If you’d asked me during a few particularly “low” points this week, I would have told you I wasn’t going to be able to muster up many Happy Things or FIGs. It was miserably cold and windy and generally awful outside. The world continued to spiral out of control. And yes, my KIDS HAVE BEEN HOME – PREDOMINANTLY COOPED UP INSIDE – FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO WEEKS. (Which, if you hadn’t made the connection, means I have been home with my kids predominantly cooped up inside for two weeks).
But in retrospect, this week had an abundance of Happy Things.
Shall we begin?
A WARM HOUSE
The temperatures have been pretty horrific in Canada the last few weeks and my heart goes out to the many people living without housing security or those who have accommodations but can’t afford to properly heat them or those who have been displaced by conflict and are forced to endure weather extremes with little to no protection.
What a tremendous blessing to have a safe, warm home where I have easy access to hot water, clean clothes, food, a bed, doors and windows. How quick I am to complain about the weather while taking for granted the fact that I get to choose to stay inside in the comfort of a warm home.
A NEAR-PERFECT SUNDAY
I absolutely love days that have the perfect blend of rest, activity, time with people, time alone, and good food. Sunday ticked all the boxes.
- I woke up after having a particularly restful sleep. (8 hours and 22 minutes if you were curious.)
- John gave me a relaxing full-body massage in bed.
- I got dressed and ready for church before ever leaving my room which gave me enough time to sit at the table and paint my nails while the kids ate breakfast.
- Church was great. The music was great, the message was great, small group was great. The coffee I took along from home was the perfect temperature and I savoured every sip.
- We came home for lunch (beef, barley, and veggie soup that was already prepped and in the fridge), followed by an outdoor walk. It was overcast and cold, but we buddied (and bundled) up. Belle and John walked ahead and Indy and I trailed behind kicking a piece of ice in front of us for about 5 km. It was fun and kept him wholly occupied. There was also some ice balancing because…why not?
- I sat in my favourite chair with a book and literally didn’t get up from the time I started it until I turned the final page. I can’t remember the last time I finished a book in a single sitting and it felt ah-mazing! It was a 4.5/5 star read (Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell).
- We fed the kids, sent them to their rooms with audiobooks, and the John and I enjoyed the most delicious savoury waffles for our at-home date night supper (smoked salmon, avocado, John’s special sauce).
- John and I cuddled on the couch under cozy blankets and finished the new OJ miniseries and started Night Stalker (we tend to watch a lot of true crime documentaries on our at-home date nights; how cheerful).
SNOW DAYS WITH FRIENDS
- Four school days in a row were cancelled because of bad weather. And every single day the kids had at least one friend over to visit (Tuesday it was 3). I was still slowly going crazy, but at least the kids were mostly contented.
- I’m glad they have friends that live within easy driving and walking distance.
- I’m glad I don’t have to supervise playdates anymore. I’m responsible for feeding everyone and coordinating dropoff/pickup with parents and the rest is mostly up to them at this point.
- I’m glad we have a big laundry room that hasn’t been renovated. The boys can run and dunk and throw mini basketballs hither and yon and I know they won’t damage anything precious.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
When we purchased a home from the 1970’s, there were lots of throwbacks to that time period memorialized in the existing infrastructure. Including the light fixtures. Over the last 7+ years, we’ve slowwwwly been updating things throughout the house and this week saw some big changes!
- We got the bathroom fan fixed. We have been opening a window for many (cold!) months to ventilate the bathroom during showers because the exhaust fan was broken. It is now fixed! Hooray.
- We did the same thing in Indy’s room (which was even darker than Belle’s) and the difference is STARTLING in the evening.
- Years ago, one of the basement hallway sconces got broken when a certain someone – name redacted for privacy – kicked a soccer ball in the hallway. Those finally got replaced! And the lights we had installed were only $5 (they were on sale + had a special energy rebate)! You can’t really tell in pictures, but the difference is like…night and day!
- Our kitchen has always been dark and shadowy and to help we removed the shades from the old lights and just had bare bulbs. Those have now been replaced with fancy new lights that have FIVE temperature warmth settings, are dimmable, and cost $20 each – new in box at a thrift store.
- Over a dozen plugs and switches have been updated from beige (why was this colour ever popular?!) to white, and from flip to rockers.
- All the electrical work took about a 1/4 of the total time expected. Woo-hoo. And there were no issues. It feels like every renovation takes twice as long and costs twice as much as originally anticipated; this time the opposite was true!
- After playing phone and schedule tag with our electrician for MONTHS, within a matter of days we were recommended a new electrician and booked him! He did a great job and will likely be our go-to electrician moving forward.
In addition to making things feel more cohesive in the house, these updates pave the way for the next steps – painting the master bedroom, hallway, kitchen, and Indy’s room. We haven’t painted any of these spaces…ever…and when we moved in the paint was already in sub-par condition. I cannot even imagine how amazing it will feel to have freshly painted walls in these rooms! Complete with fancy new WHITE switches.
A NEAR-PERFECT THURSDAY
Two near-perfect days in one week?!!!
- I had a good sleep.
- We all slept in but still managed to get everyone out the door on time for school.
- I managed to get caught up on a backlog of work, e-mails, and other communications.
- I got Belle out of school at lunchtime – along with one of her friends – and we went to the ski hill! The weather has been cold and windy; despite all the missed school time lately, skipping a few periods in exchange for fresh air and exercise felt like the right call.
- It worked out at the last minute that I was able to meet up with two of my friends (E + L), so Belle and her friend (N) skied together and my two friends and I fit in 13 runs!! We’d go up on the chair lift and chat the whole way, and then ski to the bottom and do it all over again. The conditions were amazing and I had such a great time.
- All my gym time and workout videos are paying off. I can notice some improvements in my core strength and balance while skiing.
- E+L ended up spontaneously coming over for supper. Sometimes those last-minute plans are the most fun. We had a smorgasbord of leftovers and ate by candlelight and it was low-key in all the right ways.
- It has been years since I’ve participated in a Bible study, but I signed up to join the current series at our church and last night was the first session. It was great!
BONUS THINGS
- Walking to my parents rental on one of the snow days. I had a cookie and coffee and it was lovely.
- Belle being invited to my parents for supper one night so she could join them for her favourite soup.
- Black coffee. I now drink black coffee (some of the time). I can’t believe I went from Never Ever to doing this on the regular. Colour me surprised it’s not that bad!
- I tried Dr. Pepper. It felt fun and whimsical. I took a few sips and that was more than enough. I doubt I’ll ever feel the need to try it again, but I’m glad I can say I know what it tastes like!
*I will be doing another FIG roundup on my blog this SUNDAY! If you have something you’d like included – a link to a post, a list of FIGs, relevant pictures – feel free to send them my way: optimisticmusings {at} gmail {dot} com
Your turn.
- What were some Happy Things in your life this week?
- Has anyone else never tried Dr. Pepper before?
- What’s the lighting situation like at your house?
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J
OMG, to be homeless in times like these (winter) is horrible. Worse where you are for sure, but people sometimes die here.
Can I tell you that while I did not count it on my FIG list, I found myself thankful for clean, running water this week? The practice of gratitude is real folks. Thank you Elisabeth.
Our light figure frames (I forgot already what I should be calling them) are beige, and it matches our walls so much better than white. Wait, I just turned my head and see another that is white. Against the same color wall. So we are inconsistent and nothing matches and we have to either put 25,000,000 in to updating out 1,200 square foot townhome (that’s it, no garage), we just need to absorb the idea of ‘it is what it is, no matter how crappy that is.
J
I forgot to give props for the full body massage. John rocks.
Elisabeth
Aww. I’m so glad the gratitude exercise has been a positive/helpful experience. Isn’t running (clean) water so easy to take for granted. Yes I think the majority of the world doesn’t have access to clean water.
We have different colours of trim in side-by-side rooms. Meh. It is what it is.
coco
Kudos to John for giving you a massage, I don’t think my husband has the patience to do that. I just had 90 min home massage and it was glorious!
I’ve tried Dr. Pepper, and my experience was similar to yours, I’d be happy never to drink it again.
And yes to easier play dates.
Elisabeth
He gives massages better than any massage therapist I’ve ever been to. I am spoiled!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Every time I go backpacking, I have a mantra…thank goodness for warmth and running water and toilets. Thank goodness we do not have to find a suitable shelter every day and possibly put it together, and carry it around during the day. Thank goodness we have food and don’t have to carry it around on our backs, or forage for it…etc. It really puts things in perspective! My happy thing is that I am spending time with a cousin who moved abroad a few years ago and I have not seen her since! We are having fun catching up and exploring her new home!
Elisabeth
Perspective can change everything.
That’s so fun! Great to reconnect with family; I’m sure you have shared memories and now you’ll have even more.
mbmom11
Oh, those beige outlet covers and switch plates! I have them in most rooms and hate them ( They’re like “skin toned” bandaids- they don’t really match anything. Or most early computer cases – same shade! ) I have white trim in many rooms, and my handy husband keeps picking the beige covets. Sigh. I blame the 80s when “almond” became popular.
However, my husband put in a lot of outlets and lights in our 100 year old house, so he has his good points( just a little color blind, I think). And the garage he built has so many lights, and white walls, I swear you could do surgery in it
My cat is purring on top of me right now. Happy for early Friday morning!
More snow days? Your kids will be making up school until July! I hope your weather eases up soon.
I only drink dr pepper by accident and never enjoy the experience.
Enjoy your weekend!
Elisabeth
So many snow days, but they have been back for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Hallelujah.
Something about the beige just always looks dirty to me, but I can see that it would match certain wall colours better than white!
Suzanne
So many happy things! Your perfect Sunday sounds amazing.
I am tickled that you tried Dr Pepper! I love it though these days I rarely drink soda (and then only diet).
Elisabeth
I wonder if Diet Dr. Pepper tastes much different? I rarely drink Cola, but do prefer Diet Coke vs regular Coke. Maybe I’ll up the ante and try DIET Dr. Pepper this year at some point.
Sarah
THIS COLD is so terrible. I am crabby. The kids are crabby. The DOG is crabby. UGH.
Elisabeth
Yes! It does seem to lead to general crabbiness. People are sick, everyone’s skin is dry, people are tired of being cold/cooped up. BUT we make the most of it and when I stop complaining for a few minutes I can appreciate – wow, there really are a lot of really great things going on despite the weather.
Michelle G.
Hooray for Happy Things Friday! You have so many lovely things on your list! How fun that you tried Dr. Pepper. It’s not my favorite. I haven’t had it in a very long time, yet I still have the taste memory of it!
Are those stats from your Oura ring? It keeps track of a lot of cool stuff!
Elisabeth
Yup, those are my Oura ring stats. Still really enjoying the information I get from it, especially the sleep data.
Jenny
Nice job finding so many happy things in the dead of winter! Yes- a warm, safe house. Even on our worst days, we still have a safe place to live, and not everyone can say that.
You had TWO near-perfect days this week! The skiing sounds amazing, and I love how you’re seeing the benefits from your workouts. Yes, that’s why we work out- so we can do more and be strong and healthy.
Every time I see Dr. Pepper now I think of Kae. I never liked Dr. Pepper, which is funny because I loved most sodas. It definitely has a distinctive taste- and now you know what that is.
Elisabeth
I think before the only thing I focussed on was running; so I’d see progress in being able to run further or faster, but strength training is a completely different beast and I think it more generally has improved my fitness so I can see benefits across a broader range of muscle groups/activities.
I found Dr. Pepper most closely reminded me of a cream soda. It was fine, but if I do end up reaching for a pop, it will be Fanta or Root Beer (I have each 1-2x/year and that’s enough for me.)
Birchie
Whoa on the black coffee. This is a thing that I Cannot Do. I guess it’s true what they say that once you go black you never go back;-)
I’m just not that interested in pop, but if I were going to have one, Dr. P would be high on the list!
It’s going to warm up a bit this weekend, but it’s safe to say that we will not be going far from our cozy house. Not to be a downer, but I do think about people who don’t have adequate housing or have been displaced. It’s so sad.
Elisabeth
I mean, Birchie…if I can do it, you can DEFINITELY do it. I am really shocked by how it’s not so bad. Is it as good as coffee with creamer? No, probably not – but I was finding I would get an energy crash an hour or so after having a coffee with creamer. Drinking it black seems to help with that.
Julia
Lighting updates make such a huge difference! We have an old home (the original house was 1870’s with two additions since then) and several of the rooms have no overhead lighting. It is on our to do list over time. Last year we had recessed lights installed in the kitchen, with a dimmer, and I love it so much.
I’ve had a few reality checks recently to remind me how blessed we are to have what we have. A neighbor down the road lost their home in a fire, and some new friends are from another country and have zero family around them, and very little money.
I like Dr. Pepper, ha! But I did grow up around it so maybe that’s why 😁
Elisabeth
Wow! You beat our age by 100 years!!!
Recessed lighting is my favourite. We have it in three rooms in the basement (we actually had it done the day we moved in – see what I mean about doing things in stages).
I wonder if Dr. Pepper is more of a “thing” in the US? I definitely heard of it growing up but it was never a common thing to see?
Central Calif. Artist Jana
Dr. Pepper originated in Waco, Texas. There is a museum to it in that city! (That’s where Chip and Joanna Gaines have their shopping center called Magnolia at the Silos.)
Elisabeth
I learn something new every day!
Lindsay
The joy of the right lighting in a space is something so specific and pure! When we bought the house we currently live in, there was no overhead lighting. It was great for cozy reading by a lamp, but no so great for when people came over or we needed the center of the room lit for a board game. When we finally made the move to get lights put in, the Mr and I were shocked at what a wild difference it made! We still talk about it (which is so incredibly middle aged of us haha).
Elisabeth
Every time I walk by Indy’s room now I stand and marvel. It’s so light!
And I took my first shower using the new fan and it…works! Somehow I don’t think I believed it would remove the steam effectively, but it works like a charm. What a delight!
Colleen Martin
I am impressed by your low resting heart rate! Mine is always in the low 60s/high 50s. I’m not a fan of Dr. Pepper either, Fresca and Diet Coke are my vices though. Have a great weekend!
Elisabeth
I don’t think I’ve ever had Fresca either – ha.
Root Beer, Fanta or, in a pinch, Diet Coke are my go-to’s if I have pop, but it only happens a handful of times a year.
NGS
Can I just say that I’m impressed you’re doing Happy Things Friday and FIGs in the same week? I’m reallllly struggling to find FIGs right now and if I had to do a Happy Things post, too, I would just run out of content. Gold stars to you for finding all these lovely moments.
Elisabeth
Thank you! You can definitely say you are impressed and I will blush from the compliment and admit that alongside so many FIGs I spend lots of time lamenting the flies.
But…also, quite honestly, I find it hard to stop listing Happy Things and FIGs. At this point I only list FIGs at the end of the day and forget oodles of things that gave me a little jolt of joy during the day! Perhaps I’m setting the bar extremely low?
Alexandra
The best news this week is that the doctor call my mother in law to tell her her MRI was all clear. We’re all breathing a sigh of relief here.
We’re not too bad here with lighting, while the apartment’s basic lighting isn’t that great, we’ve invested in some really good (bright) lamps for where they’re needed. And we have a 19 foot spread of SW facing windows which, when the sun is out, bathes us in afternoon warmth.
And yay for full body massages. My OH gives a great back rub when needed. Oh, and big Dr. Peppers fan here. Not that I drink more than a couple of cans a year.
Elisabeth
That is wonderful news about your MIL! What a relief, indeed. Having tests like that done…and then waiting for the results…is such a nerve-wracking process.
Alexandra
Indeed, it was such a relief to get the good news that she appears to be all clear of whatever it was they saw. So so happy for her.
Central Calif. Artist Jana
1. Found a series of books on the Libby app that I’m really enjoying. The Yada Yada Prayer Group has 7 books in the series, by Neta Jackson. Normally I can’t stand Christian fiction, but I went looking for something that didn’t have sex as a spectator sport, bodies in the trunks of cars, or adultery as a normal activity. These didn’t have the word “romance” in the description, so I tried the first one and could really relate to the main character.
2. A friend sent me the goofiest little song, first verse: “I’m proud of myself and it’s really really cool, ‘Cause I did that thing that I didn’t want to do, And I did a good job and it wasn’t that bad, Now that it ’s over I’m really really glad”. Hilarious and happy, the best kind of ear worm.
3. My daffodils are popping out (with apologies to those of you deep in slush and mud, but payback comes in summer).
Elisabeth
I will admit I am not a big fan of Christian fiction, either so I will have to check out this series as it sounds like a winner!
I love ear-worms.
And yay for pretty flowers. Even though I spent part of my evening shovelling, I can still imagine what gorgeous yellow daffodils in bloom will look like in a few months time!
Happy Things Friday – Alexandra Wolfe
[…] in the footsteps of Elisabeth over at the Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist, I wanted to look back at this week and try to remember the positives rather than all the negatives […]
JMH
Black coffee is bomb! ☕️ Two perfect day in one week sounds pretty great!
Elisabeth
I’m surprised that I don’t dislike it. Do I love it? Not sure if I’d go that far, but it is satisfying and I find myself being quite happy to have that over a creamy version!
Maria
With a 1958 house I can relate very much to your home upgrades! I’m glad things are lighter and white outlet-ed now!
As a non-coffee drinker I’m curious what led you to want to drink black coffee instead ? And what made the transition palatable?
Elisabeth
I think I get some morning energy crash when I have cream + maple syrup in my coffee. So…going black was a bit of a trial. But the big impetus was saying I’d never tried it. Why not? I could do something for the first time in my lifetime and it was such low-hanging fruit.
I do add a sprinkle of salt to the coffee grounds as that makes them less bitter!
Lisa's Yarns
My dad is an electrician and he likes to have a project when they visit so he has done a lot of outlet replacements and similar projects while visiting. I don’t know why those almond-colored plates were all the rage back in the day!
I did my FIG post today as you know! It was an ok week overall. I am very glad that no one else got Paul’s stomach bug! I had envisioned getting it and having to bow out of the panel I was on which would have been bad (but I imagine they’d understand!!).
It’s going to be around 0C this weekend and that is going to feel GLORIOUS!!
Elisabeth
We’re supposed to get temps up to 5-7C this week and I am SO EXCITED. It’s a bit pitiful such a low temp is raising my spirits so much, but it has been cold for weeks on end and I AM SO TIRED OF IT! Bring on some warmth!
Shelly
I like diet Dr Pepper but only have it a couple of times a year. I like the unique flavour. Or would do root beer.
What is Belle and her friend eating? Is that a berry crumble with peanut butter?
I wanted to quit my role as secretary for you parent council for my daughters middle school but then I had a good conversation with the principal and realized this once a month commitment is worth the small amount of time.
We will be almost zero tomorrow! Without it snowing.
My mom is driving in to go out for brunch so I’m looking forward to that.
Elisabeth
I do like root beer!
Belle is eating baked oatmeal. I wanted something quick, easy, relatively healthy, and yet broadly palatable. Baked oatmeal was my best option. And the kids all loved it! I added frozen raspberries to one half and then we top pieces with peanut butter and some kids pour milk over it (I don’t – gross! – but they love it that way).
Hope the brunch was loads of fun.
ernie
I tried Dr. Pepper as a child, and I hated it. It tasted like medicine to me. Ick. Never again. I have not had a Friday off that was spent at home doing the things I want to do in weeks, and today I did that. It was fig-tastic. Unfortunatley Coach got a stomach bug so he was home sick all day – I’m hoping no one else catches it. I don’t clean house on my day off, but I made an exception today and I wiped down most surfaces. Fingers crossed. We have had a long list of electrical issues that we want addressed for over a year. My bestie’s husband is an electrician and he hasn’t had time to come over. I will pay him, and I really want to wait for him. I’ve had an electrician here before who said something couldn’t be done, but then years later when we did our addition they were like, WE CAN ADD THOSE CAN LIGHTS IN THAT FAMILY ROOM CEILING. What? Why did I wait so long? I want to wait to have someone who knows what he’s doing, but it is getting a bit ridiculous.
Elisabeth
Lots of people think it tastes like medicine. I didn’t get that vibe, but it’s wasn’t something that I had any desire to keep drinking! (Thankfully; I know it can become very addictive).
Yay for a Friday off. Boo for stomach bugs. Everyone seems to be getting bugs this winter; does anyone else feel like it is worse than normal?
Hoping you get that electrical work done soon. Though, with a house, there is always something that needs doing. We still have that giant hole in our drywall. *SIGH*
Stephany
You tried Dr. Pepper! Yay! Another goal knocked off the list. I think it’s an acquired taste but do not let yourself acquire the taste. It’s better for your health not to get addicted, lol.
Adding new lighting must really transform your space! Especially right now when it’s dreary and winter-y. Kudos for getting that home project done!
Elisabeth
I TRIED DR. PEPPER. An odd “goal” but it was fun to cross off my list.
Katy @Practical Walk
Dr. Pepper is one of my favorite sodas. It’s very popular here in Texas!
Melissa
Having school cancelled because of the weather blows my mind. I can’t imagine! Having good tradespeople to call on is so helpful. The chairlifts rides are such a great way to catchup, with family or friends. I’ve never tried Dr Pepper and have no inclination to do so. I think you can get it here but it’s not a big thing. Last week I had a paid massage which was wonderful, but painful, my neck and back are not great. Yesterday I sat outside in the afternoon, read my book and drank my tea for an hour and it was wonderful.
Elisabeth
We have weather cancellations all the time. When I was growing up school was rarely cancelled, but I know there have been some bussing accidents over the years and so now school boards are much more likely to cancel.
Reading outside sounds lovely – I have to wait a few months for that to be possible here, but I’m already looking forward to it!
Anne
Love all of these happy things – particularly the time the kids spent with friends, and hopefully out of your hair. 🙂
One frustration with renting is the inability to change much. I would love to repaint my walls, or even just touch a few spots up, but nope. Then again, I don’t really want to be a homeowner, either, so… 🙂
Tobia | craftaliciousme
It is so good and important to have a reality check every once in a while. All our coupling is often just from a place of privilege. we ahem a home, work, food, water and warmth and even people who love us.