Instead of Google Ads along my side-bar that would bring in thousands and thousands of dollars to The Swamp, I choose to post my awards. They certainly don't put food on my table but they are colorful and make me smile.
Moral to this story: I'm hungry, but I'm smiling.
RDHMOM and Karisma gave me this one:
“This blog invests and believes in ‘proximity’ [meaning that blogging makes us 'close' - being close through proxy].”
There weren't any rules for Proximidade that I could find other than give it to someone else. Well, as most of you know, I hand out my own award...
...and will host an Official Swampy Award Presentation sometime soon.
Smart Mouth Broad gave me this award:
I love the colors and design, but as a retired teacher, that spelling does cause me to hear fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. (If you listen real closely, you can hear me screaming.) I spent TWENTY-FIVE years trying to teach kids to spell words correctly, and now I'm plastering "KREATIV" on the side bar of my blog. Oh well. Who cares?
This one comes with an assignment: List six (6) things that make you happy then zap five others with the award, link the giver, link the receivers, and notify them. Easy enough.
The first rule I shall break is listing the Top TEN (10)Things That Make Me Happy:
10) When I make it upstairs without my knee buckling, and remember WHY I went upstairs in the first place, especially if it was to tinkle.
9) When I learn something new and remember what it was 24 hours later.
8) When I eat sushi and do not mistake the wasabi for an avocado. Believe me. That will open up the old sinus cavity...and nose...and ears...and eyes...and colon...
On a hotter note...when I do not make the mistake of sprinkling cayenne pepper instead of NUTMEG on my egg nog and live to tell about it. Yes, I've done both.
7) When I wake up in the morning and still have hair on my head along with the aches and pains...if the aches and pains were gone, I fear I might be dead. (Translation: I'm happy that I'm normal healthy.)
6) When I knock one gallon of milk off the grocery store check-out-counter and escape from being attacked by the grocery store check-out-clerk.
5) When I don't slide down and fall in the gallon of milk that some klutz spilled at the grocery store check-out-counter.
4) When I successfully exasperate the telemarketer and have HER hang up on ME.
3) When I finally find my list that I spent two days preparing...and can then read what I wrote.
2) When I exercise patience and do not whack the clerk at the store for returning all the merchandise to the sales floor that was on hold that I spent TWO hours shopping for the night before.
and the number ONE thing that makes me happy:
1) When I finally don't worry if anal retentive obsessive compulsive has hyphens
AND
if KREATIV is spelled correctly or not.
Seriously now, wasn't it Swampwitch President Lincoln who said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." (Indicating that happiness comes from our own minds, who knew? )
As far as happiness goes, I tend to categorize people into two categories:
1) Happy
2) Unhappy
An astounding, profound statement. Huh?
Aren't there those whose happiness and laughter are just infectious and leave us with a glow and lightness when we associate with them? And others who have what I call "The Eyeore Syndrome" whose very inflection, intonation, and tone of their voice flattens you on the ground making you want a dip of snuff ?
As I was sitting here composing this little piece, I thought to myself, "Self, look around and spot the first thing that makes your heart smile."
So I did. Know what it was ? The faces of my two dogs looking at me with love, and I swear, smiles on their faces. Bubba and Bug just seem to have an innate ability to be happy. They get up on the same side of the bed every morning. (Meaning, they are in the same good mood everyday.) They follow me around the house, wagging those stubby little tails, anticipating our next adventure. Whether it be doing the laundry and lying on top of the many piles of stinky clothes and me trying to pull the sheets out from in under them fully engaging a tug-of-war, or jumping with delight when I take their harnesses and leashes off the hook, meaning we're going for our daily walk.
They don't seem to be concerned if KREATIV is spelled correctly, or if Obsessive-Compulsive has a hyphen. That worry does not exist with them.
Granted, they are blissfully unaware that we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the AIG executives have once again housed themselves at yet another Five Star Resort and insist that my tax dollar didn't pay for it (Bull$hit), that the word recession has descended upon our heads and many people are without work, being forced out of their homes, have had their retirement stolen by some white collar A$$hole, and that California may burn down before it falls into the ocean. Bubba and Bug only know that life here in their neck of the woods is good. Their tummies will be rubbed and their ears will be scratched. That if needed, they can turn over the dog food bin and never be hungry.
Your life and my life can never be as simple as Bubba and Bug's. We won't really ever experience the bliss of ignorance they enjoy.
It is true, not every day is meant to be filled with happiness. But given a small bump in the road or a full-fleged crisis like being diagnosed with cancer, and there will of course, always be bumps in the road along the way, I hope I can choose a positive outlook and try to find happiness in the little things...like having my tummy rubbed or my ears scratched.
