It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for us to share our joys.
C’mon in!
In a world filled with fresh outrages every single day, it’s more important than ever to remind each other of the good and joyful things that are happening in our lives.
Escape the dumpster fires.
Join me here for Happy Hour and share your joys.
I am sorry that I can’t (ahem. . . ) offer you million dollar lobster tail or any other ridiculously over-priced delicacies. . . but I can provide a comfortable place for us to meet up, enjoy good company, and share a smile or two.
As for me . . .
Tom’s “over 50” curling team won a tournament in Wisconsin last weekend! While he has played in many such tournaments over the years, he has never won one before. A week later, he is still grinning . . . and we’re still celebrating.
The bird population in my garden is exploding with migrating birds. Such variety! While I still have a few juncos around (one of my steadfast winter birds), I’m also being visited regularly by warblers and wrens that I haven’t seen since the fall. It’s an exciting time at the feeders.
Years ago, I planted a variety of crocus bulbs in my garden. But . . . the squirrels dug up every dang one every time I planted them! After several years, I gave up on the notion of having any crocus in my garden at all. Those squirrels, though? They scattered and planted those bulbs all around the garden (apparently), because now I’ve got them coming up . . . in places I’d never expect to see them. It’s a wonder and a joy – and a pleasant surprise.
It is such a joy to look out my kitchen window to spy a little chipmunk perched on the edge of my heated-dog-dish-winter-bird-feeder getting a long, slow drink of water. It’s rewarding to see that the little things I do to make my garden “critter-friendly” really do make a difference in supporting my suburban woodland habitat.
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How about YOU?
What have you noticed this week that made you feel good? Where did you find joy?
Despite all the ugly stuff happening around us, we really DO have good things happening in our lives.
Join me for Happy Hour!
Let’s share the good stuff here in the comments!
Happy Hour will remain open all weekend, so come back and see what others have shared.
Well done, Tom!! Congratulations! That is fantastic… and so fun!! We shall raise a glass tonight to Tom and his team! It was a stunning week in the world… it is so hard not to be sick at all that is going on. My good things include daffodils that just won’t stop blooming! (those 30 blooms have increased to 45!!!) I am celebrating all things yellow in my yard right now! My juncos have departed… but the early morning robin choir is just stunning to listen to! (It makes the early morning walk the best one of the day!)
Congratulations to Tom and his team! I heard about wheelchair curling on NPR recently and was both impressed and heartened by how wheelchair athletes have adapted many sports so they can also compete. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/10/nx-s1-5743543/steve-emt-paralympics-wheelchair-curling
I just got a notice that my hold is ready for A Far-flung Life, much earlier than I expected. I haven’t started it yet, but I’ve really been looking forward to it. And it’s an audio copy so I can knit while I listen!
I wish I could visit your garden right now. It sounds delightful.
We had some wind this week, which resulted in some damage to our roof. But the happy is, we were able to get a roofer out to repair it the next day, before the next round of wind gusts hit us. I’ve got a decent size bouquet of daffodils on the table, brought in to save them from the wind, and we are enjoying our own promise of warmer weather. And, we’re finally going to visit my new great-nephew this weekend, so that’s happiness to anticipate. I love your crocus story. Have a great weekend! And congratulations to Tom!
You didn’t realize you had gardening squirrels — they just wanted you to be surprised by the appearance of those crocus blooms! As for me, I’ve been surprised all week by what’s blooming outside and the green that’s appearing on trees and shrubs. It’s especially good to see because of the cold weather that’s returned. I’ve also got an unexpected date night with my husband tonight, which feels like the perfect way to cap off a vacation day.
Congrats to Tom and his team!
No blooms here…yet…but green stuff shooting up all over which is a joy to see. Also bluebirds in our yard checking out the bluebird house. We had some nesting last year and are hoping for another family (same ones?). Also chickadees checking out another birdhouse! It’s funny to me how C&M live North of us yet their lilac is filled with buds (ours not so much) and their daffodils are high and showing yellow and they have crocus blooming. Of course, Fletch bought pansies to put all over the place and then we had snow yesterday. Gah!!!
The camellia blooms are past, but boy were they gorgeous! The cherry trees are just beginning to bloom. The yard is becoming very green, the birds are visiting en masse. My yard is a busy, busy place these days which really makes me happy. I am trying to overcome my hand pain while knitting by switching to continental. Oh my word, my brain just can’t get it, but at least I am trying. Next stop Portuguese knitting if this doesn’t work. At least I found the energy to try. Congratulations to Tom and the team! That is a feat worth celebrating and basking in for a while. Boomer seems to be having less pain on the Flexadin Advantage. I hope it’s not a fluke, and thanks so much for the recommendation.
The weather smelled like summer today and more sunshine than there has been in a week! Becky, I looked into Portuguese knitting, too, for the same reason. Purling is easy, just a flick of the thumb with the same garter stitch result as all knitting and very quick growing. The knit stitch was a different matter. Once learned, it is not hard to execute but for some people (like me!) it took a long time to get the hang of it. The teacher that taught this class brought in some gorgeous blanket samples, I believe all purling. (The kind of thing you wanted to steal from her! I think the yarn had something to do with it, but also very even stitching.)
Yay Tom and team! And yes to all the signs of spring you are seeing. I’ve found joy this week in the new bird feeder Dale mounted on my studio window. So far I’ve seen house finches and black capped chickadees and it’s a delight for me and for George, too. I’ve got daffodil shoots galore! And the hellebores are full of buds, a wonderful thing to see that makes me really happy. I love this Happy Hour series, I think about it all week as I look for things worthy of sharing in this space.
Hooray for Tom and his team. Monday we drove out to view the Sandhill Crane migration. Standing on the pedestrian bridge over the Platte River and listening to the ancient music of those birds is a little bit of happy and a lot of magic. I heard a western Meadowlark while we were there and that made me really happy as their numbers are down. Today was a snowy windy Sunday but I enjoyed being at home, not having to be anywhere, and working on a few slow stitch projects. Norah’s new Pop Top mittens are in the mail to her and she is waiting for them.
Between visitors, recitals, days-long storm prep/blizzard (from which we’re still recovering), my head is spinning. Things aren’t returning to normal anytime soon, so I’m embracing the chaos & adventure!