My inboxes are all at zero. The kids are at out with friends. The house is empty, and it’s fresh, cool and drizzling outside. Pizza soon and a family DVD with wine. I’m surprised you can’t hear my contented sigh all the way over there…
I had fun talking about my garden yesterday and got inspired. We ate outside after I logged off, then my husband and I sat with a glass of wine and chatted. I went inside and grabbed my camera because what I really wanted to share with you was the scent. I have jasmine growing up the wall beside my back kitchen door, honeysuckle scrambling through the laurel bushes and a pot of lavender on the table. The scent is at its most heady and intoxicating in the cool of the evening after a hot muggy day. Click here to sniff. (Wouldn’t that be nice!)
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Here are just a few of the posts I’ve enjoyed recently.
I choose my blog route carefully so every day I’m sure to read at least one post that leaves me saying Exactly!
Hayden of Through the Illusion had me linguistically giddy with joy, shooting out exclamation marks like happy arrows and shouting Yes!!
Eliza of Silver and Grace wrote one of the most practical and helpful pieces you can ever hope to read if you’re a woman over forty.
Brenda’s post at Betaphilings made me want to roll around in a field!
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Here are some of the quotes that have sung to me this week:
There is great happiness in not wanting, in not being something, in not going somewhere. ~ Krishnamurti
Some people have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy. ~ Abraham H. Maslow
All sorrows can be borne if you tell a story about them. ~ Karen Blixen
Staycation fun…
Today I served up quiche Lorraine …for breakfast!! In a French accent, of course 
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Patchwork wishes
~Happy belated Canada day to all of our Canadian ‘café’ customers!
~May everyone from the States enjoy fireworks, good food, friends and family this 4th of July weekend!
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What could you do differently today to make it feel like a holiday?
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the pingback, Janice. I don’t know exactly what that word means but it is nonetheless one of the cutest word ever! If I could do html I would set it in italics. Going to SF on Tuesday – hope to get son to show me some more computer skillz stuff. Have a great weekend!
Brenda´s last blog post..Michael Jackson’s Essay
Thank you for the link love (which is a lovely phrase right up there with ping back). I am glad you found the post helpful and gave you an EXACTLY!
What could I do differently to make today feel like a holiday? Hmmm … well, I went to work already, because not going to work would be my first reaction
And we have to go watch 11 and 12 year old boys play soccer in the rain, which isn’t exactly up there on my holiday list. Okay, AFTER the soccer, we will come back, sip espresso, eat dark chocolate, and lounge in our hot tub …. oh wait, we do that every night.
I know!!!! I can go to bed later than 9:30 p.m. WOOT! Now I’m living on the wild side!
Eliza´s last blog post..Understanding weight gain after 40
You’re welcome. Hope the link love sent some lovely new appreciative people your way!
Sounds like you’ve already built lots of rituals into your life that some folk only save for high days and holidays! If I go to bed that early, I undo the good by reading late into the night
Hi Janice,
I have come to the conclusion that each day has to be a holiday.
I know that may sound overly idealistic but why not? Each day we are surrounded with the same things. I think many people enjoy a holiday because it means not going to work. There is something wrong there in that belief.
Thank you so much for all the lovely pictures. I truly felt that the smell of those lovely flowers could go through the screen. Maybe the next thing they will come up with is a “scratch and sniff” monitor! Wouldn’t that be cool!
May you have a wonderful weekend. I intend to do so myself!
Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog post..The Detachment Myth
I hope you had a lovely weekend. I nearly logged on once or twice to read weekend posts, but knew I wouldn’t be able to log out.
You’re right about having elements of the holiday feeling every day. (Every day we’re alive is a holiday away from the alternative, after all. ) However, because I spend a large part of my week at home, I decided to literally create a change of scene today and confused everyone by moving some furniture around to recreate the feeling we get when we stay in a rented holiday apartment or villa!
Ever since I’ve been a full-time teacher, I have learned to celebrate every day as a holiday. Our class devoted 15 minutes every day to discussing whatever was special about that day, whether it was a historical figure’s birthday, or the day a peace treaty was signed, or even something as fun as National Strawberry Ice Cream day (which of course we celebrated by partaking!) The kids learned that they never had to wait for a “holiday” to appreciate the day at hand.
For example, today is Compliment Your Mirror Day, Disobedience Day, Stay out of the Sun Day, and Tom Cruise’s birthday. If school was still in session, I would probably either have the children write down things they liked about themselves, give them some sun block or show them an exciting clip from Top Gun.
By the way, I actually started to click on “here” when you posted it above! I’m a little slow. Your yard looks divine.
Randi´s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts of a Twitterless Thinker 7-2-09
I wish I was at your school!! ( Top Gun, eh? I know you did that because it’s one of your fave films
You won’t believe this, though; the day you posted this comment, I went around all day sniffing the kids’ sunblock because it reminds me of sunny holidays by the sea and we also watched Tom in Valkyrie!) I do the same with religions. I pick elements of each and celebrate along with my friends from all over the world.
Randi, I did try to click on “here” because it’s blue like a live link and that darn Janice tricked me with her computer wizardry. I mean, how do you turn a black word blue?
Brenda´s last blog post..Michael Jackson’s Essay
Brenda,
That Janice is very tricksy! I can just see her laughing behind the scenes at all the people who will actually try to click on it. Click here to listen to Janice laugh.
Randi´s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts of a Twitterless Thinker 7-2-09
Hey Randi, do you suppose it’s rude of us to talk about Janice like this while she’s sleeping? She’ll probably wake up tomorrow and figure out how to add an audio link of her laughing now that you’ve mentioned it. I don’t even know what she looks like. Do you?
Brenda´s last blog post..Michael Jackson’s Essay
@Randi and Brenda,
Remember the big eye in lord of the Rings? That’s what I’m like, watching you both as I sleep, laughing at you clicking snifforama links!
Seriously, though, I deliberately customised the colour of my links to match the hyacinths in the photo on my welcome page. If you’d like to know how, let me know and I’ll post about it. I’m tickled pink that you both understood my html tutorial on italics! I’m not techie at all; I just get finicky ideas in my head like wanting my comments box to match the tulips in the header insteqd of being Thesis turquoise and wanting the links to be hyacinth coloured instead of link blue. Then my husband and I have to sit down and learn how to do it! I’m happy to pass anything on or recommend a real techie, like Marc or Eric.
@Randi and Brenda,
Remember the big eye in lord of the Rings? That’s what I’m like, watching you both as I sleep, laughing at you clicking snifforama links!
Seriously, though, I deliberately customised the colour of my links to match the hyacinths in the photo on my welcome page. I can also use any colour I like in my blogposts by using the same technique. If you’d like to know how, let me know and I’ll post about it. I’m tickled pink that you both understood my html tutorial on italics! I’m not techie at all; I just get finicky ideas in my head like wanting my comments box to match the tulips in the header instead of being Thesis turquoise and wanting the links to be hyacinth coloured instead of link blue. Then my husband and I have to sit down and learn how to do it! I’m happy to pass anything on or recommend a real techie, like Marc or Eric.
I really love the smell of jasmine! It’s so nice to have one in one’s garden
Thanks for sharing a nice day, it’s the simple things that really gives us happiness.
I TAKE OFF THE MASK´s last blog post..7 Secret Keys to Happiness and Success Book FREE!
Lovely to have you over here! I agree with you; happiness does live in the simple things. Jasmine is one of my favourite floral fragrances and it never fails to lift my mood!
Janice is very computer techy so you’re probably right about that audio link appearing tomorrow. (I’m just hoping that the audio of her laughing at us clicking on the “sniff here” link doesn’t sound like Vincent Price at the end of Thriller.) You know, there’s supposed to be a cool picture of Janice somewhere on this blog, but I’ve been through every section and can’t find it.
Randi´s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts of a Twitterless Thinker 7-2-09
Hi Janice. I couldn’t hear your sigh because I was sighing myself
And, you tricked me! I clicked a couple of times on that link and almost emailed you to tell you it wasn’t working. Ha!
I hear you about the scents around us. So much to breathe in and appreciate. Thanks for the reminder.
Davina´s last blog post..Guest Post: Three Shades of Happiness
Can I share a secret? Don’t tell Randi and Brenda or they’ll lose their new found pretend respect for my budding techie-ness. When I previewed the post in Wordpress to check for typos and see if the links were working, I clicked on the cheeky fake link myself.
I know you’re a bird lover, so it doesn’t surprise me that you’re into fragrance and secret gardens, too. This site has lovely commenters, all of whom, I’m learning, are unashamed detail-lovers, too.
I didn’t fall for the click here trick, but I did find myself driving to my local plant nursery to buy some new flowers to plant. I can smell them now! Thanks for the inspiration Janice.
Lori | Spiritual Tidbits´s last blog post..Take A Friend To Yoga For Free
Even better! What did you buy? I have a big trip planned for later this month as our garden needs some major overhauling. One of my favourite things is watching a little mini vision of my garden-to-be gradually create itself in my garden centre shopping trolley as I unconsciously arrange the new plants next to each other!
Brenda,
Davina is one of us! She clicked!
Lori did the smart thing. Now she can smell them.
Randi´s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts of a Twitterless Thinker 7-2-09
Thanks, Janice and Randi, for teaching me how to italicize. I feel improved. Randi, I’d feel surprised if Janice’s voice wasn’t like Vincent Price’s. I think of her having a deep, husky voice. Nothing like Susan Boyle’s Scottish soprano. Rather, a voice of authority. Jans, your fans would like to hear your sound.
Brenda´s last blog post..Next Great Rock Star
If you visit my Sharing the Certification Journey site via the ebook link in my left sidebar, there’s a small sound clip of my coaching colleague Kerri. My husband and I embedded that – it took us a while to figure out how to, but the technology is in place! I have a few coaching calls I did that I’d like to post – I have permission – and a photo is imminent.
You’re right about the voice, Brenda. It is quite gentle and calm and I was an alto. My singing voice used to be very pure until I had a thyroid tumour removed. It got a bit rougher after that, and age has deepened it. Some days I can still sing, and on one of those, I’ll record something with my daughter and let you cringe excroooociatedly!
There are some blogs that would ban us, you know, for loving italics and exclamation marks!
Yes, Janice taught me how to italicize the other day and now I can’t stop!
Randi´s last blog post..Thursday Thoughts of a Twitterless Thinker 7-2-09
Janice – I chanced upon your blog and was so inspired by it! I found myself talking to my husband about your post on ‘Transcendental Trollies’! I just loved the way you took an everyday situation and ‘transformed’ it into a piece of wisdom! Very inspiring, indeed. Thank you.
Corinne
Corinne Rodrigues´s last blog post..Half Full? Or Half Empty?
Nice to meet you, Corinne! Thank you for the lovely uplifting words of support. You’ve no idea how happy it makes me to know that sharing a wee piece of my life got you chatting about the lessons I learned that day. I hope you discussed the awesome skills you both have that you each take for granted!
WoOt! Thank you, Janice!
Hayden Tompkins´s last blog post..We will not go quietly into the night…
You’re very welcome! I say YES! to passionate posts that rock!
Love the photos especially the lavender my favorite. I decided recedntly I want to grow old with a field full of lavendar! Love the quotes as well. So much wisdom…so much insight.
Tess The Bold Life´s last blog post..A Bold, Bright & Happy Summer
Thanks Tess – I have no doubt that one day I’ll be walking through it with you, but I suspect you’ll be ‘younger’ then than you are now! I don’t see you “growing old”, somehow – just getting bolder, wiser and more serene!
Hey- I just came over from Blogging Without a Blog- thought I’d say hi!
And now I really, really wish I could smell those flowers; they’re beautiful!
Adrenalynn´s last blog post..Random thoughts on a Saturday night that nobody’s going to read anyway because everyone’s too busy having a life.
Thanks for popping over! I’m so grateful to Barbara for showcasing me; it was a real highlight for me last week.
I’m glad you didn’t mind landing right in the middle of my staycation flower-sniffing! I suspect there are some regulars here who are as addicted to floral fragrances as I am.;)
Well it sure looks like your Staycation is fun and relaxing. I didn’t click on the smell link, but if you had a taste one for the quiche, I might have tried it — I do so enjoy a good quiche.
Lori Hoeck´s last blog post..How our intuition warns of danger
Ah, if only….I’m afraid I can’t even offer you a photo of any ’staycation’ novelty breakfast food; I’m not very sharp in the mornings!
Such lovely flowers and greenery, Janice.
Well, as a US citizen, it WAS a holiday.
So, I didn’t have to pretend. My favorite aspects are, of course, enjoying the love and presence of my family, cooking and eating delicious food, and, reflecting on what it means to be an American, and, a Black American in particular. It was a glorious day. I really do enjoy July 4th.
Marcy Webbb´s last blog post..Black Doll, Like Me
I’d love to hear more some day about how it feels to be a black American under President Obama’s presidency. Regardless of our different politics, I’m pretty sure everyone who visits this blog is open and respectful, inspired by boldness, perseverence and passion. Have you read my post called Sharing the Journey? I think you’d like it.