practice 'Happiness Manifesto' periodically

-the local organic market that is just up the street from me :)
-finding out about CSA “community supported agriculture” and ordering bins of organic produce from Rock-N-Horse Farm
-the fresh delicious lettuce, green beans, cucumbers I bought at the organic farmers market
-meeting farmers who care and treat their animals with respect
-our rat Ruthie, who chats and chirps to us, cuddles us, plays ball with us, is truly remarkable in so many ways
-more blooms on my gardenia
-time with my aunt visiting from Sweden
-new art directions

-spending the day at my girlfriend’s beautiful cottage on a gorgeous lake
-seeing a loon on the lake
-great conversations with a really good friend
-hummus and tabouli
-our four ratties who are always excited to see me and want to play
-my aunt visiting from Sweden
-dinner out with my sweet G
-my gardenia that is blooming
-my oleander that is blooming
-birds enjoying the birdbath I recently made out of big flower pots
-Ashikubo green tea from Japan, simply the best, even though it costs a small fortune
-an encaustic workshop with a friend
-the Company of Fools outdoor production of Antony and Cleopatra, brilliant and hilarious

-the Fringe Festival here in town…such talented performers, so much fun, my favourite summer festival in the city, saw 5 plays, wish I had time to see more
-the wonderful compliments people wrote about my paintings in my guest book I had at my exhibition
-new friendships
-G who is so sweet and fixed my broken car :)
-a 10 class yoga pass for only $49!!
-finding out that a Moksha hot yoga studio is opening just a few blocks away, yippeeeee!
-bike rides in perfect summer weather, sound of bullfrogs as I pedal past the marsh
-time to work on my novel

-wonderful friends who get it
-being able to watch the development of a robin that was born in our cedar hedge and is now hopping alongside her mom, learning how to look and listen for insect snacks in our backyard
-the birdbath I made out of recycled plastic pots, that is being used!
-the beautiful summer weather and the blooming irises and peonies in my garden
-green tea from Ashikubo, Japan….it’s the best green tea ever!
-finding out that hot yoga is coming soon to a location just a minute away!
-a visit to a friend’s cottage, great company, beautiful surroundings
-sweet G, who listens and hugs and loves, endlessly

-all of the people who are fighting so hard to save the Beaver Pond Forest in the South March Highlands from development
-seeing Sarah McLaughlin in concert, with guests Melissa McLelland and Luke Doucet, what an amazing night!
-a romantic getaway for a night at a B&B with G
-having the time to focus on my art career and paint paint paint!
-Ruthie and Millie, the wonder rats…they’re so dang cute and funny
-the beauty, simplicity, and quiet of freshly fallen snow
-my orchids that are blooming again
-being the only one on the ski trail
-chickadees flitting to and from the feeder
-a red squirrel buddy I made in the Beaver Pond Forest (see pic I took)

-a wonderful visit with my mom…how cute she is and how positive and caring, I’ve been so lucky all my life to have a mom like her
-making new friends with lots in common
-Ruthie the rat’s funny antics, she knows she’s funny
-seeing so many animal welfare causes on the Aviva funding contest and Pepsi Refresh Everything funding contest
-my sleep, which is uninterrupted, deep, delicious, so different than the previous several years when having a decent sleep was nearly impossible
-the BBC wild animal voice overs and ETrade baby commercial videos on Youtube…I laugh so much I nearly pee my pants
-continuing sales of my paintings…this is more important now that I’ve taken a long break from my day job and its steady pay cheques

-this being my 200th entry!!
-being in a warm house when it’s cold and snowy outside…how the indigenous people of Canada survived the harsh winters so long ago is beyond me
-working out and feeling strong
-G, who frames and photographs my paintings, and gives of his time without hesitation, such a sweetie!
-Ruthie the rat’s ball playing game…she’s so funny and smart
-a day of painting and no distractions
-wonderful friends to hang out with
-being able to help the Constance Creek Wildlife Refuge because I have time!

-Frank McCourt’s book, Teacher Man, that’s making me laugh out loud, and relive being a teacher all over again (although I never had the difficult students in NYC that he did)
-roasted potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes
-the power going out and lighting candles all over the house..it looked beautiful
-the tiny, darting chickadees at our birdfeeder
-our half tame squirrel that comes right up to the back sliding door, sits up and peers in, looking for me to hand him some peanuts
-the unusually warm weather we’ve had
-having time to paint, paint, paint!

-our one week trip to Paris…it was absolutely spectacular, in every sense of the word!
-having the privilege of seeing the Claude Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais, a retrospective of his work, paintings gathered from all over the world-I was in art heaven!
-seeing my favourite Monet painting, The Magpie, in person!!!
-meeting my French cousins and some of their children after 35 years, it was just so wonderful, and they are such lovely, sweet people
-my own bed and shower
-our pets’ happiness to see us after being away for one week :)

-a four day work week…I’ve already had this on a previous posting, but it deserves to be repeated!
- tomorrow night…seeing Greg Wyard again at Anna’s yearly party, hearing him play guitar, sing, talking to him about his trip to New Zealand
-the perfect summer weather we’ve been having
-French CDs…brushing up on my conversational skills while I drive
-G, who is so amazing in every way…I’m so lucky!
-being healthy and mobile
-fresh corn on the cob
-my Aunt Anna who is visiting from Sweden