Having the time, now that I'm retired, to make the bed every morning. There's something so civilized about turning down the sheets at night from a neatly made bed. I had a 43 mile commute one way when I worked so I never made the time before. I also love my first greeting in the morning from my 2 aussies when I let them out of their "suitcases", as my GD calls their kennels.
Dee

Game nights with my sister and BIL. We laugh sooo hard at pictionary. Honestly doing anything with my sister and BIL is always a blast.

Not hitting any red lights.

Magnolia Trees.

Sleeping in on Saturday morning. Actually I love the part when you wake up and realize you can get up, doze back off, or just lay there comfy in the covers.

All the outside summer family gatherings.

Animals.

For the record, I love all family gatherings but there's something magical (to me) about cookouts and vegging on the patio with family.

Getting in bed at night with a book I've been dying to get to...
My husband making me my nightly cup of tea
Making a, "Mmmm, this is sooo good!" meal from fresh, simple ingredients

Starting up my rig and the radio comes on to a great song and NOT a commercial.

Snuggling with my hubby and the pup.

Spending time in our backyard - it's very private. Especially *our favorite chairs* (under an unbrella, with footstools - great place to read, nap or take in the views).

Our firepit.

Flowers, whether they be fresh cut, houseplants, outside plants, etc.

Laying on the back of our boat, with a great book.

A note left for me by my hubby.

The pup's greeting each and every time I come home.

This was a nice post - brought a smile to my face this morning! Thanks Natal!!

tina

My dogs make me laugh out loud every day. They bring me great joy.

That first cup of coffee in the morning.

I love the first sign of spring after a long snow filled winter.

Goofing around w/my daughter, she's such a hoot and we laugh so hard.

I love watching all the wild life play in our yard, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits & birds they're everywhere and just fun to see.

I love when we finish a project in our home and it looks just how I envisioned it would

I love Friday nights when we don't have to do anything but relax and enjoy the evening doing whatever we want to do.

Mid-afternoon naps during the week when DH is at work and the kids are at school -- it's soooo quiet. Just me and the dog snuggled under the covers. No phones, no neighbor kids over, no video games/TVs. (I'm SO done with Tommy and Gina in Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer for Guitar Hero)

It's not so much the sleep as it is just stillness and silence -- there's not a lot of that to go around at my house and I have to snag some whenever I can. :~D

greetings from our dogs everytime I come home( puppy hugs we call them) the hush during a snowfall; the sound of birds chirping; hiking with my DH and dogs; watching the pups swimming in the lake;first cup of coffee; sleeping in;
sunsets;sunrises; I love yous and I love you toos.

Waking up every day :o) The sound of the birds calling to each other at dusk, our nightly ritual of whoever is home first getting the teapot ready to brew a cup and discuss the day, DS and his GF driving up the driveway every night and "beeping" a hello (they live in a cottage on our property), our pug and 2 cats sleeping with us every night (it's a 1 dog 2 cat night at our house LOL), good Italian food, "I love you" every day all around.

A great glass of wine while preparing a meal for dinner with DH.
The sounds of my kids giggling.
A fire in the fireplace in winter, and fresh flowers in the house at spring.
Baby hugs from my little guy.

People who are completely honest;
An amazing family;
Unexpected non-holiday "I love you" cards;
Texts from DD;
Climbing into nice cold sheets at bedtime;
A nice strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning;
Peppermint hot chocolate;
Listening to the rain hitting the roof while laying in bed;
My 4 legged buddies jumping onto the bed at night;
Abundant wildlife I can see from my chair in the L/R;
Unconditional love.

A lot of the same ones as everyone else -

fresh flowers (I seldom indulge in cut flowers but I love watching my roses bloom in front of the house)
the first cup of coffee (and the 2nd and the 3rd - by then I'm awake)
Clean cool sheets in summer and warm flannel sheets in winter (even better if I'm not the one who has struggled with the thick mattress to get them on!)
I love you's from DH (I don't hear often enough)
My mom taking the kids on a Sat night so DH and I can go out (even if it's just to Home Depot) and sleep in on Sunday morning

Lots of food-related things:

DH making pancakes for the whole family on Sundays when the kids are home and we have nothing planned
DS asking for one of my "specialities" for dinner - tonight it's homemade chicken noodle soup and then having 2nds
DD actually eating *anything* healthy without arguing
Picking wild blueberries in our woods - and then making my grandma's blueberry buckle for a family picnic (60+ aunts, uncles, cousins every summer)
Making (and giving away, and eating) my grandma's special Christmas coffee cake (stollen)

Non-food:

Thank you notes
DD saying I love you Mama
DD getting excited about every little thing I give her (things like $2 toys from Goodwill) and thanking me with hugs and kisses and jumping up and down
"Chick flick nights" watching a DVD with DD while the guys are at Scouts
DD's special hugs and kisses ritual at bedtime (sort of like a secret handshake she does only with me)
DH doing the dishes!

Birds at the feeder

Working our plot at the Community Garden with my husband (first time he has ever gardened with me!)

Crisp, clear winter days in New England

Amaryllis, paperwhites and primroses on my windowsills

A steaming Latte from my new machine

On a warm day when I close my eyes and turn my face into a gentle breeze and feel it caress my cheeks. The thought of it is making me smile so huge right now!

Early Spring mornings when the rest of the world is still asleep just as the sun is coming up. I take a cup of coffee outside and walk my gardens as they come into the first Spring blooms. My heart literally races w/ joy.

Sounds crazy but warm Summer nights when it's dark and I'm getting home late from work. When I pull in the driveway and see a fire in the chimnea (the kids think it's the best then), DH sitting there waiting for me w/ a beer and the children in their jammies swinging on the swings and eventually making their way over to our laps to cuddle and watch the fire and planes lights in the sky overhead. Magical!

Rainy Fall afternoons when the kids are napping (or away) and DH is away. Music in the background, cup of tea, good book, throw over my lap, cat in my lap and dog at my feet.

Phone was ringing and interrupted me, then DH came home and we ate. A few more odds and ends:

Sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair watching the goldfinches, or a thunderstorm, or shucking fresh-picked corn

Long hot baths with a good book, candles and no kids yelling for me. I *can't wait* until we finish the master bath!

DS helping DD buckle her seatbelt - he does it every time we get in the car, and I don't appreciate it enough.

DS hugging DD goodnight and picking her up off her feet, sometimes even carrying her a little ways (he's not strong enough to carry her more than a few feet) with this little smile on his face like he really does like her - or at least being idolized by her

Family game night

My LL Bean sheepskin slippers

Fireworks

Just-picked strawberries still warm from the sun

heirloom tomatoes

Rollercoasters

Big band music (esp. anything by Glenn Miller)

Finishing *anything* no matter how small on the never-ending construction site we live in!

Putting on my fluffy terry cloth robe after a long hot shower.

The deep purr of my kitties when they are held.

The colors in the sky just after sunset.

The smell of the earth in the spring.

Eating tomatoes that have just been plucked from the vine.

Natal we had a lovely day today and I was wandering around the garden thinking about how much I was going to enjoy taking the flowers in during the spring and summer. It's a new yard to us, and honestly more than I can handle, but for one summer I'm going to live like the fancy people and have fresh flowers all over the house every day :)

It's been pretty mild here and the yard is full of lovely evergreens and several types of wonderful rosemary. Such deep lush scents. I've started doing little winter floral arrangements with the herbs and evergreens. All for free :) Then I just sneek in simple stuff like babys breath or a few flowers from the store among the beautiful herbs. I love fresh flowers and this silly house seems to ask for them so I'm having a great deal of fun being creative.

So that's my personal little pleasure lately, but on a regular basis I thank god for every morning my son gets up healthy and goes to bed the same. It's been such a long road for him. Seeing his life become "normal" since we've moved is heaven. he's blossomed so much, and now he gets to go to school with other "normal" kids :) He's so happy about it and wants to go every day, morning and night heh heh And watching him run to the gate with his silly little thomas lunch box, full of food he will never eat (he's had the same snacks in it for two weeks and does not eat them, but wanted a lunch box like the other big kids), his happiness makes me smile.

He's sick today for the first time this winter. It's a simple pleasure, but we really enjoyed the little vacation from illness.

My kitty just told me to mention how much I love his purr....we've been together (kitty and I) since before DH and DS and when he crawls into bed and tries to sleep on my head, it reminds me of simpler times, which also makes me smile :)

Reading all your posts this morning makes me happy. Simple pleasures really are the best, aren't they?

Igloo, I'm extra happy for you, being back in your hometown again and having your sweet son feeling a bit better . . . and now going to school, too!

My own simple pleasures?
*Waking up in the mornings and being able to snuggle with DH for half an hour while we watch the morning news a bit.

*calls and text messages from my kids, just to say, "Hi Mom, how's your day going? I love you!"

*Tuesdays, when I meet my bestfriend down in town for a nice long lunch to catch up on the week's happenings.

* what I'm doing right now ~ watching the snow fall softly, while the clouds slip down the crags of "our" mountain behind us. It's so beautiful and quiet out there. I'll start a fire in the fireplace in a minute and make myself a cup of hot tea. I want to take a few minutes to just enjoy it all.

* We live in the mountains among thousands of fir trees and I love their damp smell when it rains or snows. It's sharp and crisp and incredibly fresh.

* sitting down and having my two sweet furkids immediately come to snuggle with me. Ronin, my big dobie boy, on the floor, but close enough to lean up against my legs . . . or lay on my feet ;^D Chloe, my little Tibetan Spaniel loves to cuddle in my lap. Their unconditional love makes me very happy.

* a cup of hot tea and a good book

*quiet Summer mornings, very early, spent in my garden

* weekend evenings when my DH & I play Gin Rummy or Backgammon at the game table in our living room. The lights are low. We have a fire crackling in the fireplace and a scotch & water on ice to sip. And, of course, Billy Holiday singing softly in the background.
Lynn

A long country ride
A good hair day
A favorite jazz song
A good hair day
A clean house that shines like new money
A good hair day
a long lunch with friends
A good hair day
A sweet text message

* pulling into town and remembering why I actually moved here from the big city.

.....Jane

Everything the dogchild does.
Hearing from DS.
A good book.
Early morning coffee in the backyard.
My electric blanket.
Camping with DH.
Coming home to DH every evening.
Real cards and letters in the mail.
Sweets.
Pink.

Coming home to my 2 border collie wannabees with their wagging tails.
One of them jumping into bed with me at night
Snuggling under my down quilt in winter and summer
Sitting on the deck with my cup of coffee at 6 am insummer and watching the birds come to the feeder.
Raising monarch butterflies in Aug.
Talking to my grandchildren on Scype

Natal, thanks for starting this topic-what a great way to take a moment to share others' happiness and really *think* about happy aspects of one's own life!

Mine:

Waking up to the lovely sound of classical music from the new clock-radio my daughter so thoughtfully picked out for my Christmas gift

That first glass of orange juice in the morning

The sky when I ride my bike to work every day

Seeing one of my students lights up with relief after we've had a good productive advising session

Laughing with colleagues who are friends too

Coming home from work!

Eating dinner together and talking as a family at the dinner table

Seeing my husband look for me in a crowded (or empty) room

Being with my sisters-like best friends you've literally known forever

Talking to my son and daughter and laughing with them about something in their world

Reading in bed at the end of the day

Such a happy thread!
The smell after a rain on a summer night

Fresh mowed lawn (smell and visual)

When i'm out in public and I smile at a little elderly person and they smile back

DH kissing me on top of the head

DS and his contagious laugh

Coloring in a coloring book with DD