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Appetites and Adventures

Simply Happy Its Friday

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It’s a hard day to be appreciative.

Today marks 4 years since we lost my dad to cancer.  It seems the perfect time to focus on things that make me happy, especially since my dad always made me smile.

I’m copying a billion other bloggers completing the A-Z Simple Things That Make Me Happy quiz.

 

A – Antennas.  I’m busy and cheap.  That has equated to me not having cable for nearly 3 years.  I did invest $20 in an antenna so I can watch the basics (ABC, NBC, etc.), and that keeps me satisfied.

B –  Baseball.  I love baseball, even when my team can’t consistently beat the Cubs.  What’s up, Braves?!

C – Chocolate.  Need I say more?

D – Dad.  Anyone who tells you the pain of losing a parent will get easier is a liar.  However, I am grateful every day that I had such a great man in my life for nearly 26 years.  I couldn’t have asked for a better role model and coach.

At The Cloister @ Sea Island for Father’s Day years ago. He’d probably kill me for posting a pic of him in a robe… bwhahaha!

E – ESP.  Maybe not in the crazy sense, but the sort that just nudges you to go left instead of right.  Those times you look back on and thank god some inexplicable pull made you chose path A over B.

F – Food.  I love food.  Creating it, looking at it, eating it.  Food is the shit.

G – Goose & Fox.  It’s my sister and her boyfriend’s band and they make me smile.  They are really good!  I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister.

H – Hair Stylist.  I love mine.  Her name is Karen.  I’ve been going to her since I was 15.  I’d drive an hour to go see my friend and get my hair rocked.

I – Internet.  I vaguely remember going to the yellow pages for the pizza delivery number… weird.

J – Juice Plus.  It’s the supplement I take everyday and I swear I haven’t gotten sick since I started using these rather than regular multi-vitamins.

K – Kombucha.  It’s no secret I’m in love with the stuff.  Good for the digestion, if you know what I mean.

L – Legs.  I’m grateful that I have 2 strong legs that carry me wherever I want to go.

M – Music.  It can evoke emotion in me faster than anything else – smiles, laughter, or choked up with tears.

N – No Limits.  The only thing holding you back is you.  Once you own that, you can do anything.

O – Oatmeal.  Arguably the most versatile food.  It can be sweet, savory, spicy… you can blend it in smoothies, turn it into flour, cook it in your eggs.  In the words of the Texas Pete lady, “I put that shit on everything.”

P –  Protein Shakes.  Without them, I would NEVER be able to get the 150g pf protein a day that I need while training.  And you can easily funk them up like I did with this Zucchini Bread Smoothie.

Q – Quality Time.  We are pulled in some many directions, it’s nice to be able to take time to relax and really talk to those you love.

R – Recipage.  It makes life so much easier… even though I’m still only half way through transferring my recipes.

S – Summer Storms.  I love a good thunderstorm to lull me to sleep (and they cool down the city!).

T – Teams.  I love playing on a team.  Solo sports/workouts are great, but the camaraderie of a good team is something I hope everyone can experience in life.

U – Underwear.  Can you imagine how uncomfortable jeans would be without it?

V – Vacations.  I love traveling and seeing new parts of the world.  Like Navy ships in Chile!

W – Weight lifting.  It’s my favorite workout.  Lifting makes me feel confident and strong.

X – Xylitol.  This all-natural sugar-replacer allows me to have sweet treats without all the sugar.  Like my favorite Granola Cookies. 

Y – Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market.  This local market is open year-round and is THE spot to go in Atlanta for fresh, cheap produce, flours, and chia seeds.  They always have things I’ve never heard of, which I consider to be an added bonus.

Z – Zero.  I don’t drink soda… but I do love a Coke Zero with a bag of pretzels on an airplane.

***

My Strawberry Smoked Almond Tart made the FoodBuzz Top 9 yesterday!  Thank you SO  much for the Buzz! 🙂

How about you?  What simple thing are appreciating today?

Any fun weekend plans, or lots of lying low after the 4th/Canada Day?

Comments

  3. Loved reading your answers and thinking of you today, Laura! I lost my dad 4 years ago and you’re right that it doesn’t get easier at all…you just learn to make the best of the situation. Hope you have a great day, my friend!

  4. What an incredible post! My little family (my 3 guys) really do make me so happy! They are always there for me and there is no safer feeling than that! Oh and music does the same to me. It’s strange how that happens, but it can make me laugh, cry or dance! Love your hair Laura! You can totally rock out some amazing haircuts! I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy a cheat day!

    • This whole post just made me smile. Thank you!!! And yes, almost cheat day… I already have dinner reservations. 🙂

  5. You know I love I love Dekalb! I lost my mom to cancer almost 8 years ago. It’s hard and it doesn’t get easier. She’s never met my kids, my husband. I think over time the pain changes, but never becomes any less. Heavy stuff for a Friday 🙂 have a great weekend

    • So sorry to hear about your mom. It must be so though knowing she didn’t get a chance to meet your family… but I am sure she is proud of you and the family you’ve made.

      Hope your is a great weekend!

  6. Thinking of you today!

    It always sort of cracks me up that the Dekalb FM is actually called Your Dekalb FM. I mean, Your?

    • Thanks Lee! 🙂

      That always baffles me too. The cashiers don’t treat me like the place is mine.

  7. Hey girlie. Glad you could remember your dad today … well and every day for that matter. Sorry to hear about losing him to cancer. 🙁 And he had a pretty bitchin’ moustache.

    <3 <3 <3

  8. Sweetheart <3 I am praying for you today 🙂 Always thinking of MY GIRL! You can tweet/email me if you ever need! I LOVE YOU

  9. I’m so impressed you have an “x” on this list that’s not just made up! I would totally have had to make up an “x.” Ha.

    (So sorry you have to go through this anniversary. Having just lost my own father, I know that there is something particularly ripping-apart about the death of a parent, and I hate it for you. Keeping you in my thoughts today, lady <– who says there are strangers on the Internet, right?)

    • I thought for an embarrassing amount of time to get that one. 🙂

      Sorry to hear of your own dad… lots of love to you. xo

  10. Yay! Loved reading more about it! SO lucky to have an awesome hair stylist! I am still trying to find a good one in my new area. I spent years going to “schools” so I could have it done a reduced cost–but I think I am ready for a real stylist – that doesn’t require to to travel to my parents town an hour away!
    Happy Friday!!

  11. This is the first I’ve seen the A-Z list. I’ve never tried xylitol, makes me wonder why.

    Sorry you lost your dad to cancer. I really appreciate your honesty & your gratitude for the time you had with him. Such a lesson to appreciate the ones you love.

    I’m grateful for summer. I appreciate the sunshine, the heat, the fact that I can go swimming & soak up vitamin D every day. It’s my happy pill!

    • Xylitol is great – it replaces sugar without the aftertaste stevia can have in baked goods.

      Enjoy some sunshine this weekend!

  14. I love your A-to-Z, and what a great reason behind it. Gotta remember the best, even though yeah, it’ll keep hurting. But that’s because there WERE such great times!

    Laughed at your U–Thank goodness for that invention. And oatmeal, what a simple, basic and yet amazing thing!

  16. Very poignant post. My late uncle’s birthday was July 3. He was my favorite and was a foodie before being a foodie was cool. He was a locavore before that was hip as well. What started out as a sad post really made me smile, though. Thanks for all the inspiration today. (I can’t imagine losing a parent. Keep on keepin’ on, my friend.)

    • I love the foodie/locavores before their time. My grandparents we the same way – without even knowing it! Sorry for your loss, too. xo

  17. What a great, THANKFUL, and happy post! I love your attitude and your love for your hairstylist… I can tell she is the bomb!

  20. I love your list- we have so much in common (duh). I had a freaking awesome hairstylist for years that I followed everywhere. But now he’s at a salon that charges about 125 for a haircut and is an hour away. I just have to draw the line there.
    LEGS. Yes. I agree.

    • We do!!! I think we should move to Denver with Heather and start a blogger commune.

      I pay an embarrassing amount to see Karen… but anytime I stray I am reminded what she’s worth. that and the time I decided to dye my hair myself and it turned orange. I’m soooo not a hair person. 🙂

  22. Aww Laura, I am thinking about you today! I am just so sorry for your dad, but you have an admirable attitude to try and turn how you are feeling around with a happier post like this

  23. I totally believe you that it does not get easier… thinking of you today. I love that you decided to focus on the simple things that you love. And congrats on the foodbuzz top 9! You deserve it!

  25. This is all good stuff. Lately I have been ALL about the chocolate too. Raw, unsweetened cocoa is SO good to me. People think I’m nuts but I have a taste for it.
    It’s nice to do a happy post in honor of your Dad 🙂

    • I am the same way! I think my palate have changed to like more savory things as I’ve gotten older – dark chocolate included. 🙂

  26. Dude, you should totally photoshop that pic and put some of Hugh’s bunnies in there because your dad looks like a freakin P-I-M-P! Yowza!

    I’m so glad you that you are able to look through the pain of loss and see the positive impact that you daddy-o had on your life. THAT is what matters the most after someone that we love leaves us. Hugs to you on this day…and always! 😉

    I just have to say this has GOT to be the most entertaining out of all of these quizzes I’ve seen…love the “O” and you know what? Food IS the shit! Hell to tha yeah!

    • LOL!!! Heather, I can always count on you to crack my shit UP. Love you, love your humor. So glad I could entertain as well. 😉

  27. Dearest Laura..I’ve never lost a family member, but I had to say good-bye to my one and only violin teacher who bravely battled cancer and lost. That was 8 years ago, and I haven’t touched my violin since then. Not even once. You’re right..It doesn’t get easier. However, I can’t help but think that Mrs. Pitts would LOVE to hear me play again. My violin is just collecting dust, but lately I’ve been feeling strong enough to pick it up again…
    Anyway, now I’m just rambling.
    I miss Atl! LOVE the Dekalb Farmer’s Market!!
    And yes, I’m so appreciative of underwear as well! No thongs for this girl though! Low-rise bikini panties are the way to go :).
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

    • Your violin teacher sounds like a lovely lady. I’m sure she would want you to play again! 🙂

      I used to be anti-thong, but realized sometimes you just have to wear them. And that was probably TMI. LOL!

    • Thanks Brittany! I should have specified that I like the storms when I can curl up in bed and read during them. 🙂

  29. D.O.P.E. And Q, but it wouldn’t fit in with DOPE. 😀

    I was thinking about 7/6 a few days ago. You know I hate that you had to lose him, but, man, what a wonderful daughter he raised. Guaranteed fact he’s proud. I hope you found many reasons to smile today. 😉

    • Thank you so much! I always wonder if people are totally bored by quizzes or not – LOL! Hope you have a good weekend!.

  31. When you find a good hairstylist I think it is well worth the drive. I have been seeing mine forever! I don’t know what I would do if I were to move far far away

  32. Hi Laura. Greetings from California. This is my first time visiting your blog. What a great blog you have. Bright, cheerful and full of food. I am sorry about the loss of your father. I lost mine to cancer in December 2007. You are right. You never stop missing them. What an awesome photo of your dad and the kids. Very cool, bathrobe and all. I will be back to read more.
    I write a blog on food, too. But with my musings on family life and relationships. Please visit. Maybe follow if you like. That would be great.

    • Mario… so very sorry to hear about your dad. Lots of love to you.

      Thank you for the kind comment. I’m off to check out your blog now! 🙂

    • Thank YOU for brightening mine. I always love your comments, and your tasty creations. 🙂

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