My Very Own Tree of Happiness

The ever amazing Zenmomma has given me this Tree of Happiness Award. This award gives me the opportunity to list 6 things that make me happy and then I choose 6 friends to tag. Tena, Amy, Renee, Carelia, Linda, Kat
Just one more thing my friend Mary and I have in common, a seasonal melancholy malady, generally called February. In skipping the list of the well known & obvious causes of great joy in my life, I bring you the stabalizing forces of joy that brought me through the heavy Februaried shadows and into the bright sunlight of a much lighter-hearted march through March.


1. My friends. Yeah, maybe this is a known and obvious cause of joy, it is indeed one worth putting in the #1 spot. From messages to my favorite breakfast to phone calls to surprise offers to walk to sacred mementos to cards to thoughts and prayers. I am well-loved. And that is the most healing gift I could ever be offered. Namaste, my sisters, namaste.


2. Yoga. Yoga. Yoga. Three classes total so far & all I can say is a Neo-esque "Whoa" I am flexible, I am calm, I am quiet, I am strong, I am soft, I am whole. That has been the gift of Yoga, thus far. heh, I'm sure I'll never complete the list! ♥ Did I mention I'm in love with the Eagle Pose? And I can do it and balance without a brick.


3. Cash Economy. Jon Gold has some amazing things to say about the benefits of cash. In case he thinks his words are in vain, he has inspired our family to live without any electronic forms of currency. An adjustment to be sure, and a worthwhile one thus far. We live within our means every moment of every day & viola! we can live *well* within our means! It goes hand in hand with our Be Here Now philosophy. Not to mention we're saving a bundle on bank fees!



4. Charlie the Unicorn *snort* Jennerson. Being his pack leader has been the biggest lifestyle challenge since becoming a parent for the first time. He demands a level of physical activity heretofore unheard of the the world of diana. Thanks Charlie! Thanks Cesar! Thanks me, for knowing the dog's health trinity is more important than the comfort of a sedentary lifestyle. And Thanks to Whomever designed the really cool chemicals that are released in the human brain during activity.


5. Audiobooks on MP3. Oh baby! From Stephen Frye reading the entire Harry Potter series to my first foray into listening in Spanish; from Stephanie Plum to Kinsey Millhone; from Loving Neil Gaiman's reading to abhorring Stephen King's; from several attempts at Eat Pray Love (no, I'm still not thru it!) to running through The Appeal; I look forward listening to new friends and old, reliving and learning, experiencing and remembering. My bibliophile heart can love to listen, too! ♥


6. Taking pictures. I love being in love with where I live! Mostly I love that no matter how blue I might feel, there is green waiting to greet me, just outside my door. The oxygen of outside is sometimes enough to make the difference in the direction my day is heading, emotionally. I make a point of documenting the life around me, to remind myself of the constant cycle, the constant renewal, the tiniest of all examples of the miracle of life on this planet. I am awe-full every single day. For that I am not only happy, I am eternally grateful. Go ahead, click on my green spot and prepare to be surprised and, I hope, inspired.