Recipe for Happiness- Double Feature

Sea Food for the Soul:

1. Acknowledge to yourself and/or your traveling companion that you are damn tired.
2. On your way home, plan a small detour to a spot by the water (Kiptopeke State Park in Virginia is nice, but anything local and in season will do)
3. Get out the car, take a deep breath, gaze out onto the sparkling water ripples. (Sunny days are best for this; even more delicious if you are incredibly sick of winter and it's just starting to be spring.) Keep breathing throughout.
4. Go down to the shoreline; remove shoes and socks.
5. Dig your toes into the sand, walk along the edge of the water, observe the doggy footprints, listen to the waves lapping and the birds chirping. Admire the way the sun clings to everything and makes it lovely.
6.Keep walking until your brain mellows out and starts to match the rhythm of the waves and the sunlight and quiet soaks in.

This recipe makes a happiness with a mild, relaxed flavor which can be enjoyed even if you're tired. It can be ready in fifteen to twenty minutes if the ingredients are already on hand.




Breakfast of Champions

1. The night before, come home to your sweetheart. If you've been apart for a few days, this recipe can be particularly fresh. Enjoy each other's company.
2. Sleep until you wake up. Be sure to plan in advance that both of you have nowhere to be in the morning. Add some lazing or lolling about if desired.
3. While your sweetie sleeps in, work on downloading songs for your happiness playlist. (I'm into India Arie lately, but season to taste.)
4. When your sweetie wakes up, go together to the coffee shop around the corner. Order a large coffee with cream and a healthy muffin.
5. Sit outside and watch the neighborhood go by: dogs, bicycles, people, cars. If a sparrow or other bird approaches fearlessly close, feel free to toss it breadcrumbs - harbingers of spring are especially nice this time of year.
6. Enjoy the burgeoning hint of warmth in the air and soak in subdued morning sunlight.
7. Linger as long as you feel like it.