Well my dear friend Contrary Mom wrote a post about seven things that made her happy this week. I used to do that too and what a good habit. Originally I got the inspiration over at key + arrow but in any form the point is to review the past seven days and find in them seven delights. Very easy these days.

1. Gone fishin'

My favorite boys and I spent quite a bit of time this summer with muddy feet on shorelines or peering out over piers casting lines in and catching panfish to kiss and release. It was a really nice way to enjoy time outside together. We found a new spot in Delafield on Sunday and it was a joy. Except for the part where we accidentally hooked a beautiful painted turtle. Thankfully someone who came by helped us get the hook out and release him.

2. Contrary Mary
Like I said at the start, my bestie Mary is back to blogging as Contrary Mom, and oh how I have missed her. Better yet, she's tweeting hilarity even more often than she blogs it. And I'm so glad that my relinquished art gave you a happy moment this week, Mary!

3. My own personal bookstore
I went through boxes of books that haven't been opened in the year since I moved into this place. It was great to see all my good old buddies again. I was daydreaming about selling some to Half Price Books, but when I saw them, I realized, oh no, these were all the keepers already. Probably the best part is that my kids got a year older and better at reading, so each of them ended up with a big pile to start the school year off with. Sam is particularly and understandably psyched for Lemony Snicket.

4. Q54 Club
Through luck I came across the website maintained by Brooke Allen. What led me there was his article about "What do employers owe the people they do not hire?" Yes, you read that right. Who asks that? No one I know of, except Brooke Allen. He has written a whole bunch of other essays including a bunch of interesting ones on Quartz. E.g., don't manage your time, it's a waste of time.

But what's Q54? It's a set of questions he calls "lenses," that ask you to look at your life through different angles. I am a bit of a navel gazer by nature and the process of working through the lenses over the weeks has been such intense fun and learning. One of the best parts is that each of the lenses/questions is paired with a webpage with links to a bunch of interesting videos and stuff on the topic. E.g., the page about gratitude has some pretty great stuff.

5. School supplies
School is starting so it was time to get the year's school supplies ready. I suppose it would be better to make my kids do it themselves but selfishly I just love checking off the items on those lists and packing backpacks, so I don't even give them the option, and neither has asked yet. The process seems to release good feelings from school days long past, from my deep cellular memory.

6. Five rainbows in two hours
This weekend we took a road trip to grandpa's house and our ride home tracked the path where a little summer storm front was being buffeted by blue sunny skies from the west. Cumulus clouds piled up like shaving cream. Even more dramatically, we saw five, yes, I said that, five! rainbows in the space of two hours. Made me cry.

7. Summer loving
This one isn't technically for this particular week, but the whole summer. In the spring I accepted an invitation from myself to enjoy a summer romance ...with myself. Who knew it would be so great? I've taken me to poetry readings. Out to see live music (especially my new favorite band Blessed Feathers--three times!) Painted watercolors. Wrote poems. Sometimes both at once. Pretty much gave myself permission to enjoy the fun little things my heart loves. Some of which are even hard things like biking to work or going through closets.

I've really shown myself a good time! Hope you had a good summer too.