What made me happy today? You!
2013 is almost over. 2014 is almost here. I hope 2014 will be as great as 2013 has been!
So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for reading my ramblings. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Thank you for your kind words. And most of all, thank you for being awesome, and a part of my 'happy'.
As a wise person once said: happiness is not a destination, it is a journey. I want to add to that that it's not the destination that matters, but the journey. And my journey to happiness has been one hell of a ride!
When I set out to do this project, I often struggled to find happy things to write about. But as the days turned in to weeks, and the weeks turned in to months, I noticed that I was finding it easier and easier to find happy things to write about.
And if you're wondering if I'm actually happier now, I can honestly tell you: yes, I am. By making a conscious effort to focus on the good, positive things, and not dwell on the negative things, I actually feel happier. It's not even an effort any more. Of course there are still things that make me sad. That's normal. But I don't fret about the small things as much as I used to. I've learned a lot of things throughout this year.
You are responsible for your own life. You make your own destiny. You can do it.
So all that is left for me is this: happy New Year! May your blessings in 2014 be many! Keep your loved ones close, tell people how you feel about them, enjoy life (it's short), and do good things. Don't take it all to serious. Laugh. Love. Learn. Dream. Dance. Dare. Drink. Play. Read. Sing. Create. Cook. Bake. Wear sunscreen. Never ever drink and drive. Don't go to bed angry. Kiss. Hug. Enjoy.
Keep an eye on my twitter too see what 2014 will bring!
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
I'm back!
What made me happy today? I'm back!
Hi everyone! (Hi, Dr Nick!) I'm back from my vacation, and it was really great! If you are wondering what I did, please keep reading. You'll get a nice summary of my vacation, with some funny anecdotes!
Of course, it's always a sad thing when your vacation ends. There's no better remedy for that than starting to plan your next vacation ;-) London is calling again!
So, what have I been doing during my vacation? I went to the Ardennes with the BF and some friends. Because I like lists, here's a list of things I did/read/cooked etc.
I read the following books:
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.
- Bridget Jones's diary by Helen Fielding
- Bridget Jones: the edge of reason by Helen Fielding
- Bridget Jones: mad about the boy by Helen Fielding
- First and Only by Dan Abnett
- Ghostmaker by Dan Abnett
- Necropolis by Dan Abnett
- In Remembrance (a short story) by Dan Abnett
- Honour Guard by Dan Abnett
- The Guns of Tanith by Dan Abnett
- Straight Silver by Dan Abnett
- Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett
(the last 8 items in the list above are all part of the Gaunt's Ghosts story arc in the Warhammer 40K universe)
I made the following food:
- potato and corn chowder
- apple pie
- tomato-basil gnocchi bake
- apple and pear crumble
I also helped with the cheese fondue by slicing the cheese, but I take no credit for making it as the BF did that.
I laughed so hard an multiple occasions, below you can find the two that almost had me rolling on the floor with tears streaming down my face. Admittedly, the first one is cute, a bit embarrassing and funny. The second one is just down right funny.
- On the first Saturday, the BF and I went shopping. I'm not that short for a girl, but I can't reach the top shelves in the supermarket we went to. Usually, there's little steps around for people who need them. But the isle with the coffee didn't have one. Of course, the coffee I needed was all the way in the back of the top shelve. My BF, being about 20 cm taller than me, can reach this rather easy. So I ask him to please get the coffee for me. But that's not what he decided to do. Nope. He walks over to me, and instead of grabbing the coffee, he grabs me and lifts me up in the air so I can grab the pack of coffee. Not what I intended, but you can't argue with the results ;-) I do have to say that a lot of people we watching, but most of them seemed to think it was sweet.
- For the second one, I'll need to give you some background info. Two of the friends that were on vacation with us, often act like an old, married couple. They aren't married, nor are they romantically involved. They just play a lot of games together, and bicker all the time. On Thursday, it was one of the two's turn to cook. He was making mac and cheese, but needed some help with the cheese sauce part. As most of us were otherwise occupied, the other one headed over to help. Turns out they can't even make cheese sauce together without bickering. 'Alright, add some of the cheese. No! Not like that! That's too much!' 'But you said...' 'I said to add some cheese, not all the cheese!' Etc. etc. In the end, the mac and cheese was very delicious, but by the time they managed to get the sauce done the other 5 of us were in stitches, crying with laughter and almost rolling over the floor. Those two are precisely like an old, married couple.
We also lighted the fireplace every evening, for added warmth and coziness. Drinks were drunk, food was eaten, good times were had by all. It was a lot of fun, too bad it all was over so quickly! Good thing that the next break is right around the corner!
Happy Monday :-)
Hi everyone! (Hi, Dr Nick!) I'm back from my vacation, and it was really great! If you are wondering what I did, please keep reading. You'll get a nice summary of my vacation, with some funny anecdotes!
Of course, it's always a sad thing when your vacation ends. There's no better remedy for that than starting to plan your next vacation ;-) London is calling again!
So, what have I been doing during my vacation? I went to the Ardennes with the BF and some friends. Because I like lists, here's a list of things I did/read/cooked etc.
I read the following books:
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.
- Bridget Jones's diary by Helen Fielding
- Bridget Jones: the edge of reason by Helen Fielding
- Bridget Jones: mad about the boy by Helen Fielding
- First and Only by Dan Abnett
- Ghostmaker by Dan Abnett
- Necropolis by Dan Abnett
- In Remembrance (a short story) by Dan Abnett
- Honour Guard by Dan Abnett
- The Guns of Tanith by Dan Abnett
- Straight Silver by Dan Abnett
- Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett
(the last 8 items in the list above are all part of the Gaunt's Ghosts story arc in the Warhammer 40K universe)
I made the following food:
- potato and corn chowder
- apple pie
- tomato-basil gnocchi bake
- apple and pear crumble
I also helped with the cheese fondue by slicing the cheese, but I take no credit for making it as the BF did that.
I laughed so hard an multiple occasions, below you can find the two that almost had me rolling on the floor with tears streaming down my face. Admittedly, the first one is cute, a bit embarrassing and funny. The second one is just down right funny.
- On the first Saturday, the BF and I went shopping. I'm not that short for a girl, but I can't reach the top shelves in the supermarket we went to. Usually, there's little steps around for people who need them. But the isle with the coffee didn't have one. Of course, the coffee I needed was all the way in the back of the top shelve. My BF, being about 20 cm taller than me, can reach this rather easy. So I ask him to please get the coffee for me. But that's not what he decided to do. Nope. He walks over to me, and instead of grabbing the coffee, he grabs me and lifts me up in the air so I can grab the pack of coffee. Not what I intended, but you can't argue with the results ;-) I do have to say that a lot of people we watching, but most of them seemed to think it was sweet.
- For the second one, I'll need to give you some background info. Two of the friends that were on vacation with us, often act like an old, married couple. They aren't married, nor are they romantically involved. They just play a lot of games together, and bicker all the time. On Thursday, it was one of the two's turn to cook. He was making mac and cheese, but needed some help with the cheese sauce part. As most of us were otherwise occupied, the other one headed over to help. Turns out they can't even make cheese sauce together without bickering. 'Alright, add some of the cheese. No! Not like that! That's too much!' 'But you said...' 'I said to add some cheese, not all the cheese!' Etc. etc. In the end, the mac and cheese was very delicious, but by the time they managed to get the sauce done the other 5 of us were in stitches, crying with laughter and almost rolling over the floor. Those two are precisely like an old, married couple.
We also lighted the fireplace every evening, for added warmth and coziness. Drinks were drunk, food was eaten, good times were had by all. It was a lot of fun, too bad it all was over so quickly! Good thing that the next break is right around the corner!
Happy Monday :-)
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Harry Potter
What made me happy today? Harry Potter!
I have always loved books. I learned to read pretty early, and loved (still love) reading. Books offered me an escape from this world. I've hinted at it before, but I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Wondering how that happened? Well, let me tell you :-)
It's the late 90s. I was a teenager at that time, having a bit of a rough time in school, as I felt like I didn't have any real friends. That got better, but that might be a story for another day. My mom had bought a book for my sister, thinking she'd like it. It was about a boy, living under the stairs at his horrible aunt and uncle's. Then he finds out he's a wizard. My sister didn't care for it at all. I had read Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz, and noted some similarities. So I decided to give the book a try. If you're guessing I'm talking about 'Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone' you're absolutely right. I loved it. As soon as I found out there were more books, I dragged my mother to the store to get them. The last two books I read in English, because I couldn't wait for the Dutch translation :-)
I've also mentioned before that I cry rather easily when watching or reading something emotional. I don't think I ever cried harder than when *spoiler alert* Dumbledore was killed. Or when Snape confessed his undying love for Lily ("After all this time?" "Always.") Or when Dobby dies. I could go on, but I won't. I'm also not going to elaborate on which scenes are my favorites, as there's way too many to list (McGonagall giggling like a little schoolgirl after using the 'piertotum locomotor' spell, Molly Weasley yelling 'that's my daughter you b*tch' and killing Bellatrix, Harry riding on Buckbeack for the first time, etc.).
But why is this my happy thing of the day? Because I stumbled across a few brilliant Harry Potter related posts:
- Harry's bitchy face
- What happened after the books
- Some rare illustrations
- The Harry Potter alphabet
- Harry Potter ink
- Harry Potter tumblr
Enjoy, until the very end.
All was well.
Always.
I have always loved books. I learned to read pretty early, and loved (still love) reading. Books offered me an escape from this world. I've hinted at it before, but I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Wondering how that happened? Well, let me tell you :-)
It's the late 90s. I was a teenager at that time, having a bit of a rough time in school, as I felt like I didn't have any real friends. That got better, but that might be a story for another day. My mom had bought a book for my sister, thinking she'd like it. It was about a boy, living under the stairs at his horrible aunt and uncle's. Then he finds out he's a wizard. My sister didn't care for it at all. I had read Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz, and noted some similarities. So I decided to give the book a try. If you're guessing I'm talking about 'Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone' you're absolutely right. I loved it. As soon as I found out there were more books, I dragged my mother to the store to get them. The last two books I read in English, because I couldn't wait for the Dutch translation :-)
I've also mentioned before that I cry rather easily when watching or reading something emotional. I don't think I ever cried harder than when *spoiler alert* Dumbledore was killed. Or when Snape confessed his undying love for Lily ("After all this time?" "Always.") Or when Dobby dies. I could go on, but I won't. I'm also not going to elaborate on which scenes are my favorites, as there's way too many to list (McGonagall giggling like a little schoolgirl after using the 'piertotum locomotor' spell, Molly Weasley yelling 'that's my daughter you b*tch' and killing Bellatrix, Harry riding on Buckbeack for the first time, etc.).
But why is this my happy thing of the day? Because I stumbled across a few brilliant Harry Potter related posts:
- Harry's bitchy face
- What happened after the books
- Some rare illustrations
- The Harry Potter alphabet
- Harry Potter ink
- Harry Potter tumblr
Enjoy, until the very end.
All was well.
Always.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Books, books, books!
What made me happy today? Books, books, books!
Since my trip to London, I'm surrounded by books I still have to read. I love books. Ever since I was young, I've loved to read. It's my favorite way to spend a rainy evening inside. On the couch, with a cup of tea, under my blanket, curled up with a good book. You might even say I'm addicted to them!
Just in case you were wondering: this is my favorite book at the moment :-)
Since my trip to London, I'm surrounded by books I still have to read. I love books. Ever since I was young, I've loved to read. It's my favorite way to spend a rainy evening inside. On the couch, with a cup of tea, under my blanket, curled up with a good book. You might even say I'm addicted to them!
Just in case you were wondering: this is my favorite book at the moment :-)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The fault in our stars
What made me happy today? The fault in our stars.
I while ago I did a post about a new Youtube channel I discovered. Turns out that John Green (one of the people behind mental floss) writes books as well. I now he mentioned it some Youtube videos, but I hadn't really given it much thought until I saw that the background picture for the Adult Nerdfighter group contains a quote from a book written by... John Green! The quote is 'I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once', from the fault in our stars. This piqued my curiosity and whilst on vacation I decided to check out this book.
Wow. What a book. To say it with the words of Bernard Black: you'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll change your life. Okay, it didn't change my life that much except for the massive book-hangover. But I laughed more than once. And if you're on the sensitive side, you may want to keep a box of tissues nearby. I bawled my eyes out more than once when reading this book.
And I have to hand it to John Green: even though this book deals with a rather heavy subject (cancer in kids/teenagers), it never becomes overly preachy or whiny or something like that. Nope, he manages to keep a nice pace going and tells a fantastic story. No worries, no spoilers this time!
So all I can say is: head on over to your local bookstore and grab a copy of the fault in our stars. Stop by the supermarket on your way home to buy some tissues though... You can thank me later!
Oh, and a big thank you to the Adult Nerdfighters, without them it might have taken me way longer to find and read this book!
I while ago I did a post about a new Youtube channel I discovered. Turns out that John Green (one of the people behind mental floss) writes books as well. I now he mentioned it some Youtube videos, but I hadn't really given it much thought until I saw that the background picture for the Adult Nerdfighter group contains a quote from a book written by... John Green! The quote is 'I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once', from the fault in our stars. This piqued my curiosity and whilst on vacation I decided to check out this book.
Wow. What a book. To say it with the words of Bernard Black: you'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll change your life. Okay, it didn't change my life that much except for the massive book-hangover. But I laughed more than once. And if you're on the sensitive side, you may want to keep a box of tissues nearby. I bawled my eyes out more than once when reading this book.
And I have to hand it to John Green: even though this book deals with a rather heavy subject (cancer in kids/teenagers), it never becomes overly preachy or whiny or something like that. Nope, he manages to keep a nice pace going and tells a fantastic story. No worries, no spoilers this time!
So all I can say is: head on over to your local bookstore and grab a copy of the fault in our stars. Stop by the supermarket on your way home to buy some tissues though... You can thank me later!
Oh, and a big thank you to the Adult Nerdfighters, without them it might have taken me way longer to find and read this book!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Switzerland
What made me happy today? I had an awesome vacation in Switzerland!
We left on Saturday morning, around 6 AM. Blah indeed. The trip seemed to take forever. It was hot, and there was some traffic. But the BF and I had loads of fun in the car :-) And when we arrived in Vissoie, it was all worth it. The view from the cabin was just breathtaking!
I'm not going to bore you with a detailed story of what we did and where we went, I'm just going to give you the highlights.
-How to keep your drinks cool, Swiss style:
-Raclette, locally made!
-Hiking up a mountain (700m ascent), to that white building you can see at the top:
-I was so proud for doing it, even though I looked like hell:
-But it was all worth it, because they served an amazing blueberry pie!
-And we did a hike towards a glacier!
-No, you're not allowed to swim here.
-Really not! (this lake feeds a huge reservoir which is used for hydro-electricity. They open up valves as needed, so it's not smart to swim here. And you'd freeze as well, the glacier feeds this lake directly)
-Edelweiss!
-Real Swiss cheese fondue (so tasty, this one was with two kinds of mushrooms)
-The best chips in the world :-)
It was a lot of fun. I got a lot of reading done as well, had some fantastic quality time with my BF and his parents, saw some amazing sights, celebrated the Swiss national holiday with fireworks and got a bit of a tan! Too bad it all went by so fast!
We left on Saturday morning, around 6 AM. Blah indeed. The trip seemed to take forever. It was hot, and there was some traffic. But the BF and I had loads of fun in the car :-) And when we arrived in Vissoie, it was all worth it. The view from the cabin was just breathtaking!
I'm not going to bore you with a detailed story of what we did and where we went, I'm just going to give you the highlights.
-How to keep your drinks cool, Swiss style:
-Raclette, locally made!
-Hiking up a mountain (700m ascent), to that white building you can see at the top:
-I was so proud for doing it, even though I looked like hell:
-But it was all worth it, because they served an amazing blueberry pie!
-And we did a hike towards a glacier!
-No, you're not allowed to swim here.
-Really not! (this lake feeds a huge reservoir which is used for hydro-electricity. They open up valves as needed, so it's not smart to swim here. And you'd freeze as well, the glacier feeds this lake directly)
-Edelweiss!
-Real Swiss cheese fondue (so tasty, this one was with two kinds of mushrooms)
-The best chips in the world :-)
It was a lot of fun. I got a lot of reading done as well, had some fantastic quality time with my BF and his parents, saw some amazing sights, celebrated the Swiss national holiday with fireworks and got a bit of a tan! Too bad it all went by so fast!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Books
What made me happy today? I love books!
I love reading. A lot. I read tons of books. I have tons of books. That's also one of the reasons I got an e-reader. An e-reader can store a whole lot of books, and doesn't take up that much space. Yes, I kind of ran out of space for actual paper books :-s
Reading is awesome, as this article shows. Books allow me to escape into a different world. They allow me to live out fantasies, dreams, hopes, wishes and tons of other things. Yes, I have cried over the deaths of fictional characters. Yes, I've had that moment when you finish a great book and don't know how to move on with your life after that.
Yes, I have frantically searched to obtain that one missing book from a series. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I'm talking about the elusive last two books in the Sector General series. One of which my mom found in a little bookstore, on a shelve in the back. The other one was found in America, by my sister and brother-in-law. When I got them, I actually shed a tear (or more) from pure joy. I love Sector General. Years ago, I picked up a copy at a big book-sale. It caught my eye because it's a hospital in space. I know, I know, that just screams nerd / geek. What can I say... I love sci-fi and medical stuff. Combine them and boom! Instant happy me :-)
I started reading books at the same age most people do. But I quickly started reading the more advanced books as well. I'm not always sure that that was a great idea, but hey. You love books and your parents just gave you a huge box of their old books. Then again, I read Uncle Tom's Cabin when I was ten. Bad idea. A lot of crying ensued, and my parents really had to put that one into context for me. I sincerely doubt that I'd let my kids read that book when they're ten.
But books are great. There is so much knowledge contained in the pages. And then there is that 'old book' smell. They should make a perfume like that :-)
So pick up a book today, at your local bookstore or library and whisk yourself away into another world.
I love reading. A lot. I read tons of books. I have tons of books. That's also one of the reasons I got an e-reader. An e-reader can store a whole lot of books, and doesn't take up that much space. Yes, I kind of ran out of space for actual paper books :-s
Reading is awesome, as this article shows. Books allow me to escape into a different world. They allow me to live out fantasies, dreams, hopes, wishes and tons of other things. Yes, I have cried over the deaths of fictional characters. Yes, I've had that moment when you finish a great book and don't know how to move on with your life after that.
Yes, I have frantically searched to obtain that one missing book from a series. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I'm talking about the elusive last two books in the Sector General series. One of which my mom found in a little bookstore, on a shelve in the back. The other one was found in America, by my sister and brother-in-law. When I got them, I actually shed a tear (or more) from pure joy. I love Sector General. Years ago, I picked up a copy at a big book-sale. It caught my eye because it's a hospital in space. I know, I know, that just screams nerd / geek. What can I say... I love sci-fi and medical stuff. Combine them and boom! Instant happy me :-)
I started reading books at the same age most people do. But I quickly started reading the more advanced books as well. I'm not always sure that that was a great idea, but hey. You love books and your parents just gave you a huge box of their old books. Then again, I read Uncle Tom's Cabin when I was ten. Bad idea. A lot of crying ensued, and my parents really had to put that one into context for me. I sincerely doubt that I'd let my kids read that book when they're ten.
But books are great. There is so much knowledge contained in the pages. And then there is that 'old book' smell. They should make a perfume like that :-)
So pick up a book today, at your local bookstore or library and whisk yourself away into another world.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Bank holiday
What made me happy today? Having a perfect day off!
Today's a Bank holiday in Belgium, which means no work! Having a day off during the week is always nice, but it's even nicer when you can have fun :-)
Last night I went to the BF, who cooked dinner for me. Nothing fancy, but still very tasty pasta with cheese sauce. After that we watched Laputa: castle in the sky, another must-see anime movie from Studio Ghibli. This 1986 movie is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who made a ton of amazing anime and manga.
I woke up pretty early this morning, I'm not always a great sleeper and decided to finally start reading Philip K. Dick's 'the man in the high castle'. It's a shame I never got around to reading this sooner, as this 1962 book is a classic. It portrays a world in which Germany defeated Russia and Japan defeated the USA in the second World War. I got half-way through before it was time to get some chores done. Ah, the joys of adult life ;-)
And to finish off this day I'm going to have my new favorite food for dinner, followed by some episodes of Castle.
Hope your day was as great as mine!
Today's a Bank holiday in Belgium, which means no work! Having a day off during the week is always nice, but it's even nicer when you can have fun :-)
Last night I went to the BF, who cooked dinner for me. Nothing fancy, but still very tasty pasta with cheese sauce. After that we watched Laputa: castle in the sky, another must-see anime movie from Studio Ghibli. This 1986 movie is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who made a ton of amazing anime and manga.
I woke up pretty early this morning, I'm not always a great sleeper and decided to finally start reading Philip K. Dick's 'the man in the high castle'. It's a shame I never got around to reading this sooner, as this 1962 book is a classic. It portrays a world in which Germany defeated Russia and Japan defeated the USA in the second World War. I got half-way through before it was time to get some chores done. Ah, the joys of adult life ;-)
And to finish off this day I'm going to have my new favorite food for dinner, followed by some episodes of Castle.
Hope your day was as great as mine!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)