Thoughts From the Happy Side
Happiness is . . . a bright, loud, couch.
I have a yard. A big yard. And a big problem.
You see, I bought my house in the winter when the ground was covered in snow. In the spring, the snow melted and I realized my property, backyard in particular, is at the bottom of a bowl surrounded by higher ground. As a result, it’s 80% underwater until mid-summer, when it dries and becomes a mid-western tall grass prairie, where deer call home.
Ponder. Lots of ponder. What’s the fix? What’s nature telling me to do? Experience has taught me that it’s always better to work with nature than work against her.
Fast forward. Dug a large pond. Used the dirt to re-grade the surrounding area to direct all the water to to the pond. Built a bridge over the pond, a waterfall, and a fire pit. And built a raised pavilion (think oversized gazebo) to watch the deer, frogs and other varmints up close and personal. Phew!
Now it’s time to furnish my new outdoor pavilion “living room”. Rug, candle chandelier, and tables made from re-purposed vintage metal. But what about the focus of the room . . . a comfy couch?
For those who don’t know me well, I’m a bit of a collector and have my own go-to sources including Craigslist and estate sales. Away I went (safely and masked), looking at plaid, pattern, and paisley. Do I match the rug? Or the high grass that will grow around the pavilion?
Then I saw it. The brightest, loudest couch I ever saw. Part bright yellow, part bright red, part solid color, and part flowers. Loud and proud. It matched nothing, but it was PERFECT in every way!!!
Happiness is stepping out, doing something unexpected, . . . and a bright, loud couch.