Unexpected Smiles

So far I'm ahead of my game from the previous two attempts at this blog...two posts in two weeks.  Yay me!  Today's topic...unexpected smiles.

One of the things that I found I had to work at during my first go around at retirement was making sure I stayed engaged with activities that provide me with laughter.  I believe that laughing, smiling and finding joy in the little things are essential to a healthy life.  I didn't really consider how much of that I got from my work. Whether it was something one of my students did or said, or a comical situation with a colleague, a story someone had to tell or a happy outcome with one of my patients or families, I was fortunate enough to laugh and smile a lot. I think that in the noise of the negative aspects of my employment, I didn't appreciate the frequent enjoyment I experienced each work day, until it was gone.

I highly recommend scrolling Instagram for laughs or to lighten your mood.  I don't post anything there but I laugh my butt off at some very clever people and some oh-so-cute and mischievous animals.  But that's not enough, laughter has to happen in real life and in real time.

I have been keeping a gratitude journal for several years now and I have noted that often the entry of the day is related to something that made me smile or laugh.  Sometimes it's expected, like when you're listening to a great storyteller or someone is telling a joke, sometimes it's not.  I think the best laughs are the unexpected ones - you're going about your day, minding your own business when you see or hear or even think of something and suddenly you're snorting, crossing your legs so as not to pee or spitting out your coffee.  Also important are the quiet smiles - maybe you are reminded of something or someone from the past, maybe it's an inside joke and you can't wait to tell the other person later or maybe it's just that single smile - lightning quick but also noteworthy.

The following photos are things that made me smile over the past couple of weeks.  I wish I had scheduled this topic later in the year because I would have really enjoyed collecting more in this theme.  I guess there's nothing stopping me from doing that 😊.

Absurdity in the every day.

My brother and sister-in law have this fantastic set of bowls, all with different faces on them.  My sister-in-law makes overnight oats and being environmentally responsible, she has these reusable food dish cover things.  She took this bowl out of the fridge one morning when I was sitting across the island and I couldn't stop laughing at the bowl wearing a shower cap.  I immediately ran for the camera.

Looking for something else and found this.

Anyone who knows me would assume that "pets" will be a topic some time this year and you would be correct.  I went walking with my friend Maxine and two of her herd, and occasionally took a few photos for that upcoming week's topic.  When I finally got around to processing the shots, I laughed out loud at this one.  To me, it looks like Whisper has been offended and Lyndy has no idea what she did wrong.

My egg had a baby.

I was making myself some scrambled eggs the other day and when I cracked the second egg, a baby yolk came out with the mama yolk.  They made their own happy face.

Finds that make you wonder.

Just starting a hike on the coastal trail up in Lake Superior Park one day last summer, I saw this feather, pocketed it and brought it home.  It has been sitting on a shelf in my kitchen since then and I look at it everyday both smiling because it is beautiful and worrying that the bird was a meal for some other animal.  The circle of life, I know but I would prefer to think that he just lost a feather for some other reason.

Pure enjoyment.

Similar photos to this will figure prominently in another upcoming blog but I recently had the chance to play this again with other Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle Cooperative Deck-Building Game enthusiasts 😃. I can happily play for hours and hours and I'll smile the entire time, even when Voldemort gets the better of us.  Levi has kind of gone off his love of the game so I'm crossing my fingers he gets it back when he gets home next week.

What?

I thought this was funny - a shovel attached to the bench on a trail in Gatineau Park - so I took a photo.  Then yesterday when I was digging out a foot of snow to put my mat on to sit and have lunch at Robertson Cliffs, I decided it wasn't so funny but in fact a stellar idea.

The trouble with Tribbles.

I love green, especially when it stands out from the duller colours in spring and fall.  This moss covered rock caught my eye on a hike a few weeks ago and as they always do, reminded me of that Star Trek episode.

Elusive two-headed giraffe.

Sometimes life just lines up perfectly!  I made a trip to African Lion Safari last summer.  It rained the vast majority of our day and we followed the rules, keeping our windows rolled up.  Shooting through wet windows isn't ideal but I had to take this shot.

Conflicting messages.

Also in Gatineau Park, these signs were on the same trail - don't ski but if you do, carry your skis??

My addiction.

If you have ever met me in person, you have witnessed me reach into my right pocket (pants) or left pocket (jacket) and retrieve and use my lip balm.  I may or may not have noticed that I did so while I was talking or you were talking.  I also have these stored in the car, my backpack, my bike bag, my ski bag and the basket that sits on the table beside my reading chair.  There are spares everywhere I think would be helpful if for some reason I run out. I panic if I find myself without one...how do people cope with dry lips???  Anyway, the reason I have photographed and included this is because this order (24) arrived the same day I retrieved the last one from my previous stash, thus relieving me of future possible anxiety.  This absolutely made me smile.

Until next week...