Small Cheerful Things

Liz_V

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Big things are great. But sometimes it's the small things that brighten someone's day, often all out of proportion to the thing itself.

I gathered up all my pink plastic flamingos and put them in the flower bed by the mailbox. With the different sizes I've accumulated over the years, it looks like four generations of flamingo family have gotten together to say hi to passersby. It amuses me, and I figure it should bring a smile to the faces of people driving or jogging by. (And even if somebody really hates pink plastic flamingos, it'll at least give them something else to think about.)

Have you done a small thing to put a little cheerfulness into the world? Or, what small thing did someone else do that made you smile?
 

Snitchcat

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Don't know if this is cheerfulness, but I have created some drawings to challenge those who like colouring in a drawing. (There's a thread in Office Party.) I've also made friends laugh. They've also made me laugh. Support given and received.

I guess, for me, continuing to be myself and staying balanced during this time is the key thing. :)
 

Tazlima

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Since good long walks aren't really an option these days, I've taught both my dogs to use the treadmill.
 

heza

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I haven't done much. People in my neighborhood are putting stuffed bears in their windows for kids to do the "bear hunt," so I did that. My window is weird though, so the only way you could see the bear was if I safety pinned him up high on the street side of the curtains... and then my husband said he was creepy and looked like he just couldn't handle the quarantine anymore and ended it all right there in the window. So then I made some construction paper balloons to tie to his hand and now he looks happier. I think we're also supposed to be putting paper Easter eggs in our windows next, since kids can't do their school/church egg hunts and I guess no one wants to waste their food eggs for backyard hunts.
 

Maryn

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I put out a whole bunch of what I call "yard art" and Mr. Maryn calls "happy junk." He's always been fine with whatever I chose to put in the privacy of the back yard but wanted the front to look adult and respectable.

He's said nothing about the floating fish or the butterflies jammed into the cracks in the tree stump, nor the pinwheels.

I found a box of chalk and have considered using it at the foot of the driveway, changing it when it wears away. I thought I'd start with a hopscotch pattern, then an appeal to donate to the local food bank, and after that, light humor. I don't have all that much chalk, and no colors, so this may not last long.

Any chance we could see those flamingos? Frankly, the display sounds awesome.

Maryn, who got rid of a lot of fun stuff when she moved
 

K Robert Donovan

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We've had plenty of rain, so our lawn is emerald green and all our spring flowers are blooming. So it looks amazing outside from my office window where I work from home and do all my writing.

We also facetime with our new grandson (they live on the other side of the country) and watch him light up and gurgle at us.
 

Tazlima

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We tilled up the yard and planted a lawn, which finally began sprouting a couple days ago. Turns out watching the grass grow is actually really kind of fun and fascinating! (Maybe next I'll try watching paint dry).
 

Maryn

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Without meaning to, I bought a paint that goes on blue and dries black once. It was so cool to watch it dry.

I'm envious of you people with spring stuff going on. It snowed a little this morning, although it didn't stick and it's near 40 now.
 

Kat M

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Bear hunt is in my neighborhood too! Sadly, I have no windows facing the street. Ah, apartment living . . .

I'm making YouTube videos for my students. They're schoolwork, but to boost morale, I try to make something funny happen in each. In one, my hedgehog slippers came to life and tried to read books and explore the apartment when I wanted to work.
 

mccardey

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Pumpkin soup. Neighbour dropped some over :)
 

DanielSTJ

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Making meals with my Dad (it's just me and him living together.) We socialize, make bad jokes, and cheer each other up! :)
 

Chris P

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I live in a cluster of high-rise apartments, so no yard work or bear hunts for me!

My wife and I have been getting out to walk the residential neighborhoods nearby, and people seem to be spending more time doing outside stuff. So in that way, it's good to see people being active and getting outside. Once this is over, I hope people keep this up.

We've also been cooking new things we've not tried before, as a result our clothes fit better, and the Suriname cherry trees I've been nursing along for five years in containers (they really need to be outside and at least 300 miles south of here) have their first blooms ever :)
 

AZ_Dawn

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Today Silvie laid her third egg this year. :D Pretty good for a 6-year old chicken. We thought all the girls went through "henopause" last year, but apparently Silvie's still laying, sort of.
 

MaeZe

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One of my neighbors on Nextdoor passed this on:

"Passing on some (much needed) humor
Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.

I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe.

I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.

Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or The Bedroom.

Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job.

I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone

This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot.

So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them?

Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.

My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.

I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?

I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended."

Another neighbor found a dead fly so he drew four drawings with the fly as the character: riding a horse, hanging the laundry, lying on a beach towel, and skating. They're really cute. Legs and arms are stick figure.


Thanks for some ideas, think I'll decorate my front yard. No one can see the bears in my front window either which is a shame because one is a nurse bear with a face mask on.
 
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mccardey

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BBC sport's commentator Andrew Cotter's Game of Bones is still making me smile. If it hasn't fallen into your feed yet, do unmute it and enjoy 20 seconds of unmitigated delight.
 
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MaeZe

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:roll:


Well I took everything from my patio and put them in the front yard. Spinner things hanging from the tree, check. Wire and glass bead bugs and fish stuck in the ground, check. Couple of other bugs on a stick stuck in the ground, Check. Rainbow ribbon wrapped about the light pole, check.

Already had a compliment from a passerby. Lots of people walk down our street.

Tomorrow, stuff from the backyard.....
 
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Kat M

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:roll:


Well I took everything from my patio and put them in the front yard. Spinner things hanging from the tree, check. Wire and glass bead bugs and fish stuck in the ground, check. Couple of other bugs on a stick stuck in the ground, Check. Rainbow ribbon wrapped about the light pole, check.

Already had a compliment from a passerby. Lots of people walk down our street.

Tomorrow, stuff from the backyard.....

I know you're not in my neighborhood, but on behalf of the folks who are, thanks for doing that! It makes me so happy to see all the different yard decorations.
 
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Chris P

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We saw some bears in windows today! Cool to know what that's all about.
 

frimble3

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That's because the streets are quiet and peaceful, so they feel free to roam around. Take pictures!
Tip: get word out to the neighbours to keep their dogs and dog food, inside. Ditto cat food, and anything else that smells edible.

And, my cheerful thing is the sparrow, flying out of my weed-patch with a beakful of dried grasses. It's nesting time! The world goes on, regardless of COVID.
 
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Liz_V

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I'm loving all of these. Thanks for the smiles, everbody!
 

Tazlima

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I cut Boyfriend's hair today. He's wanted a mohawk since he was a kid, and we decided "why not?" Luckily I haven't lost the skills from my days as a dog groomer and he LOVES his new look. I think this may be permanent.

We did the cut outside and left the hair on the ground in case the local birds want to use it in their nests, too. There's a sparrow nest across the way and a pair of bluejays that have been working overtime toting twigs. I figure one of them is bound to enjoy some nice soft hair.
 

mrsmig

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That's because the streets are quiet and peaceful, so they feel free to roam around. Take pictures!
Tip: get word out to the neighbours to keep their dogs and dog food, inside. Ditto cat food, and anything else that smells edible.

I think Chris P means bears in people's windows, for children to spot on their bear hunt walks. :)
 

Chris P

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I think Chris P means bears in people's windows, for children to spot on their bear hunt walks. :)

I dunno. Paddingtons and Poohs and Teddys in police uniforms roaming the streets looking for stray food would be a adorable sign of the state of things.

Or that I've been inside too long.