With a good book and lunch pack, you’re ready for adventure. (Darragh Doiron/Special to The News)

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Genuine gratitude has my back. Every. Single. Day.

Clean towels, a hot meal, fizzy water, a tiny chunk of dark chocolate… all good.

I’m so happy to find a penny on the ground that I go out of my way to walk around and find them. Keeping it humble is a means to keeping it happy. People who practice gratitude seem to find each other. I found this book, and I want to share it:

“What I Know About Gratitude” – If you want to find happiness, find gratitude, reads one sunny, yellow page. Also, find this book and read a few pages every day. Keep it handy and re-read as necessary.

 

I believe, as many quotes in this Gibbs Smith book suggest, that the more you practice the G word, the easier it becomes to frame situations in the light of gratitude. I kind of go by this one from Bob Dylan:

 

“Even if you don’t have all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you don’t want.”

 

Things in that category for me include a boat, a closet full of too-fancy-for-me shoes and a second home that needs maintenance. If I get invited to ride on a boat, in my comfy shoes, my gratitude is flowing. Also, taking care of one home is enough on my plate. 

 

Here are some other gems from the little yellow book:

 

• “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson
• “When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree.” – Vietnamese proverb
• “I live by two words: Tenacity and gratitude.” Henry Winkler

 

Mark the Year – Let your July birthday friends know that Henry David Thoreau said “The

white water-lily is the queen of river flowers.”

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them,” Henri Matise said on the

Gladioulus book mark. 

This collection, starring Cosmos and Oscar Wilde in October, is called “Mark the Year: A

Floral Bookmark for Each Month.” What a great gift maker for you book loving, gardening friends. Fortunately Gibbs-Smith (www.gibbs-smith.com) includes two of each because it’s hard to let go of these flowery beauties, even if it’s not your month. I’m a January carnation, with a message from Marcus Tillius Cicero: “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything.”

Let’s part with the September Morning Glory message from a Texan who is famous for her love of wildflowers. It’s Lady Bird Johnson, who said “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”

 

Pack the Snacks – Area Titan football fans may want to check in to the Arctic Zone Titan Expandable lunch pack in sharkskin gray. Fancy, huh? School, work and day tripping are reasons to need some nourishment and temptations at the ready. My favorite on this model is the shoulder strap and the two ice walls because otherwise I’d need to figure if I wanted my yogurt cup cold or the boiled egg on top. It’s sleek and high performance. I like the shoulder strap but there are four other ways to carry, including a backpack attachment.

 

Lots of capital letters are used in the description, because they are all registered marks and such.

Let them speak for themselves: • SuperFoam® insulation with Therma-Flect® radiant

barrier • Leak proof, easy clean interior lining with Microban® • Double capacity when

expanded • Includes 2 Ice Walls® www.arcticzone.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie very grateful for all the joy sharing food brings with friends and family. Share your ideas with her at panews@panews.com