short stories by Mark Twain, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Sherlock Holmes. My heart is smiling just thinking about starting to read them!

Sunday (Today)
Well, the day is not yet over, and I'm not doing too much due to the fact that I can't eat anything today (just clear liquids). However, there are still opportunities for smiling heart moments! Today was my cousin's baby shower, and although I wasn't there, I sent a present along with my mom and sister and they said that the gift went over very well! It makes my heart smile to give people things, and it makes my heart smile even bigger when I hear that they like it!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Post #5

Well today is certainly a hot day! I wasn't expecting the heat, but chose to make the best of it.

My heart was smiling many times today, even if I wasn't outwardly smiling. Camp began today, which is always a good time for me. On top of that, I have a great group for the week! My heart smiled when I won the bet predicting which time the first camper would show up, and again when another counselor said how well behaved my group is!

I bought two new CDs about a week and a half ago on the internet. I was beginning to worry that they would never show, but my heart smiled when I opened my mailbox today and they were both just waiting to be opened and played!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Post #4

So I've been away at the cottage the last couple of days, making me unable to update. Luckily, although I wish this wasn't the case, no one reads this, so no one missed my updates! Anyway, I will write about all of my smiling heart moments from Wednesday until today.

Wednesday

It's always a happy moment when you can leave work early! Due to a big event at work on Wednesday, we weren't given our hour lunch break. In order to make that up to us, we were sent home an hour early! I know my heart was smiling when I walked through my front door earlier than normal.

Wednesday evening, shortly after my mom came home from work, we packed the car and headed up to the cottage. My heart smiled as we pulled out of the driveway and again when we pulled up to the cottage.

Thursday

I wasn't always proud to be a Canadian. An attitude I've found to be rather prominent among high school students is to look down on Canada and view the country as USA's little sibling. I've since started to disagree, and so it made my heart smile on July 1st, Canada Day. We're a great country with lots to be proud of, and still lots of work to get done!

There are certain traditions that my family and I have when we're up at the cottage. One of those traditions is to get ice cream at a specific ice cream shop. And so, with great joy and a smiling heart, on Thursday we stopped for some of that ice cream, and it was just as good as I remember it!

Napping. I'm not a huge napper. If I nap during the day, I can't sleep at night, and so I've learned to avoid them. However, when you're up at the cottage, it doesn't matter what time you go to bed or what time you wake up the next day. While reading a book, I happened to fall asleep. It was with a smiling heart that I woke up from my nap, feeling totally refreshed and ready to do some more relaxing around the cottage.

Friday

It's a pretty rare occasion when you can wake up on work day morning, look at the clock, and realize that you should've already been at work, but not worry. Occasions like that always bring a smile to my heart (and a little bit of guilt since my coworkers were at work... but only a little bit... and I quickly got over it).

Speaking of cottage life traditions, there's the always important campfire with roasted marshmellows. That great, gooey, and burnt taste of marshmellows, yum yum yum! Each bite of marshmellow brought a big, gooey smile to my heart.

Saturday

There's a restaurant that we always eat at when we're up at the cottage. It looks out on the lake, and the food is delicious! We made our way there on Saturday for lunch. Although the restaurant changed hands, their fish and chips still brought a smile to my heart!

As I posted earlier, starting a new book is always smiling heart worthy. Well it was Saturday morning that I finished St. Urbain's Horseman, and Saturday that I started The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Of course, I was sad to finish one great book, but my heart was smiling when I started another.

Sunday

As for today, my heart was smiling when we headed home. For although it is always nice to go away, it's always nice to go back home. After a couple of hours in the car driving through traffic, it was with a smiling heart that we drove into the drive way, and when we saw our beautiful cats!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Post #3

Today I was feeling much better, which means my heart had more opportunities to smile!

Yesterday, while on the bus, there was a lady with some flowers. She was standing, and I was sitting, so I offered to hold her flowers for her (I would've offered her my entire seat, but I really wasn't feeling well). Today, on my way to work, I saw her on the bus and she smiled and said hello! I know that's not necessarily a "big" thing, but my heart most definitely smiled. I love it when people I don't really know, but kind of know from seeing them, recognize me and say hello. I think it helps to make the world that little bit more friendlier, and can definitely turn a bad day into a happy day. Plus, it's a great way to make friends! I don't know if she'll be on my bus again, but I certainly hope she will be.

Today was the last day of school for most elementary schools in my area. On my way home from work, there was a little boy on my bus with a graduation cap on. He had just graduated from senior kindergarten. It made my heart smile to think of all the little kids running around who were excited that next year they'll be able to start grade one. They probably feel all grown up! I remember that feeling, and can't wait till I have a graduation cap of my own next year (although it will mean that I actually am all grown up, and that's all kinds of scary).

While coaching soccer today, one of the girls on the team was pulling on my bracelet from Milan. She asked where I got it, I told her, and then another girl said, "And you went to Australia!" It made my heart smile to know that she remembered that.

P.S. I might not be able to update till Sunday evening, but I will keep track of smiling heart moments and will do a big post containing them!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Post #2

My heart wasn't smiling too much today. I had a horrible migraine, very little energy, and was feeling rather nauseous. But, of course, that's all turned around! I am now migraine free!

My heart smiled today when I was sitting with my head in my hands and my eyes closed, when a coworker asked if I was feeling alright. It made my heart smile to know that someone noticed I wasn't doing alright and cared enough to ask. Often people just ignore those who aren't feeling 100%, and I think we're too afraid to ask how someone is doing if there's the possibility that they aren't going to reply back in the positive. So, after hours of not feeling well at all, it made my heart smile that someone asked how I was and seemed to actually care.