First, I’d like to say thank you to everyone that showed me love and support with my last post. It was quite terrifying to put myself out there, but all the fears I had were quickly erased after the thoughtful comments, messages and texts began to appear. Even more important was the fact that many people shared their own struggles with me and how they are working on getting stronger. When you’re in the grip of despair, sometimes getting stronger seems impossible, but when people share where they were and where they are now… it gives you that much more hope to carry on and heal.
So in light of my last post, I thought I’d blog about things that give me great happiness. Some are big things. Some are little things. They are not listed in any particular order.
The Price Is Right
I’ve been watching this show since I was a kid. During summer breaks, my butt was plopped down in front of the television from 10:00-11:00AM during the week. There’s nothing that gives me greater pleasure than watching someone win a car... okay, any prize! I cheer and clap when someone gets a bonus spin and is going for that $25,000 on the wheel. I almost wet myself with joy when a woman won a double showcase a couple weeks ago giving her the third-highest total ever won on the show – a little over $109,000. Before you ask… I don’t like Plinko mostly because it rarely yields any big money. Bonus: I can sing the Cliffhanger yodel. Additional Bonus: I have been practicing my Barker Beauty walk and presentation for about 35 years. They have been perfected.
Disaster Porn
I’m not sure why the end of the world gives me such pleasure, but it does. From the cheesy special effects to the overacting, they are shot-for-shot, some of the worst movies made. Still, it gives me something to laugh while contemplating the world’s demise. P.S. I do wish there was a giant killer alligator that I could release on people.
Nefi, Lola and Rampage
These three little buggers are often my reason for getting up in the morning... and not just because they are standing on my head wondering where their breakfast is. They are my companions when I’m sad/sick/lonely. Lola’s puppy sighs, Nefi’s snorts, Rampage’s ability to snuggle anywhere anytime, all make my day just a little more bright. Sure, they have their moments, but so do I and they could care less. Unconditional love ROCKS!
The Chicago Blackhawks
I’ve been a Blackhawk fan since I was seven years old. Most of the past thirty-three years have been an exercise of suffering and sadness. And then in 2010 my beloved team won the Stanley Cup. At first I was stunned. Seriously. I slid off my chair and sat on the floor asking my husband, “What just happened?” He kept responding, “They won,” and yet it took about a day for it to actually sink in. Then I cried like a baby. I wanted to go to the parade downtown, but illness stopped me from going. Still, I watched it on television crying and cheering while each member of the team took the stage. I swear I can die a happy woman now.
The Munchkinland Sequence from The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies of all time, but I can’t say it always makes me happy. I always related to Dorothy in both good and bad ways. I cry every time Judy Garland sings “Over the Rainbow” and when she comes to at the end, clutching Toto, surrounded by people who love her. However, the Munchkins bring me profound joy. Their happiness is contagious! I can sing the entire sequence complete with voices. My favorite? The Coroner because he is the one that delivers the news that, yes, the wicked witch in fact is dead. (And he’s got the coolest voice of the bunch… oooh… and he’s the tallest!) When the Chicago Theater was putting on a production, I almost went and tried out. Unfortunately, I was 2 inches too tall for the cutoff. That didn’t stop me from dancing around singing for weeks like part of The Lullaby League.
Cooking Magazines
I love to cook and get a lot of magazines. It will take me days to read just one as I go over each recipe in my head picturing myself performing all of the tasks finishing with a perfect meal. Okay, I’ll be honest… a lot of times while I cook I actually pretend I’m hosting a cooking show. My husband has never witnessed this, but I imagine it is quite entertaining, especially when I set my oven mitts on fire while my hands are in them. Any-who, cooking magazines allow me to escape into a world where I’m a master at a craft and every meal is done effortlessly and perfectly. My favorites are:
- The Food Network Magazine – they have a lot of informative how-to articles where I learn something new each month
- Taste of Home – basic, easy to make recipes that rarely disappoint
- Every Day with Rachael Ray – although I don’t care for her personally, the magazine is filled with gadgets and things to try
Reality TV
I don’t like all of it – I’d rather pluck my own eyes out than watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians – but there are a lot of quality shows out there. I enjoy shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race because even I could be on one of those shows, so I relate to the people on them. And then there’s So You Think You Can Dance. A show of truly talented dancers pushed to the boundaries of their abilities. The performances are arranged by some of the most talented choreographers out there. Not an episode goes by where I’m not reduced to tears by the raw emotion that they put into their dance. As someone who uses music to show emotion, I can appreciate this.
The UFC
Grown men punching and throwing each other down on an octagon shaped mat surrounded by a cage. Need I say more? Even more than the fights is the group of people we meet up with to watch them. We laugh for hours in between fighters snapping each other’s arms. It’s the little things in life, y’all.
Ninja Warrior
I don’t really consider this reality television because no one competes against each other in this one. It is a group of 100 people all pushing the limits of what they can do. One of the defining differences between this show and American competition programming is that the contestants are rooting for each other. If you make it to the top that gigantic tower at the end, you are a Ninja Warrior, regardless of who else made it up there that day. Oh yeah, the show is in Japanese with subtitles. Think you’re going to hate it? Guess again. The announcer is one of the best parts of the show even if you don’t have any idea what he is saying!
Cute Overload
This blog posts picture after picture of some of the most adorable animals on the planet. It’s a great site for animal lovers. I would be lying if I said I haven’t sent pictures of my three in at some point because, yeah, they are too stinkin’ cute. The only drawback to me looking at the site is I want more animals in my house. Of course, usually around the time I feel this way, one of mine will vomit or shatter my eardrums with a piercing bark. That snaps me out of it quickly.
My husband
He’s never given up on me, even when I have. Sometimes I think he has no reason to stay, yet he does. We fight. We struggle. We laugh. We cry. We do what we can to make it through together. He constantly makes me laugh telling jokes at the most inappropriate times or attempting to fart the “Let’s Go Hawks” chant. Simply put, I’d be lost without him.
So what makes you happy?
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