identify 100 things that make me happy.

Yesterday and today I’ve been re-doing my goals here.

It’s like rearranging the furniture.

Several goals I set aside as “giving up” because there is no “postpone” option.

It is making me happy to grab the reins of my life this way.

Also, the last couple of days have included a lot of contacting people about the West Coast Railway meetup. Labor Day Weekend, some of us are taking the Coast Starlight. We’re getting on the train the leaves San Diego Saturday morning and gets into Seattle Sunday night.

Some may ride the distance, others a stop of two. It’s a traveling party, and not costly if you just go a bit. I am happy this trip is coming together.

And 100: I am happy that my body has cooperated in my wellness. The anti-oxidants are doing their thing. I feel back to well being again. Good energy. Happy. And the bonus is, more on my game.

Today, I spent a few hours in the afternoon doing daughter A’s garage sale with her. That was as fine a time in its own way as the day before wine tasting with friends. My weekend didn’t involve getting anything done I had planned, so I may have to take a day off work next week. Works for me…

I am happy we were together like friends today.

wind sculptures twirling
lavender coloring up the perimeter, grape vines in their neat rows beyond, and then the golden hills, studded with oaks

An hour on the road, all the way to the farthest winery we would visit today. whites, reds, pinks.

I roasted some game hens and brought them along in the picnic bag. We bought a frosty bottle of sauvignon blanc and shared it. Some delightful sour dough bread and a petit Basque cheese round. Olive, blue berries, and nectarines.

Then down the valley and another stop. We barely got in three wineries – at the last one, they were closing, and gave us half the goodies we purchased for free.

Now it is a crisp night and I am helping daughter A put together her garage sale for tomorrow. She is having a very rough time, and twice today I thought she was slipping back into her horrible bipolar ill state, beyond the event horizon, down the black hole. Two calls on the road seemed to be from another world altogether. But she is focused and together at the moment, so I am grateful.

It is so easy to make mistakes, and so wonderful when they are forgiven, effortlessly, compassionately.

She sang Amazing Grace.

This is how the program read: SENIOR SOLOIST
A—M—is graduating with a BA in Community Studies. She is proud of this achievement and pleased to be singing for you today. This one goes out to all my kin: present and afar, alive and passed. You have been supportive, patient, and beautiful through the dangers, toils and snares. Thank you for your grace.

She was amazing. She is amazing. I am happy that she seized this opportunity and was so bold and so intensely beautiful.

Oh yeah, she is. Daughter A is not only getting her degree, but she is singing. All by herself at commencement.

It’s a surprise except she told me. And she didn’t tell me what she is singing. But it may be she is singing without even an instrument, just her voice. wow.

That is Saturday. very happiness making.

It was a business visit, but this went more into the networking category. I love networking. You get to work on business relationships. So we aren’t supposed to call each other friends and then it’s perfect.

She helped me select a graduation present for daughter A. I was thinking of giving her a little stock portfolio, but my friend said ennhhh. So instead, I got her a turquoise leather travel bag to take on her journeys, a matchbox made into a shrine with lucky dirt from Anasazi and some Mayan dolls inside to keep her safe, a scarf that changes color depending on the light from deep purple to deep blue, and some amethyst earrings with stones so faceted they bounce light around. Now she may have to re-pierce that one closed hole. I just got some back pay from my employer, so I’ll be able to tuck some cash into the bag.

Then on the way home I stopped into a cruise specialist and picked up a batch of special voyage brochures. When my honey gets home tomorrow we can lounge around and have some fantasies about a dream trip somewhere exotic. I still haven’t heard back on the eclipse cruise, so I bet it’s already booked. So, this guy is going to see about getting us over to Fiji and into a nice resort, with an island yacht or some such local boat to get us over to Butaritari.

Then we can decide what we really want to do…

91

She says “and thinking of proposing on a gondola – wouldn’t that be romantic? We’re floating on a gondola in Italy…” (to her long term boyfriend)

R and I are going on separate business trips and daughter V has come over to be with the dog. He’s happy and we’re happy.

90
wow. I am for sure going to keep going. Past 100.

I am happy that Barack Obama is going to put an end to veterans sleeping outside because they have no place else to sleep and they are so fucked up by what they’ve gone through that they think it’s OK for them to live without basic comforts.

It makes a certain sense to want to sleep without walls, but it makes a more certain sense to have walls to go home to.

89

Daughter M came along, and worked very hard along with us on the garden.

We got some renewal going at the house with painting and staining, planting anthuriums, bromeliads and orchids.

And we treated ourselves to two nights at the Moana Surfrider. I totally recommend this hotel to anyone who would love to experience old time Hawaii. It is not crowded like the Royal Hawaiian. The renovations are tasteful, and comfortable. The beds are great. If you go to my photo stream on flickr you’ll see lots of the views. You go in, and it is truly the Hawaii of 50 years ago, but made new. The music is true Hawaiian, and everything you could want of need is right there, especially the ocean and white sand right outside, where you can swim or surf, or take a sunset cruise – right from the hotel…