A daily post of Happy.
Day 365: About a year ago I posted a photo of this little pinwheel and began a personal journey to rediscover "Happy". About a year ago I was the lowest I've ever been: withdrawn, depressed, finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning, finding that feeling happy was almost impossible. My younger sister was working on this "100 Happy Days" project thing, and she gently encouraged me to give it a go. And so I did, one day at a time, I tried to find a single thing each day that I could be Happy about. At first it was really difficult. I felt like I was really reaching for the first bit. But then, it got a bit easier. And then it became fun. I began to quite enjoy looking for the perfect "Happy", and I enjoyed writing about it and sharing it with all of you even more. As you may know or have guessed I've stretched it well past the 100-day mark, and now find myself with an entire year's worth of journal entries that if ever I feel a bit blue I can go back and read and remember how lucky I am. And here we are, at Day 365, the final entry to complete this project. I think it's important to "complete" the project, but I think it's equally important to continue to try and find Happy in each day. Though I may not post every day, I promise to share when it really feels like it should be shared. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. Thank you for your beautifully kind notes and words of encouragement. Thank you for reading and sharing with me. I would encourage anyone who feels that they could use a boost try this project out. Like this little faded pinwheel, I've changed over the course of this past year. I feel stronger, more centred, and of course, happier. So now with this one completed, I'll be looking for a new challenge: maybe "100 Days Of Health" or "100 Days Of Gratitude" or something to that effect. Thoughts? Thanks for reading everyone. Be Happy. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 29, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT
Day 364: Pardon the bug bites...I've been just eaten alive this year...but do you like m'new tat? Another Tuesday at the Keady Market with another awesome Friend, this one also a member of my beloved rock choir. Her idea to get the henna, my idea for the image we chose to go with. I love it. Represent TCTROS! Really looking forward to the next semester. That bunch sure makes me Happy. #youshouldsing #TCTROS #KeadyMarket #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 28, 2015 at 11:06am PDT
Day 363: I'm not great with goodbyes. They aren't my favourite. If you have been reading and following this week, I have been hosting my dear long-distance-roommate "Tulip" (her nickname) at Lovely House for a week of adventures, good food, laughs and good times. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And so it was today, this morning when I had to say farewell. She is continuing her Canadian holiday and I must return to my little world in OS. Happily, I'm leaving her in excellent care with another dear Friend, C, and I just know the pair of them will live it up properly this week before Tulip continues onwards to her next engagement. We three were all floor mates in residence in our first year: Lower Floor in Annesley Hall at U of T (which is more years ago now than I care to think about) and many of us who lived in that res that first year have stayed very close. We don't see one another nearly as often as we'd like due to time, distance, family and work commitments, but when we *do*, it's always wonderful. Last night we had another Annesley Girl join us for a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity (turns out Tulip is the least horrible among us), and today it was just we three for a leisurely visit and breakfast. When the time came to depart, I could feel myself getting emotional. I absolutely love where I live and what my life is like most days...but can't somebody invent a teleportation machine already? *le sigh* So with a couple of selfies, some hugs and promises to get together soon, I left. And I felt sad and pretty lonely. But again, the purpose of this project isn't to be sad, it's to find the Happy. And so in that spirit I must say how absolutely Happy it makes me to have such people in my life, how lucky I am to have picked that school and that residence, and how I know that it isn't "goodbye", it's a "see you later". It's going to be hard to wait for "later". Good thing this week was so great...lots of Happy stored up in reserves for when I miss everyone. Thanks for coming to visit, Tulip. Thanks for hosting me last night, C. Can't wait to do it again. See you both soon. Xo #luckyhotdog #goodtimesgoodtimes #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 27, 2015 at 6:49pm PDT
Day 362: At this very moment I am at a dear Friend's house relaxing in the backyard. I'm on an "anti-gravity chair", reclined, listening to the sound of bugs buzzing softly in the flowers nearby, the sound of the summer wind as it makes its way through the trees, and an ice cream truck in the distance playing "Turkey In The Straw". I'm warm, comfortable, extremely relaxed, and Happy. I love summer. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 26, 2015 at 2:42pm PDT
Day 361: Happiness, for me, is rooted soundly with my family: my immediate, my extended, and my adopted. Today was our annual Thompson Family Reunion...and I can't tell you what number of annual it was because it's been going on as long as I can remember and possibly longer. It's always in the same place at roughly the same time of year, and most of the usual suspects show up, and...the food. Oh, the food. Let me tell you Friends: nobody goes home hungry from our family reunion. There are some favourites I try and make sure I get into: Tracy's salad, the red cabbage salad and the garlic potato salad...the pumpkin bars and those delicious delicious fudge brownies...oh man. And there's tennis, sometimes baseball, today bocce, and of course lots of visiting and catching up. It's such a lovely day, and though I sometimes don't feel like making the drive, I'm always so glad I did. Today my Happy is my whole Thompson clan, immediate and extended. Good to see those who were seen, and we missed those who couldn't attend. Hope to see you next year. I'll bring the bocce. #ThompsonFamilyReunion #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 25, 2015 at 9:14pm PDT
Day 360.5: I hope you'll allow me the indulgence of a second one of these for today. I wasn't sure if it would happen, but then it did. Today I did something I have always wanted to do, but never really thought I'd have the courage to actually do it. Today I played guitar and sang at a local coffee house. And there were people there and everything. And it was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. When I was in grade one, I won the lead role in our class play, "The Little Red Hen". There were some singing lines in the show and, being in grade one, I was pretty open to whatever and gave it my all during my part. I will never forget it, what happened: the grade 8 boys at the back of the gym were laughing as I sang. They may have been laughing at something else, true, but I immediately assumed they were laughing at my singing and I have never quite been able to shake that memory. I've sung in public a few times since grade one, mostly in a group setting, but mostly the idea of it absolutely paralyzes me with fear. Funny...my occupation is primarily that of a public speaker...I have no problem talking in front of large audiences...but add music to that and I completely break down. Singing has always made me really Happy. I do it all the time when I'm alone, or when I'm with my peeps playing Rockband, and it's great fun. It's good for the soul. Lately I've been rediscovering my musical side. I sort of forgot about it for a long time, and it's quite thrilling to remember how fun it is. So thanks to some gentle encouragement from a good Friend, and Tulip's endless patience with me this week as I rehearsed daily, over and over, I did it. Plunged right into the deep end. I did three songs total: "People Get Ready", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", and "Puff The Magic Dragon" (Tulip picked that last one and harmonized with me!). I was so nervous before I went on that I was nearly sick, but I gritted my teeth and just went for it. And it was okay. I got through it. And most of all...I had a BLAST. What a rush!! I loved it, I'm so glad that I did it...it made me really really Happy. #goodtimesgoodtimes #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 24, 2015 at 9:09pm PDT
Day 360: Today Tulip and I are exploring a gorgeous OS gem known as "Moreland Place". I highly recommend a Google to get the full history of the home, grounds and the man who runs it all, Barry More, but in short, this property is the dream of a single person who wanted to make something really fantastic. The home you see just behind us was, believe it or not, constructed in the last fifty years or so. It looks 300 years old, and is built to give off that impression. It isn't open for general tours as it is a private residence, but Mr More always makes it available for our annual "Doors Open" event in early June and as such I've seen the inside. Inside the home is even more beautiful than the exterior. The grounds, however, *are* open to the public seven days a week. And may I just say...they are WORTH seeing. In the wild style of English gardens, there are spectacles to be seen around every turn. He makes all his own stonework, and does his own grounds keeping, and there is even a maze. I'll post some more photos in a moment. Right now, however, I'm just reflecting on the beauty of the day, the gorgeous serene gardens, and how lucky I am to live here and get to share this with such a good Friend. Pretty Happy today, Friends. #goodtimesgoodtimes #luckyhotdog #Moreland #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 24, 2015 at 9:58am PDT
Day 359: Oh, Friends, I'm just having the BEST week! So many wonderful things have happened, so many many lovely visitors. Tonight Tulip and I hosted another family of fabulous Friends for a family-style BBQ and a bonfire. On the menu was hamburgers, hotdogs, Uncle Tracy's salad, Laura's coleslaw, grilled zucchini drizzled in sesame seed oil and roasted corn on the cob. For dessert there was homemade rhrubarb cream pie (did I get that right??) brought by my lovely guests, buttertarts from Keady Market, ice cream, cheesies and, later, s'mores over the bonfire. Phew! Just writing it all out makes me sleepy. What a beautiful evening! Can't wait until you all come to visit again. #LovelyHouse #goodtimesgoodtimes #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 23, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT
Day 358: Today Tulip and I are in Tobermory! It's a gorgeous blue sky day, warm breeze, and bright sunshine. I'll post some of those pics in a moment, but right now these signs at a little fish and chip shop made me laugh. I'd like to think one sign describes me more accurately than the other. #goodtimesgoodtimes #Tobermory #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 22, 2015 at 12:04pm PDT
Day 357: Today we went to the Keady Market! Have you ever been? If not, picture this: a big farmers field with row upon row of booths selling fruit, vegetables, meat, baking, treats, antiques, sports equipment, musical instruments, DVDs and video cassettes, books, clothes, tools, trinkets and treasures of every kind, and buttertarts. Oh, the buttertarts. When I think of Keady Market I imagine it would be like "Portabello Road" in London, or at least the way Portabello Road is described in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". I submit that you can find almost *anything* at the Keady Market. We sure made out well. Cauliflower, zucchini, peas, tomatoes, garlic, berries, pickled beans and asparagus, fudge, kettlecorn, Archie comics, buttertarts, and a game of bocci (which I'm SUPER pumped about...I love bocci). What a wonderful bright sunny warm summer morning with good Friends, good times, and very good eats. Happy. #goodtimesgoodtimes #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 21, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT
Day 356: Happiness is hanging out with Friends IRL (in-real-life) as opposed to almost exclusively online. Facebook and other social media outlets offer us a chance to connect digitally with almost anyone anywhere, and sometimes I know I can get lazy about cultivating and maintaining connections and relationships in favour of a quick "Like". Days like today are great to reconnect in the real world and remember how wonderful real-life friendships can be. Thanks for stopping by, Friends! Wonderful to finally meet the kidlets. Come back again soon! #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 20, 2015 at 9:16pm PDT
Day 355: Together again after WAY too long...and after the first hug it was as though no time had passed at all. Welcome home, Tulip. Having you at Lovely House, even if it's just to visit, makes me so very Happy. Can't wait for al the good times, high fives and all the laughs. #goodtimesgoodtimes #yogalaties #LovelyHouse #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 19, 2015 at 4:16pm PDT
Day 354.5: Had to post this too. I love seeing these yellow fields this time of year...it looks like you could harvest sunshine. So pretty. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 18, 2015 at 2:58pm PDT
Day 354: How I'm spending my afternoon. You? #cottagelife #summer #HudsonsRock #luckyhotdog #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:14am PDT
Day 353: What a day! Today was awesome. Today was full of good music...Leonard Cohen on iTunes, open mic at The Bleeding Carrot, and guitar singalong at Hudsons Rock tonight. Also, today I begin two beautiful weeks of holidays from work! What a great day!! #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 17, 2015 at 10:41pm PDT
Day 352: For yesterday. Libraries! I've loved libraries for as long as I can remember. When my siblings and I were really small a favourite outing that my mom would take us on was to the local library in SoPo. We would be allowed to select a couple of books to take home and in the early days I was all about the "Little Miss" and "Little Mister" books. As I got older I discovered lifetime favourites in authors like Roald Dahl, Gordon Korman, and C.S. Lewis. There were some books I would check out over and over again (the Bruno and Boots series by Korman would fit that category) and some I would read once but the stories would stay with me forever (Henri Charrière's "Papillion"). I love the look of books, the smell of books, and how easily I can get lost in a good book and almost mourn it's ending when I'm done. In my university days at U of T I was lucky to have access to some of the best libraries in Canada. This is a shot of my local library here in OS, and it's a "Carnegie". If you don't understand how cool that is, I highly recommend a Google. It's stunning inside, well stocked, and has very friendly staff. I love going here, I love libraries...they make me really Happy! #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 17, 2015 at 7:57am PDT
Day 351: Happiness is becoming reacquainted with my Martin. Trying to play for 15-20 mins at least, every day. Finger callouses in progress. I'm going to get there. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 15, 2015 at 8:03pm PDT
Day 350: I love Hot Black Coffee! Tonight I attended a concert put on by an OS duo (and a couple of Friends of mine) known as Hot Black Coffee! The venue was small and intimate, the mood relaxed, and the music fantastic. I am always so inspired by people who can make music come alive the way these two did. It makes me want to go home and practice my guitar. I'm a real beginner, but I'm beginning. Music makes me so Happy. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 14, 2015 at 6:53pm PDT
Day 349: Happiness is sugar pie!! Sugar pie is happiness!! It's also a major sugar rush!!! Whee!!! #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 13, 2015 at 8:41pm PDT
Day 348: "I hope I die before I grow old!" How long has it been since you played on a swing set? It's been just over 24 hours for me now. Yesterday, as I referenced in my post, I spent the nicest morning with a wonderful Friend. Yesterday Soupy and I toured all around downtown South Porcupine, my old hometown. Born and raised in SoPo, I moved away at 19 to go to university. Though it's been many years since I've lived there the little town is very dear to my heart. Much has changed since the days I rode my bike to Guardian Drugs to go Christmas shopping or to Luxtons to get a treat, but much has remained the same. Pro Hardware has a new name but smells exactly the same. The school yard at Golden Avenue Public School has different equipment than it did when I went there, but it still has swings. They proved too tempting for me to resist...and though it's been years and years it came back pretty quick. And oh, the feeling...I'd forgotten. It feels like you are FLYING. I wish I could've gotten the photo while I was swinging...looking down at my toes as they pointed towards the sky was amazing. But a photo could never capture the rush of whooshing backwards and the thrill of swinging forwards again. Oh, did it ever make me Happy. What a beautiful morning. #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 12, 2015 at 7:44pm PDT
Day 347: When I decided to extend the "100 Happy Days Project" to encompass an entire year, I realized that I would need to find something Happy to post about on this date, July 11th, and I really wasn't sure what would happen. One year ago on this date we lost our beloved Grammy P. At 98, living a full, active, beautiful and Happy life she slipped away in her sleep. We like to imagine that would have been exactly how she would have liked to go, could she have chosen, and to know that it was a very natural, peaceful passing has given our family much comfort in the days since. For me personally, I felt the loss keenly. I felt very close with her, I spent any time I could with her, and after she was gone I felt an immense void that at times felt impossible to fill. This project has helped, my beautiful Family and wonderful Friends have been my rocks...but even so, sometimes there are moments when there are no substitutes for her joyous laugh and cheerful greetings. In those moments I try to remember the things I learned from her and the fantastic memories we made. She approached life as though every day was the *best* day ever, and even if she may not have always felt 100% she hardly ever let on different. One of my most treasured possessions is a gold chain I wear around my neck. It is precious to me for three reasons: the chain was from my David, the small gold heart was given to me by my Gumpo P when I graduated from high school, and the ring was one of hers. Whenever I feel small or need to remember how lucky I am, I give the chain a squeeze. Today, even though the anniversary was a sad one, was a wonderful day. I am staying with one of my dearest Friends, spent the morning with another (I'll post about that one tomorrow, too much loveliness to post for today), the afternoon celebrating another and her impending nuptials, and the evening with Family. Tonight as I write I am reflecting on just how lucky I am, and how Happy she would be to know that things are moving on, life is beautiful and bright, and I am Happy. As she often said, "Aren't we having fun?" I miss you so much Grammy. I love you. #luckyhotdog #GrammyP #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 11, 2015 at 6:43pm PDT
Day 346: Happiness is this: spending time with two people you dearly love and don't get to see nearly as often as you would like to. Tomorrow they celebrate their wedding anniversary, and the lovely restaurant we went to spoiled them with a delicious bit of cheesecake on the house. So very Happy to be able to be with them. #luckyhotdog #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 10, 2015 at 9:06pm PDT
Day 345: Happiness is reconnecting with this guy after WAY too long. Funny...with some people you need to work at keeping in touch and being a part of each other's life...with others, people like this guy, two seconds in the same car and it's like no time has passed at all. You really can't make old Friends. Welcome home Soupy Pie! #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 9, 2015 at 8:54pm PDT
Day 344: How lucky am I to live in a place where they do mini-concerts, admission-by-donation, at noon on Wednesday's? Pretty friggin lucky. This town, the musical vibe and the people in it make me pretty Happy. #luckyhotdog #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 8, 2015 at 8:01pm PDT
Day 343: Have I mentioned how much I love candles, especially beeswax candles? They smell SO good, and I love how the light dances when they are lit. Tonight I had another one lit and I sort of forgot about it...thankfully I didn't burn Lovely House to the ground, but I did end up with wax drippings all over. Happily they were easily gathered and now I have the LOVELIEST smelling wax ball that I can play with. #itsthelittlethings #LovelyHouse #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 7, 2015 at 7:55pm PDT
Day 342: Happiness is having access to a piano again! I grew up playing the piano but pretty well stopped when I moved away from home. It's been too long. I've forgotten almost everything I know. Time coupled with being down one fingertip has seriously hampered my piano playing abilities. I am determined to rediscover them. Apologies to anyone who has to listen in the meantime. #sorrynotsorry #pianosrule #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 6, 2015 at 8:46pm PDT
Day 341: So this happened. I didn't think it could get any better...seeing him play live after thirty years of being a fan...but *meeting* him was an absolute dream come true. What a gracious, kind, lovely man. I, on the other hand, was a complete mess: shaking, trying not to cry, attempting to come across as *not* crazy, and I think I failed miserably. But he was just so lovely. I waited my turn to talk to him after his show this morning, and when it came up I pretty much fell apart. Fighting to keep my voice level and my hands steady as I handed him my CD to sign, I told him I'd been a fan my entire life, I told him how much his and Sharon and Lois' show meant to me, and I asked if I could possibly trouble him for an autograph *and* a picture. He smiled, put his hands on my shoulders and smiled as he said, "You can have whatever you like." And he laughed, pulled me into a hug, and then asked me my name and how old I was. I told him, and I told him I was indoctrinating my nieces and nephews into loving his music, and he told me to keep up the good work. Oh, Friends...I'm so Happy. #crossthatoffthebucketlist #SharonLoisandBram #MariposaLive #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 5, 2015 at 9:20am PDT
Day 340: Today I fulfilled a childhood dream: I heard Bram Morrison play live. I've loved Sharon, Lois and Bram all of my life and to see and hear one member of that wonderful group in real life has been almost overwhelming. Fantastic. Just...fantastic. #MariposaLive #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 4, 2015 at 1:06pm PDT
Day 339: Happiness is getting to live with someone that you really connect with: a person who has a beautiful soul and is a fantastic Friend. Thanks for the fun buddy. Miss ya already. #LovelyHouse #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 3, 2015 at 2:03pm PDT
Day 338: CURLY FRIES! Who doesn't love curly fries? #itsthelittlethings #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:30pm PDT
Day 337: Happiness is spending time with Family. Happiness is spending time with Friends. Happiness is fireworks, hot tubs, nieces and nephews, tasty food and lots of laughs. Most of all Happiness is living in an amazing country, a country that believes in tolerance, acceptance, freedom and a quiet but firm sense of patriotism. I was moved to see it all around me today. Happy Birthday Canada, you gorgeous beauty you. Happy Canada Day! #CanadaDay #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jul 1, 2015 at 8:16pm PDT
Day 336: Happiness is binge-watching a good show, safe in the knowledge that you can sleep in the next day. :) #OITNB #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jun 30, 2015 at 10:22pm PDT
Day 335: Happiness is birthday parties, cake, BBQ, Cards Against Humanity, and blueberry pie. Great day. #idoloveagoodparty #365happydays A photo posted by @kaileyjane82 on Jun 29, 2015 at 8:31pm PDT
