Thursday, June 11, 2009

Happiness A-Z: K

Okay, so it's been a while since I've done one of my Happiness A-Z posts.  Since it's been such a long time since I started this little project (4 months to the day, in fact.  Not that that's that long, but considering I only had 26 posts to write, it's taking a little longer than I thought), I figured now would be a good time for a little refresher explanation.  I mean, it's fairly self-explanatory, but basically, one of the things that I wanted to do with this blog was to celebrate the little things in life, and I'm afraid that I haven't been as diligent about that as I would like.  So, the goal here is to make a post for each letter of the alphabet and list 5-10 things that make me happy, that I love, that I am thankful for, etc. that start with that letter. 

So, now that you are all up to speed, let's tackle the letter 

K!  
(This is part of the reason that it's been so long since my last post-K is tough!)

1.  Kindness-In particular, unexpected displays. You can read about some of my encounters with this in my collection of posts that are labeled "spirit of aloha."  These range from kindness displayed by vendors at work and strangers at restaurants to neighbors with plants and even porta-potty attendants at concerts.

2.  Keiki hula-"Keiki" is the Hawaiian word for child, and kids dancing the hula is about the cutest thing ever!  




3. Koala bears-They run a close second to keiki hula in the cuteness category.  Visit Diary of a Koalawrangler to see lots of cute pictures of koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and other critters.

4.  Kittens-Come on, who doesn't like kittens?

5. Kids that I like-Kids that I don't like don't make me happy.  What can I say?  Don't tell me that you've never met a kid that you didn't like.  You know you have, and you know you feel kind of guilty about it, but you can't like everyone can you?  Kids I like are usually very cute and loving and funny, and they make me happy.

6.  Kittens!-Because I need something better to end this on than that last one.

7.  Knitting-(Just for good measure.) I've mentioned before that I don't actually knit, so I don't know this one for sure, but the idea of knitting appeals to me, and if I do ever take it up, I think it's something I will enjoy.    


10 comments:

Meryl said...

:) Kids dancing hula--I'll bet it's adorable...and who doesn't love kittens!

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Hey, K wasn't that hard - you came up with some really cute ones! I loved the video. :)

And there are DEFINITELY some kids I don't like ... in Kiddo's class to be specific. ~LOL~

Kori said...

There are actually more kids I DON'T like than ones I do; don't know if that is a reflection on me or them. Good list, though.

Dreamybee said...

Meryl-It is adorable-much cuter in real life than anything I was able to find on line.

Heather J-Yeah, but it took me almost two months to do it! LOL. My J post was in May. Glad to hear I'm not alone on the kid thing. :)

Kori-I suspect it's more a reflection of their parents than anything else, which is why I think I feel guilty for not liking certain kids. It's usually not their fault that nobody ever stepped up and taught them about being decent human beings.

Ana S. said...

Kitties! Gotta love them. And yeah, I definitely don't like every kid I meet. But cool kids are very cool indeed.

Dreamybee said...

Nymeth-Yay for kitties and cool kids!

Thomas Hogglestock said...

When I moved to Honolulu in 1995 for graduate school I stayed at the Pali YMCA right on the edge of downtown. My first afternoon there was a class of keiki hula going on in the main public space. I had never been to Hawaii before and the sight and sounds of the kids doing ancient hula along with the trade winds and the smell of plumeria really made for a wonderful first impression.

Dreamybee said...

One of the first times that it really sank in for me that I live in here! was at an event on the North Shore where I was sitting and watching hula, and it wasn't a big, fancy, touristy production; it was just what people did when they got together to celebrate. It was a beautiful day and people were coming up out of the audience to dance and the musicians often knew the dancers, and it all just hit me at once: Wow...I live here! What a great realization!

Thomas Hogglestock said...

Okay now that we are talking story...I am reminded by your comment of another one. My first apartment in Honolulu was kind of set in a hill below Punchbowl so the houses behind my building were level with our third floor apartment. Several times a week, the neighbors behind us had folks over and played ukulele and guitar and sang in their back yard right near my window. It was so nice. I didn't realize how much I liked it until I moved acrosss town. On that side of the building were frosted jalousie windows so I never even saw what they looked like. Just phantom music. I have a background in music and was always so impressed with what souded like a varied group of friends just getting together to make music. Something I encountered a lot when I lived in Hawaii but something you rarely enounter in continental US. Then again maybe you just see it more in Hawaii because people are always outside or the windows are always open. But somehow I don't think that is the case. Just like you said about your experience seeing the hula on the North Shore. It's just what people did.

Dreamybee said...

I know exactly what you mean! We have neighbors that live just up the hill from us, and they often gather to play instruments and sing. I think there is also a hula halau that practices up there, but I'm not sure.

You're right about not experiencing this on the mainland. Even though I grew up in a family where it was fairly common for people to get together and play guitar and sing, I never heard it outside the home. It was always an activity that took place in somebody's den or living room, usually with all the windows closed and the heat turned up in the winter. Even if we had the windows open, there was enough room between neighbors that you wouldn't necessarily hear what was going on next door, something else that is very different from Hawaii!