Things That Make Me Smile

Okay--I hate this time of year.  Yes.  You read that right.  And yes, you read the title correctly, too.  I'll get to the connection, I really will.  So...I hate this time of year.  It is cold, dark and gloomy; stores are crowded; and I have lost all of my "oomph" from the beginning of the school year.  All of this combined feeds my melancholy side.  Or maybe it's seasonal affective disorder.  But in an effort to try to combat the doldrums...I'm making a list of things that make me smile.  

~My potato masher.  I think I got it as a wedding present, so it's seen better days, but it mashes potatoes and other items perfectly.  It is strong enough that it hasn't bent, and it is a circle...with just the right diameter to fit nicely in a tuna fish can or the 8 oz can of crushed pineapple that I use in my cheese ball--perfect for draining.

~Facebook.  I had a facebook account for a couple of years and did virtually nothing with it.  For some reason, I am now actually checking it regularly.  It has been very fun to get in touch with people that I haven't seen in years as well as people I visit with every day.  I enjoy reading what people are doing "right now."  I discovered a friend from high school that I hadn't seen since graduation.  She dated the same boy from the end of 8th grade all the way through high school, and they are now married with two beautiful boys.  I think about the boys that I liked in 8th grade, and I am so happy I'm not married to them now.  But I think it's so neat that it is possible to meet your "soul mate" in 8th grade.  

~Automatic dishwashers and washing machines.  I don't particularly like using them (meaning I don't really like to load the dishwasher or do laundry) but I do like what they represent...that I don't have to wash dishes or clothing for a family of six by hand.  And I miss them terribly when they aren't working properly.

~The way a baby's head and breath smells.  

~Profound truth spoken within the covers of a children's book.

~Gilmore Girls--I have all seven seasons on DVD--and I watch them over and over.   They get more and more entertaining every time I see them.

~My daughter, emptying her wallet into the "Salvation Army" bucket outside of JC Penney.

~Unsecured wireless internet at the coffee shop across the street from my daughter's dance studio...enabling me to work (or blog) while I wait...

*Author's note:  I purchase a cup of coffee from said establishment every time I use their internet...just so you know...

~Watching my daughters dance.

~iTunes.  I can find a song whenever I want.  And for ninety-nine cents!  Without leaving my home.

~The smell of a used bookstore.

~Good Indian food.

~The fact that my sons are each other's best friend--and the hope that some day, when seven years isn't such a huge age span, my daughters will be, too.

~Coffee (or wine) and fellowship with friends.

~My brother's facial expressions.

~Clean socks that have been "mated" and don't have to be "dug for" in a laundry basket.

~A run on a cool and drizzly day.

~Audiobooks.

~My sister.

~The Country Club Plaza this time of year.

What would you add??