Compliments and Kid's Photoshopped Drawings

Do you compliment strangers?  I do.  Not often enough, but sometimes I'll blurt out a compliment to a complete stranger and the effect on them has an effect on me.  Back in the days before the pandemic, a young woman was leading us to our table at a restaurant, and I said, "You have the most beautiful smile!"  She glowed.  I glowed.  I complimented a young bagger at a grocery store on his braids.  Same thing.  His response and my response to his response was a pleasure.  

A great smile and interesting hair often elicit a comment, but I'm also often impressed with eyes, hands, rings, earrings, unusual clothing choices.  Yesterday, a young man whose hair was shaved on the sides with about 2 inches of pink hair standing at attention on top was working near by and when I said (from my social distance) "I like your hair," his grin was a little joy in my morning.  He leaned over and showed me his dark roots.  :)

So this morning, I read this article in The Guardian about Complimenting Strangers.   I knew exactly what she was talking about.

I like her style:  “I’m loving everything that’s happening here,” I said, walking past a fabulously non-binary person in a body-conscious gold jumpsuit and coordinated vest. I splayed my fingers and waved my arm like a grand old dame, from sky to sidewalk. “Everything!” I crowed over my shoulder, speed-walking on in my orthopedic Adidas high tops. Grand old dame likes everything that’s happening here, people! Everything! I barely looked back to see what the reaction was, but I’m pretty sure I at least got a smile.  (I'm not sure I could work up to that level, but I love it.)

There is a self-serving element in the compliments.  Making them feel good makes you feel good.     But complimenting others isn’t a completely selfish act. Dr Alex Lickerman, co-author of The Ten Worlds: The New Psychology of Happiness, tried smiling at and positively engaging with service workers he saw regularly, and discovered that their demeanor seemed to change overall. He observed that workers who’d been reserved or even sullen began to engage more positively and happily with other customers (although Lickerman noted that there was an initial period of feeling like he was weirding out service workers when he was friendly with them).

Outgoing Mail

After mailing Penne's letter the other day, 

I thought of something I forgot to tell her.

So I made a postcard to tell her about an author she'd like,

because I knew I'd forget before the next letter.

I'm off to work on a couple of more letters and postcards now.  Hester asked for some of the old envelopes, and I want to get them off to her this week.  Also need to order more stamps.  

Wow!  From funny to frightening! :)

Love the bird dog.

Dad Photoshop's Kid's Drawings

Positive Things

These Articles Make Me Happy 

I'm interested in the environment and look for good news about how we affect the earth, like this article about rewilding in East Anglia.  “We want to focus on a little nature everywhere rather than a lot of nature in one area.” 

And a Wildflower Corridor for pollinators.  

The first two are in the UK, but Texas (and probably other states) has an interest in encouraging wildflowers and pollinators as well:  Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  You can also join the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. 

Some great inspirational quotes about trees.  Here are just a few:

"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." 

― Warren Buffett

"Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky."

― Kahlil Gebran

"You know me, I think there ought to be a big old tree right there. And let's give him a friend. Everybody needs a friend."

― Bob Ross 

The Garden Makes Me Happy

Honeybells cuphea and begonias

 Milkweed

 sunflowers from seeds knocked out of feeder

Letters Makes Me Happy

Incoming Mail

I love the way the flower on the envelope echoes the above wildflower theme,

the stamps echo the cheerful yellows and orange of the flower, and the

way Wonder Woman charges into the fray.

Even more, I love the long letter from one of my oldest friends.

and how about this cheerful envelope from Julie Tiu

with the hashtags #yourbeautiful letter, #Naomi Bulger, and #mailart (on back)

Outgoing Mail

This made me laugh!