#52Lists - List 1 - List What Makes You Happy Right Now

Okay, so after being a sadsack for the last year or so, I'm working at NOT being a pathetic sadsack and getting my groove back. I used to be a happier person with more self-confidence, and I'm determined to find that girl again.

So, part of my self-imposed therapy is that I bought a book called 52 Lists for Happiness.
I like making lists. I like happiness. Ergo, this seems like a decent idea, right?

And I might as well get started at some point ... so here I am (FINALLY) with the first list in the book:
List What Makes You Happy Right Now (or, in Church-speak, "Count Your Blessings.")

So, in no particular order, here we go:

• My husband
• The gospel of Jesus Christ. I like that we are loved beyond comprehension. And that we're allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. And that love is a basic principle. It's awesome.
• President Thomas S. Monson, even though I'm worried about how much longer we get to keep him. But he's always got some of the BEST stories. And I'm a sucker for stories.
• BOOKS. I heart me the written word something fierce.
• Chocolate.
• My family. They're pretty awesome.
• Herbal and Rooibos tea ... pairs perfectly with a book or a historical costume drama.
• Historical costume dramas.
• Cats
• Fennec foxes
• Quokkas ... They are SO DANG HAPPY!!
• Platypusses/Platypi ... they're cute.
• Bunnies
• Baby animals
• Chameleons
• Nail polish ... especially anything with holo glitters. 
• Rainbows. I like all the colors!
• Christmas, because everyone works to be just a little NICER and more COMPASSIONATE.
• Beef stroganoff
• Mashed potatoes.
• Cherry cheesecake
• Hot chocolate (the beverage. But I do also like that one song, "I Believe in Miracles," too.)
• Fountain pens
• Office supplies in general
• The smell of laminating film (see above)
• The smell of new books
• The smell of old books.
• Edward Gorey art (and writing)
• Lemony Snicket's writing style
• Fonts (like the handwriting and typography kind. I mean the water-type are cool, too ... but not AS cool to me. No offense if that's what floats your boat. #NoPunIntended #SeeWhatIDidThere)
• Typography in general ... it's just something that I find aesthetically pleasing. 
• Spellcheck
• The Internet (well, not ALL of it, since there's some scary and bad stuff out there. But I do like the parts of it that I deal with. Social media, games, facebook, blogging, finding answers at a moment's notice, family history, ...)
• Coloring (the feel of a marker or gel pen under your hand? The smell of crayons? The whisper of a colored pencil gliding? It's pretty awesome.)
• Dancing ... especially when I was in shape.
• Swimming
• Lip gloss/lip balm
• Anime and other cartoons
• Those massage chairs at some nail salons
• When my house is clean
• Having more than 15% free memory on my phone
• Music
• Singing
• When you're pregnant and you can feel your little parasite (I say that lovingly) move inside your uterus.
• My Sunday School class
• Relief Society
• Girls Nights Out
• Chatting with friends
• Watching my youngest dance at her ballet class
• Snuggles with my son
• Chatting with my daughter
• Scented markers
• Naps

I'd put more, but MY SWEET BAYBEES are all awake and LOUDLY getting ready for school, so I can't think of much more around their energetic vocal ministrations. :P

But, hey, it's a start, right?

And a lot more things than those listed above make me happy. Those are just the ones that I thought about first.

I'm sick *cough couch*

It's actually not QUITE so dire. I mean, yes, I'm the QUEEN OF MUCUS, but I'm on the mend.

But that's what happens when I overdo stuff. I could tell that I was getting overexerted/overscheduled/overstressed. But did I DO anything about it, really? Did I put my foot down and take a couple extra naps?

No.

So I got sick. Boo on that.

It started off as a maybe-allergies, then went into a sinus-thing. Today is the first day that I haven't taken anything besides using my neti pot in the shower (Word to the wise: Don't step in the mucus you've just dislodged out of your head. It's slippery and GROSS.) ... and I'm feeling mostly okay.

I mean, yes, I should have bought stock with Kleenex ... and, since I'm pushing fluids so very much, I feel like all I've really done the last few days is blow my nose, drink water, and PEE (and pee and pee and pee).
Yeah, you're welcome. I know how you LOOOOOOVE that I'm keeping it SO VERY REAL.

I'll blog for real later. My cup of noodles is almost ready.

Eyring Quote

"There will be noise and people around you most of your waking day. God hears your silent prayers, but you may have to learn to shut out the distractions because the moment you need the connection with God may not come in quiet times." - Henry B. Eyring (Priesthood and Personal Prayer)

This quote ... I like it. I need it.

I am way too distracted and need to get better at focusing.

Tender mercies

One of my friend's mom made jam.
She posted a picture on Facebook. And i,deep in my selfish heart, thought, "Wow, that jam looks amazing. But I shouldn't all for some. Making jam is an effort. And she's got a lot of people who know and love her delicious food."

Within an hour, she messaged me and asked if I'd like a jar, since she'd be in town.

She loves me.
My Heavenly Father loves me.
I am loved. And very spoiled.

Today I Was Brave

If you've known me for longer than ... oh ... five minutes, you might have noticed that I have this tendency to, well, overthink things.

Like overthink EVERYTHING.

Which brings us to today's most eventful thing:

I'm at Bubble's ballet class, standing next to another mom.
I've talked to her before. I like her. She's easy to talk to and gives off that vibe, you know the one, all calming and pleasant.

And we chat a little.

And I screw up my courage ... "Hey, are you on Facebook?" I ask.

"Yes. A LOT."

"Can I send you a friend request?"

"Sure!" And she's so nice, she even helps me spell her last name (which I didn't know or I'd have sent her one earlier. I'm still so pleasantly surprised that Bubble's dance teacher accepted my friend request, to be honest.) and bring up the correct profile.

So *happy wiggle in my chair* I have a new friend.

I was looking through some of her posts this evening. She's a lot more into sports than I am. That's cool. But we actually have quite a bit in common.

I have a new friend, you guys.

I MADE A FRIEND.

I'm not totally hopeless at this! It's amazing!

In other (unrelated) news, I ordered a fountain pen. It's one of the cheaper (but decent) models ... it's supposed to be WAY better than the one I bought at Hobby Lobby a year or so ago ... that was more frustrating to write with than it should have been.
AND IT'S TEAL. Very pretty.
Fine-tip nib.
Sometimes Amazon Prime just isn't quite fast enough ... but it gives me something (yet another thing, really) to look forward to.

And, tomorrow evening, I get to have a girls' night out with two awesome friends. So that's going to be a blast.

And I wrote a letter (like a post-office-requiring-a-stamp-type-letter letter) to one of my friends, because she's mentioned in the past that there's nothing more fun than to get something fun in the mail ... and she wrote back! (And it is superfun to get fun mail) and I wrote her again.
(It's a lot less difficult to write to her than to my Nana ... because I don't have to think so hard or feel so tense. Nothing against my Nana. I love Nana ... but her dementia makes it difficult. Because, well, I never know what she will remember or not. So I just send her a chatty letter, sometimes with photos, full of (not-so-) important nothings ... and not mentioning that I miss her how she was before the dementia took hold.
I mean, I know Nana's still Nana ... but she's also not-so-Nana. ... She doesn't recognize one of my cousins. Which is terribly sad. She knows me and Michael and our kids still. She speaks highly of my mom. She knows her sons and their current wives/girlfriends ... But she's also not so who she was. ... I don't think I'm making much sense. Still, it's nice that she's still sweet and funny. Often a bit confused ... but it could be very much worse. And I'm very grateful that it's not.)

On Facebook, since I have a lot of friends on VERY varying places on the political spectrum (and that can be a little ... interesting. I identify as a moderate Independent, who can skew a bit conservative. It can be a little daunting dealing with Michael's uncles who are VERY, VERY REPUBLICAN ... especially when one of them will turn any slightly-political post I make all about the "liberal agenda."
Seriously, PARAGRAPHS-worth. ... I love my husband's uncles.
It gets more interesting when some of my more-liberal friends (like my high-school Drama teacher) gets involved. I learn a lot, yes, but it can be ... interesting.

But, really, overall? Life is good. I am doing better emotionally and socially.
I mean, sure, there's room for improvement ... but ... I'm feeling a lot better. I think I'm actually getting to that acceptance stage of grief. That's a big improvement.