Sunday, January 17, 2016

Instant Happy Journal (and Enormous Smallness)


Just time for a quick update this morning. My son and his wife are visiting from Chicago, and we spent a lovely day Friday with them and my older son and his family. That night we unexpectedly headed with my dad to the ER. He has a bowel obstruction and the doctors are trying to determine if he needs surgery over this holiday weekend. I'm headed back to the hospital in a bit. Here's a little of my reading week....



What I Read

Instant Happy Journal: 365 Days of Inspiration, Gratitude and Joy by Karen Salmansohn

You want to be happy. Of course you do. We all do.

Did you know there are lots of little tricks to instantly make you happier? No, they don't often tell us that.

Well, Karen Salmansohn does. She not only shares the tricks-to-happy but she gives you time and space to practice them in this little journal book.

I've only been practicing for twelve days and I'm already 117% happier.*

What will this book do for you?

*Percentage figured using a complicated mathematical formula that involves lots of first order differential equations and Gauss-Jordan elimination while also considering the binomial coefficients in Pascal's triangle. I think you'll have to trust me on this.
 



Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess

ah, e e cummings
how i have 
loved
you since 7th grade you took me by
surprise
and now enormous smallness your biography 
in small form
lovely lovely lovely
yes i say yes
read this book




What I'm Reading Now


 




Thoughts? What are you reading this week?




What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week.  It is now being hosted here.


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Date loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. 

26 comments:

  1. Deb, will think good thoughts for your Dad. Hope all will work out. Keeping you guys in my prayers. :-)

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    1. Thank you, Kay. My dad is an enormously healthy eighty-nine year-old man and he is in good spirits. We are hopeful that he won't need to have surgery.

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  2. First and most important, praying for your dad.

    Second and much less important, 117 percent happier? Really? ;)

    Third, Seven Storey Mountain is one of my favorite biographies. Hope you are enjoying it too.

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    1. First, thank you for your prayers, Bryan.

      Second, yes. Approximately 117 percent happier. Maybe 118.

      Third, I am nearly halfway through Seven Storey Mountain and I am finding it to be a compelling read.

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    2. Well, I will add that I'm rubbish at math.

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  3. Best wishes for you and your father, hope all goes well.

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  4. Hope your Dad will be all right. I always liked e.e. Cummings poetry! Have a good week

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  5. I think I'd better pick up the Happiness book. I want to be 117% happier in just 12 days, too. Smile! I hope your DAD is OK and doesn't need surgery.

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    1. I feel I should issue one more disclaimer about my math. Can I just say lots happier?

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  6. I hope all is well soon with your dad...and I love the idea of choosing happiness. I'm finding that is part of the secret.

    I haven't read Larry McMurtry for years...this one looks interesting. I recently saw (for the tenth time, or so) one of those old movies based on one of his books: The Last Picture Show.

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Well, now I feel like going on a Larry McMurtry binge reading adventure. And I should probably check out the movies, too.

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  7. Thinking of you and your dad and wishing him a full recovery.

    I may have to check out that happiness book and I loved your little poem to go with the e.e. cummings book. I read his poetry as a kid too.

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  8. Best wishes to your Dad, I hope it all settles quickly. Congratulations on your 117% improvement! We all need that.

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  9. I hope your dad's okay and is on the mend soon.

    I follow Karen Salmansohn on Facebook and find her really inspiring. I love her quotes.

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  10. Hope your father is on the mend. I think we had the same math teacher, because 117% happier sounds about right to me.

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  11. Shortcuts to happiness are what I need! My 2016 resolution is to think positive, and I think one will lead to the other. I hope! Glad to know your father is OK!

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  12. I could totally go for being 117% happier. ;) Your post really made me smile.

    Hope your dad is doing okay.

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  13. I'm sorry to read your dad had to go to the ER and may have surgery. Best of luck and wishes to him. I hope to create some fun, little journals and one thing I'd like to keep track of on hopefully a daily basis is something I'm grateful for.

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  14. Thanks for stopping by! I haven't heard of any of these books, but the Instant Happy Journal sounds like something I'd really like!

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  15. As always with your posts, a series of new to me books that I must look in to.

    Sorry to hear about your Dad, I hope all is worked out. Positive thoughts your way!

    Reading With Jade

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  16. Praying for your Dad and your family. :-)

    I like your formula. Sounds rather reasonable to me. I keep a gratitude journal and daily, I take a moment to articulate all for which I am thankful. I work around a lot of negativity and I found myself adopting that mindset. Decided to count myself blessed and the more I gave thanks, the more blessed I found myself to be. :-)

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