365 Things to Smile About Day 54. Happy Reading

So I am officially done with homework for the week and was so excited I decided to just go crazy and kick up my heels and ..,lay down and read a fun, fiction book!!!!!

Lol!  Yes I'm a crazy person!!!  But laying back with a good book is the best way to relax right now:).   I can get lost in a great fantasy world and my stress goes down and I feel great!  So pick up a book soon and enjoy the adventure!!!

365 Things to Smile About Day 53. Laughing at Test Anxiety!

While there is all kinds of test anxieties, the test I am referring to here is not medical in nature...thank God!  Rather an academic test.  Specifically my online class on research!!    This week was our first test and tonight, after getting home from my walk, I finished up some reading and responded to the discussion questions online and did some review.

I felt so good that I decided to take the test today (Tuesday).  So I organized my notes (it was open book) and logged on to the test.  I had an hour and a half to do 24 questions!  Easy!  Not a problem! Well, 1 hour, 29 minutes and 57 seconds late I frantically pushed submit and watched the timer count all the way down to 1 second remaining before the message popped up that the test was submitted!  I literally started laughing hysterically as I wondered if my heart was going to pound right out of my chest!!!  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be!  My brain doesn't work in the traditional logical sense so what makes sense to me doesn't always mean I did it the right way.  So I spent a lot of time double checking my answers and reconfirming them and trying to logically (as prescribed by the class readings and notes) figure out the answers on indicating what the Independent and Dependent variables were and things like that.  I think I can safely say that while I will always greatly appreciate research in my field...I don't know as I would be very happy writing it!!!  And I will be looking for the book "Evaluating Research For Dummies" at some point I am sure!  My test is completed and turned in though so the stress of doing it is gone!  Now I just have to wait for the grade!  At least, even though it was a bit hysterical, I still found myself laughing tonight!!!!!

365 Things to Smile About Day 52. Simple

So today's thing that completely got me to smile was a picture. With Facebook these days there are lots of pictures that we scroll past that make us laugh or smile but once in a while we come across one where the smile isn't thought about. When it is so natural and genuine. Where the smile isn't just your mouth pulling up on either end but you feel a rush of happiness go through you because what you see is so wonderful you can't help it:). 

The picture I saw was of a friends baby. Most of my friends have kids and the pictures of their kids are so cute they always bring a smile to your face. For some reason the picture of this little guy brought a smile that went all the way to my toes!  He was sitting in a little chair and just had the biggest baby grin on his adorable little face!   His whole face was lit up like he was the happiest of God's creations and nothing in the world would ever change that!  It was one of those baby smiles that melts your heart and makes you wish you had a baby too. The smile that pulls at all the loving heart strings you have and all you can do is smile back with that rush of joy and happiness running through you!!!

365 Things to Smile About Day 51. The Lunar Eclipse

I think everyone who can is watching the lunar eclipse tonight and I was one of them!  I didn't stay out the whole time but I watched until it was completely covered!

It's kinda amazing to see what can happen in nature!  I've always been fascinated with space and the moon!  I couldn't see it well but I had a chance to look at it through binoculars which made it pop!!  A pretty amazing sight!!

The picture below is one of my attempts of catching the eclipse!

365 Things to Smile About Day 50 Pope Francis' Visit!

I have been watching some of the coverage of the Pope's visit on TV this week and have loved being able to see it all:).  It was so exciting to see someone I know (well, I know her more through friends than personally) perform for the pope!  Marie Miller did such a wonderful job!!!  She has an amazing voice and musical talent and she was up there, shining, with some pretty big names!!!

I actually had a chance to go to Philly for much of this but sadly had to decline as I couldn't miss that much school:(.  But then I reminded myself that I am not a huge fan of big crowds even with my white cane.  On top of which the people I would be going with, while wonderful people, don't really know me and I was not totally comfortable asking one of them to help me out with guiding through the crowds.  And while I am far away from chemo, having gone through that and going through surgical menopause...my energy level is not that of a 25 year old.  And yes, I know I am no where near 25 anymore anyway, in my head I feel like I should have that energy still.

So, putting all that aside, I have been loving watching the Holy Father and listening to what he has to say.  I noticed something tonight.  He came alive!  He has visited with the president and spoken to congress and the UN.  Each time he spoke to these large gatherings he was reserved, dignified and seemed to be holding back something.  That something came out tonight in his last address before he left the stage!  He was animated and smiling and pulling everyone there close to him with his words!  It was when he was talking about the family TO the families that it felt like he was getting excited and you had a feeling like he knew you inside and out and everyone there was a close friend, his parishioners that he takes care of.  There was just something I can't quite describe in words what I felt listening to him talk at the end.   And I can't help but smile and feel as if he was talking to me:)

365 Things to Smile About Day 49. A Good Movie!

I treated myself to a movie this afternoon after putting in some serious home work time.  I was ready for a break and had been seeing adds for a movie called The Intern that looked cute!  I am an Anne Hathaway fan and who doesn't like Robert DeNiro!?  Anyway, I trotted off to the theatre late this afternoon and settled in to watch:).

I wasn't disappointed either!  It isn't the greatest work of art or anything like that but it is a good movie!  It has great actors who just have that talent of grabbing your attention.  I also like the supporting actors who played their small roles in such a way that you remember them as much as the main characters!  The subtle humor worked in there nicely complimented the obvious humor and while it makes you laugh it also makes you cry a little, but not with body shaking sobs, rather with those two or three tears that sneak out!  It wasn't a "who done it" or a thriller but just a life story about people from two generations meeting and learning from each other as well as learning how to deal with what life throws your way without giving up.  About family in all it's various forms.  A story line told many different ways but I have to say, I enjoyed this particular telling:).

365 Things to Smile About Day 48. I think I Got It

It's a little thing but today's smile was about getting a concept in class.  I am taking a class on research and some of the concepts are difficult for to keep track of and others are just hard for me to understand.  One of them was involved in this week's discussion group.  I had read everything and couldn't remember reading about it so I went back over things a couple times.

Somehow I kept missing it so it was a struggle of going through other's discussions trying to figure out what I was suppose to be discussing specifically.  But I managed to figure it out and I think even gave a decent response!  That makes me feel pretty good!!  A small thing but an accomplishment!!