Happy 101

  

After my recent post, I figured this blog could use a little happiness. And my friend over @DiaryofaNewMom signed me up for a meme a while back which I’m only now getting to (sorry pretty lady!). But it’s a FUN meme….so here goes!  

 This meme requires that I share 10 things that make me happy – and then share the Happy 101 award. Now where to begin?…..  

 1. Obviously, I’ll begin with Pineapple. Pineapple makes me so happy. Last week, I was having a TERRIBLE day. As I pulled up to my home, feeling absolutely rotten about myself, I saw a tiny person toddling down the sidewalk, followed by a bigger person, of course, and all I could think was “no matter what else I do in life, I made THAT – and that is an amazing thing.” I immediately had a ginormous smile stretching my face. So for sure, Pineapple is my #1.  

 2. Sunshine and good music. I live in Portland, OR right now and let me just tell you that sunshine is in short supply. There is never enough for long enough and there is more grey than I care to think about. But when it is sunny out? Boy-O-boy…this city can’t be beat. It’s lovely! And people just spill out of their homes to enjoy the day. Add in some good music and now we’re talkin’! I think my two best scenarios are: 1) some good reggae music on the beach in Negril, Jamaica with DH and 2) some great blues playing on my Aunt Queen and Big G’s lakehouse dock in Louisiana – with all of my family there and, of course some cold beverages. Those are perfect days my friends.  

3. “Cheesy” novels. I love to read and I read EVERYTHING. But I’ll admit to a partiality towards cheesy teenage vamp fiction. It’s fun. It’s campy. And doggone it, I LURVE it! I also like novels which do NOT feature the undead or creatures of the shape-shifting variety. For example, A Confederacy of Dunces is a very good book that takes me right back to my southern roots, The Codex Alera series rocks (and yes it’s horses and swords sci-fi but there’s not a single vampire in sight!), Things I Learned About My Dad In Therapy was a fun book of essays from some of my favorite bloggers, and of course the Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris…oh crap…that’s vampires. Well, too bad! I LURVE THEM! They make me happy. Toss in some wandering down the aisles of Powell’s Bookstore with a cup of coffee, Pineapple and DH and you have an accurate picture of about 90% of my Saturday mornings.  

 4. Old friends. I have the best “old” friends in the world. A few of which I’ve been friends with for more than 25 years (HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!). And they are always there for me. Also, I’m what’s called a “low-maintenance friend.” I don’t need a lot of love and attention in order to maintain a friendship. This worked out well recently when one of my dearest old friends moved to Australia. That move made it super hard for us to connect and during her stay there, she gave birth to her second child. But when we WERE able to connect, we never missed a beat. That casual, comfortable relationship is invaluable.  

 5. New friends. My “new friends” are flipping HI-LARIOUS. And they are so supportive of my midlife crisis (hellllo vampire and werewolf addiction – and if you support this, you know who you are 😉 ). And my blogworld friends are AMAZING. They’re my own, personal super heroes.  

 6. Sushi & Beer. Salmon sashimi. Miso soup. Sake. Iko Sansai. Dragon rolls. Yum. Yum. Yum. More please. And it’s HAPPY food. I just feel good after I’ve eaten it and I don’t feel like I’ve totally blown my diet….until I’ve had some good microbrews to go with it. But, c’est la vie! I love me some good sushi and some good beer and thankfully, Portland offers both.  

 7. Mindless television. I am a fan of crap on TV that doesn’t make me think to hard. I like most of the VH1 ‘romance’ shows (Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, Frank The Entertainer) – crap is king on my TV. I also like Ghost Hunters and most anything on the Discovery channel (though I would hardly place that in the crap category). And in my defense, I also enjoy some more challenging programming – like Lost, Alias, and Fringe – as well as some funny programming – like Modern Family and The Office. But my all-time favorite is Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Yes, it’s true. I am a ginormous nerd. YAY ME! (and stop kitten poker!)  

8. The ocean. Little known fact: I had 3 scholarships for marine biology when I graduated from high school…and I turned them all down. Why you ask? My dad informed me that I would never make any money, I’d always be out at sea so wouldn’t be able to have a family, and I’d find myself in my 30’s just finishing up and getting started in life. Well, that worked out really well given that I didn’t get married until I was 31, had Pineapple at 34 and am STILL figuring out my life at 36. To be fair though, he did point out that I am prone to HORRIBLE motion sickness – not a valued quality in someone expected to be at sea for at least a portion of their career. Nausea sucks. What doesn’t suck is the ocean. It’s beautiful and rhythmic and full of surprises! It’s an amazing experience to swim in the sea and explore a different world that is so close but so different from us land lubbers. And thank goodness, Pineapple seems to love it, too!  

9. Being around my family. I have a big, messy, enormous, involved family. And when I got married, I gained a whole new component to that family whom I couldn’t love more. And being around my family truly makes me happy. They have their problems and they’re not always perfect but the fact that I have so many people that are connected to me in a very real, tangible way has always been a comfort. I’m so thankful for each of them and what a dull life this would be without them all.  

10. DH. DH makes me so happy. He also makes me so FRUSTRATED. But mostly, he makes me happy. Whenever I think about my life before him I can’t believe I made it without my best friend in the world by my side for so long. I feel so sad that we missed so many years with each other and I feel so grateful that we finally met. If I’m having a bad day, just knowing I have someone who truly loves me and trusts me and respects me waiting at home to share my pain is invaluable. He gave me Pineapple. He chose me out of everyone else in the world (well, let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure K-Stew is content with R-Patz ) and he never lets me forget it. Maybe number 10 is actually LOVE. Yeah, I think it’s fair to say that LOVE makes me happiest of all.  

And now on to my friends whom I will mercilessly force (BEG/PLEAD) to participate in this meme. Thanks again to @DiaryofaNewMom  for wantingto hear my 10 Happy Things. I think you’re great lady!!!!  

Have fun, friends!  

•  @UnxperiencedMom
• @AdventureMomJ
• @DadLogic
• @ehood
• @Melistress
• @QueenMotherBlog

XOXO Rachael