Saturday, November 8, 2008

When through the west like thunder rang out the Union's call

Over at SisterSticks, the question "what makes you happy?" was asked. I have a very bad habit of telling people what makes me miserable (destructive friendships, my poor confidence and credit card fraud are the current top of the pops) but I have tried really hard in the last year to focus on what makes me happy. Long and horrid commute to work? The views across the lake, sweet tunes on my iPod and crocheting makes me happy. Chronic hayfever? Well, at least it's warming up and the garden is producing food and the local pool is open again. Severe back pain and migraines? Mmmm. Hard to see the happy in that but I did have an enjoyable conversation with my physio this week.

I've just spent the day with the most delightful group of people doing Really Nice Stuff. My choir was invited to sing at the Queanbeyan Working Life and Folklore Festival today. Imagine a smokey fire, towering gum trees and an old hall under an old grandstand at the showground, it's ceiling clad with Lysaght Orb corroguated iron - the best kind of acoustics to sing in for sure.

A little bit of bluegrass

While we waited to go on stage, we listened to a little group jamming in the hall. More people arrived and joined in.

Love the music

It was so nice to listen to other people's music. These three girls are in the choir with me and are very dear friends - we spent a lovely couple of hours at the Rendezvous Cafe in between gigs, having coffee and gorging ourselves on the biggest schnitzels EVER. They must breed monster chooks in Queanbeyan.

Dance

Some of us broke out in dance. Not me. I was too busy crocheting a scarf.

Now for happiness #2. Last night on the bus, 100 metres before my stop, I finished my Red Socks. They make me so happy. Very, very happy.

Red Socks

Project: Red Wollmeise Socks

Pattern: Pebbled Sand by Janet Rehfeldt

Red Socks


Yarn: Wollmeise 100% wool sock yarn in Indisch Rot. Yes, they really are this red. A good commie red and they look pretty good in the strawberry barrel.

Hook: 4 mm bamboo

Notes: Having now made this pattern three times, I think I have the entire pattern memorised. But now it's time to make
something else.

Red Socks

Happiness # 3 is the dinner I made on Tuesday night. I made the spinach and feta pie again, using spinach from the garden, and this time I served carrots, lettuce and broad beans, all from the garden as well. Dinners like this are what make me happy we go to the effort of having a garden.

Dinner, straight from the garden

17 comments:

  1. Michelle
    that looks delightful and delicious (can i get the recipe please )

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  2. yep, those are all very, very good reasons to be happy. I feel like every day in this last year has been a supreme effort to find such things for myself. It's too easy to give in to the bad and some days, you have to really fight, but it's worth it.

    I'm knee deep in broad beans at the moment. We should swap ideas.

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  3. sorry just getting the hang of posting comments

    Wendy -aka tinkerbell in canberra

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  4. I am happy because you are my friend and you are such a wnderful friend to have
    also love your socks well done ,they look fantastic in with the strawberries good enough to eat even

    Wendy

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  5. They look like lovely socks the red makes them look so warm! The next ones on your list look interesting too, but are you doing the anklets or the normal length socks? Your strawberries look like you are going to have a good season...something to be happy about: growing your own and getting to eat fresh warm strawberries whenever you like- yummy!
    (Word verification:corkag, do you think it's suggesting you might need a drink perhaps??)

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  6. yum!

    just looking at those socks makes me happy!

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  7. Very good habit, noticing the small things that create happiness. I thoroughly believe happiness can become a habit, like anything else. Sometimes we need to work a bit harder than at others, but always, always there are beautiful things in this world, if we just open ourselves to them.

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  8. Another thoughtful, beautifully expressed post Michelle. I love seeing the fruits of your garden - you are such a great cook! And the fruits of your hooking are always superb. I still haven't started socks - but I do have some queued! Thanks for reminding me to do a little bit of Pollyanna-ing. It makes life much better for everyone (while still acknowledging the cruddy bits). Take care!

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  9. Comrade what a great bunch of things to be happy about. And those broad beans - yum!I have half grown tomatoes which I am very excited about.

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  10. Good food, good music, good friends and good handiwork - I agree, these are things that happiness is made of.

    Do you think happiness can be contagious? I think misery can be, so why not happiness - pass it on.

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  11. Oh Yum! Great reasons to be cheerful (parts 1,2 and 3!)

    And lovely lovely socks!

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  12. Congrats on finishing the socks and a very interesting acoustic space to perform in.

    But since you finishing the socks made you very, very happy, then I am happy too.

    Cheers

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  13. Whenever I read your posts about your garden, I move a bit closer to making a vegie garden. How wonderful to have so much homegrown stuff. Yum!

    Your socks are beautiful too.

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  14. They are some lovley happy things. And I love those socks! That's my kinda red!

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  15. Love the lovely Red Socks! And yummy cooked from the garden dinner, and singing and dancing.

    It's good to look for the happy, isn't it. Hard sometimes, yes, but very good.

    "porkiede" is the word verification. mmmm bacon!

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  16. This community choir thing is just the best fun - wish I'd started sooner.
    Looks like your practice was fabbo

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