Christmas

One Half of the Family

I'm on my way home for Christmas, my favorite time of the year, to spend it with my favorite people - my family! It's time for:

• Buying last minute gifts with my brothers
• Christmas Eve Vespers
• Singing carols at the Christmas Eve service at my mom's church
  
• Watching White Christmas with my sister
• Christmas in the Dome
  
• Listening to Mannheim Steamroller CDs
• Playing Nerts
  
• And lots and lots of food (for better or worse)

Christmas makes me happy!

Up

Art by Eric Tan
Source: http://erictanart.blogspot.com/

For Father's Day we took our dad to see the movie Up. I always underestimate Pixar movies (I don't know why) so I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable that movie was. I stumbled upon the retro posters that were created for it, and I love them as much as the movie. Retro Up posters make me happy.

Wedding Two

Flickr

We planted succulents in silver and pewter containers that I collected from thrift stores and ebay to use as centerpieces on the tables. This tiny chick and hen in its itty bitty silver cup makes me happy.

Wedding One

I was never one much for public displays of emotion, and haven't been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a kid, but my wedding ended up being incredibly emotional and kind of out of control, and was one of the best days of my life. It's not all going to fit into one post, and I don't feel like synthesizing it all right now, so I will do it in parts.

Photo by Matt Williamson
http://williamsonphotos.net/
http://flickr.com/photos/williamsonphotos/

Jacob and I met at an 'experiment in urban living' called Arcosanti (http://www.arcosanti.org/). Arcosanti is supported by the hand manufacture and sale of ceramic and bronze bells. Our friend Jim Huth was the Bronze Foundry manager for several years at Arcosanti, and has now set up his own small foundry in Indiana. He's an amazing artist who we wanted to support, so we had him make bronze bells as thank you gifts for our guests. We weren't interested in giving our guests something they would just throw away or stick in a drawer, but we were interested in supporting our friend in his passion.

Jim carved 110 unique pieces of styrofoam and used the positive and the negative from each piece to form two sides of the bell in a 'lost styrofoam' method of bronze casting.

We ended up spending more than what is usually spent on favours, but it was worth it to us to support our friend and give our guests a great gift, and that makes me happy.

Old Music

Growing up we had lots of Christmas music in the house, but there was one song in particular on a Winter's Solstice album that perfectly captures how I feel about Christmas. It's based on a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem called 'Christmas Bells' and is arranged by John Gorka. Here's the poem:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

For some reason, I started singing it in the bathroom today, and it made me happy.

For your listening pleasure:

http://coverlaydown.com/tunes/gorkabells.mp3

New Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5RtLfE7K6Q

Every so often, but on a regular enough basis, I come across a new song that I obsess about for a few days- download it off iTunes, listen to it on repeat, and add to playlists for CDs to send the Kel(l)is (if you're nice, maybe you can be added to the distribution list too). To add to this obsession, this newest song has a beautifully stylised video to go with it. New songs make me happy and 'We Won't Run' by Sarah Blasko is the new song making me happy this week.

Sissy

Photo by Matt Williamson
http://www.williamsonphotos.net/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamsonphotos/

My sister came to visit for 2 1/2 weeks in May, then I got to spend 2 whole weeks with her preparing for the wedding. I had some of the best times in a long time while I was with her. She is so patient with me, yet at the same time doesn't put up with my guff. She threw an amazing wedding shower and bachelor/ette party for me, and was a wunderkind with wedding prep. I couldn't have done it without her. My sister makes me happy.

Good News

The old cliche is that there is no good news in the media anymore. That definitely seems very relevant these past few months. Every magazine I read is obsessed with the global financial crisis, and most blogs I read, if not covering the topic, are influenced by it, either in their own personal lives, or just because of the zeitgeist. But today I came across this video:

http://gizmodo.com/5231112/best-video-ive-seen-today-will-make-you-smile?autoplay=true#

A couple of guys went around recording street performers and then wove it together into one song. It's great, and not just of what it is, but also to think that these guys put in their own time and effort to make something that makes people happy. You don't encounter that very much any more. At least I don't in my job. This video and project make me happy.

Aussie Stereotypes

(Source: Found in the comments on this picture)

This poster makes me happy because it is all true :)

Tropfest

Tropfest in Beautiful Sydney

(Source: Me)

I'm usually not one much for festivals, but Tropfest is the one exception. Tropfest is a short film festival held every year in the Domain in Sydney (as well as in the other Australian major cities and New York). My reasons for liking Tropfest above all other festivals are thus:
a) It's free!
b) They hand out compost-able plates, cutlery, and glasses at the entrance
c) They also hand out rubbish bags, recycling bags, and composting bags at the entrance
d) They ALSO hand out these cardboard seat things to sit on the ground comfortably.
e) Everyone pretty much remains seated during the whole festival, which means...
f) No pushing and shoving (love those Aussies, so good at queuing!)
g) It's in the Domain, which is right next to the main part of the city, resulting in...
h) Easy to get to on public transport! Just about a block walk to the train station.
i) There's a first aid booth that hands out free sunscreen and free water
j) It's in a beautiful location
k) It's always entertaining

Now compare all that to other festivals (I'm looking at YOU, Austin City Limits), and there's just no comparision.

Going to Tropfest makes me happy.

Namaste

I can totally do this...
(source: Cameron Good Health)

To cut back on costs, my work has implemented a '9-day fortnight.' We get a day off every 2 weeks (and get a 10% paycut). I had my first scheduled day off (SDO) today, and went back to yoga for the first time in over 2 years. Doing yoga makes me happy (I say today, we'll see how I feel tomorrow).

Kitchen Bliss

Jacob cleaning his pride and joy - the breadmaker

When Jacob and I moved into our apartment, I loved the potential of our kitchen, but not the reality. A stove and oven that didn't work and a sink crammed into the corner were not so fun. But with a little elbow grease, a bit of money, and a LOT of waiting on an oven delivery, we now have a kitchen I could spend my whole day in. It's not perfect, but it's cozy, comfortable, and cute. The three c's of bliss. My kitchen makes me happy. (That boy being in the kitchen with me helps)

My Family

King PawPaw at Christmas

I had a great time just hanging out with my family the past month and a half. My family makes me happy.

Run Carolyn Run

I ran my first 5k today! And by ran I mean jogged and by first I mean first that I jogged the whole way. That makes me happy.

Yellow is Mellow

Source: Resonant Interval

"Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around - when yellow will be mellow - when the red man can get ahead, man - and when white will embrace what is right.

Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen."

Rev. Joseph Lowery's benediction made me happy.

iPug

Source: www.concurringopinions.com

I have an inordinate obsession with pugs. My sister says I look like them when I'm mad. Pugs make me happy, especially when they are dressed up.

A New Year


A new blog. This actually fits in quite well with my last post (from August, oops!) about being grateful. Now it's time to be happy, purposely, and put a bit more out there than snark (though I do love that as well). So just like my picture a day I'm working on at Flickr (I've...mostly...kept up with it), I am going to try to post one thing a day that makes me happy. Hopefully it will not just be about things I want to buy...

And without further adieu, what makes me happy today? This other blog makes me happy every time I read it. I stumbled upon it kind of in a roundabout manner- a wedding blog I was looking at had a link to a story about a blogger who had been in a small plane crash in Arizona. In wanting to find out more about the story, I happened upon the crash victim's sister's blog (still following?) and have been hooked to her and her whole loving family ever since. She's actually a bit of my inspiration for the revamp. Check out cjane. She makes me happy.