A daily post of Happy.
Day 230: Happiness is spending the day in the sun with people you love. Also, as a side-note: I didn't know that shuffleboard could be so viciously competitive. #itsnofununlesssomeoneloses #FloridaVacation2015 #WestgateVacationVillas #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 16, 2015 at 7:21pm PDT
Day 229: On March 15, 2005, my life was forever changed. On March 15, 2005, I received a telephone call that no one ever wants to get, and from that moment onwards I became a different person. When I was a kid I would say I was whimsical, imaginative, a dreamer. I used to want to grow up and work for Disney, I daydreamed, I didn't worry much about what tomorrow would bring, and I'd say I was a pretty happy-go-lucky person. After that telephone call on March 15, 2005, that world was shattered. In the months and first few years after that telephone call I became withdrawn, pessimistic, somewhat cynical, and depressed a lot of the time. The world that I thought I knew and I thought I was part of suddenly changed significantly. It's been ten years. Ten years of growth, change, repositioning, reframing, reimagining, and healing. Ten years to slowly evolve into a person that I'm happy to wake up in the morning and be, ten years to learn to be excited about the future again, and imagine it bigger, better and brighter than I thought possible. In the last ten years I've grown and learned so much. I've become a stronger person than I thought I ever could be. Though there is not a single day that passes where I don't think of him, miss him, and wonder what life would have been like, ten years later I can finally say yes, I'm going to be better than okay. I'm going to be Happy. #DBM #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 15, 2015 at 6:54pm PDT
Day 228: After spending twenty four hours in the car and travelling approximately 2,200 kms I was pretty stoked to arrive at the resort today. The joy of arrival was only eclipsed by the elation of finally being able to shower and properly brush my teeth. #personalhygieneisawesome #WestgateVacationVillas #FloridaVacation2015 #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 14, 2015 at 6:42pm PDT
Day 227: Fifteen years ago this week (can it really be fifteen years??) I boarded my first flight for my first trip overseas. In high school I was fortunate to be able to take advantage of two opportunities to travel overseas with EF Tours. The first was to Greece in grade 12, the second to France and Italy in grade 13. These were not free trips; my parents didn't pay for me to go on either one. I worked hard to make them happen (mostly at The Mile). I saved almost every penny for two full years to be able to go, and those trips were worth every penny and every dish I had to wash. Because I didn't have a lot of money for spending once I paid the bill just to go, I had to be pretty careful with what I wanted to buy as a souvenir. Sure I bought the keychains, pins and patches that many people do (as per my previous post) but some really good advice was given to me by my big brother before I left. He said that I would be very tempted to buy all kinds of "trinkets and trash" while I was away, but what I should do is try and resist that stuff, and buy one really nice thing that I could keep to forever remember the trip by. I thought that was pretty sage advice, and I took it. I bought myself this gold eternity ring from a small store on the island of Rhodes. I was debating between this one and a slightly cheaper one, and the sales person sealed the deal by saying: "Remember, this is for eternity". Clever sales pitch, yes, but she was right. I never regretted my purchase for a moment since I put it on my finger. They say that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer. I think "they" are onto something. This ring, those amazing memories, they make me pretty Happy. #RMSS #Greece #EFTours #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 13, 2015 at 10:23am PDT
Day 226: To me, an empty suitcase is really something to think about. An empty suitcase can really only mean a handful of things: maybe it's brand-new and hasn't yet been filled, maybe it's back from a trip and has recently been emptied, or maybe just maybe it's part of that delicious anticipation that one feels before something exciting is about to happen. Maybe that empty suitcase is about to be filled (or partially filled if you are the souvenir type) to accompany you on some sort of fantastic adventure. This particular suitcase has seen its share of travels...I still have my Flamingo Hotel check sticker on it from my trip to Vegas with Cootsy. For me, tonight, this empty suitcase is already full of the thrill of an impending (and much desired) holiday! One. More. Sleep. Tomorrow, Friends!! Tomorrow I'm off on an adventure with Friends, Family, good food, good times, and sunshine. Lots of sunshine. And Waffle House. And Disney. And warmth. Right now though, I better fill this empty suitcase. Feeling pretty Happy tonight. #FloridaVacation2015 #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 12, 2015 at 4:35pm PDT
Day 225: My job has me out and about a lot. I get to travel all around this lovely province, and on my travels I get to see many things. Some of my favourite things to see when I travel would be abandoned buildings and ruins, and my region is chock full of these beauties. I find them so fascinating. I have so many questions: who lived there? Why did they leave? Why has it been left to rot? Does anybody still look after it/go inside? Some buildings are more interesting than others...this specimen isn't that crazy, I grant you, but it did pique my interest and made me think about posting this note today. There's an awesome ruin between OS and BA that looks as though the owners simply walked away, and one up the peninsula that really looked like a haunted house. Somebody has bought that one and is restoring it...it's so gorgeous. There are websites full of photography of abandoned places, one particularly fantastic one completely dedicated to the urban exploration of Detroit. I lost at least two weeks when I stumbled onto that one. Such fun, such imagination. Makes me Happy. Also, sidebar, how about those blue skies??? You guys, it feels like SPRING! #abandonedplaces #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 11, 2015 at 1:45pm PDT
Day 224: Happiness is impromptu heart-to-heart visits with a good Friend that you don't get to see nearly often enough, and sushi. Happiness is sushi. #poolofconfessions #sushiislove #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:30pm PDT
Day 223: Although it sucked getting up an hour earlier than I'm used to, there is some Happy in enjoying a lingering sunset at 6:30pm. #isthisthebeginningofSpring #DaylightSavingsTime #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 9, 2015 at 5:03pm PDT
Day 222: I'm having a "reset day" today. I needed one. Things have been really nutty lately and sometimes I need to slow my world down and just putter. So far I've done the laundry, deep cleaned most of the house, hung some photos I was delaying committing to a spot on the wall and all sorts of little tasks. One of the cleaning items I completed was vacuuming and dusting the large pine shelf in my living room. It's mostly just photos and cook books and so doesn't see a lot of movement daily. As I began to move things around to dust, this small piece of paper fell out from behind a book and, as I picked it up, it stopped me in my tracks. I had to sit down and have a really good look. What you're looking at is Grammy P's' "Christmas Order". I spent most Christmases up north in recent years and it usually fell to me to do the grocery run. She would write everything out in perfect order: by store, aisle, and item. It was so easy. The run usually started at Golden Crust Specialty Bakery for a few loaves of whole wheat and one of white "C'est Si Bon!" and maybe some buns, then to the Metro for the produce, snacks, pop and anything like that, then to M&Ms for Nanaimo bars or some such treat. Maybe there would be a Queen Elizabeth cake at the Hollinger House. Before it closed there would be a trip to Zeudels for a porketta (sp??) and that was always a 45 minute trip because it was so hard to find the store. Oh, how I loved those trips, and completing those tasks. She would get *SO* excited when I would bring the order home and put it away, and then when everyone began to arrive home for the holidays. Amazing how many memories and emotions a little scrap of paper can hold. It made me long for those days, but the memories have made me so Happy. #GrammyP #luckyhotdog #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 8, 2015 at 12:53pm PDT
Day 221: No, don't get excited. I didn't win this. I'm something to the tune of 0-12. Today I had to work a small event and we picked up some coffee to serve our guests. Unfortunately, circumstances were such that we didn't end up getting any guests. Since its Rrrrrrrrrrroll Up The Rim To Win time at Timmies, we figured we'd roll all the cups to see if we won anything. Ten cups, one winner and I didn't even roll it haha. My lovely colleague took pity on me and gave me the winner. So does this make me 1-12? #TimHortons #winnerwinnerchickendinner #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 7, 2015 at 2:03pm PST
Day 220.5: Curling treats! I waited all season for this. It's my last night of curling and it also was my turn to make the treats for Friday night's mixed league. On the menu was three trays of "Perk's Pupu", macaroons, and graham cracker bark. I think it was received well...there was almost nothing left! #curling #tastytreats #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 6, 2015 at 7:51pm PST
Day 220: *This* is what I was going to post yesterday before I found out about Harrison. I found it at Giant Tiger (GT Boutique, y'all!) and I absolutely had to buy it. You guys, this is the ROSETTA STONE for laundry! Bleach! Do Not Bleach! Machine Wash Gentle! Hand Wash Lukewarm! Those bizarre hieroglyphics can now be understood! #yourewelcome #cleanallthethings #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 6, 2015 at 3:06pm PST
Day 219: I hadn't planned to post this one today, but due to recent news events I feel it's probably more appropriate than what I was going to write about. I received several notes, texts and other notifications alerting me to some distressing news. Evidently Harrison Ford has been in a plane crash. He survived, but is injured. Today my Happy post is about my long-time original "obsession": the timeless, fabulous, wonderful, handsome and delicious actor Harrison Ford. I fell hard for Mr. Ford when I was a teenager. I don't quite know which movie it was that pushed me over the edge from admiration to adoration, but it's been going strong for a long time. Pictured here is one of the two shelves I have pretty well dedicated to Harrison: this of course pays homage to Indiana Jones, the other shelf is mostly all Star Wars. At the peak of my obsession I owned 32 of his then 36 films. The first movie during which I probably fell for him was likely "Witness". He was amazing in that one, and that movie was also the only one that he has been nominated for an Academy Award (Best Actor). I love that Harrison usually plays the good guy...boy he threw me for a loop in "What Lies Beneath"...and I used to really love his simplistic family values...how he would almost "shun" Hollywood in favour of a quiet private life. When I was sixteen I was so smitten with the man that I sent him a birthday card, and he sent me and autographed photo in return (not the one pictured here). Yes, Harrison and I go way back. I was so upset to hear about his accident this evening, and understand his son has released a statement that his dad is banged up some, but he's all right. I'm so relieved. Not bad for a plane crash, Harrison. Glad it wasn't worse. You just take care and be easy now. Heal up soon. We need you for the upcoming Star Wars pictures. Sending lots and lots of good, healing thoughts to Harrison Ford...my Happy yesterday, today, and always. #HarrisonFord #theforceisstrongwiththisone #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 5, 2015 at 7:01pm PST
Day 218: There is something so incredibly soothing and satisfying in hearing a cat's purr. This one here hardly ever stops purring. I'm so Happy she is here. What a little love muffin. <3 #cattime #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 4, 2015 at 7:21pm PST
Day 217: I have a project I'm working on that requires scanned photos. I've been lucky to borrow a friend's scanner for a few months, but I was starting to feel like I was keeping it too long. Happily, Staples had a good sale on and I was able to pick one up for a very reasonable price. Now I can finish my project! #independence #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 3, 2015 at 8:22pm PST
Day 216: Happiness is living close enough to where you work that you can go home for lunch and be greeted by a little cat who is overjoyed to see you...writhing and tumbling on the floor, excited as though she thought that you would never ever come home again after you left that morning. #cattime #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 2, 2015 at 1:31pm PST
Day 215: Is it just me, or does pop out of a glass bottle just taste better? Also, Sunday Rockband makes my heart happy. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Mar 1, 2015 at 4:53pm PST
Day 214: The only thing that could make this beautiful, sunny, mild, dry road, springish driving day more perfect? A train. Win. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Feb 28, 2015 at 11:02am PST
Day 213: I used to travel a lot more than I do now. In high school I went on two European excursions, and in university I went on two European excursions (watch those German escalators!). When I travel I like to collect souvenirs: trinkets, tokens and treasures. I've bought some really memorable things, some junky things, and everything in between. Two things I used to love collecting when I travelled were keychains and pins. As I haven't really travelled much since university I had more or less forgotten about these particular treasures...until today. I have a tote in the basement that is full of memories. I won't reveal *all* of the contents just now because it may prove useful for future Happys, but I was rooting around in it looking for something when I came across this bag of keychains, and this small Tupperware of pins. For fun, because I hadn't really looked at them all *since* my undergrad I thought I'd lay them all out and have a view. Well. Let me just tell you how excited I got as I viewed pins and keychains from exclusions all but forgotten, but they came rushing back as though it was yesterday. My trip to Pompeii! New York! Paris! And yes, Germany. Such lovely memories. Now I want to book a trip! I've never been to the UK. Always wanted to go...maybe that's something to start planning for. Anybody want to go on an overseas adventure? #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Feb 27, 2015 at 9:18pm PST
