What Makes You Happy?

I ran across this question in a blog today:

“What if you were to write down the top ten activities that make you happy and are good for your long-term happiness and health, then start spending most of your time doing those things?”

The blog is about managing finances through a frugal lifestyle, and it interested me enough I’m going back to the beginning and reading my way through. (You’ll see if you click the link that it is from an early entry.) When I read this question it got me thinking.

I thought I would pop over to my own blog and answer it.

• Spending time playing with my nieces.
• Long rambling conversations with my boyfriend.
• Talking with and spending time with my sister.
• Hanging out with my girlfriends.
• Preparing food – especially trying new and interesting recipes.
• Spending a quiet weekend up at my cabin.
• Long walks with my dog where we explore new places.
• Spending an hour or more with a great book.
• Writing – in this blog, in journals, wherever.
• Being creative, working on projects, building things and making art.

Hmmm… why does it seem like these are the things I spend the least amount of time doing?

Photo credit: Bilal Kammon

Valentine’s Day Card for My Niece

This is the poem that was on the Valentine’s Day card I sent my niece. She’s far too young to understand it, but it almost made me cry when I read it in the card shop. I wish there had been more cards like this when I was a kid.

Some girls are quite tall
And others are small
And some are in between.
Some girls like the color pink
While some prefer lime green.
A girl can be athletic
Or write poetry and prose,
She might wear little flowers on
her fingernails and toes.
A girl can be so many things –
Like kind and smart and fun…
And if she’s you, it’s certain
That she’s loved by everyone!