I Choose Happy

Today is August 3rd, wow..where does the time go.  Seems we've barely gotten to enjoy the summer and we've been seeing back to school sales everywhere.  Really dislike seeing them all summer, can't we enjoy summer first.  Clicking on the above picture will take you to a very different type of blog challenge.  It's different because there's no linky, it's different because there's no sign up list.  Never done a challenge without those items, so it will be interesting to see how this works.  It's a very relaxed challenge, lol.  Relaxed and challenge don't seem to even to together, but the idea is to do it for fun, not to stress.   Here's a cut and paste of One Gals Musing's blog post about it.

Forget Your Troubles! C'mon, Get Happy!

On August 1, this year's August Happiness Challenge begins. The idea is very simple: "Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world."

Really. That's all there is to it. No rules.

I like finding an icon that will make me smile every time I see it for 31 days.

**Apparently we'll just use the comments as a list to visit from.

I'm not sure I'll do this everyday, as it's been a good number of months of one challenge after another and I think I'ld like to get back to "normal" blogging,  whatever that is , but
Focusing on the positive is something that calls out to me.

Happiness is a choice I think, we can't rely on others to make us happy...so anyone needing a little happiness, reach up there and take it.  And enjoy it.

Hearing birds chirping outside my window this morning as I type this scheduled post makes me Happy, what makes you happy?

Another thing that makes me happy is sweet memories, so pop back in on Monday for Memory Monday.

Random 5 Friday, It's Good to be Back

• Missed the last couple of weeks, as I was traveling.  Hubby, DD and I had a wonderful time.  Take a peak here on my traveling blog.
• Getting over a wicked allergy bout that hit again on our return from vacation.  We landed in a terrific rain storm that lasted too many days,  that seemed to reverse all the good I got from being in the beautiful, dry mountain air of Park City, Utah.
• The work week was pretty nasty after vacation, we were over over booked, and understaffed, and it was a mighty long week.
• Spent a good deal of time working on my mothers side of the family (doing the family tree), and think I've found a lost cousin we've wondered about for years.  Posted a long letter to him yesterday and have my fingers crossed that it is indeed him, and that I get a response.  Too bad some of these folks eluded me before, Mom would have enjoyed the additional information I found.   **edited becasuse this was a scheduled post to say, my cousin called last night-though I didn't get to talk to him he left a message so will make contact today...pretty excited.  
  
   These 2 pictures you can tell are from long ago, back in 1951, I was 1 then; and he's now 75.  Wonder if he played music all his life???  So many questions.
  
  
  Beyond the clues these 2 pictures tell us, he played trombone and liked dogs....I know very little about him.   Hope that will be remedied soon.  My cousin Lee said in his phone message it was good to hear from me.  Wonderful start.
• Looking forward to a gathering of old neighborhood friends (from childhood) in my old hometown this wkend.  Some of you might remember I met up with one girl friend I hadn't seen in 50 years earlier this summer.  This is 2nd go round, but a few others are joining us.

This is the picture she took of me at President Hardings Memorial, a place we played often as kids.  This will be the meeting place again this week.  I love making connections.

I've been very disappointed so few have joined me in Memory Monday, so am trying once again to invite you all.  Monday's are often dreaded days, let's make them more fun.  PLEASE join me on Monday, post a photo and share it's memory with us.

• Write your post, add the badge with a link back here
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Pedal Pushers and Flowers in Niagara Falls

More fun on Memory Monday.  Chuck, Mike, Mom, and Me.  Dad's behind the camera.  I remember thinking how cool it was the flowers could tell time!  This was The Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  Back in the day, we took a mini vacation.  Think maybe a 3 day.  We stayed on the American side, think the lodging was cheaper, but I remember Mom talking about how much prettier, cleaner the Canadian side was.  Not sure of the year but think I was in 2nd grade, while Chuck was in 4th and Mike in Kindergarden?

Pedal pushers, and kids today think Capri's are a new thing, lol; not so much.  Then later when they guys wore a version of them they were called clam diggers.

I can remember how carefully Mom packed.  She packed for all 5 of us, in just 2 suitcases.  Remember when you had to carry your luggage, before wheels and over sized bags to stuff?  I remember her having a folding little travel iron that she could touch things up on the bed in the hotel room.  Who out there is as old as me and remembers stuff like this?

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The Magic of Cardboard and Tissue Paper

Join me in the way back machine again for another round of Memory Monday.  Long long ago, when make believe was truly magical.  Mom used tissue paper to make a fire place.  We had those cardboard ones later...prefab design, but here Mom use a book case and turned it into a Christmas Fireplace so we had a place to hang our stockings and a place for Santa to enter the house.  I loved having tea parties, big brother Chuck was playing along.  Shouldn't there be a rule against wearing ones pistol at the table?  lol  Younger brother Mike in the jumper seat.  Oh those were good times, not because we got alot at Christmas, we didn't ...money was tight; but oh the magic of make believe.  Mom was sooooooooo good at it.  She was so very creative.

This was in an old house on Johns Street in Marion, before we moved into our new house on Lilac Lane.  If memory serves this was really an old house we rented, there was an open furnace right in the living room.

What's your memory for today?

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