It’s my birthday week and part of me wants to give myself a pass and skip publishing a blog post. Part of me wants to go on and on about how it’s my birthday week and it’s so awesome because I’ve got fun plans and Gee Whiz I made it to 58 and I’ve still got all of my original parts (minus the tonsils).
But if I’ve learned nothing about my path as a blogger, it’s that skipping one week of publishing is often a slippery slope to going another week, then another, until I’m almost paralyzed by the thought of ever writing another thing within the blogosphere.
So, here’s my post this week.
Ha ha ha!
I’m actually trying really hard not to crack here, people.
While everything in this country appears to rapidly be going to hell in a handbasket, including Mr. NOA (a fed employee) being potentially on the brink of losing his status as a remote worker, I’m doing my best to remain intentional.
As in intentional about cultivating joy in my life. Cultivating joy through action is a healthy way to give myself a positive (if temporary) distraction from the horrors of it all. I think cultivating joy is a solid form of resistance.
It’s simple things, like the banana bread (with milk chocolate chips, no less) baking in my oven right now. Spending time in my rec room organizing old photos while listening to whatever is playing on The Current (MPR’s super cool radio station that I’ve spoken about in this space in the past). Writing short little blog posts to share with you and keeping our blogging connections going within this community. Geeking out about the SNL 50 docu-series streaming on Peacock.
For shits and giggles, here’s some photos I found commemorating my childhood birthday celebrations. Left to right: my 5th birthday, my 1st birthday (no hair, didn’t care), my 10th birthday, and my 7th birthday.
I hope that each one of you finds ways to cultivate joy in these challenging times. Please share in the comments if and how you are cultivating your own joy these days. I’m always open to suggestions from you, my friends!
As you well know by now, music is a crucial ingredient in the recipe of my life. On that note, here’s my new favorite song. It’s got a melody that I love to whistle along to and the video is just so very sweet.
Pollyanna's Path 
I love your ‘here is the post’ humor and image! And…happy birthday! 🥰
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Thanks Vicki! Glad you enjoyed that.
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🥰
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Happy Birthday Week, Rhonda!
I’ve been listening to this one on the way to school as a reminder:
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Thank you, Crystal! What a great song 🙂
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Have a Happy Birthday!! 🎁✨🎂💐🎶And may your week be filled with Joy, Wonder, and Beauty! Currently cultivating joy means turning up the music, dancing (or my version odd-looking version of dancing 😂), and pondering what a ‘happy’ life filled with ‘good work’ looks like. 😄
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Thank you, Rose! Music, dancing, and pondering-all good things 🙂
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Happy Birthday to a wise joyful blogger. People ask me why I state I’ll post weekly, usually on Tuesday, and it’s for the very reason you mention. If I let myself slide one week, then it’s down… down… down that slope. Keep writing, keep dancing, eh?
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Awww…thanks Ally! Keep writing, keep dancing-for sure 🙂
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Joy is absolutely necessary to resistance! It’s what free human beings are supposed to be able to pursue, right? Pursuit of Happiness. Right there in the first document. Happy belated birthday, and that is a sweet tune. Cute animation too. For some reason I’ve been listening to a lot of Pulp. I was trying to figure out exactly what it was that has me into them right now, and I decided that it’s because they are profoundly weird in a way that resonates for me. 😅
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Yes, I agree! Everyone deserves to pursue their version of happiness (of course, unless it seriously harms others). I’ve never heard of Pulp. I’ll check them out. I’m a big fan of the band CAKE because of their unique balance of sheer talent and weirdness.
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Cake would be similar. Kind of an eclectic blend of Alternative Brit Pop and art/prog rock. Their most famous song is probably Common People. I hope your husband’s job is still there.
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Ok, now I’m even more motivated to check them out. I hope he keeps his job too. What’s happening is so ridiculous. He may take early retirement, but his preference is to hang on for another 2 years and then retire. Thanks for thinking of us.
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And to think, government jobs were the only jobs left where they didn’t force people to take early retirement or go work at Home Depot til 70. But I’m not the son of apartheid era emerald barons, what do I know?
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