What Made Me Happy in 2025 | Week 8
My first solo walk in the forest, more birds, ice flowers (but my garden insists that it's spring) - and visiting the game library
I deeply enjoy giving attention to the good things I encounter throughout the day. They can come in all forms and be of all sorts. They can be inspiring or beautiful, laughing-out-loud funny or just silently stunning, kind, warm or moving, they can provide comfort or new insights.
They are seldom life-changing, but to focus on them day by day can become life-changing.
I’ve chosen JOY as my word for this year and I’d love to share with you what made me happy in the past week.
Two very different kinds of flowers
Winter made a last stand this week with the coldest nights and mornings of the entire winter (-10 °C) and was swept away by spring-like temperatures at the weekend (+14 °C). What a change it’s been!
The spring snowflakes seemed to have the gift of forecast, as they made a very early appearance in my garden at the start of the week, trusting that spring would come. (In German they are called ‘Märzenbecher’ which tells us even more precisely when they are expected to bloom - not until March.)
It was so freezing cold that I really don't know how they got the idea to bet on spring - but they brought me a lot of joy!
Aren't they just beautiful? It's so lovely to see nature awaken in spring.
Funnily enough, the next day there were other flowers blooming, flowers I hadn’t seen for a few years …
We got the most beautiful ice flowers on the windows of our garden shed. Look a these details! So amazing!
I can still see the beautiful side of winter.
A walk in the forest
On Wednesday it was still cold, but sunny and so calm with no wind at all that I decided to go for a walk in the forest. It may not seem like much to you, but for me it was a milestone.
May I dare to admit that it was the very first time ever that I went for a walk alone in the forest? (It might tell you something about some anxiety issues I still have.)
To my surprise, all I felt on my way to the forest was joy, no nervousness, no fear - and I wondered why I had waited so long and what I had always been so afraid of!
Certainly not of the few people I actually met, an old man who left the forest when I went in and nodded to me, a solitary jogger, actually a neighbour of my parents, and an old couple with their grandchild. Oh, and I didn't get lost either ;)
It was so peaceful, so tranquil, so wonderfully far away from everything, including thoughts of work, problems, decisions or anything else.
I felt so at home in the forest, I felt safe.
It’s a mixed forest, but broadleaf trees predominate, so the forest still wore it’s bare winter outfit. This was by no means boring, but left room for the sun to light up the paths and the grounds.
The drumming of the great spotted woodpeckers echoed throughout the forest. I’ve forgotten how loud they can be, wow, so impressive! I actually heard them before I even got to the forest and thought it couldn’t be woodpeckers, surely, or could it?
I saw them too, at least three of them. So beautiful, I was in awe! Seeing them was my favourite part of the week, to be honest. I don’t know why it moved me the way it did, it just did. I can't remember the last time I saw one of these birds.
I followed the paths through the forest, sometimes along small brooks, and took it all in. The light wind in the conifers, the gentle creaking of the swaying tree trunks. The sunlight illuminating the landscape and creating ever new patterns.
I often paused and just stood on one spot, feeling incredibly happy because I had overcome my fear of taking a solo walk in the woods and was rewarded with such a joyful experience.
I listened to the birds and tried to find out which ones they were. I didn’t recognise that many which I definitely want to change, so I borrowed a book from the eLibrary called Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed: An Introduction to Birdsong by Simon Barnes. The perfect title, isn’t it? Let’s see what it can teach me.
I’ve also found out about one of our local nature conservation groups who take interested people like me on a tour to the cemetary (yes, you read that right) to learn about the songs of local birds. I’m looking forward to that early Sunday morning date in mid-April!
Part of the forest borders the river that runs through our small town. It was beautiful to walk along the sheltered, sunny path at the edge of the wood, watching lively and very busy tits crossing my path between bushes and small trees. I followed the path to a cordoned off area on the river bank where the kingfisher likes to breed. I didn’t see or hear any, maybe it’s still a bit early in the year for that. No matter, I just dived back into the forest and explored a few other trails, found a Nessie-like log frozen in small pond, and just enjoyed myself.
This walk meant a lot to me. Having overcome my decades of fear, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, the woodpeckers, simply walking through the sunny, wintry forest and taking it all in - it was one and half hours of pure joy that carried me through the whole week.
I feel like I'm on a good path to reconnecting with nature. Small steps, sure, but they are working for me.
Related post:
Game Library
In our small town there is something like a public library for board and card games, jigsaw puzzles and the like. It’s called the Spieliothek (a play on the German words for game and library) and can be used free of charge.
They have about 12,500 games and jigsaw puzzles, and although my husband and I don’t play board or card games that often at the moment, I often use it to stock up on puzzles.
Doing a jigsaw puzzle is a way - especially in winter - to do something calm and focussed to take my mind off things. I really enjoy it!
Have you ever done a round one? That one was fun!
I also really like the atmosphere there. It's so quiet. The staff are very friendly, it’s mostly older ladies who work on a voluntary basis. There are also always new additions for all ages and it’s fun to browse for puzzles and games we might like.
I enjoy eavesdropping a little on families with children who are looking for games to play in the next weeks. Everyone gets to pick something and the pile grows and grows. It's so reassuring to see that people are still playing with each other instead of disappearing into screen worlds on their own.
Until next time and have a lovely week!
Claudia
Interested in my previous weeks? Read on …
Oh so cool that you've done a solo walk! I remember a conversation around that a while back and I was literally thinking about it yesterday. Glad you did it and so glad it went well and was a wonderful experience ☺️❤️
Nature helps so much with anxiety of our modern noisy world. It is comforting to know we can find solace in nature when we are ready. I loved you heard Woodpeckers, I too have heard one at my allotment this week. 🌻🌱