Store Your Happy Memories Here:

[Croix]

Dear All~

What this place is for:
This thread is a tool, a resource, and also I guess a dash of entertainment.

I’ve found that when life is grim that sometimes thoughts of past happiness can create a chink of light in the grey overwhelming press of down. They can help occupy the mind with lighter reflections.

With that in view I invite people to set down a brief passage describing some happy event they look back to with fondness and peace.

They - and others too - can then return to it when they feel the need to glean a little warmth.

It is not a place for gloomy or dire tales, those can go elsewhere.

What to do:
Just set out, as simply as you like, your recollection of some past experience that means something good to you, something you enjoyed, something from safe times.

It can be, like my story below, anything – from an account of visiting grandparents to simply cooking and eating a melted-cheese sandwich in a favorite kitchen – you get to choose.

How to do it:
Write. Write enough so someone else can feel the mood, know what happened, find the goodness. (stop at 2,500 characters please!)

Grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation are not compulsory, just write as you can – the only important thing is the content - not literary merit. Short or long - it does not matter.


I hope you enjoy, contribute and find a little distraction here when you need it.

Croix

[Quercus]

Thank you x a billion Croix!!

I went to listen to your song windmills of your mind (which is beautiful by the way... Can't decide whose cover I like better... Probably Dusty).

And then saw a new song. New JB!!! New album in November. Finally! I started crying.

And random is possible if your playlist is all JB songs 😊.

So my happy memory...

Sitting in the dark room with headphones. Reaching out to try a friend's comfort to ease my sore heart.

A new title. But the same impact as always. I close my eyes and listen. Feel the tension inside ease a little.

"I dreamt I fell in a lions den... And you still came for me...

I dreamt I lost all of my faith... And you still prayed for me".

Thank you my friend.

❤ Nat

[Doolhof]

Hi Croix, Nat and All,

I don't know who Jon Bellion is, but his songs seem to have an impact on you both so I will listen to some of his music later on tonight when my husband is at work.

I'm off to the Op Shop today so will look forward to chatting with customers, finding treasures, laughing with my fellow workers and hopefully have someone child's smile at me to make my day!

A new happy memory was created for me yesterday. The framers have returned the sheep to our place as recent rains have brought up the grass again.

I wandered around amongst the sheep yesterday, they followed me around the paddock for a while, with the friendly ram wanting his head rubbed and ears scratched. The others gave up following me, but the ram stayed by me, sometimes rubbing his head against my jeans if I stood still.

Looking around I listened for the birds, blocking out the noise of the traffic. I watched the sheep and the horses in the paddock next door. I stood with my back to the sun and felt comforted.

Peace is right here with me! I just have to be more aware and seek it out!

Cheers to you all from Dools

[Quercus]

Hi Mrs D (with a wave to Croix of course),

I like your happy memory especially when you mentioned standing in the sun. Being outside and in the sun seems to help most of the time.

Today's happy/peaceful memory.

A small paved courtyard. Cream brick, lush green bird of paradise plants and the sparkle of the blue swimming pool. Summer is here.

My friend and I divide existing plants and spruce up the garden beds. Palms. Yukkas. Dracaenas. Frangipannis. Flaxes. Rhoeos. A little tropical oasis.

Sweat and baking heat. The sounds of chaos. Four little ferals (kids) in the pool next to us have decided skinnydipping is the best. Squeals and splashes as they alternate spraying the garden beds, spraying eachother and jumping into the cold water.

All done we see a collection of black stones on the floor of the pool. Two identical frustrated Mum sighs. Not again! She shrugs and goes to wrangle clothes on to the boys.

My two grin cheekily wrapped in towels. I feel the heat off the pavers. The sun burns my skin. I smell salt and sunscreen. Midweek. Midday. Everything is quiet. I shrug too.

A pile of clothes and the giggles of my kids break the silence. The water is freezing. Refreshing. Miss 3 exchanges my collection of stones for a towel. 30 seconds of living in the moment.

[quirkywords]

Hello everyone,

Nat, what a wonderful description of a peaceful memory I can smell the u screen and feel the heat.

My memory from yesterday, was a lovely couple from Persia(Iran). Who told me how much they loved my shop and how grateful they were to live in Australia. she had so much joy in her voice that it was contagious and she told me about the tasty food she cooks. I was invited to her place for a home cooked meal if I ever visit the town she is moving to.

In a few minutes I was transported into her world of deli Sioux aromas, exotic stories and a gratitude for everything Australian.

I will probably never see her again but those precious minutes of conversations will make me smile every time I think of her.

Croix this is a great thread , I often read but don’t post because I. Ant think of something to write when I have to.

Quirky

[Croix]

Dear All~

Rocks and swimming, um.

Grandmother Nain is sitting on a towel on the beach, which is made of pebbles with rocky outcrops poking though in places, covered in limpets. We are in a sheltered spot beside the shorter jetty, the one old fishermen throw in lines from to pass the time.

I'm in my new waterproof plastic sandals and wade out into the cold water. It gets up to my chest then I feel something touch a leg, freak and wade back to the beach as fast as I can. Agonizingly slow of course.

Seaweed, just seaweed, long strands with bubbles. Grandfather Tide had filled my head with tales of conger eels, often big enough to snap up small boys. Some days I was just plain silly. Nain offers cold tea from the corked bottle.

Teasing grandchildren is apparently an inheritable trait, now I do it.

Croix

[Elizabeth CP]

I'm not sure about teasing grandkids but my grandkids like to tease me. I'm regularly eaten by pretend crocodiles, bears dinosaurs or are cut up with pretend swords. Of course I am expected to moan & groan loudly as I clutch the injured part & fall dramatically to the floor while the grandkids watch & laugh hysterically. When I complain I am told in a serious voice ' It is just pretend Grandma.

I have mainly grandsons who are very physical. They want to run, jump, climb, wrestle etc. Yesterday was the 5 yr olds birthday & he doesn't have knider on Fridays so we visited. They just want me to play with them. Walking to the playground is fun. As we approached a road we called out for the two boys to stop. The 5 year old immediately grabbed his 3 yr old brother & held tight until we caught up to make sure his brother didn't run across the road. I love seeing them care for each other.

[Croix]

Dear Elizabeth~

That's lovely, both you acting out their ideas of being attacked, but mainly the way the 5 y.o. looked after his little brother.

I also like the way they reassure you.

Love is there

Croix

[Mozette]

Okay... my turn with a happy memory about my friend.

Back in 1997, when I visited her. We spent quite a bit of time hanging out, going by train places and enjoying a few days out. One day, she took me to a complete stone village - built completely from stone, even now - and showed me her favourite music store. She was to buy her first flute there with her own money from the Stamford Music Store - such a lovely place. So much to see in that tiny shop - and it had its own sound booth. We caught out a crooked assistant manager who was trying to rip her off. He was trying to sell her a flute with bent keys.

Another time, we had dinner at the Leicester Music Festival in Leicester Square and I had Burger King (Hungry Jacks here in Australia) and couldn't eat it all. I spotted a homeless guy sitting by one of the bins looking at everything people were throwing away and was crestfallen every time he saw it was empty cups, or empty bags. I gave him the rest of my meal and my drink. He was so grateful. He told me that he hadn't eaten in 3 days. It's awful to see food go to waste... and I thought it was best to give to him. Hannah saw that was kinda silly, but when I explained that he may not have eaten in a week, she realised how hard it might be for him.

She also showed me op-shops in the UK with leather jackets and coats in almost new condition for £30 or less... I almost bought more than one! I was stunned at how nice they looked!

These are the great memories of my dear friend - and I'll never forget them.

Mozette

[Croix]

Dear Mozette~

I'm delighted to see you here, your stories are vivid and I think many, both now and in the future will be richer for your memories with your friend, even if they do not know the circumstances. A bent assistant manager to match the keys I guess.

I remember several things thanks to your prompting. As a young man in London I came out of a news theater and ate a new delight, a hamburger called a Wimpy Burger. There were huge cranes opposite towering overhead on an ex-war demolition site which had the name of the firm, also Wimpy. At the time I wondered at the connection. I've no idea idea if Wimpy still exists, it was brand new back then.

There were people on the street who had suffered badly in the war, homless as well as injured I guess. Britain was just recovering even then.

Trains and op-shops. I remember around the mid 70's going into British Rail's Lost Property Shop where they sold off all the unclaimed items left on trains. I came out with a Lock & Co Bowler and Fox Frame umbrella, just like my favorite TV character John Steed. I felt most elegant and debonair.

My partner, who was at least as good looking as Cathy Gale, tactfully pretended to be impressed:)

If all these names mean nothing I'm not surprised, it was a little while ago:)

Thank you Mozette, you have helped me remember long forgotten pleasures

Croix

[blondguy]

Hello Croix

I like your thread....My memory is being 9 years old in 1969 and spending a short time in Hawaii...Waikiki...and I remember being disappointed when I had a Coke in a wax/paper cup and all I tasted was bubbly watered down Coke.....There were the 'Hula girls' that were greeting us from the P&O Oriana which dad kept reminding me of yet I have no recollection of them

I just remembered the watered down Coca Cola on Ice.....I miss the simplicity of being a kid Croix

Thankyou for the great thread

Paul