a happiness project update...

Have I said lately how very much I love this project? 'Cause I do. I really, really do. I only wish that I had more time to focus on it. I need to *make* more time to focus on it! But here's a couple of things I have managed to accomplish (sort of) recently.

First up, from Pat's List of Old Movies, I watched Arsenic and Old Lace. A handful of the movies she put on my list were ones I'd seen before, and this was one of them. Even though Pat generously offered to replace the ones I'd already seen with different ones, I wanted to go with her first thoughts. Plus every one of the ones she'd chosen were movies I loved, so what a wonderful excuse to rewatch them, right? And RIP seemed the perfect time to rewatch Arsenic and Old Lace. To be honest, I've seen this movie many a time. But that doesn't seem to matter, it delights me every. single. time. It is so quirkishly silly and amusing. And to be watching this time with Pat in my thoughts, well that just made it all the more special. Thank you, dear friend!

Next, a movie from Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows. Again RIP helped me narrow down my choices...and Chris told me this was definitely RIP-appropriate. Rich, Annie, and I watched this movie together, and of course, in my heart and mind, Chris watched with us too. Which is what I love so very much about the happiness project. We all enjoyed the movie quite a lot...though none of us were quite sure how to interpret the whole thing. In case you haven't watched it, I won't really explain that statement. But the "sort of" conclusion we reached turned out to be the conclusion that Chris and Megan had reached in their many viewings of the movie. Rich and I also thought that it had a David Lynch-like feel to it. And then when I was talking to Chris about it afterward, he said the same thing. Anyway, it's not really a movie that one can discuss much without spoiling things. But it was suspenseful, confusing in a delicious sort of way, and thought-provoking. Yep, another winner in my book. Thank you once again, Chris!

And finally, from Heather's List of Fun/Challenging/Interesting Things To Do. "14. Preserve five things for winter." I have to admit that this one feels a wee bit like cheating, because I do this anyway. But I would have read some of the books and watched some of the movies and listened to some of the songs, etc. from my lists anyway, too. And the point for me is to do these things with my dear friends in mind...which makes all these fun things just all that much better. And so it was with this one. And let me tell you, there were some days when canning when I was mighty grateful to imagine Heather there cheering me on. :P

So, what five things did I preserve? Well, I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) tomatoes from our garden. Lots of spaghetti sauce and chili and soups and... in our future. And I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) salsa made from our homegrown tomatoes and jalapenos. And I canned green beans from our garden. (I didn't need to can applesauce or apple butter or jam this year because we have loads left from last summer/fall.) Then, there was freezing. I froze oodles and oodles of blueberries (picked at a local organic you-pick farm). And I made blueberry syrup to freeze. And I froze local organic strawberries (whole and sliced and coulee). Oh, and I froze several pints of kohlrabi from our garden. And finally, drying--I dried a pile of the blueberries we picked. And also dried basil from my wee herb garden. I had hoped to can peaches and pears and freeze cherries, but those crops were pretty much lost up here in upstate New York thanks to the freakish March/April weather we had. Anyway, I got my five things done. And I have Heather to thank for cheering me on in my imagination. :)

I have a few other happiness projects on the go as well (a couple of books, a crochet project, and a photography project), but it may be a while before I finish them. I am, however, enjoying the hell out of every second I spend at them. Thanks again, guys!