Been giving thought to my word Happy.

Since choosing my word for 2007, I have spent quite a lot of time thinking about it.
I know some time ago I did a post about why I craft. It makes me happy. Then I listed the small things that make me happy. I chose to list them around the edge of my happy LO. These things were sunshine, log fires burning, candle light... Laying in an aromatherapy bath knowing the good it is doing for my skin & my whole well being. Afterwards, wrapped in big fluffy towel to dry sipping hot tea or the occasional Baileys ( I always recieve a bottle of this each christmas.) I thoroughly enjoy spending time after my bath putting moisturiser on because although I am not a fanatic about cosmetics, I do believe we need to take very good care of our skin, including applying sunscreen.
Once done I like to spent time reading or sketching designs.
This is one of my rituals. How many others of you have these little rituals. Time spent enjoying time on your own feeling happy???

After tonights' bath ritual, which included the boring bit, washing my hair!!!, I spent time watching a DVD loaned to me by my friend Louise. (Prison Break series one) I smilled from ear to ear this morning when she handed it to me. Again, it was a moment of sheer happiness. I have started to note these moments down throught out the day, in what I will call my "Happy Journal". It will be a blank notebook filled with sentences or words just whatever comes into my head. (Right now it is scraps of tatty paper stuffed into my appointments diary) Someone told me how pretty my tag looked on my work PC today & after explaining why it was there, & no it wasn't to be parted with!!!, I felt really happy that my pretty tag had made someone else stop & think.
With this weather so wet, dark & windy, I feel very low & I figured if I had a happy notebook, I could later on in the year make a happy tin or minibook. Something to record these moments forever. It would be like turning the sun on in dark times.

Today, I also took out my family photographs as these make me happy.
Here are a couple of my favourites. They feature on my revolving cube right at the very bottom of this blog. They are of my Grandma & Dad, Grandad & Dad & my Mum & Dad.
The picture of my parents is especially precious to me. I can see how young my parents were. How in love they were. It makes me happy to know my parents were very happy. It also makes me feel a little sad knowing what they could never have known the moment the camera captured those smiles.
So, I will leave you with this thought, it isn't a quote or anything I've read but something I feel,
I chose Happy for many reasons for my word in 2007, but when I look back over the years at all that has happened & all the wonderful people we have lost, I realise that life has to be lived as fully as you can.

BE HAPPY, let it fill your heart & soul, & live for those we loved & lost as well as for those we DO love and WILL love.........