Finding the Joy

 

It has been very hot, very sunny. We try to stay cool as I trudge through some unforeseen mountains of paperwork and online tasks. A flowing river of To Do items. The standing fan whisks the air around, offering coolness. 

When this video story popped up...well, I thought about perspective and how the heat (sun) can feel oppressive or cheerful. As the sayings go: It is up to us to choose.

During this week, I have tried to tell myself that the tasks I'm doing will be so useful and make things more understandable, manageable...even if I could have done without it all.

☀️                        ☀️                      ☀️                     ☀️ 

So long, Jessica Frank!

LINK 3:15 minutes

I'm thinking that I would have loved this job for 26 years! Brainstorming, connecting image to story...playing!

☀️                        ☀️                      ☀️                     ☀️

      ☀️              ☀️               ☀️        ☀️             ☀️ ☀️                        ☀️           ☀️           ☀️           ☀️          ☀️

This week also held the upcoming changes for those in the typepad blogging world. Although that is not me, it is my people and that upcoming change wound its way into my thinking. It had me considering my own blog...how it has been, how it may go, the ways I've had troubles with it recently. This coupled with the non-blog stuff had me thinking of the great quote on Deb's post on bee creative:

Wendell Berry:

"Don't own so much clutter that you will be relieved to see your house catch on fire."  

It's from "Prayers and Sayings of the Mad Farmer."

I've often thought of "burning down the house" - as the saying goes (figuratively of course). Okay, okay...I hear you all laughing and saying: how can she have anything left to burn down after clearing clutter for the last million years! But, it is a true and deep feeling of living in this present century...the time of too much (and perhaps not enough). Too much stuff, news, problems (worldwide), visual overload...too much to do or undo, fix, interact with. At the same time of not enough...meaningful connection, quiet & calm, gentleness. A time of pendulum swinging again.

Even in the excessive heat, I am finding goodness and joy. 109° on the porch today. Only two recent walks, which have gone unposted (which is fine).

   ☀️    ☀️    ☀️    ☀️    ☀️    ☀️    ☀️                        (a week's worth of suns! 🙂)

So, I ask again... 

How are you doing these days? How are you really doing?

 

May you live with the changes

May you withstand the heat

May you always hug joy

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2025

Beauty, Laughter and Joy

 

In these days of heat, I retreat

I escape

My 'learning' mode slows and I look for fun

for joy

for laughter, for song

I retreat into okay, into the moments with no pressing worries

I consider plans for faraway days, but not really

I retreat into each moment and let them slide together into bigger blocks of time

I surface and choose to share

How Grannies Are Saving Spain From a Heat Wave

LINK 5:44 minutes

My goodness what a wonderful idea...the caring, problem solving, community building...to sit under the work of so many hands. I try to place myself there and imagine.

16 Year Old Emma Kok sings Dancing On The Stars – André Rieu, Maastricht 2024 (official video)

LINK 8:33 minutes

Here she is again. My words are not needed.

Meet the crossing guard who brings joy to one California neighborhood

LINK 7:16 minutes

My, my my...a choice like this...to choose, really decide that you want to live differently and then do it...and to be embraced by that new world you've created. What a powerful and profound thought.

Best Anesthesia Video Ever 😂

LINK

We have had a few anesthesia experiences in the past couple of years...but none as funny as this one!! I wish. 😁

May you grab joy, not letting it pass by

May you laugh hard

May you appreciate the way things move you

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

Okaïdi & Playing For Change 2014 : "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

       ,

A song for these days

A song for all days, yes?

I remember when this song came out,

it was treated as such fluff.

At the time, I kept saying that there must be

Some Reason that it was so popular,

that the people must need the song!

A long time, a really long time later,

I learned the not-so-secret info that

All I had been listening to had even created with

Just his own voice!!

My love and appreciation really grew!

Can you imagine?

↔

The other part of this song for me is the link to my daughter,
when she was six.  She adored this song, begged to stay up to watch the awards show
and was so thrilled when he won!
She used to sing-along to her beloved cassette tape,
mimicking his voice perfectly.
I can hear her now.
Sigh.

I spoke about some of this here
so long ago now!

↔

The other part of this day is thinking about some things that Marti and Liz
have said and done and posted recently.
They made the book I was reading pop back into my head.
One of the chapters was about dreaming and dream catchers.
This made me focus in a deeper way as
I have not been falling/staying asleep as easily these days.
Go figure.
I wondered if I had materials at hand and enough skill to make a dream catcher myself.
If so, I could give it to my son and his wife, who are expecting a baby in June.
Mmmm...
I so love the little drawing in this book.

↔

I do have my own dream catcher that J. gave me years ago,
so I have one to model it on...
and there is always lessons on you tube I bet!
↔

↔

Anyway...
May you find ways to be happy
May you finds ways to share happy
May you find ways to hold on to some happy for yourself 
xo

Photographs by NAE ©2020

PS Please excuse the iPad photos! Yuc!

Train Station Dance (Belgium) Sound of Music

                                      

Over at Jenclair's she posted a joyful dance video.  

It reminded me of this one!

It is one of my old favorites.  

The best flash mob, in my opinion!

Makes me smile every time :)

How can you grin and spread the joy?

Sing! Day of song - Bobby McFerrin - Improvisation

 Here is link for the above video.

                                    OK......
So over at Deb's for the last couple days, mentions have been made of Bobby McFerrin.
That sent me on a trip down memory lane!  As I just this weekend got a working VCR hooked up again after many long years, I took time in my day Sunday to delight in watching my children growing through their childhoods, in such random order that my brain was dizzy by the end!  Oh but such good memories, one of which includes my daughter aged 6 singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy"... a true favorite song of hers.  Boy, that whole parenthood piece that feels light years away now.  This was a different viewing than those past because now both of parents have passed on and so I was grateful to see them moving, talking, singing and laughing again.  It was wonderful!  I think I'll consider this an early Mother's Day gift to myself.

But, what also emerged after viewing a few of McFerrin's videos is what I've missed all the years since he sang about happiness.  I remember at the time that song came out it was criticized as fluff.  My theory, at the time, was that there must be some reason it's such a hit!  I thought (think) it is: People need song, every kind of song, for every kind of reason!
This man is a special spirit and musical genius.   Simple as that.

I highly recommend getting lost for a bit to welcome some journeys either old by taking a day trip down memory lane...or new by following a new (or renewed) interest down the trail for a bit.

You may want to check out some of these:
Catching Song  ~ A nice long interview to listen and stitch with
Wizard of Oz    ~ Bobby style!  What a ride :)
Spontaneous Chorus  ~Wouldn't you love to be in this audience (on or off stage)?!
With Anne Marie Hassing  ~All of the Master Class & Aarhus Vocal Festival are a treat!

I'm forcing myself to stop linking.  But do explore for yourself and share your favorites!
*Note- don't miss his son and father as well!

I'll leave you with the closing thought, in the way of a question:
If you watched any of these videos, did you notice that in every one...there was not only song...but there was laughter, hugs and pure joy in their shared experience!
Now that's what this world needs!