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  • What Gives You Joy?

    Because sometimes we all need to focus on the good things... So I'll start:

    Laughing like lunatics with my sisters over some dumb old family joke that no one else would even "get."

    Reading a book that's so good it makes me breathless with envy.

    Finding a beautiful piece of music by an artist I never heard of before.

    Falling asleep with one of my cats snuggled up tight against my stomach.

    Hearing the first robin every spring. Seeing and smelling the first flowers...hyacinths, tulips, lilacs, lily of the valley. Seeing the first blooms open on my peonies every June.

    Having a friend tell me, "thanks for listening."

    Seeing the crescent of the first quarter moon. Seeing the full moon, especially on a warm summer night.

    Hearing the nighthawk calling on summer evenings.

    Writing, even when I read over what I just wrote and think "oh heck that's crapola!" Writing it over and over again until it's the best it can be.
    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

  • #2
    Holding a happy baby in my arms.
    Spending time with the niece and nephew (and the rest of my family for that matter).
    Winning a BIG poker hand.
    "Life is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid" Redd Foxx as Al Royal - The Royal Family - Pilot Episode - 1991.

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    • #3
      - Walking through my garden in the morning and seeing all the little changes.

      - My daughters, even when they're cranky.

      - My husband, tip-toeing into the kitchen stage whispering "Sneak, sneak, sneak" so that he can have a cuddle while I'm cooking without getting in the way.

      - The flowers from my garden in little vases on my kitchen window sill.

      - Taking the dogs for a long wandering walk with Rugz.

      - Taking my dog for a walk at dawn along the beach.

      - A great cup of coffee, a chunk of delicious chocolate and a good book.

      - Gardening and cooking.

      - Having a girls night out with my best friend, we always have loads of fun.

      - Poker nights!

      - Christmas morning, with the girls excited about Santa's visit, the dogs excited about opening the presents with us and the joy of giving the perfect gift.

      - Boxing Day, with our adopted family members dropping in all day and evening for a chat, a meal and/or a few drinks.

      - All the wild birds that visit... the little sparrow flock that are so tame that they try to follow us into the house, the baby magpie that follows me hoping I'll throw him/her some earthworms, the adult magpies that taught the baby we're friendly even though they swoop everyone else, and the butcherbird family that help out in the garden.
      Don't tempt pixies, it never ends well.

      Avatar created by the lovely Eisa.

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      • #4
        Hmmm lets see.

        Watching my dog at the window waiting for people arrive, like family returning from work, the pizza guy.

        Listening to the dog tell me all about whats going on outside the jeep when I take her places.

        Going to the airport and listening to the planes.

        Taking pictures.

        Walking on the path by the river.

        Knowing I have a few friends who I know really care about me.

        Listening to my adopted big brother plan awesome things, then tell me that I've no choice but to come along, because I'm his baby sister.

        Having a poke war on Facebook with a friend that has lasted almost a month.

        Plane shopping even though I don't know how to fly and can't afford a plane.

        Making things with flowers, and designing strange landscapes for my back yard even though I don't actually intend on actually doing the planting.

        Watching little kids do silly things, or explain things, I love little kid logic.
        I'm the 5th horsemen of the apocalypse. Bringer of giggly bouncy doom, they don't talk about me much.

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        • #5
          -My cats, especially when they do completely random and hilarious things, like zoom through the house suddenly for no reason
          -My husband, especially the times when we make up nonsensical stories together while cuddling before going to sleep at night
          -Making jewelry, and hearing someone (especially a stranger who doesn't know me) comment/compliment my work
          -A cool breeze through the open front window
          -Cooking!

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          • #6
            Hmm, let me think...

            - A cup of coffee made "perfectly" (a.k.a. my way).

            - Getting an awesome idea for a story out of nowhere.

            - Getting an awesome idea for a piece of artwork and/or finishing a piece of artwork and being overall pleased with it.

            - My kitties. They can make me happy even if they've just taken a big dump on the floor.

            - Jeans that fit just the way I like.

            - No one else being home so people aren't barging into my room every five minutes to tell me dumb shit.

            - Spending time with friends, especially my one friend who lives six hours away and I go see him for a couple weeks at a time.

            - Camping out in Half-Price Books with a stack of true crime and psychology books while chugging coffee. And inevitably leaving with around $30 worth of books.

            - Finding awesome things at the thrift store.

            - Seeing the stars. While in the city, I never saw any stars at night, but when I came back home, I could easily see them on a clear evening.

            - Making someone I care about laugh.

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            • #7
              --Making people laugh.

              --Good food. No, great food. Good food is nice, but great food.....ah, mama mia! ( won't list all the foods that make me happy...that could be an entire post!)

              --Trying a new beer.

              --Discovering that the new beer I have tried is GREAT!

              --Trying a new restaurant.

              --Discovering that the new restaurant I have tried is GREAT!

              --Trying a new rum.

              --Discovering that...oh, you know.

              --Drinking my favorite Spanish wine. (For the record, it's Marques de Caceres Crianza Roja, though the more expensive Reserva and Gran Reserva are even more fantastic!)

              --Giving someone who needs it advice that I know is good. And sometimes they even take it!

              --Learning something new in the kitchen, whether it's from doing, watching, eating, or just random happenstance.

              --Bicycling till my legs feel like jello, I literally can't feel my ass, and I am covered in sweat. (Which I need to start doing again, my ever-growing midsection tells me.....)

              --A first kiss.

              --I would say falling in love, but I do that about 18 times a day. However, knowing that someone else loves me (and I mean romantically, not just my friends), that is something truly special, and I am both saddened and joyful that that has only happened a few times to me.

              --Looking in the mirror and knowing that I STILL don't look my damn age!

              --New sunglasses that make me look as cool as I feel when wearing them.

              --Arizona State beating Arizona in their annual grudge match football game (or in any sporting even, really, but especially in that game).

              --My sports teams winning. Sadly, in that department, I have not had much joy lately.

              --Winning a cookoff, especially when it's something I've worked on for a while. To date, I have 3 cookoff wins total: chili last month, and a couple years ago I won a cheese cookoff and a cooking with wine cookoff. I have also placed several times, and that feels great too, but it's nice to know from time to time that I and my friends are not the only ones impressed with my food. (Plus, let's face it, I'm a competitive bastard.) Also, I've won one bartending contest, which was the first one I ever entered. Since then, though, I have never placed better than fourth. Still, four wins in food/drink creation competitions....I won't complain about that at all!

              --Coming up with something new, creative, and even a bit whacky in the kitchen, and seeing it come to fruition. Although, to be honest, even the abject failures are fairly amusing. (Let's not talk about the disaster Mushroom Dip or the Bacon, Beer & Cheese Soup....)

              --Road trips!

              --Hot chicks in bikinis. What? It's Spring Break, I live on a tropical island, and I'm a single dude. Do the math, people.

              --The few times I've scared the crap out of dudes who were larger than me. Always a good feeling.

              --Crazy good times with crazy good friends.

              --Performing, especially when I KNOW I've just absolutely nailed it, and I know I have the audience in the palm of my hand. (That show in Vegas was just spectacular!)

              --The fact that I get paid to do what I love.

              --The fact that the people who pay me to do what I love love what I do.

              --The fact that my head chef, despite all the shit we give each other, still makes a point to ask me my opinion on a whole shitload of dishes and sauces and such. It says a lot, considering how good he is at what he does. (Though of course I would never actually TELL him any of that!)

              --A child's smile when I have just made his or her day with my silly magic tricks. The look of wonder in their eyes never, ever, EVER gets old, and is always the greatest tip I could ever get.

              --Two dollar bills. Don't ask. I don't get it either.

              --The fact that my pride in my work is often recognized, not just by my management, but in other ways. Two examples: 1. When Hurricane Wilma blew through Key West and I was under the (mistaken) impression that I had pretty much lost everything, I started planning the move back to Phoenix, which would have just entailed a plane ticket. So I started calling various locations of the chain I had worked at there and in my early years here in KW. At one location, while talking to the general manager, he asked me to repeat my name. "Oh yeah. I remember you. You trained me as a waiter. You can have a job here any time you want!" 2. In one of those online review sites, of all the reviews of The Bar, I am mentioned by name more than any other staffer (perhaps undeservedly, considering some of the great people I do and have worked with), and all of them positive comments about me! Yeah, pride goes before a fall, but it's nice to be recognized. (And I'm damn happy I am not named in any of the negative reviews! )

              --Hot cars. I'm a guy. Deal.

              --A new book by one of my favorite authors.

              --A new CD by one of my favorite bands.

              --Helping people in a myriad of ways.

              --Having a great girlfriend. (I vaguely remember such times....)

              --Pulling together a great costume for such events (or for no reason at all).

              --Honestly? Being me. It's pretty fucking cool.

              "The Customer Is Always Right...But The Bartender Decides Who Is
              Still A Customer."

              Comment


              • #8
                ~Revisiting old favorite movies and tv shows that I haven't seen in ages.

                ~Receiving books for my birthday and for Christmas

                ~Hearing the overtures from Cats and Phantom of the Opera

                ~Watching any of the following: Cats, Newsies, or Howl's Moving Castle.

                ~The entirety of the Newsies soundtrack (especially Seize The Day and The World Will Know)

                ~Going out to lunch with my mom

                ~Going to Denver to catch a show

                ~Singing along to whatever CD we're listening to on the way *to* Denver. It's one of the few times when my dad actually sings.

                ~Being told that I've done something well and not having a 'but next time do better' attached to it. (The second part of this is rare)

                ~Talking to people I've been waiting to talk to all day

                ~Seeing Dad and Grandfa sitting in the sun room, talking for hours on end

                ~Seeing Mom on Skype with all of her relatives in Venezuela

                ~Hearing Grandfa tell stories about when he was younger

                ~Being told that I sound good when people hear me singing in the bathroom ( I can't help it. I have my headphones on when I'm in there) and on the way to class.
                "Things that fail to kill me make me level up." ~ NateWantsToBattle, Training Hard (Counting Stars parody)

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                • #9
                  Some I forgot. (Yes, imagine that....Jester has more to say. What a shock!)

                  --Listening to certain musical artists, such as Heart, The Who, the Stones, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, Meat Loaf, Sheryl Crow, Pat Benatar, The Go-Go's, Melissa Etheridge, Natalie Imbruglia, Natalie Merchant, Enigma, Norah Jones, Meredith Brooks, the Graces, Guns n' Roses, Bob Seger, Mojo Nixon, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, The Doors, and Rush, among others. Many others, but these in particular give me great joy.

                  --Beyond artists, there are certain specific songs that make me smile internally and externally. Heart's "Crazy on You," "Love Alive" and "Dream of the Archer," among several other Heart songs*, Bob Seger's "Hollywood Nights," Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman" and "Landslide," Four Non Blondes' "What's Going On," Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life," The Who's "Who Are You?," and "Join Together," The Stones' "Gimme Shelter," "Tumbling Dice," and "Sympathy for the Devil," The Cult's "Fire Woman," "Edie," and "Sweet Soul Sister," The Alarm's "Strength" and "Rain in the Summertime," The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat," Pat Benatar's "Promises in the Dark," Sheryl Crow's "Everyday is a Winding Road" and "My Favorite Mistake," the Eagles' "Hotel California," Don Henley's "Boys of Summer," Jimmy Buffet's "One Particular Harbour," and without question, jamming The Doors' "L.A. Woman as I drive up the 101 into Hollywood--that song was made for flying up that road.

                  *Okay, I said above "among several other Heart songs," but the fact is there are many, many other songs by various other artists that also slay me, but the above was all off the top of my head....I could go on about that one topic for literally pages....but you get the idea. But seriously, give some of these a listen. Hell, give a listen to some stuff you've never heard of, or may not remember until you actually hear it, like Rhythm Corps' "Common Ground." (They opened for Pat Benatar one of the times I saw her live. They were awesome.)

                  I especially recommend those of you who only know Heart from "Barracuda" and one or two other hit songs to give both "Love Alive" and "Dream of the Archer" a listen. They are not necessarily my favorite Heart songs, though they are among them. But they are...transcendent. Actually, they may shock you if all you know are the big hits. (But then, you wouldn't be the first....)

                  --Seeing a band in concert transcend what I've heard of them in studio recordings. This was never so evident as it was with the first time I saw the Stones and the first time I saw Sheryl Crow, easily the two best shows I've ever been seen. (And I've been to quite a few concerts.....)

                  --Gatorade when I'm hot, sweaty, or just tired from working my ass off behind the bar.

                  --Girls and boots. Don't ask. Not sure I understand it fully yet myself.

                  --Killer guitar riffs. The one in Pink Floyd's "Mother" is just unearthly.

                  --Nudity. Not just the porn/Playboy variety, mind you, but just a bunch of people enjoying their freedom from clothes, whether or not I am one of them (which I usually am). There is something very liberating about being naked among other people, especially if you are not sexually involved with them and/or it's a somewhat public place.

                  --Being out on the water. For a desert boy, I love the ocean, be it sailing, jet skiing, snorkeling, or just being out on a boat enjoying the beauty of the sea.

                  --Fresh, ripe, juicy peaches. 'Nuff said.

                  --Returning in my mind to those special moments with those special women. No matter what else happens, nothing can take those times from me. This is one item on the list that will not be detailed. Some things even I don't expound upon.

                  --Jamming to great music when no one else is around. It's one thing to do so at home or in the car, but back when I worked at the college radio station and could turn those monitors up to jet plane decibel and just rock the studio out.....some moments are sacred, and these were several of them. (I also weeded out the weaker assistants.....)

                  --The reaction of my mother when I shock her with something new. Sadly, this is happening only about every five years of so lately. I think she's been immunized to almost anything I might do. (The last time I shocked her was 2-3 years ago....)

                  --Beer, wings, and (American) football. If there has ever been a better combination of sports, food, and drink, I have never heard of it.

                  --Bringing down the house at a karaoke bar doing Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." No, I can't sing, but I sure as fuck can channel Bob--and since he really can't sing either, it's all good.

                  --A beautiful voice....male, female, singing, talking, doesn't matter. Give me Christina Aguilera or James Earl Jones, Paul Rodgers or Natalie Merchant....it doesn't matter to me, as these are the way voices should sound. I was the sound guy in my studio broadcasting class for a reason. I love a mellifluous voice, no matter its source....

                  --The fact that I have a mellifluous voice. Sadly, only when it comes to speaking. When it comes to singing, I blow chunks.

                  --Drinking. This entire second post was composed after......many beers. Not too incoherent for a fucking drunk, huh?

                  "The Customer Is Always Right...But The Bartender Decides Who Is
                  Still A Customer."

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    --Finding something you've been looking for for a while. Keeping with my music theme of my last post, I've been looking on line for some time for a cover I heard back in my college radio days (early 90's) of AC/DC's "Back in Black" by a rap group called Hard Corps. Could never find it. Just found it.

                    I should tell you I am not a rap fan, and the thought of a rap group covering this metal classic made me nauseous....till I heard it. In my opinion, it made the Run DMC cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" look like a joke by comparison It. Fucking. Rocks. Check it out!

                    "The Customer Is Always Right...But The Bartender Decides Who Is
                    Still A Customer."

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I love cuddling with my son.

                      People playing with my hair. (its down to my hips for a reason!)

                      good tea.

                      People enjoying what I cook or bake.

                      A clean house.

                      A good book.

                      A hot shower or bath.

                      The beach

                      Playing in water in general.
                      My sanity has been dripping out of me my whole life, today they turned on the faucet.....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        My son, whether we're having the first hug of the day, or he's got me in fits of laughter with something he's just said, or choked me up by making me a Valentine's card, or making me think hard because of a question he's asked me...he's an absolute gift

                        My special man, who makes me feel on top of the world

                        Opening the bedroom curtains early on a spring morning, to see a deer wandering around the meadow right opposite

                        Walking out of my house on a frosty winter night and seeing a sky full of brilliant stars, especially the constellation Orion. Pointing out stars to my son and telling him their names

                        Singing a favourite piece of music with the choir and that electric pause before the applause that lets you know you made a really good job of it

                        Cooking or baking and people enjoying what I've made. Particularly at Christmas when I bring out the preserves I make (e.g. mincemeat) and all the hard work is worthwhile

                        Watching a Lancaster bomber in flight and hearing those wonderful Merlin engines. Seeing one at an air museum and walking around it. Knowing that I actually own a tiny piece of one. (What? We all have an anorak inside us somewhere and mine loves Lancasters)

                        So many pieces of music, but in particular that of Bill Nelson, whether solo or in Be Bop Deluxe. Especially 'Adventures in a Yorkshire Landcape' from the album 'Live in the Air Age' - his guitar solo is just sheer joy in music form

                        My cat, she was a stray and I took her in, she is so affectionate it's untrue, waits by the door for me to come home and follows me around just for cuddles

                        My spectacularly silly, lollopy, waggy golden retriever, who loves everyone

                        A blazing apple log fire on a snowy day when I don't need to go anywhere

                        Curling up in a warm bed on a cold night, in crisp clean bedlinen, with a good book and some hot chocolate
                        Engaged to the sweet Mytical He is my Black Dragon (and yes, a good one) strong, protective, the guardian. I am his Silver Dragon, always by his side, shining for him, cherishing him.

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                        • #13
                          *Seeing my son run toward the door when Husband comes home, shrieking, "Dah-deeee! Dah-deee!"

                          * Watching the birds attack the bird feeder outside the picture window

                          * Watching my cat watching said birds

                          * A big glass of chocolate milk

                          * Finding an inscription, note, doodle or receipt in a used book I've bought

                          * Talking about the book we're writing with Husband

                          * When a song I really like comes on the radio, even if I have the CD in my car and I could listen to it anytime

                          * Getting letters, postcards, magazines or packages in the mail (anything but a bill really!)
                          https://www.facebook.com/authorpatriciacorrell/

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                          • #14
                            Everything can be a joy pretty much, depending on how you look at it. Children laughing, I love when children laugh.

                            Animals, they can amaze me.

                            Watching it rain, even a big storm. When the sky lights up..it is even better.

                            Making people feel better about themselves, especially those who deserve it.

                            Helping people see the beauty in themselves, how great and special they truly are.

                            The few friends I have, and talking with them.

                            The beautiful woman whom I adore.

                            Doing things for others, especially when they don't ask or expect it.

                            The fact that people can confide in me, and do.
                            Engaged to the amazing Marmalady. She is my Silver Dragon, shining as bright as the sun. I her Black Dragon (though good honestly), dark as night..fierce and strong.

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                            • #15
                              Being able to call TTO my husband

                              Being greeted at the door everyday by my awesome dog - my own personal welcoming committee!

                              Good food

                              A good night's sleep

                              Walking with my dog

                              Singing

                              Cuddling with my husband

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