I'm Delighted

What a positive way to begin any year. Christine Kane has suggested keeping a list of 100 ways to be delighted. A much better exercise than 100 things that piss you off!

Here's my list. Make one of your own and feel better.

1. Cuddling a puppy
2. The smell of a newborn's hair
3. Freshly brewed coffee
4. A winter's storm (so long as it doesn't take your power!)
5. Raindrops on roses
6. Whiskers on puppies
7. Bright colored rainbows
8. Warm woolen slippers
[with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein!]
9. Laughing till your sides ache
10. Playing cards on Cousins' Day
11. Unexpected phone calls from friends
12. The Pinata Group
13. Learning new stuff in PhotoShop
14. An engrossing book
15. Waves crashing on shore
16. The azure blue of the Indian Ocean
17. A thumbnail moon in a morning sky
18. A huge orange harvest moon
19. Shooting stars
20. San Francisco on a crystal clear day
21. Truffles (the chocolate kind)
22. The smell of certain kinds of paper
23. Dinner out
24. The movie Dave
25. "Says You"
26. Writing this journal
27. Home grown tomatoes
28. Having a parking angel
29. Brahms 1st Symphony
30. Seeing Van Gogh's "Starry Night" for the first time, in person.
31. The uncontrolled laughter of a baby
32. Puppy breath
33. A field of tulips
34. Judy Garland
35. The Golden Gate Bridge
36. Jon Carroll
37. The silence of a forest
38. John Denver
39. Finding "the perfect" gift for someone
40. Family dinners
41. My children enjoying each other's company
42. Having the house to myself
43. The Daily Show (bring it back!)
44. Comfortable shoes
45. Did I mention being taken out to dinner?
46. A tearjerker movie
47. Robin Williams
48. Comfort food
49. A really good theatrical production
50. A really good theatrical production I don't have to review!
51. Having an old acquaintance stumble across "Funny the World" and write to me out of the blue
52. Bubbling crab pots
53. Fresh cracked crab
54. Any vista point overlooking San Francisco
55. Marc Yu
56. Missbhavens' videos
57. That "fresh from the dentist" feeling
58. The baby doves growing up on my mother's porch
59. Sunflowers
60. Compliments on my writing
61. Monk
62. My iPod
63. Working puzzles with my mother
64. Planning for our new granddaughter
65. Photography
66. Elephants in the wild (not in captivity)
67. Free wi fi
68. Fog
69. Ultra Kawaii
70. Fun socks
71. Tug of war with a puppy
72. An orchard of blossoming trees
73. Sea Lions
74. Book stores
75. Steam trains
76. Sunsets so vivid they make your eyes hurt
77. Gallahs
78. Reconnecting with one of our foreign students
79. Candles
80. Typing for the fun of it
81. Watching my kids perform
82. Watching other people watching my kids perform
83. Cheesecake
84. Interviewing interesting people
85. Hot air balloons
86. Chris Matthews' infectious excitement
87. Flickr, Twitter, and Utterz
88. Wicked
89. Old cemeteries
90. A good pun
91. A bad pun (even better!)
92. A great salad bar
93. Whale watching (especially if you find whales!)
94. Looking at snow covered mountains (as long as you don't have to get out into the snow)
95. Dreaming dogs
96. The mixed smells of incense and candles in a church
97. Jeopardy
98. My recliner
99. Did I mention getting taken out to dinner?
100. January 20, 2009