I am about to get Happy!
Starting Tuesday, August 23rd I will be writing a once-a-week post for Homemakers Magazine – The Bright Side Blog.
So every Tuesday I will wax on about what makes me happy, what makes others happy, what do we mean by the word HAPPY and anything else I can dream up on the subject.
Needless to say, I am taking ANY and ALL suggestions for topics, websites, videos or anything else you can dream up about happiness…just send me your ideas and links or else I might become very unhappy trying to find enough happy topics. You know what I mean?
And just for the record?
I do not believe that happiness is a warm gun.
Meanwhile, in honour of my new column, I offer you Mary Oliver’s poem entitled, (what else?)…
Happiness
In the afternoon I watched
the she-bear; she was looking
for the secret bin of sweetness –
honey, that the bees store
in the trees’ soft caves.
Black block of gloom, she climbed down
tree after tree and shuffled on
through the woods. And then
she found it! The honey-house deep
as heartwood, and dipped into it
among the swarming bees – honey and comb
she lipped and tongued and scooped out
in her black nails, until
maybe she grew full, or sleepy, or maybe
a little drunk, and sticky
down the rugs of her arms,
and began to hum and sway.
I saw her let go of the branches,
I saw her lift her honeyed muzzle
into the leaves, and her thick arms,
as though she would fly –
an enormous bee
all sweetness and wings –
down into the meadows, the perfections
of honeysuckle and roses and clover –
to float and sleep in the sheer nets
swaying from flower to flower
day after shining day.
– Mary Oliver
Yah!! Great news! Look forward to reading.
Thanks Gwen. Now I just have to write them. Hmmm….
Congratulations on your new blog, Colleen! Being the morose, despairing and antisocial writer that I am, I can’t wait to subscribe and get my weekly dose of cheer!
Dear Morose Michele 🙂
I’ll do my best to deliver words to create hope in your despairing writerly self. Don’t worry, they’ll be borrowed from someone less despairing about the writing process than I am!
Hurrah! A post virtually written already 🙂
We used to wind paper streamers into the spokes too!
You’re right about the post…I’ve been mulling about that bike this morning and all the happiness it brought me, so yes….almost done that first post. But clearly your ‘hood was w-a-a-a-y cooler than mine. Paper streamers were only for parades 🙂
Hi Colleen, we’re so excited to have you on board! I’m really looking forward to your ideas. I promise, it’s not that hard to be happy once a week 🙂 – I think we’re lucky that happiness is such a broad topic.
Sharry I bet it is harder for something as focused as cycling! (Here’s an idea – have you seen the pics of the new Missoni for Target bicycle? Could it fit a bike fashion/colour/do you decorate your bike post?) (Or could it be a happiness post… :))
That poem is wonderful, what a beautiful find. Happiness is transporting, so true. One to reread and savour.
Hey Janet, Trust you to find the tie-in!
That’s SO perfect, because cycling is a totally happy thing and I don’t think I was happier on my bike then when I was ten or eleven-years old, blasting down Cherry Street in Mission City on my emerald Mustang with the sparkly green banana seat. The multi-coloured streamers flew out from my angel-bars and those clickety-things on the shiny spokes made sure everyone knew I was alive!
Oy, good luck on that, Colleen! I’ve been writing a weekly article on all things cycling for BellaOnline (www.bellaonline.com/site/cycling) for over a year now, and every week I struggle with coming up with something to write about. You’d think there’d be an endless supply of ideas, but it’s harder and harder to find ones that spark my imagination. I’ll let you know if I have any ideas for you if you’ll let me know if you have any ideas for me!
Sharry, I figured it would be kind of hard which is why I’m already begging for ideas 🙂 You’ve got yourself a deal! I promise to deliver some biking ideas asap.