Gifts from God

There are a few things in life that make me really happy. They aren't major things, but I think, for the most part, they are universal. So here goes:

1. Butter. This is truly one of God's greatest gifts...It makes anything taste better.  The smell of buttered toast makes me feel at home. Yum.
2. Coffee.  It gives me a needed kick in the morning, warms me on a cold day...or night, laced with some good Irish, and smells amazing.
3. Chocolate.  'Nuff said.  I could rhapsodize about this topic ad nauseum.
4. Babies. The smell, the feel, everything about babies makes me happy...except the vomit, poo poo diapers, crying at 3 am...That's why I love OTHER people's babies.
5. Warm Fuzzy Things. A yummy, hand made sweater or blanket, a cute killer bunny laughing at you as you fall on your face, a sweet cuddly kitty that snuggled with you after the fall....
6. Hugs From Children.  The pure joy a child puts into a hug is amazing. The total abandonment, the love.  We should NEVER loose that.  If you're going to hug someone, mean it.
7. Having one of your teenagers say "I love you, Mom." out of the blue.  Not the obligatory phrase right before going to bed or leaving the house, but the one that's said for no reason other than they wanted to say it.  WOW!  That one just kills me and makes me teary eyed.
8. Still getting "that" look from my husband...after being together for 20 years, even though I'm not that 135 lb hottie he met way back when. That's a nice little rush.
9. Receiving a Hand Made Gift.  Just knowing that someone took the time to make something for me. That they were willing to put that much time into it and they think I'm special enough to appreciate it.  Heads up - if you receive a hand made gift, that person REALLY cares about you.  Remember the ones from your children when they were little? Go ahead and melt a little bit.
10.  Puppies, Kittens, Dogs & Cats...or pets in general.  Whenever I have a bad day, I know I can go home and snuggle with my kitties and I'll feel better.  There's just something about a pet's love that can warm a person's heart.
11. Laughter.  I don't care if it's a child's or adult's laughter.  I hear laughter, especially a good belly laugh with no restraints,  and I smile.
12. A Completed Job, Well Done.  I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I complete something, especially if it works out.  I think this is why I like to crochet and make jewelry.  I might "fuss & cuss" during the process, but once it's completed, I'm usually pretty pleased with myself and am big enough to admit that.

I'm sure that I could think of several more things but I'll leave you with one last thing that makes me happy:

That's me and Car Guy.  This picture makes me happy every time I see it.  It's one of the best pictures ever taken of us.  I swear it's because of the people we were with - very dear friends of my husband's that he's known since childhood.





And that's one more thing that makes me happy...Old Friends.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones you don't have to explain things to because they just understand.  Ones that you can go for months at a time without seeing them, but it doesn't matter because you know they are always there and when you do see them again, it's like you saw them just yesterday.  You can never have too many of those, so here's hoping your new friends turn into those wonderful "old friends" because that truly is a wonderful gift from God.