My friend and walking buddy Natasha gave me a lovely gift for my 75th birthday last year. It is a guided journal to celebrate all the joy in my world, titled "Oh Happy Day!"
As she gave it to me she said, "When I saw this at the bookstore I mused, I can't think of anyone who could make better use of this little journal than you. I know you kept a journal for years, so I hope you enjoy this different take on recording some of your thoughts."
The premise in the forward of the book suggests that we focus so much on working towards happiness, that we don't realize it's within us all the time. It then suggested the journaler could discover lots of ways to savor the simple things, appreciate others, and smile every day. In short--enjoy the world around us!
And I have. Thanks to this little book, I have taken better notice of all my multitudinous blessings, even if I don't write every single one of them down in that great little journal.
One of the topics is "What are some small pleasures that came to you this week?" Yesterday I sat down and wrote this:
Several years ago, my nephew's wife Karen sent me the link to a You Tube video entitled Ultima Frontera which was posted on December 27, 2007. This breathtaking slideshow of Antarctica is set to background music of an aria from the opera TOSCA. It shows a stunning continent of majestic mountains, unbelievable ocean scenes, and the penguins and polar bears who live there. I was enthralled and played it often just to hear it, even, while I was doing my work around the house,
A few weeks later Louis did one of his famous purges to get rid of "unnecessary stuff that clogs the computer". There went my bookmarked video! I searched and searched for it over a period of several weeks and could never find the right one. (Believe me there are a LOT of videos with this same beautiful aria for background music!)
Then yesterday I was looking through some loose papers on my side of the computer desk and found the card on which I had originally written the pertinent information about this outstanding video. I tried again to search for it on the computer, writing the name of the aria--"Aria de Amor de Tosca" in the search line. Bingo! That same gorgeous video of the Antarctic popped up first. I couldn't believe my good luck after all these years to find it once again! I savored it over and over the rest of the afternoon while I was doing some work at the computer. The aria is played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by a man named Luis Cabos, a Spanish composer, conductor, and musician born in 1948. (A contemporary of mine!)
Here is the link on You Tube. I hope you will take the time to look for the video and enjoy it as much as I have. Search for this www.bing.com/videos/search?q=aria+de+amor+de+tosca&docid Then click on the video ULTIMA FRONTERA. It is a delight for the senses.....
OH HAPPY DAY !
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