Live Joy
JOY ~ Journey of You                                     April 9, 2010
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Past joy droppings feed the soul.
 
 
 
 
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April Showers...
 
bring May flowers. And April snow showers bring May snow flowers. Or something like that.
 
I'm feeling kinda gooey happy right now. Celebrating my younger son's Sweet 16 has me full of memories, and bursting with love and pride for my sons as they are now. My heart overfloweth.
 
To quote James Brown, "I feel good."
 
 
Words to Ponder~  
 
 Joy is peace dancing. Peace is joy resting. 
~Judith Edwards
(Thank you, Angela Patkus, for sharing this.) 
Lyrics to love
 
I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining....
 
"Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head"
~ BJ Thomas
songwriters Hal David & Burt Bacharach 
 
  
 
Poetry is good for the soul
 
 
Life by Henry Van Dyke
Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the hill or down,
O'er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
And hope the road's last turn will be the best.
 
Picks this week
 
Book Pick -  Where the Sidewalk Ends  Shel Silverstein    
    
 
Flick Pick -   UP
(I watched it with my sons. "There's adventure out there!" Have you started on your Stuff I'm Going To Do page?) 
 
 
 
Your JOY assignment this week:
Keep jotting your joy droppings and start a page for Stuff you are going to do. 
 
 
 
 
What brings me joy?
 
* sleep
 
 
 
 
Birthday Love
 

  HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO:

 ALICIA BURKES
 CONNIE FRAZIER
GLORIA CARDENAS CUDIA
MICHELLE MITCHELL-VRONCH
DEBBY GAINES
JOANNE NEWTON
  
AND to
 ALL who are celebrating this week/month/year
 
 
 WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
 
 
(Send in your birthday. Each month a name is drawn for a JOY prize delivered via snail mail.)
 
MARCH BIRTHDAY WINNER:
 
ALEXANDRIA MUNGER - PLEASE SEND ME YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS. 
 
 
My silly son,
 
 
Inquiring Minds
 
 The question was....
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPERHERO?
 
I enjoyed the varied responses.
 
Here's a sample:
 
My favorite superhero is the Little Mermaid, because she loved someone enough to die for him although she could have rightfully become his bride. Although she's probably not typically thought of as a superhero, what she did makes her a superhero in my mind. ~~Alice Tsai
 
The ORIGINAL Superman and of course THE LONE RANGER!
 ~~Chris Withrow
 
I am a super hero junkie.  If you have superhuman powers, I love ya.  Fantastic 4, Wolverine, xmen...all da bomb!  But my favorite ones are the more behind the scenes people that don't get a lot of credit...like the fireman that goes in one last time to get the dog, or a doctor that stays late to get results of the test you just took, teachers helping little ones to read, anybody taking the time to help spread a little joy to someone else.  Those are my faves ;-)   ~~Tammie Sonneson 
 
 
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW:
 
 Cake or Pie?
 
 
Quote Junkie
 

Perhaps this very instant is your time.
 
--Louise Bogan
 
Sage Advice
 
"You have to believe in happiness,
Or happiness never comes...
Ah, that's the reason a bird can sing -
On his darkest day he believes in Spring."
                - Douglas Malloch
 
(Thank you, Gerri Elswick, for sharing.) 
 

 

 
 

If you're going through hell, keep going.

 

~Winston Churchill

 

 

 

Kelly's newspaper column -   Time flies, kids grow up 
 
Kelly's blog for healthyrockford.com -   Happy Birthday Eppy 
Speaking Gigs  (living my joy!)
  
April 1 - Happiness Club
 
April 15-18 -  Erma Bombeck Writer Workshop
 
April 19 - Christian Life Retirement Center Seniors - Living in JOY
 
April 21-25  - AATH Conference
 
 A month of keynotes!!
May 6 - Shelter Care Annual Luncheon Keynote Speaker
May 6 - HAPPINESS CLUB 6:30 pm
May 8 - Garden Prairie UCC Mother-Daughter Tea
May 12 - OSF Nurses Week Awards Banquet
May 15 - AAUW Sorority Keynote
May 18 - Byron Women's Club Spring Luncheon
May 20 - Alpine Seniors - Living in JOY
May 21-23 Words in Play retreat, Sunapee NH
 
Upcoming Events that are open to ALL:
I love receiving invitations to do workshops, program presentations, and keynotes.
Now I am also inviting you to join me on the JOY Journey:
Writing & Creative Expression Workshops (dates TBA)
JOY Workshops (dates TBA)
JOY Retreats (dates TBA)
JOY Dance Party! (tentative Oct 1)
Joy: A Luncheon at Briggs Mansion (tentative Dec 2)
Weeklong Creative Expression/Joy Retreat, in ITALY, May 5 -12, 2011
 
 
 
 
HAPPINESS CLUB, LOVES PARK, IL
 
wtvo news clip - alex shabad 
 
wifr news clip - chip brewster
 
 
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, May 6
6:30 pm - 8:30 PM
North Suburban Library, 6340 N. Second St., Loves Park, IL
Word Nerd
 

Grok \GRAWK\, verb:

To understand, especially in a profound and intimate way. Slang.

For those who don't quite grok the Web, it can be an intimidating challenge.
-- New York Times, June 1, 1997
 

 
Grok joy?
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
AATH (Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor) Conference and HUMOR ACADEMY in Anaheim, CA April 22-25. Wanna get your happy on? Come learn how! Visit aath.org or ask me.
Want to join/launch a Happiness Club in your area? Visit happinessclub.com or americanhappiness.org or ask me.
Short and sweet, cuz I'm beat. 

 

joyfully,
xxkelly
 
 
 
 
 
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 Spread the word! Let's build an army of JOY Spreaders!
parting shot.... 
 
 

 If you are seeking, seek us with joy
    For we live in the kingdom of joy.
    Do not give your heart to anything else
    But to the love of those who are clear joy,
    Do not stray into the neighborhood of despair.
    For there are hopes: they are real, they exist -
    Do not go in the direction of darkness -
    I tell you: suns exist. 

 

 Rumi 

 
Kelly Epperson
Writer, Speaker, Listener
www.kellyepperson.com
kel_epperson@yahoo.com
PO Box 2324 Loves Park IL 61131
 
Member AATH - Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
Member AHA - American Happiness Association
Founder - Happiness Club of Loves Park, IL
Member NSNC - National Society of Newspaper Columnists
JOY New book, 365 Days of Joy, is in the works and coming soon.  $20
 (hmm, how long can I keep saying "soon"?)
When LIfe Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes (collection of newspaper columns) $10
 
 Shirts ~C'est Bon and JOY*US  $10