The Joy of a Happy Song...Literally

If any of you have children, Despicable Me 2 was probably on your must see movie list this summer. Our kids loved it and well, we have to admit, so did we. And so in tribute to things that make us laugh, feel better and put us in a great mood, I would like to thank Pharrell for providing us with lots of happy today. Please, turn up the volume, find your happy shoes, and groove on, people. Life is too short not to shake your groove thing from time to time. See you on the dance floor or maybe, just maybe, catch you singing joyfully in your car like no one is watching. You are the people that make me smile because I know for one moment in your day, you were lost in the moment of happy, happy, joy, joy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

The Joy of Soup

As we struggled through another early release day and another no school notification due to inclement weather this week, I found myself perusing through soup recipes as a way to warm our weary winter bones. I love soup. Creamy soups. Hearty soups. Chilled soups. Vegetable soups. Bisques. Chowders. Leftover creation soup. One of my favorite combinations since childhood is creamy tomato soup with a buttery, crunchy grilled cheese sandwich. Tearing off the browned crust and dunking into my steaming mug of slightly tangy soup is a mouthful of culinary yumminess. I am already defrosting. 
Today, I thought I would share another family favorite: Sausage-Tortellini Soup. I discovered this recipe in a January 1999 Southern Living magazine back when I could lounge over recipe articles, explore new creations in the kitchen and place in front of someone who would joyfully eat the meal instead of listing the reasons why the food is not taste  worthy. Sigh. But, the beauty of this recipe is even our children will eat this soup without complaint and "there are vegetables floating in there"! It's a joyful moment when your children say, "Oh, I love this dinner, Mommy!" when the aroma of browning mixture of onions, garlic and sausage hit their delicate noses. And there is something comforting about a large pot of hearty soup on the stove when the weather outside is growling, banging and hammering to seep into your skin and latch onto your bones. So, Old Man Winter, who has overstayed his welcome this year, I hope this recipe sends your bags packing and we start to see Spring peeking through the snow, ice and muck that has covered yard this season. 

Sausage-Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 (14.5 ounce) cans beef broth
2 (14.4 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, untrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup dry red wine
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerates cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Discard sausage casings. Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return mixture to pan. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Skim off fat. Stir in zucchini and tortellini: simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
Yield: 10 cups. Peer: 25 minutes. Cook: 46 minutes
Recipe noted to Louise Bodziony from Gladstone, Missouri

Note: I use sweet sausage when making for the children and spicy sausage when we want to kick it up a notch. Serve with crusty French bread and the remainder of the red wine for a lovely, evening meal. Enjoy!

The Joy of Fearlessness

This weekend I had the privilege of attending an amazing conference: Making a Difference in my Corner of the World. The end of January, a friend forwarded me a flier about this weekend spiritual retreat and I have to be honest about my initial reaction. At first, I thought, "Eh, I don't think this is my thing." But as I went to hit the delete button, I had a strong urge to hit the attachment button instead. Funny how a small key stroke can have such a strong impact on your life.
I would like to tell you about Jen Barrick and her Mom, Linda. On a dark, cold November night after a celebratory church service, the family of four headed home with their spirits high and their love for God overflowing when a drunk driver slammed into their van head on at a speed of 80 miles an hour. Five lives were altered, but one would be taken to a place no one thought possible. Linda recounted when she realized the wreck was real and that it took an hour and a half for their Toyota van to be cut away from their bodies. At that point, her son and husband were taken to one hospital with serious injuries, she was taken to another hospital with serious injuries and Jen would be transported to yet another hospital, unconscious and little hope for recovery much less living through the night. After 16 heart wrenching days away from her daughter, Lynn, broken, busted and bruised was reunited with her daughter who was still in a coma, fighting for every breath. The doctors mentioned to Linda that when Jen began to work out of her coma, she might cuss. A lot. Jen never uttered one bad word, but instead recited passages from the Bible and sang songs of praise. Her mom was witnessing a miracle.
There is a long and perilous journey between that moment and the moment when I laid eyes on a beautiful, spirit filled young woman on Friday night. At first glance, Jen is a typical 22-year-old. She has long flowing brown hair. Bright, sparkly, captivating eyes. A smile that stretches wider than the Grand Canyon. And a love for God you can only witness and hope to one day achieve yourself. But Jen cannot remember what day or year she is living. She cannot walk up steps unassisted. Her fine motor skills are those of a child. Crowds and loud noises can disorient her quickly. She has headaches and tires easily. Her body shows the scars that remind her of man who made a terrible, terrible decision. But her spirit is marked by the hand of God. And she is quick to share her unyielding belief with everyone she encounters. She is fearless with her faith and fearless with her singing. And she will joyfully inform you she does not have a voice for singing but she belts her tune of glory, regardless. Fearless.
How do we lose our fearlessness? How do we become skittish, skeptical, afraid of failure and even more afraid of success? How do we lose our exuberance and all the sudden, settle? I observe my children, ages 10 and almost 6, and realize they are not scared of much. Anna tried out for a local play without any theatre experience. Thought she nailed it. She didn't get the part but she said, "Well, I guess I will sign up for acting lessons." and off she went to her next adventure. Fearless. Josh presented his research project on Norway to his Kindergarten buddies recently. I asked if he was nervous. "No," he replied. "I can do this!". And by this he had to say, "Takk skal du ha!" with vigor. Fearless. 
As I sit here with a sick Sadie stretched out beside me, I realize I need to be fearless and I am struggling. I know too much. And yet, I know nothing so I am stuck here, dangling with trepidation of what our vet will say tomorrow. I. Am. Not. Fearless. I wonder how I came to this place of worry, doubt and uncertainty. Linda gently reminded us this weekend you cannot have fear and faith at the same time. It is not possible. She should know. She survived and continues to fight a daily battle of fear versus faith. I have some work to do.
I think about Jen. Her Mom says every morning, Jen rolls out of bed onto her knees and says, "What are you going to do with me today, God? I don't want to miss anything!". Wow. Jen truly does not know what lies before her today and she barely remembers what occurred yesterday, but she does not care. She lives in the moment, every moment, eyes and heart open, wondering whose life she can change today. And every night she hopes that she hit the mark. I know she did this past weekend. President Franklin D. Roosevelt summed things up perfectly. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Perhaps that should be my New Deal. Riding shotgun with Jen: faithful, fearless and joyful to the core.

For more information on Jen and her miraculous story, please read her book, miracle for jen and also visit her website www.hopeoutloud.com.

The Joy of New

We have a lot of new happening in our house at the moment. We have a new addition to our family, an adorable 12-week-old rescue Chocolate Labrador Retriever named Sadie. Life through her eyes is a new adventure every day. Whether she is discovering the chatter of squirrels, the typewriter sound of the woodpecker or the far away bark of a big dog that brings her scampering between my legs, she is deep in the throws of all things new. And that seems to keep her tail wagging and our hearts laughing. 

Our son is a little over halfway through his Kindergarten year where he has learned new words and subjects, made new friends, visited new places and is beginning to realize that new doesn't always mean scary, but maybe exciting. In a few weeks he will turn six. As my Mother-in-Law mentioned, when you turn six, you seem a whole lot bigger to yourself. Great new things lie ahead for Josh and I cannot wait to watch/participate in his discovery.
Our daughter, Anna, is also experiencing a world of new this year. She is participating in Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) in English Language Arts - a brand spanking new program within Wake County this year. She is LOVING the challenge and we are delighted to watch her gift for writing unfold. She is in Hoop Group - a hula hoop group club within her school that will actually be performing a few routines tonight. She signed up for basketball with a bit, ok, with a lot of prodding from her Mom, but finding out the sport is kind of fun. But she will not divulge that tidbit to her mother. Ever. This is not new. She is also enjoying new teachers, fun knowledge and expanding her social circle. There may even be a crush involved but that is "so not on the table for discussion, Mom!". Gotcha. No news there, either. But growing up is full of new emotions, new adventures and discovery and new things that will fall into awesome, eh and never again. Childhood is a beautiful gift but kind of hard to understand when you are in the midst of growing up. And then you reach a point where not much is new in your life and you wonder, "What next?".
I have a golden damask sitting chair in our Bonus Room that used to fill a corner in my Granddad's living room. Definitely not new but I love this chair not only because I think it is luxuriously comfortable but because it is one of my last  physical reminders of a man who showed me you can find new every day. Even in the clouds. My Granddad studied the atmosphere and had a fondness for those big puffy cottonballs plastered against a clear, blue sky. I should have talked to him more about the ozone layer and the hole they had discovered. Perhaps then I could talk intelligently now about Global Warming. But the cool thing about Tom Ashenfelter was he found the new in everyday things even when he was at an age where finding new was extremely difficult. He was a passionate gardener and enjoyed experimenting with soil, devices to keep out rabbits, and how to grow beautiful vegetables and flowers. He coaxed a squirrel on Dexter Avenue to become his buddy. He read about nutrition so he could hang around for a while. He was enthusiastic about his 12 grandchildren and found a way to make sure we were keen observers of life around us. He did not take much for granted. Even when his wife fell victim to Parkinson's Disease, he tried to find new ways to make her comfortable. He tried to find a new way for Minerva and Tom to remain together when everyone else told him they needed to be apart. He finally realized his wife of over 50 years needed a new home and that would mean a big change for him. I imagine he sat in his gold chair but I cannot imagine the thoughts that went through his head with this latest change. I know I sat on my bed for a long time when I heard the news that Grandmom would be going to a new place that could care for her medical needs. The descriptions made it sound like a retreat and I suppose to some extent, the care facility was an escape, but I wondered how this would affect both my Grandparents.
I have some great memories of my Grandmom in her new digs. She met new friends, nurses and doctors. I loved visiting. We would play games, go for walks, sit in the wooded area out back, play the piano, listen to nature, listen to the man who called for his cows from the porch everyday at 5pm and on special days, I was allowed to bring my makeup kit and "pretty up her face". 
New is exciting and a reminder that change is inevitable but does not have to stop our forward momentum, Sometimes the scary new becomes a comfortable haven. I think we kind of owe it to ourselves to step out of our comfort zone and try something a little different. Recently I read an article listing 20 things you should do in your lifetime. I was happy that I had done a few: preparing a meal with food you harvested, camp in the wilderness, scuba dive or snorkel and then there were a few I should try like making a piece of furniture or living in a foreign land. Both seem incredibly daunting but perhaps doable down the road. I think new keeps us vibrant, youthful and happy. And I was lucky enough to see the proof sitting in a gold chair, brown eyes twinkling, playful grin spreading across his face as he asked me, "What's new with you?". So, as I snuggle down into my favorite gold chair, with a brown furry blanket draped over me, deciding what new path I should travel next, I quietly ask, "What is new with you?". I joyfully wait your answer.

The Joy of Puppy Love

Last week while most of the country was battling record setting snow storms, we were falling in love with a rescue Lab named Sadie. She weighed eight pounds, crowning her the runt of the litter. She is the color of coffee with one pour of cream and has fur that is "soft as clouds" as our son Josh declares. Her eyes are a golden hue like the color of freshly harvested honey. She is the pup we have been praying would find us.

Sadie settling into her new home.

Sadie first arrived in my husband's inbox. For the past few months his brother had been sending him photos of puppies that were available for adoption. Some would pop in mine with a forwarded tag line that read "keep me strong". We would usually have a good chuckle and continue on with our day. But I started to notice I wasn't deleting these pictures as fast and I was looking at our schedule a bit more closely to see if a dog was realistically feasible.   I asked Anna if she would prefer a puppy or a full grown dog if we were to adopt. She said a puppy because she had only known full grown dogs. True, Mason was six and Dixon, one, when she was born. And I remember thinking "Oh dear, I'm not sure I can handle a puppy." And then we opened the photo of Sadie and I realized I was slowly making room in my heart for a new addition to our family.
Paul said Sadie was being fostered by a woman named Dianna who taught at the same school as his wife Lisa. She volunteered through MooreLabs, a Labrador Retriever rescue organization. So, Wednesday night we filled out an on-line application form and with great big butterflies in our stomach, hit the submit button. We guessed we would hear something by the weekend and agreed not to tell the children until we heard confirmation.
I awoke Thursday morning to a lawn covered in white and an application that had been approved to adopt Sadie sitting in my inbox. Shocked by both developments, I quickly found David and quietly informed him sweet Sadie was coming home. He appeared just as stunned.
Over breakfast we delivered the news to Anna and Josh. After the ear splitting screams subsided, we printed out a picture of Sadie to place on our refrigerator. And I tried to formulate a survival plan to get through three days of home bound children eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new puppy. Anna made a list of supplies we would need and on Friday we gathered the collar, leash, food, treats, toys and puppy clean up sanitizer. The night would be similar to Christmas, waiting and wondering what tomorrow would bring.
Thankfully, Grammy, Grandpa and Aunt Cathy were coming to watch Anna in her rec league basketball game. Our morning and afternoon was filled with silly games, lunch, and a brutal defeat followed by cheer-me-up cupcakes before we ventured toward finally meeting our little brown bundle of fur. We wondered if Sadie was ready to accept us.
With a small army of relatives, we arrived at Dianna's house at 4pm where our lives would be permanently altered by a tiny Chocolate Lab who needed a home. She padded happily around, greeting and licking everyone, completely unaffected by the impact she was having on our family. Without question, she was our furever dog.
Sadie has adjusted wonderfully to our home. She has already snuggled deep in our laps, our blankets and our hearts. She is playful, funny, smart, clumsy, fast, mischievous, hungry, and well, just plain puppylicious. She. Is. Joyful. And already it's hard to imagine our family life without Sadie padding around, making us laugh and raising our spirits. Sadie. Sweet Sadie. I think you rescued us.
For more information about the amazing MooreLab program, please visit http://www.moore-labs.com/.
And for a peek into Sadie's everyday life, stop by her Facebook page. She is always ready to greet a new friend. https://www.facebook.com/sadie.tingelstad?ref=tn_tnmn

The Joy of a Happy Perspective

The past several entries have centered around the premis of Mr. Hugh Hewitt's book, The Happiest Life: Seven Gifts, Seven Givers, and the Secret to Genuine Success. I enjoyed discovering the common denominators of happy people: encouragement, energy, enthusiasm, empathy, good humor, graciousness and gratitude. I do not believe there were any major bombshells uncovered, but hopefully a seed to two was planted. Or maybe you are one of these beautifully happy people traveling in our midst. And if you are, thank you!

Happiness is about perspective. You know, the whole half-empty, half-full glass discussion. The answer is quite telling yet I also think it might change depending on the type of day you are experiencing. Some days are like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. You might really want to pack your bags and move to Australia (which sounds pretty good to me). But the joy comes in knowing that you learned something important from a bad day. And probably something you won't repeat. Some things are completely out of our control and we have to let those things go. This concept is beyond hard for some people but the truth is until you learn to let go, continual happiness is going to elude you. That in itself, is a tragedy.

I remember my sophomore year in college, a person very close to me asked, "Why are you so happy all the time?". We were on a sidewalk headed toward a mall to do some shopping and seriously, who would not be happy about that? But, I remember shrugging my shoulders and emotionally turning inward a little. Was there something wrong with me? Was I a bit of an idiot (my brothers are not allowed to answer this question)? Should I brood a little more? This question dogged me for a long time and I think altered me a bit. Now, older and wiser, I wish I would have said, "Sure beats the alternative!" But more importantly, I realize that question had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the other person.

Our time on Earth is short yet we have the chance to meet so many people in our daily lives and make a positive difference. And here's the best part - you can do this for free! No donations other than smiles. No verbal commitment other than to say hello, happily. No long term contract other than while you are improving the lives of others, you are improving you. That is quite a return on your investment! 

I hope you have enjoyed the segment we covered in January and I hope you will continue along the path of joyful opportunity. A lot of people are looking for the key to happiness and the thing is, they have been holding it the whole time. They just need someone to show them how to unlock the latch. Perhaps, just perhaps, you will find a new role as a happiness locksmith. And if so, I hope your business thrives.

Carry on, happy one, carry on!

The Joy of Gratitude

I am a quote person and I blame it all on Mr. Foor-Hogue, my high school chemistry teacher. Every day when we would walk into class we would have to enter the quote of the day he had written on the upper left hand side of the chalkboard into our chemistry journal. Of course there was the usual grumbling by the all knowing teenagers, but secretly, I loved his quotes. I could not give you one abbreviation off the periodic chart, but I memorized a lot of his quotes. Maybe that was his point: the left brain and the right brain can collide and survive. Mr. Foor-Hogue, this is 25+ years too late, but I am grateful for you. Because of your small, thoughtful action, I have noticed and collected quotes from everywhere possible. I find them in bathrooms, on tshirts, in song lyrics, on bumper stickers, on signs in stores, on bulletin boards, in letters from relatives and from the mouths of my children. And most of my quotes have to do with GRATITUDE, the final attribute in the seven characteristics of happy people.
I have decided to share a few with you today.
"It's not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy." I saw this on a sign for sale in TJMaxx.
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness just to be happy." Guilllaume Apollinaire
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything." Inspirational quote website.
"It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you have." Sheryl Crow, Soak Up the Sun
And my favorite that I saw on a tshirt many, many moons ago: Gratitude is the New Attitude!
I should have purchased that shirt. Non-buyers remorse. 
I have a chalkboard serving tray a dear friend of mine made me when I moved from Austin to Cary. I frequently think of writing, "If you're going to give me attitude, it better be in the form of gratitude" and then I want to snap my fingers three times, crossing my body. Um hmm...you go, girl. 
Gratitude. This is the easiest word on the list and probably the least used. I remember living in Greenville, NC and I was working for a small business right after graduation. Sometimes on my way home I would make a quick stop at Harris Teeter. There was a young man with Down's Syndrome who was employed as a bagger. He always had a gigantic warm smile to share and a small tidbit about his day. One evening he was excited because Friday was only two days away and it was pay day! Whoop! "Oh!, I said, "Friday is a very special day!" He looked at me with a tilted head and frankly reminded me, "No m'am, every day is a special day.". I hugged that sweet boy, cried on the way home and carried that message around in my heart all these years. Gratitude.
Forrest Gump is a beautiful example of gratitude. It's the simplicity of this word that is astounding. And the funny thing is we can all achieve and own gratitude. But again, like happiness, it's a choice. My daughter and I each have a gratitude journal. We are pretty faithful about entering the daily occurrences in our lives for which we are thankful. This past week, we had four unexpected snow days. There was a lot of grumbling  by parents about another day stuck at home with the children. And I get that. But there was another voice starting to filter in through the frustrated tweets. "Thank you for keeping our children safe." Many parts of our county had icy road conditions. "Thank you for amazing memories with our kiddos!" And photos of snow people, sledding, forts, snowball fights, and recipes for snow cream filled my computer screen. Unexpected moments of happy. Anna and I are both grateful for our steep driveway that people sometimes grumble about for various reasons. For you see, we had our own personal ski slope for three action packed days that we happily shared with our neighborhood friends.  It was epic and I will always be grateful for the red cheeks, the watery eyes, the snow covered clothes, the pink fingers and the ginormous smiles that exuded gratitude a thousand times over. 
Gratitude. Pass it on. It will be the best free thing you do all day. And for the record, you can quote me on that!