Oh Why Not? I’m awards free, but this isn’t really an award, right? And every once in a while it feels good to reflect on the things that make us happy.
This tag came my way through Judy at Edwina’s Episodes. Judy is one cheery character, and she always makes me smile. If you aren’t already an avid fan, head over and say hi.
So, here are the rules:
List:
5 Things that make you happy
5 Songs that make you happy
5 Bloggers that make you happy… (Let them know that you have nominated them).
There are bazillions of things that make me happy. In order to make this post entertaining, here are some unusual ones:
1. My original social media photo – before I got “professional” and had to give up my life as a fantasy character.
3. The Overlord – waiting for birthday donuts in downtown Portland, in his pajamas! The kid takes after his grammy.
4. Moss – Is this moss? I think it’s moss-ish (?) It grows on my fence.
5. Imagination! Need I say more?
Songs that make me happy. To be honest, I don’t listen to music much. I know… Here are a few:
- Happy by Pharell Williams (of course). The Overlord and I dance to this one.
- It’s a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. The bestest!
- Thank God I’m a Country Boy (or girl, in this case) by John Denver. This one takes me right back to highschool!
- Ode to Joy by Beethoven (Anything by Beethoven). The Overlord and I have watched this flash mob hundreds of time.
- In My Life by the Beatles (not a good video, but a great song)
Five bloggers that make me happy? Just five? Lots of bloggers make me happy. Here are a few that make me laugh:
- Hey Look a Fellow Writer – Mike
- Danny the Dog – Danny (by way of Chris)
- Roughwighting – Pam
- Allie Potts Writes – Allie
- Al the Author – Al
Nothing makes me happier than soft lavatory paper.
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Ha!
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Happiness is a decision, and lies in the little things. Great to read your Happiness list 🙂
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I agree, Damyanti. There are reasons to be happy everyday 🙂 I wish the world was a saner, safer, and happier place for everyone.
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Five happy songs: First thing that comes to mind is “This must be the place” by Talking Heads. I’ve gotten tired of listening to a lot of songs over the years but that one always puts me in a good space. Number two: “Skating away on the thin ice of a new day,” by Jethro Tull. Not darken progressive like a lot of their things but I can’t be happier playing the song on the piano along with the band as if I’m one of them. Three: Hmm…all right, might as well go with it, “Fool on the Hill” by the Beatles of course. I just recently figured out why I like this song so much. It’s because of Paul McCartney using a D note as the foundation while the chords change in spite of its constancy. Four: “Rediscovery,” by Chicago. This is an obscure tune from their six album back in 1973. It’s a funky laid-back sexy kind a groove that just never gets old. And five: “Boy Lilokoi” by Jonsi. He’s an artist from Iceland whose music always warms my heart. I saw him live in New York and the execution of the music was impeccable, transcendent, otherworldly.
I’m new to blogging so I can’t list favorite bloggers except for Diana of course. So five things that make me happy: Diana’s exquisite descriptions that stop you in your tracks, birdsongs greeting me wherever I go teasing me to identify each singer, being a Christian who has finally found a home among mostly atheists at Yale Humanist community, finding a way daily to support a staff member or a students next growth step, and getting better on the piano so that I don’t need the sheet music to play along with Rod Stewart singing “Stay with Me.”
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Thanks for playing, Frank! I’m familiar with most of the songs, but will have to check out Jonsi. I’m musically isolated out here and tend to like silence when I write, which is all the time 😀 Thanks for the shout out too! Have a great weekend, my friend.
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Thanks for the kind response, Diana.
Complete silence?
Birds, squirrels, wind through the leaves, falling rain… Are they a part of your working soundtrack?
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Ha ha. Of course. No man-made sounds. Music is too evocative and TV is plain annoying!
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Unless you are giving your full attention to the Beverly Hillbillies.
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😀 Long before writing – but I still like Granny Clampett. That’s way my grandson calls me Granny.
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[…] of celebration, the lovely Diana Wallace was kind enough to let me know that I’d been tagged in one of the best sort of online games […]
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Your sharing the things that make you happy have now made me happy! I love how life works. I will be thinking all day about the exact things that make me happy, a nice outcome of reading a blog post. 🙂
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Oh good, Ellen. It is contagious, isn’t it. That’s why I followed through on the tag, I couldn’t resist the smile. Have a great week 😀
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Hilarious post, and I love your choice of music. Pharell Williams makes me happy too. 🙂
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Thanks for the visit, Khaya. Yes, how can anyone not smile, move or jump up and dance to that song! Have a happy week 🙂
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That photo is bloody hilarious!!!!!! Screw professionalism! :p
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So glad it gave you a laugh, Sacha 😀 I’ve been waiting for two years for a chance to show it off!
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There are a lot of Beatles songs I call upon to make me happy again, but In My Life is definitely one of the top five. Savoy Truffle, too, since the history of the song makes me giggle. 🙂 Your original social media photo is awesome! Definitely brought a smile to my face. 🙂
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Thanks for the visit, Alex. That photo has gotten mixed reviews – but I have to admit it makes me laugh. 🙂 Savoy Truffle isn’t as well known, but also a happy song!
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Fun and love the pictures!
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Thanks, Lynn. Rather silly, but I like being silly now and then versus all serious and authorly 😀 Have a great holiday weekend!
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What a fun post! Great mental image of you and the Overlord dancing to Happy. Have a great weekend!
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Thanks, Julie. Oh yeah, we can cut a rug and jump on the furniture like the best of them 🙂 Have a great long holiday weekend yourself!
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That picture of you is hilarious! And a little bit weird at the same time. 😁
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Ha ha ha. It was a good time to post my alter-ego, Ali. Thanks for reading! I’m running off to babysit the Overlord, but will pay you a visit this evening. Have a great day 🙂
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You’re always welcome whenever you find time to drop by, Diana. No rush and no pressure. 😊
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This is very interesting. This post indeed made me smile ☺
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the visit and the follow. I’ll be over to say hi 🙂
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Nice to hear. Yes ! You are always welcome to my blog 🙂
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I loved your happy lists. Your share added more smiles in the world today 🙂
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Thanks, Joanne. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to share my true fantasy identity and this was it! 😀 Have a great day.
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Loved this happy post Diana, and the photos. I especially loved that fantasy photo of you. 🙂
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Thanks, Debby. My fantasy character has gotten some mixed responses, but I like it. There’s alway room for silliness in my life. I’m glad you liked it :-D. Thanks for the visit and have a great day!
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🙂 We always have to remember to have fun.
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I love, love, love your photo list of the things that make you happy. I’m going to have to mull over my own lists for a few days. It might take me a bit to whittle them down to five.
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Thanks, Allie. I know there are way more than 5! Just thinking about them all as you whittle it down is fun. No pressure on this, but if you decide to do it, I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading. 😀
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Congratulations, Diana, on being given that cute award. I’ve got to say your original avatar doesn’t do much for you. I bet it got you noticed, though. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
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That photo made a few people laugh, Suzanne, which was the point. Thanks for the visit and have a wonderful day 🙂
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You and yours have a great day also, Diana. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Things That Make Me Happy
By
Danny the Dog
Things
1. Hot dogs and turkey slices make me extremely happy.
2. Barking at other dogs that have the nerve to walk their humans on my street.
3. Rolling around on something dead and getting that wonderful scent on my fur.
4. Waking my human up at 4:30 in the morning to play with me.
5. Reading the works of Spinoza, Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Thoreau, and of course, Jack London and John Steinbeck. These are my books, Andrew reads comic books. I think Archie and Veronica is his current favorite.
6. P.S. Spinoza and Nietzsche just liked to hear themselves talk. But I had to read them so that I could appreciate the others all the more. And I know that I put six things in this category. So what? I’m Danny the Dog! I can do anything that I want.
Songs
1. Old Blue by Cisco Houston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BH5AKOjtds
2. That’s enough.
Bloggers
1. Chris the Ape guy is okay . . . I guess
2. Pamela Beckford is really nice.
3. Ms. Spicy has a smorgasbord that I could really get into. I love Swedish food.
4. Kate, Ms. Owl, Silver Colleen, Anne, and Ms. C.R.A.P. are among some of my favorites.
5. And last, but certainly not least . . . Ms. Peach with that beautiful and captivating smile of hers.
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Hey Danny! Thanks so much for taking the challenge despite being at summer camp. Hope you’re having a great time barking and rolling in dead things. Sounds great! Andrew must miss you terribly. And thanks for brightening my morning! 😀
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I got a bunch of goosebumps while reading your happiness post. (1)Goosebumps make me happy – they mean some words, written or said, have seeped into my soul and tickled it lovingly. The first reason for the goosebumps is that you and I share such similar tastes. No, I don’t mean your portrait picture (although I did find it extremely inventive!). I mean that on my top five happiness list is memories of (2) my young daughter giggling over just ‘being,’ as your pumpkin shows here. (3) Raising my two kids with my guy in the SF bay area is a huge factor in my happiness ration. (4) Like you, my life would be bleak without my imagination and creativity. HUGE part of my happiness scale. But what’s the chance that we’d share TWO of the same favorite-of-all-time songs? I burst out in (happy) tears when I listen to Ode to Joy – e v e r y t I m e. And to me, “In My Life” by the Beatles is the MOST ROMANTIC song of all. I was stopped once by a cop while I was in the car driving because, um, while listening to the song on the radio I was sobbing. It’s just that beautiful.
I’m going to pop over and see the other blogs you choose. Of course, Mike and I go way back. His blog posts just makes me laugh starting with the first sentence.
I will respond in kind sometime this summer. I just got my book Twin Desires out in softback, so need to market that first (sigh, promotion is NOT on my happiness list). :-0
Thanks so much for the honor. xo
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So funny, Pam, and not surprising really – well, a little surprising on the songs, but they are great songs after all. Congrats on getting Twin Desires out. It’s on my Kindle and next in line. Reading everyone’s books is another thing that makes me happy 😀 I think you’ll enjoy the blogs I mentioned – all fun folks. Have a wonderful day, my friend. Keep smiling. 🙂
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I’m a little nervous of you reading my book. I re-edited for the softback version. The e-book is good, but I noticed some formatting issues in the e-book that drove me crazy this time when I went through it. I know you’ll understand. :-0
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I will understand. Believe me. No nervousness necessary 🙂
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Oh Diana, this is so awesome 🙂 Thanks for making me smile today 🙂
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You’re welcome, Lynne. Just a bit of silliness, which always makes me happy. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
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I love your sense of humor. There is certainly nothing wrong with a happiness tag every now and then. I also love the adorable Overlord, donuts rule!
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I had fun with it and tried to make it a bit silly. Thanks for the visit and have a happy day 😀
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Always a pleasure to read your wonderful writing 🙂
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Cute pictures D…. Love the Overlord one especially. 🙂
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He is a cutie, Michelle. I was so excited to have a pj picture of him. Thanks for the visit 🙂
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Sharing your happiness is never a wasted moment! 😉
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Thanks tor the visit. I agree. Hopefully a few folks got a laugh out of it 🙂
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I know I got a smile! 🙂
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Your original picture is hilarious Diana! What a ‘Happy Post!’
When I write some nice lines and feel like adding them to my quotable quotes, baking my favorite cakes and blowing bubbles with my grandchildren are some of the things that have come to my mind instantly. there are many more though!
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I’m glad you like my pretty picture, Balroop 🙂 I could think of lots of things too, but tried to keep it a bit silly. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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I’m at a loss without Danny. He does all the computer stuff. Where is he supposed to post his likes?
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Chris seems to host most of Danny’s
posts, if that works. Or on your blog. It’s completely up to you, Andrew, whether you decide to follow through, no pressure at all. 🙂
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Yep, keep smiling. And congratulations. 🙂
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Thanks, Steven. I hit the “publish” button this morning instead of “save draft.” Oops. Had to rush in and fix my links, etc. Now on Friday I’ll just stick everyone with some shameless promotion. 🙂
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lol… I’ve done that with some photo posts. No photo. Or scheduled for the following day and…. uh huh, there it is now, pre-edited. 🙂
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Yup. Ha ha.
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From the…”um, that’s …nice” of your photo, to the honour of you naming me (thank you!)… great post! Will give some thought to a suitable reply 🙂
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What’s the matter with my photo? Don’t you have an alter-ego? Ha ha ha. Thanks for the visit, Al.
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My mug is ugly enough without adding some distortion in the mix! I’d scare people away!
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5 things that make me happy:
1. The smell of parking lots after it rains
2. Big, huge trees (and climbing them)
3. Reading. In the parks.
4. Going to big parties, realizing you’re the only introvert and finding that one other introvert at the party to stand next to to observe people. Usually they are artists as well…
5. Summer BBQs!!
This is a great post. Thanks for making everyone think about happiness!
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Thanks for sharing your 5 things! They all sound good to me 🙂 Have a great week.
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Oh, wow. That old social media photo is…um…pretty? 😀
And I am a moss fan myself!
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Ha ha ha. You’re comment made me laugh. Thanks for visiting Tamara. I’d glad you think it’s…pretty? Ha ha ha. 😀
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I debated once putting up a photo of myself when I had really, really long and dark hair and I looked like that girl from the movie “The Ring.” Ha ha! But i didn’t want to scare off people from my blog!
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Oh, Tamara, it sounds…pretty? 😀 😀
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I’m feeling all happy now! 😀😃 Great song choices and love the photos, particularly the one of your grandson in his red PJs. Simply adorable…
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Thanks Annika :-D. Red pjs and his red boots. We just had his 3rd birthday party on Sunday. A happy time. Hope your day is full of joy ❤
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First things first: allow me to react to your old social media photo: GAAH!
I am delighted to hear that my bloggy stuff makes you happy! (I think you know, the feeling is mutual.)
As I posted today, I am shutting my blog down for the summer — but you have my promise that I will do my own happiness post as soon as I return in the fall. Thanks again for the shout-out. Stay happy, my friend!
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You’re at the top of the list, Mike. No worries. I hope you collect lots of happiness on your break 😀
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I’ll certainly collect a lot of dirty dishes.
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I love your social media photo 🙂
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Me too. Totally silly and alien. Then I had to become “professional” and grow up (a little) 😀 It was fun to share it.
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☺☺☺ About your music choices…spot on !!! 💛 💙 💜
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Thanks, Van. The music choices were hard as I’m not much of a listener, but I found a few 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. ❤
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Grandchildren and those great songs always put a smile on my face.
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Thanks, Bernadette. This post was a complete accident! Oops. It was supposed to go out on Friday. It wasn’t even done! Such is life 🙂 Gotta keep smiling!
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