My daily doodles, scribbles, photos, and paper cuttings . . . . ..I play with the glue, but I promise not to eat it.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Times when I have experienced joy (an exercise in positive psychology):



Christmas Eve at Subiaco 
              when the bells were ringing and the snow was pouring down.

Driving to Russellville at night in the car with Richard and Patty  
              on our way to be married and listening to Fleet Foxes for the first time.

During the wedding service
              when Richard began to cry.

Staying up late at Grandma’s
               talking about family history.

“Working” with Grandpa in his workshop.

Running in circles through Grandma and Grandpa’s house 
               with my cousins.


Listening to birds in the winter 
               while waiting for the school bus.


Decorating sugar cookies with Mom and Jessica 
               when I was a kid.

Getting the first candy cane off the tree when I was a kid 
               and sucking it down to a sharp point.

Reenacting "Fight Club" with Cliff.


Pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving morning 
              watching the parade.


Coffee cake on Christmas morning.

Richard’s Dad saying Grace at holidays.

Bird watching with Richard at Holla Bend
               in the depth of winter.


Geese flying over us at Bona Dea in the winter, hearing the wind through their wings, 
               always at dusk.

Camping with Richard and Eric at Petit Jean,
                Eric risking his idiot neck on top of Bear Caves.


Walking with Richard out on the pier at Lake Dardanelle 
               in the deep fog and snow and watching the gulls softly emerge and then melt away.
      
Watching the otters at Bona Dea with Richard.

Seeing the alligator with Mom at Bona Dea.

Watching the terns at the Gulf
                in the rain and cold on my ornithology trip.


Sabine national refuge 
               walking out in the marsh.


Sitting by myself on the ground in the long grass at the campground at the back of the Tetons breathing in the mountains.

Coming “home” for the first time to Richard and the townhouse in Fort Smith
               after I worked my last two days in Russellville.

Watching the geese float by in the pond outside the patio of the townhouse in Fort Smith,
              the light reflected off of the pond onto the ceiling of the living room.


 Exploring with Lori when we were maybe 10 years old
              in the countryside in the middle of nowhere.

Sitting at the base of waterfalls, any waterfall.   

Watching white water
               in Colorado hiking on with Dad.

Hiking in the snow at Rocky Mountain national park and watching all the mountain goats, 
               and then the tiny perfect blue lake at the end of the hike.

Crossing the log bridge on the backpacking trail at the back of the Tetons 
               over the white water.

Sitting in the middle of a pasture of fire weed
               in Montana with my flower press.

Walking through a grove of Aspens 
              somewhere with Dad.

Getting up early before Mom and Jess and going out with Dad
              taking pictures at Yellowstone.

Collecting stuff in the front yard and field with Mom
              to make a Thanksgiving arrangement for the dining room table.

Hiking with Mom at Cedar Falls in the autumn
.
Going with Dad through the museums in DC.

Traveling to Nebraska with Dad and meeting Grandpa Goad,
                and trekking out to the cemetery in Wallace in the snow.

Walking in the badlands in South Dakota in the moonlight.

Playing Frisbee in the middle of the road at Grandma and Grandpas 
               with my uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Camping at Petit Jean with Mom, Dad, Jess, Shane, Utah, and Ciera.

Fishing at Petit Jean with Lori,
                the last time that we spent together.

Laying on the sand on the Dardanelle side of the Arkansas river with Lori and her family 
                fishing while playing hooky from work.

Going down into the earth into a reconstructed kiva 
                somewhere on a trip with Mom and Dad and Jess.

Going to the Princeton museum of art with Mom and Jess and the kids.

Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad’s with Ric,
                 pigging out on shrimp and spinach dip.

Helping Mom lift the coffee cake into the pan.

Pigging out on pecan and cream cheese pie at Jo and Sandy’s on Thanksgiving.

Putting up a tent with Richard in way too hot of weather and drinking beer.

Walking with Richard in moonlight at the campground up at Petit Jean.

Sun Studio with Richard.

British Sea Power concert.

 Being Dad’s assistant and carrying his camera bags and notes 
                   at Chaco Canyon.

Summer Solstice sunset at Toltec Mounds State Park
                   hundred of dragonflies glowing.












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