36. Things that make me happy

I realize that my posts lately have been a bit of a downer. 

I don’t want you to think that my life lately has been nothing but doom and gloom. In fact, quite the opposite. In no particular order, here is a short and incomplete list of things that have recently made me happy.

Stillwater’s downtown

Stillwater has a real downtown. Sure, there are strip malls galore and the almighty Walmart prevails, but there is a thriving business district with unique shops and restaurants, drug stores, auto repair, antiques and resale clothing boutiques. And there is Harrison’s Electric.

The moment you step inside, you step back at least 50 years. The place is stocked from its dusty wide-plank creaky wood floor to its ancient ceiling with lighting, bulbs, lamp parts, electrical parts, and bit and bobs of goodness-knows-what. I took a couple of lamps in to be re-wired, one of which my grandfather had made, probably back in the ‘40s or ‘50s. The price was reasonable.

There’s also Murphy’s department store where I indulge my guilty pleasure: deeply discounted Fiestaware.

My birthday

My dear friend Amy sent me a literary infinity scarf with a text by Jodi Picoult. I haven’t read the book yet, but the scarf is insanely warm, kind of like a thick sweatshirt for your neck. Perfect for the recent temps with Oklahoma wind. I love gifts that show people really know me.

I also had a proper birthday date out with my husband. We had drinks and heavy appetizers at the Atherton Hotel, then we went to a faculty clarinet recital. The last piece of the evening was a clarinet accompaniment to the reading of some Shel Silverstein poems. Totally not what I was expecting, but it made my night.

My new library

Yep. An actual library. To see why this makes me happy, some before and after pictures speak louder than words. I’m no interior decorator, but I do think it turned out OK. It’s my new happy place.

Before.

After. Dog-approved.

Dust

My house is now covered in a thin layer of it (including the bookshelves in the previous picture). You might wonder why dust would make me happy, but in this case, it means our kitchen remodel is underway. My husband spent last weekend ripping up the tile floor and underlayment with a power tool that sounded like a chainsaw (while the dog and I cowered in the bathroom at the opposite end of the house; well, she cowered, I just wished it to be over and quiet again). And we’re now ready for the cabinet demo, as soon as our builder gives us the green light. (He’s kind and doesn’t want us to be without a kitchen until everyone else involved in the process is ready to go.) Our refrigerator and freezer are already in our dining room, and much of what we rarely use of kitchen goods has been boxed up and moved into the living room. We’re ready!

Also: sunsets and birds and snow and summer plans and.... While life continues to throw us curve balls, we’re still marching on, taking pleasure in the little things. 

They make all the difference.

P.S. If you’d like to follow our remodeling adventures, I probably won’t be posting them here, but starting a new blog for all you “remodelistas” out there. Keep an eye out here for the new link!!!