Laughter

It really is like medicine. It can make you feel so good...and sometimes even sick to your stomach!

We have had so many random laughs in the office today-- over good things, over silly small things, over big praises. Good, deep laughs too. Laughs so hard that our stomachs were hurting and some people started snorting, and we were trying to catch our breath! It made me think about the things that make me laugh/smile.

Here are just a few quotes that have made me laugh in the last couple days...

"Tadalah...!"
"I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy."
"I am a grownup."
"Like, 50."
"...Send somebody to fetch a child of 5!"
"Can we panic now??"
"Scary Andrew Barnes!!!"
"Knots are hard."
"Maybe!"
"Mr. Fish, did you die?"

...these literally brought a smile to my face as I typed them. A couple made me laugh out loud (maybe!) These are the ones that always make me laugh. ;)

(points to those of you who can name the movies...)

Attitude & Others

I found out something interesting today. I may have known it before, and just forgotten. Or I may have "known" it, but never really experienced it in a way to make it real. Today, I can say that - at least for now - I know what it is to be cheerful for someone else because they just can't do it.

I don't just mean you fake it. I don't mean that you sit in your chair and smile a huge smile and tell them it will be ok. I mean a genuine, positive, uplifting attitude that permeates everything you do and say around everyone you meet. And it's affected by the fact that someone you care about is having a really rough go of it. But not in a negative way (for you). You may be commiserating with them, admitting that this is no fun, but your attitude still shines through, and changes the atmosphere for everyone involved.

I have 2 wonderful friends that I was in close contact with today who are both in that hard hard place. And, though I fully expect to be hard pressed myself at some point in the next 2 weeks, today, I was in a great mood. I was praying for them almost non-stop, I was listening, I was offering to do what I could to help, I was genuinely in a good place in my head - despite not having slept well last night.

This is not intended as a 'pat-myself-on-the-back' sort of note. It merely occured to me, moments ago, that a day that could have been a major downer turned into a blessing - and hopefully not just for me.

And honestly, I really think this positive attitude generated from my morning devos, where I pretty much was just thanking God for several things - specifically, not just generally. That's a good way to start any day, and I honestly believe that that is the reason I was able to make it through today the way I did.

ALL glory be to God and His goodness.
See what He can do when you let Him use you instead of you trying to figure it out.
Awesome.

Awesome & Amazing: Piano Song(s)

There is no other way to describe it.

"Love Story (Taylor Swift) Meets Viva La Vida (Coldplay)"
Check it out here. It's worth your time.
I wish I could be this good - watch this guy play. Wow.


Thanks to Alicia for telling me about it.
Thanks to Jon Schmidt for creating it.

Stories to come:

So I have a story of the trip to Minnesota brewing in my brain.
And it's a good one, but will take longer to write than I have right now.
Here's wishing for some "free" time.


Hopefully, I'll be able to get it written soon -- so you can laugh with me and I won't sound so strange laughing by myself. ;)

Can you smell it?

Driving into work today, I saw some landscapers/carers out mowing. Even with the windows barely cracked, I could smell the freshly cut grass. Mmm.

It caused a succession of thoughts revolving around those things which, when I smell them, bring a smile to my face - every time. I'm sure you have those too, most people I've ever talked to have at least 1 or 2 things that give them that feeling of nostalgia when the smell acosts their nose.

Here's my list, in no particular order:
*(obvious) freshly cut grass
*the air after a huge rain (when it's been only one day...not weeks...)
*my grandma's house (either one, but both are distinct)
*the lake/cabin (again, different, but distinct, and sometimes rolled into one)
*clean laundry
*Jasmine flowers -at Grammie's house or mine.
*my mom's apple pie baking
*skin after it's just been in the sun for awhile (blame my mom, but don't tell her!)
*my dad's aftershave
*the ocean, and all that goes with it (seaweed, sand, etc.)

At this point, I arrived at work. I still was "smelling" some of those things (funny how your brain can do that...) but had to fix my focus a little (work to do, you know). By now, I've usually forgotten whatever it was I was thinking about in the car. But not today. Today I can't stop smelling ocean and laundry, and I'm looking forward to smelling the cabin for real come Tuesday night.

Let the good times role.
And notice the smells around you. :)

Homage to Kim

About a week ago or so, Kim wrote this blog post about shoes in the street.

It made me laugh. And, it made me realize that on the occasion when I see a shoe in the middle of the road, I vaguely wonder how it got there. Especially if it belongs to an adult. Children tend to randomly throw things about in the car, so a child's shoe is not so hard to figure out -- except perhaps in winter. Nonetheless, an adult shoe is much more ... disturbing/interesting.

This morning, as I drove to church after running an errand, I noticed something odd: 2 adult shoes in the middle of the left turn lane. They were about 4-5 feet apart, and they were both right-side-up. I am not sure how this happened, but it made me think of Kim's story, and made me wonder what that (assumption alert) guy did to lose both of his shoes while in a car.

Wonder with me.
(and write a possible story if you'd like!)