Determining the Color of My Parachute

Yes… this is in reference to the book What Color is Your Parachute.  I’ve not written lately mostly due to my brain being absorbed by all my big life-questions.  I’m at a fork, and am wrestling with which road to take.  They are all wonderful options that would be personally fulfilling, but each path has sacrifices…. there-in lies the rub.  I have to choose which sacrifices I want to bear. So indulge me a moment of processing “out-loud.”

First – my path choices:

Path 1:  The Big Dream.  The one with the pull over my life outside of God & family (and even pulled me a good physical distance from family) – Voice Acting.   The joy this brings me is unmatched by anything else professionally.  I weigh all other options against how it would effect my voice over career.   And for a whole host of reasons, it “fits” me well – like stumbling into something that I was uniquely created to do.

Path 2: Graduate School – with an eventual Masters in Psychology emphasis on Marriage & Family Therapy.  I have applied, been accepted, and am set to start in the fall.  This would eventually get me out of a “job” mentality and give me a “career” path to invest in which I know it would be a good fit.  Psych was my Undergrad Degree and I loved it, so this would be a natural next step to continue in.  I am fascinated by human behavior, and according to “Strengthsfinder” & any other career aptitude tests, it fits my design.  I could still do voice over — some….

Path 3:  Something Else.  Perhaps something Culinary?  I love the idea of working in the world of natural, whole foods.  It is a whole new world for me and I am a bit obsessed with the current medical info coming out on health and nutrition.  It might be a complementary skill to go with my Spiritual Direction Certification – I could be a retreat chef.  Plus, sometimes Brian and I dream up ideas for restaurants we’d like to open, so it could be a valuable skill.  Or sometimes I think it’d be really interesting to be a food stylist – or a food photographer – or both!

Anyway, there are a number of feasible options that would be fulfilling.

The cons of these options:
Path 1 – Graduate School – MA in Psych, MFT

• debt, debt & more debt. To the tune of $40K+, and that is only if I keep working full time.  Personally, I experience debt like a noose around my neck.
• For the next 2 years:  Bye bye free time.  Bye bye hobbies.  And likely – bye bye working out or cooking at home.  It’d be work, school, study, time w/ husband.
• 3 years internship after school – pay or amount of pay is uncertain – but it’s definitely low.  Not a big deal, but it’s something to consider.
• MFT licenses are not National.  If we ever moved states, I could potentially have a lot of hoops to go through or could be unable to be licensed all together, from my understanding.  (although if I plan carefully in school, I could make sure I have necessary requirements for most states)
• Brian & I are currently uncertain about the future possibility of kids in our lives, but some form of that answer will need to come in the next few years.
• even if I can work it out this first year not to interfere too badly with my voice over work, it will likely compromise my availability for voice work in the following 3-4 years.

Path 2 – Voice Actor

• The work is uncertain & currently I have to keep a full time job to be assured of income.
• any “day job” work has to come with the flexibility to allow me to audition & work at the beck & call of the voice over world.  (I am currently in a relatively good work situation for this)
• I bring my very best, but ultimately the casting decision is outside of my control.

Path 3:  Something else

• Something else would likely have many of the same issues as Path #1.  I’d potentially need some sort of education (maybe even bachelor level classes if I didn’t have the appropriate learning in my undergrad or work history), it’d restrict my time for voice work, and it’s an untested path.   I’d likely have to maintain my full time job, try to keep doing my voice-over work, and then be add learning a new skill set.

Focusing just on Path #1 & Path #2 –

The school path is worth all the cons if that’s what I want to do…. I do believe it is A potential right path (so it wouldn’t be an entire mistake).
Path #2 following the dream is wonderful, but it blocks the ability to move into a career apart from that.  

And ultimately, I have to ask myself, if voice over picks up to be a sustaining income  (truthfully, not impossible, not unrealistic, not out of reach…) would I drop everything else I’ve invested in to do it?  Absolutely.

And that’s an answer that should make me give pause.

It might be that continuing with my psychology education IS the right thing, but it might not be the right time.  

BUT life can’t stay “as is” for long, so if I do opt to hold off on graduate school, I need to rethink the way I approach my voice over career and hit it again with new intensity – but with new methods.

So keep hitting the old dream, or pursue a new one?

Ah Life.  The roads before me all lead to a great destination…  but choosing what route I’ll take starts with me.

The Imperfectly Perfect!

I am a blessed woman.
The amazing man I get to call my husband went above and beyond to create the perfect date for us.  Weeks in advance, he planned out nice fancy dinner reservations for us followed by tickets to the Pacific Symphony playing the full orchestration of the Wizard of Oz film live as the movie played on the screen.  This wasn’t just any date, it was a “Cassie, put on your black dress and heels” type date!  What a guy!

Tickets for the big date!

Recognizing & appreciating my husbands efforts to plan us a fun date – starts with me!

His plans did not go as perfectly as he imagined though…  the drive down to Costa Mesa where the event was happening took at least an hour longer than he intended.  The dinner reservations at the expensive fancy-schmancy restaurant had to be cancelled.  We tried a couple of less expensive, but still fancy back-up options, none of which would get us to the theatre in time…. so we ended up at the one place we found an open seat for two, the Rainforest Cafe.  Not a table at the cafe, but at the bar.  Sweet husband had the stool with frog legs, I had the stool with duck legs.

And it was perfect.

Imperfectly Perfect Dinner

I will remember the joy of seeing my handsome & dashingly dressed husband sitting on that frog stool for years to come.

Recognizing that the imperfect evening was made perfect not in spite of the alternate plan, but because of it – starts with me.

Multiple Personality (types)

Multiple Personalities

John Ortberg wrote a fantastically titled book called Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them.  What a great truth.  It’s true about you, it’s true about me… and I find it fascinating!   I have a — well, not quite obsession, but a deep interest in  people.  I love our human complexities and inner-workings.

This fascination draws me to books that delve into personality types, brain differences in genders, introverts / extroverts, and strengths based living.  Lucky for me, I have a husband who has been such a good sport to let me give him versions of tests like the Strengths-Finder, Myers Briggs, and Enneagram.  He tolerates my going on & on about some brain difference between genders that provides a clear explanation as to what lead to some recent disagreement between us.   In fact, even he had to concede at one point that if more couples just understood some of those differences, more marriages would survive.

Understanding.  That is the key word.  All that information, much of which is very individual, subjective, and not a definite science, is not meant to be used to put people in boxes of behavior, but to lead to understanding.  Understanding doesn’t excuse or make an apology for undesirable behavior, but it does provide a framework for why someone may have a tendency to behave or respond to the world the way they do.

I find it remarkable that on days when someone’s (or even my own) behavior leaves me scratching my head in wonder, I can read a book and discover there is a whole subset of people who would think and react the exact same way and it all still falls on the very WIDE range of “normal.”

These understandings help give me the eyes to see people who are different than me, as being purposefully created to be wired just as they are.  Every personality type has it’s assets and obstacles, every strength has it’s weakness, and both genders can be wonderfully in balance or be carried away by hormones.

It’s delightfully eye-opening.
In fact, I’m a little unsure that I even know how to recognize abnormal now that my spectrum of normal has grown to be so broad.
…and I think that’s okay, because really I prefer not to see people as bizarre or odd, but simply as fellow humans.

Learning to understand others – it starts with me.
“Cassie” —  A female;  INFP;  Enneagram 9;  Phleg-San mix;  with Strengthsfinder results of: Developer,  Connectedness, Positivity, Includer, Empathy

(now you know me well)

😉

Fun Little Gestures of our Romance!

I’m thrilled to be celebrating Day #632 of our marriage this Valentine’s Day!
I’m very fortunate to have a husband who knows that the way to a woman’s heart is through romantic gestures.   And I delight in trying to find creative ideas to romance him too!

(in fact, I jot down ideas in this little notebook I carry with me!)

holding my little notebook! Gotta jot a good idea down!

10 Fun Little Gestures of our Romance!

(because romancing my spouse starts with me….)

1. Cassie painted her toe-nails red the day Brian & she first kissed as a way to commemorate a special relationship, and they have been kept painted red ever since.
   

   Red Toe Nails!

2. They shared a first kiss at the Griffith Observatory after telescope viewing of the moon, saturn, and while overlooking the city lights.
3. Brian greeted Cassie at the airport after a trip with a rose, she greeted him with a T-shirt she made with a large picture of them & the words “I Love Brian”  (over the top?  Perhaps…. but that’s okay in romance)
4. During their engagement, Cassie presented Brian with 10 years worth of letters she had been writing to the man she would marry, if he existed.  (he did!)
   

   10 Years of Love Letters

5. Cassie loves the flowers Brian gives her, and tries to find a fun way to photograph them as a thank-you to Brian  (some photo ideas are more clever than others, but it is a fun tradition).  Here is a link to some of those Thank you photos!
6. While they dated, Cassie received a phone call from Brian early one morning instructing her to go check her car (he had left flowers there before) – but when she opened the door, there he stood with coffee and a bagel for her.  What a guy!
7. For their first married Valentines Day, Cassie arrived home to all lights being replaced with red bulbs.  A red ribbon tied to the outside door knob that she was to follow… as she followed, music was playing (“my funny valentine” of course), she saw a card & balloons, a beautiful bouquet of  flowers, and the ribbon tied in a bow to a new, much needed fridge.  Then he served her dinner of all red foods (except asparagus b/c greens are important) & drink.  Creative man!
   

   All red foods (except asparagus b/c greens are important)... very clever man! What a husband!

   

   Red light bulbs to celebrate our first married Valentines Day when we were living in the old cabin!

8. Cassie once sent Brian a telegram when he was out of town. 
9. One of Cassie’s favorite dates was when on their way to dinner, Brian stopped off at a laundry-mat that had old 80’s video arcade games.  We played Pac-Man together.  ….Brian did quite well.  Cassie loves the simple but unique things.
10. Brian took over driving Cassie’s heat-less, air-conditioning-less 2002 Ford Escort in order to make sure she could be in a comfortable, new Prius.  Quite a sacrifice from a guy who loves cool cars!

New Car! QUITE a gesture of love from the husband!

AS FOR TODAY:
My valentine left for work this morning before 6am with a letter for every hour we will be apart today.

Valentines Day Letters 2011. One for each hour we would be apart today. (6am - 6pm)

He also was greeted with random kiss lips on the mirror, the shower…. and in some unexpected places…

He was grateful I chose to kiss the sticky note rather than the porcelain.

😉

Lessons From Today 2.10.11

STARTING WITH ME LESSONS OF TODAY:

• Sweet husband has been sick all week.  Poor guy!  He protects me from his germs by offering me his cheek to kiss.  I miss those lips!  Building anticipation for long overdue lip-kissing starts with me.
• I am a better person all around when I can spend time with a good book or doing something creative. Knowing when to use down time in a way that refreshes my spirit starts with me.
• Hearing the hubby tell his radio show he doesn’t yet have any ideas for Valentines Day plans… managing expectations starts with me. 😉
• Day 38 of P90X workout…  sticking to it when I’d rather be lazy, starts with me.
• Husband successfully hosting an hour long radio show while under a Nyquil & cold induced brain fog – recognizing he is Superman starts with me.

Ginger, cinnamon & orange tea for Superman.

Bear with me while I tinker with my blogging strategies… I have read that “less is more” when it comes to how much to post in one sitting, and that it good to let the blog sit for two weeks unchanged.  SO, although I will have the periodic longer postings (especially this week during Valentines Celebrations), I am going to play around with short posts that can be done more frequently & consistently.  Current experimental format:  Starting with Me Lessons of Today.

Student of all things Brian!

Valentines Day 2010

I’m so excited about the approaching of Valentines Day!  Not just because of the day, but because it gives me an excuse to spend time blogging on my favorite topic…. my husband!  Over the next few postings, I’m planning to share some tid-bits of our story, which I think is quite unique & romantic!

But for today, I’ve been thinking about how knowing my spouse starts with me.

I was listening to a radio program this morning about the importance of always studying your spouse.  So I decided to give Brian a mini 10-question interview (a practice I intend to implement periodically, if I can think up enough questions!)

Q1:  What is your favorite article of clothing?
A1: Shirts

Q2:  If you could travel anywhere in the US for vacation, where would you go and what would you do?
A2:  Martha’s Vineyard.  I’d eat a lot of seafood, walk the beach, and hang out.

Q3:  What skill would you like to be able to learn & do well?
A3:  play the piano

Q4:  What do you think is the key to romance in marriage?
A4:  listening.

Q5:  Tell me your favorite time of day…. if you could spend that time any way you choose, what would I find you doing?
A5:  Nighttime.  Going for a drive or curled up in front of the fireplace writing.

Q6:  Name one dream adventure you would like us to have together?  (pretend there are no limitations to achieving this adventure)
A6:  Traveling to Outer Space.

-Cassie interrupts:  “Okay… nevermind… pretend there are limitations…. what would be one dream adventure you would like us to have together?”
A6-b: I don’t know…. um…. raise a kid.

Q7:  What has been a memorable gift you’ve given?
A7:  I had my dad’s old radio air-checks digitized & gave them to him.

Q8:  If I could prepare you any meal, what could I make you that would delight your palate?
A8:  lobster
(note to self…. remember to ask if it would delight his palate just as much if it was already dead when I bought it…)

Q9:  What do you wish you had more time to do?
A9:  write!

Q10:  What was your favorite kids TV show? (not adult shows you watched as a kid – but a show for kids)
A10:  Knight Rider

(this was followed by discussion of whether Knight Rider qualifies as a kids show.  After agreeing to disagree, he said):  I used to like a show called Today’s Special.

NOW FOR THE FUN PART…

I decided it would be fun – for me, if not for him – to ask him the questions again but for him to answer what he THINKS I would say…

Q1:  What is my favorite article of clothing?
Brian says:  Socks
Cassie says: Socks  (click here to see pictures of my awesome socks)

Q2:  If I could travel anywhere in the US for vacation, where would I go and what would you do?
Brian says:  You’d go to Alaska & show me the pretty sites.
Cassie says:   I’d go to Alaska and photograph, go kayaking thru Prince William Sound & Glacier Bay, get blue ice from a glacier, take the train to Denali, and pan for some gold.

Q3:  What skill would I like to be able to learn & do well?
Brian says:  Anything I do that you don’t help enough with.
Cassie says:  (haha… his answer looks worse than it was intended)  Play the piano well or speak fluent French.

Q4:  What do I think is the key to romance in marriage?
Brian says:  Creativity & thought
Cassie says:   Be a student of your spouse.  And seek fun new experiences together.

Q5:  Tell me my favorite time of day…. if I could spend that time any way I choose, what would you find me doing?
Brian says:  Early Morning.  Having devotions.
Cassie says:  Morning (though I LOVE sleep). Reading.

Q6:  Name one dream adventure I would like us to have together?  (pretend there are no limitations to achieving this adventure)
Brian says:  Alaska.
Cassie says:   (his answer also true)   Zip-line tour through the rainforest or jungle – the higher the better.

Q7:  What has been a memorable gift I’ve given?
Brian says:  The letters you gave me on my birthday.
Cassie says:  Yeah.  That was definitely memorable.  (more to come in another post about what he’s referring to!)

Q8:  If you could prepare me any meal, what could you make me that would delight my palate?
Brian says:  Pretty much anything homemade, you like. You’re pretty easy-pleasey.
Cassie says:  I agree w/ Brian.  It’s more the act of being served by my husband than the food itself.

Q9:  What do you wish you had more time to do?
Brian says:  Fun or not fun? (um… both)  ….more time for reading & writing, but you wish you had more time to take care of stuff around the house.
Cassie says: Reading, writing, creative anything (drawing, photography, knitting…).

Q10:  What was your favorite kids TV show? (not adult shows you watched as a kid – but a show for kids)
Brian says:  Um…. I don’t know?????? Captain Kangaroo????
Cassie says:  Muppet Babies or the old Little Rascals re-runs.

Soooo…. guess I better Start with Me and plan a nice trip to Martha’s Vineyard where we eat home-cooked lobster and walk on the beach, each wearing one of Brian’s shirts.  I’ll rent an afternoon piano studio where we’ll learn a simple version of “Für Elise” before heading out on a nighttime drive where we spend time listening to one another and trying to make mental note of possible memorable gifts to give in the future based on what is said.  We go to our hotel and watch episodes of Knight Rider before spending time making a kid to raise.  Before sleep, I promise to give him the entire following day for him to write in front of the fireplace… and eat more seafood.

Sounds like a plan.

One Year Ago…

“Well, there is nothing you can do to prevent Breast Cancer”

I heard that from a Doctor last year.  A Doctor who specializes in… well … breasts.  So, I’m going to get a little personal here, but I figure that if it bothers someone reading, they have the option of stopping.  (Here, I’ll even provide a link to cute animal videos you can watch if you don’t like this topic… click here to stop reading & go watch animal videos instead.)

But back to my story….

A series of tests exactly one year ago (which is why I bring it up now) confirmed that I, thankfully, do NOT have Breast Cancer.

One year ago today! (never an inappropriate time for a family photo)

YEA! NO CANCER! (and for those who know what kind of machine I'm next to... no babies in my belly either. But they weren't looking for that)

But the words quoted above were during a 6 month follow-up, and were in response to me enthusiastically telling the Doctor that I had been striving to eat in a way to encourage cancer prevention (i.e. more Kale, less Cow),  and had been making exercise an intentional regular habit.

Here are the responses he COULD have said, but did NOT:

He did not say:

“good for you…. caring for your body will also help prevent heart disease and diabetes”

He did not say:

“Eating right, being active, and maintaining a healthy weight are important ways to reduce your risk of cancer”

He did not say:

“That’s great!  There is research being done on  foods that have proven to at least help reduce instances of cancer.  Let me tell you more about them….”

He did not even say:

“You know, Cancer is so multifaceted, and science has not found a way to guarantee its prevention.  But through healthy eating and exercise, you are at least doing what you can do to give yourself the best chance for prevention… and in fact, for those who unfortunately do have cancer, a healthy lifestyle both before and after diagnosis is often a contributing factor in their chance for recovery.”

Or at the very least, he did not say:

“Well, that’s smart.  It’s good to try and keep your body lean through diet & exercise, because even if we haven’t found the absolute prevention for cancer yet, we know that being overweight can make cancer more difficult to detect in its earliest stages.”

He gave me NO POSITIVE AFFIRMATION WHATSOEVER.
For that, I admit I am angry.
I know that a Doctor is human.
He probably felt deep down that he needed to defend the many, many cancer patients who come through his office and struggle with wondering if they are to blame for their diagnosis.  (often times…. no).

But to discount a patient’s attempts to live a lifestyle that may at least help?

Sigh.

But I suppose he did me a favor.  My anger at his response has strengthened my resolve.

Cancer.  Diabetes.  Heart Disease. (insert just about any illness here). Prevention DOES start with me.

Never too young to start!

I must take a moment to brag…. I’m so proud of my family!

My teenage nieces have been practicing their cooking lately, and they are already light-years ahead of where I was at their age.  Actually, they are light-years ahead of where I was 3 years ago.

My oldest niece has been mentioning a desire to learn how to cook, and I’ve been mentioning a desire for her to learn to like vegetables (a lifelong strong dislike of hers).    So for Christmas, I gave her a cookbook that has recipes (some more healthy than others) that use fresh ingredients.  No processed yucky stuff.  Real foods & whole ingredients.  THEN I created the gift that keeps on giving…  I designed a blog for her and presented the following challenge:

Merry Christmas Christina!
Here is the challenge… learn to cook what’s good for you, and try to learn to like the foods you make!  I’m supplying you with a booklet of recipes & cooking tips & tricks to get you started, and will be happy to continue sharing more along the journey.
Blog here about your experience.  Take photos of the process.  And have fun!
Love your Veggie Loving Aunt
PS… keep cheating to a minimum.  Processed foods, TV dinners, and microwaves don’t count.

Her blog is called: Reluctant Veggie Girl.  I’m quite fond of that name, actually….  Considering her childhood (& sometimes beyond) tendency for veggies to initiate her gag reflex, I thought it very appropriate.

I’m so proud, she’s been making some progress!!!  Every attempted meal counts!  She managed to tackle Orange Molasses Sticky Pork with String Beans, and even enjoyed the finished product.  Sans gag-reflex.

I had the honor of being with her & her sister as they attempted their first recipe together over Christmas:  Breakfast Crepes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup.  …I know, no veggies in that, BUT I made sure we used organic ingredients and stayed clear of bleached flours.  SO, for a breakfast crepe & blueberry syrup, it was as healthy as it could be!  And they turned out BEAUTIFULLY – with zero help from me in the cooking process.

My nieces Breakfast Crepes (by the way - that's plain Greek-style YOGURT on top, not whipped cream)

I can only imagine the influence my nieces will be if they keep it up!   There is true “starting with me” potential there…

😉

Mindful Mind Mapping

Mindful
by Mary Oliver
(I have not sought permission to retype this poem – but it’s too delightful not to!)

Every day
I see or I hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It is what I was born for –
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world-
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant-
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these-
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

I was touched that a spiritual mentor shared this poem with me because it made her think of me & thought it would resonate.  Perhaps she thinks of me because she knows this reflects an image is who I would love to be as opposed to who I consistently am, although my heart does incline itself to moments like this… often.  How blessed I feel to cultivate the eyes to see the every day delights in this world.

This poem mentions one key phrase that I want to focus on today:

“to instruct myself over and over in joy”

I recently read a book called The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.  This book goes into the concepts behind & research to support the benefits of Positive Psychology.  If I were to choose to followup my Psych degree with a Masters, I would choose the emphasis on Positive Psychology.  It is fascinating and something I whole-heartedly believe in – and have even before I knew there was an actual school of thought based on it.

One of the principles of Positive Psychology is that your brain is malleable and you have the power to change it based on how you cultivate it.  A negative person who feels bound by their natural cynical personality can literally re-wire how his brain works.  The person with this natural negative inclination may require more energy to initiate the re-wiring than a naturally optimistic person, but there is a choice involved in at least trying to re-wire.  Nobody is bound by their personality in determining outlook.

So what are you feeding your mind?  What thoughts are you cultivating?  Shawn Achor indicates that research shows that writing 5 gratitudes each morning can change your happiness over the next 24 hours & if done 21 days straight it effects your happiness over the next 6 months.  Writing 3 minutes about a positive experience once a day for 30 days, you see a 50% drop in Dr. visits, you are found to be more social, and your immune system improves.
The Tetris Effect is used to demonstrate that the brain will adapt to how it is being fed.  People who play a lot of the video game tetris will find themselves looking at the world in terms of shapes & how things fit together.  They’ll scan a skyline & wonder if that building was  laid on its side, would it fit between those two buildings…  they’ll mentally rearrange the grocery aisles for how the shapes fit better together into patterns.  Their mind has temporarily re-mapped itself to adapt to how it has been trained.

So how is your mind being fed?  Or more specific, since this blog is “Starting with Me” –  how am I feeding MY mind?  According to Positive Psychology, my outlook, my smile, my joys & delights have the power to influence and even spread.   I have no good excuse not to map my brain in a way that will help my life & the world around me.

What can I find today that “kills me with delight.”

“This is what I was born for – to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world – to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation.”

All Things HYGGE

One image of Hygge... a fire in the fireplace

I just learned a new word from the Danish Culture with a meaning I want to incorporate into everyday life!

HYGGE (hue-gah)
Wikipedia describes this as:

“One of the fundamental aspects of Danish culture is hygge, which, although translated as coziness is more akin to tranquility.  Hygge is a complete absence of anything annoying, irritating, or emotionally overwhelming, and the presence of and pleasure from comforting, gentle, and soothing things. Hygge is often associated with family and close friends. Christmas time when loved ones sit close together with candles lit on a cold rainy night is hygge, as is grilling a pølse (Danish sausage) on a long summer evening. These examples, although they do not precisely define hygge, can give an English speaker an idea of a deeply valued traditional concept of Danish culture.”

I have been going through some recent photos to find pictures that represent to me this concept of “Hygge.”
Feel free to visit my flickr set by clicking HERE.

Or click on the flickr gallery at the right on this page! (was having issues trying to embed a nice slide show w/ photo titles & such…  I’ll work on that!)

A couple more images of “Hygge”:

Hygge: Silence and solitude

Hygge: A really great hat!

Hygge: the sight & sound of running water

Hygge: the company of family over a nice meal

I recommend noticing the hygge in your world & seeking it out daily!   What hygge do you have in your world?