What Makes You Happy?

Happy Saturday evening from the rancho!

Super busy all week.  The budget review finally cleared at work, so I finished ordering food for our fourth quarter feeding.  Wow...I was pretty sure I would run out of food before someone made a decision!  LOL Every year costs go up...and every year budgets are SURE that we can make do with less.  Sigh.  I love my job, but really?

Hubby stopped by to visit my favorite heifer.  She is on a "date" in a friend's pasture.  We like to keep some genetic diversity in the herd, so she's been spending time with her new boyfriend.  Isn't she sweet? Love her black nose and feet.

My rose bud opened up this week.  HUGE!  And I wish you could smell it...delicious...just like a real rose should smell.

I got the finishing bug, so worked on painting and waxing a box for my small cross stitch finish.  The golden chenille is hand dyed.  It wasn't quite thick enough, so I gave it a quick twist.  I'm not sure what I will do with the top where it ends.  Maybe just a knot?  I added the three buttons to balance out the bird. It doesn't look quite so crooked in real life.  LOL

One of the Taco Bells in our town just remodeled their dining room.  I ran into a giant taco sauce packet out on the sidewalk. It (not sure if it was female or male, didn't talk, LOL) had a great attitude and was happy to pose for a picture.  Check out those sneakers!

Sooooo...last January when my son visited, I mentioned that I was getting a tattoo.  I gave it a lot of thought.  I wanted something that meant something special to ME.  My son and I decided that the overwhelming guide to our life is kindness.  Originally I wanted a watercolor flower, then realized that the perfect answer was right in front of me...a picture that my son painted for me about three years ago.

I had just the yellow bird put on...and was not as happy as I thought I should be.  I realized that my skin has a distinct yellow tinge to it and my little bird did not "pop" the way I wanted.  So, headed back to the tattoo shop and asked for some more shading.  Since I was there, I added another bird. Love, love, love it!  I know that tattoos are not for everyone, and I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but I look at mine and it makes me smile.  It reminds of my son.  He is my heart...

Here is a picture of my son's tattoo. He really didn't want birds, LOL, but he did want the same sentiment.

Honestly, even the watercolor parts of mine were a bit uncomfortable.  I cannot imagine the full color that he had done.  I appreciate that the tattoo artist gave me the tattoo that I wanted, and not one word about whether she thought it was silly or weird.  When I asked if it might be better to put a line around the birds to make them pop, she said that she didn't want to lose the integrity of the original picture and could do it with shading. I knew then that I had chosen the correct artist.  I'm not planning on joining the circus and becoming the tattooed lady, but this is a decision that I made for me and I am happy.

I wish each of you a special Sunday and enjoy it in the way that makes YOU happy.  Be kind to one another.