It was bound to happen. Ever since the mysterious virus known as Covid-19 began to make news at the end of 2019, work/life balance - always a precarious knife edge on which to exist - has been reinvented and re-examined for so many of us. (Hopefully, the examination will continue as we have learned a … Continue reading Joie 13 – Seeking Balance

This week, I again missed my Monday target date for new weekly posts. It's important for me to remember that posting on Mondays is a goal (and a good one; I like to be consistent) but that missing it doesn't make me a Bad Person. And remembering that is an excellent example of the principle … Continue reading Joie 12 – Downshifting

Whew - what a week! To twist the Bard into a pretzel, some weeks are born stressful, some have stress thrust upon them, and some achieve stressiness. (Apologies to Twelfth Night. I'll go put on cross-gartered yellow stockings as penance.) The last week just sort of got away from me with multiple responsibilities and obligations. But I … Continue reading Joie 11 – Updating!

One of the things that brings me joy is using the creative part of my brain and psyche. In fact, I consider it to be an "Essential." In my "day job," I teach law - an occupation I quite enjoy and one that rewards logical, methodical thinking. But it's a mistake - a BIG one! … Continue reading Joie 10 – Art Shows!

Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  The day has become "Read Across America Day," and the entire month of March is National Reading Month, so it's a great time to discuss the joy of books. Books are something that's always given me joy. My mother made sure I had a library card before I … Continue reading Joie 9 – Books!

I've kept a journal for years. Sometimes, it's more of a diary of what happened that day, sometimes it's more of "hey, I noticed this and it was cool," sometimes it's a list of things that inspired feelings of gratitude in me. Sometimes it's in paragraph form, sometimes it's a bullet-point list. Right now, I … Continue reading Joie 8 – Simplifying

Mid-to-late February is seldom my favorite time of the year. In North Carolina, it tends to be a dreary, wet, grey time, suitable for hunkering down and doing little, but it doesn't really lend itself to that - we're not in holiday time. Instead, this is a work-work-work time of year which makes respites all … Continue reading Joie 7 – Mardi Gras!

One of my true joys can, I think, be traced back to my childhood experiences with auctions. It's a running joke in my family that my dad's hobby was setting up housekeeping for three children via amazing buys at estate sales and auctions. I distinctly remember sitting in the living room of my very first … Continue reading Joie 6 – Upcycling!

Now that I'm a month in to my "Year of Joy," I'm ready to say that keeping a brief daily journal is a must. It lets me succinctly note splashes of joy that I come across during my day. I'm a True Believer in the notion of "as ye seek, so shall you find" and … Continue reading Joie 5 – Stretching!

I remember there used to be a bumper sticker that said, "My taste is simple. I only want the best." I also remember that I thought that was eye-rollingly arrogant and self-absorbed. (Then again, it's basically an Oscar Wilde quote, so . . . ) I still do, but I also sort of see the … Continue reading Joie 4 – Personal Best