Happy!!

My husband's birthday is at the end of the month. As long as I've been with him, he's told me he doesn't want me to go to great lengths to celebrate his birthday. He's never had someone to spoil him (this includes his abusive family and his narcissistic yotch of an ex-wife); he thinks he doesn't deserve to have a big deal made of his natal day.

So, knowing this, what do I go and do?

You got it. I'm gonna spoil him rotten, 'cause he's totally worth it.

The presents started arriving today, and I'm doing a little happy dance. I managed to find some really good stuff, and I can't wait to give it to him!

Everyone's happy, it seems - it's warm enough here to open the windows and let in the birdsong. Yep, that's right - the robins are back! Spring's coming, baby, this time for sure! And the cat is simply beside herself with joy at the antics of all the little birds gathered on the back deck.

Happiness. Great stuff, inn'it?

Vindication!

You may recall that last month I had a series of blood tests done to try to determine the underlying cause of my perimenopausal symptoms. Well, yesterday I got word from my doctor's office - my estradiol levels are in the basement. Not normal. Way outta whack.

In other words, all these symptoms I've been experiencing are not in my head!

Aha! Vindication at last!

But the diagnosis is only the first part; I get to meet with my doctor next week to talk about my options. So watch this space.

Dreams

My apologies for my absence. Last week was...well...hideous. I won't bother to go into the gory details, but suffice to say it had to do with an expensive (and defective) treadmill, a spousal meltdown, and more water in the basement.

Oy.

Fortunately, it's a new week. And I started it off with some wild dreams. Allow me to back up a moment and mention that yesterday morning I met with my BFFs and fellow writers Nancy and Carrie for some much-needed recess time. Being with them got me thinking more about my writing, and realizing how long it's been since I've committed to actual writing, as opposed to noodling.

Now...cut to last night. I dreamed that I discovered a gap behind the bathtub where the backsplash met the wall. It was strange...it was our house, yet it wasn't. Anyway, I got a flashlight to look more closely at this defect, and discovered that 1) the gap was big enough to squeeze through, and that 2) behind the wall there was another huge part of the house that we didn't know existed: another bathroom, a second kitchen, a couple of bedrooms, and a gigantic family/rec room. It was all dusty and in disrepair due to having been walled off and ignored for years, but I was very excited to find it, and couldn't wait to go back and get my husband to show him my discovery.

In most dream interpretations, the house stands for your sense of self. If that's true, then my re-discovery of the walled-off section of the house means that I'm on the brink of re-discovering part of myself that had been closed off, forgotten, and neglected...like my writing. And the fact that my dream-self was excited about it, and welcomed it, is a good thing. Perhaps this means I'm finally going to be able to throw off the shackles of my self-doubt and embrace my creative side.

As a very strong believer in the power of dreams, I can only see this as a Very Good Thing. Can't wait to see how it pans out!

Snug and Warm

Winter is having what I hope is its last hurrah - we're supposed to get five to eight inches of snow before the day is out. Unlike earlier in the season, I am supremely unconcerned.

Why? One, because it's the weekend, and two, because I don't have to go anywhere. Sure, I have the usual weekend chores, but once those are done I'm free to put on my onesie, snuggle up with the cat and my laptop, have a nice cuppa, and watch the snow fall.

Must've Been Something I Ate

I must be getting old. Gray hairs, crow's feet, and now - horror of horrors - a vulnerable tummy. In my younger years I could eat anything, the spicier and the weirder the better, and not feel any effects. Until now.

Last Sunday, my husband took me out for a late lunch/early supper at a local bistro. My salad wasn't great - the lettuce was slightly wilted, and comprised mostly of large, watery stem pieces. But, being hungry, I ate it anyway.

I didn't regret that decision until four hours later, when I was doubled over with the worst cramps I'd ever experienced. Oh, swell...Valentine's Day weekend, and I get food poisoning!

I've been beset by this malady in the past (note to self: avoid all shellfish), but always managed to bounce back fairly quickly. Not this time. I was laid out flat for a day and a half. I knew I was in the clear when I woke up this morning with a pancake craving. Carbs...give me carbs!

Bleah. I'm learning the hard way that my insides aren't made of cast iron as much as I'd like them to be. From now on I'll have to be more careful about my menu choices. Salads? Right out. Shellfish? Ditto.

Like my husband says, no one ever heard of getting food poisoning from a Twinkie.

Whew. Glad That's Over.

And by that, I mean our yearly visit to a major tax preparation company.

My husband regards these visits with about as much joy as he would a root canal, sans anesthetic. Never mind that he has as much as possible taken out of his paycheck - he always thinks we're going to get socked by the Feds. So until we get to the tax office (and get through the return process) he's anxious, grumpy, and depressed. Me, I try to refrain from telling him not to worry (he hates that) while remaining positive and upbeat so he will stop telling me he wants to throw himself under the nearest bus. Needless to say, it's stressful for both of us.

Well, despite having serious onion breath from lunch, our tax guy this year was quite friendly and competent. And at the end of our half hour session he had good news. Very good news. I thought my husband was going to melt into a puddle right then and there. I just sat there, squeezed his hand, and tried to hide my "I told you so" grin.

So no playing in traffic for us, at least for another year.

Mood Changers - What Makes You Happy?

Last night I had nightmares about my ex. Violent nightmares - the kind that leave you stunned and a little sick to your stomach when you wake up. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep, and was more than a little on the grumpy side when I finally dragged myself out of bed.

I schlumped through my usual morning routine - fed the cat, read e-mail, had a cup of tea, kissed husband good bye as he left for work, then showered and got ready for work...and realized I was having a good hair day. I mean, a really good hair day. For some reason that perked me right up, and instead of having my breakfast in front of the computer as is my wont, I decided to watch the episode of Top Chef I'd recorded from last night.

As a foodie, I tend to enjoy this show, but hadn't really gotten into this season until this episode. Fabio, the utterly charming Italian chef, broke the little finger on his left hand and still managed to pull off a win. I actually got a little teary-eyed. It was awesome.

By the time I walked out the door for work, I felt great, the gloom from my nightmares completely dispelled.

What about you? What lifts your mood when you're down? What makes you happy?