Joy

I've found myself in a bit of a funk lately. That funk is around for a variety of reasons, ones I don't really want to go into because, honestly, focusing so much on the funk is what's gotten me into the funk in the first place. So, no thanks George Clinton, I don't gotta have that funk.

At the end of November, one of my favorite bloggers and writers, Sarah Markley, was in a similar place and she decided the way to remedy the problem was to focus on the joy. Here's what she decided,

For this month, because I need to laugh again, I’m going to look for, take note of and intentionally turn the corners of my mouth up in a smile one hundred things that bring joy to me.

100 Joys.

And I want you to participate too.

What I’m going to do: Beginning tomorrow I am going to be photographing and writing about all of these things that are joys to me. Or that will be joys to me. I haven’t written anything out ahead of time. I have no secret book in my purse with 20 “joys” already penned out. I will be doing this as a daily discipline and experiment to see if recognizing the joy in my life that is already is there will, in fact, change me.

She invited her readers to join her in this journey back to joy. I thought about it, I pondered and weighed the choice, and in the end, I decided it was easier to sit in the mess rather than look for joy.

How sad is that? But it's true, sometimes it feels easier to to wallow in the mess than to make the effort that will actually make you feel better. And sometimes you're just not ready to make the effort. And by "you," I mean "me", and by "sometimes," I mean "all the ding dang time."

But I am now. I need to reclaim the joy in my own life. I need to relearn how to spot it. I want to revel in it. So, today, I'm launching my own journey of 100 Joys.

Let's begin, shall we?

After meeting Jason for lunch {Oh, sweet Christmas break and your wide open middle of the day}, I decided to swing by my favorite antique mall. Just because I could.

Of course, I made a beeline for the booth that sells vintage hats. I never know what I'm going to find there, but I know it's bound to be good. However, I think this lovely was a little much even for me. {1}

But this one? This one makes me wish I lived in an era where women wore hats. Every day. I'm talking Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo kind of fabulous.{2}

I came home to a mailbox full of nothing but hand addressed envelopes. {3} Enough said.

After mailing the rest of our own Christmas cards, I took The Monster up to the field to run around. The way he bounds around like a deer right before I make that first throw always makes me giggle.{4}

Carhartt overalls. My handsome husband. His patience as I got the just right picture to add to his contact info on my phone. Hunka, hunka. {5}

The new theme for this year's Christmas decorating was simplicity. Brightly colored ornaments and some twinkle lights makes our living room couch a cozy spot to be. {6}

This joy thing? I think it's already working. Here's to keeping my eyes open and my heart ready to soak it all in....