Lousy at Keeping Secrets
The first Christmas after my husband and I graduated from undergrad (before he was my husband), I bought him a leather jacket. This gift was perfect for him, not because … Continue reading Lousy at Keeping Secrets
Category: Happiness Project
After the Escape: Ann Packer’s The Dive From Clausen’s Pier
The Dive From Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer My rating: 4 of 5 stars In an interview with Ann Packer that I heard on NPR, she said that she generally … Continue reading After the Escape: Ann Packer’s The Dive From Clausen’s Pier
Blog Break
Today’s a rainy, single-parenting, PJs-all-day, popcorn-and-frozen-pizza-for-dinner, inopportune-naptime kind of day. Blogging is not making it to the top of my priority list, but my pledge to post every day has … Continue reading Blog Break
The Slippery Nature of Happiness
Tonight in my Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class, the instructor offered this poem, by Naomi Shihab Nye. I’ve not read Naomi Shihab Nye since college, but I recalled tonight that she … Continue reading The Slippery Nature of Happiness
Blogging is Productive, Right?
I think I may have promised to de-clutter while my husband was out running errands with the baby, but since I’ve not posted to the blog yet today, I decided … Continue reading Blogging is Productive, Right?
Week 40 Review: Marching, Bouncing, Not Road Raging
Forty weeks! I’ve been working on this Happiness Project for as long as it took me to gestate my first child (my second child took about a week longer). It … Continue reading Week 40 Review: Marching, Bouncing, Not Road Raging
Is it Depressing to Read About Depression? Ann Packer’s Songs Without Words
Songs Without Words by Ann Packer My rating: 4 of 5 stars So many reviewers point to how “depressing” and “boring” this book is. Although I didn’t find it so, … Continue reading Is it Depressing to Read About Depression? Ann Packer’s Songs Without Words
Wandering About Europe with Bill Bryson
Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this one. I hesitated rating it … Continue reading Wandering About Europe with Bill Bryson
Us or Them: Six Tips for Meeting Mom’s Needs
One day, I’ll have my mornings back. One day, the kids will be old enough to stay home alone while I go to the gym. One day, I’ll get to … Continue reading Us or Them: Six Tips for Meeting Mom’s Needs
Reflecting on Six Years of Motherhood
My daughter turns six years old today. She’s lost one tooth. She can read novels and children’s encyclopedias. She plays the flute. She recites poetry. She does second-grade math. She … Continue reading Reflecting on Six Years of Motherhood
Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife
These are the photos I took in response to this week’s photo challenge by The Daily Post. I’m not a photographer, but I like taking photos, especially for this type of … Continue reading Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife
Tolstoy on Acts of Kindness
“As our self-interest diminishes, our anxieties disappear, and then comes quiet and firm joy, which always diffuses us with a good spiritual disposition and a clear conscience. Every good deed … Continue reading Tolstoy on Acts of Kindness
Imperfect Happiness 