Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Simple Joys

Tuesdays have become my unofficial favorite day of the week. Simple Joys, the post I write every Tuesday, is the reason why. Each week I list the most important joys I experienced since the last week. Sometimes they are as silly as food I’ve enjoyed (pizza to sushi, chocolate to Chinese food) to as strongly sentimental as time spent with my children. No matter what the topics and how unique they are to me; the point is to find the Simple Joys that surround us and be receptive to them. There is much negativity in the world and it is far too easy to succumb to it; I choose instead to rise above and look for the best the world offers me daily. It has made a world of difference in my general outlook as well as my health. Without further ado, here is this week’s Simple Joys.

Planetarium. Last week my eldest child and I went on a “date” to the planetarium with the Cub Scout Pack we belong. I am his Den Leader and he is a Bear Scout (3rd Grade). The planetarium is located in the local community college and is quite spectacular. My son had been studying the solar system in science recently so this was a highly anticipated field trip. Recently renovated, the planetarium now features full, three-dimensional views of the universe as well as virtual space travel – they can fly to any planet or star in the Milky Way and see what our universe looks like from their surfaces.  From identifying constellations to exploring each of the individual planets, we were treated to a fantastic journey through space. The astronomer who directed our “tour” was charismatic, funny, and able to captivate his young audience. The woman who assisted by running the program via computer was phenomenal as well, hitting her marks expertly every time. It was the best date my son, who insisted on sitting with his mom on one side, and I had been on in a long time!

Radio. In February I started a stint on Internet radio at one of my sites where I blog, http://WhooBazoo.com. I had never worked in radio before so it was truly trial by fire. I work with three men (Young men? Boys? – Curtis, Bill, and Eric) who talk about sports, many sports, in a program called “Around the Cooler”. I was asked to join them so I could share my knowledge of NASCAR. I was tickled and found I truly enjoyed the work. Recently our tech guru who works at each of the sister stations heard me. He recommended our show’s cast join the cast of another site’s sports show. We are scheduled to be on that show this week! Working on Internet radio is such a joy; working on two programs will hopefully multiply that joy exponentially!

On-line Friends. Several days ago I made some new friends through a fan site on Facebook. I was researching a story for the NASCAR site I write at http://SkirtsandScuffs.com. It was about Richard Marx singing the National Anthem at the Fontana race in California. I met some lovely people at Richard Marx’ fan site and have quickly found some wonderful new friends! I wasn’t expecting this so I feel the windfall all the more! I’ve also been accumulating new friends through Twitter and Facebook! Off line friends are still and always will be valuable and vital to me in my life, but many of my on-line friends become off line ones! And, even though there are many on-line friends I have never met, we are still so very close! I adore my on-line friends! Cheers to all of them and their importance in my life!

#Winning. A colleague and friend (currently only on-line, but that will change one day) posted a link on her Facebook page to a site called Custom Jewelry by Tammy. The link stated that if a person were to “like” the page and leave a comment, they would be entered to win a NASCAR necklace, a beaded beauty that was done up in NASCAR racecar driver Kevin Harvick’s colors (red, black, white) and sporting a “29”! Being a jewelry and NASCAR fanatic I jumped at the chance to enter! Only a few days later I was informed the necklace was mine; I had won! I am beside myself as I have never been overly lucky in gambling/winning items. My luck turned around considerably as not only did I win an awesome necklace, I made a contact with a business I believe in! Custom Jewelry by Tammy will now be featured on my sideboard under the “What I Love Online” headline.

Alarm Clock. For Valentine’s Day my husband treated me to an iHome for my iPod; I can use the iPod as an alarm clock now! From the beginning my husband unknowingly to me would choose the song I would be awakened. It never dawned on me that he was programming the individual songs and I would marvel that “I Don’t Like Monday” by the Boomtown Rats would play to start my week. Eventually the song choices were too uncanny and I questioned him. He laughed heartily and admitted he was the mastermind. He still takes time each night while I’m readying myself for bed (I take far longer than he) to handpick a song for me. That, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the small but meaningful ways he shows me the depth of his love for me. That Simple Joy is priceless.

Thank you for reading about my Simple Joys. It is my sincere hope that by reading about my Simple Joys you will be more attuned to the Simple Joys around you. It is always my pleasure to read the Simple Joys you have collected this week. Please feel free to leave them below.

Please join me tomorrow when I wax poetic about the topic du jour! 

8 comments:

  1. Hey Candice;

    This is a great post and a great reminder that we need to stop and slow down when it comes to life. All too often we miss the simple joys in life simply because we think things are out of control in our lives. While that might be the case, when we slow down and look around at the simple things, we do find other problems getting smaller.

    Thanks for the reminder.
    Dr. Rus

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  2. Naps- After the very loud, scary storm that passed through at 2 a.m, I am very thankful that all my children are in school and I don't work. I am going to need, no REQUIRE a nap. :)
    Naps keep the "grumpy bugs" away!

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  3. Jules, you are a stay-at-home mom, you work harder than any other profession could ever claim.

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  4. Candice,
    Thank you so much for sharing your excitement with your readers over winning your Kevin Harvick necklace and earrings. They look so nice on you too!

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  5. My Dear Friend,
    I adore this blog...It is such a lesson for each one of us to be in the moment because it is a "present" for each one us! Sometimes, our moments are sad or challenging, but others are so glorious that they truly make up for the not so great ones.
    As my eldest tells me so often, "mom stop worrying so much....everything will be fine"...words of wisdom that stop me in my tracks and help me refocus on what's truly imp and what's not worth the energy.
    Life is truly what we make it...the key is to surround ourselves with people who nurture us and help us to grow, and remember to keep returning to the present joys we are experiencing in our lives and count those blessings...cause when we do, there will be more blessings on the way..just watch...thanks Candice for the inspiration! we got to hang out more! loveya, mary beckert

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  6. A strawberry ... with Greek Yoghourt and a couple of grains of sugar - absolute Manna from heaven :-)

    Congrats on winning the #29 jewellery, Custom Jewellery by Tammy is a winner !

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  7. Great show tonight! You do keep up with the Boys.
    Keep the good work up.

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  8. Chief, when are you going to model the jewelry you just won. Congrats on branching out on radio. My dad and his brother both had radio shows back in the day in Chicago. Its fun.

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