Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Where's Your Happy Place?
My family went to the movies last night. We saw Aliens in the Attic which most reviewers hated, but we had a great time. My personal great time started from the second I sat down in the seat because the movie theater is my happy place.
It never fails that I feel inspired and recharged by going to the movies. (Well, one time it did fail. When I saw the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie, I fell asleep. But I wasn't at that movie by choice so I don’t count it.) Back in my single girl days in Seattle, the film festival was practically my own private spa week. I love being in the dark where I can lose myself in story and emotion. The popcorn doesn't hurt either. When I go to the movies, my worries stay outside, my creativity gets recharged, and I almost always come home refreshed.
Aliens in the Attic is not a good movie. I know that. But the magic of the movies didn’t fail me. I came home and did some writing and generally felt happy.
What about you? What’s your never-fail happy place? Or maybe yours is a never-fail happy activity? Let's hear about it.
(If Diana even thinks about mentioning the cleaning the kitchen floor, she’s off my friends list forever.)
(Same for Jeannie if she brings up marathons.)
(Sam’s allowed to talk about sewing, though, and Shirley should absolutely talk about the shoe store...or her closet.)
;-)
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LOL
Well, sewing can be my happy place, but not historically, since I haven't been doing it for all that long -- fabric shopping, now that's another thing altogether -- love buying new fabric. :)
But my real happy place (aside of sitting on a sunny beach with dh, ideally with a rum runner or similar) is the TV. I don't really do movies, but I have been, as everyone knows, a TV addict since I was a kid. It's my relaxation, my inspiration, and just my fun. I get very involved in my TV worlds, like you say about your movie world. The minute one of the shows I love comes on, I feel my mind slide into a different place. Usually, it's a good place. Sometimes, if the show is bad, or disturbing in some way I didn't expect, it can throw me, but usually I can let everything fall away in front of the TV.
Great question, Ellen. :)
Sam
Fabric stores
Sam--I'm with you on the fabric stores. When my boys were babies, I used to walk to the little shopping center at our corners. There was a quilting store and a Talbots. I'd go inside Talbots and soak up the atmosphere--no kids, no mess, no disturbances. Then I'd go to the quilt store and rejuvenate with the colors and designs. The fabric store is definitely one of my happy places and has been since I was a kid. I think one of the reasons I like quilting is that you can use so many fabrics in the same project!
Interesting that you can lose yourself in TV. That doesn't work for me, maybe because I can still see my whole messy life around me. ;-)
Ohh-add me to the fabric
Ohh-add me to the fabric store list. I'm not big on quilting stores, since I don't quilt, but I love clothing fabric. I have boxes and boxes of patterns and fabric and still buy more every chance I get.
Quilting/Fabric
I think it's weird how we have "quilting stores" now -- they really are just high-end fabric stores. One of the first lessons I learned about sewing was to find good quality fabric, which is largely sold through "quilting" stores rather than your discount stores, etc, which get lower thread count/lower color saturation lots, etc.
It's kind of a shame, in some ways, that they pigeon-hole themselves as quilting stores, since they really are just fabric shops run by people who know how to quilt, and offer lessons, etc.
I think I really am a fabric addict, LOL. But while that's fun, I still wouldn't trade my favorite TV shows for it. *G*
Sam
I find that most quilting
I find that most quilting stores only have 100% cotton quilting fabric (their bread and butter) and not much fabric that I want to use to make clothing. It bothers me when someone tells me they made a quilt out of the same fabric as the blouse I'm wearing. I don't know why, but it bugs me to match their bed.
Movies!!!
Ellen--Running is not my happy place. It's my chore place.
My happy place is also the movies. One of my greatest thrills was when I got a job at the movie theatre during my senior year in high school because I could watch movies! (This is before videos and DVDs, kids--back when you didn't see a movie again until it was shown on TV four or five or ten years later.) This was an older theatre that used to be a stage theatre before it converted to movies. It had a backstage and the old organ that they used for the silent films. It was also haunted, but that's another story. There was a sister theatre built in the 1930's next door, so I could watch the movie at the theatre where I worked and then go next door after my shift ended and watch the movie there. Interestingly, they replaced the seats in "my" theatre while I was working there. They pulled out 1,000 seats, but could only fit in 750 modern sized seats. People were skinnier in the earlyh 1900s. Anyway, I loved the theatre and I still love movies. They do inspire.
Jeannie
P.S. My husband insists that theatre is spelled "theater". Go figure.
Spelling
Spelling is definitely not my happy activity. I use theater because it's easier and (I think) acceptable. I feel your husband and I would be friends. We seem to have lots in common. ;-)
I'm so jealous of your movie theater job. Maybe when I retire from technical writing I'll get a movie theater job, too. Ours gives tours of the projection booth for birthday parties and I'm just as excited as the kids when I get to go backstage and check it all out.
When The Outsiders came out, I saw it in the movies several times, but then it came out on HBO and we didn't get that channel. I could tune it in and get the sound, but the picture was all fuzz. I actually listened to the whole movie a few times. I spent that year entering every contest I could find to try to win a VCR, but had no success. When I finally got my first real job after college, I bought a puppy, then a car, then a VCR. ;-)
VCR!!!
Ellen--My VCR excitment was similar to your own. I was so happy that I could rent any movie I wanted (although at that time not all the movies I wanted to see were out on video) and watch it over and over again (thus risking those pesky late fees, where were horrendous at the time). And I could record anything I wanted on TV (my second love, Sam). The VCR changed my life.
This post has three parentheical phrases--my personal limit, so I'd better close (before I do it again).
Jeannie
Late fees
Actually, I used to rent the movies and the VCR. I couldn't afford to buy one and I couldn't make myself wait so I'd rent the whole system.
I decided to take the plunge and buy one after my puppy (first post-college purchase) chewed the cord off the rented VCR. I was happy she hadn't been electrocuted, but not so happy about repairing a VCR that didn't even belong to me. That's when I bought my own.
Books!!
Okay, I have two really happy places...craft stores and books. I love everything about craft stores, especially the beading section and the painting section. I can actually feel my energy levels rise when I'm in a crafts store looking at beads and patterns or paints and empty canvases. Last year, for Christmas, I got my daughter and myself a portable easel/paint set and we've gone out several afternoons to paint the nearby marshes or meadows. We barely talk, unless it's how to capture a particular shade or texture on canvas, but we both come home happy and feeling very connected.
My other happy place is books...I absolutely love to read, and I can't tell you how much I look forward to flopping on a sofa with a good book. I look forward to reading a great book more than I look forward to dessert. Or shopping. Unless it's shopping for books. I stopped at B&N on my way home last week and bought five books. We had a lot going on this past weekend with a wake and funeral and lots of family in town, but when Sunday night finally rolled around and our house was quiet again, I couldn't wait o pick up that first book.
Fun topic, Ellen!!
Books
Karen--I'm so with you on the books.
One of the things I really miss about being a kid is Christmas Day with a new book. I used to curl up somewhere and read one of my new books all afternoon and night. Now I have responsibilities. Phooey.
Books definitely beat shopping and dessert for me, too. Although I do enjoy dessert with a book when the opportunity arises. ;-)
This one took some thought...
There are a lot of places I enjoy, but I had to think about what would be my 'happy place'. I narrowed it down to two, LOL!!
1. A library. I grew up spending lots of time after school and during the summers in the library. I still enjoy spending time in them...it is always relaxing. Being surrounded by stories just waiting to be read. Who knows where a new author lurks or a favorite character will emerge! I don't have to worry about being able to afford them, I can look and touch and read at my leisure. And other people who are there like books and stories, too!
2. The woods. There is just nothing like walking through the woods to relax me and put a smile on my face. Especially in the fall. I can't wait for the leaves to start falling so I can go crunch along the trail looking for plants and listening to the critters!
Library for me!
Cathy--both of your choices resonated with me, especially the library. We had a small "branch" library near my house when I was a kid and I spent a ton of time there. The school library where I went 4th-8th grades was also pretty wonderful. Both places had a librarian who loved kids who loved books. Made me feel welcome and useful!
Now that I'm an adult the "free" part of the library holds enormous appeal. I love going there with my boys and letting them grab whatever they want!
Thanks for sharing!
Staples
During this back-to-school shopping season I'm surprised no one has mentioned the office supply store. I can easily get mesmerized in the paper aisle and let's not even get started on file folders. Or those new fancy binder clips with great colors or designs on the metal bits.
Sigh. I do love an office supply store.
my happy place
Bookstores after a rough day at work. Instantly soothing.
The school supply aisle at Target in July and August.
Yes, but...
Yes to the school supply aisle, but not on Sunday afternoon when it's packed. *shudder*
Yes to the library or bookstore... ahh.... :) Bliss!
Fedor and Marcie
Seems as if there are an awful lot of women out there who are standing around bookstores and visibly relaxing!
Definitely don't like to share the aisle at the office supply store. I like my happy places tidy, well-stocked, and free of jostling.
Thanks for sharing!
Amen!
Yes, definitely! If I'm really dreaming, I could also make those happy places staffed by hunky heroes offering fruity umbrella drinks, but that might be going overboard...
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