When I first fired up my blog, I posted every Monday and Thursday. And every Thursday, I linked up with Carole for her fun play on ‘three.’ It’s been a while…and, she recently retired that link party. But it’s Thursday…so, why not?
And there’s no better fodder for a post than joy, if you ask me : :
{one} The universal UPS wave.
Our driver–for 22 years–was curly-haired Mike, forever with a smile and a wave. We became fast friends after a stretch in 2004 when we saw him nearly every day! It was the springtime Audrey was born. A first grandchild on my side; first granddaughter on Troy’s. My mom, a children’s book lover; friends and family, eager to gift baby girl clothes. The deliveries came…and came…and became quite comical, really!
(Fast forward–2020–that ‘baby girl’ worked down the street from our house at a small-engine mechanic’s. Mike was now *her* UPS guy at the shop!)
It was one of those…little things…that tugged at my heart strings the day we moved away. That old familiar smile-honk-and-wave.
Then, yesterday, on a late afternoon walk, a big brown truck rounded the curve. I looked up. Automatically waved. And that driver? He was waving and smiling back.
{two} It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Whether filled with water to swallow my vitamins…or a finger (…two?) of bourbon…this little glass from a local antique store elevates moment to occasion for me.
{three} I love Catherine Newman. Ever since she started her ben & birdy blog a hundred years ago, I’ve loved her grit and wit, her raw sensitivity, side-splitting humor, and wisdom.
I wasn’t going to read her novel, though.
I’d read the blurb. Nope. Wasn’t going to do it. (I don’t read fiction I know in advance is going to make me cry…as in, that’s like a theme of the book.) (Plus, I wouldn’t choose to read a cancer story.)
Funny thing, though. I’d forgotten what it’s about. (Apparently.) And when the author/title floated across my radar again, I signed myself right up. Because Catherine Newman!
I picked it up at the library last night. Cracked it open at 6 in the morning. And laughed–so hard that Troy, sitting a few feet away reading the news, felt it unjust that I laugh so hard without sharing aloud. Which wasn’t gonna happen. Because not a minute later, tears.
Barely five chapters in, I’m confident recommending We All Want Impossible Things. It’s a (too!) fast read already. It’s side-splitting funny. Gritty. Witty. Sensitive. Wise. It’s…Catherine Newman.
your one word 
Your glass for taking your vitamins is a lot nicer than my pill-swallowing-water glass (or cup, rather; it’s an old plastic cup that was my daughter’s when she was old enough to use a cup without a lid but not quite trustworthy enough for a glass). It’s at least an improvement over disposable Dixie cups, but I think we could use an upgrade at some point!
Funny you should mention your relationship with your UPS driver. When I was out for my walk yesterday, a UPS driver was making the rounds along my route and kept honking — apparently any time he was going to pull over or pull out into traffic. For a while I thought he was honking at me, and not in a nice way. But maybe they’re told to honk frequently to make people aware of them — as if we could miss the giant truck?
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Oh my gosh! I’ll bet you’re right. No wonder it’s universal 🙂 That would drive me nuts–but I’m guessing most UPS drivers are extroverts. Imagine interacting with so many people every single day?? Makes me tired to think about it.
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I must find joy in small things, it is hard these days!
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That makes me stop and remember what a privilege it is for me to stay in my ‘bubble’…as I call it.
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Joy is infectious … I’m so glad you shared this list! Today I’ll add the soft snore of a puppy napping beside me … and otherwise a quiet house.
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I am nodding and smiling at the Universal UPS person! It is nice to know that it is not just mine, but all of them! And that glass! Gorgeous! 🙂
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Joy is such a good thing, and once you start looking.. It’ s not raining at the moment, the sun is shining, at church we finally got to go to the alter rail for communion, and shook hands rather than waved for the peace sign- the last getting back to normal post lockdown and covid. And the sun is shining still!
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