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 (3^rd 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!