#2829 Wednesday vibe

Happy February! This week has been frigid. Monday and Tuesday, we had high temperatures in the teens, with lows in the single digits. At least it wasn’t windy. Look at me, all Miss Brightside. 

Wednesday is a work from home day for me. I was pretty busy today, which was nice. What had me feeling all happy, productive, and content today was that I was working a little hygge action. I had a really nice You Tube screen on:

There was nice, quiet piano music, and I think you could hear the crackle of fireplace. Light snow drifted down (not in real life, the sky was bright blue today.) I lit a cedar balsam candle that smelled so nice. It was very peaceful, and just right for focusing on getting my work done. 

I usually have You Tube screens like this one whenever I work at home. There are so many options, everything from coffee shop ambience to beach cafes. There are seaside Italian cafes and scenes with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The music isn’t all that great, but the fact that it is unremarkable is good, in my opinion. I prefer wordless music while I work. Sometimes, if I really don’t like the music but I like the background, I will turn to Apple Music for some soothing lo-fi beats, or classical music, or ambient noises. 

In fact, I am so into these You Tube things that I will often even have them on in the evening as background when I’m reading or folding clothes or drawing or whatever. When MT was on vacation in early January, I got into the habit of laying on the couch for 30 minutes or an hour or whatever and reading or snoozing. The You Tube screens are perfect for that kind of thing. There are some screens that are just a crackling fireplace. I love it for quiet time! 

This afternoon Mac and Stella were playing with each other outside. Harley was snoozing on the couch under a blanket (she gets cold), so the other two went outside. I was so happy to watch them chase each other around and play. Both their tales were wagging. Mac’s ears were all perked up and Stella had a big doggie smile on her face as she ran around. It was adorable.

This evening during the book club meeting, I rode my stationary bike. I don’t know why I haven’t done that before. The book club meeting is on Twitter, so it was no big deal to ride and read and sometimes tweet. An interesting development happened during the meeting. One of my fellow book club members is a school librarian here in West Valley. She was tweeting that she didn’t have many volunteers for the book fair, so I offered to go help out after work, and she took me up on my offer! I’m happy to go do that. Her school isn’t far from my house, and I love school book fairs. 

That’s all I’ve got for today. Take care!

#2627 the best thing

There were a few good things about today. I worked from home, which is great. I took the dogs for a neighborhood walk at lunchtime. It was cool and breezy, the sun was shining, and it felt good to get some fresh air. The girls liked it, too. I just got off the phone with my sister, and it's always wonderful to chat with her.

All of those things were good, and yet, there was still another thing that was the best.

For several months, my tub has been very, very slow to drain. I know that the drain is blocked by a big ol hairball, and we finally had the plumber come out to snake the drain. The water just goes away now, like it's supposed to. It felt good not to be standing ankle deep in dirty water. The bonus part was that the plumber was a handsome fella. Not that I want to have hair build up in the drain again, but I mean, it will be okay to have the plumber come back next year. LOL

#2620 the best thing (3/30)

I've used this one as my "best thing" before, but when it is the best thing about the day, it just is.

This evening around 6:22, I leashed up the doggos for a quick walk around the neighborhood. I worked from home today, so I'd been sitting for a long time, and it felt great to get some fresh air and stretch my legs. The dogs were surprising mellow, not pulling too hard, just intent on smelling all the smells and being outside. 

Just to be clear, when I work from home, the dogs are out in the back yard most all the day long. They chase after each other, and they play with the toys they leave out in the yard. They bark at innocent people walking by, and they wrestle each other. They lay in the grass, on the dirt, on the deck, or on the concrete. They dig holes. They run along the fenceline barking at the neighbor's dog, Sam. They come in and out of the house. In and out. In and out. They get treats. Today they got big marrow bones which kept them entertained for about an hour. On work from home days, I am certain that Mac and Harley are living their best dog lives. 

To add to that best life, when we go for a walk, these girls act like it is the greatest thing that has ever happened. I just say the word "shoes", and their ears perk up. Mac barks and prances around. Harley is  interested in every move I make while putting on socks, then shoes, and tying the laces. When I actually clip the leashes on, Mac often picks hers up and carries it to the door, where she then jumps, all four feet off the floor, until I gather up the ends of the leashes and open the door. 

So, back to today's walk. I know I am making the puppers happy just by walking them up the street and letting them smell what they need to smell. I recognize that they are both being attentive to my commands, paying attention when I tell them to slow down or to watch me before we cross the street. Mac even drops the random garbage she always picks up during our walks when I tell her to "drop it." 

I also recognize that it is a spectacular autumn afternoon. The sun is just starting to go down and the sky is a magnificent blend of blue and pink and pale orange. The leaves on the trees are changing colors or have fallen to the ground. It is satisfying to shuffle through leaves on the sidewalk, some already crunchy and some still sort of vibrant in a variety of colors. The air is crisp and clean. When I get away from the main road, it is quiet, with birdsong being the only thing I hear. There weren't even any cars coming up the road for awhile. 

I remember saying out loud, "Well, this is the best part of the day."  It's pretty dope to recognize it in the moment. 

Here's hoping you had a good day, or at least a good moment, too.