Thin Slices of Joy
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SarahMaude - I totally agree that "inconvenienced time wins over no time". Another thin slice of joy that I would see in your encounter is how you said the two of them just seemed to really enjoy each other so much. I can truly find joy in other people experiencing joy, and it sounds like the two who were there with you found so much joy in each other that it was infectious. Nice little story. (I'm also very sorry that it took 3 pokes for you!)
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Hello thin slicers and welcome to the newbies! It has been a long time since I was on the site, and since the "bugs" with the new platform seem to have been worked out, am trying to catch up.
sarahmaude - Quilt is lovely. How lucky to have this talent! Enjoyed the story about the french toast.
oldladyblue - Great doggo picture - a Westie?
jazzy - We just came back from vacay in Chesapeake Bay area and oddly enough, in the "wild" area approaching the beach, we saw small blooming cacti very similar to your photo.
Re: new appliances - On 1/4/22 we ordered new range (in stock, so delivered 1/7) and dishwasher, fridge and range hood expected to be delivered in 4-7 months. Within 6 weeks, all were delivered! Old ones were "almond" and about 25 years old. New ones are fabulous - a big slice of joy, indeed!
Bye for now.
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Celiac, welcome back. Bugs are way better than March. Still some annoyances, but I’m able to manage without feeling too frustrated. Glad I’m not one with a malfunctioning signature line ore profile error.I remember almond! Our first fridge was that color. All of our follow on appliances have been white. The dishwasher is stainless because that is all that was in stock. Now I’ve heard white is coming back. At this point I just needed functioning!
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CeliaC - I'm originally from the northeast and people there tell me that there are now cacti growing near the beaches 😳
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Serenitystat - love the monstera - I might go looking for one today!
Saramaude - I'm on my last towel - will post pictures once they're off the loom and finished. No doubt you've seen Hawaiian quilting - I think the monstera leaf would be beautiful in that form.
My thin slice of joy - monsoons started yesterday and we actually had rain, glorious rain, thunder, and lightening, throughout the evening and all night long! This is the first moisture here in about 77 days - probably a record. (actually, it spit a bit on Tuesday, but just enough to put dust spots on the windshield) I'm worried about the communities in northern New Mexico that are suffereng through the Calf's Canyon/Hermit's Peak fire. Rain there likely means flooding and postfire debris flows, which can be devastating. But at the same time, it is a welcome thing - to combat the fire, fill our streams and aquifers, and coax life out of both parched and burned lands.
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Hi Sallred - I live here in New Mexico too. So grateful for the monsoons but know the burn scar areas are at high risk 🙏
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I've enjoyed Arizona Highways for many years and indulged in New Mexico magazine last year. Now I can list all the restaurants that sound good & check with with Jazzy before I go. This week I decided since I'm not traveling yet, I would at least do more armchair travel & research. Ordered the Colorado Outdoors magazine AND the Hawaii magazine. I have been assured these are not the tourist magazines left in hotel rooms, but have in depth features about those states. Oh the pictures of HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Minustwo, Travel magazines sound really nice! I’m trying to think of something to do between chemo and radiation. Probably a driving thing, I’m not ready to cram into a tin can full of questionably well people yet
jazzygirl, I’ve never been to New Mexico. NASA has the White Sands test facility there. I’m pretty sure my brother did some work around there at a time I’d like to see NM someday. I have been to Tucson. It was gorgeous though very hot! Some amazing food there at a place that had meat hanging above an outdoor dining area.
Sallyred, agree that a Hawaiian style reverse appliqué would be a good way to feature a monstera leaf. It’s on my mental list. The monsoons sound so different from my experience in North Alabama. Hard to imagine flooding carrying burn debris. It’s how nature works, but keeping people away from harm has to be a worry. Still interested in seeing your weaving.
I was able to do some work on my appliqué blocks. I’ve got two more and I’ll actually be up to date for the year. Normally, I’d have finished 3-4 large tops by this time in the calendar year. I’ve got one quilt hanging on my design wall that I only have to assemble. I really don’t feel all that bad about it though. The quilt will wait on me. There is no point in turning my quilt making into a chore. I’ll get back to it when I feel like it. I’m glad to know I have projects waiting for that day when I’m ready
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I have spent the last 4 mornings in the garden cleaning up from winter and months of neglect. Such a slice of joy to be physically able to get out there and get dirty and sweaty in Florida's 90 degree heat.
Fixing cracks with gold! What a great idea and a good idea for life overall (gold in life = thin slices of joy, right??!!)
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Serenitystat,
What a fabulous idea! I'm so glad to find this thread. I'm making the commitment to find my thin slices of joy!
Cathe
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Jazzygirl and others - I believe that New Mexico is the most beautiful state in the nation! I know it's not for everyone - which is just fine; we don't have enough water to support lots of people coming here to live, and part of its charm is the vast open landscapes and dark skies.
sarahmaude, my towels are off the loom and washed - the first stage of "wet finishing" them. Rather than iron them, I am going to mangle them - cold pressing them flat with a marble rolling pin. Then hemming, and they'll be ready to show!
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oldladyblue, I think being healthy enough to garden in Florida's 90 degree heat is an amazing slice of joy! There is something so satisfying about enjoying the results of garden work. Even finally planting some of my empty porch pots would be a good accomplishment. Maybe this weekend I can at least do that. You've sparked my wish to get that done.
kathrynw1thasea, so glad to see you here! I know we share a common way to spark our personal joy...I know you being here is going to be good for us all. I had to double take, and was so happy to see you were actually here!
sallyred, I love the thought of mangling with a marble rolling pin. Sounds very satisfying.
I haven't made it to our new plant store yet, but I did find their website. Was drooling over this monstera hanging basket.
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Hi ladies, you make me smile. Coming on this thread helps me find more slices of joy for sure! Cathe welcome! I used to live in Reserve NM two decades ago Jazzy. I loved the night sky, the empty places to walk, and the bats in the dark. When you are ready sally I'd love to see your towels. Sarah that swiss cheese plant is beautiful, wish I had one too.
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Celia - Welcome back! I still love my newish appliances. Yours must be incredible after replacing "almond" ones.
Jazzy, sallyred - I've never been to NM. Hope you both are safe from fires and mudslides. Do you have aloe arborescens growing there? I've seen pictures of them grown as a huge hedge, a "wall of water".
Minus - I'm not traveling either. My husband went to 2 conferences earlier this year. If not for the pandemic, I would've gone with him. Good thing I'm a homebody.
SarahMaude, sallyred, oldladyblue - Earlier in this thread I posted an article on the mental health benefits of making things (includes gardening and baking). So I've been working on plant care and baking. It helps.
kathrynw1sea - Welcome to the thread! Finding those little moments of joy becomes easier as you build the habit.
SarahMaude - That's a beautiful plant (monstera adansonii). I have monstera deliciosa. They're both vining plants. The first remains small. The second can get very large.
The other day we were awakened by loud knocking at 5:30. Firefighters asked to see our basement since the neighboring townhomes were flooded from torrential rains. We were fine. I told my older daughter later.
Daughter: "Were they hot?"
Me: "Isn't it a job requirement?"
I used to work at the Old Port. I passed the fire department every day. On nice days, they placed their exercise bikes by the open garage door so we could marvel at them. They even took pictures with tourists. Very cute.
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My older brother got his 2nd booster last week, tested COVID+ the next day after developing mild symptoms, repainted a bathroom, and tested negative today. He had 3 days of + tests. Go vaccines!
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oh you made me LOL with your daughter's question about the firefighters!!
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Here’s one about my younger daughter. My MIL emailed a recipe using Nutella that she knows my daughter loves. It also used oats that she doesn’t love. Knowing she would never try the recipe, I could only reply, “She’s a purist. She takes Nutella straight now. 😀”
It’s not a lie. She eats the stuff by the spoonful. Don’t know where she puts it. She’s so thin. But MIL was amused. 👍
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Hahaha, Nutella by the spoonful.
I went to the VA Hosp yesterday for a blood draw and a man got in our elevator mad at the world. The other guy in the elevator told him a joke. I laughed, he didn't. So then I got two more jokes told to me after grumpy got off. Thin slice of joy that still is making me smile. I hope that vet keeps telling jokes to strangers.
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Love the thought of someone telling jokes to strangers. 👍
Hope the grumpy guy can feel less mad even for a moment.
My younger daughter is making English muffins. 😋
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Hi Ladies! Thanks for the warm welcomes. It’s an odd coincidence to see the plants. I too decided to take another try at having a green thumb. I bought 4 baby Aloe Vera plants last week. Granted, they are recommended by my RO for treatments starting in September, but what the heck? You gotta start somewhere, right? I’ve managed not to kill the rubber plant my office gave me in March or the orchid my best friends gave me in May.
On the other hand, the weeds in my patio aren’t too happy with their vinegar spritz. I too have several empty pots on the patio in need of some green growie things. I usually have a rather tall bougainvillea by this point in the summer, but my garage got too cold for it during our last big freeze here in Dallas. I fell in love with the yellow/peach bougainvillea that I had during my years in LA. I can hardly ever find that color here and it’s hard to keep it alive in this climate zone.Serenitystat, I’d like to read that article on the link between creating and mental health if you still have it handy. I’ve been trying to get back into quilting and oil painting to recapture the pleasure they have given me in the past.
Sarahmaude, yep it’s me. For some reason my sign off often cuts off my name. Apparently it doesn’t like “Catherine”!
That plant is amazing! What sun exposure does it like? I’m guessing it’s a house plant?I found a slice of joy this week! I’ve introduced my Mom (who has been here with me since March, G-d love her) to the Hulu show “Only Murders in the Building”. We have been watching season 1 all week in preparation for the start of season 2. If you love Steve Martin and Martin Short, you have to watch it! Selena Gomez is surprisingly good as well.
Hope everyone is staying cool and has a fabulous 4th of July weekend.
CatherineHey look! It let me have all my letters
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Catherine - I have killed many plants over the decades and worked on rescuing my own plants. I now have many aloes and have even gotten my orchids to rebloom. The monsteras like bright, indirect light. One of my monsteras gets morning sunlight and has grown quickly. I enjoyed "Only Murders in the Building ", too. Will watch season 2.
Here's the article from 2016.
Creative Activities Like Baking and Knitting Boost Mental Well-Being
Research has already shown us that making art is a good stress reliever, even if your skill level is more kindergartener than Picasso. Now a new study from the University of Otago in New Zealand suggests that these mood-boosting effects can be gained from even the most straightforward crafts. As the Independent reports, knitting, baking, crocheting, and jam-making were all found to produce an "upward spiral" effect that carried over to the following day.
For the study, published last month in The Journal of Positive Psychology, researchers from the university's department of psychology asked 658 students to record their daily experiences and emotional states in a diary for 13 days. Following the days when subjects took part in something creative, they reported feelings of positive personal growth that psychology defines as "flourishing." In addition to crafts and cooking, researchers also cited painting, sketching, writing, musical performance, and digital design as some common creative activities students completed.
These results shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's experienced the zen-like effects of knitting a scarf or crocheting a blanket. According to the Craft Yarn Council, stress relief and creative fulfillment are the top two reasons knitters and crocheters give for partaking in the hobbies. Baking has also been touted as a form of therapy, with some mental health clinics using time in the kitchen as a treatment for depression. Another benefit of improving your mood through creativity is that the results of your labors can be shared with others—so if you're still in need of gifts for the holidays, we suggest heading to the craft store and reaping some of the benefits yourself.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/89492/creative-activities-baking-and-knitting-boost-mental-well-being
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Thanks for reproducing that craft article Serenity. Great read & good advice.
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Here’s an article on gardening benefits.
Why is gardening so good for your mental and physical health?
With a growing body of research backing the idea that gardening can have measurable benefits to both mental and physical health, barely a week goes by in the horticultural press without a story on the positive impact it can have. As a geeky scientist, however, I wanted to know what it is specifically about growing plants that has this effect – and if we can answer this question could we make gardening an even more effective therapeutic exercise?
What is it about gardening which has such a remarkable therapeutic effect?
Put people on treadmills in front of screens projecting different views and those looking at green environments felt the exercise to be easier, had improved mood and better self-esteem than those without a view. However, when similar exercise experiments were run showing the same view either in black and white or with a red filter, they did not show the same benefits as those with the predominantly green view.
In theory this could mean simply that growing more evergreen plants could help boost the therapeutic efficacy of gardening. Does it have to be plants at all? Could just painting fences green have this effect? Or – dare I say it – would plastic plants trigger a similar response?
Well, research has shown that mindfulness exercises that focus one's attention on the here and now and stop our minds wandering to the past or worrying about the future are an important therapeutic tool. Gardening is a classic example of such a mindfulness exercise, where you clear out extraneous thoughts and focus on what is in front of you, especially given the seasonal nature of gardening. In fact, many Eastern cultures that have a long tradition of mindfulness are fixated on the beauty of seasonal plants, such as cherry blossom, precisely because of their transience, not in spite of it. So, in my opinion, fake plants and a green fence are unlikely to provide the full benefit.
Likewise, it is often said that one of the key benefits of gardening has to do with the social interactions it can foster and that, good for you though all that greenery can be, it's people that matter.
Indeed, studies conducted at community gardens found that gardening in such places has a significant positive impact on one of the key factors behind poor mental health – loneliness and isolation. One easy way to do this is to put more time and energy into your front garden. I have found that gardening like this instantly starts more conversations with neighbours, though, for introverts like me, chatting with half a dozen strangers a day does not always come naturally (even given the benefit of all the green plants).
It seems that attempting to isolate the benefits of horticulture down to a scientific set of instructions is far trickier than one might think. Each of these benefits appears to play only a small part in a much more complex puzzle, and the relative importance of each piece is likely to vary enormously for each person, to the point where they are often contradictory. When it comes to horticultural therapy, the best advice is it doesn't matter how you do it, just do it the way that works best for you.
Follow James on Twitter @Botanygeek
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SerenitySTAT - What a nice blurb by James Wong. Thanks for posting it. I have never been able to get into gardening and I wished for many years that I could, because so many that I've known over the years just described such a "little piece of heaven" in their lives when they engaged in it. I remember people at work telling me things like how they couldn't wait to get home, so they could get out and garden because it just took them to their "happy place". I even made a few attempts over the years, but to no avail. This article made me think about my father, who made it to 91. When he and my mother bought our family home when I was about in the 6th grade, he took up gardening and he built himself a small little red brick shade patio out under some big fir trees in our yard, and that became his "little bit of heaven", his "getaway", his "man cave" if you will. I never really thought about it, but after reading this article, I can't help but wonder if it didn't not only contribute to his mental and physical health, but also to his overall longevity.
I live in an apartment now, so no yard to try to garden in, but I did initially get interested in trying to do some "balcony gardening" and when I first moved in I bought some plants, but they all died. I've always had a brown thumb with house plants, and then those outdoor balcony plants fared no better. I've also noticed that new people who move in here and seem to start balcony gardening with great gusto, are never successful. All the plants they start seem to die, and a few survive, but don't look so good. I don't know if there is special technique required or if this place just isn't conducive, but I for one, have given up on the idea of gardening even though I wish I could get what others get out of it.
James Wong also discussed the "just green" thing though, and I do think that that is where I get my "thin slice of joy" here. The first apartment I lived in here was arranged in such a way that my computer faced a bare wall. I was always going to put a picture of an outdoor scene there, but it never happened. I had to move to my current apartment, because they needed to renovate the old one. This time the set up let's me have my computer in front of a window looking out on a green courtyard, and I realize I would never go back to the old set up. This is so good, even necessary I think now, for my mental health - to sit here and watch the seasons and weather changes throughout the days and months.
I've come to the conclusion that if one can't garden, the next best thing is to simply get out in nature and enjoy the gardening that others do. The best thing I do these days for my mental health; i.e. my "biggest" "thin slice of joy" these days is to take walks over in a residential area where others do garden and there is a big hill to walk up that is topped off with very old and large fir trees. I think it's the closest thing I can get to "hiking" these days. It's a real joy to have this residential area so nearby my very urban area where I live (business district on a main and highly travelled road). A short walk and I am in a part of the city that was annexed later, so got developed more slowly. It still has areas of no side walks, unpaved driveways, and lots of overgrown yards, fir trees, pine cones and needles all over the ground, etc. I just love walking over, up the hill there, and looking at all the yards and plants throughout the season changes. I really do think that just taking in all that green (in plant form) gives me almost what gardening would, and what James Wong speaks to.
This has been a long a rambling post, but the James Wong piece really spoke to me. Thanks to anyone who took the time to read all of this!
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threetree - I have learned that we each have to find what thing brings us joy. If gardening doesn’t work for you, there are so many other things to try. Your walk in nature is fantastic. It’s similar to forest bathing that I’ve posted about before. Here’s a new article on it.
Feeling Sick, Tired or Tense? Try "Forest Bathing"
Why is it so healthy to spend time walking through the un-built environment?
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Serenity - Just read the article, thanks. Yes, I think where I go is the closest I can get to a "forest" (yeah, right) on a regular basis, but it does the trick. Even though I don't garden, I sure appreciate everybody else's. I'm actually planning to head out and over to that area in an hour or so. This time as I walk, I will think of it as "forest bathing" (well, kinda/sorta). It will be the "least urban of urban bathing".
I actually heard a blurb on the radio the other day that scientists have concluded that just looking at pictures of trees can have similar positive effects to those described in the article. Makes me think about how we all came from nature and are a big part of it. Can't really ever separate ourselves from it, and immersing ourselves in it can bring back some much needed perspective.
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As I approach my final chemo date, I'm feeling really strong. I've been able to catch up on my quilt blocks of the month. I went shopping at our new plant store here in our city and got a really pretty Geopertia/Calathea zebrinia. Gorgeous zebra striped leaves. Turns out it must be a cousin to a plant that I bought in about 2002 that is huge and lush. It gives me hope that it will also do well with my tendency to wait too long to water.
Here is one of my recently completed quilt blocks:
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Time along the CT coast with beloved family and friends
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Great to see this twice, since I caught it on another thread. Hope your vacation is WONDERFUL.
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Fabulous fireworks over the water last night
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