What Makes Me Happy...

It's obvious some of the things that make me happy, like, for instance, my family, our health, stuff like that.  But there are plenty of other random, little things that make me happy, too.  Those little things that I take for granted, but still enjoy, still smile about, those little things that put me at peace.

In absolutely no particular order whatsoever...

• Hot water in the bathroom sink at work (there's nothing worse than sitting in ice-cold air conditioning all day then having to wash your hands in ice-cold water)

• Samantha launching herself, airborne, into my arms when I arrive home from work every day  (this one actually gets a bit dangerous, as I usually have not had time to set my stuff down or even to crouch down, thus conking her in the head with bag/sunglasses/keys/umbrella - nothing worse than a good intention ending in tears...)

• Warm sunshine and low humidity (this one's a package deal...must. go. together..., especially when in conjunction with open windows and light breezes, LOL)

• Earl Grey tea (maybe one day I'll tell you the story of moving to London, living in near-poverty, re-using old Earl Grey tea bags...yeesh...I don't think I've told anyone about that - too embarassed...)

• Ice cream (absolutely any flavor.  Love it all.  Oh, except candied bacon or gorgonzola flavors.  Those are just weird.) 

• Getting to drink my coffee all. by. myself. in the morning while Steve and Samantha are still sleeping upstairs (this is a very rare pleasure, as Princess usually wakes up before I do most days)

• Getting to use classic mom-isms (take this morning, for example:  I'm in the shower, Samantha comes into the bathroom, turns off the fan and the light, and starts to leave.  I fling open the curtain, glare at her, and say, in my most menacing-mommy voice, "Don't *make* me come out there!"  She stopped dead in her tracks, turned everything back on, and left to go play in her room - Success!) - I know this may not seem like much, but with only one child, this is definitely a joy to me.

• Getting a good look at the photos I've just loaded off my camera and onto my computer

• The smell of rosemary (I just have to run my fingers over the bush in the back yard whenever I walk past it)

• Summer (this was not a love of mine back during my goth days...full makeup, heavily-product-laden hair, boots and black clothes do not make for a pleasant summer - more like torture)

• Remembering childhood summers

• Johann Sebastian Bach (and his equally-talented offspring)

• My camera

• Backyard wildlife (bugs, flowers, bunnies, foxes, whatever happens to be visible from my window)

• Samantha's laughter, and her absolutely brilliant sense of humor - she really knows how to make me laugh!

There are so many more things I could mention.  I'm trying to make a mental note as they come to me, and will hopefully post more one day.  Thanks for indulging me!