The joy of …

In 1931 The Joy of Cooking was first published and set off a movement (and publishing boom) of finding joy in the everyday things of life.  Below are real titles of books and blogs about the joy of …

• Cooking (and do invite me for dinner, except if lima bean casserole is on the menu)
• Coffee (now we’re talking my joy language)
• Sex (no more need be said)
• Pi (seems like this could go on forever)
• Photography (can’t match the delight of taking a shot and capturing a magical moment)
• Not working (short term, yes; long term, not so much)
• Yoga (the names of the poses, alone, should bring a smile to most anyone’s face – everyone now, do the downward-facing dog, transition to the one-legged King pigeon pose and finish with the cow face)
• Bocce (screams out picnics and beaches)
• Curling (has to be a Canadian author)
• Beer (beer is the answer, now what was the question?)
• Hockey (self-explanatory to most sane people)
• Pitman shorthand (I remain unconvinced)
• Keeping chickens (try tell this to Calgary city council)
• Mathematics (just ask Gerald K. about this)
• Solving problems (including the riddle of finding joy?)
• Economics (as long as it’s going to spread joy to everyone)
• Pregnancy (except for morning sickness, swollen ankles, back pains, and that last little bit)
• Birth (I thought that was included in the pregnancy thing?)
• Parenting (true, but there are days when …)
• Vegan baking (isn’t the joy of baking in the butter?)
• Scrapbooking (this is a cult, isn’t it?)
• Doing things badly (anything worth doing is certainly worth doing badly)
• Chemistry (what’s more fun than blowing up things or creating lava volcanoes)
• Uncircumcising (I’m not kidding – but don’t think about this one too long)
• Laziness (we could all learn to live a little more slowly)
• Breeding your own dog (but don’t let the kids watch)
• Burnout (I’m not sure I can muster up the energy for this one)
• Writing (you’re reading this blog post, aren’t you?)
• Books (the crack of the spine when first opening a book, the texture of the page, the delight of a well-turned phrase, the opening up of an unexplored world – books are just plain good friends)
• Knitting (but what about all those dropped stitches)
• Ballooning (I take it this is about the air-born vessels and not gaining weight)
• Waltzes, tangos and polkas (I prefer Dancing with the Stars)
• Family camping (the freedom to get dirty, eat outside, pee against a tree, play with fire, get lost in the woods, use a knife, and eat marshmallows at any meal.  But please, hold the mosquitoes)
• Work (Dilbert’s guide to finding happiness at the expense of your co-workers)
• Opera (greet someone today in an operatic fashion, let out your inner diva and watch the joy flow)
• Of not being married (following the wisdom of the apostle Paul who wrote, “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.”  That’s 1 Cor. 7:28 in case you don’t believe this is actually in the bible)
• Classical music (can anyone say “Ode to Joy”?)
• Of not knowing it all (yes, there is joy in not having to be God)

Know of any more titles?  Pass them along.