A Waiting Line Moving Quickly

June 8’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. A Stream’s Riffles - The sound that the riffles makes me happy because it lets me know that I’m out among nature. I love biking down to the stream below the damn at the lake we go to just because it’s fun to lay down on the hammocks that they have along the paths in the woods and listening to the stream flow on by.

2. Trapunto Flowers - I can honestly say that I have never heard of these. They sound interesting and I love flowers so I’ll say that they make me happy.

3. Hot Apple Granola - Yum!!! I love hot apple and mixed granola sounds like it would be good. Don’t they make some gooey apple thing with granola. They used to serve something like that at my middle school some days for our dessert after lunch.

4. The Star Wars Trilogy - This could go one of two ways. If it is the first three they totally make me happy even with the not so good affects because they were way ahead in the technology for the time that they were made. The original actors are really good for the parts and they can’t really beat the original episodes. The newer three are just awful...I honestly don’t really even understand what’s going on in them and I don’t have the patience to try and watch them.

5. Shpilkes - Wasn’t this a word in Scooby Doo or something?

6. A Waiting Line Moving Quickly - Honestly, who wants to stand in a waiting line that is moving slowly? It makes me really happy when lines move fast, especially for something that is very exciting like a roller coaster or some other kind of cool ride.

7. Reading on Vacation - Most people think that I’m crazy for reading while I’m on vacation but that’s one of my favorite parts about being on vacation. The fact that I don’t have to worry about reading for school makes it easier for me to concentrate on a book that is for pleasure instead of ‘torture’.

8. A Whoosh of Wind - I love these whooshes when it’s a really hot day. It just feels nice to have some sort of breeze coming through the thick heat.

9. Butterflies Alighting - Butterflies light up? I thought that was fireflies?

10. Art Deco Geometrics - It amazes me what people can do with a space of a room and transform it with their skills. It makes me happy to know that there are people out there who have better taste than I do and can help me transform something plane into something that I want to actually look at.

People Who RSVP

June 7’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. A Table for Projects - It is always better to have one of these rather than using your kitchen table or counter because you have to clean it up before you can use it for meals which can make it very hard and more of a hassle. We used to do our projects in the dining room because we barely used it except for special occasions.

2. Rockland and Rockport, Maine - I don’t know much about them but one of my friends lives up there and says that it can be both good and bad at different times.

3. Buddha Serenity - I guess this is a good thing when you just want to relax.

4. Pennies for Wishes - I remember whenever we would walk around in the mall there were always fountains in the mall and I would ask for my parents for a penny to throw into a fountain so that my favorite wish would come true. Many of them didn’t come true but it was always nice to hope that they would.

5. Classical Music as You Commute - Honestly usually when I’m commuting it is late at night or early in the morning, I don’t know why this happens so often but it does, so I try to listen to music that will keep me awake. I do however like to listen to classical music while I do my homework because it helps me to better concentrate.

6. Building a New House - I think that this would be a lot of fun because you would have the satisfaction of knowing that you built this house to the specifications that you wanted and you got the opportunity to create something so beautiful. The only problem I have with building new houses is the developers. They’re really starting to piss me off because they keep building more houses when we don’t need them as there are plenty of them for sale on the foreclosed market.

7. Professional Makeup Brushes - They do a great job and I love using them but if you don’t keep them clean they will not work as well as you want them to.

8. Chopsticks-Only Eating - I can’t eat with chopsticks very well so if this happened I’d be up a river without a paddle. I’ve tried to teach myself, it just hasn’t worked out very well in my favor.

9. People Who RSVP - Everyone who wants to go to an event should RSVP to the event and even if you are not going to attend it is polite to RSVP and let them know that you are going to be showing up. It is extremely rude to show up after not saying anything and expect to be seated or have food.

10. Washing Your Hair in Rainwater - I wish that I could do something like this but we don’t get rain enough to actually wash my hair. I do however bathe myself in the lake we go to in the summer from time to time.

Bridal Gown Shopping

June 6’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Plaid Tablecloths - These make me happy because I know that they usually mean that we’re either going on a picnic or we’re eating outside. I love eating outside when the weather is good. If it is a nice cool night with not too many bugs it’s wonderful to eat outside at a picnic table colored in a plaid tablecloth.

2. Acceptance - Ok, other than loners, who doesn’t want acceptance? I love gaining it from new groups of people or just different people in general. Sometimes it’s harder than others. I gained acceptance in my sorority just because I’m me, unlike in other sororities where you must do all of the “activities” in order to be accepted. I think that’s just stupid. People should accept you for who you are rather than a bunch of tasks that you are asked to complete.

3. Bridal Gown Shopping - As I have never been bridal gown shopping, for myself or anyone else, I can only say what I’ve seen in movies. It looks fun and a little stressful. I feel badly for the people who work in the stores, especially after watching some of the Bridezillas in Say Yes to the Dress. Some of the women in that show are the rudest people I’ve ever seen. Why would you want to be put onto TV acting like a snobby bitch?

4. Batik Clothing - I honestly have no idea what the heck this is. Anyone have an answer for me?

5. Making Your Own Cologne - Who actually does this other than stars? I have never seen anyone making their own cologne although I would like to see how it’s done just for the heck of it. I love smelling cologne and perfume whether it’s on someone or just sniffing the air after spraying it.

6. Brainiacs - People who are brainiacs are pretty cool as long as they don’t flaunt it too much. If you flaunt it I might want to hit you because you are making me feel dumb and obsolete. Some day the brainiacs are going to be the only people making money in this world because technology will eventually be able to do all of the other jobs.

7. Young Trees - It is amazing to see a young tree transform into an older tree. I got a tree in the eighth grade as a graduation present from my best friend from middle school. It has grown immensely and I walked out one day and saw how much it had been grown and asked if my tree had died and if we had replaced it with a bigger tree but my parents said no it’s the same one Sam gave me. WOOOOOWWW!!!

8. A Spume of White Bubbles - This is as opposed to a spume of any other color?

9. Honeycomb - It brings the honey that the bees make and I love honey on my English muffins along with in my tea. I love honey in general, it just tastes so smooth and good.

10. Stone Wall-Lined Lanes - I wish there were more of these at all of the old houses that I live around. I have one along one side of my driveway but you don’t see them very often anymore because people let them fall into disrepair and eventually knock them down because they look so bad. Oh well, not my problem when people complain about the world not looking pretty anymore, blame your parents and the generations before them!

Climbing a Tree

June 5’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. A Leisurely Bath - I love bring able to relax in the bathtub. It’s great after a horrible day of work or classes. I wish that they had bathtubs at school so that students could relax a little bit after a long day. Bubble baths are the best because you can play with the bubbles as you lay in the tub.

2. Autograph Day at School - Was this the day that you received your yearbooks and you wanted all of your closest friends to sign it because you thought it was cool. They all wrote things like HAGS or HAGAS or something like that. I feel like your close friends should write something meaningful instead of just saying see ya next year.

3. A Filled Mug’s Warmth - I really liked this last week in Alaska after kayaking or going for skiff rides because by the time you would get back from doing activities you would be cold as ice. The feel of the mugs with hot cocoa or coffee in them was just a savior from being cold.

4. Sandy Cape Ann - Never been but I’m sure it’s beautiful.

5. Climbing a Tree - I was never very good at this unless the tree had low and together branches. I hated climbing anything that had sap on the trunk or limbs though because you could never get it off all of the way and that was such an annoyance. My favorite tree that I’ve ever climbed would have to be the banyan tree in the Bahamas. The roots of the tree grow out from the limbs. It’s pretty cool.

6. Philosophies Displayed on T-Shirts - The ones that make you laugh are the best T-shirts in my opinion or the ones that have the most meaningful statements on the front of the shirt.

7. Ring-Toss Games - These games just made me angry because I could never seem to get the ring in the right place and I would always lose. I’m not a soar loser I just don’t like loosing round after round, it kind of sucks!

8. China’s Great Wall - It amazes me how they built these without all of the machines and technology that we have today. While it is not in the best kept shape it serves it’s purpose in the times when it was most needed. It helped China become the place that it is today.

9. Elbow Room - I love having this when I need it because having at big family dinners it’s really hard to cut your meat when you have someone right next to you who you may elbow. It’s really funny when I have one of my younger cousins next to me and barely miss their face while cutting my meat and they yell at me...god I love children!

10. Finding Out You are not Lost - Who actually enjoys being lost (unless you’re on an adventure)? It’s nice to figure out that you are not lost in the end because then you can get back on track to where you were and it makes you feel better about your directional skill. The GPS is definitely a wonderful invention at keeping people from getting lost. It does however make mistakes sometimes so don’t depend on it fully or you never know where you’ll end up.

Looking Others Straight in the Eye

June 4’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Replying to Letters - Throughout this past school year my grandmother and I corresponded through old fashioned letters instead of using email. I always loved responding to her letters because it made me good to tell her about my accomplishments and what was going on in my life. I tried doing this with my other grandmother but it didn’t work out very well.

2. Adrenaline - I am a total adrenaline junkie. I love doing things that make my adrenaline spike. I would love to go sky diving but I have a feeling that I’d pee myself if I tried it. I also love when it kicks in because I feel like I’m not afraid of anything.

3. An Unusual Museum - I wish I could find more of these just for entertainment. Does anyone have any suggestions?

4. One Exotic Bloom - There is a plant down in the Bahamas that blooms once every 100 years. I have had the pleasure of seeing it and it is absolutely beautiful. I didn’t think that I would get to but getting to see it was really neat actually.

5. Vermont Cheddar - I don’t know how my calendar figured out that this makes me happy but it is my favorite kind of cheese flat out. No other cheese can beat it. I love putting it in my sandwiches, on crackers, almost anywhere where it will taste good. My grandmother brings it back from Vermont when she goes and it keeps for a while and the longer you let it sit, the better it tastes in my opinion.

6. A Wish Granted - Yea right! As much as I’d love to believe that wishes do come true, they rarely do unless you do something about it. Fairy godmothers do not exist in real life but it’s not that hard to work for something if you really want it. On the rare occasion someone’s wish will come true and who am I to ruin their happiness?

7. The Majesty of Circus Tents - The biggest circus tent is always where the main event is. I think that circuses are pretty cool until the clowns come out because they’re a little creepy.

8. Jogging with a Friend - I’d rather jog by myself with my iPod so that my friends won’t laugh at me when I can’t keep up. I wish I was a better runner but I doubt that will ever happen as I’m not into it as much as I would like to be.

9. Taking the Time to Observe - If you do this, you never know what you’ll find. While I was in Alaska I observed and found a whale and a bear. It was pretty cool to find all of these neat things just because I took my time on our hikes through the mountains and listened when they told us what to look for.

10. Looking Others Straight in the Eye - I wish more people would do this then there would be more communication in the world. If they aren’t looking you in the eye then they’re usually lying! When you are shaking someone’s hand you should always look them straight in the eye or they may think that you are incompetent.

Apples in Country Baskets

June 3’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Nature’s Lessons - There are so many that we still need to learn. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and earth quakes are just a few elements constantly teaching us lessons on how to live on this earth peacefully. They come and wreck our houses and we continually think of better ways to build our houses. I think that nature has taught us a lot and has put us in the age of technology we are in today.

2. Apples in Country Baskets - Apples in baskets in my mind means apple sauce. Once my grandmother has us pick the apples off of her tree I know that they are ready for her wonderful apple sauce. As a kid I always loved her apple sauce, and I can still eat it by the bowl full. It is absolutely scrumdidlyumptious!

3. A Thermos of Raspberry Iced Tea - It sounds good but considering I’m not a big fan of iced tea, that doesn’t really help.

4. A Charcoal Grill - They are so much better than gas grills even if they are worse for the environment. They give the food a different taste that I think makes the food taste better. The only time that we use a charcoal grill is up in the mountains and it is something that reminds me of summer because we only go up to the mountains in the summer.

5. Cooking Something New - I love taking the chance every once in a while of cooking something new because you never know the reactions that you will get for trying something new. New food can be delicious or it can be an epic fail. I also think that it depends on how well you can cook something.

6. Hand-Feeding a Goat - As long as you know to hold your hand out straight instead of curling your fingers up they won’t bite you! I love feeding any animal out of my hand that I know won’t bite my fingers off. The only time I’ll feed a dog out of my hand is when I know that it is just one small thing that I’m feeding them.

7. Concord Grapes - What’s the big deal? I just like grapes in general. The best is when they are chilled in the fridge and make a crunch when you chew them. I am very good at throwing them into the air and catching them with my mouth.

8. Cotton Sateen Sheets - Soooo soft!!!

9. Black Pepper-Spiked Gravy - Anything that is spiked with black pepper gives it a little more taste or zest. I think that every meal should be spiked with some sort of spice to give it more taste because bland is bad.

10. Springer Spaniels - Pretty doggies!!! I love them because they have long hair. Then again I love any dog that comes with in a football field radius of me and has an owner that will let me pet it. My mom taught me that it is polite (and also a little dangerous) to just walk up and pet someone’s dog.

The First Warmth of the Coming Season

June 2’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Napkin Rings - I like these at the beginning of the meal but I think that they should be moved out of the way once everyone starts to eat because they end up being in the way. They do make the table look very nice on the other hand. While I was in Alaska, we rolled them around the table while we would wait for desert...apparently we were really bored.

2. Sharing Popcorn - Honestly you don’t have to share with me, I won’t eat it anyway. I’m not really a big fan so you can have it all to yourself. It’s nice to get an offer every once in a while though.

3. Footstep Cadence - Um, sure this makes me happy?

4. Being Cozy - Who doesn’t love being cozy? It just makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I love being cozy by the fire in our cabin in the mountains or being cozy in our library by the fire reading a book. It’s just those moments that make you wish that all moments could be like that.

5. Crossword Tournaments - There is such a thing? I’ve never heard of it anyway. My grandmother would have loved those considering she was so amazing at these. It makes me smile to think about her doing her crossword puzzles. She actually had one that was six feet by six feet. It was absolutely huge but I don’t think it was finished before she passed away unfortunately. It would have been cool to see it finished.

6. Adorable Faces - Little kids usually have these with their baby fat before it goes away. I love looking at kids though, especially when they make funny faces or have done something that they don’t realize is bad and have the most innocent face on.

7. Luminaries - I love driving past these in the winter, usually on Christmas Eve. Our family tradition is to drive around town to find streets with good luminaries and cool Christmas decorations around their house.

8. Plump Settee Cushions - So comfortable! You feel like you are sinking into the most comfortable chair ever. My great grandmother always had very plump ones.

9. Mojitos - I had a strawberry mojito for my first drink in celebration of my 21st birthday and it was absolutely delicious. It even had bits of the strawberry in the drink. It made me very happy that I was old enough to order it for myself and legally drink it!

10. The First Warmth of the Upcoming Season - We haven’t had much of that until last week when it was really hot. It was very exciting to finally have weather that was warmer than the 60’s.

A Thunderstorm Passing

June 1’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Botticelli Art - Honestly, art doesn’t really have an affect on my happiness. Sure it makes walls look less empty in a house, but what does it really do? I don’t want to pay thousands of dollars just to have a piece on my wall.

2. Abreaction - I looked the definition of this word up and I still have absolutely no idea what it is or means...anyone care to fill me in?

3. Remembering a Friend’s Birthday - I would rather remember than forget because they may be pretty upset with me if I forgot. Facebook does a wonderful job of reminding me these days considering I forget an awful lot.

4. Eating Dinner at the Shore - The little shacks at the shore are always the ones that serve the best food because they are usually family owned instead of some chain that is everywhere else also.

5. Caramel Bread Pudding - Any pudding makes me happy and this actually sounds so good I might try and find a recipe to make it because I always enjoy trying new things because it broadens my horizon a little bit every time.

6. The Music of Brahms - Most people only know him from his lullaby but he wrote many pieces that more people should get into so that they can know what classical music really is. I like to have classical music on my iPod because then I have something to listen to that doesn’t have words to it when I am doing my homework because there is less distraction.

7. A Thunderstorm Passing - When it’s gone then I am happy because thunderstorms and I do not get along very well. I have gotten to the point where I no longer have to hide under my parents’ bed but that doesn’t mean that they do not still freak me out a little. I really don’t like when they wake me up in the middle of the night or if they are happening when I’m trying to sleep because then I end up freaking out and not being able to sleep afterwards.

8. A 20th Anniversary - These days, that’s a landmark since everyone seems to be getting divorced after a few years. If you want to get married, find someone you care about first instead of doing it with the first person that you meet that actually reciprocates your feelings. I think the divorce rate today is atrocious.

9. The Moon Over a Lake - Seeing this is amazing, especially when the moon is just over the horizon and it is huge. The reflection is always an amazing thing to watch.

10. Meditative Writing - I think my journal is my way of emptying my thoughts and getting them on paper helps me to think them out. It is my way of meditative writing because then I always feel better after all of the toxins are out.

Your Own Hammock

May 31’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Changing All the Calendars - Who changes calendars in May? Unless you’re just changing the month and you get to see the new picture that is on the top of the next month. I know that with our family calendar, we have all of the family pictures on them so it’s fun to see who showed up doing what on the next month’s page.

2. A Box of Popsicles - I actually bought one of those this weekend when everyone came to hang out at my house. I’m sad that there weren’t more flavors but they were absolutely delicious and I definitely want to eat more! The fact that they change the color of your tongue makes me laugh.

3. Starting Over - I wish that I had that chance many times in my life but I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve turned out. Starting over at a new job will be the next chance that I get to start over and I hope that I can make a good impression on all of my coworkers and bosses in the near future.

4. Ankle-Length Skirts - No thank you! I have never been a big fan of skirts that long because I would probably trip and fall over them as I walked. The only time I wear anything like that is if I was going somewhere formal.

5. Early Beatles’ Music - Beatles’ music in general is absolutely amazing. I love listening to it while I work because I know the words to almost every single song and it makes me happy when I can sing along with different songs. My mom calls me the Broadway Belter.

6. Applause for a Great Orchestra - Applause in general makes me happy because it encourages those who are performing that they are doing a great job. It probably makes them even more happy because they feel that all of their practice has lead up to something amazing.

7. Socializing Games - When I was in Student Council in high school we always played a game at the beginning of each big meeting as an ice breaker so that people could talk to new people. It made it easier for us all to get along as such a big group. I think that in the long run it helped us to meet new people thereby making new friends.

8. Awakening Sleeping Beauty - When I was younger I always thought that it was so magical but now I realize that witches and wizards do not exist and the enchantments that happen in that movie are not real but watching younger kids faces while they watch the magic happen always makes me happy.

9. A Break From the Computer - I’m going to be starting mine when I leave for Alaska and I’m very excited for it because it means that Mom and Granmom won’t have computer access either. When I’m home from school, I don’t really spend that much time on the computer anyway because I’m always busy doing other things. I enjoy going on it every once in a while during the day but I don’t just sit in my room all day playing on it because there are other things going on that I’d rather be doing. Children these days really need to stop spending so much time on the computer or else they aren’t going to be bonding with other students that well.

10. Your Own Hammock - I don’t think that we’ve had our hammock out for a couple of years now but I always enjoy laying in it and reading my book when it’s not too hot outside.

A Fireworks Finale

May 30’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. The Armed Forces - They make me happy (even though I don’t like guns) because they are fighting to keep our country safe. I’m sure that I don’t know the half of what is going on across the seas but I salute the brave fellows that have volunteered to serve our country. I don’t think that I could ever be brave enough to hold up a gun and shoot people whether they are guilty or just stuck in the middle.

2. Steaks Sizzling on the Grill - I love the sound of any meat as it hits the grill and begins to sizzle. I know that when it hits my father’s grill that it means that dinner is almost ready and it’s going to be delicious. Dad is really good at cooking and I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to top him in that category in my mind.

3. A Fireworks Finale - It’s the best part of the lighted spectacle. Last year at Thanksgiving my uncle bought a pack of fireworks that he set off after Thanksgiving dinner that were epic as the finale considering all we were setting off were roman candles and bottle rockets, not that there is anything wrong with those. Someone saw them from two miles away and texted me about it which was really funny.

4. Lifeguards on Duty - Finally, it’s that time of year where you can go swimming pretty much any time you please because it’s so warm and all of the local pools are open and guarded by someone who has been trained in the art of lifesaving. Apparently my sister who is at camp got to be a drowning person for the people who were being trained for their lifeguard certification. I think it’s funny that they chose her because she’s probably the tallest person that works there.

5. Asking a Colleague for Advice - I don’t know many people that do this because they usually just ignore it right after asking which I think is ridiculous but then again, who am I to judge them?

6. Not Being Alone - It is usually nice to have someone around because it means that you have someone be your companion. Who really wants to be alone? I remember last year when my parents were gone for two weeks, I had a break down because I was all by myself at night and it freaked me out a little. When they got back I was really happy not to be alone anymore.

7. Tortellini in Cream Sauce - I’ve tried it but I’m not a big fan. I’d rather have my tortellini in a red sauce because that’s what I’ve always enjoyed. My parents have always done it that way and while I did try something different, it doesn’t appeal to me.

8. Gently Dropping into Sleep - Drifting into sleep is the best way to go because then you aren’t completely exhausted in the morning because you fell asleep so fast.

9. Hummingbirds - These symbolize my late grandfather and it always makes me happy when I see them because my grandmother believes that they are him saying hi to us when they show up. Apparently when my grandmother was coming to my sister’s graduation last year she walked out and a hummingbird flew to her side and she said that it was Grampa letting us know that he was there in spirit. It was really nice for Abigail to hear that.

10. The Constitution - It makes me happy because it gives me the ability to speak my opinion which is especially important in writing this blog because it is all about my opinions of the different subjects that are put onto this calendar.

Tokens of Affection

May 29’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Debating Intellectual Issues - It’s always fun to watch really smart people debate over what is the right answer with something they are working on or researching and which one of them is correct. I can’t say that I do this very often but I always feel very smart when I do.

2. Attending a Parade - I think that the last parade I attended was when I was in Michigan on July 4th years ago. I haven’t really had the need to go to any parades since. Junkanoo parades have to be the best parades though because they are always so colorful.

3. Nabisco Nilla Wafers - These are delicious and I remember when I was a kid in elementary school, they used to serve us these as snacks because they were decent in nutrition value and as kids we couldn’t get enough of the stuff.

4. Marginalia - Margi-what?

5. A Slightly Twisted Sense of Humor - Ah, people with a sense of humor like mine. It annoys me when people don’t get the type of humor that I have and they always look at me funny. I try to understand what they’re talking about...why can’t they do the same for me?

6. Never Taking the Easy Way Out - I can’t say that I’ve always done things the most complicated way but I wish that I would take the harder way more often because then I would be a better person. I think that a lot of people just do things the easy way instead of learning everything they should about what they are doing and trying to get something else out of it.

7. Cook as a Hobby - Getting new recipes has always been a favorite of mine because it’s always fun to try new things. One of my favorite recipes, I actually hated the first time I had it but absolutely love it now. My aunt usually finds really good recipes and passes them onto my mom to try and usually my sister or I are the ones that end up trying to cook or bake them.

8. Tokens of Affection - It’s always entertaining when someone comes up with a new way to show how they feel about you. My boyfriend made me a jewelry box to show how he felt about me along with giving me a pretty ring to wear.

9. Spontaneous Joy - You never know when to expect it and it makes you that much more happy when it hits you. I think that enjoying the small things in life is always a plus because otherwise you don’t get joy when something bigger comes along. Having joy in knowing that you will be happy with whatever may come along is the best.

10. Showing Someone the Ropes - Everyone has to learn the ropes somehow and even though not everyone likes to teach someone else how to do their job they get some happiness out of it when they know their apprentice has accomplished something that they taught them. I think that it is an amazing feeling when someone understands what you have just taught or shown them. That is why I want to be a teacher.

Your Favoirte Candy

May 28’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. Hoosiers - Apparently this is a movie about sports...yay! Who doesn’t love sports flicks? Oh well, not my thing really unless it’s got a good back story to it as well. If not take it off my list please.

2. New Sweatpants - I love getting new ones because they are always so soft on the inside. As soon as you wash them the softness goes away which makes me sad. Why did the soft fluffy stuff on the inside get unsoft? I don’t get why the softness has to go away!

3. Building Restoration - My house is actually a restored house. We got it when I was in eighth grade and redid it because it was in such shambles. We kept bits and pieces of the old house but did a lot of restoration and cleanup. My dad worked very hard for over a year to make this old house the beauty that she is. He is currently restoring the barn roof and making it look nice and clean.

4. The TV Show Fraggle Rock - I can honestly say that I have never heard of or seen this show. I don’t know if it would make me happy or not?

5. Fond Remembrance - Thinking about something or someone that you were fond of always makes people smile. I know that when I think of my grandfather I am always happy even though he is no longer around because he taught me many things in life and was a good friend.

6. A Date for the Evening - When you have a date that means that you don’t have to spend the night alone. Who enjoys spending the night alone, unless you’ve been with someone too much? I know that I’m always happy to have someone around after a hard day because it’s nice to talk about what went on in my day.

7. Your Favorite Candy and Lots of It - REESE’S!!!! I love me some Reese’s. I’m not a big fan of chocolate by itself but if it has any sort of peanut butter in it, I’m totally for it. This year for Easter, the only candy that was in my Easter basket was Reese’s. Thanks mom :)

8. People Standing on a Corner - I’m not sure that this makes me very happy in the city because it seems a little shady but people standing on a corner in smaller towns is a little more comforting. The other day when I was on my way to help work on the apartments that my boyfriend’s family rents out, there were veterans on the corner in the middle of town waving flags. It made me really happy to see them out in town celebrating Memorial Day Weekend.

9. Freshly Ironed Clothing - It makes everyone look so clean and happy. I like having freshly cleaned and ironed clothing because it makes me look nice in my appearance, especially when I’m going to do something important.

10. Renting a BMW Roadster - Waste of gas...nuff said!

A Walk After Dinner

May 27’s 10 Things to Be Happy About

1. A Movie MacGuffin - Is this someone who knows a lot about movies because if so my mother is one of these to the highest degree. She knows so much about movies and the people who are in them because she reads so much.

2. Bamboo and Coconut - These just remind me of the tropics even though bamboo can grow in areas that are cold and remote. It’s really weird but they go together well I guess.

3. A Dart Board - Dart boards are pretty cool but unfortunately, I can’t play darts to save my life. My uncles had a dart board in my grandmother’s basement that was surrounded by famous basketball players which I always thought was pretty epic. Since it was the only one that I saw for years I pretty much thought that it was the coolest thing and that’s how all dart boards were.

4. Baby Shampoo Aroma - Honestly it’s so fresh and any adult shampoo can’t beat it. I used it even when I wasn’t a baby any more until I started conditioning my hair because I always thought that it smelled amazing.

5. Rub-On Tattoos - I remember when we were kids we all thought that these were the coolest thing ever since we couldn’t have the real deal. Some kids would come to school with them plastered all over their bodies and show them off like they were the best thing ever. You put them on with water and a sponge.

6. Corny Things - Honestly the corny things are usually the simple things in life and if they make you happy then you are generally a happy person. I wish that more people were impressed by the smaller things in life then more people wouldn’t want so much out of life.

7. Immense Forests - The bigger they are, the more likely they are to be chopped down in the next few years so that we can build more houses that we really don’t need. I want to know why they keep building more houses when there are so many that are foreclosed and for sale?? Can someone explain this to me please??

8. A Walk After Dinner - I love getting a little exercise after dinner as long as it’s not running because by the end of the day I’m usually exhausted. Also if it’s summer it’s fun to walk as the sun sets as long as you’re home by the time is setting or else you end up walking in the dark.

9. Paper and Crayons - I love coloring books and crayons. It makes time go by so much faster when you’re bored. When I was younger when we would go out to eat my mom would always bring a coloring bag to entertain us until our food came because it would keep our minds off of our hunger and it felt like the food would come faster. I love coloring...no matter how old I am.

10. Displaying Your Talent - When I was in seventh grade, I displayed my talent for the first time in front of a lot of people and most of them were stunned. It was really funny when my English teacher walked up to me and goes...I didn’t know you could sing! I then went on to win first place in the talent show because people had no idea what hit them!