Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m absolutely thrilled to see you here today.
It’s an extra exciting day for us because we are picking up our oldest child from college. I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by, and I hope that the entire dorm room fits in one car. Ha!
This week on the blog, I shared fun ideas for crafts and decor you can make with stones and pebbles. I was so inspired by this post that I made my own pebble art. If you missed that, you can check it out here.
I don’t take for granted that you’re spending part of your day here, and I hope the Happy List is a bright spot in your day. If you’d like to reach out, and I hope you do, please comment on this blog post or email me here. You can also direct message me on Instagram or Facebook. (P.S. I am much better at answering emails and Instagram DMs than I am at anything on Facebook.)
Here’s the Happy List!
OLD KEYS
Does anyone collect old keys or scissors? Here’s a cool idea on what to do with them from Casa de la Torre.
(image: Poble Espanyol Barcelona)
ASK ABOUT BAC
If you’re getting a mammogram, you can ask if it shows breast arterial calcification (BAC). It doesn’t have anything to do with breast cancer, so it hasn’t been mentioned to patients. However, there is increasing interest in having it called out because breast arterial calcification has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in post menopausal women.
The open question seems to be what clinicians should and can do with this information.
I’m not a doctor, so here’s everything I read about the topic. It’s not brand new info.
Mammograms Provide Clues via the American Heart Association
Potential Surrogate Marker for Cardiovascular Disease via the National Institutes of Health
Assessing Breast Arterial Calcification via the Journal of Clinical Imaging
Calcium in Breast Arteries via Penn State Health
Breast Arterial Calcification via The Menopause Society
BEDROOM STORAGE
Love this idea from The English Home on making a combination nightstand and wardrobe. It’s a great use of space on a wall without windows.
I would guess that the narrow drawer either pulls out to make a flat surface, or it’s a jewelry drawer.
(image: interior design by Sean Symington via The English Home)
ART ON YOUR DOORSTEP TRAIL
Here’s an idea I’d love to see others borrow from the UK’s National Gallery. Reproductions of famous paintings are being hung outdoors on a 1-mile walking trail, so that more people can experience the beauty of these works of art. The exhibition is called Art On Your Doorstep.
What really got me is the extra thoughtfulness and planning that went into this community exhibition because the trail is step-free, meaning it is accessible to all.
(image: Isle of Wight Council)
JUST IN CASE
Two years ago, we bought a portable, rechargeable jump starter for my car. It’s a way to jump-start your car without needing another car.
Unfortunately, I had to use it this week. Fortunately, I had it with me, it was charged, and it did the trick. It’s smaller than a loaf of bread. It also works as a flashlight and can charge devices. This would make a great Father’s Day or graduation gift, but really, I hope you never have to use it.
(image: Amazon)
P.S. We also carry a portable tire inflator. It’s peace of mind for road trips, and it also works on bikes, wheelbarrows, etc.
U.S. PATRIOTIC PORCH
This patriotic porch decor from Perfecting Places is so pretty. I especially loved the bow on the front door wreath. Changing out that bow would be an easy way to switch up your front porch decor over the course of the summer.
(image: Perfecting Places)
GRILLED CORN SALAD WITH HOT HONEY VINAIGRETTE
I make this Grilled Corn Salad this week, and the hot honey vinaigrette hit the spot! I used white beans instead of avocado since I rarely have avocados in the house. I’m probably the only person on the planet who is indifferent to avocados.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
(image: Ambitious Kitchen)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Below is an excerpt from a letter by Mariame Kaba. The entire thing is worth a read.
“I’m regularly asked about hope. I’ve said that for me hope is a discipline, a practice that I engage in daily (and on some days hourly). Sometimes people say to me that hope is a disposition, and that you either have it or you don’t. I vehemently disagree.
Some people seem to think of hope as “wishful thinking.” For me, it’s not that at all. Rather, because I don’t know how things will turn out, I choose to take action in the direction that I want to influence. I devote my efforts to making what I want to happen actually happen. Nothing can happen if we don’t take action. As Annie Dillard writes: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.” I would add that how you do anything is how you do everything.” – Mariame Kaba
Thank you for reading this week’s Happy List.
Be good to yourself and others this weekend.
I’ll see you back here on Wednesday. (Taking a break on Memorial Day.)
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