Happiness…

In my religion, we are taught that when we pass over to the next realm, we will stand before God and must answer for our sins, and if the sins are great we will not be welcomed into Heaven. We are also taught that our God is an all loving, all forgiving God. Those two teachings have always seemed to contradict one another in my head. Then, just two days ago, I was reading a novel and came across a new teaching about appearing before God. I have not researched this to see if it is, indeed, accurate.  However, the thought was so profound to me that I can’t seem to shake the theory. The main character in the book I was reading, a young Jewish physician, has relations with the woman he deeply loves although they are not married. Even though he knows that they are forbidden to do so, he also knows that the Talmud teaches him that when he stands before God he will have to explain the happiness’s during his Earthly life that he did not pursue. For to not pursue all happiness is in effect not living your life to it’s fullest. This gives me peace and hope that we can, in fact, be imperfect and still remain in God’s Kingdom. But it also sheds such light onto how we should actually approach each day of our lives. Happiness comes in different ways. It doesn’t necessarily mean we should lay around eating cupcakes and M&M’s 24/7.  Nor does it give us carte blanch to sin without consequence. But a good day’s work, a walk in the sun rather than laying on the sofa, doing your chores, spending time with your child, etc. etc. are all ways to create happiness.

So, my friends go forth and create your own happiness today, as I will be chasing my own!

Crazy Eights Meme

Second post and it’s already a meme. LoL Don’t worry, I already have the next one in the works.  The sweet, and usually highly imaginative, Adam posted this meme recently.  Moreover, while he didn’t tag ME (you know, since he didn’t actually know I started a blog last week and all), I decided it might be fun to do this anyway.

EIGHT THINGS FOR WHICH I HAVE PASSION:

 

1. Laughter.  One can NEVER have enough laughter and smiles.  If you give either of these to me, I’ll stick to you like glue. 

 

2. Conversation.  I believe conversation is becoming a dying art.  In an age when we routinely, talk to loved ones in IM or email, when I find someone who truly likes to talk… not gossip or complain…. But, truly talk, I find it a pleasure to be around those people.

 

3. Ice Cream.  I love all sweats.  However, Ice cream is the one that makes me melt.  With the exception of rum raisin and cheesecake, I do believe I like most other flavors. 

 

Go ahead, invite me over for some ice cream and funny conversation, I dare ya!

 

4. Family.  I come from a big (mostly Irish-American) family.  I’m the second oldest cousin out of about 39 on dad’s side, and the second oldest cousin out of 10 on mom’s side.  If I tried to count all the kids in the next generation, we’d be here all day!  And, believe it or not, we do get together regularly for visits and parties and whatnot.  As much as I love all of them, I’d give a limb or three for my immediate family.  I love them more than I can ever even put into words. 

 

5. Getting lost in a good book.  I don’t read ALL the time.  I go through spurts.  I can go six months without a book.  Then, I’ll read eight books back to back.  There is no better feeling though, when you get so caught up in a book that you are completely distracted and can’t do anything you’re supposed to be doing because you are dying to get to the end, but you specifically pace yourself because you don’t want the story to end.  Or, the feeling that you miss a good friend when the book is over.  I’m so glad I have that type of love of books. 

 

6. Cooking.  I definitely don’t like to HAVE to cook.  I DO get bored with cooking.  However, I consider myself a creative person, and I enjoy the creative outlet of cooking.  I do use recipes at times.  But, I love to look in the fridge and the cupboard and see what’s left, and try to come up with something not only edible but also yummy!  I only wish that I had more friends that lived close by to invite over to try my concoctions.

 

7. Children.  I have always loved kids.  I envy their lack of inhibition, adore their sweet smell (infants that is, not older kids that smell like wet dog – eww), crave their laughter (real honest to goodness laughter), love their innocence, admire their eagerness to learn and their willingness to love. 

 

8. Passion.  In all its’ forms – especially, the obvious kind. ;0)

 

EIGHT THINGS I’D LIKE TO DO BEFORE I DIE:

 

1. Complete my travels to all of the lovely states of our union.  To date I have been to 26 states.  I want to hit them all!  I don’t think most people realize the diversity and beauty our country offers. 

 

2. Travel more internationally.  I sucked at geography and history in school.  Well, technically I never got geography in school.  I was scheduled to take it in 6^th grade, but then transferred to a new school that taught it in 5^th grade.  So, I completely missed the boat.  Through traveling, I’ve begun to teach myself where the rest of the world is.  As for history, I just thought it was plain ole boring!  And yet, again, through travel both here and elsewhere, I have a new appreciation for history.  For me, SEEING where things have occurred has actually sparked an interest I never thought I’d find for history.

 

3. Successfully lose a substantial amount of weight.  First let me say, that I’m comfortable in my own skin (no matter how stretched out it may be lol).  However, I would like to see myself healthier.  I’ve been heavy my whole life.  I don’t ever foresee myself as being skinny.  However, I would love to loose enough to be able to do more physically.  I used to be able to get around a lot better.  And, lately, especially after the bought with chemo/radiation, I’ve found myself completely out of shape physically.  I need to find that part of me again.  And, if in the process, I turn my outward curves back into inward curves, that’d be cool too.

 

4. Have a child.  My plan, my dream, was to go forth and multiply.  Now that I can’t really do that anymore, I would love to adopt a child.  I could go on at length about this one, but that will be a whole other post some day.

 

5. Find my purpose in life.  I’ve only had one true purpose, and it doesn’t really look like that will ever happen.  So now, I’ve been trying to find a new more meaningful purpose. 

 

6. Finish college.  I dropped out early during my college career.  I didn’t know what direction professionally I’d like to go (still don’t really).  Now, I regret not pushing forward.  I feel like I failed at something big.  It makes me sad.

 

7. Become more socially active.  I’m close to 40 and feel like I don’t have enough friends with whom to share my every day life.  I’d love a plethora of friends.  Girl friends to go shopping and havetea with, guy friends to hang out and chat with, couple friends to share a good meal and watch a video with.  If anyone knows some cool people in or around NJ, please send them my way.

 

8. Own a home.

 

EIGHT THINGS I SAY A LOT:

 

1. “Dude.”  I suppose I’m probably trapped in some strange time warp or something.

 

2. “I Love You” – OR simply “Love ya”.  Guess I have a need to let everyone know how much they actually mean to me. 

 

3. I solicited help from my little one for this and she said … dun dun da … “Clean your room!”  Hahahah  I guess if it weren’t messy, I wouldn’t have to say it, now would I?

 

4. “Kiss me.”  Mostly said to my husband. Lol I do love the man’s kisses.

 

5. “Hello/Hi.”  This is somewhat self-explanatory.

 

6. “Cool.”  I might need a thesaurus.

 

7. “In all honesty” as used to explain something.

 

8. “That’s not in my budget.”  It’s depressing really.  At least I HAVE and try to follow a budget.  That’s a plus, right?

 

EIGHT BOOKS I HAVE READ RECENTLY:

 

1. Close to Youby Christina Dodd

2. White Hot by Sandra Brown

3. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

4. Hello, Darkness by Sandra Brown

5. Richochet by Sandra Brown

6. Standoff by Sandra Brown

7. The Switch by Sandra Brown

8. Slow Heat in Heavenby Sandra Brown…… Have you noticed a pattern (or at least a rut) I’ve been in lately? lol

 

EIGHT MOVIES I HAVE SEEN EIGHT TIMES:

[I really don’t keep track of how many times I’ve seen particular movies, though I do know that some have been viewed repeatedly.  I’ll go with that theory.]

 

1. Pretty Woman.  What can I say? I’m a sucker for romance and Julia Roberts.

 

2. Shawshank Redemption.  This is definitely one of my all time favorites.

 

3. My Fair Lady.  I don’t know whether I love the story line, the songs, or the costuming most in this musical movie.  Either way, any time I watch it, I speak in a horrible cockney brogue for days afterward.  And just in case you want to know, I want to be Audrey Hepburn when I grow up!

 

4. Hope Floats.  Besides Julia Roberts, I have a lil girl crush on Sandra Bullock.  And if that weren’t enough….. Harry Connick, Jr. tops my “list” of celebrities I get to cheat with should the opportunity ever knock.  So THERE!  Nuff said on that one.

 

5. Shrek.  It’s the BBW’s fairy tale.  Who doesn’t love it when the chubby chick (or umm, in this case, chubby ogre-ette) gets the big hunk-of-burning green love?

 

6. The Best Years of Our Lives.  It’s an old B&W WW2 movie that details three service men and how their lives change when they come back from the war. 

 

7. Selena.  Don’t be hatin’ people.  The music is catchy!

 

8. The Parent Trap.  The original with Haley Mills and David Keith.  Makes me smile and remember my child hood. 

 

BONUS:  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  Also, another old B&W movie.  Story of an Irish American (although closer to the old country than me) family, with an alcoholic father (surprise surprise).  The young daughter struggles with the situation and seeks to find beauty in the simple things around her, like an unlikely tree.  I could always relate to this movie on many levels.

 

EIGHT PEOPLE WHO SHOULD DO THIS MEME:

 

1. Tizzy

2. Heather

3. Anyone else that might actually ever read this here blog!

4. Angelina Jolie – I’d like to hear her answers.  I’m not sure why though.

5. My dearly departed grand parents.  There were so many things I wished I would’ve asked them before they passed.

6. Anyone else that has any interest.

7. I really don’t care.

8. I already told you I don’t have many friends. lol

 

Anyway, that’s the “Eight Things Meme.” Thanks to Adam for giving me the prompt.  And thank YOU, if you’re still reading.