&WhatMakesYou(happy)?

I was really sick at work today, and it happened to be the day when I was in big dog camp and all the dogs wanted to jump up and punch me in my queasy little tummy… Then I came home and promptly got rid of my $5 turkey sandwich and scared the bejesus out of my cat… And this is after a weekend where I was so anxious about my boyfriend because of how sick he was. So all in all, I wasn’t in a fantastic mood, and if I have the same sickness as the boyfriend did, I’ll have to call off of work for the next few days… Which I can’t do because I can’t afford it, and we don’t have enough people to cover someone calling in sick.

So… I felt like crap.

Then I logged onto myspace, and found that my favorite author, one Janet Fitch, had responded to my message! YAY! She takes so much time out of her life to respond to her fans, it amazes me. She even writes whole blog posts responding to people’s questions, and they’re extremely helpful (especially for those of you who are aspiring writers/storytellers/artists, or even successful writers/storytellers/artists). If you’d like to take a look, you can find her myspace at www.myspace.com/paintitblackbook.

Seriously, she defined my life for a few years with the book White Oleander… Not that I was a foster child shuffled around from home to home, but that I used that book as my bible. We are the Wands, and we hung our gods from trees. It probably wasn’t the healthiest thing for a typical angsty middle-child to do, but it certainly fed my creative soul. I found her next book, Paint it Black, while I was on a long train ride, and finished it before I reached my destination. I shelled out the twenty some dollars without hesitation (odd, because I’m a total cheapskate and I usually wait for books to come out in paperback, and then I wait for it to go on the bargain shelf) and was very very very happy with my purchase :D. If you haven’t read either, I suggest you run over to your local library or bookstore immediately. And don’t watch the movie White Oleander before you read the book. The book is so much better it’ll melt your face with it’s awesomeness. So here’s the “interview.” I hope you enjoy it! (Oooh, does this mean I’m a real blogger now? XD)

What makes you happy?
When I’m writing and the angels sing. When it just comes, like a jazz riff, where you’re not playing the horn, something’s playing you.
Sitting by a stream
Having a really great conversation with someone who’s firing on all eight cylinders

When you’re feeling sad or stressed out, what do you do? How do you deal with it?
Sad, I use the feeling. Listen to music, read poetry, sing.
Stressed out, I try to laugh. Try to think, you’re taking yourself too damn seriously. You’re not in Iraq in 130 degree heat with no electricity. This is nothing.

When you were a child/young thing, what was your dream?
I wanted to be a horse. Growing up to be a human being seemed absolutely atrocious. I also wanted to be invisible so I could spy on everybody.
How about now, is it the same?
No, the human thing has caught up with me. But I’m still a spy.

What do you believe in?
The true over the beautiful.

Do you have a quote that inspires you, that you keep coming back to? Like a line from a song or a book?
Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose garden. My words echo
Thus, in your mind.

(blogger’s note: In case it vibes with you too, this poem is by TS Eliot, who is very famous and probably has a whole shelf to himself at Barnes and Nobles.)

Thank you, thank you thank you, Janet, for sharing your time and thoughts with me and this lonely corner of the web.

No one’s responded to my last blog entry, but that’s ok! I just have to spam more people… XD

I learned how to make tasty chinese foods, so we had a very asian weekend. Yesterday I made pepper steak and beef in lettuce cups, and today I made salad and gong bao chicken. Want the recipe for the Gong Bao chicken? Ok, only I’ll give it to you the way I made it… With very approximated measurements.

Dice up as much chicken as you’ll be using. 1/2lb will serve two people with leftovers. In a medium sized bowl, pour rice wine and an equal amount of soy sauce. Stir in about a tablespoon of corn starch. Stick the diced chicken in there. For best results, let it marinate overnight. For still-really-good results, let it marinate for 30 minutes or however long it takes you to clean up the stove and frying pan, and dice up a bell pepper. What color bell pepper? That’s up to you. Green is cheap, red looks better. How much? If you’re using 1/2lb of diced chicken, I’d say half the pepper. However much you want, really. Did I mention you should be making some rice right now? You should be. Now cut up a hot pepper (same idea as the green pepper, 1/2 pepper for 1/2 pound) into tiny little pieces, or grab your bottle of dried chili pepper flakes. Throw the chicken into the frying pan (marinade too!) with some cooking oil, along with the hot pepper, about a tablespoon of chopped garlic, and some ginger. Dried or fresh, to taste (about a teaspoon, maybe?). Cook it pretty slowly. When it’s almost completely cooked, throw in your diced pepper. In another bowl, mix some rice wine, an equal amount of soy sauce, a tablespoon or so of vinegar, and a teaspoon of cornstarch and sugar and salt. Cut up some green onions reeeaaal fine like, and throw them in with the chicken. Pour the bowl of sauce that you just made into the frying pan, and simmer it until your rice is done, or until it’s warm enough to suit your fancy. If you’re nuts, add 1/2 c-3/4c dry roasted, salted peanuts.

Did you want the salad dressing recipe too? Equal amounts of rice wine and soy sauce, twice that amount of oil, and a little bitta sugar.

If you have a little business (selling jewelry or totes, lets say) or are famous or potentially famous, or even if you’re a reg’lar Plumber (lol) I’d like to feature you on here.


You can choose which one to do. There’s no limit to how long or how short it has to or can be. Want to include pictures? Do it (include them as links, please have permission to use them). Please try to avoid being vulgar or swearing. If you can’t, I might still include it. I do want my site to be family friendly, but if it’s really neat, I will post the SHIT out of it.


1) What makes you happy?
This can be interpreted in any way you want, and can be responded to in any form you like (list, essay, picture, song, poem, etc).


2) What do you believe in?
Again, whatever you want. I have an example on the first page of the blog, but you don’t have to follow the same template. NPR features essays on the subject, and if you want to do an essay and need help, you can check out that site (http://www.thisibelieve.org/).


3) Inspiring quote?
Is there a line from a song that makes you want to go out and Do? Or a paragraph in a book that makes you wanna find the author and hug her SO HARD? Send it to me!

4) Whatever you want.

Seriously, whatever you want. If you think my site would benefit from it’s existence, I want to post it.


Include in your entry your name (or pen name), and anything you’d like me to mention about you (site URL, email, sexual orientation, whatevs) so I can cite you properly. You can send your entry to me on myspace or facebook, or email it to me at sjoyce87@yahoo.com. Check the top of the site for contact info. :D


Want to help, but can’t think of anything to say? Then look at what’s posted already, and comment on the entries with YOUR opinions. <3

I have a lot of little dreams. I don’t follow most of them, as they DO seem very unlikely… Like my desire to start a punk rock bakery where no one uses tools or measuring devices, just hands… Probably not going to happen on my own steam, especially not with my income. But my art and my writing? I have no doubt in my mind that, in a few years if I continue working at it, I will be a great artist and I will have fans and I will be able to sell prints. :D The dream that is most important to me, though, is starting a family. I want some happy little dumplings running around pulling the cat’s tail.

That last bit was a little off subject… Anyway. As for dreams. One of my favorite authors (one extremely talented Janet Fitch, who has written such books as White Oleander and Paint it Black) has a myspace blog where she answers questions people ask her, especially about writing and making it in the Biz. I found her latest entry to be positively inspiring… I’ll be posting some of it as a quote in a moment.

As always, please let me know YOUR dreams! And if you have something to say about Janet Fitch’s blog, say it! I’d love to know your opinions. <3

-S

It will be 2009.

The brain thrives on symbolism. If you think about it, your birthday is just a day in the year. But it comes with feelings that you attribute to it- joy, sadness, confusion, etc. So this holiday is no different. If you’re feeling apprehensive, think of it as a fresh, clean start. A chance to make a change. If you’re feeling joyful, I’ll toast to you.

I drank a beer while I was in the shower. It was a pretty interesting idea I thought, but turned out just ok. Tasty beer, though. Magic Hat’s Lucky Kat.

I love how when I leave work, I’m covered in hair. The way I figure it, when you’re working in a doggy day camp/boarding facility, the more dog hair you have on you, the better you are at your job. But I really should invest in a lint roller, it’s getting kind of out of hand. Winter coats and all that.

I got a hair cut a few days ago. The hair dresser, like all hair dressers, could not resist the urge to part my hair in the middle and poof it up on the top… So the boyfriend didn’t like it. Then I parted it on the side and poofed out the bottom, and everyone loves it. It’s a little too much like a bob for my taste, but it’s fun. It’s nice to get a change in appearance for the new year.

AND SOMETHING CUTE MY CAT DID. She took all her toys under the bed last night and talked to them. I think she was having a meeting… delegating tasks and stuff. Also, my mom sent me a package of christmas presents, including a stuffed lamby for Fanta. I had just set it aside to continue unpacking the box when she ran up and stole it. She knew it was for her! And she covered it in catnip by rolling it on her carpet square. She’s a clever duck.

HAPPY NEW YEAR YOU GUYS. How did you celebrate? Do you have any new year’s resolutions? Any worries? Any joys?

Apple Cranberry Pie, or Apple Pomegranate Pie [could be vegan, if you use a different crust recipe]

Crust, makes enough for two pies (9in pie pan):
4 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 TB    white vinegar
1 egg
1/2 c ice cold water (I used 2/3 c instead)

Mix flour and salt. Cut in the butter. It’s fun to use your hands. It should look crumbly when you’re done, in case you were wondering.
Whisk the vinegar and the egg into the water. Mix that into the flour/butter mixture. Chill for 1 hour. While you’re chilling, why don’t you use the foil from the butter to butter the pans? K? K. Once the dough’s chilled, you should probably also preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the dough in half, then cut those in half. Roll one flat and circularishly, and lay it into the pan. Trim the excess, and return that to another ball of dough. Do that for the other pie pan too. In case you only wanted to make one pie, either halve the recipe or triple wrap the excess dough and freeze it.

Filling!
For the cranberry pie, pour about a cup of cranberries (can be dried, can be fresh) into the pan you prepared. For the pomegranate pie, put the seeds from one pomegranate into the pan. Then slice half an apple (whatever size slices you like) on top of the berries or seeds. In a mediumish bowl, mix one sliced apple, 3/4 c sugar (or 1/2 c sugar and the rest brown sugar, which I did), 1 TB lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, a dash or two of allspice, and 2 TB flour. Put that on top of the other fruit in the pan.

Roll the other half of the half of dough into a big flat circle, and lay that on top of the pan. Roll up the edges and crimp them with a fork. You can egg wash the crust if you like. Sprinkle 1 TB or so of sugar on the top of the pie. Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes, then let cool before serving.

Crancocoa Cookies!

1 c flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
a little bit of brown sugar, for kicks. Maybe two tablespoons?
3/8 c oil (the recipe I found called for 1/4 c oil, but I added a little more). Try using coconut oil. I used canola. Butter would work nicely, too.
1 tsp vanilla extract (I accidentally added half a tsp more, I think it’s better with the extra half)
1/4 c milk, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever you like.
1/2 c cranberries (or raspberries, or chocolate chips, mint chips, grated coconut, toffee bits, or whatever you want!)

In one bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, blend the sugar, oil, vanilla, milk, and whatever you’re adding (fresh cranberries are delicious). Slowly mix in the flour mixture. Make balls about 1 inch big with the dough, and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Because of the oil, you won’t need to spray the pan with Pam or anything. It won’t stick, I promise. Let it sit on the pan for 10-20 minutes outside of the oven, and then gently take them off and transfer them to a plate.

The pie is great. I haven’t tried the cranberry one yet, but the pomegranate seeds are delicious. Also, I can’t stop eating the cookies. The cranberries burst in your mouth with tasty flavors!

If you have any tasty recipes for me to try, email me (linky at the top of the page)! I’d love to hear them, and I’ll probably post them!

Peace, love, cookies and all that. XD

-S

Here’s the second installment of the Shadowboxer’s happies. Hopefully the thread grows more so I can go crazy with the posting!

it’s a great day in fall.. colorfull trees, sunshine, not too cold..perfekt!

Books. Stacks and stacks of books.

Walking home with my trousers rolled up so they don’t get wet. I don’t know why it made me so happy, but it did ^_^

Books. especially second hand books. they have a life of their own… small treasures from the past hidden inside of them but, i have an insane number of books, used & new, and i keep buying them and they’re litterally taking over the house! i should get rid of them once i’ve read them but…. there’s no place that buys second hand books in my town (especially not in foreign languages, most of mine are in english and french…), nor any cool place where you can book-swap and stuff like that.

At hairdresser`s…when people touch my hair. When I watch someone draw…I find it incredibly sexy. when someone gives nice hugs. Books that I don`t want to put away. The smell of old books. Films that make me lean closer until my nose is about to touch the screen. Being loved,not just desired. Spine-tingling music that runs through my legs and makes my knees shake…feel good music. Random jokes. Charming chance encounters. Good kissing. Nice smelling people …the list goes on.

George Micheal. Listening to his song right now. :]

random acts of kindness

Antique stores/flea market. Strangers who smile back [note from the blogger: See! I told you!]. Drinking hot cider and watching paranormal shows all day (fall tradition). My dog. My snakes. Reading an insanely good book. Gerard Way. Getting together with my extended family on Christmas Eve. Sleeping. oh, also…Spud Day!  Every year, my mom, my grandma and I go to the park in late fall to catch the leaves that fall off of the trees.  One year, we really wanted to continue the fun, but weren’t really sure how.  My mom looked in her car and all that was in there was a bag of potatoes.  So, desperate as we were, we made up a bunch of different games using only potatoes. Now, every year, we head off to the park, potatoes in tow.

playing ukulele in various public place (school, work at the mall, pet adoption festivals, random backyards). no pulp orange juice. theme days. puns. when i manage to find the room in the house that gets the best natural light. sleeping until 8am (which is sleeping in for me). SECRET DEODORANT (don’t judge me. i lovez it.). writing on my wall. PC88s. making lists.

My mum. Now being able to know how precious it is to be spending another day with my Gran. Marmite, Short Cigarettes, Gin and Tonic, Letters from abroad, Being so happy on the street that you’re positively BEAMING and people start smiling back at you, helping other people, New Love, Old Love, Feeling Humbled, planning something wonderful for your best friend, taking short breaks to see the people you love, days off work when you walk around and realise how great your city is, collecting postcards, My little brother being 2 feet taller than me (and 5 years younger!), Sunny days when everything is beautiful, rainy days when a cup of tea is beautiful, being in a non English speaking country and having to non verbal communicate, picking up my drumsticks again, putting the music up way too loud, finding a new food I love, taking Pride in what I am now and not what I was or will be, Red Kola, Patriotism, heated debates and central heating.

K! That’s how much exists on the forum at the moment!

I also wanted to mention something cool that happened today. I work at a boarding/day camp facility for dogs and cats, and we’re located in a store. The play rooms for day camp are visible from the store (biiiig window), so kids like to come watch the dogs play. Today, a lady came into the lobby with a couple excited kids in tow, thanking us for being there. She said it was such an amazing thing, such a great thing for the children who come to the store. And she was right. I never thought of it that way. Kinda makes one happy. :D

Oh! And I adopted a kitty from the local shelter. YAY! Her name is Fantasma, Fanta for short… The shelter called her Pearl Jam, so we had to change that XD. She’s very teeny, and I finally got her to come up on the bed with me. She knows her name, and she follows me around. I think she adopted me as her mommy. <3 The people at the shelter asked us to keep them updated because they were all so attached to her (and every one of their cats, the shelter and it’s volunteers in Hopkinton, MA is amazing), so when I get home from work tomorrow I’ll search fervently for the USB cord to my boyfriend’s camera for proof that she came out from under the bed!

I’m a member of the Dresden Doll’s forum, the Shadowbox. I put a thread up, and they posted what made THEM happy. So here’s the first installment of Shadowbox happiness.

Kool-aid, squirrels, coffee, vegan ice cream, smiling, my boyfriend, antique and vintage cameras, painting (and accidentally getting paint all over me!), popcorn, Chobits, 30 Rock.

Husband, caramel-shot-coffee, getting lost in the stories I write or read, really cold and sunny weather (yes, the combination), driving on a not-too-crowded road while listening to music, my macbook, my pets. Complete silence, from time to time.

pink glitter in a bodylotion.

a good day on the keys. silence. chocolate. one-on-one time with a good friend.

Peeling dried PVA glue off my fingers. Watching TV - I know it’s a bit of a cop-out, but I really cannot describe how happy a good bit of telly makes me. Being better than other people at something.

Spending time with my daughters. Music. Getting inked. A GOOD cup of coffee.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jSbb9U6GPXE .  http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jRX5kH6IrkY .  http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dSZNV5d3f9k .

Carmen, the opera. voice classes where my teacher tells me good things. hazelnut and chocolate. roleplaying my characters (which needs much more explanation, but i don’t get into it…it’s just writing). dinner with friends. ending the work week. performance, performance, performance.

Buying a new cd, Posting in this forum, talking to smart good looking girls & sometimes making fun of others.

Cuddling with my boy. Chocolate. Amanda. Honey with walnuts. Family Guy. Writing. Reading.

That a band named themselves “Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin,” not to mention that the band is awfully adorable is a generic, indie-esque sort of way.

Talking into fans, taking the first bite of an apple, dressing up but not going out, going out, finding a signed copy in a second-hand bookstore, happy meals and singing in the shower.

Key lime pie, picnics and weather warm enough by day that a night chill is never a concern. Oh… and untethering oneself (indefinite road trips and the like).

Raspberry chocolate cake. mm.

the smell of cigarette smoke, snow, the smell of autumn in the morning, kittens, when the afternoon sun shines through the lace and makes little patterns all over the place, all of my music, sleeping, weekends, hot chocolate, the first days of summer, the sunset, drawing, silence, solitude, and ciabatta melts from wawa.

My girl, lacy skirts/undergarments, musicals, Christmas music, food.

Mexican Beer. Sunlight on water whilst under it. Spinning. Touching tattoos. Glimpses of beauty. Cold rainy days. Kisses.. Old Photographs. Ice Water. Salt on Watermelon. Daisies. Hot tea on cold mornings. grasping bubbles. Bruises. Watercolours. and lots of other random stuff. I’m easily happified.

pondering the meaning of life, a good debate, wintertime, reading, Chicago (the city and the musical, not so much the band), the beach, friends, family, my iPod, my kitten, john cusack, ben folds, politics, sports cars, making money, a nice glass of wine, Patron margaritas, peanut butter M&Ms, video games, and mardi gras.

My dog.

oh man.  online roleplaying is making me reaaaaally happy right now.  eeeeeeeee.

Puppies and Harpo Marx.

every day has an end!!!

Music. Girlfriend. Being busy. Friends.

When I find a really good looking girl and she is Smart that always make me happy, really happy.

Buying new books

Also, buying old books. Actually.. old books more. Especially when you get them home, open them up and random old stuff falls out. Like pressed flowers, scribbled soup recipes or faded folded WWII call up papers from Belgium. Love that. Makes me very happy. In an ‘Amelie’ sort of way.

Autumn sunshine, it’s just so beautiful.

the smell of an old book.

The smell of a new CD!

So that’s the first installment from my fellow fans of Brian Vig and AFP (regardless of whether or not they’re together). Tomorrow I’ll post the next one! (By the way, check them out. The Dresden Dolls have several great CDs out… I love their self-titled cd, as well as No, Virginia. AFP just released her solo cd, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, aided and produced by Ben Folds, who is also a big fan. And Brian is touring with various bands, and he’s an absolutely amazing percussionist. I did email Amanda about a possible interview for this site, but she’s very busy as she’s touring at the moment overseas, and was also hit by a car overseas. I hope she answers, though!! Another opportunity to shamelessly promote her new album would make me quite happy.)

Can I also mention that the coffee I’m drinking right now is making me quite happy? XD

I work at a boarding and daycamp facility for dogs and cats… And it makes me sooo happy! The big dog daycampers pull me around when I’m trying to lead them to the group playroom, but I love that they’re so excited about playtime!! And all the little dogs that need me to carry them out of their rooms (like the ones that are so light, they go in a smaller room on top of another room) snuggle up to my neck and lick my make-up off. And today, for the first time, I got to play with a dog individually. He was suuuch a sweetheart! He and I played chasey-chasey-hide-and-go-seek.

So, here’s something to make YOU happy.

Easy Pizza Dough or Bread Sticks

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder (srs, a tablespoon.)
2/3 cup water (I’m trying it with soy milk now, to see what it does!)
1/4 tsp salt (I use celery salt)
A ton of chopped garlic (I get the kind in the glass jar, in water. Then I don’t have to chop nothin! I usually use about 2 tablespoons)

Chopped onions (optional) or any other veggie, like bell peppers or mushrooms

1 Tbsp cooking oil (I use ersatz butter!)

A liberal sprinkling of Adobo powder, oregano, pepper, etc, and a touch of curry powder if you want it.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together, plus anything else you wanna put it (basil, bell peppers, whatevs you want in there). Add water and garlic, mix it all up. Knead it for a while, it doesn’t take too long. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour until it’s not stickyicky. It shouldn’t take too much more than what I’ve called for.
If you’re making pizza, flatten it on the tray or stone with flour under it so it don’t stick and add toppings. If you like, you can brush butter or olive oil onto the crust (and maybe sprinkle some seasonings like garlic powder on the oil). I like. Depending on how thick you’re making it, stick it in the oven for 18-30 minutes. Keep checking it every 3-5 minutes after the 18 minute marker.
If you’re making garlic breads, arrange the dough in short sticky type shapes with flour under them on a tray or stone. Melt some butter and put garlic powder in it (a dash’ll do) and brush or spoon it onto the stickies. It took me almost 30 minutes in the oven to cook them, but I made ‘em kinda thick. Serve them with marinara sauce, cheese sauce, or melted butter (with garlic!!). Or sour cream, if that’s your pleasure.

Have fun, eat some pizza, live and love and whatnot!

-S

I love sleeping in. It’s like a mini-vacay! But waking up early and getting stuff done- like the laundry, or unpacking one of my boxes, or cleaning the kitchen- is even better. Then I don’t have to stress out about whether or not I’ll get it done, or if someone else is using the washing machines… And I have the rest of the day to watch TV or draw or just to goof off, and I feel better rested. It’s pretty awesome, you should definitely try it. :D

How about you? When do you like waking up?

Finally, I’m going to do what I’ve wanted to do for a while… And post up what other people say! This ‘data’ ( ;) ) is of course collected from &WMU(h)’s facebook group (link at the top of the page! Go join! The group is open to anyone and everyone!).

Things that make me happy… spreadsheets, oreos, the perfect outfit for the day’s weather, good hair days, good make-up days, and sweet sweet lovin’.

happiness to me is going to the park on the hottest day of the year, slushie in hand, and rolling down the biggest hill you can find. sure, you’ll have grass burn, cuts, and want to throw up for a few minutes, but the rush of tumbling to your inevitable nausea, and laughing the whole way, is nothing short of greatness.
really, happiness is just being child-like. playing barbies, finger painting, stopping to pick a pretty flower out of the neighbor’s yard while they’re watching you do it. all the worry you ever had melts away for those moments and when the timecomes to return to the present, you rarely ever feel more refreshed.

Really spicy thai-style curry. That makes me very happy. ♥

that first smoke with your cup of coffee
that tender embrace at the end of a hard day
the silly laughs that only your friends can provide
the love of someone special
little babies
chick movies
f**k it, just waking up and knowing its another day

That’s the first installment! Once the topic gets longer, I’ll be posting more!

Much love- S

PS: What do you think of my page? I added some stuff to it… :D

During the day, I like to sit outside on the porch with my journal. There’s a big puddle in the parking lot that has been there since we moved in, and I thought it was gross at first. But the birds and squirrels here have turned it into something good. The birds take turns, rolling in the dirt and splashing in the puddle. It’s like a spa system! The squirrels chase each other around the bushes, and take a break from playtime with a drink from the puddle… and sometimes splash each other. It always makes me smile.

What’s outside your window?