Small Joys — Say cheese!

Day 4

Number randomizer says 29.

Try a new cheese

Absolutely! Happy to oblige.

We were biking today, and I had already looked up, weeks ago, the best cheese shop in Orlando, and it was a lovely bike ride away from our hotel. New cheese was already baked into today’s plan!

We bought a lovely crunchy cheddar and fantastic creamy blue. And brand new to us both, tomme, a cows milk cheese from France. And this one was mixed with a bright green pesto. Unusual look and flavor. Delish!

I highly recommend LaFemme du Fromage in north Orlando.

And now I want to try traditional, non-pesto tomme!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomme

LOOKED UP: Miami cocktail bars

Miami Beach cocktail bars

Small Joys - Good for me!

 The idea is to write about the Small Joys here and not Social Media, but I have slipped and posted on Twitter instead.

Let me catch up:

Day 2

Number randomizer says 313.

Practice Positive Self Talk

this is lovely. Like anyone I could use more practice on this. Between work and social interactions and a visit to the dermatologist looking over my whole naked body (gulp), I got plenty of practice. A friend on Twitter posted for all of us that we are valued and loved, and I used that as my mantra for the day. I had lunch with a former co-worker and then drinks with two other former co-workers and they all reminded me I am valued. My husband wrote me a lovely private message saying i love you in a cute way, and I felt loved. So these were all *external* validations, but I used that to pump up the internal voice: I am valued and loved.

And the dermatologist? Sure he was examining my body, but he was there to help . Looking for unusual growths or anything unhealthy on the skin. He did not find anything, and I am good for a year. As a pale person in a tropical climate, I appreciate this confirmation. I am healthy. I am valued. I am loved. That feels good.

Day 3

Number randomizer says 59

Give money

So much for my thought on day 1 that not all these Small Joys would be expensive! I gave $47 last night to Harris/Walz, since it was end of their fundraising quarter. Then with pulling this Small Joy this morning, with my husband's suggestion, I gave $50 to Whitney Fox who might beat Crazy Congresswoman Luna over in Pinellas County. I will also be open to giving out cash to whomever I see on a street corner. I do that intermittently, and obviously today would be an opportunity.

Friday Wins -- Catch Up

 On Twitter, there are two people that ask you to post your Friday Wins, no matter how small. I decided recently to start keeping a record of them from the past few months. And I will continue to track them here. So for now, here is a catch up of Friday Wins from the past year. A nice review of some small highlights to remember.

10/4/24

• Loved ones in storm-hit areas all checked in.
• I firmed up travel plans in Oct, Nov, & Jan, and I started sketching out plans for July-August (coming to see you @keithkenez!)
• Finally replaced cracked phone screen cover after 3? 4? months.
• Oh, and finished 5 returns.

9/27/24

• Oh my god! I got two personal projects done this week that are MONTHS overdue and tomorrow they both go in mail. And so much guilt and headspace will be freed.

9/20/24

• Turning in massive 1041 for 2nd review. Had great conversation with new partner in charge of 1041, who is in another office in another town, so never met. But I like her and trust her. 

In other news:

• Got my hair colored. 
• Got my nails painted. 
• Going to an art museum tonight.

9/7/24

• I did not quit my job this week. But I also did make decisions about the future.
• I went to therapy AND the chiropractor.
• I built my cat a rocket ship.

8/30/24

• After a devastating disappointment,  my depressed adult son got out of bed 4 mornings in a row to walk the dog with me, getting exercise and sunlight. Starting over again again is hard, but he’s doing it and it gives me a small joy (and relief).

8/23/24

• Moving son back to college. I’m reminding myself that if I want him to be independent, I need to treat him as independent. *deep breaths*

7/12/24

• -My best friend gave me a German chocolate cupcake that she made 
• -I found a package my grandmother gave me years ago that contains all the letters i wrote to her while in college and in my 20s. I finally re-read them. Amazing.
• -Good hair day

6/21/24

• I survived leg day at the gym, and I’m heading to lunch with a TaxTwitter friend soon!

6/14/24

• Had day off so didn’t have to attend the company-wide zoom call about how we’re not being bought by PE… yet. Relatedly, got personal business cards for Chicago. 
• Oh and also managed yet another successful annual event for the non-profit I founded.
• Won Wyrmspan last night.

5/31/24

• Nearly done with two weeks of touring Italy. The trip had a few hiccups, but mostly fantastic experiences.  A lot of my Italian has come back — I was fluent 30+ years ago. Already making plans to come back.

5/17/24

• Spinach pizza, milk duds, The Big Lebowski, and my family. All is right in the world.

5/10/24

• -cat is healthy
• -strawberry smoothie for breakfast
• -dinner plans with hubby tonight
• -board meeting finally for nonprofit i run this weekend 
• -group bicycle ride on Mothers Day
• -NINE DAYS UNTIL FLY TO ITALY

5/3/24

• Got a good night sleep!
• Solved Connections perfectly!
• Going away with hubby for cocktails & bikes weekend!
• Baked a ham quiche!
• Tracked all my eating for 11 days, and hit my water goal most of those days!
• Have a plan for projects and exercise increase for summer!

4/26/24

• Only working 30 hours this week.
• Manicure (photo later)
• Almost done reading third book this week.
• Lost 5 lbs.
• Excitement is starting to build with family for upcoming trip. 
• Like new cardiologist.

4/12/24

• -leftover pasta bolognese from our fave restaurant form 28 years ago
• -movie night with my boys
• -a reeeeeally good night’s sleep last night
• -new face moisturizer
• -lunchtime massage 
• Today is a good day.

3/29/24

• Chocolate with hazelnuts. 
• Plans for sushi and drinks with friends tonight. 
• Weather is gorgeous and I’m recommitted to getting out for a walk midday. 
• Oh, and today will be my 3rd day in a row of moving 4 returns to review. #pullingmyweight

3/15/24

• I thought I was a dork who waited until last day to file an extension for my husband’s teeny tiny 1120s’s final tax year. But I was gonna get it done today! So I looked at 2022 for info… and LAST year I filed a final. Doh! Yay, a win! And I’m still a dork.

3/8/24

• #taxtwitter has made me laugh this week
• I went to chiropractor and we discussed Buddhism, it was good
• Dinner out with husband
• Got a response to a pesky consumer issue
• Got NYC trip booked partially using old ticket credit 
• New fun shower curtain
• Also! Finally great grandfathers educational comics from 1930 shipped off to the SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM. I’m kinda chuffed that something one of my family members did will be in Smithsonian. Probably on some dark shelf forever, but still cool.

2/23/24

• -Reheated pad Thai — better on day two
• -Apparently I’m done with Biz returns (mostly ‘cause bosses don’t want to see me cry… which would be less if they didn’t give me CRAZY MESSY business returns… but I digress)
• -already moved two 1041s to review today
• -hand lotion
• -plans for quiet evening home with hubby 
• -new photos of my “grand dog” (a concept I hated until my daughter got a dog) 
• -getting $32 back from a forgotten account
• -Boston cream donut 
• -glorious Florida winter weather which I’ll get to enjoy this weekend

2/9/24

• —I was able to teach the newbie something with background and context rather than just “click that”.
• —I was able to figure something out new - how to enter prior year adjustment on M2 - all by myself. 
• —I left early for a weekend trip.

2/2/24

• This week, I got up from desk and moved and drank water and ate less sugar and slept enough and spent time with loved ones. 
• season hasn’t hit hard yet. Im totally caught up at work (I think for 1st time since 2022?) … until Monday when I suspect the sluice will open.

1/26/24

• I got a 1120s client to send in his bank statements in January, and not after 400 calls in late August!!!
• Annnnnnnd, it turns out he hasn’t paid us for our work in 2023 and hasn’t filed his company’s annual report in two years. So, good that I have the bank statements, but all work grinds to a halt.
• So i came home early and went for a bike ride.
• I expressed support for retiring partner to work less hours and for non-retiring partner to ALSO work less hours. And let them both know I’ll be working less hours. Way to slide that in… 

1/5/24

• Have Covid, which isn’t a win. Sad to cancel some plans this weekend. However, I am also very very glad to have downtime for reading, journaling, organizing my home office, cuddling with cat.
• Fresh bread from new bread maker! 
• Sending out birthday cards to my January friends.

8/25/23

• Your Friday wins are always a blessing. 
• I won $11 playing cribbage against senior citizens last night (note: I paid $13 to participate )
• I had gotten my work To Do list back under 40 items yesterday (two new ones added this morning — doh!)

Monthly Goals -- October update

 Started this month with the following goals -- and an update on how they are going at mid-month:

1. Go to Boxing Art lecture at Norton on 10/26 

UPDATE-- ticket acquired

UPDATE -- Went to Boxing Art Lecture on 10/26

2. Finish grout project with son 

UPDATE -- in process. Dining room and 3 bathrooms left to go

UPDATE -- Still finishing this up. Peter and I are motivated to finish! A deadline helps.

3. Walk 10,000 steps a day 

UPDATE -- ha. Not even close, but I have walked more and made it to the gym twice this month so far, because of this goal. So it is doing its thing of getting me moving *more*.

UPDATE: Done this a couple times. Definitely upping my game some.  This needs to be on next month's list.

4. Write and address birthday cards for rest of the year 

UPDATE-- have gotten end of October done

UPDATE -- Hoping to finish this up, at least Novembers. Good thing I set this goal. I also have new address book, and have been writing out postcards.

This was inspired by Mary's questions on Tax Twitter.

Small Joys Project

Back in January 2023, I came across a British woman on Twitter who had written out 365 small joys on pieces of paper and put them in a jar, and was taking one out each day. She posted the "tasks" and results, and it was just lovely. She made it worth staying on Twitter a bit longer. I stole some of her ideas, and wrote out a bunch of my own, and ended up with more than 365. Ooops.

I did not get it together to start my own project on Jan 1 2024, but it has remained on my mind. Meanwhile, Twitter is just a fucking cesspool, I would never post something like this there.

So I have edited out a few and gotten it down to 379. I think I will start it right now. And I will post the results here. And if no one sees it, that is okay too. It will force me to post daily... in theory!

Rather than lots of bits of paper and a jar, I have a numbered list on my phone and will use Google number randomizer.

Day One:

Number randomizer says 360:

Be a book fairy!

Perfect. I already had this in mind x3! I already bought a Frederik Backman book for a friend and forgot to give it to her last week. I will make not to give it to her when I see her in late October. 

Then this past weekend, a different friend liking an author I like, and I will send her a new book by Matt Haig. I have written to said friend, told her she is getting a book, and given her three to choose from.

And I have ordered two science books for my little 10 year old cousin in Maryland from Bookshop.org,  which is a fantastic site and supports local book stores instead of the big behemoth in Seattle. And then that turned into buying two books for the other two little cousins. I guess I am early for Christmas!

I like being a book fairy. What fun!

Music while writing: Emmylou Harris and Linda Rondstadt

Where: at my desk at home

Oh hey! Another project I never went back to!

 Been thinking yet again of a non-social media place to put thoughts. Perhaps I will make a go of this place.

Ideas for a blog in a running list on my phone:

Happy project -- that I have been meaning to do!

Gratitude lists

Things I learned today

What I looked up recently

What I am playing lately

Where i am dining lately

Stop to notice and observe and document

End-of-month to dos

Random lists

Hmmm, this is starting to come together. At least in my mind. Lets see if I can write another post with substance rather than just plans...