Gratitude, Personal

13 Things That Created Happiness in the Month of October

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“There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October” – Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

1)       The television show The Good Wife.  The writing is smart and suspenseful, the acting is phenomenal.  The pacing is frantically fantastic.  I am obsessed.  I elaborated more in another post, so I won’t beat a dead horse.

2)       I’ve read or listened to 17 book this month, which may be a personal record.  One book really stood out from the rest of the pack – I loved The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.  It’s an amazing grief memoir that’s helped me a great deal.  It’s also a National Book Award winner and I highly recommend it.

7815[1]3)      School!  The class I’m taking on memoir writing inspires me and makes me happy.

4)      Old friends.  Why is it that everyday life often gets in the way of seeing old friends, friends who live less than an hour away?  Sadly, it was a condolence call after Edmund’s passing that brought us together again.  I love the Savas family, who we met when Rich and I first moved to Atlanta in the late ‘90s.  Sybil worked with Rich, and her family was always very gracious and treated us like one of their own.

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In fact, Rich and I once watched two of the big kids in the above picture for a whole weekend, as a “test run” to see if we were ready for kids.  So indirectly, they’re responsible for our little Smithies.  Sybil and Pete are wonderful parents who we’ve always tried to emulate.  After getting reacquainted with the adults who showed up at our house a couple weeks ago, we’ll try even harder.

5)      Sweet family moments like this:

Audrey reading to Barrett.

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Playing family football.

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After 8 years of putting my name in the hat, I finally got picked to chaperone a field trip.  Although it was raining and freezing, I got to witness and experience moments like this:

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6)      Audrey attended her first concert – Selena Gomez.  Although I was kind of dreading the event, her excitement was very contagious and I’m lucky I got to be there with her.  I attended my first concert (Rick Springfield) with one of my oldest BFFs, Barbara, when we were 12.  Get this – her dad just dropped us off by ourselves at the concert.  In Fort Lauderdale!  We were 12!

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Missy Audie Pie fell asleep during the concert and I can’t imagine how, because it was soooo loud!  Like her momma, she can’t handle a late night!

 

7)      This special gift from my friend LynnAnn:

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A painting of the sunset on May 12, 2103, the day my brother died.  Oh, how he loved sunsets.

 

 8)       Fall traditions:

Carving the family pumpkin.

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Planting mums & pansies.  Under those flowers, there are 110 tulip bulbs!  Please let there be 110 blooms, come spring!

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Hayrides

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The first fire of the season.

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9)      These footy pajamas:

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10)   Flowers from a friend – thanks Jen!

 

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11)  Halloween – read all about it here.

 

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12)   Always, (or most of the time) these faces:

 

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13)  The Boston Red Sox are the 2013 World Champions!

 

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I feel like I may have turned a corner this month.  I’d love to hear from you!  Please share what made you happy in October and what you’re looking forward to in November.

 

7 thoughts on “13 Things That Created Happiness in the Month of October”

  2. Allie,
    Funny you wrote this, I just was telling someone how great October was for us. I will keep this short.

    Taking my kids to Disney for the first time. The Not so Scary Halloween at Magic Kingdom was so much fun.
    Watching my girls get their 1st goals in soccer.
    Payton doing very well in 5th grade. It was a big move this year.
    My daughters agreeing to show their Irish step dancing skills for a large party of friends and family.
    Watching my husband continue to train for the Philly marathon.

    Like yourself I am very blessed. I think of you often and hope this finds you in a good place. You are so wonderful.
    Patty

    2. On my comment page, only your first paragraph appeared…so glad I clicked on this. I can’t believe you all braved Disney for Halloween! It much have been crazy. A marathon? Wow. When is it? I miss 5th grade. And I definitely want to see the girls do some Irish dancing on out next visit. I’m mapping out next summer and we are definitely planning a Pittsburgh landing:). Should have the dates in the next coupe of weeks.

  3. I enjoyed reading this and meant to comment when I first read it, but saw a squirrel or something shiny and forgot. I listened to the year of Magical Thinking a few years back. Love books on CD from the library. I had never heard of it before but really enjoyed it. I can not even imagine getting through that many books in a month. I am curious how many of these were audio books.

    1. Thanks Kathy! I’ve been listening to audio book when I haul the kids around or walk (since I can’t run right now do to a hip injury – falling apart:)). Ten of the seventeen were audio. And I always listen to unabridged!

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