Day 20, 100 Happy Days: Warmth

I feel like I've been cold for days. That deep down to the bone cold but you just can't shake. Even when I'm sleeping, lately, I've been aware that I'm cold, but am too cold or tired to do anything about it.

I'm pet sitting right now, and I'm often cold when I stay at other peoples houses. One of the very few benefits of having a tiny apartment, is that I can crank the heat up and stay warm in the winter. (Without paying through the nose.) I guess I'm pretty spoiled in that way.

Today I went home to get some work done in my office, and was welcomed by my nice warm apartment. It was cozy and toasty and wonderful. Warmth = happiness.

Day 19, 100 Happy Days: Kids Painting Class

Today I taught a class full of kids.
My classes are usually for adults, although every once in awhile a kiddo or two will show up. But this? This was eighteen kiddos! A whole different ballgame. They were ages 8-13, and they were awesome!

Kids are really fun to teach. I love how free they are with the paint, and how willing they are to do their own thing. They look at the original painting, take my instruction, and then unabashedly put their own spin on it. Very cool.

They try new things, take risks, and aren't afraid to shake it up. We could all learn something from them.

Watching these kids go definitely made me happy today.

"All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

Day 18, 100 Happy Days: A Trip to the Dentist

Feeling like a queen with my new crown.

Wow. Amazing day! So much to be happy about, it's hard to choose just one thing to write about. 
So I'm going with the first thing that made me happy today: a trip to the dentist.

I know that is not something that usually would make a person happy, but this visit has been a long time coming... I finally got a crown put on my poor broken tooth.

It's been several months of babying this tooth and eating on one side (luckily I have not been in pain through this process). Finally, after seeing a dentist that I didn't like, and a second opinion, and some insurance issues... I finally I got it taken care of! Woo-hoo!

I celebrated tonight with some delicious crunchy food at Punchbowl Social.

Day 17, 100 Happy Days: Free Coffee and Holiday Cheer

It was a dreary, overcast day in Denver.... I really could have used some sunshine today. All I wanted to do was to go home and climb back into bed. But, no rest for the weary. I had one more errand to run before heading out to teach a class tonight; I had to stop at Whole Foods.

It was late afternoon, and Whole Foods was kind of a zoo. Luckily (or not), I was too cold/tired/apathetic to get irritated with the other shoppers. (I suffer greatly from GSSSS: Grocery Store Shopping Stress Syndrome.) I trudged through, and got in line to check out. I chatted with the checker and silently noted that I sounded far more chipper than I felt. Which is good - I'm not a fan of spreading misery around.

As I was about to leave she said "Oh, did I mention that they're giving away free coffee in the parking lot? You can get coffee, hot chocolate, a latte... anything you want."

YES.

I headed out to the super cool Allegro Coffee truck, where I was greeted by a super nice lady. I asked for a mocha. They were playing Christmas songs. Everyone seemed happy. The lady handed me my mocha and said how nice it was to give stuff away. And then she gave me a stocking made by L.I.F.E Line. The tag says that it's "made by mums in Kenya" and that it "serves to protect elephants and rhinos against the devastating ivory trade".

All of this is just what the doctor ordered. Exactly what I needed. Happy!

Day 16, 100 Happy Days: Being Present Through Painting

"Sunrise at Libby's" (In progress)

One of the things that I love about painting is that it can bring me directly to the present moment. All attention is on the painting in front of me, and the rest of the world melts away. I find the rhythm of the music, and somehow it feels that it's synced up with the paintbrush.

I've found my groove.

However, I can't get to that place when I'm teaching a class, or when other people are around (with the exception of a very few people with whom I've been painting for years). If I'm not painting much, or during times of high stress, it can take me hours to find my groove. I'm happy to say that with my daily practice I'm finding that place nearly immediately.

Bliss.

And actually, I would say that painting is very similar to meditation. It's like an active meditation. If you're stressed or out of practice, it can take a while to quiet your mind. But with daily practice you can get there quickly.

Again, bliss.

Tonight's music was courtesy of Eric Dolphy and Herbie Hancock. Very nice indeed. Here's Herbie...