Happily getting it together....

Back to reality...

vacation is over....

the kids have convalesced...

I started my weekend with a visit to our local art museum

for a reception 

where I viewed some signed prints from the Norman Rockwell Museum

 (which is actually not too far from here)

and the opening of a wonderful photography exhibit.

Art feeds my soul
and that makes me happy!

Earlier this month,

I embarked on several projects

(just in case I didn't have enough going on!)

to embrace my word of the year....

Happy

This is my first time taking Ali Edwards' One Word class...

I spent a little bit of time filling out the various parts of this month's prompts.

It took some time to really hone in on what my intentions are

and 

decide how I hope to integrate "happy" into my life,

but it helped to clarify a lot. 

Ali's project is a good way for me to combine my love of journaling

and my need to revisit my plan for this year 

over and over

in a beautiful medium.

My other big project this year is 

Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project...

In her introduction,

the author develops Twelve Commandments...

I have come up with 9 

(so far!)

some of which I have borrowed from her...

like Let it go (huge for me!!!) and Enjoy the process

but I added a few of my own

especially,

Enjoy this moment.

I need to get out of my head and just live in the present. 

Each chapter of the book focuses on an area of Ms Rubin's life

that she wants to address in her happiness project.

In Chapter 1, January,

she focuses on beginning to declutter her physical space

 as well as starting to address her desire for more energy.

I did a lot of decluttering this fall

in an effort to relocate..

and while I still need to pay attention 

to my tendency to be a "pile-er" (my mom's name for my habit),

I don't want that to be the only focus for what's left of this month.

So I added a couple of her January "resolutions"

to my chart

along with some of my own...

I am not sure how I will work going forward...

within her monthly themes or some other way.

If any of you have also started a Happiness Project 

or have embarked on a similar journey in the past,

I would love to hear about it.

My "friend" who is joining me on this journey 

is even further behind than me!!

and it is only January :-)

At the top of each resolution chart,

Ms. Rubin posts a quote.

I browsed the world wide web for a quote

that is more reflective of the beginning of my journey
and found this on Pinterest..

I still have a lot to learn

but I am happy to be here.