Wednesday, June 28, 2006

C'mon, Get Happy!

When I was in college I found this really cool book called "14,000 Things to Be Happy About" It is the coolest book ever. It's almost like a gratitude journal with a twist~it inspired me not only to be thankful for small blessings but also to pay attention to life otherwise you miss them. I started a list of my own, way back in 1991! As I was packing up in the basement today I found the book and one of the notebooks that was my list. I have been adding to this list for 15 years now and I thought it was time to share. Here's a bunch of mine and some from the book. Please add your own~I'd like to hit 500 here. :-) I have over 5000 of my own.

1. re-reading a book you loved 10 years ago.
2. informing TV characters of impending danger, thinking that they can hear you
3. argyle socks
4. the position of your head when you bite into a taco
5. Welcome Back, Kotter
6. hymn sings
7. for November chillls: thick chili, crusty bread, and crunchy veggies
8. Lake Michigan shoreline
9. "Do Not Disturb" signs
10. golfing with fathers
11. running down a beach
12. Ivory soap
13. yard sales
14. wet babies
15. not-fit-for-man-or-beast February nights
16. getting catalogs in the mail
17. $1 bills that say "I love Mike" in pen
18. buttered maple syrup
19. Dairy Queen's Monster Cookie blizzard (that's a new one!)
20. sleeping with a jacket over you
21. falling asleep wrapped up in a wool blanket on the beach in October
22. Fisher Price Little People
23. Walt Whitman
24. friendship
25. Eight is Enough
26. "spirit sticks" at pep rallies
27. high school football on crisp fall Friday nights
28. laughing at yourself
29. "Babalu" by Ricky Ricardo
30. Gymboree
31. cable knit cardigans
32. chipped beef dip
33. New Years Eve kisses
34. good hair days
35. peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses
36. flannel sheets
37. "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond
38. Target
39. taking down the Christmas decorations
40. clothes that are too big
41. camping in the fall
42. cheese sticks
43. reading in bed
44. petunias in wild full bloom
45. seeing that someone else is a worse housekeeper than me
46. 4th of July
47. positive pregnancy test sticks
48. brand new baby girls (or boys!)
49. the Chicago White Sox
50. Hot Pockets
51. Nanny 911
52. Ebay
53. hot summer afternoons when there a dark clouds on the horizon
54. Rubbermaid bins
55. pumpkins on the porch
56. "Little House" books
57. exchanging restaurant recommendations over breakfast
58. balls of real butter
59. Ronald Reagan
60. going to sleep with a line thru every item on a To Do list
61. puppy love
62. sipping (or gulping) wine in front of a fire
63. not paying attention to stupid questions
64. the smell of the ocean
65. frolicking in a pile of leaves

OK, have at it!

13 comments:

Josh Leo said...

Sara:
66. ducks, penguins and other animals that waddle

Josh:
67. kittens
68. interior exposed brick
69. cold sheets

Sara:
70. minty chapstick

Josh:
71. dipping fingers in melted wax
72. the smell of soil
73. the blue part of flames

Sara:
74. concrete

Josh:
75. leaded glass

Sara:
76. polaroids

Josh:
77. alliteration

Sara:
78. onomatopoia

Josh:
79. blogs
80. baby shampoo
81. campfire smell on clothes
82. accents

Jen said...

Hi Sara! #74 will fit you in the family well! Or is it good? No, well. hee hee

Carol said...

83. negative pregnancy test sticks

i am not said...

84. The smell of Calvin in the fall
85. baby lotion
86. sweating after a good workout
87. coffee on the balcony/patio on vacation
88. blue water
89. The second day of vacation
90. flannel sheets in the winter
91. Bag of Jag

Jen said...

Oh! #91. good!

msbauer said...

92. clean sheets
93. funny cat meows
94. sleeping cats in weird poses
95. popsicles
96. starbucks frappuccinos
97. gerber daises
98. strawberry shortcake

Jen said...

OK Lizzie Poo~there is a reason none of my 5000 previous ones even mention a cat! :-)

Mommy Brain said...

99. Girlfriends and coffee
100. sleepy cuddly babies
101. red Mustangs
102. a well fitting bra
103. the last piece of chocolate
104. a hand written letter
105. loud music, windows down,
driving 55mph
106. the last car payment
107. a clean sink
108. "daddy's home!"
109. Aurelios
110. floating in a pool

Kary said...

111. Bill Withers
112. red anything
113. afternoon delight

one hot momma said...

114. girlfriends that pray for you
115. answers from God
116. children that listen
117. that silly picture of Josh Leo!

i am not said...

118. Having drinks on the patio of a restaurant on Friday night
119. When you first sit down in the movie theater waiting for the previews to begin and finishing your popcorn before the movie starts.
120. Getting the mail.

Anonymous said...

121. smiles on a 4month old

122. that first bite of an apple when it spills juice down your chin
123. the smell of lavender and sage

124. when you know a song well and sing it, and when you close your eyes you can see the music as colors that flow up toward heaven

kkoois said...

125. the end of this list