August Happiness Challenge -- Day 1

Look at my happy kitty

What's that you say? What's the August Happiness Challenge?

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Today I'm celebrating a fresh, homegrown cucumber. I live on the top floor of a building that doesn't even have a yard. So I  joyously received this lovely giftie from my boss, who lives on acres and acres in a far western suburb.

Tonight I upped my fiber content my enjoying a few cucumber slices with salt. It made me happy.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find. 

Because you've got to have friends

Sunday was a good day. First I had lunch with Joanna in Edgewater. This means I had to travel beyond the Loop, past Wrigley Field to a neighborhood I haven't visited in decades. And I got to spend three hours with a women from my movie group, someone I like but knew little about. I'm trying to expand my horizons and add new people to my close circle, and this felt very comfortable and the time flew by.

I learned that she, like me, is a softie for animals. Her two dogs and cat are all rescues (the one-eyed cat showed up in her backyard).  I also learned that her romantic history is easily as checkered as mine. This surprised me, because she's so stylish and appears so together. (I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and she was in gauzy layers and bangles.)

Then last night, my friend from the Keys called, just to blab. It was good to hear him so happy. He loves his new library job. They are back to being a two-car household. His partner seems to be over his health troubles.

As I write this, I realize how little I talked about me on Sunday. It made me happy to be immersed in other people's lives for an afternoon. I love my alone time, it recharges me. But I think it might encourage too much navel gazing. It was good to get out of myself.