Those small smiley things

[Steely]

So, I have been struggling with serious, over the top depression since Matt left in Sept. Actually is started a year ago, exactly. And then it got substantially worse when H died (obviously). And as the Matt saga has continued, my depression has gotten worse. Christmas, especially, I am not doing it. No way.
BUT
Today I indulged in this happy little thing. MY Christmas present. One of my few guilty pleasures. Costco.
I bought all sorts of food that are just for me. Little me. No Matthew goodies. Just me.
And then...........I stumbled across the book section. I have not read a good book since H died. She and I were book worm twins. We often read the same book so we could talk about it.
Anyway. Guess who has new books out? Some of H and my favorite authors. Wally Lamb and Toni Morrison. Two authors that have not written books in years to my knowledge. So I got them, at my lovely Costco half price, and now they are sitting there for me to read.
Just looking at them makes me feel warm inside.
I know. Silly. But really, it is those little things. Those dozen Marie Callender chicken pot pies I bought, the books, the things that are just for me.

I hope all of you reading this can find one little smiley thing today.

 

[totoro]

Ooooh I love Wally Lamb! I didn't know he had a new book out? I love Toni Morrison also. I may just have to go to Costco.
Glad you have something to smile about.

 

[witzend]

Good for you! I love those pot pies!

Seriously, it's the small things that make life good, and I'm glad that you are out looking for them. It's a good thing! There was a study released this week about surrounding yourself with happy people. I posted a link on Watercooler about it. I know when I was seriously depressed, the best thing I did was tune in to the comedy channel, read a funny book, anything that made me laugh. They say that those laughs can last a year! Keep up the good work.

 

[gcvmom]

Mmmmmm... sounds lovely My little smiley thing today was sprinkling cinnamon in my coffe grounds before I poured the hot water for an afternoon pick-me-up (really dragging today).

Oh, and the other smiley thing was wandering the mall window shopping at a store I USED to be able to afford to go to (back when we were two incomes and no kids!). Everything's so shiny and sparkly at the stores this time of year, and I can get my fix just looking at nice stuff. Did not feel any urge to go home with any of it (and ESPECIALLY did not have the urge to PAY for any of it!)

I also feel smiley sitting in the grass and letting the chicks wander around nearby. I love to pluck dandelion greens and clover stems and watch them come running to get their treat

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I do love little smiley things.

I have one strand of Christmas lights on my balcony. It snowed last night. Each little light now has a little white hat, through which you can see the glowing of each color. And since I am an insomniac, it is only 6AM and still dark out.

I could look at that all night.

 

[trinityroyal]

I too love little smiley things.

Steely, I'm so glad that you're treating yourself to things that make you happy. I believe that every girl deserves to be spoilt, and sometimes we just have to do it ourselves.

My shiny happy thing today is that I will be digging all of my favourite Christmas decorations out of the garage. I LOVE them, they make me smile and feel all warm inside. Some of them are quite beautiful, and some of them are dreadfully tacky. I think the snowman lava lamp wins the award for tack.

I love to just wind them up and listen to the Christmas bells. They all have a pretty short stroke, so they're not playing music all day, but on demand.

Eeeee!

 

[gcvmom]

I could look at that all night.

BBK, send some snow out here to CA, would ya? I'd LOVE to see lights like yours!

 

[KTMom91]

My little smiley thing is that my penguins are on the roof, and this year we added a snowman and a polar bear!

Hugs, Steely.

 

[Jena]

I'm so glad you found something to make you smile, that is so so very important. My little smiley thing today was a candle I bought for all of 3 dollars, it smells of apples and cinnamon and wow does it make me happy.


((((hugs))))

 

[crazymama30]

Even though it's Sunday, It's my Friday!! Smiley for today. We should always find a smiley thing for the day, think about how much better the day would be.

 

[Steely]

I agree.........
And don't you think it is interesting that for one small smiley thing, we can let one small frowny thing ruin our day????
I had an employee go off on me today, and it took everything in my power to not let that ruin my day. An hour of ranting over hangers, and clothing, and customers.
And yet, if I concentrate on the little smiley things, I still smile.

PS
(Seriously how can you be over the top mad because a hanger of clothing is hanging the wrong way when people are starving all over the world?)

PPS
(Toto.........
Toni Morrison just wrote A Mercy, it is supposed to be her best book to date. And Wally Lamb just wrote The Hour I First Believed. My top ten favorite authors, those 2.)

 

[trinityroyal]

PS
(Seriously how can you be over the top mad because a hanger of clothing is hanging the wrong way when people are starving all over the world?)

Steely,

I have to confess, the hanger thing drives me crazy. Hanger hooks must face forward on the rod, with buttons or other closures facing left. Otherwise it short-circuits my head and I cease to be able to function.

Still...it's not worth a rant (maybe a small mutter or two?) I don't rant, I just rehang whatever-it-is. My take is: my issue = my job to fix.

Actually, that's another one of my small smiley things...my need to "fix" stuff like this.

(I also re-set the little baggies in the grocery stores that you use for fresh vegetables. I can't tell you how many store staff load the bags upside down )

 

[Ropefree]

MMM...yes that it is Christmas time again and my world is not so very full of the spirit.
You know Steley, I walk through my days and find so many people are not willing to be the happy personand I spent the best years of my life in retail...those things that my public were so conserned with...like the hangers,
wow...I worked in a position where every single person 27 women and one man (sometimes two) had differant ideas about what they needed from me.
I came to think to myself that my work day time was a form of worship...that every person was there for me to be in service. After I did that I discovered that I could listen to all the little details that mattered and cheerfully give my attention.
But this is the best part...after I had been doing that everyday for years and that ment that when things went wrong and someone had to be talked to about it quess who got the gig? And so I got really good at being a direct and sincerely pleasant person in all manner of situations...until one day, one fine day...this person hassled me throughtout a day about the price on a green blowup dinasauer. It was 6 maybe 7 feet tall and it cost $36.
I was ringing up lines of customers...thousands of dollars per sale in these fine things sold at the store where I worked. and there he was...lingering and smoldering and really not fun not fun at all...and I gave him a little wave drawing him over to the register...and another so he lended in over the counter, then I leaned into him a little and very softly I said
"Why don't you take your bad attitude and hit the highway."
HE went to the manager. The phone rang. What did you say to that man?
So I told ....and everyone bust up laughing upstairs where the manager told the line out loud.
I think it is wonderful that you have found little joys to bouy your spirit.
I am feeling a yucky and have been crying too. I went to the store and bought a christmas presant for me...one of those hummingbird dental flossers..and a pack of floss refillers. They were on sale.
Not as good as pot pies and good books, but I won't be manually pulling floss after the 25th. Yey.