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Category Archives: Happiness
Entertainment and Survival
Thirty episodes over three seasons, constituting thirty hours of programming, have been released thus far of the Danish television series, Borgen. Virtually all of my television consumption for the past several weeks has revolved around Borgen, twenty-nine hours, to be … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Greed, Happiness, Materialism, Scandinavian, Television, Television series
4 Comments
Happiness Within Our Grasp, Thunderously So
I mistakenly posted something I called “Thunder” a little while ago. It was an accident. Ignore it. But if you don’t, you’ll see I intended to incorporate it here. I think I’m a little distracted this morning; you know, giddy … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness
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Minimal
For years, I’ve been drawn to the concept of a minimalist lifestyle. Several years ago, I stumbled across an online video created by a young guy who designed and built tiny houses and who had created an online video series … Continue reading
Posted in Greed, Happiness, Materialism, Philosophy, Self-discipline
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Social Evenings Can Change Dull to Dynamic
This evening, my wife and I attended the second Wines of the World dinner organized by the manager of the Coronado Center, a venue operated by our property owners association. The first event, focusing on the food and wine of … Continue reading
Posted in Beer, Happiness, Humor, Wine
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When Loss is Gain
The early stages of an exercise routine, coupled with a healthy change in eating habits, give quick results. The results I experienced during the first six days of 2016 are almost too good; if I were to expect the same pace to … Continue reading
Posted in Emotion, Happiness, Health
3 Comments
Another Christmas
A benefit of writing every day, and keeping a chronological record of what one has written, is the ability to look backward from year to year to annually check one’s state of mind. This morning I looked back a year … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness
3 Comments
Pretzels
Sunday was a good day. My sister-in-law and I went into town (my wife was having none of it, as she preferred to stay warm and dry at home). Heavy rains had kept us inside for a couple of days. … Continue reading
Posted in Beer, Food, Happiness
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Love and Compassion
I subscribe to Zen Habits,a blog dealing with “living in the moment” and being content with, and productive in, one’s life. Recently, a post reminded me that people tend to define themselves by what they do, what other people think of … Continue reading
Posted in Compassion, Happiness, Love, Purpose
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Waving at Cars
I enjoy driving in rural areas where people wave at people in passing cars. My sense of human goodness is reinforced when people I don’t know express friendliness that’s not obligatory. It’s just a genuine appreciation and acceptance of another person. I … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Philosophy
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Positive Adjustments
Thanksgiving Day is the “official” day of gratitude. That notwithstanding, and in accord with my tendency to go against the grain, I will proclaim my gratitude again, today, on this last day of the year. This year has been one of … Continue reading
Posted in Change, Happiness
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Feeling Good
Yesterday, we took a brief walk on a short trail, the Lake Coronado Boat Ramp Trail, an ultra-short one, measuring only about a third of a mile. Then, we wandered around the Village a bit, noting locations of other trail-heads for … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness
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A Walking Trail
Yesterday, a long walk along the Cedar Creek Walking Trail turned a beautiful, clear, crisp day into an unforgettable joy. Walking along the trail, it’s easy to imagine oneself in a primitive forest, miles from civilization. The only noises are … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Nature
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Respite from Expectations
The simple act of living in a world of expectations is hard. It requires mental energy in every waking moment. Even as we attempt to recover through sleep, there they are, those expectations stalking our dreams just as they slink … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Health, Just Thinking, Philosophy, Wisdom
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Stress Washes Away in Water
Our next-door-neighbors took us out on their pontoon boat yesterday afternoon for three-plus hours of drifting along the shoreline of Lake Balboa, exploring little bays and coves, and looking at some spectacular lake-shore homes. During the cruise, we talked about … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Peace
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Temporary Bachelorhood
So, I’m trying to make my plans for temporary bachelorhood. What shall I do when my wife skips town to meet her high school chums for a few days and nights of unchecked raucous behavior? I’m thinking I should engage … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Just Thinking
4 Comments
What Do I Miss? How Do I Settle?
A downside to living in Hot Springs Village versus Dallas (or any big city): there’s no convenient and nearby place to go for a middle-of-the-night-breakfast when sleep eludes me. I miss that, especially of late…especially when I awaken with nothing … Continue reading
Posted in Dreams, Food, Happiness, Just Thinking
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June 28: Thoughts for the Day
Today is my favorite wife’s birthday! Happy birthday, favorite wife! I hope your day is wonderful! (She doesn’t read my blog much…but I wish her a happy birthday, anyway.)
Posted in Happiness
8 Comments
Adjustments
Living in one place for a long time allows a person to get comfortable with all sorts of things: the fastest way to get from point A to point B; the “best” television stations for weather forecasts; the television channel … Continue reading
Posted in Friendship, Happiness, Moving, Philosophy, Sense of place
2 Comments
Fifteen Years On
When I read a poignant rumination on what it’s like to be 45 years old, I found myself thinking back fifteen years to the time I was forty-five. I tried to recall how I felt, what I thought I had … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Philosophy, Wisdom
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Drive
Desire, want, hope…all emotions that seeks change for a perceived better. “I have a desire to be better looking and have more money.” “I have a deep-seated want to more gregarious.” “His hope is to achieve a medical breakthrough.” None … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Philosophy, Self-discipline, Wisdom
3 Comments
Edible Apple
This morning I read a friend’s blog post in which she discusses some of the issues and questions under consideration as they think about where they want to live. Coincidentally, we’ve been asking ourselves some of the same questions. A … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Housiing, Where to Live
1 Comment
Settle Down
At this very moment, one of the things that would please me most would be to have the ability to live free of anger, free of being so reactive to the negativity and disappointments and upsets I face in the … Continue reading
Posted in Change, Happiness, Self-discipline
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Setting Down Roots
The obstacles to achieving a comprehensive sense of contentment in my life are all hand-made and carefully crafted, built slowly over a lifetime of opting, at crucial moments, to do not what I wanted but what was expected of me. It wasn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Change, Happiness, Sense of place, Wisdom
5 Comments
Discipline: Doing Without
I subscribe to, but infrequently read, the periodic musings of a guy named Leo Babauta who writes Zen Habits. For some reason, the emailed post I received on July 1 caught my attention. Entitled, “A Year of Living Without,” it detailed … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Happiness, Philosophy, Self-discipline
1 Comment
Helpful Happiness
A sentence I read in an online article triggered some questions. Actually the entire article provoked a good bit of thought about the human condition. The specific sentence that prompted me to write this post is this: “There is a good deal of research showing … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness
3 Comments