Friends, family and my animals are the mainstay of my happiness. A walk in the forest preserve with any of the above mentioned is joyful.

Family, friends, good food, good wine, good coffee, good conversations, good jazz, good art, and good books. There is little that pleases me more than to prepare a great meal for a group of friends and family at the table, with great Jazz playing in the back ground as the conversation is starting to heat up. That is pure joy.

I’m still visiting my friend in Shell Beach. One of the best things in my life for years (and it will always be) has been sitting on her flower-filled rock terrace overlooking the sea for an hour or so towards sunset, drinking wine, listening to Great American songbook type music, flipping through her newly arrived catalogues, and talking about everything under the sun. Her dog (who I also love) waits for me to take her for a walk on the beach, the seagulls and pelicans are returning from the southern shore for the night, love seeing and hearing them. I love my friend’s easy laugh, her tremendous enjoyment of life, Harvard MBA brain, love of music and shopping, her outstanding/easy taste, her appreciation of my cooking (love her kitchen) and she’s just one of the best people I’ve ever met. Her terrific clothes sense is so admirable. A great lady, love her a lot and always have throughout our nearly two decades of friendship. The things that have made me the happiest through life: my son, my mother, flowers, the sea, animals…especially dogs, great fresh food—I love cooking as an artform and esp when there is music and laughter and friends. I also love and appreciate very much the ability to walk very long distances….which I’ve been doing a lot here and on the water that always have loved. My drawing/watercolor ability has always given me much pleasure. Dumb little things like sitting at an outdoor cafe drinking a coffee, reading the newspaper with a dog at my feet is a really fun thing to me…that is an hour of freedom and bliss. As happy as I’ve been here, my brother has been dead now three months and so many things cause that pain to resurface instantly and am crying all over again. It is so horrible that this completely decent man is off the planet, and my pain reminds me how many others are suffering similair losses. The past 8 years of the dreadful Bush administration has been a misery for millions of people.

My husband and sons for sure make me happy. A good book. Me, if I am happy I am happy. Helping people.

Being around friends, family or people, in general, who are in a happy mood. Too much stress and strife out there. Hearing/reading about good news, particularly on the national front these days, does me good, because there’s been so little of it, lately. Thoughts of my family, and especially of my late loved ones, can bring a smile to my face or even produce a hearty laugh. They all had such great senses of humor. A big win by one of my sports teams is also uplifting.

Family, friends, my zoo I have aquired here, the smell of fall, sex in the morning, and most of all…my son’s 2nd grade class. I brought snacks for several days for them(some can’t afford to bring them and the child shouldn’t have to suffer and this was ALL my son’s idea)I got bunches of letters and after reading them, weeping…I wanted to run out and buy the entire store for them. Nothing makes me happier then seeing the smiles on their face because to us adults, it’s small but to them it’s BIG.

So many things make me happy, but the one I always think of first is hearing a baby laugh. Who can possibly not be happy at hearing that. Then would come my family, especially my children. A good book, music with a good beat - actually most music, great sunsets, the mountains, the oceans, a rushing river or chuckling creek, extra soft stuffed animals and so on… As I started this list, I began to wonder what was left to make me sad.

The emotional support of my spouse, Diane, has brought me the most happiness. My 3 Abysinnian cats make me laugh every day. Creating art work that has a personal content. Travel to places, like Paris, that once seemed like far away fantasy places.

My new pup, Bijou. A day out with Sabrina hearing young Bob tell jokes again twinkle in old Bob eyes when he knows me hugs from grandsons just looking at lovely Rhonda, getting employee of the month again yet thinking of retiring very soon thinking of Destin, the ocean thinking of Ghent where I my soul belongs being able to write from the heart planning trips I may never be able to do yet make me smile in anticipation being able to walk , talk, cook, write, and not be an old lady. WOW bloggers make me happy most of the time.

In no particular order ……….. Little post-it notes around the house from my hubby and son My cats snuggling together My Dad’s smile My Mom’s embrace