Animals
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Small treats and rituals
“One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.” ~Iris Murdoch Every night after we finish dinner, Doug and I fill our mugs with tea and head for our favorite chairs to watch the evening news on TV. It’s a ritual that our dog, Coco, happily anticipates — because we always reward her with a handful of dog biscuits if she finished her dinner, too. Watching her savor each and every crunchy bite never fails to bring me joy. Sometimes we set our goals too high, deluding ourselves into thinking that happiness depends on attaining a huge win or reward. But as today’s quote reminds us, it’s…
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Getting cozy
“It was so wonderful to be there, safe at home, sheltered from the winds and the cold. Laura thought that this must be a little like heaven, where the weary are at rest.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder The Scandinavian concept of “hygge” suggests a sense of comfort and contentment. The word possibly stems from a Danish word meaning “to give courage, comfort, joy.” Another theory suggests that hygge was derived from the Old Norse word “hugr” — which is the origin of the word “hug.” Hygge has become a popular marketing term in Scandinavia in recent years — and we’ve embraced it here in the northern United States, especially in the cold winter months.…
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Get comfortable
‘People aren’t longing to be impressed. They’re longing to feel like they’re home. If you create a space full of love and character and creativity and soul, they’ll take off their shoes and curl up with gratitude, no matter how small, no matter how undone, no matter how old.” ~Shauna Niequist, quoted in Bella Grace Some of us spend way too much time trying to make things perfect — especially when we’re getting ready to entertain. Others have been brainwashed into thinking that a living room should look like it was styled by a magazine editor in order to be worthy of visitors — and avoid sharing their homes because…
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The dog ate your homework?
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~Dr. Robert Anthony, Beyond Positive Thinking It wasn’t my fault …. She made me do it …. I was raised by dysfunctional parents …. Someone gave me bad advice …. The dog ate my homework. When we make a mess of things or miss the mark, it’s tempting to reach for an easy excuse. We might try to save face by placing the blame on someone else — or outside circumstances — even when we know, deep down, that we were responsible for our own mistakes. In today’s quote, psychologist Robert Anthony shines a light on the blame game.…
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Social graces
“Sometimes, to have good manners means putting up with other people’s bad manners.” ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr. American socialite and author Emily Post advised that having good manners isn’t just a matter of using a dinner napkin or refraining from burping aloud at the table. Courtesy, she said, is all about being “sensitive to the feelings of others” and putting them at ease. Civility is another word for kindness in action. I know I’m not the only one who’s noticing an increase in uncivil, insensitive behavior every day — on the road, in restaurants, in grocery stores, and on TV. If we’re not careful, it will sour our positive outlook…
