Everydayness and enjoyment

Sometimes I listen to Gretchen Rubin's podcast "Happier." I find some of her suggestions helpful in building my days with moments of joy, reflection, and choices that positively affect my mood. In one of the episodes she spoke about taking photos of everyday things. I caught onto that concept long ago with my photo-a-day blog, and years later it's such a treasure. It's a different feeling than looking at photos from a wonderful vacation or other big events. It's the everyday things you usually forget, but when you document them, it's surprising how much joy it brings, because that's how life actually was. At the time it may have seemed like nothing special, but years later, it sometimes has more meaning.

I found these first two photos on my camera, which I'd normally think are completely deletable - I think I was just testing exposure. But it truly doesn't get more everyday than this, so I'm including them along with the more thoughtful everyday photos I usually try to post here. Just for fun.


My craft/piano room. It needs work but it still gets good use and is a nice place to be because it gets so much morning and afternoon light, and I love the lamplight in here in the evening. We plan to do something about that wallpaper...

Cookies on a cooling rack with more in the oven in the middle of the afternoon. (Look to the right - they're hard to see.) I'd just made another great recipe from Flourless - oat-maple cookies with apricots and ginger. Oh my word. These flavors belong together.

I did not do anything to this sky photo. It was actually like this and I was in complete awe.

Luna loves to sit out here with us when we're out working. It's our happy place (until the dogs next door start barking).

More smoke, more gorgeous red suns.

Different exposure, same sunset.

It's been such a dry summer. The things that normally dry up each year around this time feel especially dry and I find it strangely beautiful, if a little scary.

A few other things I've been enjoying lately:

[PODCAST] Case #3: Belt Buckle by Mystery Show - This podcast is all about solving everyday mysteries, mostly without the help of the internet. This particular episode is the best yet of the few I've listened to. Years ago a kid found a really cool belt buckle, and the kid, now an adult, puts host Starlee Kine on the case to find its owner. The resolution nearly made me cry.

[ALBUM] A Date with the Everly Brothers - I'm not sure why I but I love these crystal clear young-man voices, slightly twangy in their swells, so in tune throughout. I really wanted to hear "Cathy's Clown" the other night but ended up listening to this whole thing to get there. The album is on Amazon Prime, if you do that sort of thing.

[TV SERIES] Catastrophe - I fell in love with this paranoid/risky/risque/hilarious couple after one episode.

[FOOD] Shrimp on the barbie. True confession: I had never ever cooked shrimp until 2 weeks ago. I put a handful in a foil packet with melted butter, lemon and garlic, sealed it up and put it on the grill. It's a big-time treat for me. But I'm still trying to figure out what deveining is all about. I quickly learned I had to peel them, but the veins are still a mystery to me. Perhaps I'll look it up on the internet.

[READING MATERIAL] The New Yorker. Finally re-subscribed after continually reaching my monthly online limit. Coincidentally, this article is in the latest issue.