Finally some time to read and post

The good news is that Mom has been moved from the ICU to a step-down unit. The bad news is that the transition was rocky and she got little sleep and is very tired and uncomfortable today. The good news is that she does not want company- so I have a whole day at home when I should be doing about a million things that have fallen behind due to sickness, grades, Mom and life in general, but since I am exhausted I am rather going to spend the day reading, maybe stitching, and catching up on all the blogs I read and on this one. (How's *that* for a run-on sentence? Sister Joanna is up in heaven cringing right now, lol!)

As you can see, the amaryllis is still growing- this is such a little thing but it is really making me happy.

On the topic of being happy......

I found a really interesting blog this morning, The Happiness Project. I have not had time to read nearly as much of it yet as I want to, but so far I am REALLY liking it. It doesn't seem to be something about being "happy" as in "life is all fun" or "I am in such a good mood all the time" silly kind of happy, but rather about living life in such a way that you are content with your efforts to be good and successful at your goals and things like that. I've been working at those kinds of things for a number of years now- a function of age, maybe?- and I am looking forward to following this blog. I put it on my sidebar because it is something I want to keep returning to, and maybe you will also.

Another thing I found while strolling around the Internet today was this fun list at Anna's (Stitchbitch) blog. So, here's my version:

Things you’ve already done: bold-had to swtich to red, the bold wasn't showing

Things you want to do: italicize

Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog

2. slept under the stars

3. played in a band

4. visited Hawaii

5. watched a meteor shower

6. given more than you can afford to charity

7. been to Disneyworld

8. climbed a mountain

9. held a praying mantis

10. sang a solo

11. bungee jumped

12. visited Paris

13. watched a lightning storm at sea

14. taught yourself an art from scratch

15. adopted a child

16. had food poisoning

17. walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. grown your own vegetables

19. seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. slept on an overnight train

21. had a pillow fight

22. hitch hiked

23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. built a snow fort

25. held a lamb

26. gone skinny dipping

27. run a marathon

28. ridden a gondola in Venice

29. seen a total eclipse

30. watched a sunrise or sunset

31. hit a home run

32. been on a cruise

33. seen Niagara Falls in person

34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. seen an Amish community

36. taught yourself a new language

37. had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person

39. gone rock climbing

40. seen Michelangelo’s David in person

41. sung karaoke

42. seen Old Faithful (geyser) erupt

43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. visited Africa

45. walked on a beach by moonlight

46. been transported in an ambulance

47. had your portrait painted

48. gone deep sea fishing

49. seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris- I've been to the bottom but I don't like heights! Maybe next time I'll be braver.

51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. kissed in the rain

53. played in the mud

54. gone to a drive-in theater

55. been in a movie

56. visited the Great Wall of China

57. started a business

58. taken a martial arts class

59. visited Russia

60. served at a soup kitchen

61. sold Girl Scout cookies

62. gone whale watching

63. gotten flowers for no reason

64. donated blood

65. gone sky diving

66. visited a Nazi concentration camp

67. bounced a check

68. flown in a helicopter

69. saved a favorite childhood toy

70. visited the Lincoln memorial

71. eaten caviar

72. pieced a quilt

73. stood in Times Square

74. toured the Everglades

75. been fired from a job

76. seen the changing of the guard in London

77. broken a bone

78. been on a speeding motorcycle

79. seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. published a book

81. visited the Vatican

82. bought a brand new car

83. walked in Jerusalem

84. had your picture in the newspaper

85. read the entire bible

86. visited the White House

87. killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. had chickenpox

89. saved someone’s life

90. sat on a jury

91. met someone famous

92. joined a book club

93. lost a loved one

94. had a baby

95. seen the Alamo in person

96. taken a road trip

97. been involved in a law suit

98. owned a cell phone

99. been stung by a bee

100. met the love of your life

That is enough for one post. There will probably be a couple more this weekend- having time to read and relax is such a strange feeling!