Joy Phenix's Blog

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton Have you ever been overwhelmed by the thought of writing thank you notes? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big proponent of expressing gratitude and dropping people a quick note for gifts, encouragement, or [...]

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington It’s true. You have the power to save lives! Do you know that half of the hospital beds in the world are occupied by patients who don’t have access to clean drinking water and are suffering from diseases as [...]

” I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved.” George Eliot Take the 2-3 minutes you would normally spend reading this blog and shoot a quick text message or write an email or make a call and tell someone you love them. Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” Markus Zusak  -  I Am Messenger Last winter I was stuck in Manhattan traffic, trying to get to the airport before a storm hit. I was slightly nauseated by a cabbie who, if I didn’t know better, was [...]

I was sitting at restaurant counter, the kind you find in an old diner,  reading junk on my phone and trying to ignore the little spats between the cook and the waiter. From what I gathered, the waiter kept getting in the way of the line cook and was “messing up the flow.” As rude [...]

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo DaVinci Have you noticed when finances are tight, all you see are expensive things?  I hate it when that happens because there’s so much fun to be had enjoying the little things. In fact, to get me out of the “life is so expensive” frame of mind, I decided [...]

“Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” Alice Walker Someone tweeted this quote and stopped me in my tracks. Expect NOTHING?  Really? Zero. Nada. Zilch. That sounds completely unrealistic. Still, I’ve read lots of quotes along similar lines: From the cynics (“Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.” ) to Shakespeare (“Expectation is the root of [...]

From my years young in days of youth, God did make known to me his truth, And call’d me from my native place For to enjoy the means of grace. In wilderness he did me guide, And in strange lands for me provide. In fears and wants, through weal and woe, A pilgrim, past I [...]

“Nature is, above all, profligate. Don’t believe them when they tell you how economical and thrifty nature is, whose leaves return to the soil. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to leave them on the tree in the first place? This deciduous business alone is a radical scheme, the brainchild of a deranged manic-depressive with limitless capital. [...]

“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” John Updike Say anything you want about New York, and you will, in all likelihood, be correct.   The city is big enough to accommodate almost any opinion and make it true. Exciting or Tedious? Yes. A land [...]