Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast that gives you strategies and tips for how to build

happier habits into your daily life.

This week we'll talk about why it's a good idea to create a catch-all for insight and

creativity, and we'll talk to my friend Susan Burton about her brilliant memoir, Empty.

I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer whose studies happiness, good habits, and human nature.

I am in my home office in New York City, and with me is my sister, the sage.

That's me Elizabeth Kraft, a TV writer and producer, living in LA and Gretch.

I don't know if I'm wise, but I definitely like to talk a lot, so hopefully something

good comes out.

Well, before we launch and we have a couple updates, the first one comes from Laurie.

She says, I was looking for an inexpensive way to say thinking of you to two ladies living

in a retirement facility which has been locked down for two months with no visitors.

And I remembered this idea from your podcast.

I found two mugs at a dollar store and the plants and decorations at the grocery store and

put the mini planters on the patio of their apartment.

Then I called to say, look for a surprise on your patio.

Costs under five dollars, each delighted response from the ladies priceless.

Thank you.

And she included a picture, so one mug said, bloom where you are planted and the other

said life is better with a furry companion.

And she also put in a pinwheel in each one.

So it was very kind of festive looking.

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