What Makes Me Happy

In honour of the Carnival of MS Bloggers theme of moods I have decided to compile a list of things: Not Happy and Happy.

NH: waking an hour or so before the alarm clock goes off.
H: hearing the loons at a nearby lake at 5 AM.

NH: getting my boots filled with water at a river clean up
H: the river clean up

NH: paying bills
H: that I'm able to drive, work and shop

NH: the clothes I just bought a week ago are now too loose
H: I'm losing a little bit of weight

NH: neuropathic pain:
H: maybe it's continued re-myelination

And this is where I got stuck. I can't think of enough things that make me not happy to continue in this vein (which is something in itself to be happy about) so I'll instead list the things that make me happier.

A message on my answering machine from a co-worker wondering about a moth she found.

A call from a listener who just wanted to say hello and thanks for the great music.

Calls from listeners who say "Hi Shauna!" like they've known me for years but in reality have never actually met me.

Calls from people who have dialed the wrong number but stay on the phone to chat when I ask them who they were trying to reach (and what they wanted to talk about, too).

Catching sight of a frog or a snake in an unsuspecting place.

Young children who are polite.

People who say "Yes" to having their picture taken with Cranky Baby.

Real whipped cream (even though I haven't had any in a very long time).

Knowing that I'm the only one to have discovered the blackberry canes and blueberry bushes surrounding the building where I live.

Having a boyfriend with a very long fuse and the patience of Job who doesn't mind me referring to him as The Wookie.

Having a boyfriend who has never made me want to cry.

Having a father with a strange sense of humour.

Having a good mother.

Telling the long distance provider telemarketers that I don't make long distance calls.

Telling the insurance telemarketers I have no family to leave anything to.

The telemarketers who I can make laugh.

My internet provider customer service rep who when I said I was disconnected asked me "What did you do to it!?" very quickly and made me laugh.

Darth Vader figurines. Not sure why.

Sugoi biking shorts.

My Olympic yo-yo that I've had since I was 6.

Thinking about my maternal grandmother calling me a little fart.

Talking to WW 2 veterans about their medals and service.

My iron cast Mennonite figurines I have in front of my computer to remind me of the simpler things in life.

The picture of the Wookie when he was a week old and had the hair of one of the Beatles during their first North American Tour.

The fact that my father sometimes asks about the Wookie before he asks how I am.


So there you have it. I could go on listing piles of things that make me happy. Actually, it's kind of like Oprah's gratitude journal only better. And it's put me in a rather (dare I say it?) happy mood. I suggest you try it. But if you can't find enough things to make you happy, try some of mine. Except for the Wookie, of course.

S.