I love when the weather cools off and I'm able to snuggle in bed and watch the sun come up with the birds singing to welcome it.

I get excited when a new book by a favorite author is published.

I love it when something positive happens spontaneously. Examples that have happened lately are finding the right fabric for a project for $1/yard, getting an invitation to an impromptu dinner on a day when I haven't any food in the house or choosing to go to a different DMV location only to find out that the location I would normally frequent is closed for remodeling...useless trip saved!

I love watching the birds feeding at the feeder, my great nieces and nephew playing so nicely together and the loving hugs you know they love you. My granddaughters who just call to say hello, I miss you. a good book. I'm easily pleased.
Mary

I try to appreciate the little things and be grateful for them on a regular basis, like opening the bedroom blinds in the morning to a chipmunk chirping back at me, DH leaving happily for a job that's still fun for him each day even though he could retire now.

Something that makes me smile still each time I see it:
A few years ago my town installed the double rows of in-pavement twinkling lights at all the school crossings (OK, it was probably eons past when larger towns had done this) but that first week when I found myself the first car stopping at those twinkling lights for children to cross, I laughed at the looks on their faces. Some holding hands, all of them grinning, you could just see how important they felt to have their own sparkling new lights to walk between.
I still smile every time I go down our hill and those 20 MPH lights are on for times of day children are out....it's almost Christmas in the street ;)

Y'all are making me tear up happy tears. So lovely!

Including you Jim, tease away! I like teasing :)

Days like today. I have the day off. I'm on my screened-in back porch and discovered, a little bit ago, BirdsandBlooms bird songs on YouTube. (I am a very rare user of YouTube.)

Anyway, I was playing the birdsongs, and birds in my backyard were answering! Heeheeeheee.

E-mails from my 12 yr. old granddaughter always bring a smile to my face. I love sitting in my recliner, drinking coffee and watching the birds, especially the hummers, feeding in the front yard. The sound of children playing in the neighborhood always makes me smile. There are so many things that I consider a blessing!

Hearing a delighted "Grandma! Grandma!", and realizing..."Oh, she means ME!"

Seeing DS and family drive up to our house for a visit -- and after they've gone, laughing with DH about the grandkids' antics. (Having DH to *share* these moments with me!)

Watching DH patiently wait for our old dog to scrutinize every blade of grass before he will 'walk on'.

Starting a book and knowing from the first few sentences that this author can write.

Admiring the gorgeous colors and freshness of a display of produce. (What ruby set in diamonds is as breathtaking as a single raspberry with a drop of dew?)

Both of us just waking up in the morning, knowing we are alive for another day makes me very happy. Calls from our daughter, internet crafting friends, seeing the glorious sunshine, watching the little hummingbirds and the crazy squirrels make me happy too. Hearing the crows and hearing the geese honking as they fly overhead, but most of all my greatest happiness is knowing that my Creator is in control of my life.

When my youngest son, who lives 200 miles away, visits me.

Like dedtired....when my son calls. I received 2 calls from him yesterday, just to catch up on things. I just love talking with him!

Thinking about the little things that bug me and discovering that others feel the same. :)

Seriously, running in the morning with my friends, coming back to an empty house because everyone has now gone to work, pouring a cup of coffee and coming here to KT. Yep, every morning I'm still in either my running gear or my gym stuff, drinking my coffee when I'm talking to you guys.

Good morning, everyone!

I have lunch or dinner with my FIL everyday at a Dementia/Alzheimer's residential facility. I spend an extra hour or so visiting with many of the residents that I have become close with. They are a joy and a treasure and being with them is a happy part of my day!

When my little boy, Saltflower, who happens to be a rabbit, hops near me and puts his head down waiting for petting. Also when he or his friend rab, Cloveblossom, want a water bowl refilled, they sit by the bowl staring at me intently till I get up and obey. LOL.

Hubby and I enjoy grocery shopping, and I love buying food at a good price. Got all excited when turkeys are on for .88/lb this week.

I love it when my bread has a nice rise.

Our landlords lived below us, Robin, and they always laughed when they heard the cats running up and down the hall. :)

Edited to include that Roxie makes us laugh. She's the youngest and smallest of the cats and every nite she gets a burst of energy, and in the morning when we get up. It's as if she's ecstatic that we're up. She races down the hall, around the living room and back to the bedroom and into the bathroom. She's so happy. She uses the litter so fast, and covers it in a hurry as if that particular business is taking away from her running. Off she goes again. So cute!

This post was edited by jasdip on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 16:52

time spent with my friends! Anyone of them... on the phone, or even better in person. :)

Moni

Seeing the thermometer read 90 at 8am.

When I first open my facebook page and my DS or DIL have posted a sweet picture of our darling 6 month old GS, he has a big ole round head and the biggest beautiful blue eyes like his mommy. I always brings tears to my eyes~

Having all of my family come home at the same time....best part of the holidays! Waking up in the middle of the night hearing rain on my needy lawn. Getting a text from grand kids that ends with "I love you Grandma".

Rubbing my Chihuahua's belly! LOL

That first sip of coffee in the morning
Dog kisses
Rainy gray days

Today's technology, being able to face time with gd everyday when she isn't here with us. It's a long time between the end of summer vacation and Christmas! We read stories everyday together.

Being deliciously alone. Feeling free and peaceful and nobody around. I absolutely thrive on solitude. There are some people I like but after some girl talk I'm ready to close the front door. Bliss.

It doesn't take much to make me happy.. A smile on my hubby's face each day and when the kids call just to chat. The best is when the Grandkids come bursting in the door and give me a big hug and tell me how much they have missed me!! Life is good.

little kindnesses.

My neighbor brought me some eggs from his free-roaming hens the other day, & a young gentleman, maybe 9 years old, held the door for me at a fast-food place. (I thanked each of them.)

& little "sharings"

One day I was out walking & caught up with a young girl coming home from school.

She & I fell into step & chatted, & she kept walking to the edge of the sidewalk.

She said, "I like to crunch the leaves."

so I've started crunching the leaves!

Oh I love crunching the leaves. A little thing that makes me happy.

There is a park near us with a lot of leaf-dropping trees and every fall the parks department collect the leaves into big piles. When the kids were young I would take them over, like all the other parents and the kids (big and little) would jump and run and crunch through them. Then the parks department would come back, collect them all again and then dispose of them. Such a small thing but it brought such joy. They still do it.

Walking the dog on a sunny day.

for me its a simple message of thanks. Today one of the managers sent me an email telling me how much he appreciated the work I was doing and he copied my boss on it. Made me smile knowing that i'm doing a good job for them.

Spending lots of time with my Grandkids, studying the Bible, crocheting, reading new thrillers, and spending time with my husband of 42 years.
Eileen

Getting all the flyers in Thursday's paper! LOL Just love seeing what's on special and any "bargains". Although food prices are so expensive, even the sale prices aren't bargains like in the past.

One store has squash on sale for 97c/lb. but I saw that another store has acorn squash for 49c, so we're going to bake one on the weekend.

sunshine and warm days.

This face.

Christmas! I love the Christmas season!

Bright blue autumn skies with puffy clouds scuttling across them, while the sun shines and warms us. Ah, fall!

Caroline, that's it! A happy dog, makes me happy. I couldn't trust any human that does not love to see dogs having a good time.

Rain when we need it! We haven't had rain for two weeks. Yesterday rain was predicted to start in the afternoon, but it didn't come. It hadn't come at dinnertime. It hadn't come when I got ready for bed. I'd just about fallen asleep when there was a little shower. Later I woke to hear *good rain* that lasted for hours.

Our lawn, bushes and trees are happy. I'm happy to have our house well rinsed. The mason was here for days re-laying patio blocks, and the wind distributed fine cement dust over the roof so that all sides of the house were covered.

A big Hug from my 4 year old great grand daughter, and her words
"I miss you Nanna". simply melts my heart!

Ran out of cream for coffee the other day - milk - just - doesn't - cut - it!

A couple of weeks ago when I was at the grocery checkout with a small purchase, the cashier said that it had been paid for by the young man ahead of me ... and I got a bit upset, thinking that my goods had been checked through inadvertently with his, but the cashier said that he'd paid for the ($6.00 plus tax) bill on purpose ... and he was so far away that I couldn't find him to thank him. I'd been chatting a bit in the line for checkout, but I was not thinking of it as being very consequential.

So ... (to quote a message that folks complained about on here, the other day) ... I owe someone something.

But I tend to offer kindnesses when opportunities present themselves. Talk to strangers in store aisles .. on the street ... in parking lots, etc. Probably would do less of that were I to share house with someone.

ole joyfuelled ... with help from cream in coffee ... uninterruptedly

Seeing my husband's car as the garage door opens and just knowing he is waiting inside (of course, often he is out walking the dog, but the trade off is his smile when he walks in and sees me there).

The way my mom answers the phone when I call her -- at first a generic "hello," but then a cheerful "hey, baby" when she hears my voice. As she ages and as our roles reverse, the rest of the conversation may be somewhat trying or frustrating . . probably for both of us ... but that "hey, baby" is so special.

snuggles with my grandson...a clean house...a full tummy...i'm pretty easy to please...

Spending time with precious Finn. He just turned 4 and it warms my heart when he calls me Grammy. I am watching him now while his parents attend a wedding and reception.
I also enjoy spending time with my son and my extended family members who live here in Iowa.

Those of you that get a big kick out of your pets, that's how we feel about our pekingese, my husband and I adore him, I'm so glad my husband is as crazy about that dog as I am.

Spending time with DH.
Quiet time with a cup of coffee or chai.
Relaxing with a good glass of wine.
Going for a run, but especially when I go with a friend.
Having free time to spend on crafting.

This darling boy:

What a lot of little precious things! Some of them brought tears to me eyes. Little things are really big things, aren't they?

It is nice that very few things are material, that makes us all happy.
All of us who have pets know how much joy they bring daily. Their antics, cute faces, loud purrs and sloppy kisses.

I just love hanging out at home at least one day on the weekend, usually Sunday. Baking and putzing around. I only use the oven on weekends as the rates are cheaper, and I bake and make oven meals then.

Not a little thing, but my younger son (age 44) finally got married yesterday to his true love. Small wedding and reception, but so nice to meet some of their friends who came from out of town and state, and I also got to visit with my nephew and niece and their spouses for the first time in a long time.

I'm so happy to have a great daughter-in-law!

Max mom...I know your joy. My son got married for the first time when he was 43 to a wonderful addition to our family. She was an answer to my prayers that when I was gone (his dad was killed when he was 7), he would not be left all alone with just a dog.

Seagulls in our local grocery store parking lot. I close my eyes when I hear them and imagine myself at the shore.

Feeling the warmth of the sun.

I agree jasdip, the non-material things making people happy, makes me happy. Actually, there are so many great things that make everyone here smile, which totally make me happy.

what a lovely subject thanks for starting it so good to hear happy news