Running With Quills: Here’s to the Happy Place...

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Here’s to the Happy Place...

I was thinking about Opus today...you know, Berkeley Breathed’s cartoon character, the wonderful little penguin with the big nose who likes to go off to his “happy place” when life gets to be too much? Anyway, we’d had a long morning with a trip to town (over an hour’s drive down one mountain, over another and then across a smaller range) and then a bunch of things I had to deal with the minute I got back home—along with putting away all the groceries from the Costco trip—and the phone wouldn’t stop ringing and I kept thinking of some changes I wanted to make in the book I’m writing, and finally I just went outside and watered the flowers. Now, we have our entire yard on drip irrigation, so my watering the flowers isn’t going to make a lick of difference in how well they grow, but I needed to go to my happy place, and today, the back yard with butterflies and flowers and birds and the occasional deer wandering through fit the bill.

Yesterday my happy place was a book—Alyssa Day’s new release ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, which just made the New York Times extended list (YEA ALYSSA!!!) and that’s the same happy place I’ll be going to tonight when I pull out my new copy of Yasmine Galenorn’s DEMON MISTRESS (which made the NY Times top 15—do I hang out with good writers or what?) but it all got me to thinking about what we do, in this stressful world we live in, to cope. To have the energy and the drive to keep on keeping on no matter how tough it gets.

I realized it’s that happy place we all hope to find that helps us balance our

lives. Whether it’s a good book or a sunny day and a few flowers to water, maybe a stolen half hour taking a walk, playing with our kids instead of doing something horribly practical or baking cookies when the diet says no—whatever we choose that lets us forget our cares and put our worries aside, if only for a few minutes, that allows us the chance to smile and relax and appreciate the good in our lives, that happy place is what keeps us sane.

So here’s to sanity and to allowing ourselves time to hide out in our very own happy place without guilt. Tell me, what’s your favorite escape, your happy place that takes you away from all the cares of the day? Books and gardening have always been mine, but I’d love to know about yours. In the meantime, I'll be reading!

28 Comments:

Phyllis Butcher said...: Kate, my happy place is always reading and listening to music, either Country, Oldies, or soft Jazz. The first few months after my husband died, my quiet (if not happy) place was at the arcade, where I could escape from my house, be with people, but not have to talk with anyone. Now I'm just happy to snuggle down with a good book and totally escape.

Thank you for helping us escape to the worlds you imagine.

Phyllis; 11:22 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm lucky because I have more than one happy place. One is of course my latest read. Just started Nora Roberts Salvation in Death, so that's taken care of.

I love my cats. All my lady cats have had an explosion of kittens, so I sit on my steps trying to coax them into playing and just laugh at their antics.

Finally, I'm luck to live in a beautiful place, Hawaii! So one of my very favorite things is to sit on my front porch which faces west and watch our fabulous sunsets and listen to the day turn soft and quiet.

Kathy H.; 1:39 AM
kris b said...: wow kate wonderful blog! your pics of kittys are too cute! ;-)
my happiest place is the bath with a book, because well it is the one place I can go where I know the phone wont ring, no one will knock on the door and they can't follow me in there! (well they could but I won't let em!) now thats its summer it harder to find that peace baths just arent prominent in warm weather, however I do try now and again to excape! and of course booooooks! love em! got tons on the tbr pile and of course just got tails of love in the mail the other day so broke right into it! its wonderful! :-) and I hope to finish it tonight and then start all over again! ;-)
thats the peaceful happy place! i do love to be with my kids doing fun things too! that make me laugh and smile I have wonderful kids I love that! and am glad as they are older I am still able to enjoy them so much!

thankyou for the wonderful start to my friday!

Kris b; 3:39 AM
Janell said...: Had an interesting thing happen some years ago while going through some hypnosis for pain management. The therapist asked me to describe the place where I felt happiest as a child-that would be the place he would recreate for me as my happy place to focus on those feelings instead of the pain caused by a disc problem. My happy place was the memory of being at my grandparents as a child during summer vacations when I would lay on the couch and read whatever I wanted to while my grandmother rested and my grandfather listened to the ball game on the radio. That happy place was when I felt the safest ever-I could quietly hear the ball game, knew my grandpa was sitting on the porch, knew my grandma was laying on the bed, and that I was perfectly safe-a wonderful memory. Thanks for making me think of it today-I think I may dig out the hypnosis tapes from that therapist and go back there! I still use those thoughts occasionally for self-hypnosis when my back pain recurs-what a treat!; 6:23 AM
Patty L. said...: My happy place involves a book, hammock and Ipod. When I just need to relax or I get stressed my hubbie sends me in the back yard with strick orders not to come back until I'm normal again. LOL; 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...: I have a multitude of happy places I can go. I can think back to living on Jekyll Island, GA, where sun, sand, and water create a peaceful life. I can go to the desert where ancient peoples left pictographs on the rock walls. I can read a romance novel. I have become an expert at using my imagination for escape; maybe because I grew up in the backwoods with few neighbors and no TV. But there is one especially nice escape that I use now-I spend time with my grandgirls. I spend a lot of my time with them helping then develop their own imaginations. The five year old is getting very good at making up bedtime stories and the two year old is taking giant leaps daily in her language skills and play/pretend skills. I know this doesn't sound like escape, but it beats the heck out of the day job.

Lynne Thomas; 7:16 AM
Kate Douglas said...: Good morning, Phyllis--I never would have thought of an arcade, but I can see where the sound and people and yet total anonymity would be really relaxing in its own way, though snuggling down with a good book is always going to work for me. Thank you!

Kathy, how lucky for you to live in Hawaii--it's so beautiful there, especially when you get away from the "tourist spots" and can find a quiet spot to just enjoy the natural beauty. I'm anxious to find some time to get over to Oahu and see our grandkids, since that's where our son and his family live. Beautiful, beautiful place! And kittens, of course, will do it every time!

Good morning, kris! Obviously your family is better trained than mine, because the minute I think I'm going to relax in a nice hot bath with a book, someone's knocking on the door, wondering where to find something or telling me I've got a phone call! I'm jealous it works so well for you.; 7:47 AM
Kate Douglas said...: Janell, that's really an interesting idea for pain management. You made me think of what childhood memories would take me away, and I immediately remembered the huge box of comic books we had at my grandmother's cabin (which, consequently, was only a couple of miles from where we live now). I would snuggle up on the big porch swing under the pines with that box beside me and read for hours. She had literally hundreds of comics--the old "Classics Illustrated" that teased me enough with the abbreviated stories that I went on and read all the "real" books long before I was really old enough. I hadn't thought of those for years--thank you for the reminder!

Patty, that sounds appealing even now! I'm going to be losing myself in a book today, but it's one I'm writing, not reading...though I got a good start into Yasmine's Demon Mistress last night, and absolutely love it!

Lynne, I hear ya on the grandkids! There's something about playing with the grands that just takes you away from everything else. We have five now, eight down to eight months, and playing with them is like hugging puppies!; 7:55 AM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: Hey Kate (pssst...top 20--short list is now 20 and I clocked in at 16). Right now, my happy place is swirling around me. I really do need to decompress this weekend though--the past couple days have been a blur--a good blur, but a blur of movement and going "GAH!" and elation.

I think this weekend I need a happy place with a little sun (we're supposed to have some!), a quiet park, and just...maybe...a good book or a journal in which to sort out my jumbled emotions. *grins*

Yazza; 9:02 AM
Paula R said...: Hey Kate, my happy place has always been escape in a book I love...now a physical happy place for me would be to go to the beach, listen to the waves and watch the sunset. I have been to Jekyll Island, and I fell in love. It was one of the most peaceful places I have been. I watched the most beautiful sunrise, which blew me away. I try to think of that, whenever I need to get away. If all else fails, I sleep, sleep and sleep, until I feel like I can be with people again...I know the last one is strange, but it works for me most of the times...

I loved Oahu...stayed in Waikiki and that was awesome too...loved walking on the beach there...

Peace and love,
Paula R.; 9:09 AM
Kate Douglas said...: Oops...thought is was 13, but 16 is still utterly fantastic, Yaz! Jumbled emotions are good as long as it's a happy jumble! Enjoy the moment--I'm sure enjoying the book!

Hi Paula! Hmmmm, must check out this Jekyll Island if TWO of you are calling it your happy place! What are the odds of that? The beach at Lanikai is one place I think of for peaceful wave-watching. Such a gorgeous spot, but I also love Goat Rock, near Jenner, California. Nothing peaceful at all there, but it's mesmerizing when the surf is high and the waves are pounding against that huge rock. Definitely someplace you can sit and lose yourself in the thunder and roar.; 9:18 AM
Paula R said...: Let me know when you want to go to Jekyll...my friend has a house there, right on the water...a perfect writing place...I am sure she would let you rent it if you wanted to go...

Peace and love,
Paula R.; 9:46 AM
Kate Douglas said...: LOL...thanks for the offer, but I have trouble getting down the hill to see the grandkids! Imagine that's something that won't happen for awhile. I've learned I have to be a bit realistic in my dreams--if I'm going to write and do it well, it's either here in my office or the back of the motorhome. Life has certainly changed for me in the past few years, which, of course, is why that "happy place" is so much more important.; 12:14 PM
susan andersen said...: Great blog, Kate--love the kitties! In the winter nothing beats a hot bath, a cold glass of water and a good book. Cats always calm me and so does X-country skiing. Long walks with family and dance classes are also happy places for me.; 1:09 PM
Kate Douglas said...: Hi Susan! Long walks, definitely! I've never tried cross country skiing, but it sounds wonderful, and I love cats but husband's allergic. My happy place today has been the WIP--I'm really enjoying my fantasy world more than the real one right now!; 1:35 PM
GatorPerson said...: We've been having a whole lot of rain here. Yet again yesterday evening. Then one wave of thunderstorms passed at dusk, another on the way. Important Dog and I toured the back forty. A host of fireflies were slowly rising up from the wet grass. Again and again. Nature orchestrating beauty. A momentary serendipitous quiet place.; 2:11 PM
Anonymous said...: I agree re: Alyssa Day's new book "Atlantis Unleashed" I read it a few days ago and it is good!

My happy place is a book in hand and sprawling on a couch. The book can be a new one or a re-read. Doesn't matter.; 3:48 PM
Kate Douglas said...: GatorPerson, sounds perfect. The air always feels so clean and fresh after a rain. I've never seen a firefly--what a wonderful visual you've drawn! Thank you.

Anonymous, I'm with you! It doesn't matter where I am if I've got a good book, though sprawling on the couch with Rufus half on my lap and a quiet house is real close to heaven! I'm glad you agree on Alyssa's book--I love this series!; 5:14 PM
elizabeth said...: *looks for my happy place*

*still looks*

my stolen WiFi is blinking; 6:55 PM
Kate Douglas said...: Poor Elizabeth...hopefully you'll find it once you get settled. Sending lots of sympathetic hugs your way...and shutting down my computer and going downstairs to read. Time to find MY happy place!; 8:15 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Provocative blog, Kate. Thanks.

The responses are special and each one gets me thinking. My meditation place is a blue chair in front of a window where I can see thick snow falling on shiny leaves. That's for peace.

Like you, Kate, watering my flowers and fiddling in the dirt makes me happy. Knowing my family members are safe makes me happy. My animals make me happy and so do books and music--and a good play.

Speaking of which, has anyone seen A Thousand Clowns? If so, any impressions to share?

Stella; 12:32 AM
Kate Douglas said...: Stella, all those things and more! And no, I haven't seen a play in years. We're so far from anything up here that we rarely venture out, but I'm not complaining a bit. How's that go? "It's my own little world and I like it here" ? (And yes, that's another way of saying my spouse and I are just plain boring, but it works for us!); 9:53 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Well, this is going to sound shallow as all get out, but what the heck. I'm in a very happy place when I'm shopping. I find it as soothing as a walk on a beach.

--Jayne; 10:25 AM
Kate Douglas said...: Me, too, Jayne. There's something really satisfying about walking through stores, especially when I'm not particularly looking for anything. If I'm actually shopping with a purchase in mind, it's not nearly as much fun, but I do love aimless shopping! (So it's obviously NOT shallow, right?); 3:03 PM
Eva S said...: Hi Kate,
my happy place right now is my garden, where all the flowers are coming...(Even if the weather still is cold, rainy with thunderstorms, you wouldn't think it's summer, but I hope for better days!).And in the evening my happy place is on the couch next to my husband, with many great new books to read! And some chocolate...; 1:36 PM
Kate Douglas said...: Ah, Eva...the spouse, a good book and some chocolate...it just can't get any better, right? I'm so glad you've got flowers tough enough to bloom when it's cold and rainy! It's cold and cloudy today here in Cobb and the deer are out nibbling what flowers I've got. I think they think I put them out as part of a buffet! Thank you for coming by.; 1:42 PM
Lou said...: Kate,
Don't know if you will get this because it's been a while since you posted, but...

I was at the bookstore today and got a look at the cover on the Wolf Tales VI trade paperback cover...

OH MY FREAKIN'...

ahem... (clears throat, wipes drool off of chin... and shirt...)

takes a calming breath...

Nice cover... (groan); 6:48 PM
Carrie said...: Hi Kate,

Not sure you'll see this, but I felt compelled to comment here. My happy place is either in a book or writing. I find that when I feel life getting insane, I take a step back, get on the computer and write. When I'm done, I feel alright with the world....; 1:10 AM

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Here’s to the Happy Place...

28 Comments: