Happiest in Tucson (from Poets & Writers  Poetry Prompt, 2.12.18)

Yesterday my friend and I
spent the day wandering through
downtown and beneath
the mountain where
over 2000 years ago,
Tucson became a living place
for humans.

They joined the coyotes,
bobcats, mountain lions,
lizards, butterflies and
birds who thrived along
the rushing waters of
the Santa Cruz River.

Corn was planted,
homes were formed out of mud,
shade trees softened the
summers.
Much later,
a mission was built,
bringing the word of God
to those already living
the Word.

Today, we saw a few
hard-working young women
and men working the fields of
Tucson's Mission Gardens,
hauling compost, digging holes
collecting brittle stalks and leaves.

With the workers then and now,
I embrace our living history
filling me with stories
of the place I call home.
And where I am the happiest.

#1-3 Happiest Words from The ATLANTIC 7/12/16 "The 200 Happiest Words in Literature", Adrienne LaFrance

Laughter--the sound of ripples in a crowd of kids playing with water balloons on a hot, summer day.

Happiness--celebrated in 4th of July speeches and pursued by app users with Pokemon.

Love--what the world needs now.

Local Eating during Independent's Week

This week LocalFirstAZ is celebrating independents (get it: for Independence Day) and one of our favorite ways to comply is by eating local.  We actually eat local most of the time when we go out, but this week, we are focusing on dining at local restaurants and/or food trucks..

Friday, we had dinner at La Hacienda www.LaHaciendaTucson.com

Saturday, for lunch with my 95 year old dad, we were at Lucky Wishbone for chicken and shrimp www.luckywishbone.com .

To lighten our load, at an early Saturday dinner, we stopped by the reopened Rincon Market and enjoyed their salad bar.  NOTE:  Their grand opening is all day 6/30 www.rinconmarket.com . 

 

 

Sunday, we are eating in, and Monday we will be doing a picnic on Mt. Lemmon and stopping my the cookie place in Winterhaven.  Who knows what Tuesday will bring, but Wednesday we will be at the localfirst mixer at Alfonso Oil Company on N. Oracle, chomping on bread, cheese and olive oil.  My guess is that local wine will also be available www.localfirstaz.com .  Through localfirst you can also get a $5.00 off summer discount card at many local businesses, including restaurants.

Tucson has no shortage of great local places to eat, including the Food Truck Round-Up and the Food Truck Rally. 

 So, please consider, eating local, especially during the summer!  And check out the upcoming event at http://facebook.com/dohappytoday

Holiday and Happiness Bright Spots

This sculpture, made of horse shoes, stands in the sunlit shadows as you enter Hacienda Del Sol Resort.  We had a wonderful lunch on patio on New Year's Day and I even indulged in a mimosa!  The resort offers four star meals and also opens up to blues and jazz on the weekends, so check out their schedule (and online menu) for a happy way to begin 2014.  www.haciendadelsol.com

On New Year's Eve, we ate at the Olive Garden with my dad and that was a nice meal for him, satisfying his Italian taste buds.  But what wowed us was our first visit to was the authentic gelato(smooth, light and not served in the garish "super size" of Frost).  My dad swooned over the lemon cheese cake and Mark and I slowly savored the chocolate caramel sea salt (my choice) and Mexican Chocolate Coffee (his).  They cater and have a cute dessert cart to bring to your events.  Fresh gelato is made twice a week at the welcoming café in Williams Center.  Check them out at www.tazzinadigelato.com

Just to wrap things up for this New Year's Post, here's a graphic of happiness for you to enjoy.  According to the 2014 Calendar developed by Henry S. Miller, January is the month for hope and plans.  A friend of mine added "intentions" and I like that addition as well.  What about you?

Update on Happiness Community Conversations

Happiness Community Conversations Lead to Happiness Actions

 

 

Happiness Community Conversation at Murphy-Wilmot Library, October 18, 2013, Pat Griesel, Community Renaissance facilitator, Anita Fonte assisting.  Photo taken by Mark Grushka.

 

At the four hosting branches of the Pima County Public Library, small groups are meeting at the ninety minute Happiness Community Conversations.  At these conversations, they discuss the UA Happiness Lectures topics and dig deeper into how to transform the ideas from the happiness lectures into personal and community happiness actions.  Some participants have attended the downtown lectures but most have not.  Participants come for each of the five sessions or for the one or two topics that interest him/her.  Offering the conversations at the familiar library branches during the daytime hours creates a choice for participants who may not be able or willing to drive at night.

Each conversation is unique because of who attends and the selection of interactive activities provided by the facilitators from Community Renaissance.  For example, one activity is to define key terms of the lecture topic by writing a few words on a multi-colored sticky note which is put on a larger display board.  Next, these comments are collected by the facilitator.  Another activity a conversation on Compassion involved “bearing witness” to the suffering of another by contemplating a photo of suffering, focusing one’s breath on the photo’s image, and sending feelings of compassion to the image.  One participant remarked that she observed herself changing her reaction to photo as her breathing relaxed. 

Each conversation includes a “take away” happiness tool that encourages participants to consider making a commitment to complete for a week.  In one group this involves picking three cards from a happiness deck of cards and selecting one she or he will do the next week.  Returnees from the first session to the second session shared that they experienced a happier week by sticking to their happiness action and even going beyond that initial commitment by applying another action they heard someone else in the group offer to do. 

At the beginning of 2014, Community Renaissance will produce a summary of the groups’ activity responses and the responses from an 11 question Happiness survey that each participant completes at the first Happiness Community Conversation she or he attends.  This survey asks the same questions as developed in the 2013 World Happiness Report.  Also, the 2014 report will include results from the “snap surveys” that started in June, 2013 as part of the Talk UP^ Tucson events.  This survey has participants rate the 4 Pillars of Gross National Happiness and is cited in the Talk UP^ Tucson… book by Anita C. Fonte.  A free read-only copy of the book is available upon request to Anita.  

Community Renaissance facilitators are volunteering their time for the conversations and Talk UP^ events, including materials preparation, cost, and follow-up as part of Community Renaissance’s pro bono program, The Partnership for Equity and Civic Engagement, or PĒCE.  For more information contact Anita C. Fonte at acfonte@aol.com and www.community-renaissance.com. 

 

 

Happiness Community Conversation in August

Happiness Community Conversation at TMM Family Services, Inc., 8.22.13

Last week, my husband (the photographer), and I were fortunate to share an evening hour with ten women in a Talk UP^ Tucson… happiness community conversation.   I tried a couple of new prompts for this conversation.  At a nicely arranged table grouping with refreshments provided by TMM and a staff person to help occupy some of the women's young children, another staff person joined the group and we talked.  www.tmmfs.org .

I handed out large index cards and a colored marker to each participant, letting them know they would be keeping this card for themselves.  First, I asked them to respond to the prompt "Recently I was having a bad day because..." .  I gave them the example of my day starting off badly with my lingering cold and cough.  Their responses, shared verbally by choice after taking five minutes to write varied from "my car door handle fell off" to "my best friend passed away."  Several of the responses drew a supportive "God Bless You", or “I am sorry", and I shared, when appropriate, my feelings for their unhappy experiences.

Next, I asked them (on the same card), to write a response to this prompt "But I managed to find a few happy moments in it anyway, like..." .  I shared that, in spite of my cold, I was able to laugh at a funny YouTube video with two dogs dancing.  Responses to the second prompt, again shared verbally by choice, included:  "my boys hug me" or "to pray" or "the paramedics who helped me were cute."  Again, we talked a bit more deeply about their responses and the possibility that even a very bad day can have a few happy moments.  All of their verbal responses to both prompts I wrote down on a large paper pad framed on an easel.

Because the program director had shared with me that the concept of "community" might be new to some of the participants, for the third prompt, I showed on my large paper pad the equation:
            
             Community = 1 + 1 + 1

 I talked about how a community is made of up of me and at least two others--family members, friends, work colleagues or church companions.  I also shared the quote that “a wise person knows ‘enough’ is abundance."  (I could not recall the source).

 Then, I passed out colored medium-sized post-its and asked them to describe an experience where being in a community was "enough."  I gave them my example of recently being with a group of other writers.

This time I collected their responses (if they were willing to share, and all did) and read them aloud before sticking them to the large paper pad.  Responses included: "Faith Singing", "looking at the beautiful children being cared for by TMM...", and "I enjoy my job."

As we wrapped up the hour, I asked them, if they were willing, to share one thing they were taking away with them from the conversation.  The staff person said she now has the idea of starting a program newsletter; a participant offered to host a Bible study group "now that I see I am not alone", and another said she actually was taking away "four new things" and listed them in sequence.

I am always amazed at what I take away from these community conversations:  new ideas, hope, strength, and yes, more happiness.

 

Snap Surveys: an activity of Talk UP^ Tucson presentation/houseparty/salon gathering etc.

As a "next step" for my 2013 book Talk UP^ Tucson..., when a person or organization buys two books (or more), I will come and do a presenations, reading, sharing, etc. based on the book.  I have done three events so far, meeting my minimum goal of one event per month.  At Kellond School's 3rd grad class where I volunteer during the year, we brainstormed responses to "what do you like about the Tucson region?" and I wrote down their responses with the cup (half full, or, in this case, brimming).

At Centra Realty in June, I did that activity and added a "snap survey" activity.  I asked the group to rate the Tucson region on a 1 to 5 scale (one=low, five=high) on the "Four Pillars of Gross National Happiness."

1. Promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development
2. Preservation and promotion of cultural values
3. Conservations of the natural environment
4. Establishment of good governance
(source:  http://www.ghhusa.org/what-is-gnh/

I did the same activity yesterday at a friend's book-house party.

I am looking for locations/invitations to do more events like this and gather enough informal data to share in a fall newsletter. So let me know if you would like to participate.  Books are available at Mostly Books www.mostlybooksaz.com and Antigone Books www.antigonebooks.com

Social Capital and Happiness

It's reassuring to know that other Tucsonans understand and appreciate the connection I am trying to make between the concepts of happiness and social capital.  My Talk UP^ Tucson... book is just one tool for encouraging this connection.  Here's a blog from an architect who supports the book and the ideas:  http://urbanuniversityinterface.com