What Small Things Makes You Happy?

Hello All,
There is a book, written by Barbara Ann Kipler, titled
"14,000 Things to be Happy About."
There are big things, but so many things she lists that
are celebrations of life that make us happy are smaller things.
A small sample of hers are: dogs leaning against your
legs, haywagon rides, soft robes to settle into, trouser
pockets chortling with change, fondue sets, the bus arriving
on time with empty seats, free make-up samples, the sense of promise
inherent in the new year, remembering when jeans were only
for play, egg-in-the-hole and bacon, a tractor inner tube to
float on, playing kick the can, children at recess, and many
more.
What are some of the small things that make you have a moment
of happiness?
A few of mine are...
watching the birds eat at my deck in the winter, especially after
a snowfall...
going out and gathering cherry tomatoes from my garden to put in
a salad I am making...
watching a cotton-candy machine at a local lawn party...
snuggling up against my wife while she sleeps...
making my daughter breakfast, especially after I've had
a few beers (I work nights so mornings are the evening for me)...
talking to my mother and discovering new things about her and our
family...
finding a coin in the coin return slot in vending machines...
when my autistic son communicates (in his way) exactly what he
wants...
getting a credit card statement that shows I've paid my debt off...
having a good dream when I sleep...
the smell of the sanctuary of church...
well, that is just a few of mine.
What are yours?
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Peace & quiet. Cool breezes on a sunny day sitting under a shade tree. A really great meal, either cooked at home or at a nice restaurant. Did I mention peace & quiet ?

I always look forward to seeing your posts is one of my fav things
((((huggs))))
The smell of coming rain
The smell of fresh mowed grass
The first sip of a perfect cup of coffee
Watching my dogs have doggie dreams
Being up very early and see all the wildlife come awake too
Looking at my tiny garden seeing if the veggies are ready to pick
that is just a few of the things I can think of at this moment in time
Pam

Many good things so far. I'll add:

The smell of pine lumber at the lumberyard or construction site. It just smells different there.

The smell of fresh-cut grass, especially if it's mixed with some exhaust from a 2-stroke Lawn-Boy mower.

A birdie putt of less than 5 feet. Not that I always make them; I'd just like to have more opportunities!

When the fields around our house are planted with corn and we get a free privacy fence from midsummer to harvest. This year it's soybeans...

When my kids actually say 'please' and 'thank you' without being reminded to do so!

I'm sure others have many more...

Brad

Fireflies.

The sun rays shining through big fluffy clouds - makes me think that God really is up there.
A rainbow - gets me every time.
When Jeff Gordon wins a race.
Coming home and seeing my kitties in the window waiting for me.
An unexpected hug.

A new book
My husband's smile
My grandson's laugh
The Shenandoahs
Live music
Good friends exchanging ideas

quote:

Originally posted by porkbeaks

That ain't small !!! Good grief, it's as big a my hand !!!

My childrens voices raised in song or laughter
A great cup of coffee
Katy dids on a hot afternoon
Walking through crunchy leaves
Hearing my grandmother sing
Holding my husbands hand
Flowers in bloom
A soft rain on a Sat afternoon
The crackle of a fire in our fireplace


There are too many! My whole world is made up of many small happy moments one after the other! I don't think it's so much the moments but being there....all there and seeing them for what they are. Then holding on to them and being grateful you are there to see them that makes them special and happy.

Looks like someone found their old LP of "Big Bambu"!

My absolute favorite thing is to make my Mama belly laugh.

I love to rub anything soft and fluffy (pup's, kittens, high thread count linen).

The smell of sauteeing garlic and onions.

Cold water on a hot day (in and on me).

An old tune that's been playing on my mental jukebox suddenly come on the radio.

When I get a call from an old friend out of the blue.

Getting that first strike from Moby Bass on a nice pond at sun-up.

Just waking up usually makes my day!

A new book and a soft, rainy summer night to enjoy it in.

Soft, fragrant, freshly washed bed linens.

A sleepy dog lying next to me.

A fresh pack of cigarettes (oh, guilt, guilt, guilt).

An icy glass of whole milk.

Sitting on the deck on a warm summer evening playing dominoes with friends and getting wildly hysterical with laughter over absolutely nothing.

The call of a meadowlark in the early morning.

I could go on and on....

ditto everybody on everything!

inchworms
clean linens
seeing someone i love laughing
my kitten purring
the smell of baking
candlelight
spontaneous roadtrip (with roadfood, of course)

I have a feeling this will be a long thread, my post however will be short.

My wife's smile after I pinch her behind
A triple on opening day w/ my twenty bore
A perfect crepe
Filling an inside straight
The first egg of the season from a new flock of hens, poached please
Foie gras
Fresh asparagus picked five minutes before hitting the pan (I generally roast or grill mine now)
My '83 BMW 633 Csi...ok it's not small but it is cheap
Being able to give a few dollars to a street person or beggar
Along those lines...having the whole family work at the local shelter on Thanksgiving
Sunsets and sunrises...especially sunrises, so peaceful a time of day
Shad fishing on the Cape Fear river...unreal little fighters
Seeing a garden grow
A perfect piece of sushi I did not order as a gift from the chef
My oldest daughter bringing me water after a long run
Same daughter graduating yesterday in the top ten of her class
A blue eyed pig
A 1943 AC model G tractor, again not samll but again cheap
My dog
My dog
My dog
Did I mention my dog?

Good thought Field.

That I still have my parents.
And that I have the love of my life and my lovely cat that I rescued from the CA desert.

Porkbeaks:

If you had two or more of those, would that mean you like the DOOBIE Brothers?

My family.
Citrus blossoms in the air. Especially from my trees.
The smell of the high desert after it rains.
Eating sun warmed grapes fresh from my vines.
Doberman Pinschers.
Local minor league baseball games.
Eucalyptus smoke in the winter air.
Smoking a fine cigar in the house.
A bowl of chili and a cup of coffee.
The smell of lemons.
Company.
When company leaves.
Air conditioners on those 113 degree Fontana summer days.
The smell of good California virgin loamy oak soil.

Socks that match
Leaving the toilet seat up
A steady stream
Going to bed with a sink full of dishes
Getting up to find them gone
Finding $20 in an old coat pocket
Kicking the neighbors cat {he deserves it}
An empty mailbox
Calls from a Telemaketer {a real joy for me, not for them though}
Back to school day
A day without phone calls
A good blizzard or nor'easter
Power outages {don't have enough of them}
Company departing
Kicking the neighbors cat {it's a game}
Black and white movies
Foggy days
Watching the neighbors leave for work
Kids getting on the bus
Chow Jim, Time to kick the cat

sunrise & sunset
a Kodak moment & getting it on film
looking through old pictures
plotting my next trip; the excitement of leaving & joy of getting back home.
being with hubby & both sons all at the same time...it's getting rare
seeing a creature - bird, deer, squirrel, etc & observing its world
home alone, with a good movie
a clean house
good book on a rainy day
hanging out with my life-long three best friends
extended family events at Christmas
getting a thank you note in the mail
smell of fresh sheets
Boy Scouts carrying the flag during a parade - makes me cry.....
well-organized people
receiving a recipe for a great dish
finding something you had forgotten you had
first tomato sandwich of the summer
seeing a snowflake....it's a real big deal in the deep south!
old hymns sung at church
a sugar maple in the fall
fresh diet coke with lots of fizz
winning a bid on ebay for that item that makes the set complete
first buttercup in the spring
new puppies, colts, calves, fawns...
waking just before the alarm goes off, makes the day sooo much better
overhearing a compliment from hubby or children
hot peach cobbler & cold vanilla ice cream
seeing something you use at home in an antique shop with a $$$ tag
having time to read roadfood forums..

Looking at and admiring a lawn I just cut.
Eating a meal (especially a sandwich) and feeling perfectly satisfied.
Waking up feeling well rested.
Laughing until I cry.
Spending the day with good friends.
Freshly baked cookies.
Warm towels.
Silence, sweet silence.
The smell of fresh (non-city) air.
The smell of my grandparents' house.
Hearing a song that brings back happy memories.
The roar of the crowd when a Sox homer goes over the Green Monster.

walking along the beach doing the "Sanibel stoop" (collecting shells)
The smell of bread baking
The spring when the azaleas & dogwoods are in bloom
watching the squirrel think he's stealing the peanuts from where I put them for him
having my dog, Jake, lay back in my arms & fall asleep
watching the little girls next door spend all day jumping on their trampoline - where do they get that energy?!
The beauty of a single rose
being with ones family
a hot shower

Sunshine.

I can smile through almost anything on a bright sunny day and see only the bad on a dreary, drizzly day. I learned this about myself long ago. That's why I now spend my winters in Arizona--to escape San Francisco's drizzle.

Oh, and in spite of all her bad habits, there's my cat:

[img]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6d926b3127cce8ae74d21d63d00000016100Acsmblw0ZsmLA[/img]

BT, what a beautiful cat. He looks like he's part tiger.

SHE is a Bengal (that's the breed). Actually, the best Bengals have spots, not stripes. Mine has spots on her back and stomach and stripes on her legs and neck. The Bengal breed was created about 50 years ago by cross-breeding a wild species called the Asian Leopard Cat with various spotted varieties including a spotted feral domestic cat somebody found in Bengal--hence the name (it's not because they look like tigers). Anyway, they are still breeding in the wild cats but in order to be an official Bengals, they have to have be 4 generations removed from the last wild ancestor. Still, those wild genes come out sometimes--mine is very mischievious and smart. And she often acts very dog-like; for example, she likes to "fetch".

BT, she's beautiful. We went to CA with this thought...no more kitties, no more pets, we're DONE! Well.....kitty was homeless and of course I fed her, then she started sleeping with me, then there I was at Alaska Airlines in Palm Springs sending her to Anchorage when I still had TWO WEEKS of misery ahead of me to get back! Kitty (Lucky) makes me very happy.

Ok, SHE's beautiful. She looks so soft. And such beautiful golden eyes.

Sharpie markers
Toothpicks
Those little orange fish eggs on sushi
Mascara
Mr. Yoshidas Sweet Teriyaki Sauce and Marinade
Post-its that are not yellow
New episodes of Top Chef and Hells Kitchen
Band-aids
Watching MASH on TV Land
Lint Rollers
Having my back scratched
Paula Deens Laugh
Robot Chicken
Watching VH1’s 40 most sensational soft rock songs, and realizing that I was singing to every single one of them.

I am a very early person and my favorites are:

1: Being the first up in the morning and having it all to my self
2: Watching the sun rise and illuminate the rocks across the river from my deck.
3: The ducks coming up to my feeder to graze the grass around the feeder and enjoy the spilled seed.
4: The smell of fresh brewed Mello Joy coffee at 4:00AM
5: Watching the wildlife awake
6: The early morning visit by momma red fox and her two red kits at my deck to investigate what food might be left from my dog
7: Coffee with Mamaw Smith at 5:00 AM who lives next door
8: My early morning nap at 6:30AM

Sincerely
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

sorry - must add:

the smell of honeysuckle

sweat pouring off after a long run
a tight hug
my brightly colored striped coffee mug
painted toe nails
my enourmous sunglasses
pineapple chunks
lip gloss
meeting new people