Today’s the very last day of February! This month seemed to have both simultaneously lasted forever while also flying by. Anyone else feeling odd time juxtapositions lately?
John arrived home yesterday and won’t be travelling for a while (hooray) and tonight we’re using a gift card for a (fancyish) local restaurant that was gifted to us at Christmas. Tomorrow our whole family + my parents are going to see a local high school production of Les Misérables. I love the music from Les Mis, so I’m excited!
Now on to some Happy Things from the week…
BELLE’S EDIBLE SCHOOL PROJECT
Every student in Grade 8 had to select a book to read and do a special report on. Not surprisingly, Belle chose something from the Harry Potter series which she has read/listened to/watched about three dozen times (#ProbablyNotAnExaggeration). She picked The Goblet of Fire. The teacher gave them a list of sanctioned options – create a book trailer, a board game, do an interview as a book character, etc. Belle, discontent with the suggestions, asked if she could complete her project in cake form! This teacher is set to retire at the end of the year and said Belle was the first person to BAKE something.
It ended up being a lot of fun (though I’ll admit I was dreading it at first). She drew up a schematic and we stopped by the Bulk Barn to get a few extra supplies and then she did her thing. It was a lot of fun to watch. I paid for ingredients, washed dishes, spread the crumb coat, and borrowed a cake carrier.
She chose to depict the hedge maze scene at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. Shockingly enough, the Bulk Barn didn’t have any blast-ended skrewts, boggorts or sphinxes. Belle had to take a few creative liberties, but they were pulled from other parts of the book(s). Coarse white sugar = unicorn blood. Blue = water, a nod to the mermaid challenge. Eggs = dragon, from an earlier challenge. The red spiral = blood and we had a gummy worm “snake” poking out a side of the cake over a prostrate wizard (Barty Crouch even though technically it was his son, not a snake, that murdered him…).
MORE SKIING
The kids had a half day on Wednesday and I picked up Indy and one of his friends an hour early from school and we headed to the ski hill. There were so many Happy Things.
- We got an excellent parking spot.
- None of us got injured.
- The temperatures were perfect.
- Indy skied within his skill level. His friend is an incredibly talented skier (he is actually a junior instructor at the hill!) but was a wonderful skiing partner- he was patient and never encouraged Indy to do dangerous things. I was proud that Indy wasn’t embarrassed to lag behind. He celebrated how good his friend was, worked on developing his own skiing skills, and happily enjoyed the afternoon.
- The boys WANTED TO GO UP ON THE CHAIR LIFT WITH ME. I live half my life as the plague (Belle’s current view of me) and it is so nice to – for now – be the object of deep affection, not embarrassment <3
- I had to connect with the friend’s mom at the hill because he was headed somewhere directly after skiing. Not only did the handover go smoothly, Indy and I got home earlier than expected which made the evening less chaotic.
BIBLE FIGS
Not FIGs from my Bible reading. Actual figs in the Bible. Over the course of seven days of reading I had five days with Scripture mentions of figs or fig trees. Coincidence? I think not! (Matthew 21, Matthew 24, Mark 11, Mark 13, Luke 21.)
SNAIL MAIL
I received a sweet postcard from J this week and the instant I saw it in the mailbox I was reminded of the painting hanging over our mantle.
You know what made me even happier? She sent me this specific postcard because it (and Mary Cassatt’s paintings in general) reminded her of the painting hanging over our mantle.
The painting isn’t by Mary Cassatt (we bought it at a thrift store for $15 almost a decade ago), but I never tire of looking at it.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Indy had a friend over after school this week. I had offered to take his friend home at the end of their time together, but was knee deep in household chores and cooking supper and thought: I really wish I had asked his mother to pick him up. Seconds later my phone rang – it was the mother, she was running behind on some errands and wondered if it would be okay if she came to my place to collect her son. YES!
- Sunshine. Temperatures that didn’t have a “-” in front of them. Melting ice. Pumping gas without a hat or gloves and not even being cold. I even opened a few windows in the house for air flow.
- The smell of supper baking.
- An unexpected heavy, wet snow that did – admittedly – create a magical atmosphere.
- Two nights the kids spontaneously took turns visiting my parents for supper! It’s so nice to have one-on-one time with each kid and it really changes the dynamics!
- Curried chickpea salad on a rice cake topped with tomato slices and salt and pepper. SO GOOD.
- Connecting with Joy. Coffee + looking at each other’s 2024 photobooks. Time with her is always a delight. And she brought me a jar of her homemade granola; I ate it all in less than 24 hours. No regrets.
- Putting away the final winter things – the wreaths are down, the mantle swag is stored for next season (one of the strings of lights burned out, so I took that as my sign). A clean slate feels refreshing.
- I made a phone call this week and instead of being put on hold, they automatically offered a call back. A few minutes later my phone rang. No long, annoying wait with elevator music. No having to remember to call.
- I was exhausted last night but was supposed to have an evening commitment. We ended up having a snow squall and it was cancelled. I was so happy!
That’s a wrap for Happy Things this week. I will be doing one final F.I.G. post early next week. If you have something you’d like included – a link to a post, a list of FIGs, relevant pictures, reflections on what a month of daily gratitude has looked like/meant to you – feel free to send them my way: optimisticmusings {at} gmail {dot} com.
Happy weekending.
Your turn.
- Did you see sunshine where you live this week?
- Phone calls – do you dread them or are they no big deal?
- What was the most satisfying thing you ate this week?
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mbmom11
I took care of 3 phone calls and an email on my to do list this week- a few which have been sitting on it for many days. I grew up with phone calls, so I have no excuse for avoiding them. I don’t necessarily mind them- but I do prefer texts or email.
We’ve had a lot of sun and warmer weather this week.. such a change from our gray winter. . However, today is the last of our false spring.
Enjoy the weekend!
Elisabeth
Great work!
Like you, I’m not sure why I dread phone calls so much now. I grew up making them all the time. But I like that I can deal with an e-mail or text when it’s convenient for me. I could literally go an entire week sometimes without talking to anyone on the phone. It is NOT my preferred method of communication.
When my husband travels I tend to prefer texts and he prefers calls; we meet in the middle, but the weeks he’s gone I spend a lot more time on the phone than weeks when he’s home.
I see patches of grass outside my window the first time in months!
Michelle G.
Wow – Belle’s cake is GENIUS! What a fun project!
All of your bonus happy things sound wonderful. Now I’m craving homemade granola—it’s been a while since I’ve had granola.
Yes, I saw lots of sunshine this week. It felt like spring – I even did a little raking yesterday!
I absolutely dread making phone calls. I’d much rather email or text.
The most satisfying thing I ate this week was pizza. I made mini pizzas from scratch, and they’re so yummy! We ate two, then put 8 more in the freezer for later.
Elisabeth
She was so happy with how it turned out; also, it feels like a perfect form of bribery as all her classmates were especially enamoured with her project since they could eat it!
Joy’s homemade granola was SO good!
Yum – homemade pizza is so good, and you have more to look forward to. That’s doubly exciting.
Jenny
I love Belle so much!!!!!! Her Goblet of Fire project is amazing. And… Harry Potter, the best books of all time. Great choice.
You had a lot of great figs! Er, I mean happy things. (I think from now on I’ll always think of Happy Things as “figs”, ha!) And you’ve reminded me again that I HAVE to make that chickpea salad! To answer your questions… I hate making phone calls. Plenty of sunshine here! And- the eating one is hard. I’m in a severe food rut. I’ll have to make my meals more satisfying this weekend.
Elisabeth
Ironically she’s not a big reader – Harry Potter is really the only series that has ever fully captured her attention. She’s dabbled with other things, but keeps coming back to re-read (again and again) the Harry Potter books.
The chickpea salad is so satisfying! And on a rice cake with tomato – *chef’s kiss*
Why are phone calls so annoying. I actually feel nervous now when I make phone calls. Why? It used to be normal and now I am just so used to texts and e-mails that it feels strange and a bit unsettling to have to talk to another human over the phone?!
Nicole MacPherson
TWO FOUR SIX OH OONNNNNEEEEEEEE
That was me, singing Who Am I. Also:
At the end of the day you’re another day older, that’s all you can say of the life of the poor. It’s a struggle, it’s a war, and there’s nothing that anyone’s giving, one more day, standing about, what is it for?
ONE DAY LESS TO BE LIVING.
I love that music too, and now I will be singing it all day long.
Okay, Belle’s project looks amazing and I want to eat it immediately.
When I lived in Calgary, I was always so excited to see PLUS temperatures! It’s so much milder here, so I don’t get as excited now, but I remember that thrill.
I sure did see sunshine! Both in Mexico and now at home. I don’t dread phone calls but what I do dread is figuring out appointments. It’s always A Thing.
Elisabeth
It is THRILLING. I was bubbling over with joy when I could stand outside to pump gas without gloves and I wasn’t even cold.
Lisa’s Yarns
Wow, that cake is amazing! Paul and I started Harry Potter series again this week. He wasn’t interested or ready the last time he attempted it but he’s enjoying it so far and I love reading aloud to him at the end of the day.
Our weather was so gorgeous this week! There was so much sun shine and mild temperatures. I went for a run and walked to pick Paul up from school twice this week. It’s a total novelty to do that so he loved it! But the best thing of all was finding out that I have only two weeks left in the splint when I thought I had 3 1/2!
Elisabeth
Belle has been obsessed with Harry Potter for years and years. I don’t think I’ve ever read more than one of the books out loud (the chapters are SO LONG).
Yay for the splint news!!!
Maria
Belle’s cake is incredible! Very creative and that’s awesome her teacher was flexible with the assignment.
This has been, to be honest, a kinda tough week. We had a whole family stomach bug and now I have a painful stye on my eye. (For which the treatment is apparently warm compresses and wait it out?) That being said there have still been a lot of FIGs. Most of them involve stuff I don’t think other people want to read about (see stomach bug), but please know that the FIG challenger helped me find the bright spots in a difficult week. Thank you!
And it’s sunny today and relatively warm! We missed the +6 day as that was the worst day of sickeness and I definitely was regretting it being warm while we were stuck inside.
Elisabeth
It is very, very hard to put a positive spin on a stomach bug, especially when it’s running rampant through a family. Ugh. I hope you’re almost through to the other side. Also hoping your stye improves quickly – I’ve never had one, but it does sound so painful!
I can see small patches of grass for the first time in months. And the sunshine is finally getting rid of the layer of ice that was coating all the roads and surfaces. I know there will be more winter ahead, but it is a breath of fresh air – literally! – to see some weather light at the end of the tunnel.
Suzanne
That CAKE! What a fun and creative (and delicious) idea!
And you know I am here for the snow making magic of the world!
Elisabeth
Even I have to admit the snow looked so pretty and it was in the evening so there was that evening “hush” about the snow. But I am equally enamoured with the sunshine today that has FINALLY melted some of the thick layer of ice we had covering every surface.
She came up with all the ideas herself for the cake and it was a lot of fun to get to come along for the “ride”.
NGS
I wish I could tell you how many phone calls I make every day in my job. It’s a lot. I don’t mind. I think it’s better than an email most of the time, to be honest with you.
I love the GOF cake! It’s wonderful! Were her classmates able to eat it? (I feel like bringing in outside food is sometimes not allowed here.) What did they think of it?
Elisabeth
I agree that phone calls tend to be more efficient and of course there can be the issue of determing tone with texts and not knowing if someone received it and is ignoring it. I also think you’re right that phone calls ARE usually better. But I still hate them, Engie (why?!) and try to avoid them at all costs.
Yes! Her classmates were able to each get a slice (it was two layers thick so there was a lot of cake). I mean…I think they thought it was the best thing ever. Cake in class – how exciting! When the cake carrier came back there were crumbs, a tiny piece of cake and the three LEGO items.
ernie
Phone calls are not generally a big deal to me. I need to call health insurance back. They’re refusing to pay for Reg’s speech therapy because they are translating the code the therapist assigned his issue as something that isn’t covered, but there’s a disconnect, because his therapy IS covered. I haven’t called back and I need to, but I’m hoping they start to translate the code properly and I won’t have to bother. I did call a place and spoke to a live person and managed to get them to send me the form I needed to set up an auto deposit. Why didn’t I do this 20 months ago? Glad it’s done.
My favorite meal: I really didn’t eat anything great this week as I cooked several dinners in advance in order to have an easy week of just heating up leftovers. (they were all full of gluten) I didn’t really care – was just so happy to not have to think about dinner most of the week. But – Coach and I plan to get an early dinner tonight on our way to Reg’s last b-ball game of the season.
The sun is out today! The weather here has really warmed up. I’m about to go for my 3rd run this week . . . outside. Hooray.
That cake is so cute. I’m glad the teacher let Belle bake her project. I bet it was really fun to eat.
Elisabeth
I will admit that sometimes a phone call (or e-mail) that I put off for weeks and weeks can be over in an instant and make my life significantly easier. But of course we don’t always know how these things will turn out and I think that’s the reason I hesitate.
The sun is shining here, too. It makes such a difference in my mood and just ease of getting around. I didn’t have to turn on the car in advance to defrost anything. SUCH A TREAT!
Central Calif. Artist Jana
• Lots of sunshine, praying for rain again, with the hope of some this coming weekend and week.
• Phone calls top my list of dreaded tasks. When a human answers the phone, it is a Happy Thing.
• Most satisfying thing I ate: oranges! I’ve been skipping them because of the high sugar content. This is so against a lifetime as a daughter and granddaughter of citrus growers, who at one time thought I’d go into the citrus nursery business. We have access to the best citrus in the world, and it feels criminal to not eat it. But this week I said (very fiercely), “TAKE THAT, PRE-DIABETES! I’M NOT DIABETIC, SO THERE!” Then I felt GUILTY for eating 2 oranges. How frustrating. . . I hate this culinary confusion.
Elisabeth
Sometimes I prefer to get an answering machine. I don’t have a good reason for this. I’m good at public speaking, I don’t have anxiety about talking on the phone I just…don’t like it. I really should figure out the why.
Health can be so complicated and sometimes even delicious, healthy things can pose issues (sugars, allergens). I’m glad you got to have those oranges, though, and enjoyed them. Maybe you can set it up as a routine? Every Friday you get to enjoy an orange so you have a plan for how to both protect your blood sugar levels and enjoy a beloved fruit.
J
YAY! You got your postcard! I have always thought that painting looked like a Cassett, and then when I went to the exhibit in December, and saw that specific painting, it reinforced that feeling. I was so glad that they had it as a postcard in the gift shop, so I could send it to you.
It’s been stupidly beautiful here. I think it’s going to be 73 or 74 degrees today. WE NEED RAIN. Hopefully this is just our ‘fake spring’ that we get most Februarys, and March will have at least a couple of ‘atmospheric rivers’. Rain in California is always feast or famine, and climate change is making it even more extreme.
Two things I am doing politically are making phone calls to my representatives and writing postcards to voters regarding important special elections. I DREAD making the phone calls. I get a live person about 1/3 of the time, and they are just there to listen and take note, it’s not like they argue with me. Or would even, they are all Democrats. But I hate it. Sigh. I’ve considered writing emails instead, but I have heard that phone calls carry more weight, so I do that. Perhaps I’ll find a compromise and call x number of days a week, and send emails the others. I mean, I haven’t been doing it every day anyway because I dread it so much, so this would be an improvement.
J
OK, just writing my comment out made me feel a little ridiculous, so I went ahead and made my phone calls. THANK YOU for the gentle push you didn’t even know (or intend) you were giving.
Elisabeth
I GOT MY POSTCARD. It is perfect and I’ve been using it as a bookmark 🙂 I am truly touched you thought of me and went out of your way to locate a postcard that you thought I’d appreciate <3
We finally have sun and warm enough temperatures to melt some of the ice everywhere and it makes such a difference in my mood. I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to go out to my car and not have to turn it on ten minutes early to defrost the frozen windshield. A few times lately, some of the doors in our vehicle were frozen shut. Sunshine is such a delight.
All we can do is exhibit influence within our own sphere. We have to hope and trust that will ripple out further. Your postcard might ripple out to someone who ripples out to someone else you would never have been able to reach. Hang in there <3
Also, I see your follow-up comment. Gold stars!
Joy
So many happy things! What a great week to end this month.
I did see sunshine! In fact, it is sunny today and not too cold. My bulbs are poking their stems out of the ground, and the birds are starting to sing in the morning. Perhaps spring isn’t too far off? (I realize that’s not true for those of you further north but in Virginia, spring usually does begin in March).
I hate making phone calls and have been known to break into a cold sweat when picking up the phone for a challenging call. I much prefer letters and emails to phone calls. My father and my two older sons much prefer phone calls and even though those are pleasurable calls, I still put them off too long.
I made a delicious mushroom leek pasta dish with miso in it. The combination of flavors was superb, and I’m already planning to make it again soon. Now to figure out what to do with the rest of the container of miso I had to buy…
Elisabeth
Like you, ever “fun” calls are something I dread. Sigh.
That does sound like a very yummy pasta dish.
Gigi
Please tell me that Belle got an A+ on that assignment! Very creative – and very yummy looking!
Elisabeth
She hasn’t gotten her mark back, but I am certainly hoping for an A+. I assume all her classmates would concur…
Sophie
What a great collection of happy things! Love Belle’s cake (and her passion for it!). It’s a rare week where I live that we don’t see the Sun, (and it’s morning likely to be a wet week in Summer rather than winter), and reading about your winter struggles, I feel especially grateful for this. I used to get a touch Seasonal Affective Disorder from lack of sun in winter where I grew up in Melbourne, but also, a cold winter is just SO much work- jackets, boots, scarves, gloves etc. Grateful the only time I need to deal with this now is when we plan a winter trip somewhere.
Also, I hate making phone calls too! I have a few friends who like to call and the ringing phone gives me the heeby jeebies. 😅 Yet if I arrange to see them in person I look forward to the catch up so much! Why is it different? I have no idea!
Elisabeth
It is so much work. I think it’s part of why people feel so exhausted and keen to just stay home and hibernate. It takes so much extra effort to gear up to go outside in the winter. Thankfully, we’re nearly to the other side!
Every single time my phone rings my heart sinks and I begrudgingly answer.
coco
Belle’s project looks so cool! well done! It’s funny that both your Bell and Kae are into Harry Potter series, my girls want nothing to do with it as they are “scary”. I’m also not a fantasy books person either, so I can relate.
I don’t mind calling, this week I called many to deal with Cookie’s flight situation. I find it quicker/more efficient to talk to a real person that communicate via email/chat. I don’t like the wait time though but fortunately they were rather fast.
Best meal? baby corn cooked a la Japanese we had this week at a fancy restaurant with the girls to celebrate our epic friday.
Elisabeth
Neither of my kids seem to find anything scary. I was so easily frightened as a kid – not my two! I agree that some of the Harry Potter scenes can be very dark (especially in the movies).
I just saw your blog post – I’m so glad you managed to find a way to get Cookie to Brazil <3
Kyria @ Travel Spot
That cake is the best! Aside from her thinking you have the plague, she is a pretty cool kid, or as my grandmother would have said, young lady! Also her hair looks darker in that photo…is it getting darker or is it just me? Isn’t it funny (or not?) how happy we can be about snow when we don’t have to drive in it, shovel it or have it affect our lives. Your photo is so pretty, but I know that living with it is a different story! Also, I am glad that your temp does not have a minus at the moment. I am in the same boat; I was in the -9 to -12 C range before, and now I am in the 10-15 C range, which is basically shorts weather! 🙂 I mean literally, I have been running in short. Quelle difference!
Elisabeth
She is pretty coo <3
Her hair definitely gets lighter over the summer months - but theres still a lot of blond highlights that show up very obviously when she's out in the sun even now.
I could go for shorts weather right about now. It's back down to -12C (plus windchill).
Diane
The detail on that cake! I highly approve of the use of Cadbury mini eggs.
Did you get to try a piece too???
My oldest hasn’t seem to gotten into Harry Potter. (Though she did listen to Fourth Wing on audio…. which I’m raising my eyebrows about and wondering if I should be steering her reading in other directions…)
I don’t love making phone calls, but I realized last year that sometimes, especially at work, it’s just the most efficient way to get the information I need, or to pass along the information other people need and not risk miscommunication.
There has been lots of sunshine lately, but also big winds, so it’s been a weird combination of warm rays and bitterly cold winds. I don’t know how to dress when I go outside anymore!
Elisabeth
I didn’t get any of the cake 🙁 That’s okay, I had more than my share of buttercream icing 🙂
It IS more efficient, I will give you that. I’m not sure why I dislike it so much as an adult. I mean…it was just the only option when I was a kid and I thought nothing of it.
Stephany
Bella’s cake turned out so good! Like, I legit would want to order something like that for a fun HP-themed party. Way to go, her!
Cancelled plans when you’re feeling tired are the best thing ever.
I live in the Sunshine State so I see sunshine on a near-daily basis. Although last week we had a few dreary days! But it only lasted for a little while and we’ve had some super nice days lately.
I DREAD phone calls. I wish they were NBD to me, but they stress me out so much. I always have to practice what I’m going to say, even if it’s as simple as making a hair appointment or something like that!
Elisabeth
It was so fun and, most importantly, she LOVED doing it (and sharing it with her classmates).
I love, love, love cancelled plans when I’m tired and am wishing I hadn’t made the plans. I am such a homebody!
I wish I saw sunshine most days. We’ve had a bit more sun the last week or so, but it is back to being bitterly cold. Brrrr.
Anne
So many happy things! I am in awe of Belle’s creativity! My mind…does not work like that, let’s just say. I would have done the least creative option of those offered. 😉
Hoping that spring is sneaking into your part of the world by now, my friend. <3