10 Things That Make Me Happy

I borrowed the idea for this post from Chronicles of a Country Girl. She did her post in an attempt to think positively, I'm doing mine to procrastinate on essays. So here it is - 10 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

• Weddings - There are several churches near my house and one that's directly across from my front door. It's a classic church with a beautiful stone staircase leading up to two great wooden doors - just about every weekend in the summer I see wedding parties posing on the steps or walking in to attend the ceremony and it always fills me with such great joy to get to spy on these little moments. I love the surprise of driving down a street to see a pair of newlyweds going down the street in a horse-drawn carriage.

• Banana #2 lying next to me in bed - My partner is in the military and since he's completing his training and I'm finishing my degree we only get to see each other on weekends. It's such a small thing but it's so nice to feel him lying next to me - it makes me feel safe and whole - I guess it makes sense that I sleep better when he's home.

• the King Hellion - For all that Bagheera terrorizes my hands and feet on a daily basis I love the little devil to death. Nothing is as comforting as the purr of a cat when you're feeling down and nothing can quite cheer you up like a playful kitten. He's my constant companion and when I'm feeling lonely during the week and Banana #2 is away on base, I hold my kitty tight, listen to his purr and if nothing else, feel a little less lonely.

• waffles with strawberries and ice cream - There is this magnificent little restaurant a couple of blocks from my house, and while they do have a variety of dishes on their menu i always end up ordering the same thing - it's a magnificent giant waffle covered in strawberry compote, fresh cut strawberries and vanilla ice cream ... makes me smile just thinking about it - yum!

• chocolate - Just about any kind, any time, any where.

• books - I love books. I love everything about them. I love the way they feel, the way they smell, that thrill of getting a book you've been waiting months for, that contented feeling when you finish a good book, the joy of re-reading a book and finding it just as good as the first time you read it. I love the places they take me and the dreams they inspire.

• Good storytellers - Some people have this gift and I envy them - they're just natural born storytellers. You know these people, they tell a great joke and they can turn any mundane event into a magnificent yarn. I love listening to these people - they make day to day life more enjoyable.

• walking in the woods - All my life I can remember going for walks in the woods. Our excuse was always to take the dog out of the town for a bit - just about every weekend we'd pile into the car with the dog and head out into the forest. It's so relaxing, I bet even my heart slows down to enjoy the rustling of the leaves or the creak of the pine trees.

• When my hair looks nice - This might seem a little vain but it's such an effort to actually do something with my hair that when I do decide to put a little effort in I feel so good about it. I have really nice natural curl and it's just fun to play with sometimes - and the compliments are always nice too ;)

• Getting just the right amount of sleep - I think this makes everyone happy but it's especially true for me being an insomniac. I'm almost always tired and either not getting enough sleep or sleeping for 15 hours at a time, but when you get just the right amount and you wake up feeling well-rested and energized that's a great feeling!