This week Sara is flying solo on Joy Moments because Lacey is dealing with a flare-up. Which is actually a perfect reminder that joy moments aren't about ignoring what's hard. There's plenty we're not enjoying or wish weren't happening. Joy moments is about highlighting those little moments throughout the day that we can focus on to lift us up.

Sara asked friends to share their joy moments this week. Listen to hear about:

• Holiday cards that have become years of collected art
• An 1800s farmhouse that finally feels warm
• Feral holiday postcards made while watching Frozen 2
• A kindness rebellion that got 4,000 likes on Threads
• The warmest green thrift store coat
• Dancers in windows like living snow globes
• A 13-year-old bulldog getting a calendar launch party
• Unclaimed funds waiting to be discovered
• A hawk on a lamppost and the stranger who graciously indulged Sara's bird enthusiasm

Plus, there are some surprise guests you'll hear throughout the episode.

All these tiny drops in the bucket. That's the joy ripple.

Mentioned in This Episode

Jim's Photography - Instagram @mandolincity

Lee Ainsley on Threads - @leighainsley spreading kindness as rebellion and revolution

Pedal and Hive - Clean beauty products at pedalandhive.com

Whitman Brewing - Location of Spencer the Bulldog's calendar launch party

Unclaimed Funds - Search your state's unclaimed funds database to see if there's money waiting for you

More from the Joyful Support Movement

The Joyful Support Network Podcasts

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Audio Only of Joy Moments 12 12

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Sara: Hi, welcome to Joy Moments. My name is Sarah, and I will be your host for today. My co-host, Lacey, is not with me because in all honesty, she is having a flare up with her M-E-C-F-S that's, that's actually a great reminder that joy moments, it's not about ignoring what's happening in life because.

There's plenty of things we can look at that we're not enjoying. We wish weren't happening, but they do happen. Joy moments is about highlighting those little moments that happen throughout the day that we can focus on to lift us up, and we're gonna share other people's joy moments as a way of amplifying that joy.

There's some exhausting stuff too, and aging parents for those out there who also Know this journey of aging parents and health issues and trying to navigate from afar. It's a lot. So we all have things going on, but take these few minutes to just focus on these moments of joy and I'm really excited.

I did a shout out to some friends this morning 'cause I wanted to make sure I had enough, joy to share. I've got a few of my own, I'm gonna mix in.

I'm gonna start off with speaking of Christmas and holidays. My friend Jim, who we've mentioned here on Joy Moments before, is an amazingly talented photographer.

Jim's photography, and if you're curious to see some of his work, they're all listed on his Instagram page. It's at Mandolin City is his handle, and you can see all of his work and fun little Easter egg. You will find a photograph of me on Mr. Jim's Instagram page. So those holiday cards really made me happy.

I love seeing those every year. My neighbor. I asked her for a joy moment and she told me after 10 years she was able to sit on her couch yesterday and think about how warm it felt with the new windows and insulation. She said, I don't need 10 layers and a hat on inside.

Danielle, big supporter. Shout out Danielle. She said, I'm not gonna lie. I'm pretty grumpy this week, so hey, it happens. But she said one joyful moment though was seeing the kids surprise slash delight that the advent calendar on Monday was Mom does my homework and I check her work. Oh my gosh.

I cried. Happy tears. Such a great movie. So that was, that was a double joy.

Anyway, here's my voice in today's episode. that hopefully maybe will be a little bit of joy to add to this joy Ripple.

Sara: My friend Theresa shared a joy moment that her and her daughter were able to go and wash their beautiful, very large dogs. And she sent some pictures of them getting washed in the dog bath. Shout out to Theresa, one of our wonderful village members and supporters for having.

Oh, thank you Erin, for sharing this beautiful picture. This was so, this was beautiful.

All right, more joy moments. I have been back on threads and I've been focusing on. Finding joy, spreading joy, celebrating people, lifting people up. And I found somebody on Threads who goes on with the exact same intention I do. And I was so excited because she said to me, who wants to join the rebellion and revolution to spread joy?

And she said, yes, you can be my second in command. Let's go new friend. And what's really cool, she got 4,000 likes on that and 402 comments. Not that it's about the numbers, but I like, I like knowing that that joy got traction. So that's a beautiful thing. So thank you Lee. Ainsley.

I'm looking at my joy moments list here that I have on my phone. Violet, I wrote down Violet sounds. Actually, this might be funny. I'm just gonna read you what I wrote down 'cause they're not gonna make sense, but it might make you laugh. So joy moment ideas, Jim Krista cards, IG mandolin, city, me and the bird with stranger.

I love that list. So the ones I haven't told you about yet. Violet sounds Lacey's daughter, we've mentioned this on previous episodes, she makes this sound that they call the Batman sound, and it's sort of this low growl. Gruff sound. It is so delightful. And Lacey sent me a voice memo this morning giving me an update, and in the background I could hear Violet

Lacey: When it's, um, a little rougher, and that's okay. We're just gonna leave it like that. Right? Bye. Yeah. Okay.

Violet: Yeah.

Lacey: So that can move forward. That's what Violet's working on today.

My niece went back and got it for me. My sister brought it out, and so I was able to get it. We met up before a funeral and she brought me the coat and. I love it. It's a shade of green I've never worn before and I love it even more because it is so ding-dong warm. It is so warm and it is so cold. Where I live right now, I put that thing on and I'm just instantly comfortable.

This coat, it's just layers upon layers of joy. , So thank you. Green Coat. I appreciate you. Victorian Street Walk where I live in Saratoga Springs, which is in upstate New York. They do a Victorian street walk, which I'd always heard about and never gone to. And they do it in the beginning of December.

And there are people who dress up in Victorian wear and then I didn't realize this, but they also do. Dancers in Windows. So this is a older style where you walk down the Broadway and there's Big Glass Bay windows in most of the stores and they put ballet dancers in there. And I was at Pedal and Hive.

Boxes where they have the little ballet dancer, they would move and then they would hold a pose and then they would slowly move and hold a pose. And the way Jillian had her window decorated it then almost looked like a snow globe feel. It was so beautiful. And now. I'm excited to go next year 'cause now I wanna see it in person.

And so it was a good, it was really great for her organization, her agency, to be able to get these funds. And then she told me, and I didn't realize you could go onto each state's unclaimed fund and type in your name and see if there's money sitting for you. Which that's amazing. Unclaimed funds. Like what?

What's better than that? My sister would call that free money. What's better than free money? So if you're interested, you can go. It is legitimate unclaimed funds. You can find your name and what institution owes you money, and then you have to file a claim. But it is a real thing. Spencer. Okay. I've got two left, Spencer and the dog calendar.

They did a photo session with him where they dressed him up with different props and then had a green screen, and then they created a calendar, and then they're gonna have a launch party where people can buy the. By the calendar and come and the dog will be there.

Then the last one I'm gonna share, me and the bird with stranger.

So I'm in my green coat, I'm walking to work. It's so freaking gold. And I notice, you know how like you'll walk down the same place and like something will catch your eye and you're like, something's different. And so I look up and downtown, so it's cars, pavement, buildings. There's not much nature. But on the street, lamp is.

I just turned around to the stranger behind me and I said, do you like birds? And she goes, no. But then without missing a beat, she said, why is there one? Is there a cool one around? And so I pointed and I said, oh, there's a hawk up on that lamppost. And she goes, she goes, oh wow. That's really unusual. And then I, I was like, yeah.

And I said, have a good day. And then I just realized, oh my gosh, I'm that person who points out birds to strangers. But she was a great participant. So shout out to Stranger on the street wearing purple the other morning who let me point out a hawk to her on the lamppost. That made me feel joy.

And if this is the first time you're ever listening, something from Sarah and I, this is a running joke about my beef with bird people. So don't take it too seriously.

Sara: Well, that is the conclusion of joy Moments.

For today. I have been your host, Sarah, with lots of giggles. I've had so much fun looking at my list of joy moments. Thank you to all of my friends who sent in their joy moments. Thank you to all the listeners for being a part of our joy revolution. Thank you to threads for being a place where joy can be amplified and shared.

Here's wishing a joy moment to you in your life today.